This Sunday the UFC will be live on Versus. In the main event Rick Story will be taking on Nate Marquardt. In this segment of mma strength training, Story and his coach are working on agility using the agility ladder and a band. The agility ladder is a great tool to use, well for agility. Actually there are a couple more uses for the agility ladder. One being in preventing injury, especially in the feet and ankles. I recommend if you use the agility ladder to train with it barefoot as it will help strengthen your feet and ankle.
There a re a few more ways in which the ladder can improve your athletic performance. Using the agility ladder as a warm-up is a great way for an athlete to get their heart rate up, loosen up their muscles and get your central nervous system firing for the training that is to come. Another way to use the ladder is as a conditioning tool. For example preparing one of my fighters for her last fight, I had her doing ladder drills for nine minutes straight which was the amount of time her fight was. Now she choked the girl out in the first round but the ladder really did improve her conditioning.
In the video below Story uses the ladder not only for agility but with his coach pulling on his waist while performing the drill it also forces Story to use his core to stabilize himself as he goes down the ladder. The progression here would be to get the drill, which is a jumping jack down the ladder down first then add the band into the mix.
Jun 23 2011
Rick Story Agility MMA Training
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Jun 21 2011
Matt Mitrione MMA Strength Training
UFC Live on Versus is this Sunday and with a pretty good card to boot. Since I have not written for the site recently, this week I will feature some of the fighters MMA strength and conditioning training. The first person I will feature is Matt Mitrione. Mitrione takes on Christian Morecraft in a heavyweight battle. This TUF alum has really made a name for himself and is proving he belongs in the UFC. With each fight he has you see great improvement in his game.
In the video below produced by none other that Mitrione you will see how explosive this combat athlete really is. His strength coach combines plyometric hurdle hops with the twenty yard shuttle. Using track hurdles you see lower body explosiveness out Mitrione as he jumps over six hurdles. These hurdle hops help Mitrione generate force off the ground. Being able to generate alot of force of the ground will help combat athletes become more powerful strikers and help them have explosive takedowns. As soon as he finishes the hops he sprints to a set of three cones for the 20 yard shuttle. the 20 yard shuttle helps all kinds of athletes with their agility.
Separately these two exercise are great, when combined it adds a little conditioning element to it. My recommendation is to not go out and try this short combo of movements but to train them separately. work on your power using the hurdles but remember in order to do the hurdles you need to develop some kind of strength. As for the agility make sure when performing agility drills to get ample rest in between sets. They are agility drills intended to work on your agility not your conditioning.
Jun 09 2011
Spartan’s! Prepare for Glory!
Over the last few years I realized that I was missing something in my training. Now I was training hard and seeing results but there was one component that was missing. The thing that was missing was actually training for a purpose. In my mind that meant some type of competition.
So I was always looking for something to compete in. Then in December while I was on Facebook I came across an ad for the Spartan Race. So I clicked on it read that it was a three-mile race with obstacles and I was instantly hooked. I signed up as fast as I could. Finally I found something that I could train for that really interested me.
So last week I took the Spartan challenge in Tuxedo, New York. Did I do as well as I thought I would? Not a chance. So while I was in the middle of the race I just kept thinking about two things. Finishing the race and not quitting and how I could change up my training to do better the next time out.
When you try something new in your life especially something physical like this you quickly realize your weaknesses. Let me restate that, your weaknesses smack you in the face. My main weakness was my aerobic capacity. Running up and down a ski slope can make you realize this quickly. Now those of you that know me, I do not run long distances, just not my thing. So in my training I tried to run the least amount, plus the aggravating shin splints also restricted too much running. While running up those hills and crawling under barbed wire I was reminded of another weakness that I have known about but been avoiding. My hips were so tight, in other words I need to increase my hip flexibility. Running up hill as your hips tighten up, not so pleasant.
So after rinsing all the mud off of me and walking to the car for the hour drive home, I just kept thinking about the ways to fix these problems as I train for the next Spartan Race. So as I gear up for the Spartan Sprint in Massachusetts I am making the minor adjustments in my training. I will be adding a lot more single legwork in my strength training for my hips and adding some running to the program. But most of the running will be going uphill pulling a sled behind me. With these adjustments in training I will see better results.
