Jun 02 2011

Grip Training for MMA

Category: Conditioning,Jiu-Jitsu,MMA,MMA Training,Strength Training,Strongman,UFC,Uncategorized,Wrestling — Rob @ 10:23 PM

Grip strength is a very important aspect when training for MMA or any other type of combat sports.  I have heard many combat athletes talk about how their grips are weak.  One area of concern is in the sport of jiu-jitsu when using the gi.  If you are a practitioner of gi jiu-jitsu then you know very well the importance of having a good grip.  Your grip strength and endurance can save you from your opponent passing your guard or worse submitting you.

So how can we can increase our grip for combat sports? You have seen my oversized pull-up handle video, which have helped with my grip strength.  Another great way is by doing Farmers Walks.  Basically a Farmers Walk is carrying heavy weight by your and walking with it.  They do make Farmer Walk handles, which you can load lot’s of weight on.  You can also use a trap bar, which can be found in any commercial gym as well as dumbbells or kettlebells.  One thing I have found that has really increased my grip strength is the use of regular 45 pound plates found in pretty much all gyms.  If they don’t have forty-five pound plates at your gym just stop reading this article thanks.

Here is what I like to do with the forty-five pound plates.  Grab them in each hand using your fingertips.  Start with four fingers as you get stronger start reducing the amount of fingers that you use.  I then take the plates for a ride.  I like to go for about 100yards, once I reach the 100 yard mark I drop the plates and take a brief rest no more that one-minute.  Usually around the fifty-yard mark you start to feel the burn as you get closer to the hundred yard mark you will notice how you pick up the pace of your walk just to get it over with.  Do a couple of sets of these.  If your grip is weaker than you thought grab 25’s or 35’s depending on your level of fitness.  Soon enough people will be talking about your firm handshake and you will take your fight game to a new level.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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May 31 2011

No More Back Pain

Category: Conditioning,Injury Prevention,MMA,MMA Training,Power Training,Strength Training,Strongman,UFC,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:12 PM

By Cat Rivera:

Back pain is indeed no joke!  I, for the majority of my life lived with memories of my own mother laid out flat on her back, unable to enjoy the holidays or even after work standing due to a back injury she acquired when we were hit directly in the middle of our Dodge Ram on the way to school when I was in the third grade.  I remember her grimacing in pain with the smallest of movements and paralyzed in fear that any form of exercise or free mobility would result in her not being able to move her legs.

During a Rugby game in my senior year at Oswego state I suffered a very bad back injury in a scrum down and at that moment I realized the debilitating pain that my mother must have been undergoing all those years. I also, for the first time was introduced to the fear of pain.  How suddenly all of my movements were being recorded by my twinges and stabbing pains to the point where breathing hurt.  From that moment on, my slipped L3 disc and I had a hate, fing hate relationship.

Countless chiropractors, missed workdays, weight gain and countless fear induced, half assed training sessions later, I met the deadlift. It was just in time too, running, sleeping and sitting all threw my back out, carrying the weight of my own breasts hurt by the midmorning. My hips were becoming misaligned the and one leg was slightly longer than the other due to compression of the disc on one side. It was routine training session that changed the movement of my life.

I remember the stern talking too and the playful yet direct banter concerning bending my arms mid lift that I received from Combat Trainer after our first few sessions of DL’s.  The fear of hurting my back was hurting my back. As the weeks went on and my weight increased as did my confidence and form while lifting I realized one day that my back no longer hurt me I could stand and twist and tighten my abs without twinges of pain.

I had to know the science behind my newly found freedom to take my body back from pain. After much research, here are my findings.  The Deadlift is one of the most important exercises you can ever do because it works all your muscles under heavy weight.  It is an essential component of any, strength and conditioning routine.  The DL rears its beneficial head in Olympic lifting, strong man competitions, MMA training and as an overall sign of general strength.

Experiencing  backpain during a DL it is a sign that you are doing it wrong.  First, you must see the DL as more of a pushing motion instead of a pulling one.  You are pushing through your heels, pushing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes as hard as possible.  Be sure to not round your lower back because that will stress your spine. Straight back! Chest up and upper body natural. Pull in a big chest breath and keep everything tight.  Hold the bar close to your body, arms straight and there ya go.

Mastering the proper DL technique will give you a stronger back, teach you the proper way to lift things from the floor and can illuminate back pain for good.

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May 17 2011

Team Combat Trainer at the Metro Dash

Category: Agility,Conditioning,Power Training,Quickness,reaction time,Speed,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:15 PM

“Six A.M. may be too early for me to handle you,” Combat Trainer snarls in a less than chipper tone.  From the back, of the car chimes in my husband who states, “She can be a lot for most people.”  I dismiss them both and continue being a mixture of anxiety and sheer joyous excitement.

