track excericses for MMA

[crazydan]

alright afer wrestling is over im going to join the track team to help me get in better shape. we do a lot of footspeed drills. alot of fast feet drils inside of ladders and cone hops etc. wil this help me at all in MMA? or no?

[Big Jew]

Its great for cardio. I'd also recommend a heart rate monitor and maintain a pace for an extended period of time.

But keep wrestling if you want to improve your wrestling.

[crazydan]

yah thanks. its like we do things like skips or w.e that help u run faster. could these help me with fighting?

[Big Jew]

of course.

Did you see that hypoxia snorkel training/conditioning that Wanderlei Silva did for his last fight? That was such a joke unless he was going to fight with a snorkel on.

[crazydan]

lol. yah i saw that. thanks for the advice.

[Erik]

of course.

Did you see that hypoxia snorkel training/conditioning that Wanderlei Silva did for his last fight? That was such a joke unless he was going to fight with a snorkel on.

I don't know. Reminds me of distance runners doing high-altitude training to increase their bodies' ability to utilize oxygen. There might well be something to it.

I used to run with a mouthful of water to help me train to breathe through my nose while fighting with a mouthguard in. Worked pretty well.

[BrutalityisLaw]

The snorkel training has to do with the VO2 the same thing that ketttlebells and snatches do. If you are into kettlebells and heard of kenneth jay then check out his new video from Dragondoor. The only way track is going to have a runover to wrestling is if you're sprinting if not wont do to much but will not hurt either.

[Fatman]

IMHO the only reason you should do running for wrestling is if you plan to outrun your opponent on the mat. I haven't heard of a kind of mixed martial art that has you doing that, but they keep inventing new stuff all the time, so I don't know.

Doing pushups, burpees and squats in high reps will do more for your grappling-specific conditioning than running 1000 miles (running is bad for you anyway).

[Biohazard959]

Alright well I wrestle for my school. And you definitely should do running if you want to wrestle especially during the season cause it helps with conditioning. Just keep a steady pace and run for like an hour or so.

[praenin]

"I used to run with a mouthful of water to help me train to breathe through my nose while fighting with a mouthguard in. Worked pretty well"

thats a good idea breathing with my nose is my biggest problem

[BrutalityisLaw]

High rep Clean + Jerks and Snatches

[bladerunner]

Most of the best modern western boxers have been runners. That said I believe long distance running on a regular basis will hurt you by diminishing upper body strength. Keep 'em short and intense, try hill sprints for reps and maybe short to moderate running w/ weight vest. Traditional track and field training does not sound like the best use of a fighters time.

[blambell]

I am a very amateur martial artist who has found running (road work) to be very helpful in my conditioning. I dont run of my own free will, I have a dog who needs the exercise, but I still reap some rewards for the hard work. I have found running very helpful in three specific ways, I hope they might help others in this forum.

One - for my overall conditioning it helps with my heart rate recovery. I might get winded and tired while fighting, but I recover much faster than before.

Two - I also do speed drills like tempo runs and wind sprints which are good for the low duration high intensity conditioning that we need for combat. That has been more directly beneficial to my training but really, its both together that have pushed my conditioning.

Three - it has helped increase my overall energy level.

[Martial]

As others already pointed out, most wrestling programs (my past school, and others) I notice end up using distance running as an important part of conditioning and building endurance. For a sport like MMA, there would be a great deal of grappling and groundwork. As such, it'd make sense that it'd be needed to have a great deal of muscular endurance (developed in distance running), not just strength. Same would be the reason for training with high repetitions; it would help in recovery time against an actual person. I hear often about running/highRep reducing strength, but in this case I'd think it a necessary factor to forgo for greatly enhanced endurance.

Just my thoughts...

[bladerunner]

Maybe I should clarify what I mean by long distance running. I would consider anything up to 10k to be moderate distances for regular training. 20 to 30 per week is not going to start eating away at most athelete's upper body mass/strength in any serious way and will contribute significantly to endurance. 70+k per week and you've got a whole different ballgame as far as strength and mass goes. Just ask an elite distance runner to help you move some time he'll be there all day but you better have someone else to help you with the refridgerator.

[bostonbigticket]

crazydan,
I ve never done MMA so I m not exactly sure what would help you for that sport all I can do is give a couple of suggestions.

One that could be very helpful is a drill that sprinters do to improve their sprint speed.

It works best with at least three people but you can do it with two. You and a friend get in sprint lanes and lay on your back facing opposite the third person who holds a tennis ball.

The people on their backs look back towards the person with the tennis ball. The person with the tennis ball drops the ball. When it hits the ground the two people on their back get up, turn and run in their lanes in the direction of the person who dropped the ball. You can either do this with your legs flat on the ground or bent.

Hurdle hops might help with explosion and muscular enduracne, although I wouldnt set them very high.

Also I heard of a very good workout that Evander Holyfield used to do. You might be able to google it but I ll give you the basic idea of it.

