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 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!
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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Feb 11 2011
Fedor Emelianenko Training
Tomorrow Fedor Emelianenko will be taking on Giant Silva in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. Coming off his loss to Fabricio Werdum it will be interesting to see how Fedor responds. I am thinking that he will be coming out to destroy Silva convincingly.
When I though about putting up some of Fedor’s training video, I was very surprised to see that there was actual stuff out there. Thinking about how he leads a pretty much private lifestyle I though it would be harder to come across some training material. But lucky for Combat Trainer I was able to find some!!
In this video you will see Fedor using different types of training to get stronger and more powerful. By the looks of things it looks as though Fedor had an outdoor training facility constructed for him and his team. I definitely would not be surprise if they used this strength training playground year round, even in the cold weather.
If you have never done any strength training outside, then this spring you should really get on it. I began incorporating a lot of outdoors training into my own training and it has not only made me stronger but it is also a lot of fun to train outside. So if you are looking to spice up your training get outdoors as soon as possible and train like Fedor.
Jan 01 2011
Frankie Edgar Training Hard
The lightweight champion is back at UFC 125 on New Years Day, as Frankie Edgar looks to defend his title against the only man to beat him Gray Maynard. Yesterday we took a look at Maynard putting the Battle Ropes to the test. Like I said both of these fighters are always in great shape come fight time.
Today we will take a look at Edgar training for this fight. In this video you will see all the different types of training Edgar does in preparation for a fight. There are agility ladders to improve his footwork. As we saw in his last two fights against BJ Penn we saw that edgar had great footwork. Using the agility ladder in training has helped him improve in that aspect of his fight game. You will also see him using hurdles to develope lower body power. Having an explosive lower body helps in all aspects of the fight game from punching and kicking to takedowns. We also see him using a stabilty ball to help improve dynamic flexibilty and core strength. The sledge hammer also makes an appereance, just another tool that produces power as well as core strength. Kettlebells which many combat athletes have now incorporated into their strength and conditioning also make their way into his training. Turkish Getups with a kettlebell is a great movement to add strength to the entire body. Give them a try and let me know what you think.
Now remeber when looking at this video be aware that there is a plan or program for what he is doing. This could be one session where each of the exercises you see stand alone and is not a conditioning protocol. Many fighters out there see these things and just go out and try and perform them without knowing where it fits in their training. By looking at the date on the video this is more than likely a General Preparation Session, which is used to get the athlete ready for the work that is to come ahead in the training for the months ahead.
Happy New Year! If you are looking to take it to the next level I do offer online training at a discount for the New Year. Make the investment in your career and make 2011 your year.
Train Hard Train Smart!
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Dec 29 2010
Brandon Vera Strength and Conditioning
As a New Year arrives so does another UFC card, UFC 125. This one will feature some interesting fights on the card. First off we have Frankie Edgar defending his lightweight title against the only guy to have beaten him, Gray Maynard. Also on the card Chris Leben takes on Brian Stann, Leben looks to continue his winning ways in the octagon with a victory. One matchup I am looking forward to is Brandon Vera going up against Thiago Silva. This may turn out to be a stand-up war and a very exciting bout.
A few months ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Bradon Vera’s strength and conditioning coach Doug Balzarini. He spoke about training Vera and how he goes about training fighters in general. If you have not heard the interview give it a listen, you could pick out some important training information for yourself. So knowing the Vera fight is this weekend I also wanted to give you a glimpse at some of the training Doug does with Brandon as they get ready for a fight.
You will notice the use of the agility ladder in the beginning of the video. Making a fighter more athletic is one of the keys to creating a championship fighter. The work on the ladder will improve Vera’s footwork. After the agility the video moves into some strongman training which will help develop Vera’s overall strength, power and conditioning. The type of work Balzarini puts Vera through pays dividends the night of the fight. You can visit Doug Balzarini’s site at http://dbstrength.com.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Nov 18 2010
Phil Davis Agility Training
Once again another UFC event is upon us. UFC 123 in the Motor City where Quinton Rampage Jackson will take on Lyoto Machida and completing their trilogy will be Matt Hughes and BJ Penn. The card looks like it should be a good one unlike UFC 122 where I felt it was like the Superbowl some years where the commercials were better than the fights. Well all the cards can’t be winners lucky for us all it was free. One fight I am interested in seeing is Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis take on Tim Boetsch. Davis is one of those fighters that is very athletic. Lucky for us all there is some video of Davis doing some of strength and conditioning training.
