I’d like to know how many if any of you guys who train for mma/boxing/wrestling do direct biceps/triceps work?
I know alot of you probably don’t do any, but by doing some will it not help in gaining strength in the other lifts??
I am an amateur MMA fighter, the most important thing you must know is that you should not isolate muscles for that type of sport. For your triceps do benches and pushups and dips, and do chinups and pullups for biceps. Isolating will only hurt your functional strength and severly inhibit your power. Bodyweight is the King along with strongman training…IMO
I am also an amateur MMA fighter. As long as your lifting routine revolves around the core compound lifts(squat, bench, deadlift, pullup, etc), direct bi and tri work isn’t going to hurt your strength or fight development. Strong biceps have actually helped me defend a few armbars(resisted the extension until I could move to stack or circle).
Powerlifters(who obviously rely almost completely on strength) do tricep work as an accesory move. MMA fighters don’t(or shouldn’t) rely on strength to that degree. Strength is one part of the equation for a fighter.
EDIT-If getting in skill work and conditioning causes a time crunch, then obviously bi/tri would be the first to go, with the exception of maybe some weighted dips. But if you have the time, who cares. I personally like having decent-size arms, so for me it IS more of a vanity issue, but I don’t feel it detracts in any way from my training.
for bicep/tricep work I squat.
but thats just me.
-xen
For tris, bench presses, military presses and rack lockouts.
for bis: heavy rows and chins