8:30 is the start of the Metro Dash NY/NJ leg and we are en route to The Meadowlands Arena.  I am a person who functions very well on very little sleep.  Oddly keeping very alert and enthusiastic especially when nerves or new adventures are ahead.

Once at the Dash I am suddenly quiet and observant.  A dynamic warmup and preview, a few pee breaks and a quick walk around the perimeter of the course later and our “heat” begins.  Luckily, I find three woman athletes who welcome me as the fourth in their group.  I insisted to not be in the same go around as Rob so our friendship does not hinder his competitive streak.  It worked out well as he was finishing I was just beginning.

Much of the Dash in afterthought is a blur.  I can however, fully recall all my areas of weakness.  As a competitor I find my success often is short lived in exchange for trying to improve what I deem as weaker points or failure.  The 16 foot cargo stands out as the largest nemesis of the day, followed by the 8foot wall climb and monkey bars, gasp.  I climbed my Combat Trainer clad ass up all 16 feet to only find myself unable to throw myself over the top to descend back down.  Fear of falling and thudding onto the gym class mat below as a previous athlete in an earlier heat had done as well as the fear of kicking my heat mates in the face proved to be overwhelming.  My own thoughts deafening me, making me unable to from hearing shouts of advice and encouragement from below.

The Dash itself was fun.  The obstacles a good mix of expected and “oh shit”.  My upperbody mocked by rope climbs and monkey bars, my legs pleased by climbing and carries.  My finishing time 18:25 with three sets of penalty burpees.

On the way home all I could think of was that I wanted to turn back and do it again, immediately, and what I could do better.  I was also reminded of what my husband had said on the ride in, using the words “most people”.  I was never so happy to not be “most people”.  The “most people” who were still asleep in comfort as I fling myself over wooden walls, banging my shins on sledgehammers, swinging kettlebells, and dragging sleds in the dark at my trainer’s house for late training sessions.  Nine months ago I may have been “most people” but all I know is at this time, stronger, fitter, thinner and a warrior feels good and I will take it because I will do what most people won’t!

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May 12 2011

Amateur MMA Training

Category: Conditioning,Jiu-Jitsu,MMA,MMA Training,Power Training,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 6:47 PM

Mainstream? Yes MMA has gone mainstream if you have not figured it out by now.  With the growth of the sport also comes many new participants are joining the ranks in the amateur circuit.  Now we all know that MMA training is tough and if you are a serious amateur it is very time consuming.

For the most part if you are serious about getting a career started in the cage you will have to make an investment in yourself.  Yes you will have to spend some money on quality MMA training but you will also have to make an investment in your time.  Unlike the majority of the pro fighters out there amateurs also have full time jobs that take up their time.  Add this on top of the countless hours of training in jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing and muay Thai it can leave an athlete wanting to quit.

I am in the middle of a training camp with Jessica Richer for her upcoming MMA debut this Saturday, May 14th.  Jessica is an amateur fighter that has the full time job and is still able to pursue her dream of fighting.  With that being said in a few months I am going to put out a manual detailing the training of Jessica.  This manual will help guide amateurs in their training and other life commitments.  The manual will serve as a detailed guide to help amateur fighters out there reach their potential and be a successful fighter.  The manual will also come with a DVD that will have Jessica’s strength and conditioning sessions as well as the program that I wrote for her.  If you are serious about a career in fighting then you will want to get your hands on this.  Here at Combat Trainer I strive to help everyone achieve his or her goals!  Those that want will, those that don’t, won’t.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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May 01 2011

Kettlebells Walks for MMA Training

Category: Conditioning,MMA,MMA Training,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 7:48 PM

By Cat Rivera

My left wrist knows too well the beating an ill executed kettle bell clean can give.  I also know the inspection I often give the fleshy outer part of my wrists to evaluate the previous days cleans.  Still, the clean is a vital basic in KB training that aquires mastery before moving too swiftly onto other KB exercises like the clean and press, waiter’s carry etc.

In this leg of Combat Trainer we are pairing a KB clean by one arm and a KB clean and press walked into a waiter’s carry with the other arm.  The clean itself is controlled and graceful when done close and tight to the body.  The press, strong and purposeful a movement, almost begging to be marched around.

Start with a swing on a one handed gripped KB.  As you swing upward from the ground between your legs thrust you hips and shrug your shoulder in as you pull the bell tight to your body tightly and controlled flip the bell over to lie on your forearm.  Careful to your keep the arm tucked close to your body and close against your belly.  The bell will rest and a on your forarm and a small piece of shoulder.

Repeat this movement with both arms and with one arm press that KB to the sky in one solid controlled movement.  Now carry those suckers, one pressed overhead and one cleaned close to your body.  Waiter’s walk 100 feet, one minute, 50 to 100 yards, uphill, downhill, go, go,go. Switch arms and go,go,go.