Agility is a great skill to have not only in the sport of MMA but just in regular life. Having good agility can help protect you from injury. In this video you will see Phil Davis and Dominic Cruz doing some hurdle hops as well as using the agility ladder to improve their athleticism. You have seen me using agility drills to help improve my fighters speed and agility before. This just proves my point that creating athletic fighters is the way the sport is heading and in reality is already there. So if you are not training for speed, agility and quickness then you better get on it! Enjoy the video! Train Hard! Train Smart!
Aug 11 2010
Power and Agility for MMA
Speed, agility and quickness are key essentials in any fighters program. These types of drills to improve speed and agility can turn the average fighter into a better athlete. So adding these drills into any program is a must.
Here is the thing and coaches out there should be careful especially with fighters. Fighters in my experience feel that every drill has to be conditioning. This is not the case especially when training speed, agility and quickness. You must make it clear to the athlete that these drills are designed to improve these different aspects of training. They are not meant as conditioning drills. Of course if you want to make them into conditioning protocols by all means reduce the rest time in between drills and go for it, no one is stopping you. Usually when I tell a fighter to perform the next set when they are ready they go to fast, so to combat this I now wait about two minutes before I tell them to perform the set.
Another thing that a coach or if you are training yourself that you want to be aware of is to perform these drills if possible before you strength and power work. So before you hit the weights perform your speed and agility drills. You want to make sure that you are a fresh as possible when performing the drills, this way you are fresh. You will move a lot faster than say if you lifted first and then performed the drills. These are just a few pointers to help fighters understand and learn how to train effectively.
In the drill below you will see one of my fighters Mike Savarese perform a drill using a hurdle. Mike jumps over the hurdle forward and backwards as quickly as possible, which helps with his quickness and agility and power. As an added bonus, Mike performs a sprawl after landing on the backend of the hops. This makes Mike have to react quickly as he lands off the hop and go right into a sprawl. Just a small way for the fighters out there to add a little combat sport component to this drill. In this video you will see normal hurdle hop followed by the MMA style hurdle hop.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Jun 30 2010
Three Cone Drill the MMA Way!
In the past few months I have been working on developing my fighters speed, agility and quickness. If you are a regular to the site then you have seen some of the drills that I have been performing with my fighters and hope that you have at least tried some of them if not have incorporated some of them into your strength and conditioning program.
Incorporating these agility drills into your program will make you a better athlete. Like I have said before and I will say it again in combat sports such as MMA the top dogs are now the better athletes. So what does this mean for you? Means you must become faster, more agile and quicker. Some of the drills I have already covered were the Quick Feet drill, and the 20-yard shuttle. I have added a little twist to each of the drills to make them a little more specific towards martial arts like wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu and MMA.
The next drill I want to cover is the Three Cone Drill. In many cases they use this drill to test different athletes quickness and agility. Many strength and conditioning coaches use it as a base test and then train other agility drills to improve the athletes time on the Three Cone Drill. The Three Cone Drill is one of the events at the NFL Combine so it is important to many athletes. Here is what an actual Three Cone Drill looks like, and then I will give you the MMA variation.
In the variation, besides the fact that I much slower than the guy in the video above, I add a few different movements. At first you will see me deliver two knees, right into a back pedal and into a sprawl. A note as you backpedal, as soon as you see the starting cone you need to quickly sprawl. Seeing the cone and sprawling quickly greatly improves reaction time. The better your reaction time the better fighter you will be.
I recommend doing the actual Three Cone drill for two sets then bang out three to four sets of the variation. Get enough rest in between sets. This is training your agility not your conditioning. If you are tired you will not improve and it defeats the purpose of the drill. Remember this is a variation to the Three Cone Drill, just adding a little MMA to it. Train Hard! Train Smart!
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