As MMA grows the evolution of boxing in the sport has also evolved. With the rise of wrestlers in the sport and the chances of getting taken down as a stand-up fighter is very likely. A lot of kickboxer and muay Thai fighters games has been negated because of the strong likelihood of getting taken down. Because of this we have seen boxing become one of the most effective ways to end fights. With the size of the gloves it is easier than in a boxing match to knock someone out.
Wilson Pitts, Combat Trainer boxing expert, developed a great video on how to effectively use the jab in MMA. Before he shows us this great technique for the use of the jab, he gives a brief history lesson on how George Benton trained his boxers to use the jab. Having a love for history, I loved watching this short piece and I picked up a lot of pointers on using the jab in my training.
The technique Wilson shows will help you slow down an opponent that likes to shoot and help you keep your distance to prevent it. So check out this great tutorial by Wilson Pitts, one of the best boxing trainers.
Jon Fitch is in the main event at UFC 127 going against BJ Penn. Fitch is known for his outstanding wrestling and many have called him boring for his lay and pray style. This time around I don’t think laying on BJ Penn will be such a good idea.
But I am not here to critique anyone’s fighting style, I am here for some strength and conditioning and that is what I am going to give you. In this video just like the title says you are going to see Jon Fitch performing jump squats with the barbell. The string type thing that you see attached to the barbell is called a accelerometer and it measures the speed of the bar as you jump with it.
He then moves into jump squats without the barbell. Jump squats are great for becoming explosive using your own body. You need to be explosive however and once you hit the floor you need to be jumping, this is the way to build that explosiveness.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
By Wilson Pitts
Boxing uses interval training. You do an exercise and raise the heart rate and then you stop or slow down and let it return to normal, then repeat. The trainer adjusts the number of intervals, the duration of each, and the intensity, and also the amount of recovery. It is a dieing art and science that has been applied to the training of race horses, greyhound dogs, and fighting dogs, as well as boxers and wrestlers.
Boxing training also uses rope skipping and shadow boxing in what today would be called plyo-metrics training. These exercises, often done on a sprung wooden floor, developed a light, bouncy step, and improved lateral movement and agility. They provide another type of interval at the same time they improve your fighter’s quickness and balance. The conditioning and the agility program work together. These basic training methods are used with the beginner along with core development through abdominal training and later bag punching.
Over training is a very real problem for fighters and the effects are just as bad as not training enough. The old trainers were able to adjust rest and recovery intervals to bring a fighter in at peak condition on a specific date. Many of today’s fighters “leave it in the gym” by over training. Overtraining is brought on by doing the same workout too many times, this is called “staleness.” The fighter does a high intensity interval and doesn’t even breath hard, he has done it too much. Make him do something he is not used to and he will gasp for breath like he didn’t train at all. When a fighter is stale he acts listless in sparring, bored in camp or the gym, and often does not sleep well. This is very similar to the effects of under training.
The old guys could detect overtraining by a change in the fighter’s body odor or by a lack of sweat when they were doing a workout. Today we look for elevated at rest heart rate, as well as irritability and the other signs, as an early warning sign of overtraining.
Not resting enough when undergoing heavy training is another cause of overtraining. Boxers need a lot of sleep, in bed by 9 at night and at least an hour nap during the day. Over eating can also bring on many of these symptoms because of too much stress put on the body from training and eating too much. The body does not get to rest between workouts because it is digesting. Often fighters try to compensate for feeling stale or bored by eating more. This is a mistake even in heavyweights who don’t have a weight limit and think they can eat anything they want. No snacking between meals, no meal replacements, and no eating after dinner. Charlie Goldman used to search Rocky Marciano’s room for food The Rock would stash and eat in the middle of the night.
It was that dreaded time in the school year that many of us went through as kids. The physical fitness test in Phys Ed class. Now I loved gym class playing all the different types of fun games competing with all the jocks who, after high school really did not end up doing much after their “great” high school athletic career. Actually senior year I was given the award for the highest average for four years in physical education. That and four years of college netted me a communications degree, should have really thought out my career back then.
Back to the physical fitness test, the most dreaded part of the test for me was how many pull-ups the student could get out. Now I really sucked at pull-ups most of the time not getting to many of them out. Back then it really did not dawn on me what a pull-up would do for me in the future but now I know why it was on the test. That is because the damn exercise makes you strong and who does not want to be strong. I think those physical fitness tests scared a whole generation away from doing pull-ups because when you walk into a gym most of the time you see people using the Lat pulldown machine because it is easy. But like the old saying goes anything in life worth having should be difficult to get, and that goes for a strong back.
When it comes down to it the pull-up is one of the best exercises that a MMA or grappling athlete can do. In MMA, jiu-jitsu and wrestling having a strong back which assists you in a lot of the pulling motions associated with the sports can help lead you to victory. In the clinch having a strong back can lead to more powerful punches as well as being dominate in the clinch. On the ground being able to control your opponents posture in the guard uses a lot of pulling movement to keep the opponent close.
