MMA & Conditioning

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hey everybody. I’ve been a lurker for a while and love the site. But I need help.

I recently started MMA training. The problem is that I have no stamina, endurance, cardio capability- my conditioning sucks!

I do workout and follow 10x3 and a hypertropy program, but never did any cardio.

The problem is that I’ve been to class three times and all three times I get muscle cramps on my lower back and I’m gasping for air. I know that I’m probably dehydrated and winded and I need better conditioning. I’m also still trying to work out.

But the real problem is that the next day I get really sick. I start to feel overheated, body aches, headache, sore throat, wheezing, and coughing (bronchitis style). The first two times (2 weeks ago Monday & Friday), I felt fine (other than the conditioning part) until Friday, when it hit me and I had to go to the doctor for what I thought was a virus/bronchitis. I took a week off and felt fine. I went back Monday and today I feel like shit. I can’t breathe normally, I’m wheezing and coughing, and the same sytompoms from before.

I have an inhaler from the doctor, which seemed to help a bit. I’m going tomorrow but just thought if anyone else had any other experiences or thoughts.

I think I over exerted myself and my lungs and now they are trying to recover.

This might be a dumb post, but looking for insight and help.

sincerely
frankgurr
Do you think that

2

Not a dumb post Frankgurr have you thougth that you maybe alergic (sorry if I spelt that wrong) to something in the gym where you train, I have been training in the martial arts for 24 years, and althougth I need to lose weigth and get into better shape. I am very fit and have a great deal of endurance but have had the same symtoms you just discribed and I found out it was the enviroment I was training in.
if its an endurance thing try John Davies Renegade skipping, ot CT’s running man articles.
If you need any other help just pm me or see what other responces you get here theres a lot of knowledge from these guy.
Woof All Fluffy

3

I am a black belt in real life. While I have lifted weights since I was 14, I didn’t start training in ma until I was 25. I knew that the ma workouts would be intense, so when I decided I would start training in the martial arts, I started hitting cardio one month in advance. I firmly believe that this helped me me the transition from just weights to weights and martial arts.

It took me 4.5 years to get my black belt. During that time, I did cardio off and on until I realized that the cardio would help me get through workouts. Miles on the treadmill really helped me when it came time to spar and do full contact fighting.

I suggest that you start hitting cardio three times a week for at least 20 minutes, so that you can build up a solid cardiovascular base. To this day, I still hit cardio three times a week (even with the weights and ma training) because it has helped me out so much.

If that doesn’t help, you should go find a good Doctor that actually knows something about excercise.

4

Thanks guys for the response.

I knew it was going to be tough, but the classes have been crazy.

I am going to try and do more cardio as suggested.

Also, I think part of my problem after reading my orig post and thinking is that I am dehydrated. I haven’t played any sports or conditioning and thus my h20 intake was normal, but I think I need more.

Last night, I started to drink a whole lot more water and I definitely feel better.

thanks

5

Sorry if I sound like a burpee fanatic but that has helped my conditioning for MA no end…

6

[quote]ah_dut wrote:
Sorry if I sound like a burpee fanatic but that has helped my conditioning for MA no end…[/quote]

I have been reading alot about the Burpee as a prison workout, and have been looking for an exercise to do that works the whole body as you obviously use them what changes to the body does the Burpee create?
Sorry for the hijack
woof all Fluffy

7

First off, shoot for a gallon of water a day, whether it’s a training day or not. That should address the dehydration issue (which you see it has).

[quote]frankgurr wrote:
…But the real problem is that the next day I get really sick. I start to feel overheated, body aches, headache, sore throat, wheezing, and coughing (bronchitis style). The first two times (2 weeks ago Monday & Friday), I felt fine (other than the conditioning part) until Friday, when it hit me and I had to go to the doctor for what I thought was a virus/bronchitis. I took a week off and felt fine. I went back Monday and today I feel like shit. I can’t breathe normally, I’m wheezing and coughing, and the same sytompoms from before.[/quote]

Sounds like classic overtraining symptoms. Did you go from zero exercise to 10x3? Or from zero MMA training to a few intense classes each week? It could simply have been too much, too soon. If that’s the case, I’d try to find a way to reduce the volume and/or intensity of teh workouts, and then gradually bring them back up. Exactly what does your current schedule look like, in terms of classes and training sessions per week?

I’m presuming you have asthma (correct?). Exercise can sometimes bring on attacks. Breathing “warm” air (like through a scarf, or in a heated room) can help. So can including a thorough warm-up and cooldown in your workouts. My girlfriend has a similar issue, and she finds that chewing gum while training usually helps to regulate her breathing.

8

As far as gum chewing goes, I think you will find most ma studios forbid the use if it. One, it can be seen as a sign of disrespect. Two, if you are in a martial art that involves you wrestling or being thrown to the ground, there is too much of a risk of the gum going down your throat and you choking. Gum is an insurance nightmare, and in my studio, it isn’t tolerated.

9

Yep, I increased my water consumption. Just I got lazy and stopped drinking water.

I’m used to working out 10x3 or hypertropy prgms, I’m just not used to doing cardio. I’ve been focused on getting stronger and adding muscle to my body so I neglected the cardio. I didn’t want to do cardio b/c my metabolism is fast enough and I eat so much already that I wanted to get bigger.

And now I started the classes and my conditioning is so bad I suck air and cramp up, which I ultimately believe got me sick. But since drinking more water and laying off cardio, my breathing is normal.

