U F C F I T N E S S

BEST MMA PROGRAM FOR FITNESS

2012-03-07T21:31:00.002-08:00

What physical attributes do MMA fighters need?

MMA fighters need a variety of different physical attributes in order to be successful.

Anaerobic threshold:

Your anaerobic threshold is simply your body’s ability to perform at a high intensity before the onset of lactic acid. The higher your anaerobic threshold the longer you can fight at a high intensity.

Aerobic ability:

Is the ability to recover and supply working muscles with oxygen between rounds or during the fight. Having a increased aerobic ability helps remove lactic acid from your fighting muscles.

Upper body Speed:

Is essential in not only throwing punches but blocking your opponents’ attacks.

Lower body Speed: Lower body speed is crucial when it comes to controlling the cage, sprawling and defending leg kicks

Agility:

Agility is needed to evade attacks and if needed as well as your ability to get up off the floor. Having great agility is beneficial when you are in a scramble.

Co-ordination:

Co-ordination is a huge part of fighting. You must be able to know where your body is positioned in order to attack, defend and adjust techniques quickly and effectively.

Upper body strength and power:

Upper body strength and power is needed to hold your opponent against the cage or on the floor. Upper body strength is also needed to dominate the clinch and escape off the floor.

Lower body strength and power:

Lower body strength is vital if you want to have powerful takedowns and a good guard game. Having strong legs will work to your advantage in driving through to finish a double leg as well as stopping people passing your guard.

Rotational strength:

All throws and punches need rotational strength. Therefore it crucial to train your core in a rotational manner. Stronger rotation equals stronger punches and power generation.

Core strength:

Core strength is essential for a number of reasons. These include protecting your spine from injury, transferring strength from lower body to upper body, as well as assisting your balance.

Back strength:

Back strength is crucial in order to stay upright and fight with great posture. A strong back will stop your opponent pulling your head down in a Thai clinch.

Hip power: Hip power is vital when defending your opponents’ double leg takedown. If you can develop strong hips you will have an amazing sprawl.

Concentration:

Concentration is required by every fighter at every training session, sparring night and fight night. As a training session or fight goes on and you become fatigued, you don’t just physically stop working, but you mentally begin to make bad decisions. The fitter you are and the more oxygen you have in your body, the better you can concentrate. This results in you making better, quicker decisions in the midst of competition.

Mobility:

Mobility and joint stability is of significant importance to all fighters. Being mobile and flexible will greatly assist you in many areas of your fight game. It will help you evade techniques, as well as assist in injury prevention.

Joint stability:

By keeping your joints supple you will have stable joints that will help you be more stable throughout a fight. Joint stability is also important in reducing the risk of injury in training or competition.

Balance:

Balance is a fundamental aspect of MMA. If you can maintain your balance it will be a lot harder for your opponent to throw you or take you down, especially against the cage.

MMA TRAINING

2012-03-06T15:04:00.001-08:00

UFC FITNESS has been checking the web for MMA training resources. The following is a short list of websites that offer a directory of training facilities catering to UFC Fitness.

UFC FITNESS Directory sites --

MMATRAINING.COM

Along with the directory, this site offers news and fitness information as well as the option of adding a gym to their list.

FINDMMAGYM.COM

This site offers search options and gym reviews.

UFC FITNESS will continue to build the list in the future.

UFC GYM

2012-03-06T14:53:00.002-08:00

UFC fitness has been getting a lot of mail about the UFC GYM. What is it? Well, the UFC Gym was founded in 2009 and is the first major brand extension to come out of the UFC, which is the industry leader in the sport of mixed martial arts.

What can you expect?

Here's what their website says --

"UFC Gym is the ultimate fitness destination offering top-of-the-line cardio and free weights, a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA style youth programming. Members can also truly look and feel like an elite athlete with products from the UFC retail store and Arm Bar Café. We look to raise the bar in the fitness industry by going beyond the traditional workout, providing effective and undeniable results. We currently have 4 locations throughout California, Concord, Corona, Rosemead and Torrance, and excited to expand with our newest location UFC Gym BJ Penn Hawaii, set to open this spring in Honolulu, HI. UFC Gym looks to continue to expand and bring our unique philosophy and training techniques to fitness enthusiasts around the globe."

Sounds pretty good. The only real downside is that they only have locations in California. While I am sure there are other reputable gyms across the country that train in mixed martial arts, it is nice to see a trusted brand extension.

UFC GYM offers the following classes.

