Issue 139

March 2016

Kevin Kearns, Boston’s own strength & conditioning guide, has been sculpting athletes for 25 years and has helped 15 fighters prepare for the Octagon. Here, he offers a full-body workout that’s made twice as effective by combining suspension and resistance training.

You should already know the benefits of working out with suspension trainers and resistance bands. I’ve used them for years because they force you to use your bodyweight instead of weights, which should be your first step when you’re training for MMA. You can make them as functional as you want because you can do any motion with them, which is perfect for the varied and dynamic nature of combat.

The next step is to combine the two forms of exercise with one piece of equipment. That means you can change exercises on the fly, going from one move to another without batting an eye. You can go from suspension to resistance training, or combine the two, to utilize multiple functional motions. 

You can do so much more than you can with a machine. And with two combined forms of training you can also improve some exercises by doubling your workload. Adding suspension to an exercise like mountain climbers adds that resistance element. 

Better yet, by using one piece of equipment you’ll be able to maintain your intensity and push yourself to the limit so you can go harder for longer when it’s time to fight. You can also fit an hour’s worth of work into about 25 minutes because you can do it all in one place, anywhere! 

DOUBLE TROUBLE WORKOUT

Do each exercise for 45 seconds with no rest between them. Do all eight to complete a round, and then rest for a minute. Three rounds should be all you can handle, but if you can push even harder, go for a full five championship rounds.

Ground ‘n’ pound 

Kneel on the ground holding the bands and throw straight punches.

Knee blast

Set the bands on your ankles and throw alternate knees.

Explosive band twists

Set the bands at a low angle, holding one handle with both hands, explosively twist from side to side, pivoting your feet. 

Explosive inverted rows 

Set the bands in suspension position, and then explode upward as you briefly let go of the handles. 

Boxing combinations 

Loop the bands on your shoulders and start throwing multiple combinations into pads, or shadow box. 

Push twist 

Put your hands in the suspension handles and do a push-up with a twist. Try elevating one leg to work your core more. 

Punch to sprawl

Throw two punches with your hands in the handles, and then drop into a sprawl.

Floating knees

With your feet in the suspension loops, drive both your knees to your opposite elbows.