Mixed Martial Arts Training - How To Get Into Top Shape

The world of Mixed Martial Arts or MMA is fast evolving these days. Both trainers and athletes are constantly coming up with better ways to train. And if you want to get into this sport, it is very important to condition your body first.

Say you have been training in boxing, wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for years and years. And you have mastered quite a lot of techniques. Your strike may be impeccable, your takedowns are unbeatable, you are in perfect control of your game. But the moment you step into that cage, you suddenly realize that while your skills are undoubtedly top of the line, your body is not in top shape.

You may be fast and sharp in the beginning. You take down your opponent with a lightning-fast single leg that he does not have time to stop. You are perfectly in control, or so you think. As the game progresses, you realize that with each scramble, you seem to lose some speed. You begin to struggle with your breathing and at the blink of an eye, the tables have been turned. You now end up defending yourself instead of delivering the offense you have been practicing for years. And before you know it, everything turns black. You just passed out.

The point is, in the world of MMA, skill will be rendered irrelevant if your body is not in optimum shape. In short, you are not conditioned properly. So the solution to prevent this from happening is through a well-rounded mixed martial arts conditioning program.

The program must develop:

• Aerobic capacity which pertains to the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can use in a workout session, that is normally assessed during a brief period of high intensity exercise.

• Anaerobic capacity which pertains to the total amount of energy from the anaerobic energy systems, that is maximally stressed in short duration high intensity activities.

• Strength that is the degree to which muscles can apply force against any resistance.

• Functional Strength which refers to the maximum strength, strength speed, strength endurance and reactive strength.

• Power which is the ability to exert maximal muscular contraction at once through sudden bursts of movement. Power is composed of speed and strength.

• Muscular Endurance that refers to the muscle's ability to perform sustained work.

There are a range of exercises that you can do to develop these attributes such as sprinting, running, plyometrics and weight lifting. Start where you are weakest and work from there. By training everyday and doing these exercises religiously, you will acquire that conditioned body in no time.