It simulated a three minute round and Evander would have to go at full intensity without stopping for the full 3 minutes. He would do some sprints, then ten pushups, the high steps then bear crawls then run backwards then 10 burpees etc etc. The idea is he was going for the whole 3 minutes.

You can mess around with the duration to make it more appropriate for MMA but I think you get the idea.

[demarcoa]

Probably help with footwork speed & agility. Also running will strengthen your legs and help lose fat.

[Sepanto]

A trully excellent (and devestating) excercise which requires the help of two comrades is to sprint 400 meters and than spar right at the end of it (the two friends are fresh, you are twitching from the sprint). This is about the best fighting capacity builder I know. I train like this for a 2 weeks period every 4 months, and it's excellent at increasing your air.

[Silumguy]

If nothing else, it would be good for your cardiovascular conditioning. Also, I would think that sprints would lend especially well to things like shoots and takedowns.

[L-x]

I'm not sure how long MMA bouts last, but i'd run a distance that mimics that length of time if you're doing track. 1500 springs to mind if your bouts are 5 mins ish.

Alternatively you could run for the length of time that bouts last, and try to improve distance covered during that time, instead of trying to reduce time that a certain distance takes.

just my $0.02

[jkdman81]

you need to do things you that you do in the cage/ring
you want to get better at fighting you need to fight!
spar alot workout using movement that are simular to those you would do in a fight
best advise i can give you

[USMC machine]

IMHO the only reason you should do running for wrestling is if you plan to outrun your opponent on the mat. I haven't heard of a kind of mixed martial art that has you doing that, but they keep inventing new stuff all the time, so I don't know.

Doing pushups, burpees and squats in high reps will do more for your grappling-specific conditioning than running 1000 miles (running is bad for you anyway).

agreed.

Although, I would say incorporating a sprint program in your workout regime would be a great idea.

In the ring, more so for MMA, you need short burst of great intensity unlike like endurance running (low to moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time) Great sprinters have great recovery. Thus a sprinter based training program would benefit you more. Not to mention, sprinting is great fat burning exercise. However sprinting shouldn't be the cornerstone of your regime, but more of a supplement. You want something "sport specific" as possible.

Simply, the best way to get better at something is to do it.

[USMC machine]

http://i37.tinypic.com/14acz88.jpg

:mrgreen:

[ranger_x3]

Most distance runners don't even bother with upper body work to begin with. With a team of 30 cross country runners, I was one of two kids that did upper body exercise. The other kid is at West Point so he was more forced to so that he could pass the physical tests. I may run 60 miles per week but that doesn't mean I'm getting weaker. Smaller muscles doesn't mean weaker muscles, it could mean being able to do the same work with smaller muscles. Especially for wrestling, if you want to be in a certain weight class you either want to gain weight, lose weight or stay the same. If you don't want to gain weight for a higher weight class, then who cares about getting bigger. Cardio for wrestling is more towards keeping them in the same class or making them drop.

[cathal]

http://i37.tinypic.com/14acz88.jpg

:mrgreen:
the caption above this photo doesnt really make sense. which is better for health and performance? obviously if you want to run a marathon the picture on the left would be best for performance. if you wanted to quickly sprint 100 metres the right picture would be best. depends on what you want

[demarcoa]

True. And the picture is also misleading because while the sprinter has more muscle mass and power, the long distance runner has more stamina and muscle endurance. Sprinters often lift weights and do challenging calisthenics in addition to running while most long distance runners don't.

Long distance running is actually better for martial arts crosstraining I think. Sprinting Actually doesn't do much for bodily strength & conditioning compared to long distance running.

[USMC machine]

No, it's actually the other way around. Combat is largely an anaerobic activity.

Sprinting is an anaerobic activity as well as a plyometric exercises; which gives you strength and explosiveness... way more practical. The type of endurance used in running distance won't help you very much in a fight. Sprinters also have excellent recovery while extended periods of moderately intense running promotes catabolism (the release of cortisol!)


ABSTRACT

Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max.

Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K.

Department of Physiology and Biomechanics, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

This study consists of two training experiments using a mechanically braked cycle ergometer. First, the effect of 6 wk of moderate-intensity endurance training (intensity: 70% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), 60 min.d-1, 5 d.wk-1) on the anaerobic capacity (the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit) and VO2max was evaluated. After the training, the anaerobic capacity did not increase significantly (P > 0.10), while VO2max increased from 53 +/- 5 ml.kg-1 min-1 to 58 +/- 3 ml.kg-1.min-1 (P < 0.01) (mean +/- SD). Second, to quantify the effect of high-intensity intermittent training on energy release, seven subjects performed an intermittent training exercise 5 d.wk-1 for 6 wk. The exhaustive intermittent training consisted of seven to eight sets of 20-s exercise at an intensity of about 170% of VO2max with a 10-s rest between each bout. After the training period, VO2max increased by 7 ml.kg-1.min-1, while the anaerobic capacity increased by 28%. In conclusion, this study showed that moderate-intensity aerobic training that improves the maximal aerobic power does not change anaerobic capacity and that adequate high-intensity intermittent training may improve both anaerobic and aerobic energy supplying systems significantly, probably through imposing intensive stimuli on both systems.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392?dopt=Abstract



Sprinting is the more practical method. Hill sprints especially.