This brings me to my next video. Pull-ups also help with grip strength. Now those that do Judo or jiu-jitsu you can use your gi thrown over the pull-up bar to do pull-ups. That will make the move more sport specific. Now what I have done was I went out to Home Depot and picked up some straps, that along with some PVC pipe that was lying around the house I made homemade pull-up grips handles. This is a fairly simple thing to make, for any of you who know me you know I can’t build stuff and I even did this. With the wider grip handles you will see how much not only your grip improves but as well as your strength in your posterior chain.
Like with all weeks leading up to the big UFC cards I am on the prowl for some good training video’s from the fighters that are on the card. I have been on the lookout for some good George St. Pierre training video but instead came across a great interview done for UFC.com.
Since I am out to help many of those trying to break into the sport or those looking to get to the next level I pulled a few key points from this interview that will help with your fighting career. When you want to be great at something you look to the best and figure out what they are doing and how they prepare, Take the knowledge you gain from these top notch people and then tailor it to you.
In this interview with GSP for his upcoming fight against Josh Koscheck he talks about using the knowledge he gained and putting it all together. There are a couple of important messages to take from this interview. One was getting out of your comfort zone. Many fighters continue to train with the same team and with the same training ideas fight in and fight out. This may work for a while but eventually it will fail a fighter. The more often you take yourself out of comfort zone the more likely you will succeed in a fight. In a fight there is no comfort zone so the more you are used to being out of it in general the better fighter and person you will become.
Another important point I picked out is all the different people he trains with. This gives him an advantage because he is now a wealth of knowledge and he knows how to put it all together. GSP invests in himself and his pursuit for greatness. This investment in himself has made him the dominant fighter he is today. So if you are an amateur trying to make it or you are trying to get to the next level in your career, then make the investment and watch how successful you will become.
Well the holidays are officially upon us. Thanksgiving is only a day away and we sure have our fair share of football to watch but not enough MMA. Like many in the United States you can drown your sorrows in a nice piece of whatever pie you choose.
Every Thanksgiving for a couple of second’s, I think back to high school and being on the wrestling team. Now I was not a big fan of cutting weight back then, not that I am now, but in order to eat a lot on Thanksgiving I would do a morning run. Yeah, you heard or read me right I ran and for long distance like two miles before I would sit down to feast. I would head to the basement jump on the treadmill and go for a little jog. Now looking back at that I think to myself, “What the hell was I thinking?” Oh yeah that’s right I had no internet and access to some of the best strength and conditioning coaches so I did not know much but to listen to my wrestling coach.
So that long distance run did not do too much on the calorie burning side but it sure made me hate running long distance. Should of just stuck to some sprinting would have been a lot better.
So on this Thanksgiving I am giving thanks for the knowledge I have gained through the years. And to celebrate this knowledge I have gained I will share the end result of it with you. I am giving you a great way to burn calories for a many hours as well as build your strength, power and conditioning.
You all have seen the Litvinov workout now to take it to another level and follow Dan John’s awesome advice I present to you Litvisleds. I am also thankful for running into the writings of Dan John for he has given me many ideas to share with you. Here is the basic premise. Grab a kettlebell do a bunch of swings and then sprint with the sled attached to you. Sprint yardage will vary depending on your fitness level, 30-50 yards seems to work well. Sounds simple enough. Now if you own a sled do not load it so it takes forever for you to bust out into a sprint. Remember you are trying to develop explosiveness and not being able to sprint with the sled will not help in that aspect of the training. If you do not own a sled get out there and go find a spare tire. Drill a hole in that bad boy attach a harness and bang you have something to drag. If you do not own a kettlebell try a dumbbell.
And if you want to keep it simple try any of the other Litvinov workouts I have spoken about or just get out to the track and do some sprinting. Here is one that may work, it’s an old school sprint workout but still works wonders and it is one I picked up in my wrestling years. Sprint the 100m straightaway, jog the 100m turns, do this for about a mile or mile and a half and call it a morning then go get you turkey on.
As you will notice I am not the only one in the video this time, I am honoring former Marine and training partner Carlos Del Valle as he takes a run at the Litvisled workout!!
Another thing to look for is my Online Training Program will be going on SALE starting Friday, November 26, 2010. This sale will run until Christmas Day and will be a steal for you fighters looking to take it to the next level. And if you are not a fighter and just looking to increase your performance take a look!!
Happy Thanksgiving enjoy the day with whomever you are spending with!
UFC 121 is upon us and once again we will be seeing heavyweight champion Brock Lesner in the Octagon taking on number one contender Cain Velasquez. If Brock Lesner comes out victorious in this fight we could be witnessing one of the greatest, if not the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Let’s take a look at this for a moment, if Velasquez can not stop him which heavyweight in the world will be able to. There are not many left. You have heard it throughout the UFC Primetime show that Lesner is getting better every time he prepares for a fight. As time goes on he is still reaching his peak in the sport.
