mixing mma with weights

[Sust Man]

My goal is to keep muscle mass, cut up, increase endurance, and avoid injury/overtraining. I am lifting 3 times a week and I plan on doing muay thai/bjj 3 times also. Should I change the way I lift/excercises I do? I currently do chest/tri/shoulders one day, back/bi the next, and legs on the last day. I generally do 4X10 on average for most things. I usually start off with some form of compound movement each day, and I usually only do 2-3 exercises per muscle group (4 for legs). I will probably cycle as well. Any advice?

[Panzerfaust]

I think the best way to answer this is for you to do trial and error to be honest with you. You may feel great doing it a certain way while it may kill me, you know what i mean.

As far as "keep muscle mass", that should be controlled by your diet IMO. You shold be feeding the "machine" what it needs based on what kind of excercise you are doing.

I would definately start performing more reps and lighter weight, a MMA fighter is looking for muscle endurance & strength.

[sonar1234]

Why dont you try a 3 times a week whole body training.

I just love this scheme, i just got back into weight training.

By doing so you dont over train cause you end up doing 1-2 exercises per bodypart for chest, back and legs and 1 exercise for biceps, triceps and shoulders.

My current program looks like this:

Leg press 3X 8-15
Leg curls 2 X 8-12
Vertical bench press 2 X 8-12
Incline smith machine press 1 X 8-12
Gravitron chin ups 3 X 8-12
Shoulder machine press 2 X 8-12
triceps pushdown machine 2 X 12
Biceps machine 2 X 8-12

Thats less then 20 sets, take one day break between each training session and your done within 1 hour, i just added 30 minutes of elliptic cardio.

Note that i am on back pain rehab and very limited in my exercises.

You can read more on the Hyper specific training website.

HST

[Panzerfaust]

I agree with ^^^^ but even higher reps, reps of 20+

I am starting a new full body routine 3-4x week plus jogging on the treadmill following the workout.

This one bodypart per session is for the ****ing birds and i am beyond sick of this bullshit bodybuilding lifestyle. I have been having awesome workouts lately but have been inconsistent due to personal crap.

I will say if i don't get back into training either BJJ or Muay Thai soon, i will probably quit posting because i feel like a tool always talking about stuff yet have not trained in so long. I cannot afford to do MMA and the gym, it is one or the other and i have said that for a long time now but i still feel i should get in better shape before making the switch back, **** i don't know. Maybe i am scared to switch, shit i don't know?

[Sust Man]

I agree with you guys. I have worked to hard over the past few years to get the body that I have to just lose all of my strength/muscle. On the flipside, I am sick of the bodybuilder type of lifestyle. Most of the fighters in the ufc/pride have badass physiques (not to sound gay), and they do not lift like bodybuilders. I am willing to change up my routine to help my mma while still looking good. So what about your bench, squat, deadlift, etc? Do you do more than 12 reps for each of these? If so, won't you lose alot of your strength after a while? Maybe I should throw in some heavier days once a month?

[SMAN12b]

MORE REPS-- anything over 12 will train you for ENDURANCE and not so much muscle growth. SO keep your reps between 15-20

[Grappler13]

PLEASE correct me if I'm way off base but it seems like doing more than 12 reps, or even 10 reps in a set is moving towards the hypertrophy range (size). As a fighter, I'm looking for lean mass like a power lifter. I lift heavy weight and low reps and figure that jits fills in the rest. Now I'm not going to win any bodybuilding comps but I don't want size, only strength. Again, wouldn't high reps lean towards size (and weight)? Also, for endurance, jits seems to fit the bill. Help, I'm confused.

[SMAN12b]

High reps do NOT lead to muscle size increase because you never hit the 2B muscle fibers when keeping the rep range above 12. Going to failure at under 12 reps at a heavier weight is what will lead to growth.

Here is an excerpt from a bodybuilding seminar conducted by a former Olympian competitior:

Muscle Physiology:

Anaerobic Exercise vs Aerobic Exercise

Fuel source burned during weight training = SUGAR (From all Carb Foods)
Fuel source burned during cardio training = FAT (Dietary or stored body fat)



Muscles use as fuel: 1st = Blood Sugar
2nd= Stored Sugars (Glycogen)
3rd= Protein & fat (Catabolic State)

Muscle Fibers used in:

Weight Training= Mostly Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers

Aerobic Training= Mostly Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers

2 Kinds of Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers:
2A- These fibers can expect growth of only 25% greater.
2B- These fibers can expect growth of 100%

GOAL OF BODYBUILDERS IS TO TRAIN TO HIT THE “2B” MUSCLE FIBER
All weight training uses the “2A” fibers FIRST, but they have limited growth potential!
“2B’s” are more stubborn and only come into play in response to TENSION. When tension on the muscle is greatest, THEN and only then do the “2B’s kick in!!!

