Strength Training for MMA: How to Maximize Martial Arts Performance with Lifting

Based opinion: Weight training separates an excellent martial artist from a good one. And today, you're going to find out why!

Many people combat sports athletes, freak out over building muscle when weight training for any type of martial art. Some reasons may include becoming incredibly stiff, building TOO much muscle to a point where they can't make a specific weight class, or simply needing a properly structured plan for sports-specific strength and conditioning.

I will tell you why you must start lifting if you want to take your martial arts to the next level and become successful at it. I'll also share with you what to look for when structuring a program and different training techniques in the weight room that would make you unstoppable in the ring, octagon, or wherever else your desired combat sport lies. Let's get into it.

Strength Training for Martial Arts

First, I want to go over why you need strength and conditioning for martial arts performance; that way, it will make better sense as we get deeper into the topic.

#1 Muscles do win fights!

You probably heard someone say, "Muscles don't win fights," implying that fighting is endurance-focused, not strength-based.

Unfortunately, that statement isn't exactly accurate.

While you need great cardio to win fights, it's not the be-all and end-all of the game. I've seen fighters with great cardiovascular endurance lose fights, and strong fighters win, even while gassing out in the later rounds.

I've seen fighters with outstanding cardio and great conditioning come out victorious every round, so I preach dual implementation.

That's because great fighters incorporate sport-specific weight training, which we will get into in just a bit.

When you integrate strength training for martial arts, you aren't only building your muscles, but also sharpening your tools. If you want to become a better fighter, then it's something you absolutely should take advantage of.

#2 Injury Prevention

Let's be honest: most sports, not only combat-related, come with injuries, and implementing a strength and conditioning routine has been shown to prevent many of these cases!

There are a lot of aspects that fall under the radar of annoying injuries; here are some that weight training may potentially save you from:

• Muscle Imbalances

Muscle imbalances are caused by a muscle being weaker than its opposite counterpart. This leads to over-compensation, which eventually leads to injuries. A lot of times, training solely in martial arts usually always leads to muscle imbalances because we may use specific muscles more than others.

Weight training does so well at preventing this because you can train weaker areas using external equipment! You can quickly identify specific opportunities through fatigue and weakness and approach this by training the muscle group more.

• Weaker bodies are more prone to injury.

Let's touch back on the topic of solid muscles winning fights. If you lack overall robustness, you are hanging on a thread bound to snap.

It’s like taking a knife to a gun fight - I know you have all heard that one before!

I've actually dealt with this unfortunate case before, leading to a meniscus tear that I am still learning to fully recover from, even after a whole year!

Both training and fighting alone come with lots of volume. To withstand that volume, you have to build a more muscular body.

Strength Training Improves Performance

Here are some key points that support strength training's correlation to fight performance:

• Increased Power and Striking Ability:

Strength training enhances the ability to generate power, translating to more impactful strikes. Stronger muscles contribute to greater force production, allowing martial artists to deliver powerful punches, kicks, and other striking techniques.

• Preparation for Explosive Movements:

Martial arts often involve explosive movements such as quick strikes, takedowns, and evasive maneuvers. Strength training, especially focusing on explosive exercises, prepares the body for these rapid and powerful actions.

• Enhanced Core Strength:

Core strength is fundamental in martial arts as it provides a stable base for executing techniques, maintaining balance, and defending against opponents. A strong core improves overall body control and stability.

• Optimized Body Composition:

Conditioning programs help regulate body composition by promoting the development of lean muscle mass and reducing excess body fat. This optimal body composition improves agility, speed, and overall athletic performance in martial arts.

• Enhanced Flexibility and Range of Motion:

Proper strength and conditioning routines incorporate flexibility exercises, improving a martial artist's range of motion. Increased flexibility allows for a more extensive repertoire of techniques and reduces the risk of strains or muscle imbalances.

• Muscular Stability

Strength and conditioning exercises target stabilizing muscles, promoting joint stability, and reducing the risk of injuries. This is particularly important in martial arts, where agility, balance, and joint integrity are essential for effective injury prevention techniques.

Now that we have the basic knowledge and the benefits covered let's go over how to approach a training plan for martial arts.

Programming Sports-specific Training

The biggest reason many fighters shy from strength training is the fear of excessive muscle growth and stiffness.

But I'm here to tell you there is no need to fear because when you are training, you incorporate sports-specific exercises.

We've thrown this word around quite a bit, so let me tell you what it means.

Sports-specific training simply means incorporating exercises that translate to the performance in your given sport.

The law of specificity is why you don't have to worry about entering the ring, or the cage looking like a bodybuilder. Simply because bodybuilders train differently, and so do fighters.

If you weight train like a fighter, it will translate to combat. You don't have to worry if that's what you want out of a program.

If you guys/gals have any further questions, feel free to contact me through email or social media!

Here are ways you can use strength training as a tool for performance:

• Endurance Training with Resistance:

Also known as metabolic conditioning, this training technique is used to develop greater power output and overall endurance. Workouts that relate to MetCon are movements like the landmine thruster, med ball slams, box jumps, and battle ropes.

This training modality will translate to short bursts of movement in combat - like power punches or throws/takedowns, so it's mega important that these are trained before applying them when facing competition.

I usually implement this post-workout to exert whatever is left in the tank!

• Compound Lifts

Even fighters should incorporate the big 3 lifts and more! You will reap tremendous benefits from compound lifts, including muscle development and overall stability.

"But Chris, there are lots of compound lifts to choose from!"

Never thought you'd ask. Here are the types of lifts you should incorporate into your routine.

Athletic lifts only - These exercises force you to stabilize 95% of the time to maximize core strength. (Example: Standing overhead press, Bulgarian Split Squat, Weighted pullups)

Core exercises - Aim for stability and rotation. Train the core like a muscle! Skip a thousand sit-ups a day. Instead, go for a farmer's walk and the cable rotation.

It's really nothing complicated. Keep it basic because, in all honesty, basic is more effective for leveling up your strength gains and longevity.

Functional training is about more than just training muscles to get big. It's training movements to perform better outside of the gym.

And if you aren't a fighter and are reading this, first off, thanks for tuning in! Also, even these training techniques can be helpful for those not interested in competitive martial arts. I mean, look at the physiques of a fighter. It closely resembles Superheroes which is why most of you landed on this site in the first place.

Now, onto the final topic. This is a question that pops up quite frequently.

"How many days a week should I lift for Martial Arts?"

My honest answer: There is no "correct answer."

It's all about finding the program that you will stick to. But to save you from being overwhelmed, here are two ways you can approach this:

Training Periodization: a week-to-week training schedule that splits up martial arts training and lifting. This is usually more beneficial for those in an "off-season" who want to get stronger while keeping their skills sharp.

2-3 full body workouts: You want 2-3 full body lifting days, especially in training camp. That way, you have 2-3 days to strictly focus on strength and the remainder of the week to focus on fighting techniques.

Just remember, all you need in this case is strategy and action. Don't be afraid to step into the dark side.

In Conclusion

I know that was a lot to take in.

But remember, training doesn't have to be complicated. And if it ever is, there may be other suitable programs out there for you!

Be sure to stay tuned to the blog for weekly updates and topics! And always feel free to contact me for requests.

You can check out a list of workout routines featuring our Superhero Workouts, Anime Workouts, and Character Workouts.

Feel free to take a look at those!

See you in the next one!