Issue 079
September 2011
The first half of 10 essentials to building better cardio with MMA training
Paul McVeigh is a sports scientist and a professional fighter, ranked as the number-one bantamweight in Europe
With this month’s column I have decided to outline a bit of my philosophy with regards to strength and conditioning. It should help you understand why I do what I do and hopefully make you take a closer look at your own strength and conditioning programming.
1 Have a rationale for everything
This was probably one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received. If you haven’t got a clear reason to be using a particular exercise or protocol then you may want to reconsider using it at all. With time management such a factor in training combat athletes it is important to eliminate the filler from workouts.
If you have programmed four weeks of high-volume front squatting for yourself you need to know why you are doing it. Are you weak in this movement? Are you trying to gain weight? You must be continually asking yourself, ‘Why am I doing this? What is the purpose of this exercise? Am I using this protocol appropriately?’
Doing something because you saw it on a UFC promo or because it is cool is not an appropriate rationale. Figure out its purpose beforehand and you will be a more effective coach or athlete.
2 Everything works at the start
If you are new to strength and conditioning, the very cool news is that everything works. If you have never lifted before and started working on the, ‘totally jacked random celebrity-endorsed program’ you will get stronger.
This is not to say that all programs are created equal, but it does explain why many people tend to program hop a lot. Many athletes see progress occur quickly on a new program and when that progress slows down that’s the time to try something new. I often hear of people doing four weeks of the ‘300 workout,’ four weeks of powerlifting followed by four weeks of strongman training. Jumping around a lot never really allows you to develop the technique in important movements and become an intermediate or advanced lifter.
In my opinion a progressive program focussing on the development of physical qualities over several months is the best way to go. Don’t expect too much from your strength and conditioning. If your adding 2.5kg to upper body lifts and 5kg to lower body lifts every week you are doing great.
3 Your number-one priority
MMA is a contact sport and as a result injuries are common. That being said, injuries in the weights room should never occur. It is important to create a culture where bad technique is unacceptable. If a movement hurts, do not do the movement. Working through an injury does not have a place in strength training.
Athletes only really get hurt when they are using a weight they have not earned or when they are doing a movement incorrectly. If you have a problem with a particular movement, consider putting that movement into the warm-up until it looks good enough to load.
4 Progression is Vital
Within my programs, progression is vital. I start simple and move to complex. Let us take the bilateral squat as an example.
PHASE 1 BACK SQUAT - 3 X 8
PHASE 2 BACK SQUAT - 6 X 4
PHASE 3 OVERHEAD SQUAT 4 X 5
PHASE 4 BACK SQUAT WITH A FIVE SECOND ECCENTRIC CONTRACTION 6 X 1
By progressing in this manner you build proficiency in the movement patterns and can see yourself getting better over each phase. This method also really reduces the injury risk as you earn the right to use more complex movements and loading parameters rather than just jumping in and hoping for the best.
The exercise itself was only changed once over the four phases but the intensity and volume was adjusted to ensure training adaptations occurred. A lot of coaches advocate changing exercises every four weeks. I have found that by sticking with the same exercise and adjusting the loading parameter athletes start to really master a lift. After 12 weeks of back squatting, chances are you will have figured out a few technique points to help you shift the metal more efficiently.
5 Test of 10
So how do you know if your meticulously prepared programs are working? This is where testing comes in. As opposed to allocating a full week to testing, I prefer to mix in various testing protocols throughout each phase.
These tests could include one-rep-maximum tests, vertical jump, broad jump, five-rep speed test or a 60kg-rep-maximum test. Testing regularly is not only great for assessing your program’s effectiveness but is great for team building and the competition element tends to really drive the numbers up.
That’s it for now. Pick up next month’s issue for part two, with five more S&C bombs!
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