There is virtually an unlimited amount of mma workout programs to develop a fighter’s mma strength and conditioning. Although variety is important to keep your body from adapting and preventing forward progress, there are some basic exercises that should never be left out of a fighter’s mma workout program for too long.

When it comes to mma strength training, some of the most effective exercises are also the most basic. I'm all for tire flipping, rope climbing, sledge hammering, and most other kinds of "caveman" training assuming they are applied properly and the trainer knows what the hell is is doing. But no piece of equipment or unorthodox exercise can beat the development of leg strength when it comes to good old fashioned squats and deadlifts.

Strong legs, core, and a strong back are absolutely essential for mma fighters. Whether stuffing takedowns, attempting takedowns, striking, grappling, or any other offensive or defensive move in mma, you can never develop enough strength in these muscles and they are a absolute must in any serious fighters mma workout program.

The best time to develop raw strength is as far out from your fight as possible. When you have a fight or competition coming up soon, you'll want to develop your cardio and conditioning as much as possible and increasing your strength would just have to be maintained.

However, in the beginning of your mma workout program, it is always a good idea to work on increasing your strength, especially your lower body strength. The 5x5 system is one of the best time-honored and proven programs to increase strength quickly, and squats and deadlifts are perfect exercises for this.

As for upper body strength exercises, mma fighters can benefit greatly from exercises such as the bench press, pull-ups, bent-over rows, and shoulder presses. You may have noticed that each of these exercises I have named so far are all compound or multi-joint exercises.

This is because in mma the strength and power from most techniques comes from the coordination of several muscle groups, so developing your muscles in this fashioned is most effective.

Isolation exercises like concentration curls, skull crushers, and calf raises are close to useless in a mma fighter’s workout program. These exercise’s where created by and for bodybuilders, and they should stay that way.

In summary, mma fighters will benefit greatly from the most compound and basic exercises. Supplementary exercises like sled training, tire flipping, etc are excellent conditioning exercises that will prepare a fighter the closer a their fight comes, but in the beginning and throughout their whole career, you can never go wrong with the basics in any mma workout program.

 

Derek Manuel has been involved in MMA and physical fitness for over 12 years. He is in the process of becoming certified as NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) to train professional fighters and athletes and is the author of the top-selling bodybuilding ebook, How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle for Hardgainers. When he is not training he is discovering the fastest way to both efficiently and effectively improve physical conditioning and overall performance as an MMA fighter. To see Derek's reviews of the top MMA strength and conditioning programs on the market, visit: www.BestMMATrainingWorkouts.com