So, what’s the point of all this overhead weighted walking?  Core strength for one, your entire midsection is bracing your spine and keeping tight to carry the weight, you are activated.  Your glutes are tightened to stabilize you from wobbling side to side.

Your grip and forearms are also being strengthened as your forearms are ignited.  Your traps and shoulder stabilizers are activated and conditioning has begun while you walk those KB’s around.  Twenty minutes and you will be wondering why gyms have not replaced their treadmills with these two unassuming yet powerful little bells!

So, keep it moving!

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Apr 22 2011

Training Balance for MMA

Category: Agility,Conditioning,MMA,Power Training,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:57 AM

When training for MMA or any of the combat sports balance is essential.  How many times have you seen a fighter hopping around on one leg trying to avoid that takedown?  If you are a strength and conditioning and are training many MMA athletes you need have some aspect of the training program focus on balance.

One way I like to train balance with my fighters is to incorporate it while I am also working on their strength.   A few article ago I posted about the use of a Slosh Pipe.   If you want to know more details about the making of a Slosh Pipe check out the previous article HERE.

In this video you will see how I use the Slosh Pipe to increase overhead strength, muscular endurance, core strength and balance all in 100 yards.  Holding the pipe overhead for 100 yards really worked the muscular endurance of my deltoids.  This helps tremendously when a fighter is getting fatigued and needs to keep his hands up to protect themselves.  As you walk with the Slosh Pipe the water will throw you side to side, add a little wind resistance as you will see in the video and you can be in for a long walk. So how does this work balance you may ask?  Well when you walk you are always on one leg at a time.  Each step you need to stabilize your core in order to control the pipe.  Core stabilization is important in all aspects of MMA.  As you are able to stabilize you core better, your balance will improve as well as other aspects like punching and kicking power.

So once you get your Slosh Pipe up and running give this one a try.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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Apr 19 2011

Training for Combat

Category: Agility,Conditioning,Mental Training,MMA,Power Training,Quickness,Speed,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:40 PM

As you all know I specialize in MMA strength and conditioning training. Training fighters and turning them into athletes is what I do at Combat Trainer. However, I do train people like athletes as well to reach their full potential. For the next couple of weeks there will be some guest post from a member on Team Combat Trainer as I prepare her to compete in the Metro Dash. Not only is she competing but yours truly is also making a run at it. If you don’t know what the Metro Dash is then go check it out and see what fun we are in store for. She will be writing about her experiences training under the Combat Trainer System. So without further delay here it is…

The Education of a Makeup Artist

By Cathy Rivera

“But, you have such a pretty face, if you could only loose a little weight.”  The dreaded phrases that every robust teenage girl has heard and most likely reruns through her mind through adulthood.  A backhanded compliment only for the ears of a “curvy, chubby, thick, fat,  girl.

This darkened compliment is what started my love of cosmetology and hatred for my own body.  It became my mask and my blessing.  I figured that if my face was all I got, let me slap some war paint on it and get moving.

Weight consumed me as I consumed less and less yet expanded more and more.  In college, my weight stabilized due to two hour a day Rugby practices paired with working at the campus gym.  Instead of gaining the frosh 15, I lost 20lbs.  Rugby was where I first tapped into my own Warrior Spirit.  The sport is dirty, strategic, competitive and physically demanding.  I lived for the adrenaline and pushing the will and limits of myself and team members.

College ended and so did my involvement with athletics besides the gym and an occasional class.  The pounds came faithfully calling despite my three times a week visits to a sports club where they don’t have nor promote sports.  My weight obsession shifted focus to feeling defeated, complaining and self-deprivation.  Depleted of calories and confidence, life still went on.  I got engaged, started night school, worked a full time teaching job and started my makeup business and thankfully found my way standing in front of Rob of Combat Trainer, knowing that I had found what my fitness training needed.

My sneakers were on and I was ready, all my goals out on the table and the belief that true change takes letting go of past failures and a submission to someone who may just know better about what your fitness body needs even if you have been the one lugging it around all these years.  I found myself once again being viewed as an athlete.  I was again the capable, competitive, driven, athlete with a physical ability to push and grow strong.  More than my muscles were understood that day.  My Competitive Warrior Spirit was reignited.

I was not being insulted by female marketed promises of thin, pink weights, and  glittery activities but treated as someone in control of both her body and fitness.  I gained a trainer and a coach because I no longer “work out,” I train!

For me, the statement that launched a thousand deadlifts was uttered mid training during a basement   session when most people are winding down their evenings and we are just starting to muster a sweat.  “Do you want a sitter’s ass or a sprinters ass?” Rob said as I stood apprehensive in front of a weighted barbell.  Four dress sizes, countless enjoyable training hours, increased strength and a sprinter’s ass and legs later it is clear what I have really gained.  I have acquired a mentor who has paved the way to my own fitness career, a passion for the workings of my own body, a love for wanting a strong body and mind not simply a smaller one, and a deep desire for others to find a love for themselves.  My Warrior Spirit has been reignited after lying dormant for so long.

