essential lifts for fighters

[tommylaughlin]

ive not got time to lift as much as id like with work and trying to train boxing and grappling.gonna cut my gym sessions down to either 3 days a week or 5 40 minute sessions cut out some lifts i had been doing.what lifts should i be doing weekly with limited time people? aim is to get stronger and step in the cage this year and make a name for myself

[LouieJ]

Fuck ya bench press off. Saves time and you dont really use chest muscles for punching or grappling do you. Unless your vain no need for big abs. There is loads you could do but afew suggestions are.......

Working your shoulders and arms with high reps will help the endurance of your punching.

Thighs and legs. I'd go for more low reps higher weights. You want power here, this is where you'll be keeping people in guard so you want it as strong as possible. Powerful kicking also.

One of the best lifts all round are the Clean and Jerk. Think it should be incorporated in any weights you do.

[thaison]

Thats a fairly legit question from some one with a track record of posting shit tommy, new years resolution to stop being a cock is it?

Stay away form isolated lifts, go for olympic lifts or compound lifts, if its strength your lifting for start with 3 sets of 3 then include some periodisation into your programme to ensure progression

[thaison]

and get the technique down before trying to lift to heavy, wouldnt want you getting injured ...

[lewdog29]

Lower limb Vertical: Bulgarian split squat, Snatch grip deadlift

Lower limb Horzontal: Shoulder Elevated Hip Lift, Sled Push

Upper limb Vertical: Pull ups, DB Shoulder press

Upper limb Horizontal: Inverse row, DB Bench Press

[Justin Devonshire]

Stay away form isolated lifts, go for olympic lifts or compound lifts, if its strength your lifting for start with 3 sets of 3 then include some periodisation into your programme to ensure progression


I'd second that. Great advice if you want to get strong. Just keep it simple, but work on gradually making it more specific to combat (more single-arm / single-leg variations etc.) as you go through the weeks.


If you want an even simpler answer - I'd say to start deadlifting. There's no other exercise that will get you stronger for MMA in one lift (it'll give you hip mobility, grip strength, upper back strength, shoulder stabilization and isometric strength in one go).

[KidKimura]

you dont really use chest muscles for punching or grappling do you.

Yes of course you do! Bench press is one of the most important lifts IMO.

There was a good article a few months back in Fighters Only on strength training by Paul McVeigh. I use mainly the kind of compound lifts he wrote about, bench, squat, deadlifts, weighted pull ups, bulgarian split squats, and hanging cleans.

I throw in some endurance stuff as well.

[samurai69]

I would go with

hang cleans
hang snatches
power shrugs
floor pullover and press to bridge
plyo squat or plyo split squat

deadlifts


with any lifting get technique right first and build up weight gradually, but even more important with polyo type work

if you have time work on tru olympic lifts, if not stick with the "hang" work


.

[MikeyL]

Deads (and all variations)
Squats (and all variations)
Hang cleans
Bench Press
Military Press
Dips
Pull ups

Stretch and foam roll the shit out of everything

[Bateman]

Keep it Basic , look to get yourself some 'bands' and a medicine ball. The bands you can take any place , even work and do some short 20 band work outs in your lunchtime.

[Dave78]

Deads (and all variations)
Squats (and all variations)
Hang cleans
Bench Press
Military Press
Dips
Pull ups

Stretch and foam roll the shit out of everything

Scuze my ignorance Mikey....foam roll??? :confused:

[1inchPonch]

Scuze my ignorance Mikey....foam roll??? :confused:

Yup, it's used for self myofascial release. Type it into google or you tube for more info. Basically it's the same as getting a deep muscle tissue massage.

[taffdragon]

Fuck ya bench press off. Saves time and you dont really use chest muscles for punching or grappling do you. Unless your vain no need for big abs. There is loads you could do but afew suggestions are.......

Working your shoulders and arms with high reps will help the endurance of your punching.

Thighs and legs. I'd go for more low reps higher weights. You want power here, this is where you'll be keeping people in guard so you want it as strong as possible. Powerful kicking also.

One of the best lifts all round are the Clean and Jerk. Think it should be incorporated in any weights you do.



might be a mistake to leave out benching if your working all the surrounding muscle groups. you could end up with some kind of imbalance that could cause problems in the future. better to train the body as a whole unit.

[Nak-Muay]

Bicep Curls are by far the most important.

[DanCrase]

Bicep Curls are by far the most important.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Plus, lots of machine work; free weights are unnecessary

[Nak-Muay]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Plus, lots of machine work; free weights are unnecessary

Deffinetly need machines to assist your bicep curls. However there are exceptions when excluding free weights in that light pink dumbells between 2ibs and 5ibs can be used for 25-50 reps to really define your body and tone you up... which obviously makes you a much better fighter.

