Mixed martial arts is known to be one of the most intense combat sports. You need to have a good grip over your body movement and your precision of attack and defense needs to be very good. Speed, consistency, precision and knowing the strategy make you stand out but for every MMA fight you also need to work on your mental capabilities because it is more than a physical game. There are so many different ways people get prepared for professional MMA fights. Some focus on the exercises and workout only, whereas others have to improve diet, work on health and then adjust lifestyle as well. According to professionals, MMA is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and you will see impact not only in the short term but also in the long term.
How to Train For MMA?
Training for professional MMA fighters and taking MMA as a profession is a pretty daunting task. Most people start with basic training so they practice and understand various moves. Once they get used to it, they develop muscle memory for the punching combination that is used for MMA. Eventually, comes the speed training that helps the fighter to be precise and hit where it hurts the most at the right time without fear. Finally comes the strength training that helps the body to hold enough power that the fighter is able to fight back and build a strategy. Most people do not realize that basic MMA training is much more complex because there are so many different things that are taught to the fighter, from strength to body and emotional control. For his article, we will mainly focus on strength training and getting into shape for MMA training. This will be done via high-octane fitness training.
With the help of this article, we will mainly highlight the importance of a high-octane fitness workout plan for MMA fighters. Although there are so many different workouts plans available, we will help the beginner understand why a high octane fitness workout plan is the best so far and what to do if you want to try this workout plan.
What Is High Octane Training?
High octane training is not an exercise, instead, it is a workout pattern that helps with strength and endurance. High octane training mainly consists of cardio that is arranged in a way that helps with improving the body workout. It is pretty intense so it is mostly used for burning fat, losing weight, and helping the body to reach a point where it has enough energy to carry an intense workout. For MMA fighters who have to go through intense training every day, high octane training is the best. High octane training or HOC is training that is based on the boxer workout. This workout is generally known as roadwork. Some of the best boxers have used roadwork for their training and getting into optimal shape for the fight. To this date, road training is known to be one of the best workouts that can help an athlete win. Mostly connected with boxing, octane training is also used for training other combat fighters like BJJ, MMA, etc. for this workout, the athlete has to run and after running, the next step is to indulge in cardio i.e. push up or sit-ups. Then he can start jogging again.
Octane training is very much similar to high-intensity interval training, however, with HIIT you will have a small rest period with a long intense workout session. However, with octane training, you will have a lot of intense cardio sessions with running sessions as well. Overall, it just makes the workout intense and you will end up burning more calories.
Another very famous combination is to work on a heavy bag with a small session of weight training. You can begin with the bag workout for a few minutes and then switch to weight training. In most cases, fighters perform biceps curls but there are so many other weight training workouts that you can use. It is up to you to decide which combination you want to choose. Some people even use simple cardio-based exercises for MMA and then mix it with some weight-based training.
For athletes, especially boxers, another very important combination is the use of rope skipping and some basic weight training. Rope skipping helps with the footwork and makes the core stronger while weight-based training improves the muscle mass for the upper body. It is up to the trainer to customize the workout according to the needs of the fighter. Progressing over time is much more important than starting with something intense. To ensure that you are not getting bored, you can either use all these combinations or you can make different combinations with your favorite exercises.
A Simple High Octane Workout for Beginner
Start with a simple one-arm dumbbell training and then switch to the other arm. Once done, switch to the sit-ups and then perform arm clean and jerks, finally complete it off with some bodyweight squats. A beginner can also try out new combinations according to their choice.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, it all comes down to the way you want to practice and train for MMA. Most people like the idea of hardcore training but they choose something extremely intense that involves a lot of weight training. Eventually, this impacts the body and they end up getting injured. From weight loss to muscle gain and then getting body strength you will see the impact in the long run. People who have better strength usually perform better with MMA and related combat sports. Another very important thing is that MMA works as the basis of every other combat sport on the planet, once you get familiar with it, you will see that BJJ, boxing, and even Muay Thai will get easier for you. Your body will be able to respond better to workouts as well.