Plain and simple Lesner is a super athlete. I have said it before and I will say it again, the more athletic the fighter the better they are in the cage or the ring. The likes of Lesner and GSP are leading the way as combat athletes. The sport of MMA is going to new levels. Why am I talking about this, to teach those that are getting involved in the sport of mixed martial arts that you too should not only focus on becoming good at fighting but becoming a better athlete all around. There is one thing to know how to fighter and there is another to being a professional fighter. So start becoming more athletic and watch your fight game excel.
I know the last three weeks you have seen lots of footage of Lesner training for this upcoming fight. Here I am posting some video of him training for his last encounter with Frank Mir. Check out some of the differences Brock and his coaches have made to the training. Boys and girls we can be witnessing the greatest heavyweight ever, like it or not!
Train Hard! Train Smart!
In sports there are two very important factors when trying to achieve victory. These two factors go for pretty much any sport on the planet. Those two factors that separate the champions from the rest are being to exhibit power and reaction time.
In combat sports such as Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, MMA and boxing being able to move a mass with speed and being able to react are keys to victory.
So before the weather gets nasty here in New York I want to get as much training done as well as video for the site. In this video I will be using the mini-hurdles. The drill is designed to build on lower body power or explosiveness as well as reactive abilities. The pattern of how you attempt your hops over each hurdle is up to you as the coach or the athlete. Remember to hop back to the center of the hurdle after hopping over each hurdle.
The one thing I want to focus on more than the pattern of the hop is reacting with every hop. The drill is designed to move quickly and generate power. Once you begin to hop the object is to have the least amount of ground contact as possible. Once your feet hit the ground you are jumping in the next direction you have chosen. Remember you do not want to land flat footed; also use your arms to help yourself jump. This will help you generate more speed going in and out of your jump.
So why is this important to combat sports such as MMA? These are the types of drills that will turn a fighter into an athlete. As the sport evolves so must the fighters in the sport. Being a combat athlete is the way the sport is heading. Using agility drills such as these will only enhance your athletic and fighting abilities. These types of drills especially for lower body power and reaction time will help with a fighters takedowns, takedown defense, footwork and punching power.
Here at Combat Trainer I strive to bring you quality strength and conditioning content to help you achieve your goals. That being said I am looking to add some even more exciting content to my site. If you have been on the site you know it is dedicated to the combat athlete.
This is the plan, I am going to not only bring quality strength and conditioning tips but I am going to bringing in different training from the different martial arts that make up MMA. I am currently on the search for different coaches from many different disciplines. I am looking for jiu-jitsu trainer, a wrestling coach, a boxing coach and Muay Thai trainer.
This is what I am looking for out of the individual trainers. Each trainer will share their knowledge of the discipline they teach. These trainers will get to show off their training philosophies to the world. Through interesting posts with video and pictures they will educate us all on the different arts. This will only enhance your training in mixed martial arts.
I am dedicated to bringing you the best training in combat sports. This will start by creating a great team of knowledgeable coaches to share what they know. A great team will enhance your fighting abilities and bring those of you that follow my site to new levels in your career.
So if you are a trainer in any discipline that would be found in mixed martial arts, or you know someone that is a trainer and would be interested, please contact me either through email at combattrainer@gmail.com or on Twitter at @combattrainer.
Combat Trainer is dedicated to brining you the best training information in the fighting world!
Having strong, explosive legs is a key component in any combat sport. In MMA your legs can be a key component to victory. Your legs help you in every aspect of the sport from throwing a punch or a kick to driving an opponent up against the cage to attempting a takedown, your legs are the base of your success.
It is not enough to have just strong and explosive legs. In MMA you must be able to use that strength and power in your legs over and over again. Even in just moving around the cage with basic footwork can be taxing on the legs and can drain them of energy.
As a fighter, strength, power and muscle endurance in your lower body is important. Let’s take a quick look at how we can develop all three components. Performing squats and deadlifts are the sure way to build strength in your legs. These two exercises are surely the two best in my opinion to get the best results when it comes to strength gains. After developing a good base of strength or within the same training cycle you can turn that strength that you just gained into power. Utilizing plyometric training as well as using Olympic lifts such as power cleans, snatches, and jerks.
Now comes taking all the strength and power that was developed and being able to use it over and over again in a fight. A great way to develop this type of conditioning for your legs or any other muscles in your body is by using complexes. Complex’s is combining two or more exercises with a set amount of repetitions with minimal rest in between exercises. Complexes will maintain your strength and power but also give you some great metabolic conditioning.
The complex in the following video will increase your conditioning in your legs dramatically. It a complex taken from Dan John called the “Big 55”. With the use of a Kettlebell you perform two exercises. For this particular complex we used Kettlebell Swings and Goblet Squats. This complex is done a little different and will drain your legs. Starting with the swings you perform 10 reps followed by the squats for 10 reps, then you go to 9 reps of each then 8 reps all the way to 1 rep. That is a total of 55 reps for each exercise making it a grand total of 110 reps between the two exercises. All 110 reps are done without rest. This is great conditioning for your lower body and will allow you as a fighter to continue to use your strength and power. Give it a try!
