When it comes to mma conditioning, mma fighters have to develop elite levels of physical cardiovascular endurance that few other athletes require.

With so many different types of exercises and pieces of equipment out there today, which one  is the best for mma fighters?

It seems like everyday there is a new product or piece of equipment endorsed by this celebrity or that company.

Granted, Chuck Norris will always be one of the biggest bad asses to walk the planet (I assume you sense the satire), but the Total Gym isn’t your solution to getting into fighters shape.

You can go on YouTube and see all sorts of crazy circus – er, I mean circuit – mma training workouts where there’s some dude doing everything from flipping tires to climbing ropes to doing upside down jumping jacks on some crazy machinery that looks like something Tim Burton and the producers of Saw put together.

Are all these different types of mma conditioning routines, exercises and tools necessary to get into elite levels of fitness? Well, yes and no.

Each exercise and piece of workout equipment serves its own unique purpose, and when put together in programs purposefully, they can be very effective.

But is there IS one piece of equipment that stands out from the rest.

Yeah I said it.

I bought this piece of equipment quite a while back, and no other product has come even close to touching it.

I have used them over and over and I have never gotten better results from anything in terms of good old fashioned heart pounding cardio and conditioning.

So what is this magical piece of equipment that every serious mma fighter in training should own? Take  a look below….

These bad boys have brought me from the lowest level of conditioning to elite levels when I worked them right.

Surprised? Here’s my point…

If you really want to keep it simple and develop the type of mma conditioning that will enable you to go the distance without sucking wind, get your ass outside and run.

Start off building a base of aerobic conditioning: slow paced but long distance runs, then progressively incorporate anaerobic conditioning: short but explosive intervals followed by short rest periods. 5-10 second sprints, 30 second sprints, fast paced running for 15-20 minutes, and 45 minute jogs are all necessary components to developing a balanced level of cardio specific for mma fighters.

Do hill sprints, bleacher sprints, running around the track, suicides, run along the beach, just run, run, run and stay CONSISTENT and after several months you will really build a strong cardio base.

Now, note here that I am teaching a principle here rather then mma conditioning specifics.

You still need to build your muscular conditioning to get into fighters shape, and you WILL eventually need to incorporate other cardio exercises to maximize your conditioning.

But that’s a whole other topic and you can check out my other stuff on that elsewhere on this blog.

But I think there is a key principle that has been lost in translation when it comes to mma conditioning.

Conditioning to become an mma fighter is not a fashion statement and is not dependent on the latest trend.

Sometimes we just need to remember that if we want to get into fighters shape, we just have to run the miles – literally.

Boxing is one of the most physically demanding sports and tests a fighters endurance and stamina like few other sports.

How did most boxers from way back when till today develop this conditioning?

From a word they coined dozens of years ago called “roadwork,” Which is basically just running day after day after day consistently for months at a time.

A lot of Georges St. Pierre’s cardiovascular conditioning is owed to track sprints and uphill sprinting, and he is one of the most conditioned athletes to ever embrace the sport.

So my fellow mma fighters and fans, get yourself a pair of nice running shoes (I know, I need a new pair) and run.

Run in the rain, run in the snow, run in the sunshine, run on the track, run on the beach, run through a creek, I don’t care where the hell you run.

The point is not to get all caught up in the latest piece of fitness equipment and think that is the answer to your mma conditioning troubles.

If you have common sense, and a good solid and foundational mma workout routine, it’s just a matter of getting the guts to do what it takes, always thinking progress, and to staying consistent.

What are your thoughts? Post your comments below, I’d love to hear them!

Derek Manuel
MMA Conditioning Workouts