Supplementary Training for MMA

[Michael Brown]

I think I have a pretty good handle on which Clubbell, Kettlebell and barbell exercises are functional for MMA.

Where I am constantly questioning my training is the manner in which I apply them (i.e. the routine).

Assuming a combat athlete is not training for a competition, should training be periodized to develop different attributes at different times or should a little of each always be mixed in?

What does everyone think?

Any routines or periodization principles that I should be thinking about if I am seeking long-term improvement in combat athletics as opposed to trying to peak for an event?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

[Chuck Kechter]

Michael,

Coach Sonnon has an article around here some place called: Balancing Lifetime Training that addresses some of your questions.

For myself I tend to use an intuitive model based on "natural" cycles. Summer is for endurance, Winter for power generation, spring (hypertrophy) and fall are transitionary cycles that lead from one to another. There is (yet another :D) article around here that talks about this style of training.

Now, all that mouthful out of the way--supplimentary training should depend on how often you are training MMA (a big factor! As you are, and should be getting most of your "conditioning" through your training).

If you are training 4-6 days a week, I would limit your supplimentary training to twice a week, to keep from over training. I would also limit the amount of total time spent to 30-45 minutes per session, for the same reason.

If you have any questions please ask. . .

Hope this helps,

Chuck

[Michael Brown]

Thanks Chuck.

Depending on the time of year and my schedule (work and volunteer as an assistant wrestling coach at one of the small high schools in my area), I usually train 2-3 times per week.

I do all of my supplementary training at home because I watch my daughter while my wife is at work.

Do you think that cycling is a good concept when you aren't peaking for anything?

The reason I ask is that I am also a police officer and I generally don't like my cardio to fall by the wayside so that I can get my squat/deadlift routine to its max.

What is the best way to cycle when you may have to fight at anytime and in essence be as close to your peak as possible at almost all times?

I realize this is probably a mother of a question. I will also check for the thread you suggested. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks again.

Mike

[Chuck Kechter]

Michael,

For me those cycles are what I play with primarily, but not exclusively. So, even though I am concentrating on power generation right now, I still cycle in aerobic and anaerobic training (et cetera).

I am not a big believer in exclusivity. Nothing in life is exclusive, why should my training be? I am not either/or, but and & both. Just put together in as smart a fashion as I can.

If it helps my week looks something like this:

Mon/Wed/Fri: AM-Run, DROM
PM: Skill Training

Tues/Thurs/Sat: AM DROM, Skill Training
PM-Resistance

One to four times a week I work in some type of: intervals (usually during runs), BME's, Kinetic chains, and other things (usually during skill sessions). . .

Things I ALWAYS pay attention to:

I make sure to have AT LEAST 4-6 hours between training sessions.
I am very careful to monitor my fatigue levels. If I'm feeling low, then I back off a bit for a day or two.
I never train the same skill sets back to back (PM to AM), so if my PRIMARY set in the pm was ground work, then in the am I will PRIMARILY work stand up, or clinch, et cetera. But I never "work" exclusively, so that all my sessions have a bit of the other in them, if that makes sense.

Hope this helps. Happy new Year!

Chuck

[Daniel Ramos]

I ask myself this same question constantly. Due to my 2 job schedule (soon will be starting graduate school also :shock: ). I end up basicaly doing skill work whenever I can and have a place to train. And general conditioning whenever I have nothing else to do. This has basicaly broken down too three hours of boxing and Judo on tuesdays and thursdays. And random 15-30 minute conditioning seccions trough out the week. I tend to enjoy more weight training/gymnastics work than endurance work so I end up sucking wind whenever I get the chance to spar :? .

Lately I have kinda started fixing that by forcing myself to work on shadow boxing every time I get to wokout at home, I justify it to myself by saying "skill work must go first". So my strength and balance and General Funky Stuff Training (TM), has been relegated to the nights I work in the gim and end up doing random sets of pullups, working in a set during one of my clients workouts (hoping the boss doesnt see me) and ther regular regular "its down time and we are bored competitions y have with my coworkers" (which includes all kinds of funky chalenges on stabiliy balls, over head squats and such).

I really have to start gettin up early in the morning to do some Warrior Wellnes/Joga + running (I hate running). I admire you for your discipline Chuck.


Dont believe in periodisation either, just doesnt seem natural. Especialy since I have always lived in a tropical climate. So even the sistem Chuck uses of going by the season of the year doesnt really work for me. There is just no difference between summer and winter down here.

any how
enough rambling
dont think I answered any questions
here to learn not teach

Happy training
Daniel

[ratlee]

Something that has had some press lately is conjugated training, which is basically a very short cycle. Evidently the westside training group is using it. My first experience was a small book on training for the martial arts allegedly based on Bulgarian training by Leo Stern. Basically what i was doing was 3 weightraining sessions a week, full body, one session was power, basically sets of three, 3 exercise. Next session was endurance, sets of 15, short rest period, ie one minute 4 sets. Then there was the speed endurance session, 30 secs, fast as possible. The next week, there was shorter rest, and/or more sets, over a 3 week macrocycle. This is something that you might try...
Lew (ps, if anyone is interested I could dig out the book and look at the cycles again, but basically it is highly condensed periodization)

[Chuck Kechter]

I have tried conjugated training in the past (and will do so again in the future, I'm sure), though I found it was harder to manage my fatigue levels, given the skill training that I do (even cutting back on ST it was hard).

For myself, I found that the "schedule" I posted above, along with complex training, and developing an "intuitive" feel for where I am at, has been the "best" method I've played with (so far :D).

Have you tried it? If so what kind of results did you find?

Chuck

[ratlee]

I tried it, still do a more instinctive form of it, ie, one workout i do only low reps, next workout higher, next workout explosive. When i was doing the routine from the book, i got really good improvement in all things, however, i think one reason was the brevity of the workouts, 3 exercises, and low sets... for example in the power workout, you might do 2 sets of one exercise, three of the other two, in the endurance workout, 4 sets each of three exercises, same with the speed workout, so the most sets in a workout was 12... i was also doing martial arts training 6 days a week, and pure aerobic 3 days a week... However, i have a high threshold for work (former triathlete, college football, track. ). I moved on because i got bored, frankly... i have been training in an organized fashion for something since grade 8, and i need to change up my program, or i stagnate. I love clubbells because of the infinite variety of effective exercises, and the other benefits, ie to the CNS, to balance, my God, i could go on forever. To get back to conjugated workouts, i think the main concept to be grasped is that in any one workout, aim at one thing, ie, endurance,orspeed,or raw power, etc, don't cocktail, but different workouts can focus different things.

Lew