A couple MA training ideas

[Thaibox]

I’ve been asked by several people lately on a decent workout schedule for preparing to fight in boxing and NHB. I am not an expert on training, but I do have a good amount of experience in the ring, in the gym, on the mat, and instructing, so I’ll share what I can, and what, in my opinion, will help get you to dominate in the ring and on the mat. I’m going to say all this like it is fact for simplicity, but it’s only a crippled, ex-fighter’s opinion on things and some of my old training schedules. So keep that in mind, and gather other opinions, suggestions, and mold this into what you think is right for YOU.

Unfortunately my fighting career did not parallel with my time spent lifting. I found how to really lift well only a few years before I quit fighting. If I trained this way when I was younger I believe that I would not only have been more successful, but I would have saved my body from many of the injuries that keep me from training today.

I believe that the most important part of a fighter’s strength training is his legs. Whatever capacity you’re fighting in(boxing, Mauy Thai, MMA/NHB) if you have weak legs, you will not pose the highest threat possible to your opponent. Everything begins with your legs. Its the starting point of every power hit, every slip, every sprawl, every shoot, every kick. They are your balance, your leverage on the ground, and the pistons that will drive up that single or double applied to the body of a 300 lb. opponent. To neglect legs is to neglect what keeps you standing upright. Leg day should be the center of your strength training. Everything else is simply leading up to leg day.

Training shoulders is of great importance. Barbell presses are probably my favorite shoulder lift, but Dumbbells are good for our purpose because you can alternate sides(L,R,L…). The way I fight, I’ve found that my shoulders are incorporated into my strikes more than my pecs, so I trained them very hard.

You need to find yourself a good strength coach. NOT a personal trainer, but someone who specializes in strength training/power/Olympic lifting and has the knowledge and experience to back himself up. Not some bookworm weenie with training certification. This is one of the biggest mistakes I made. I had a lot of knowledgeable people around me, but no one with a real strong Olympic lifting background.

Here is some of my past training routines that more or less worked for me while I was still training, and some that I should have done if I had a brain. I'd like everyone to chime in with opinions, theories, and whatever has and has not worked for them here.

Anyway, here’s a couple of schedules that I followed while still training. The lifting was training with speed in mind. All except some heavy single reps were done with slow controlled eccentric, a ½-2 second pause, and an explosive concentric.

 

[Thaibox]

1.) This one worked well for me to maintain what I had while I was training, but didn’t really develop a ton of power and I didn’t gain any size because it was a high volume of training. Kind of a conventional lifting routine incorporated into fight specific training. I consumed between 5 and 6000 cals, and slept 9-10 hours a day. I think I was always on the verge of overtraining with this one. Not a good one for growing, but I was moving well.

Also, all I did during this time was fight, so I had no real job, and lived off savings and credit some time while I pursued my fighting career.

DAY 1:
Morning-
Shadow boxing: 15-20 minutes
Light stretching: 10-15 minutes
Kali Stick drills: 30 minutes

Afternoon-
Abs: 3-4 sets weighted. I always did abs first. I think its a good way to warm-up and prep your mids for the onslaught that’s coming.
Squats: 5-6 sets
Stiff Legged Deadlifts: 4-5 sets
Presses: 3 sets
Donkey raises: 2 sets
Seated raises: 2-3 sets
Abs: 2-3 sets

45 minute rest and food
Footwork: 15-20 minutes
Shooting drills for 30 minutes
Slipping drills for 30 minutes
Easy stand-up freestyle: 1 hour

DAY 2: No lifting
Don’t do any running, kicking drills or anything else extensively today, let your poor legs rest.
Personally, with the exception of some stretching, I made this day the day where I didn’t do jack shit. I sat on my ass and tried not to breath too hard. If I had to pick my nose, I did it slowly. It was my real day off. Today is all about food, rest, baths, and massages from a beautiful woman. If you can get the woman to assist in the bath, that also assists in a beneficial recovery.

DAY 3:
Morning-
High speed katas for 15 minutes, low speed loose for 15 minutes
Light stretching for 10-15 minutes
Shin conditioning 10-15 minutes
Heavy bag work: 30-45 minutes

Afternoon-
Abs: 4-5 sets weighted
Rotators: 5-6 sets light
Barbell military presses: 3-4 sets heavy
Dumbbell alternate presses: 3-4 sets (hold at top not bottom)
Incline presses: 3-4 sets
Flat dumbbell or barbell: 3-4 sets
Heavy bag power drills: 15-20 minutes
Trapping speed drills: (10)1minute active, and 1 minute rest
Forearm conditioning: 15 minutes

