Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a combat and contact sport that requires players to be in top shape. The combat sport uses a mix of wrestling, judo, karate, Muay Thai, jujitsu and boxing. Fighters have to maintain an almost perfect physique while showcasing qualities of being agile, quick, powerful and an endless barrel of stamina.
Let's figure out how MMA fighters tick all of those boxes.
Firstly, they don’t work out as a bodybuilder would. Their strength comes from their balance and speed. Secondly, they can endure more than an average kickboxing or wrestling fighter can. Only combat aspirants trained in martial arts use these skills in the ring. However, to maintain their physique and stamina, they do cardio.
What is Cardio?
Cardio exercises are workout routines that raise your heart rate and build your core. Generally, these exercises are for weight loss, a healthier heart and strength training. However, cardio for MMA is more focused on the latter.
All in all, considering the constant alteration of stances around the ring, be it aggressive tackles or tactical defensive moves while ducking and dodging, cardio for MMA fighters is a must. Since they need to be lean and mobile, this genre of exercise is a permanent part of their routine.
Here are a few ways mixed martial arts students can improve their cardio:
1. Uphill Running
MMA wrestlers require the ability to endure five-minute rounds of constant movement. Hill sprints teach the body to circulate more oxygen to the right muscles. Therefore, the oxygenated muscles now perform at a higher level and for longer.
Moreover, the oxygen released triggers a rush of endorphins into the body. The endorphins reduce the pain felt by the muscles, making it easier for the fighters to push through.
Additionally, hill sprints start conditioning your body to breathe in a manner that prolongs your threshold for exhaustion, in turn, building on stamina. They should be done for 7 to 12 seconds at a stretch, with 1-minute intervals in-between.
2. Swimming
Just as uphill running creates a resistance that MMA wrestlers have to move against, so does swimming. Swimming involves purposeful motions against the water using your entire body. Such flapping of the hands, legs, and neck strengthens and tones your whole self while simultaneously increasing your lung capacity.
MMA fighters such as Amir Khan say that swimming teaches you to function tactically during fights, all with the development of a proper breathing pattern, which is helpful for cardio and martial arts. Besides, most martial arts have set breathing patterns.
Bonus Read: Go through this 5-rule guide to ensure you practice on punching bags in the right way.
Furthermore, MMA wrestlers use aerobic swimming for endurance training, as they are prolonged and sustained sessions. In contrast, they use anaerobic swimming for muscle conditioning. This form of swimming is a shorter and more vigorous session that improves a fighter’s lactic endurance.
3. Skipping Ropes
Jumping ropes are an indispensable part of cardio training for MMA athletes. Not only is it a full-body workout that conditions the muscles it also improves a fighter’s coordination skills. In a nutshell, skipping is a sure-shot way to keep the core flexed and engaged, helping lean and bulky combat students to stay in shape.
MMA boxers skip to keep their metabolism in check and improve their footwork. To add on, they also use it as a replacement for jogging, assisting with in-the-ring workouts.
Did You Know: Approximately 10 minutes of skipping are equivalent to a whole half an hour of jogging.
4. Metabolic Conditioning (MetCon)
An integral part of MMA fighting is holistic physical fitness- right from the calves to the back muscles to the flexibility of your wrists - and MetCon does just that. It trains the body to exhibit a tank of sufficient energy and force to last in a gruelling fight against an equally fit opponent.
Metabolic conditioning utilises an MMA athlete’s entire body. They burn calories quickly and build up a fighter’s core strength and stamina. Subsequently, a toned body increases the agility and speed of an athlete.
This cardio workout needs to be performed with high intensity. Each exercise should last approximately 4 minutes. Nonetheless, there should be a 15-second interval for the body to recover after each rep.
A few basic MetCon exercises are:
5. Shadow Boxing
Shadowboxing is used by most fighters, MMA athletes as well as regular boxers. While it is a time-tested technique to improve coordination skills and footwork, it also presents itself as a cardio exercise. Fighters punch and jab in the air, which is why it is named shadow boxing.
However, punching the air doesn’t mean they do it without force. They fight the shadows with the same strength they would tackle an opponent. Above all, shadowboxing helps MMA athletes to gain muscle mass, especially on the upper arms, simultaneously playing an essential role in keeping the core tight.
This cardio workout makes you drop weight through a healthy route, ensuring you go through full-body toning in the process.
Verdict
MMA fighters push their bodies to the limit, and this comes with the benefit of staying in fantastic shape. Rigorous training, with cardio, is a perpetual part of an MMA athlete’s life.
In addition to grit, cardio builds a potent capacity for agility in a fighter. For MMA aspirants looking to focus on their cardio and kickboxing game equally, get in touch with our expert MMA trainers.