As Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) continues to grow in popularity, so do the methods and techniques used to help the MMA athletes reach their full potential. Coaches are realizing that their athletes must have a complete well-rounded program that covers not only their specialty; but many other aspects as well. Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu practitioners are working on their stand-up game and Muay Thai fighters and kick-boxers are working on their ground and pound. The latest “piece of the puzzle,”also known as strength training, is another aspect that more and more coaches are implementing into their programs. Strength training is a great way to “lay that foundation” and help an athlete develop superior strength and power endurance. While I enjoy developing traditional strength training programs, I have to say my favorite piece is the metabolic circuits we do with our fighters. I experiment with all sorts of movements and equipment when putting these circuits together to see what works best. Some equipment is dropped, some is used sparingly, and then there are some foundational pieces that you 'll always find. Of those staple items, here are the five “must haves” to include in your metabolic circuit.
1. The Tire
There really isn’t an athlete out there that can’t benefit from incorporating the tire into their training program. Obviously, every client and every athlete is unique and has their own specific set of goals and ambitions; however, the tire is such a versatile tool that it can be incorporated into most programs.
The tire can be used for a number of different movements; jumps, step ups, and drags for the lower body. There's also pushups, partner pushes, and sledgehammer hits for the upper body. For the purpose of this article, I’ll discuss the most popular exercise with the tire – the tire flip. I love this exercise for combat athletes because it combines total body strength, endurance, power and flexibility. These are all extremely important aspects in a MMA match. If you're deficient in one of these areas, then your weakness could be exposed which could be the difference between a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, or a visit from the medic with the smelling salts.
I also love that it incorporates grip strength, triple extension through the hip, knee, and ankle, and tremendous glute/hip drive, which is one of the most important joints to train for a combat athlete; especially if the fight goes to the mat where strong mobile hips are paramount.
Technique
A tire flip is not a deadlift. There are some similarities, however, it needs to be executed a certain way so the benefits are maximized and the risk of injury is reduced. First, squat down next to the tire and get into a four-point stance. Lean your chest and shoulders into the tire, keep your arms wide. Your back should not be arched at all, and your butt should be down. Begin the lift by using your hips to drive into the tire and push up at a 45 degree angle. This is very important as most athletes attempt to lift straight up with their arms. The 45 degree angle is important for safety and allows the athlete to get into triple extension of the ankle, knee and hip. As the tire approaches shoulder height, you need to transition your body into a “clean position” to catch the tire and then drive it forward like a standing chest press. Allow the tire to fall to its side and then repeat.
Proper fit (tire height and weight) can be very important when searching for the tire that’s right for your population. Ideally, try to pick one that is roughly twice the athlete’s weight. The ideal height is one that comes to around the knee area when the tire is resting on its side. Too low and it will be a challenge for the athlete to get the hips low enough to get into a solid starting position and keep the exercise safe.
2. The Rope
Like the tire, the rope is a tool that provides you with total body strength, endurance and power. The ropes have many names (climbing ropes, fitness ropes, battling ropes®, to name a few) and come in various lengths and widths. We typically use ropes that are 40 or 50 feet long with a width of 1.5 to 2 inches. This is a tool that gained popularity very quickly and we're constantly coming up with new ways to utilize this versatile piece of equipment.
Technique
For a great deal of the popular movements, we begin with a hand in each handle and the midpoint of the rope is securely anchored. Facing the anchor point, stand in an athletic position with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and your knees and hips slightly bent. This is a great set-up position for many of the traditional anterior chain movements which include; waves, slams, grappler throws, walk-ins, jumping jacks, and single arm waves and slams. These can also be done seated, kneeling, or while performing lower body movements such as squats and lunges.
You can attach the rope to a sled, prowler, punching bag, or just about anything that will slide and perform a number of posterior chain pulling movements. This creates a whole new set of movements that require a great deal of grip strength which is crucial for the MMA athlete.
View a clip of some of our favorite rope movements:
3. Bands
You could easily perform a challenging, effective, whole-body workout with just bands. This tool is very versatile and very simple. They range in thickness from 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches. The thicker the band, the harder the exercise will be. All of your common exercises can be done with bands from bicep curls and tricep pressdowns to resisted squats and deadlifts. For the purposes of the MMA athlete, I enjoy using them for explosive hip movements (squat and high pull), powerful pulling movements (one-arm row and rotations), torso rotation work, and resistance runs/jumps. The setup and execution for these are different, so I’ll show them in the video clip below:
4. The Prowler
The prowler is possibly the best tool for developing leg drive, power and endurance. These are critical for pinning and controlling your opponent up against the cage, or if you're in the clinch and battling for superior position at any point during the match. The beauty of the prowler is that it’s not just a “leg machine,” it'll develop strength and power up into your hips, torso and upper body.
Technique
For the traditional pushing movement using the high handles, simply grab the posts, get in a nice forward lean, get your hips down and drive hard. Some variations include using the low handle - if you're up to the test. Also, extended arms vs. bent arms will change up the arm and shoulder stabilization challenge.
Our distance traveled will be determined by what we're using the prowler for on a particular day; longer, slightly slower pushes if used in a metabolic circuit or all-out-I-can-hardly-walk prowler sprints if we're using them as a “finisher” (think Tabata protocol). For pulling movements, we attach a TRX (link here) or sled straps and use the prowler as a sled. See our popular prowler movements here…
5. Medicine Balls
Like the bands, medicine balls are another tool that could be used to perform a complete full-body workout. They incorporate speed, power and hand-eye coordination and come in all different sizes, weights and materials. Which weight and type of medicine ball we use will depend on the particular exercise being performed. Most people are familiar with the medicine ball push-ups and wood-chop variations. We like to use the balls for explosive release movements. Slams, throws, sprawls, etc., are all included in our medicine ball work. Check out the clip to learn more about our favorite medicine ball exercises…
Closing Thoughts
Keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with good old-fashioned body weight exercises. This is a sport of weight classes, so if you aren’t capable and sufficient in moving your body quickly, safely and efficiently, then you shouldn’t be adding weight to it. If you have poor body awareness and incorrect mechanics, then adding external load (dumbbells, bars, balls) will only further exacerbate the issue and lead to muscular imbalances and eventual injury. While the movements are not specific to the MMA athlete; everyone can benefit from bodyweight training. That being said, as long as you are healthy incorporate these five amazing tools into your training arsenal and you'll be on your way to increased strength, power, performance, and most importantly, victories.