MMA weight training is a whole different ball game than most other sports. Virtually every physical attribute must be developed to the highest degree possible as well as work harmoniously together as one unit.

It has been proven time and time again that, much like having limited skill in various martial arts, having limited physical capacities can be a huge disadvantage as a fighter. MMA weight training and other forms of resistance training, if done properly, can greatly enhance a mma fighter’s strength and conditioning.

But the key phrase here is, IF DONE PROPERLY. There can be a lot of wasted effort in a mma weight training workout if the fighter doesn’t train with a specific purpose in mind. Standard bodybuilding or general fitness exercises performed the conventional way simply won’t cut it.

MMA Specific Weight Training

A proper MMA weight training program consists of the right balance of strength and power exercises coordinated in a way that supplements the techniques and skill of a fighter.

As an example, this means you don’t just do squats for the sake of getting “stronger or bigger legs.” You’ll want to know how to transfer your new found leg strength into specific application.

So let’s say you added 50 pounds to your squat. Now, you’ll want to work on developing leg power so that you are not just strong, but explosive, such as the explosiveness needed in shooting in for a take-down.

You can do this by supplementing your heavy squats with exercises like box jumps, sprints, or jumping dumbbell squats.

On top of leg strength from squats and leg power, you’ll also need to add supplementary muscle endurance and conditioning exercises to your mma weight training workouts. Newly developed leg strength will become useless in a fight if your legs tire out within the first couple of minutes.

MMA weight training workouts such as circuit training are great for developing the muscular endurance needed to accomplish this. Light-weight high-rep squats, split squats, and lunges would be good exercises to develop not only strength endurance in your legs but are great for developing all the muscles involved in the legs in a coordinating fashion.

Applying Your New Strength and Power

The final and perhaps most important step to maximizing your mma weight training workouts is to apply your new found strength and conditioning to your mma technique.

By combining specific weight training exercises with your skills training, you will not only be just developing strength and conditioning, but you’ll be coordinating your muscles to use your strength and conditioning for a specific purpose.

Apply this principle to all of your exercises and the respective muscles in your mma weight training workouts and you’ll be much more effective than just hitting the gym and doing a bunch of aimless exercises. Make every part of your mma weight training routine sport specific, and leave getting a good “pump” for the Guidos.

A Great Overall Complete MMA Weight Training Program

If you’re looking for a step-by-step complete and comprehensive mma strength and conditioning program, be sure to check out my personal favorite:

Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Guide by Eric Wong

It’s tried and true and covers everything from A-Z with not only weight training for mma but diet, conditioning, stretching, and everything else in between.

Check out the rest of the details here ===> Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Guide

Hope this helps,

Derek Manuel
MMA Weight Training

Before bringing in Philippi, Mir admitted that his previous mma workout routine for strength was just basic body building routines that made him look and feel good.

After incorporating many of the Strongman principles into his new mma workout routine, Mir’s whole perspective on strength training changed; along with his physique, strength and power.

In my opinion, a lot more fighters ought to take the same approach that Mir and Philippi have for their mma workout routine.

It still surprises me that serious fighters still lack basic knowledge and think that body building programs are effective mma workout routines for mixed martial artists.

Strongman Training and MMA

Although Strongman workouts are not 100% efficient in terms of carrying over to mma, they are a HELL of a lot better then body building programs.

Philippi knew enough to take many principles of Strongman training and incorporate them with the needs of an mma fighter, and the result was the beast we saw that put away the likes of Check Congo in a matter of seconds.

One of the best principles that we can take away from Philippi is the fact that he had Mir…

ADD WEIGHT TO THE BAR

He had him just focus on squatting, pressing, and pulling heavier weight. In one of their training video clips, you’ll notice that all the exercises he was doing – squats, farmer’s walks, sled dragging – all had HEAVY weight.

We as fighters often tend to over analyze sport specific training and some times forget the basics.

Although lunges, sprints, box jumps, air squats, take-down drills and many other more sport specific exercises for the legs of mma fighters are important, it is equally important to remember that your level of strength is the FOUNDATION for all the various uses of your muscles.

Think about it. Working on strength endurance when you don’t have a lot of strength is a waste and getting ahead of yourself.

Power is extremely vital for mma fighters, and power is simply strength x speed, which means without strength, your just fast, not powerful.

Think of strength as the basis of potential for all of your physical capabilities. More strength equals more potential for strength endurance, power, power endurance, muscle endurance, and so on.

Although a must for mma fighters for developing strength and power endurance and conditioning, things like circuit training, complexes, Tabata, body weight exercises, etc. all have a time and place.

Sometimes a Fighter Just Needs to Build Raw Size and Tire-Iron Bending Strength

I believe at least once a year a fighter should take around 2 to 3 months to focus their mma workout routine on increasing strength. One of the best ways to do this is the 5×5 system with just a few basic compound exercises.

Focus solely on adding weight to exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, bent-over rows, and military presses.

In increase of 20 – 50 pounds in strength for each of these lifts is not unrealistic if you do it right and follow a solid routine.

Take the Rocky Approach

Sometimes we need to take the approach Rocky Balboa took in his last epic series. I’ll end it with one of my favorite quotes from Rocky’s trainer when prepping him for his training for his last fight:

“…what we’ll be calling on is good ol’ fashion blunt force trauma. Horsepower. Heavy-duty, cast-iron, piledriving punches that will have to hurt so much they’ll rattle his ancestors. Every time you hit him with a shot, it’s gotta feel like he tried kissing the express train. Yeah! Let’s start building some hurtin’ bombs!”

Train hard, fellow fighters and fans,

Derek Manuel
MMA Workout Routine