MMA Training Workout

By: Marcus Fisher


Circuit Training for Mixed Martial Arts

Circuit training is such an important part of mixed martial arts training that nearly every top mixed martial artist in the world is using it in some form or another.

Circuit training simply means that you combine multiple exercises into one continuous circuit without resting in-between. The circuits can vary in length, but five minutes is usually standard.

Training in this fashion is so effective for MMA because it allows you to simulate a fight situation with your workouts. During a fight, you are constantly changing positions and using various combinations of muscle groups. You can simulate the fight with a circuit that offers a variety of full-body, sport specific exercises.

Circuit training is used by fighters like Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.

There are many different combinations of circuits that an athlete can do.

For example, some fighters create a circuit using high repetition weights. Others combine weight machine exercises. Others combine weight machines exercises with resistance bands. And others use more complex combinations of training drills and exercises.

It doesn’t necessarily matter whether you want to use weights, resistance bands, machines, bodyweight exercises, or other equipment. Many mixed marital artists use different circuit training methods, and in the end, they are all effective.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to use exercises and drills that simulate a fight as much as possible. So while some fighters use weight machines, you have to ask yourself does that simulate a fight? In some respects maybe it does. But you can experiment and find out what exercises help you the most on the mat, in the gym and in the ring.

The options are almost endless.

Another important thing to note is that you can adjust your circuit routines depending on your game plan and what style of mixed martial artist you are. For example, a fighter who spends most of his time on the ground could design a different MMA training routine than someone who is a standup fighter. The same circuit training principles apply, but the exercises and combinations you choose could be different.

So although the basics of circuit training are very straight forward, as we’ve discussed above, designing your workouts can still be a challenge.

Let’s look at some sample exercises, drills and training routines that you can start using today.

Determining the length of your circuits and the length of your rest periods is a good place to start. Then you want to determined how many consecutive circuits you need to perform.

How do you determine the above numbers?

It’s actually quite simple. The first thing you want to do is begin with the end in mind.

First, determine what exactly you’re training for. What is the specific purpose of your mixed martial arts training routine? Are you training for a fight that has three five-minute rounds? Or five five-minute rounds? Or maybe you’re training for an MMA fight that has three four-minute rounds.

Whatever the case, you can easily use these numbers to figure out the length of your circuit routine. If you need to fight for five-minute rounds, then a perfect way to train for that is to make your circuits five minutes long. If you are training for four-minute rounds, then go ahead and train with four-minute circuits.

As your conditioning improves, you can make each circuit a little longer than the competition you are training for. This way, you make your training in the gym harder than the actual competition.

The next questions to answer is how long are you going to rest between circuits.

Again, the answer to this comes from the end result you want to achieve. If you get one minute of rest between rounds, whether its for a mixed martial arts fight, a grappling match or just competing in the gym, then that’s the amount of rest to give yourself between circuits.

Similarly, if you are training for a three round fight, you need to do at least three circuits during your workout. The whole point is to prepare your body for the specific work/rest periods you will incur during the competition.

If you are just looking for a good overall mixed martial arts training and circuit routine, do three to six five-minute circuits, with one minute or rest between each circuit. This covers most MMA fighting round lengths. And again, if the specific event you are training for has a slightly different round structure, simply adjust the lengths of your workouts accordingly.

Powerhouse author, specializing in Mixed Martial Arts training, fitness and conditioning, Marcus Fisher, has a passion for helping fighters, grapplers and other combat athletes reach their peak performance. He runs a training website filled with resources for mixed martial artists, grapplers and fighters including many workout articles, conditioning books, training manuals and DVDs. Visit his MMA training website: www.marcusfisher.com and while you're there, you can also get his free daily health and conditioning tips.