[Fatman]

Long distance running will help you in one sport: long distance running. This includes all sports where the athlete is required to run for long distances at a monotonous tempo and low speed (marathon, triathlon, etc.).

I can't begin to list all the people I've met who do martial arts, wrestling and boxing who waste their time doing long-distance running. This is a very inefficient and energy-depleting way to train. Distance running does not apply to ANY situation you will encounter in ANY sport (with the exception of running, of course) and should be avoided.

It depletes your energy levels and might actually interfere with muscle-building testosterone production (might explain the cadaverous appearance of the chap on the left side of the image you posted). Vince Gironda conformed to this theory, several more contemporary training gurus would agree, and to me it makes sense (based on the hndreds of distance running physiques I've observed over the years). Try having a productive resistance training session after a 5-mile run. For martial artists, boxers, wrestlers and just about anybody else, strength-endurance (gained through short, intense bouts of exercise, including calisthenic exercises, sprints and the like) will be immeasurably more beneficial.

If you think that I'm wrong, try to think of a martial art that involves the participants just skipping around at the same pace without producing any power output for half an hour to an hour. You're correct - there isn't one.

Now I know old-time boxers used to run a lot. A lot of them also didn't lift weights. Now that's changed (for the decent ones at least). There is running, but useful running, not long distance. There are weights, but not cable crossovers and tricep kickbacks. Training systems evolve.

[demarcoa]

Hm. Thanks for clearing that up!

I still like long distance running and still LOVE sprinting.

[ranger_x3]

Doing a little bit of distance running makes it quite a bit easier to do all those 200m and 400m repeats, and do many more of them. Take a week like this...

Monday: 5 Miles Easy
Tuesday: 1 Mile Warmup, 12x400m 2:00 rest goal time 70 seconds, 1 Mile Cool-down
Wednesday: 4 Miles Easy
Thursday: 6 Miles Easy
Friday: 1 Mile Warmup, 4x400m@ 67s, 4x300m@ 48s, 4x200m@ 30s, 2:00 between intervals, 1 Mile Cool-down

Those easy mileage days are what make you recover and loosen your legs up. Without those, the person doing this week would be very sore. The total mileage is also less than 25 so there shouldn't be any muscle catabolism and should actually help the system out by increasing blood flow. The easy runs also don't need to be done all at once, they could be broken up as warmups and cooldowns to actual lifting.

[Dave.cyco]

the caption above this photo doesnt really make sense. which is better for health and performance? obviously if you want to run a marathon the picture on the left would be best for performance. if you wanted to quickly sprint 100 metres the right picture would be best. depends on what you want

Not necessarily. I knew a lady who trained for marathons frequently and her training consisted of this: Running up a huge steep hill. Walking down. Repeating. She would do this dozens of times. She never ran distances (to my knowledge) and she always finished her races in good time. I never saw what she looked like during her training (knew her after all the marathons) but my guess is it was nothing like the pipsqueak on the left.

If the guy on the right built his up his conditioning doing HIIT, then he would be far superior for marathons. Muscle does weigh some, but it is functional, in that it carries you around. The guy on the left has barely half a leg to stand on.

[wulfsun]

Has anyone mentioned the word "fartlek" yet?

[cathal]

Not necessarily. I knew a lady who trained for marathons frequently and her training consisted of this: Running up a huge steep hill. Walking down. Repeating. She would do this dozens of times. She never ran distances (to my knowledge) and she always finished her races in good time. I never saw what she looked like during her training (knew her after all the marathons) but my guess is it was nothing like the pipsqueak on the left.

If the guy on the right built his up his conditioning doing HIIT, then he would be far superior for marathons. Muscle does weigh some, but it is functional, in that it carries you around. The guy on the left has barely half a leg to stand on.

i see your point but that guy in the picture im assuming is an olympic athlete right? for world class performance in an event an athlete has to prepare in a certain way. if that guy felt that HIIT would benefit his performance in the marathon run, don you think he'd do it? it is world class performance after all and these guys cant leave anything to chance when preparing for olympic competition. if both of these athletes competed in the same marathon it is the sprinter who would look 'weak', however it would obviously be vice versa for the 100metres.

then again if i had to choose a physique from one of these two men i wouldnt think twice about choosing the sprinter

[emperor zombie]

as said before, fight to get better at fighting but if you must use a track
one word...
litvinov

i hope you hate yourself because you will

[Noodlesdude108]

If you're getting into MMA research Hurricane Training.

[wulfsun]

Kettle bell swings and hill sprints and thank you for the info on the hurricane training.