I lived close to my gym, so I’d go home, eat, and take a nap for about 45 minutes.
Close range elbow and knee drills for 30-45 minutes
Footwork and Slipping drills: 30-45 minutes
Grappling drills: I hour

DAY 4: No lifting
Morning-
Walk: 20-30 minutes
Katas, slow: 15 minutes
Light stretching: 15-30 minutes

Afternoon-
Obstacle course: Various times, usually 30-90 minutes
Freestyle wrestling: Usually lasted from 1-2 hours
Stand-up grappling/takedown drills: 1-2 hours
Slipping drills: 20-30 minutes

DAY 5: Back
Morning-
Light stretching: 15 minutes
Shin conditioning:10-15 minutes

Afternoon:
Deadlifts: 5-6 sets
Bent over Rows: 3-4 sets
Chins: 3-4 sets weighted
Shrugs:3-4 sets
Standing straight bar curls: 3 sets
Alternate db incline curls: 3 sets
Holds: Set the crash bars at the same spot as shrugs, and pull just to hold until grip failure

Food and nap
Ground fighting specific drills: 2 hours
Weapons training: 1-2 hours

DAY 6: No lifting
Morning-
Fast walk: 20-30 minutes
Katas: 20-30 minutes

Afternoon-
Abs: 4-5 sets weighted
Kicking drills
(5)2 minutes active 1 minute rests. Then, 3 minutes rest followed by (10)1 minutes intense active, 1 minute rest. I did this series for each major kick. For a total that lasted a couple hours.
Knee Drills, knee blocks: 45 minutes
Shin conditioning: 15-20 minutes
Footwork if I’m up to it
Sprints: Usually 30-45 minutes

DAY 7: No lifting
Morning-
Katas, slow:15 minutes
Shadow boxing:15 minutes
Light stretching:15 minutes

Afternoon-
jump rope: 15-20 minutes
Freestyle: 2 hours

 

[Thaibox]

FUN SHIT

Bleachers:
Find a stadium near you, stairs won’t cut it because they aren’t steep enough. Simply do sprint intervals on the bleachers.
1. Free sprinting up the bleachers, and jogging or walking quickly down.
2. Hold 1-10lb weights at forehead level as you sprint. If you think 1 lb. sounds light, give it a try for a while. I bought some deep sea fishing weights and wrapped them in tape this purpose. They’re a little more comfortable and you can toss around some combos and such as you hold them up. Use these when you go running anywhere. Don’t let them fall below where your hands would be in the ring.
3. Wear a backpack full of books. Make sure the books are in there well, and the pack is on really tight, so its not flopping around. You can wear one on the front as well.

Cross country/obstacles:
1. Plot a course somewhere where its necessary to jump things, scale fences, trees, a river, rocks, steep hills, downgrades, etc. Be creative here. People who train themselves for the stamina requirements of fighting by running in a straight line for hours are joking themselves. Fighting is a constant barrage of unpredictable and complex movements, as should be your training. Keep your body guessing. Also, this type of running is inherently shorter than conventional running, Saving yourself from overdoing the cardio and robbing strength.

Sled:
1. You can build or buy one easily. Sled dragging is tough. I actually only got into this recently thanks to b-fold. Pile the weights on that damn thing and go for a stroll.


Aquatic Sparring:
Have you ever tried to apply a quick joint manipulation when you and your opponent are soaking wet? It takes things to a whole new level. The friction you tend to rely on is a fraction of normal. Lower body movements are slow as hell.

Smooth surface:
I use to take a few people I trained to an Ice Skating rink. They’d put on elbow pads, knee pads, and small headgear, and we’d fight on the ice with Tabi boots. Everything is more complex when you can fall on your ass if you sneeze too hard. You don’t need ice. A linoleum floor with some silicon spray works well. Just be careful of ground impact, because you’ll be falling a lot. The first few times I did this, even the best fighters looked like drunken fools, and everybody had a good laugh at everybody else. Footwork is vitally important, and if you can execute a dozen high speed complex movements on ice without taking a dump, imagine how easy it would be in the ring, on the mat, or in the street.

Practical environment:
Train in your street clothes. Put on your bigass, heavy boots, tight jeans, thick cumbersome jacket, sunglasses, and train. Do your ground fighting drills on cement, rocks, stairs, etc.

 

[naturally anabolic]

awesome posts thaibox is the fight training king of EF

BJJ has been coming pretty easy thanks to my highschool wrestling years. I hope to begin incorporating striking techniques as i become more solid in ground attacks, MMA/NHB is my direction.

what do you think about grip training?

 

[Thaibox]

A much less fighting specific program, but I think its good to prep for fighting.
I was just starting this routine before my injury.

