Issue 054

September 2009

Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor as well as a 3rd dan black belt in judo. A strength and conditioning trainer to some of the UK’s top MMA fighters (including TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson), he is available for seminars and workshops upon request. Check out his DVD ‘Train Hard, Fight Easy and Win’, available from grapplefit.com.  

For details or to contact him with any questions or queries, email [email protected].  

This time we’re following on from our last issue and making the most of the great weather. The subtle difference here is that we’ll look at group training. If your MMA class needs a change of scenery, then find yourself a field and get your training partners together to have a go at the following. I’ve put this together so you don’t need equipment. All you need to do is get changed and go for it!  

Set out a 50m-long track, marked with your favorite hoody or T-shirt. You could use cones (okay, I know I said no kit, but there you go). You can work in pairs for this but you all work at the same time, there’s no need for a ‘you go, I go’ approach.  

Perform the following:  

Burpees 10

Partner carry 50m

Over / Unders (dive through the legs, hop over the back) 10

Pummeling 60s

Fireman’s carry (right) 50m

Fireman’s carry (left) 50m

Forward rolls (out and back) 10  

Partner pick-ups (shoot in and lift explosively) 10 

Sprint 100m

Piggyback 50m 

Perform this straight through with no rest. Rest 60–90 seconds between circuits and strive for 3–5 rounds.  

This should give you a massive hit on the heart and lungs, and you get a little lactic tolerance thrown in too. Not bad for an outdoor session.  

The next circuit looks like this:

Lunge walks 50m 

Sprint 150m

Rear partner drag (stand behind yourpartner, reach under their arms and jog backwards) 50m 

Forward partner drag (your partner stands behind you and reaches around your chest then you jog forwards) 50m 

Tuck jumps 10

Handstand walk As far as possible 

Forward bear crawl 50m

Reverse bear crawl 50m

Pummeling 60s 

This takes the same format as before, go straight through with no rest. Rest 60–90sec between circuits and aim for 3–5 rounds.  

So there you have it, two crippling circuits using nothing but your own body weight and that of a partner. You’ll get really strong and super-conditioned with this lot. Afterwards, you’ll need no convincing that you can get fit and strong using your own weight as resistance. Think of it this way, if you can handle your own bodyweight and that of another, it’ll make you much more able to cope with the stress and strain of a fight. Barbells are great tools but, as I’ve said many times, they provide a balanced resistance, whereas a human body doesn’t and it shifts in a unique way when lifted from the floor – so get a partner and get lifting.  

As usual, email me with any questions to [email protected].