What better way to pay respect to the trainer and changes I have been blessed with than to join Team Combat Trainer this upcoming May in New York’s Metro Dash!  Train, compete, grow and evolve with me throughout my journey to the finish because this warrior is more than just a pretty Doll Face.

You are an athlete!

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Apr 17 2011

Litvinov and the Prowler

Category: Conditioning,MMA,Power Training,Speed,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 6:04 PM

In the past you have read about Sergey Litvinov’s training sessions.  Using a modified version of his training I have incorporated his methods into the training of my fighters as well as in my own training.  To be honest this is one of my favorite training methods, especially when time is an issue.

The original Litvinov workout that he performed was front squat 410 pounds then sprint 400 meters.  Repeat this three times and finish it off with a set of eight front squats and call it a day.  Now we mortals will probably have some trouble getting the weight out to the track never mind front squatting that much, so in honor of Sergey there are many different variations that can be performed.  Just click here to check out the different variations.

Taking this method of training and improving on it or making it more difficult is always fun.  Recently you all know I had the opportunity to purchase a Prowler.  The Prowler is a great training tool and I have seen many athletes lying on the concrete after it’s use.  For this variation of the Litvinov, I used kettlebell swings with a Prowler push for fifty yards.  I used an unloaded Prowler, as I wanted to be able to explode with it and move it fast.  This variation of the swings and Prowler push will help develop lower body power and just make you an explosive combat athlete.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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Apr 11 2011

Sandbags and Kettlebells

Category: Conditioning,MMA,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:03 PM

I have said it before building strength is an important key in training any type of athlete.  Many times building strength is overlooked especially among combat athletes.  Many fighters feel, as though conditioning is the most important in the training spectrum.  In order to increase your conditioning and improve on it is important to build a solid base of strength and be able to maintain and improve upon it.

You don’t need a state of the art facility to become super strong.  I am going to give you a great secret on how to increase your strength.  Now be careful how you use this secret, you may become stronger than you once were.  Are you ready for it?  Here ya go, one way to become strong is to pick heavy things up and walk with it.   Walking with heavy items has many benefits.  First picking the implement up will work you balance and strength in different positions from those that are worked in the traditional weight room.   When at the gym, you pick the weight up in a controlled fashion with proper technique.  In combat sports there is no such thing as proper lifting technique.  Usually in a fight you are off balance or in an awkward position and need to use strength at different angles.  Lifting different implements will help you with this strength.  Some call it functional strength, I like to think of it as raw strength or old man strength.  Ever notice how our fathers are strong as hell, it’s from all those years of lifting heavy stuff and manual labor.

Sandbags and kettlebells are great tools to use as a MMA fighter.  Each of them alone have helped many a combat athlete increase their strength, putting the two together can lead to great advances in your strength.  As you will see in the video below I use both a sandbag and a kettebell to train my strength and work my balance.  The sandbag used in video is fifty pounds and the kettlebell weighs seventy pounds.  Now with the sandbag on one shoulder and walking with the kettlebell in the other it throws you off balance a bit as you need to compensate for the lighter side and the positioning of the sandbag as opposed to the kettlebell.

This movement will help strengthen you grip with farmers walk, work on your balance and depending on the distance you carry both the sandbag and the kettlebell.  If you do not own a kettlebell you can use some a forty-five pound plate or dumbbells instead.  If you take anything from this post make sure you start building your strength and watch how every other aspect of fitness gets better.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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Apr 03 2011

Sandbags and Sleds

Category: Conditioning,MMA,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:45 PM

In a previous post I discussed the benefits of sandbag training and how beneficial it is for combat athletes like MMA fighters. In the video that followed I showed a basic sandbag carry using two 50 lb sandbags.  In that same training session I decided to step it up a level.  I added a sled to drag while I was carrying the 50 lb bags on either shoulder.  I loaded the sled up to 90 lbs.  Using leg drive to move the sled and upper body strength to hold the sandbags up this becomes a pretty grueling training tool.

While your lower body is focusing on driving the sled behind you, your core is focused on maintaining balance with the two sandbags weighing down on it.  The sled drag like I have discussed in the past will help with the development of punching power and developing a more explosive takedown.  Add in the sandbags and you now have also helped increase the abilities stated above.  When you go to punch you use the muscles in your abdomen and the sandbags will help you with developing a stronger abdomen.  Holding the sandbags on your shoulders act as if you have an opponent on your shoulder to finish off a takedown.  Using the sandbags and sleds at the same time will help you become extremely strong so give it a try.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

Rob DeCillis CSCS

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