UFC FITNESS

BEGINNING DUT (DAILY ULTIMATE TRAINING)
BELOW THE BELT
BOXING SKILLS
BRUTAL BARRE
CAPOEIRA
CARDIO FUNK
CIRCUIT BREAKER
COMBAT CHALLENGE
CORE COMBAT
COUNTRY LINE DANCING
FLEXIBLE STRENGTH
HARDCORE CARDIO
HARDCORE CONDITIONING
HOT FUSION
HOT HULA
INSANITY CIRCUIT BREAKER
KICKASS KICKBOXING
KILLER CORE
KILLER PSYCLE & CORE
ON THE ROPES
PIYO
POWER TRAIN
PSYCLE
PUNISHING PILATES
SHOCK YOGA
U-JAM
ULTIMATE BREAKERS
ULTIMATE FUNDAMENTALS
WARRIOR CHALLENGE
WOMEN'S MUY THAI
WOMEN'S SELF DEFENSE
X-TREME LATIN CARDIO
YIN YOGA
YOGA
ZUMBA

ULTIMATE CLASS

BEGINNING DUT
BEGINNING MUY THAI
BOXING
BOXING CONDITIONING
BOXING SKILLS
BRUTAL BARRE
CAPOEIRA
CARDIO FUNK
CIRCUIT BREAKER
COMBAT CHALLENGE
CORE COMBAT
COUNTRY LINE DANCING
CQC
DAILY DUT
FAMILY DUT
FIGHT FIT
FLEXIBLE STRENGTH
HAPKIJITSU
HARDCORE CONDITIONING
HIGH DEFINITION
HI OCTANE CONDITIONING
HOT HULA
INSANITY CIRCUIT BREAKER
INTERMEDIATE MUY THAI
JUDO
KICKASS BOXING
KILLER CORE
KILLER PSYCLE & CORE
KRAV MAGA
L1 BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU
L2 BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU
MMA
MMA FIGHT FIT
MUY THAI
NO GI JUI-JITSU
ON THE ROPES
PIYO
POWER TRAIN
PSYCLE
PUNISHING PILATES
SAN SHOU
SHOCK YOGA
TRX
U-JAM
ULTIMATE BREAKERS
ULTIMATE FUNDAMENTALS
ULTIMATE SELF-DEFENSE
VARSITY DUT
WARRIOR CHALLENGE
WOMEN'S BOX AND ROPE
WOMEN'S MUY THAI
WOMEN'S SELF DEFENSE
WRESTLING
X-TREME LATIN CARDIO
YIN YOGA
YOGA
ZUMBA

UFC Fitness comes in many shapes and sizes. It's a loooonnng list, I know, but I wanted you to see exactly what is being offered through the UFC GYM. Prices vary, but for those of you in the area, you can go to their site here and sign up for a guest pass.

THE UFC BODY

2012-02-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

The UFC body of a Brock Lesner or Forrest Griffith did not just happen overnight. They trained hard, using many different techniques and routines. The following is a three day split routine designed by Kerry Kayes. This will blast the fat and build the right kind of muscle to compete on the mat.

What to do...

Monday, Wednesday and Friday are the days you will work so you can rest in between to give your muscles a change to rebuild. The routine is simple, but not easy.

Monday you work chest, shoulders and triceps. Wednesday, you work the lower body and Friday you will work you back and you biceps.

Sets 3-4 with the first exercise working a muscle group; 1-2 sets on all other exercises.

For your first set training each muscle group, use a load that requires around 50% of your maximum effort. “You are just getting your muscles used to the movement,” explains Kayes. Your second set should use a load that requires around 80% of your maximum effort, and your final set(s) should be executed with as much weight as you can physically manage, overloading your muscles to stimulate growth. With subsequent exercises training the same muscle group, you’re already warmed up, so just do 1-2 sets using as heavy a load as you can.

Reps 6-12

Tweak your reps according to your training goal. To put the emphasis on strength gains, add more weight and perform less reps; to focus on building muscle, use a little less weight and squeeze out a few extra lifts each set. Just ensure your risk of injury is low by keeping things within a 6-12 range.

Rest “We’re training for strength, not fitness, so make sure you have recovered from the previous set before your start the next one,” says Kayes. Don’t be afraid to take extended breathers. Researchers at the State University of Rio De Janeiro recently found resting for five minutes between sets maximised strength gains.

UFC BODY - Monday: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

1. Flat bench press

Muscles worked Pectorals, deltoids, triceps and latissimus dorsi.

How to do it Lie on a bench with your legs positioned at the sides, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands about six inches wider than shoulder-width and grab a barbell at arm’s length above your chest – in line with your shoulders. Lower to about an inch below your nipples, then press up until your arms are fully extended. “Do not relax and drop the barbell to the chest: lower it under complete control, and pause at your chest before pressing back to the starting position,” says Kayes. Remember to always exhale on the effort part of the movement.

2. Flat bench dumb-bell flys

Muscles worked Pectorals

How to do it Again, lie on a bench with your legs positioned at the sides, feet flat on the floor. Hold two dumb-bells with your arms slightly bent, reaching as high as you can. Lower the weights slowly in an arc movement outwards as far as you can, stretching your pectoral muscles and breathing in. Then contract your pectorals, raising the dumb-bells to the starting position, breathing out as you do so.

You can alter the order of these chest exercises each workout.

3. Standing dumb-bell press

Muscles worked Deltoids, triceps, traps, biceps and core musculature.

How to do it Lock your legs to give you a solid platform. Keeping your elbows in, with palms facing away from you, press the weights overhead from chest height until your arms lock out. Then lower under control back to the starting position. Again, remember to always exhale on the effort part of the movement.