If you are interested in competing in one of theses obstacle races and would like to know how to train for one please contact me.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Jun 02 2011
Grip Training for MMA
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
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 27 2011
Rick Story MMA Training
MMA strength and conditioning training is very important for all fighters
As UFC 130 rolls around Saturday night the importance of MMA strength and conditioning will be seen. One of the fights on the main card is Rick Story taking on Thiago Alves. In an effort to bring you the best in MMA strength and conditioning training, I found a few videos of Story training in the past for upcoming fights. In this segment of MMA strength and conditioning training Story’s coaches incorporate the use of dumbbells in his training.
Dumbbells are a great tool for fighters. Even though the trend is going towards the use of kettlebells, fighters should not forget about the importance of dumbbells in their training. In the two videos below you will see Story use the dumbbells in a complex fashion. You will notice as completes different exercises without putting the dumbbells down.
This type of complexes can be used as a warmup or if the combat athlete increases the intensity it can also be used as a way to condition. Whatever the case may be, when training coaches should use all the tools at their disposal to get the results that their fighters need.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
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May 24 2011
Matt Hamill MMA Training
Last summer I posted some videos of training on the beach and how it can help you with your MMA training. From sprinting on the beach to training in the water the benefits are great. Hey if Daniel Son did it in the karate kid and it helped him win why not you? Training at the beach can help with your balance and your strength.
Sprinting on sand for instance helps with strengthening your ankles. Because the sand is an unstable as you take each stride your foot and ankle need to adjust to the different levels of the sand. This instability leads to stronger ankles and less injury for a fighter.
I have not done this for the past couple of UFC events but with UFC 130 on the horizon this Saturday, I have gone out to find video of some of the fighters on the card training. One I came across is one of the main event contestants Matt Hamill as he trains in the ocean to begin his preparation for Quinton Rampage Jackson. As you will see in the video Hamill is wrestling in the water with his trainer. This type of training is pretty unique and helps a fighter become stronger. Just going in the ocean to have fun can be tiring try wrestling around as the waves hit you. You will see how it not only tests your balance but your strength as well.
So as summer approaches head to the beach and get some training in. Throw a kettlebell in the trunk and have a blast as you get a tan. I am sure the ladies will think it’s hot. Just remember the sun tan lotion.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
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May 04 2011
Agility Ladder Circuit
By Cat Rivera
Training for an event like the Metro Dash does something to your thought process. With all the mental and physical preparation that takes place in your quest to attain such a goal, you begin to clearly see how internal competition, mental toughness and willingness to go through obstacles are so prevalent to so much of our lives. How complicated we as people make so many things in our lives like change, yet how simple we accept other things like failure.
Along with these things that can “throw you” or “grow you”, come the ability to actually put into better perspective the small things that often derail us. The Dash has allowed me to push my own limits as to what I expect from myself mentally and physically. It has also allowed me to shake off more easily the nay sayers and negative people who really mean they feel they can’t when they say that I shouldn’t. Accomplishing physical feats in the recent months has only strengthened my resolve to overcome my own self inflicted limitations.
One activity that favors an athlete’s ability to change quickly, deal with mishaps fast and without the luxury to harp on small failure that Combat Trainer has implemented as a vital part of our Dash training is the agility ladder sequence. This is when you follow your partner through a sequence of agility drills designed to make your feet and mind fast. Synchronizing movements and then having to quickly regain composure at your quickest speed in order to keep going is important in all sports and life. No time for self doubt or to harp on a small mishap. Get back in step and catch up. There is also something therapeutic about following someone on their heels and knowing that they will be right behind you too.
A 10 minute round of constant movement during these agility activities will indeed work up a sweat and condition you as well. Cycling through high knees, icky shuffle, bunny hops, even adding sprawls will make you faster in footwork, build leg and knee stability and leg power as well as mental responsiveness. These activities in repetition look deceptively easy but are fun, fast and important in training both in general and for the Dash.
So, move forward in your training always, keep quick in mind and body, follow a good leader, don’t harp on small mishaps in footing or life. Do not make failure simple or success complicated, just keep it moving!
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May 01 2011
Kettlebells Walks for MMA Training
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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