WORKING 2A FIBERS OVER AND OVER NEVER RECRUIT THE 2B’S
If you hit the 2B’s, you will ALWAYS use the 2A’s first!!
MORE WEIGHT=MORE MUSCLE RECRUITMENT

SO, what determines Total Muscle Recruitment??
HEAVY WEIGHT IN THE 6-12 REP RANGE WITH PROPER FORM

REP RANGES: Less than 6 reps = Increase in strentgth but not muscle size.
From 6-12 reps = Increase in strength AND size.
More than 12 reps = Improves muscle endurance NOT size.

Too many reps produces too much LACTIC ACID which breaks down GLYCOGEN (muscle fuel) and the ACID build-up prevents total muscle contraction!

# OF SETS TO DO FOR BODY PARTS(Just a guideline)

CHEST= 9- 11
BACK= 9-14
QUADS= 9-12
HAMS= 4-6
CALVES= 4-6
BI’S = 6-8
TRI’S = 6-8

In REAL life, More sets are better, HOWEVER do NOT let the INTENSITY fall!!
Meaning, all sets have to be HEAVY in the 6-12 rep range and taken to failure
Failure = last two reps should be extremely hard or require some assist to complete.

NO LIGHT SETS!! Except your warm up sets.

[sonar1234]

I agree with ^^^^ but even higher reps, reps of 20+

I am starting a new full body routine 3-4x week plus jogging on the treadmill following the workout.

This one bodypart per session is for the ****ing birds and i am beyond sick of this bullshit bodybuilding lifestyle. I have been having awesome workouts lately but have been inconsistent due to personal crap.

I will say if i don't get back into training either BJJ or Muay Thai soon, i will probably quit posting because i feel like a tool always talking about stuff yet have not trained in so long. I cannot afford to do MMA and the gym, it is one or the other and i have said that for a long time now but i still feel i should get in better shape before making the switch back, **** i don't know. Maybe i am scared to switch, shit i don't know?

Murilo why dont you just go with what you love to do more, i agree 100% with you it gets damn expensive to do both, me with my girlfriend we got a house and a lot of damn bills, i couldnt afford the gym ontop of the MMA training.

My gym membership right now is cheap cause i got a corporation rebate, so i end up paying 30$ per month, but most of the martial arts around where i live are close to 50$ per month some even more.

Why dont you just do some bodyweight exercise and go back into MMA?

You can do a tone of variation doing push ups, chin ups are king for back exercises, bodyweight squats.

That Matt Furray guy seems like a bit of an asshole but he does make some good points talking about bodyweight exercise.

You can also buy some resistance bands and search the net for a lot of exercises done with theses. You can even buy the ones that have the most resistance.

Hell i dont know if its possible to build a home gym in your basement but you go at walmart there is a lot of cheap stuff benches free weights you can buy and start building a small basement gym

Good luck bro

[sonar1234]

I agree with you guys. I have worked to hard over the past few years to get the body that I have to just lose all of my strength/muscle. On the flipside, I am sick of the bodybuilder type of lifestyle. Most of the fighters in the ufc/pride have badass physiques (not to sound gay), and they do not lift like bodybuilders. I am willing to change up my routine to help my mma while still looking good. So what about your bench, squat, deadlift, etc? Do you do more than 12 reps for each of these? If so, won't you lose alot of your strength after a while? Maybe I should throw in some heavier days once a month?

Frank Shamrock stated in an article a while ago that he doesnt squat nor deadlift anymore cause he got a bad back and he did injure himself doing thoses.

I injured myself doing the squat and deadlift myself and am never going back doing so, you can build a great body with leg press, and safer exercises.

MY 2 cent

[Sust Man]

Frank Shamrock stated in an article a while ago that he doesnt squat nor deadlift anymore cause he got a bad back and he did injure himself doing thoses.

I injured myself doing the squat and deadlift myself and am never going back doing so, you can build a great body with leg press, and safer exercises.

MY 2 cent

Good call. Although I'm pretty sure Frank isn't 100% natural, he maintains a pretty badass physique.