[DanCrase]

Deffinetly need machines to assist your bicep curls. However there are exceptions when excluding free weights in that light pink dumbells between 2ibs and 5ibs can be used for 25-50 reps to really define your body and tone you up... which obviously makes you a much better fighter.

Don't forget all those sit ups; no one can hurt your body if you have a 6 pack!

[mcgovern]

sqaut
deadlift
shoulder press- barbell or dumbells

30 mins posing in mirror is essential

20 mins on the stana stair lift

[DanCrase]

sqaut
deadlift
shoulder press- barbell or dumbells

30 mins posing in mirror is essential

20 mins on the stana stair lift

aswell as 10 minutes on the sunbed, 3 x a week.

You can't look hard of you ain't got a tan!

[mcgovern]

aswell as 10 minutes on the sunbed, 3 x a week.

You can't look hard of you ain't got a tan!

defo sun bed and fake tan, for that tango look

[DanCrase]

defo sun bed and fake tan, for that tango look

Then bring back Cage Rage and you'll be a main eventer for life!

[Rob T]

Then bring back Cage Rage and you'll be a main eventer for life!

Don't be silly, you would also need tattoos!

[DanCrase]

Don't be silly, you would also need tattoos!

Ofcourse! involving tribal imagery and barbed wire; it makes you EXTRA legit if you're a white guy with no tribal roots at all!

[mcgovern]

Don't be silly, you would also need tattoos!

and some home made tattoos.

[DanCrase]

You can also get a '+1 Toughguy' boost if you use a razor to shave a little line in your eyebrow to look like a scar

[mcgovern]

what about wearing a massive neck chain and thai shorts,

[OHarra]

Deadlift, Bench Press, Squats

Low reps (5 to 1) for strength

High reps (15 to 20) for endurance

Don't bother with rep range 8 to 12

[the jabroni]

Do almost the same as MikeyL but have to miss the dead's out cause my back won't take them -

I Do Each for 4 Sets - Max 4 reps working upto 1-2 Rep Max:-

Clean and Press
Bench Press
Barbell Curl
Squat
Weighted Chins
Weights Dips

Once a week.

Rich

[the jabroni]

aswell as 10 minutes on the sunbed, 3 x a week.

You can't look hard of you ain't got a tan!

Couldn't agree more!

[Jamie Taylor]

LOL @ Barbell curl. Mad you Rich.

If you absolutely must do bar curls ( and I know you do ) You should do some heavy negatives or some static stuff, way better than doing standard curls IMO.

[DanCrase]

what about wearing a massive neck chain and thai shorts,

That one only really works if you're black

[the jabroni]

shit my cover is blown.............anyway you told me to do them ;)

If i don't do em i look skinny in clothes, and with me being single and trying to attract women by any means, i need to keep on top of my biceps lol

[Jamie Taylor]

Hahaha no you dont you mad cunt. Try having my fuckin pipecleaner arms.

If you want big arms, eat and squat. Or at least hammer your triceps seeing as though they make up most of your arm and will make your arms look bigger for your little gash hunting adventures.

Bicep curls = waste of time and you know it.

Also girls dont give a fuck about biceps nowadays. Just wear skinny jeans, some old converse, get some colour in your hair maybe spike it up, oh and get some sort of facial piercing. The fanny will be hangin off ya in no time pal trust me.

[DanCrase]

Also girls dont give a fuck about biceps nowadays. Just wear skinny jeans, some old converse, get some colour in your hair maybe spike it up, oh and get some sort of facial piercing. The fanny will be hangin off ya in no time pal trust me.

Taylor, sadly (and, trust me; I mean fucking SADLY) speaks the truth

[mcgovern]

Hahaha no you dont you mad cunt. Try having my fuckin pipecleaner arms.

If you want big arms, eat and squat. Or at least hammer your triceps seeing as though they make up most of your arm and will make your arms look bigger for your little gash hunting adventures.

Bicep curls = waste of time and you know it.

Also girls dont give a fuck about biceps nowadays. Just wear skinny jeans, some old converse, get some colour in your hair maybe spike it up, oh and get some sort of facial piercing. The fanny will be hangin off ya in no time pal trust me.

richie would not get any fanny , he would only end up looking like one, EMO DALE

[the jabroni]

Hahaha no you dont you mad cunt. Try having my fuckin pipecleaner arms.

If you want big arms, eat and squat. Or at least hammer your triceps seeing as though they make up most of your arm and will make your arms look bigger for your little gash hunting adventures.

Bicep curls = waste of time and you know it.

Also girls dont give a fuck about biceps nowadays. Just wear skinny jeans, some old converse, get some colour in your hair maybe spike it up, oh and get some sort of facial piercing. The fanny will be hangin off ya in no time pal trust me.


HAHAHAHAHAH funny as fuck mate!

[the jabroni]

"EMO Dale - the self harmer", thats my new quest in life! haha