Strength Training for Martial Arts

[quote]Deserteaglle wrote:
The fact is that while SOME fighters have tested positive for steroids, the vast majority of them are drug free athletes[/quote]

Lmao.

I think we should all just follow Tank Abbott’s training regimen and call it a day. Sound good?

Hey I just found Tank’s training program:

12p.m.-Wake up, slam a beer. Eat a steak. Cardio*

6p.m.-Bench press 600lbs.

9p.m.-Hit up Buffalo Wild Wings for some “sparring”.

3a.m.-Bedtime.

*-Cardio consists of shadow boxing while watching old UFC dvds.

My personal experience, just for fun:

I started martial arts when I was 18. I went 14-4 in boxing, did several BJJ tourneys, then getting married put that on the back burner for years. I’m now 32 and have been doing Hawiian Kenpo and BJJ for the last ~15 months heavily. I have my first pro fight in Feb. At the ripe old age of 32, I started a fight training schedule at 7 weeks out from fight day. It has been a lot of 2-a-days with intervals on alternating mornings, an occasional 3 mile run followed by stamina training, lifting heavy-low reps 2-3 times a week, and in the school doing skills, drills, and sparring 3 times a week. I have throttled some aspects up and others down as the fight gets closer. But here is a critical observation:

As I’ve gotten further into it, my between-round or between-set recovery has improved, but my between-workout recovery has SKYROCKETED! Guys like the big name pros have done this so many times that their recovery abilities are unlike anything most of us will ever achieve. I’m hoping to get close, but hey, we can’t all be GSP, Iceman, or the Ax Murderer.

So my experience is that as you increase the frequency AND intensity, your body adapts with more recovery ability. Isn’t that the whole GPP concept? Or work capacity or something?

Anyway, I’m an IT Professional, and work well over 40 hrs a week. Its not like I’m some unemployed fighter who lives to train. And I damn sure am drug-free. Just saying that as I’ve pushed myself past the breaking point several times a week for the last ~6 weeks, my body is responding with improved speed, stamina, recovery ability, and strength endurance. I’ve gained lbs of muscle and lost lbs of fat. I ain’t no bodybuilder, but its worked for me.

The one detriment is my limit strength progress has stalled. Meaning my 4-5 rep maxes have been static for about the last 2.5 weeks.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/mma2.htm Cosgrove Complex training for MMA

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/russian_conjugate_system.htm
The Russian Conjugate System of Periodization Applied to MMA Fight Training - James Smith

I primarily use russian conjugate periodisation for myself and the MMA fighters i train.

Periodisation shakes up like this below:

In off season we use 3-4 day template (sometimes involving strong man work) and largely technical MMA training.

3 day template and GPP and largely technical training is used.

2 day template, light technical work, heavy GPP focus as a fight gets closer

Light techincal work in the week or few days before a fight.

Obviously periods change dependant on fighters, condition how well they maintain condition. At the moment i have only one professional fighter working with me, but a slew of amateurs. They both enjoy/despise the strength and conditioning. The hardest part was establishing a working relationship with MMA coaches who have vastly varying methods (sometimes out right bizarre) of strength and conditioning.