[Panzerfaust]

Ok, i just got in from my first "MMA Style" workout. Damn, now that was tough and definately takes more "wind" to perform than the bodybuilding shit. All of this was performed back to back with little to no rest, think about it, how much time are you given to "recover" getting punched in the face? lol

Here is what i did:

Decline DB 2x15
Flat DB 2x10
Standing barbell curls 2x21
Leg Press 2x25
Calf Raises (Standing) 2x40
Hamstrings 2x25

This move is awesome for us MMA guys and i know alot of fighters do this, not sure of the name but you go to the squat rack and put a 10 or 20 on each side and hold it to your waist and then bring it up to your neck and then explode over head using your whole body, this is meant to be explosive and not specific. 2x15 (I started sucking serious wind by this time no shit)

Side Laterals 2x15 (Kept it a tad heavier than i think i would normally wanna go)
Lat Pulldowns 2x15
Rows 2x15

Treadmill Jogging 30min (I did a fast walk for 15min tonight as i am coming off a bad chest cold)

I am actually going to be coming up with a "MMA Workout" routine, so look out for it. Not to say i am an expert but i honsetly get asked alot about how to train as a Mixed Martial Artist and now that i have actually started myself, it is time i share my ideas. Once it is complete i would like some of you to try it and tell me what you think.

[Billy_Bathgate]

im still playin with mine, but so far its basically an upper and lower split with the rep ranges higher and more of an HIT feel i guess you could call it...

the exersizes are mostly all compound movements or olympic lifts

on the weekends when i dont train any mma, i usually switch the rep scheme and go more for a powerlifter feel

so far its fine with me...im not too sore during the week for training, yet my strength is still up ok and im not losing tons of mass


ive considered just going for the full body though, it seems more fighters train that way from what ive seen. i was thinkin of just doin cleans, bench, snatch, and squat, and row or chin...just a couple of sets each with high reps...i dunno...still thinking lol

[sonar1234]

George St-Pierre has a regular show on the fight network called ST-Pierre training.

He got an awsome routine going check out my other post i wrote the whole thing down.

[Sust Man]

Ok, i just got in from my first "MMA Style" workout. Damn, now that was tough and definately takes more "wind" to perform than the bodybuilding shit. All of this was performed back to back with little to no rest, think about it, how much time are you given to "recover" getting punched in the face? lol

Here is what i did:

Decline DB 2x15
Flat DB 2x10
Standing barbell curls 2x21
Leg Press 2x25
Calf Raises (Standing) 2x40
Hamstrings 2x25

This move is awesome for us MMA guys and i know alot of fighters do this, not sure of the name but you go to the squat rack and put a 10 or 20 on each side and hold it to your waist and then bring it up to your neck and then explode over head using your whole body, this is meant to be explosive and not specific. 2x15 (I started sucking serious wind by this time no shit)

Side Laterals 2x15 (Kept it a tad heavier than i think i would normally wanna go)
Lat Pulldowns 2x15
Rows 2x15

Treadmill Jogging 30min (I did a fast walk for 15min tonight as i am coming off a bad chest cold)

I am actually going to be coming up with a "MMA Workout" routine, so look out for it. Not to say i am an expert but i honsetly get asked alot about how to train as a Mixed Martial Artist and now that i have actually started myself, it is time i share my ideas. Once it is complete i would like some of you to try it and tell me what you think.

That is exactly what I'm lookin for. How should I split that up? All in one day? Half one day and half the next? How many times a week? On a good week I plan on hitting mma 3 times.

[simm]

I started the randy couture weight circuit last monday and do that for 3x5 min rounds with 60sec rest between rounds,plus i hit pads,wrestle/pummling,spar and tabata sprints...Grappled yesterday and had much more strength and sparring was sooooo easy..Bodyweight circuit after workout session.....High reps is definately the way to go!!!

[Panzerfaust]

That is exactly what I'm lookin for. How should I split that up? All in one day? Half one day and half the next? How many times a week? On a good week I plan on hitting mma 3 times.

I am proposing 3x a week (trying that myself)

Mon, Wed, Fri

[Sust Man]

I am proposing 3x a week (trying that myself)

Mon, Wed, Fri

Cool. I'm gonna try that. I think I may throw in a heavy day once a month to keep some strength. Probably the same exact split, except maybe staying with 8-10 reps for that day. I'll be lookin like St. Pierre in no time! Or maybe not.

[Sust Man]

Damn! I just had my first bjj class in 3 months and I'm wore out! I couldn't last more than a minute or two per round without hyperventilating like a pussy. I guess I forgot how much training bjj helps your endurance.