Stronger Than All
In an earlier post, I mentioned how important strength was to me, especially as a teenager and young adult. I wanted to become as strong as possible and that strength helped me considerably when I started training to fight. Although I had very little skill, I managed to hold my own mainly due to that strength, and the few wins I had were because of it.
Back when I was fighting, coaches were just beginning to understand the importance of proper strength training. The general philosophy was more was better and both overtraining and injuries were a common occurrence. There have been great advancements in the field and it’s helped mold today’s MMA competitors into some of the best athletes in the world.
When I spent a week at Alliance MMA this January, I jumped at the chance to do a training session with their Strength Coach, Doug Balzarini. A big part of Unlocking the Cage is trying to push my 40 year old butt back into shape and I thought there’d be no one better to talk to for advice. With clients like Dominick Cruz, Brandon Vera, Mike Chandler, Alexander Gustafsson and so many other top-level fighters, you can understand why.
The workout with Doug was embarrassing. Although I’d finally reached a point where I could make it through a typical MMA workout, Doug’s short session kicked my ass. It served as a great reminder though that not much time is needed for a good workout and it can be done anywhere. Some of the best workouts I had while fighting were when my coach, Ricardo, would take us to the park and run us through endless plyometric exercises.
I mentioned to Doug that a lot of the fighters I’ve interviewed aren’t taking advantage of this type of training. Not every gym is fortunate to have its own strength coach and many fighters feel they can’t afford one on their own. Instead, they go to the gym and do bench presses and basic exercises thinking that’s enough. If you’re serious about your career and want some guidance, contact Doug to devise a solid plan of attack. He’s an incredibly friendly guy with a ton of knowledge and thanks to the wonders of technology you can do the sessions from anywhere. Be sure to also check out his website and YouTube channel for a variety of great workouts.
Here are a few workouts for you to try out.
1. MMA & Healthy Shoulders - http://dbstrength.com/mma-and-healthy-shoulders/
2. Rope Exercises - http://dbstrength.com/top-heavy-ropes-exercises-for-mma-athletes/
3. Bodyweight Moves - http://dbstrength.com/bodyweight-exercises-for-mma-5-moves-you-should-do/
4. 5 Moves MMA Athletes Should Be Doing - http://dbstrength.com/5-strength-moves-mma-athletes-should-be-doing/
5. Midsection Madness - http://dbstrength.com/midsection-madness-for-mma/
6. Partner Training - http://dbstrength.com/partner-training-for-mma-conditioning/