4. Side Lateral Raises

Muscles worked Deltoids and core musculature.

How to do it Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold two dumb-bells loosely at your sides, arms slightly bent. Breathe out and contract your side shoulder muscles to raise the dumb-bells sideways and outward to shoulder height (forming a ‘capital T’ shape). Then, lower the dumb-bells back to the starting position along the same line of movement, breathing in slowly as you do so.

You can alter the order of these shoulder exercises each workout.

5. Close-grip barbell press

Muscles worked Triceps, pectorals, deltoids and biceps.

How to do it Lie on a bench with your legs positioned either side, feet flat on the floor. Grip a barbell with both hands at shoulder width. Start with the barbell touching your stomach about an inch above your belly button. Press upwards towards the sky, keeping your elbows as close to your body as possible, and breathing out with the effort until your arms lock out. Then, slowly lower the bar back to just above your belly button as you breathe in.

UFC BODY - Wednesday: Legs

1. Squats

Muscles worked Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves and core.

How to do it Place a barbell on your upper-back behind your head. Kayes suggests using a grip width that feels most comfortable to you. Keep your head up, your back straight, and your feet on the floor around 15 inches apart as you squat down until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor. Then, push up and return to the starting position, but don’t lock your legs before beginning the next rep. As always, exhale on the effort part of the move.

2. Stiff leg deadlifts

Muscles worked Glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae and core.

How to do it With your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and (despite the exercise being called stiff leg deadlifts) a slight bend in your knees, tense your legs. Holding a barbell using a shoulder-width grip, with palms facing inwards, slowly lower the weight as low as you can (if your lower back hurts, be very careful). At the bottom point of the move, contract your lower back and glutes and lift the bar as close to your legs as possible while breathing out.

3. Calf raises

Muscles worked Calves.

How to do it If you don’t have access to a calf raise machine, perform standing calf raises with a barbell as follows: stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step – two-thirds of both feet should be hanging over the edge. Place a barbell on your back. Take two seconds to rise up onto the toes of both feet, then lower as far as you can over one second. Repeat.

UFC BODY - Friday: Back and biceps

1. Bent over barbell rows

Muscles worked Latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, calves and core.

How to do it With a barbell on the floor in front of you, place your feet about 18 inches apart, and grip the barbell with your hands placed a little wider than your feet. Keep your legs slightly bent and your back parallel to the floor as you pull the weight up to the lower part of your chest.

2. One-arm bent over dumb-bell rows

Muscles worked Latissimus dorsi, rear deltoids, traps and biceps.

How to do it Bend over so your back is parallel to the floor, supporting yourself with one hand on a bench. Hold a dumb-bell at your side with the other hand. Contract your back while breathing out and pull the weight upwards, slightly arcing it backwards – if the dumb-bell travels up and down only, you are using more of your bicep than your back. This is also a great move for taxing your core, says Kayes.

3. Bar-bell curls

Muscles worked Biceps.

How to do it Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the barbell with your palms facing out, and your arms straight down by your side. Slowly breathe out and contract your biceps to raise the weight upwards in an arc as high as you can, without recruiting your shoulder muscles. Then slowly breathe as you return along the same line of movement to the starting position.

The UFC Body is not impossible, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good luck.

UFC FITNESS RULES

2012-02-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

In the world of UFC fitness, you've got to earn strength and power. It's not given to you. More importantly, you've got to make sure you train properly. Mixed Martial Arts is complex and contains many different styles and disciplines. Injury, even in practice, is a common and dangerous risk on the road to the octagon.

Here are three useful tips...

DON'T OVER TRAIN

People often think they need to leave it all on the mat, even in practice. It's a psychological issue. People feel that if they don't act super tough and work through pain they will not be respected. Well, take a look at how many guys miss matches because they overtrained and got injured. It's staggering. This doesn't mean, of course that you don't have to work hard. You do. Just be smart. If you're arm gets snapped, you're no good to anyone.

DON'T LET YOUR EGO RUN YOUR TRAINING

Even UFC fitness training alone requires that you roll with sparring partners on the mat. Sparring and practice is not about destroying your opponent. It's about technique. You have to perfect these techniques and disciplines and that is what the mat is for. Stop trying to manhandle your friends and sparring partners. You're bound to get injured and soon, no one will want to spar with you.

DIET IS DIET IS DIET

The high intensity of UFC Fitness programs put you under the impression that you can eat whatever you like. Wrong. You have to tailor your diet for the ring. You know you are going to need a high amount of protein and amino acids. You know this, but the incorrect eating plan can cost you. There is a phenomenon known as "adrenaline dumping" in the UFC where a fighter expels all of his adrenaline and is completely gassed. Many times, this is poor nutrition or diet complicating the physiological signals in the body. Don't be that guy and you might have the stones to finish your opponent.

UFC Fitness takes a special breed of athlete, but the rewards are amazing. You feel powerful, strong and confident.