Cardio-Training for MMA Questions

Scrazzymoto · 07-28-2006, 09:55 PM

I have a few questions about cardio training for MMA and I was wondering if you guys might be able to lend some knowledge.

1. When someone says a fighter "never gasses," how exactly do they train so that they "never gas?" Is it just a ton of cardio (jogging, jumprope, biking, etc.), or a lot of endurance exercises (plyometrics, low-weight, high-rep weightlifting), or just a lot of shadowboxing, kata, drills, etc., or a combination?

2. Of the above mentioned exercises, which one is THE BEST and should be trained more than the others in terms of being able to go the distance?

3. As far as just plain old cardio exercises (running, biking, elliptical trainer, etc), how often and for how long is sufficient so that you won't gas in three five-minute rounds? I do cardio on different equipment for 30 minutes, 4-5 times a week. Is that enough?

Thanks. I ask these questions because I'm not quite sure how it all works. It seems that even if you can run all day long on a treadmill, it doesn't necessarily mean that you can get in a ring or cage and go for three-to-five five-minute rounds, but that's just me. It also seems that doing drills and shadowboxing constantly might not necessarily be sufficient on its own.

BabyPhenom · 07-29-2006, 10:25 AM

What do you currenntly do for cardio?

**MikeMartial** · 07-29-2006, 11:02 AM

HIIT (sprints), Plyos, high rep, low rep, LSD (long steady distance)....in other words, all of it.

There's no one single answer for "the best". All have their use, for certain elements of conditioning. You need to have a strong aerobic base, and be well conditioned anaerobically. You need to be strong, but you need muscular endurance. You also need to be explosive. See the trend here??

There's a reason MMA athletes are some of the world's best conditioned. The complete training regime covers so many facets it makes me naseated just thinking about it.

My advice, if you are just starting out, would be to mix it up with sprints and shorter LD runs, in the range of 4-6km. With weights, make sure you have a decent strength and endurance base before mixing it up. Actually trying to fit all of this into a week, including grappling and stand up workouts, is a sure-fire recipe for overtraining.

**Sonny** · 07-29-2006, 12:08 PM

Mike basically summed it up already. A mix is what you need but make sure to build up a base before getting too fancy.

krellik · 07-29-2006, 12:59 PM

...Well its not "kata" that does it, thats for damn sure...

Scrazzymoto · 07-29-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BabyPhenom

What do you currenntly do for cardio?

Different stuff. Treadmill, bike, elliptical trainer, swimming sometimes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krellik

...Well its not "kata" that does it, thats for damn sure...

Don't be ignorant. Conditioning, among other things, is one of the reasons kata or forms are practiced.

krellik · 07-29-2006, 02:42 PM

Ignorant? Know many mma fighters that does Kata? I have trained mma myself in several gyms, never seen anybody that does kata, talked to anybody that does kata or heard of any mma pro (that doesnt have its root in kyoukushin then possibly) that does any sort of kata as preparation for figths.

Muay thai, bjj, any type of wrestling, sambo, boxing, shootfighting, none of these arts that form the "base arts" for mma does kata. Shadowboxing and drilling techniques is not kata.

So who the fuck then does Kata for conditioning for mma? ! Tell me oh wise one?

tical13 · 07-29-2006, 02:56 PM

kata is for my 80 yr old grama in her yoga class... Worthless for serious training..

I dont fight MMA so I cant be sure about the specific training of fighting against different styles... But I did box for quite some time..What I did was alot of running, alot of jumprope, a shitload of sparring, hours of shadowboxing, hours of hitting the bags, repeat all day, until fatigue is not a factor... hehe kinda like fear factor..

I also trained some MMA, but again never fought it, just sparred.. But if I was preparing for a real MMA match.. I would add a shitload of JJ drills, armbars from the guard like crazy (100-1000 each arm), then triangles like crazy (again 100-1000 each direction), armbars from the mount (100-1000 each direction), etc.. Then on to wrestling sprawls like crazy (100-1000), drilling takedowns, clinches, etc... Point being.. Kill your body every day way beyond you ever thought you could, every day do 10 or 20 more of something, go extreme.. Your body will thank you the next day.. And show its thankfulness in the way it performs..

**MikeMartial** · 07-29-2006, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrazzymoto

Don't be ignorant. Conditioning, among other things, is one of the reasons kata or forms are practiced.

Hey Scrazzy---ask Chuck if he does kata

Scrazzymoto · 07-29-2006, 06:10 PM

I'd be willing to bet that Andy Hug (before he died) did kata, as well as Ryoto Machida. Judo contains kata for higher ranks, so that might include Hidehiko Yoshida and Karo Parisyan. All you guys sit there and talk about shadowboxing. What the fuck do you think that is?! Forms are just more complex shadowboxing, and the only reason you all talk shit is because you haven't done a complex four-minute form as fast as you can, over and over and over. It helps. Don't be ignorant.