I workout Sun, Tue, and Fri with a 3x10 program and I’m supposed to go to MMA Mon and Wed for 1 hr. But Im going to cut back on that and just do 1 day. While I use the other days to up my conditioning. I do one month 3x10 and then one month of 10x3.

Sounds like classic overtraining symptoms. Did you go from zero exercise to 10x3? Or from zero MMA training to a few intense classes each week? It could simply have been too much, too soon. If that’s the case, I’d try to find a way to reduce the volume and/or intensity of teh workouts, and then gradually bring them back up. Exactly what does your current schedule look like, in terms of classes and training sessions per week?

I’m presuming you have asthma (correct?). Exercise can sometimes bring on attacks. Breathing “warm” air (like through a scarf, or in a heated room) can help. So can including a thorough warm-up and cooldown in your workouts. My girlfriend has a similar issue, and she finds that chewing gum while training usually helps to regulate her breathing.[/quote]

I’ve never been diagnosed with asthma, but I’ve had bronchitis when I was younger (college) and just recently (after this class). I think I might have asthma…I would like to go to the dr. and check it out.

10

Pick up the Martin Rooney “Training for Warriors” DVD. It’s awesome.

11

Hi frankgurr,

What type of martial art are you studying?

The reason I ask is because if the art involves grappling or full contact striking, I wouldn’t necessarily advise that you do running/jogging. I say this because the cardiovascular demands of grappling/combat are completely different from the type of cardio that is attained by jogging on a treadmill.

I have seen Decathaletes come into a martial arts class and be sucking wind withing 1-2 minutes of grappling or kickboxing practice. Now, realize that these individuals have sick amounts of endurance when it comes to low intensity long duration activities. However, combat requires high amounts of high intensity long duration endurance.

The best workouts (at least from my experience) for developing this type of endurance are:

  1. actually doing the activity you want to get good at. The more you train the more efficient your body will get at doing the movements, the less energy you’ll waste, and the more you’ll learn to relax.

  2. Heavy circuits. What I mean are doing resistance training exercises for high reps with absolutely no rest between exercises. This is quite intense but pays huge dividends in terms of your endurance capacity.

  3. Interval training. Now, as I stated earlier jogging on a treadmill will do didly squat for you in terms of carry over to combat. But, doing exercises like wind sprints will do you a lot of good. You can also do things like jog 1 minute, sprint as fast as you can as long as you can, walk one minute, repeat. Do 8-10 repetitions of this cycle and you will have sufficiently taxed your cardiovascular system.

Of course, the more fit you get the more you’ll be able to handle.

Good luck and good training,

Sentoguy

12

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
Hi frankgurr,

What type of martial art are you studying?

I am actually studying Krav Maga.

The reason I ask is because if the art involves grappling or full contact striking, I wouldn’t necessarily advise that you do running/jogging. I say this because the cardiovascular demands of grappling/combat are completely different from the type of cardio that is attained by jogging on a treadmill.

I have seen Decathaletes come into a martial arts class and be sucking wind withing 1-2 minutes of grappling or kickboxing practice. Now, realize that these individuals have sick amounts of endurance when it comes to low intensity long duration activities. However, combat requires high amounts of high intensity long duration endurance.

The best workouts (at least from my experience) for developing this type of endurance are:

  1. actually doing the activity you want to get good at. The more you train the more efficient your body will get at doing the movements, the less energy you’ll waste, and the more you’ll learn to relax.

Yes, I think #1 is great, except that I am in a class and I think it is a disruption to others and it also screws up pairings (ie. if I’m paired up with someone and then have to take a break, they are left pairless). But I am going to my instructor and see what he thinks-repsect.

  1. Heavy circuits. What I mean are doing resistance training exercises for high reps with absolutely no rest between exercises. This is quite intense but pays huge dividends in terms of your endurance capacity.

What sort of exercises? Just regular workout stuff, such as for leg day: squat, front squat, good mornings?

  1. Interval training. Now, as I stated earlier jogging on a treadmill will do didly squat for you in terms of carry over to combat. But, doing exercises like wind sprints will do you a lot of good. You can also do things like jog 1 minute, sprint as fast as you can as long as you can, walk one minute, repeat. Do 8-10 repetitions of this cycle and you will have sufficiently taxed your cardiovascular system.

I planned on skipping rope for 1 min (like class) and then walking for 1 min. And doing that several times. I am also going to try some of the other suggestions like Davis Renegade, running man, ect.

Of course, the more fit you get the more you’ll be able to handle.

I appreciate all the feedback. Also, if anyone has any feedback on Krav Maga, i’d like to hear your thoughts on it.

Good luck and good training,

Sentoguy[/quote]

13

Hi Frangurr,

No, I honestly would not suggest breaking your routines up into a traditional body building split (i.e. leg-Mon, Bi’s and Back Tues, Chest and Tri’s Wed, ect…ect…ect…).

That type of split is good for body building, but from my experience, not really all that great for MA.

I would suggest you do a whole body circuit 2-3 days per week. Try to make as many of the movements compound (aka more than 1 joint involved, examples squats, bench press, bent over row), but make sure that you can use a light enough weight so that you can do 50 reps of each exercise (you should be giving it everything you’ve got to get at least the last 4-5 reps).

If you want an actual routine, I suggest you contact Shihan Charlie Lysak at www.realityconnection.com.

Good luck and good training,

Sentoguy