Alright, let’s talk about getting in shape for MMA. It wasn’t straightforward for me, took a lot of trial and error, you know? When I first started, I was just hitting the gym like a regular dude, doing whatever seemed hard. Didn’t really translate well to the mats or the cage.
Finding My Strength Base
First thing I realized was I needed raw strength, but not just beach muscles. Functional power. So, I went back to basics. I started focusing heavily on compound lifts.
- Deadlifts: Man, these were tough at first. But I felt the difference in my hips and back strength pretty quick. Helped a lot with lifting opponents and driving for takedowns.
- Squats: Both front and back squats became regulars. Building leg power for kicks, sprawling, and just moving around powerfully.
- Overhead Press & Bench Press: Needed that pushing power. Framing, getting distance, pushing off the cage. Essential stuff.
- Pull-ups & Rows: You gotta pull people in MMA. Clinching, controlling posture, finishing chokes. I did tons of variations.
I kept the reps mostly in the strength range, like 3-5 reps, lifting heavy. Didn’t waste much time on isolation stuff like bicep curls early on.
The Conditioning Grind
Okay, strength is cool, but getting gassed out? That’s the worst feeling. Happened to me a few times in hard sparring. I knew my conditioning was crap. So, I started hammering it.
I began with hill sprints. Found a steep hill near my place and just sprinted up it, walked down, repeated until I felt like puking. Brutal, but it built that explosive cardio fast.
Then I got into circuit training. I’d mix things up:
- Kettlebell swings
- Burpees (everyone hates ’em, but they work)
- Battle ropes
- Medicine ball slams
- Box jumps
I’d do these with minimal rest, trying to keep my heart rate jacked up, mimicking the intense bursts of energy needed in a fight. Usually 3-5 rounds of maybe 5-6 exercises.
And yeah, good old road work. Steady-state running a few times a week built that deep aerobic base so I wouldn’t fade late in the rounds.
Adding Explosiveness
Being strong and having endurance is great, but you need to be snappy. Explosive. So I layered in specific power work.
Plyometrics became key. Box jumps, broad jumps, clapping push-ups. Anything that forced me to generate force quickly.
Medicine ball throws were awesome. Rotational throws against a wall, overhead throws for height, chest passes for distance. Built that core power you need for throwing hard punches or driving through a double leg.
I also messed around with some Olympic lift variations, like power cleans. Took time to learn the technique, even simplified versions, but they really helped tie that strength and speed together.
Core and Everything Else
Can’t forget the core. It links your upper and lower body. Planks, side planks, hanging leg raises, farmer’s walks with heavy dumbbells or kettlebells. Farmer’s walks were killer for grip strength too, which is obviously huge in grappling.
Putting it all together wasn’t about doing everything every day. I learned to schedule it. Maybe 2-3 days of heavy strength work, 2-3 days of intense conditioning/circuits, and making sure I had enough recovery time so I could actually train my MMA skills – the striking, the grappling. Listening to my body became super important. If I felt wrecked, I’d dial it back or focus on mobility.
So yeah, that’s basically the path I took. It wasn’t magic, just consistent hard work on the basics: heavy lifting for strength, intense conditioning for endurance, and explosive drills for power. Forget the fancy stuff until you’ve mastered these pillars. That’s what worked for me.