Lifting mostly in a very low rep range for compounds, and using plyos for concentrating on strength and power, not size.

DAY 1:
Morning-
Shadow boxing: 20 minutes
Stretch: 15 minutes

Afternoon-
Abs: 5 sets weighted
Platform jumps: 3 x 20
Staircase jumps: 3 x 20
Good mornings: 3 working sets
Squats: 4-5 sets
Stiff legged deads: 3-4 sets
Reverse hypers

DAY 2:
Morning-
Shadow boxing: 20 minutes
Stretch: 30 minutes

Afternoon-
Bagwork

DAY 3:
Morning-
Fast walk: 20-30 minutes
Stretch: 20 minutes

Afternoon-
Medicine ball tosses from decline bench: 50 total
High depth push-ups: 3 sets of 10
Incline press: 3-4 sets
Standing Militaries: 3-4 sets
Side laterals: 3 sets
Rotator work

DAY 4:
AR

DAY 5:
Morning-
Fast walk: 20 minutes
Stretch: 20 minutes

Afternoon-
Abs: 5 sets weighted
Deadlifts: 5-6 sets
Cleans: 4 sets
Bent over rows: 3-4 sets rotated weekly with Chins: 3-4 sets
Dynamic shrugs: 4 sets

DAY 6:
Heavy bagwork

DAY 7:
Walk: 30 minutes
Light stretching: 15 minutes

 

[Thaibox]

Hmmm...king, I like that
More like court jester though

I really believe I get good grip developement from holding my dead lockout, and doing static holds. Also, in my opinion, you'll get good grip training from simply not using any assistance on lifts(straps, hooks), except chalk. In the squat rack, I put the crash bars to shrug position, load a ton of weight on the bar and just hold it at the bottom position of a shrug until I start to cry and drop it.

You could also buy a gripper.

Years ago I had a friend who did pottery, so I had her make me a pretty fat base, with a top that was a little smaller than my grip width. I would fill this with different levels of sand. You could pick it up by palming the top, then do kind of a lift, drop, and catch with it. If that makes sense. This is a traditional grip strength training idea from many schools.

Twists with a single sided dumbbell are good too. I forget what these are called. Basically, weight on one end of a stick. Grabbing the opposite end, rotating your wrist to lift/lower the weighted end, switching between a forward and reverse grip.

 

[Thaibox]

Parabellum has a good thread on grip strength on the training board. Got Help? added some good info as well.

 

[Happyastro]

rock wall climbing and medieval chain mail.

LOL it may sound strange but I actually have a suit of medieval chainmail armor weighing in at 50 pounds (I am an arms buff and have dozens of swords, knifes, guns and armor) I use it in drill/ MA training it helps to maintain condition.
The armor is well made so it does not get in the way of natural movement but yet places a severe burden on the body.

Another fun way of doing cardio is rock climbing; it works the whole body and is damn fun too particularly if you do timed climbs with buddies to see who gets up there first. (with full 90 pound gear)
I got into the habit of doing that when I did my time with the SAS.
The military has some really good ideas for conditioning.

I do a few similar things but I got to say the ice ring thing is very interesting I have not tried it yet but it certainly would develope coordination.

Main difference is my straight out weight training 6 days/ 1 off.
Weight training for me is in the morning, while MA is at night. I do less drills I spar alot; my time constraints force me to choose and sparring is more exciting so I put more time there. (Yeah I know drills are great for development and I should give equal time to them; I do so when I can.)

As for pre-contest workouts; the weight training is given less priority more time is spent on drills and sparring.
Not to mention careful diet planning to lose as much water as possible for weigh in reasons.

 

[Thaibox]

My buddies and I probably ended up sparring more than doing drills also. We were always freestyling. There was 4 of us at the school that followed the same schedule and others that worked with us most of the time, and we were all a bunch of testosterone filled jackasses, so we were always sparring because we were like a bunch of kids that couldn't sit still.

Actually, I dig the idea of chainmail. I have a buddy who was stationed in Europe for a while and got into the midevil reinactment fights, were they put on full armor and wield near real weapons and beat the shit out of eachother. I could only imagine how tough it was to move efficiently in all that crap.

 

[danielson]

nice stuff , i think im gonna try incorporating the morning routines and the rep ranges into my routines. im also looking to increase my morning work in the new year and was considering speed drills or sparring for morining cardio (if i can find another nut job willing to get up early to fight )

but a question on the underwater grappling/locking....i;ve given this a try before for similar reasons to why you tried it, but i hgave it up because my feet would slip too much when moving around, and sinking lower into my srtance didnt help like it does on dry land as i was a little 'floaty'......did u have the same problem? and how did you get around it?