MMA Weight Training For Speed and Power

Article by Travis Lutter

Weight training is one of the more common routines in bodybuilding, which originally became popular shortly after it was first introduced. Today, weight lifting is a requirement in achieving a high level of success in every sport. Since bodybuilding holds the record of weight lifting’s purposes and correct routines, many MMA weight lifting training routines being performed are ineffective for the said sport.

The purpose and goals of mixed martial arts and bodybuilding are different in any sense. Bodybuilding focuses on body size while mixed martial arts focuses on developing and improving power, efficient coordination of skills and neuromuscular, and strength. Bodybuilders can dedicate four to six days per week in training, while MMA fighters can dedicate only two to three days a week in conditioning and strength workout. This workout includes different exercises and routines for cardio development and weight lifting. Weight lifting goal in bodybuilding is focused on building muscles. In MMA, weight training routines are focused on movements. In bodybuilding, weight lifting routines and other workouts are performed for back, chest, quads, biceps, calves and hamstrings development. In mixed martial arts, fighters focus on major patterns of movements to achieve goal.

MMA weight training routines consist of major patterns of movement. The major patterns of movements are: push, squat, pull, bend, twist and lunge. These major movements are the basis of their workout to ensure the entire body has been workout for their limited training schedule of two to three days a week. However, fighters can perform these movements day after day. They can perform, for example, lunge movements on day 1 which will work on your whole lower body especially on the gluteus. On day 2, they can perform squat which will focus on quads. With these movements on day one and day two, you can combine various movement patters that will emphasize on muscles of your body. This requires neuromuscular activation and pathways that will allow fighters to work on lower body parts without excessive training every workout.

You can also perform push movement patterns on different day to avoid over training For example; you can do horizontal push or bench press for day one and overhead press for vertical push on day two. With this, you will be able to perform different push movement patterns every workout in different level and emphasis without injury and over training. In the program designed for mixed martial arts conditioning and strength, all workouts are intended based on major patterns of movements. Each workout will hit the entire body and balanced for the week, month and even the entire session schedule that is three to four months. By this, fighters will never had a chance have injury due to over training.

When these major patterns of movements are incorporated into the training, every muscle in the body will be worked out. Fighters may feel certain imbalances and deficiencies on strength during the training. Because of this situation, isolation exercise training is performed. These exercises are not included in the major pattern of movements. Isolation exercises include single- joint and isometrics exercises.

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