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ON THE MAT

Strength Training for Combat Athletes


If you are a gym owner or manager looking to add new programming, consider a Strength Training class. I know many MMA training facilities that have great success with specic strength-and-conditioning classes on their schedule. Everyone who is serious about their MMA skills should include strength training into their weekly routine. Whether you train casual ght fans who takes a couple Muay Thai classes each week or you train a current UFC champion, strength training will help make your clients stronger, faster, less injury prone, and optimize their performance. Start Here > Hire a qualied professional with appropriate credentials to run strength and conditioning classes at your facility. > Find a qualied strength coach in your area to work as an independent contractor and lead classes at your facility a couple times per week. > Reach out to a tness studio in your area to cross-promote and offer discounted rates to any of their members who join your facility. They will likely do the same for your members in return. Bottom Line If you have the space and equipment, offering strength-training classes to your menu of services will only increase your appeal to prospective members, and help to retain existing ones. If equipment and/or budget is an issue, there are a number of low-cost solutions such a TRX suspension trainers, medicine balls, rubber resistance tubing, or even offering bodyweight-only strength training classes. Dont be an MMA only facility. Become a One-Stop Shop for all your members tness and wellness needs. Additional programming is benecial to your members, which in turn is benecial to your bottom line.

Strength is Hot Strength training has been a hot topic in the MMA community. Some swear by it, and others still havent fully jumped on board. But even as more and more MMA athletes are buying literally into the benets of strength training, the current methods and programs I see out there are all over the board. Ive heard of ghters who follow machine-based workouts or traditional bodybuilding routines. Ive heard of some who strictly do Olympic lifts, and others who do only anaerobic circuit training. Of course, Crosst is hot, while others do no strength training at all. The point of this article is not to declare any one method better than another, but to assert that the athletes I work with follow a periodized strength-training program that helps them become strong, injury free, and peaked for their match or tournament. Strong foundation One of my goals as a strength coach is to have my athletes as strong as possible for their weight class. My secret training exercise or method? There is

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NO secret here. Theres a reason the basic, nonashy, base strength-training movements have been around for so long, and its because they work! We predominantly deadlift, squat, and lunge for lower-body strength. And we include pulls, presses, and rows for upper-body strength. I love new toys and tricks as much as the next guy. But in reality, the foundational lifts are the best place to start. Near max strength training is a great way to lay that foundation early on in a program. You can add layers of complexity down the road. Sample Strength Training Session Part 1 - Warm-Up > 10-15 minutes of movements to help improve thoracic spine range of motion, activate glutes, and increase your heart rate. Part 2 - Strength Training Circuits > Circuit #1 A1. KettleBell/Dumbbell Goblet Squat 4x6 A2. Bodyweight Pull-Ups 4x6-10 A3. Tubing/Cable Machine Torso Rotations 4x15 each side > Circuit #2 B1. KettleBell Swings 4x20 B2. Spiderman Pushups 4x16 B3. Planks 4x up to 60 seconds Part 3 Flexibility > Static stretch routine including calves, hamstrings, glutes, lats, chest, and shoulders. Strength Training DONT Although it is hard to say DONT or NEVER do a certain exercise, there are a number of movements that I stay away from MOST of the time. Every member is unique; a certain exercise may be ne for one person to do, however, not for another person. That being said, here are a few exercises/ movements that I rarely include: > 99% of machines. 100% of machines where you sit or lay down > Barbell back squat - I prefer front or goblet squats due to common shoulder mobility issues > Barbell chest press - I prefer dumbbell variations due to common shoulder mobility issues > Barbell overhead press - I prefer dumbbell variations due to common shoulder mobility issues > Performing 250 half-rep speed crunches at the

end of your workout - Why do people do that? Stop. Immediately. Equipment DO Like I mentioned above, I love experimenting with the latest toys, gadgets, and tools of the trade on the market today. In addition to a good set of dumbbells and a standard squat rack, here are a couple must haves for a facility: > TRX Suspension Trainer: Quantity will depend on room size; 6-10 units would be nice in order to offer group training. > Medicine Balls: One or two in varying weights ranging from 8lbs up to 25lbs. > KettleBells: Pairs of bells ranging from 12kg up to 32kg are ideal.

> Super Bands/Tubing: There are many makes and models of bands and tubing on the market. I like to have 4 or 5 different widths which accommodate different strength levels. The thicker the band, the harder it is to stretch. > Sleds/Prowlers: If you have the space, 1 or 2 weight sleds are great tools for developing power and endurance for both the lower and upper body.

Doug
DOUG BALZARINI Doug Balzarini, CSCS, MMA-CC, is a personal trainer, strength coach, and founder of DB Strength. He has produced MMA-specic DVDs, offers training workshops, and has coached on The Ultimate Fighter Live TV show. He is currently the strength coach for the Alliance MMA ght team where he has worked with UFC champ Dominick Cruz, Bellator champ Michael Chandler, Phil Davis, Brandon Vera, Travis Browne, Alexander Gustafsson, Ross Pearson, and more. Visit www.dbstrength.com for more information.
dbstrength.com

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