Issue 061
April 2010
By Barry Gibson, a strength and conditioning trainer to some of the UK’s top MMA fighters (including TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson).
We’re kicking off with a striking-based workout. How do you train for striking? One thing to note: the bench press will do nothing for your punching power. There, I said it!
JC Santana, Stuart McGill and Francisco Vera-Garcia performed a great cutting-edge study comparing the bench press with a standing cable press (one-arm punch). The case in point is that you can’t push from a standing position the same weight you can bench press. The study concluded that the limiting factor was the body’s core / mid-section. Look it up on the web for more details. This has been the first study relating to combat sports, but hopefully it will open the floodgates.
What does that tell us then? We need to involve the core in any punching-specific drills. I’ve provided a sample circuit designed to increase your punching power – it basically involves every muscle group used in the skill of punching. For the purposes of this article we’ll focus on the right / left cross. Here’s the circuit:
- Floor Press – 5 reps
- Medicine ball punch throw – 5 reps each hand
- Resistance band face pulls – 20 reps
- Medicine ball rotational lunge – 10 reps each leg
Repeat three times through at a fairly brisk pace. Keep your rest about 60 seconds between circuits.
Let’s take a closer look at the movements. First we’ve got the floor press, a great movement from the golden age of strength training, when benches weren’t the norm. Brooks Kubik argued that the floor press was a more difficult movement than the bench press, due to the lack of latissimus involvement and the inability to arch your back. That being the case, I’ve put this in as it’s a great strength drill to perform. This is followed by the explosive med-ball punch throw. The strength movement activates the nervous system in the musculature, and the explosive paired movement capitalizes on this extra recruitment. We then follow it with 20 face pulls with a resistance band, to redress the balance and allow the shoulder retractors to get a little work. Balance is key, folks, after all. This will injury-proof your shoulders and make you a more powerful all-round athlete. Finally, we have the med ball rotational lunge. This adds in core strength, plus a rotation with the feet in the punching position (see photos).
The above circuit will give you plenty of power in the punching domain, and if it’s done with quick changes between drills you’ll get a little metabolic conditioning thrown in too.
The next circuit will not help your power too much, but will massively help with your endurance to keep throwing those punches over the duration of the fight! Here goes:
- Heavy Bag Punchouts (a one / two combo counts as one rep) – 20 reps
- Med ball push-ups – 10 reps
- Punchouts – 20 reps
- Med ball power overs – 10 reps
- Punchouts – 20 reps
- Med ball depth drops – 10 reps
Although there are some power movements involved in this circuit, it is mainly targeting a different energy system. Your shoulders may not thank you or like me afterwards, but the long-term gains will be phenomenal.
Next , we'll look at wrestlers' workouts. Until then, take care and train hard!
Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor as well as a 3rd dan black belt in judo. He is available for seminars and workshops upon request. For details, or to contact him with any questions or queries, email [email protected]. Check out his DVD ‘Train Hard, Fight Easy and Win’, available from grapplefit.com.
