3 Common Problems When Conditioning and Strength Training for MMA

Unless you are a professional fighter, in which case you have your own coach, and probably do not need to read about MMA a great deal online, then you have a very limited time to train and condition yourself for an MMA match. In this, and my other articles, I try to help you focus your training, so that you get the best 'bang for your buck'. You do not have time to waste, and I respect that.

So, here are a couple of common mistakes that people make when they are conditioning and strength training for MMA:

1. Inefficient use of time.
2. Wrong techniques and methods of conditioning and strength training for MMA.
3. Improper scheduling and programming.

Note: these mistakes are all essentially components of proper organization of your training program.

1. If you are training for MMA, understanding it is a sport not a street fight, then you have a tough will. You have to in order to compete in this sport and to train for it. That is very important, but you need to focus that will efficiently. This means that you have to optimize the time that you spend working out and training. Especially if you are not a professional! It is integral that you use the time that you have in the best and most effective ways possible. At the levels of UFC conditioning the same principle applies; however, their training programs are optimized all of the time! None of us have time for wasted efforts.

2. Unfortunately many MMA competitors, especially those who are just starting out, do not have a full understanding of what they should be doing for their conditioning and exercise programs, let alone their strength training. What follows from this is that you must work better. There are a few simple rules of thumb to consider here. With strength training you are not trying to buff up and look big or ripped. If that ends up fitting your body type because you have trained properly and hard, then that is fantastic; big muscle, however, is not necessarily an advantage and how you look is only a microscopic component of the game (a slight bit of intimidation).

With MMA strength training the point is to build compact quick strength.

The point of your conditioning work out is to build fast recovery and endurance for your muscles. In terms of MMA conditioning a general rule is to condition and train what you will be doing/using. You are not training for a marathon. You do not have to be able to jog for three hours. Train what you will need in the fight! And, condition your muscles to be able to throw punches, grapple, take, move, push, etc. for an entire match

3. Finally, the unfortunate cause of the two problems above, as well as many others, is improper scheduling by a mixed martial artist, or even the coach. I imagine all of us, at some time or other have spent time training, or time at the gym, where we did not actually do what was best for us. The key to getting around this is to schedule or plan your conditioning program, thoroughly! Every step of your training should be methodical and planned out. You need a great MMA conditioning program in order to excel. This is not something that you need to leave to chance or to trial and error. Those days are pretty much over.

MMA is not a sport to go into half-heartedly. I understand if you are busy with work, and therefore cannot devote yourself to it; however, you have got to work hard at it and work well. If you do not know where to start, consider looking at a developed MMA strength and conditioning program, like Eric Wong's: [http://www.mmaconditioningsteps.info]

I wish you success in your future in MMA bouts and training. Keep working hard; it is worth it,

Brian