Looking like a well-conditioned athlete is one thing, fighting like one is another, argues Martin Rooney.

Anderson Silva and Jon Jones are two of the most celebrated competitors in MMA. When you watch both of them fight, it is easy to draw similarities between these two warriors.

As a result of their dominant performances, many people recognize them as incredible athletes. The purpose of this article is to remind us all that they are also incredibly technical fighters.

As MMA is continuing to spread around the world, the 'MMA' moniker is beginning to be thrown onto almost anything.

There are MMA shirts, MMA shorts, MMA gloves and even MMA ring girls. My hope is that this article sheds a little light on what MMA training is... and what it isn’t.  

As MMA has become more popular, the conditioning around MMA has grown in complexity and often borders on insanity.

One challenge is that many people that state they perform MMA training or conditioning rarely do any drills that have anything to do with actual MMA fighting. Yes, a tough circuit involving kettlebells, ropes and a sled can pose a similar energy system challenge that may occur during an MMA fight, but that does not make it MMA training.

And with the increased number of practices and sparring sessions that these fighters now perform, sessions designed just to be 'tough' can be counterproductive.

Call me a purist, but if you are not doing some form of punching, kicking, sprawling or grappling every once in a while, I'm not sure how you can consider yourself affiliated with MMA.

And, as the availability of MMA technical training continues to expand, people have more opportunity to improve their conditioning with actual forms of combat training.

Anderson Silva and Jon Jones do not win fights by hitting someone with a kettlebell, they do it by hitting people with hooks, elbows, kicks and slick submissions. Yes, physical training is important for today’s MMA fighter, but never at the expense of technical work and development.

I'm not saying conditioning work is useless, I'm just reminding everyone where it stands in the hierarchy of preparation. Even though a sprinter does other forms of training, his main focus is still sprinting.

The same holds true for swimmers and players of other sports, so why would MMA be any different?

The original MMA athletes like Silva and others performed years of combat-specific work before they started doing MMA-specific physical conditioning. Now, I believe that some athletes, and many people are putting a premium on physical conditioning and sparring without first developing their technical skills. I'd like to pose a new concept which should bring MMA conditioning full circle.

I propose that technical training can be used to kill two birds with one stone. Technical work can not only improve technical prowess, it can also be used as a powerful form of physical conditioning.

In addition to the increased emphasis on physical conditioning, I also believe the overload of sparring can stunt technical development. In many gyms, MMA training is no more than a big sparring session in which the risk of injury is high and the gain of technique and proper conditioning is relatively low. Many of these sessions use far too many rounds and train athletes into states of total fatigue. 

Sparring is where you are working on what you have developed, not the place where you develop it. Sparring is the session in which you demonstrate the technical and physical gains you have made in precise training. Yes, I believe sparring is very important for toughness, timing and strategy, but this is less commonly the reason it is applied today.

Training should not be performed in the pursuit of fatigue, it is about staying fresh. All too often, it is now endless circuits into deep fatigue.

I believe that in this state you are only training yourself to be tired. The goal is to get conditioning from good form. With improved technique, you also become more efficient in your movements and actually spend less energy during combat. This efficiency is built over tens of thousands of good repetitions.

Anderson Silva is not the most impressive physical specimen in the UFC. Hell, if you saw him on the street or in a bar, you might not be too intimidated. When his hands start popping you in the chops from angles you can’t even see, his technique will force you to make another assessment beside just physical appearance. That skill was engrained from years and years of hard work, technical training and practice, not endless metabolic circuits filled with the latest shiny and new pieces of equipment. 

The Champion's Circuit

The difference between them and you is how well they use them. That difference was created by tens of thousands of good repetitions. If used correctly, the following workout will not only get your heart rate up, but also improve your technique.

Rules of the Circuit

• Get to a qualified coach and make sure that your technique is good. 
• Perform each exercise back-to-back to complete one round. 
• Complete all three rounds.
• Rest and repeat for three total circuits.
• Do not sacrifice technique for intensity.
• When the technique breaks down, either end the circuit or adjust the length of time.
• Use proper rest intervals. Make sure to take the prescribed rest in between each exercise and between each circuit for proper recovery.

Circuit prescription:

1: Three-minute round

• 30 sec on, 15 sec off for each exercise
• 30 sec rest in between rounds

2: Two-minute round

• 20 sec on, 10 sec off for each exercise
• 30 sec rest in between rounds

3: One-minute round

• 10 sec on, 5 sec off for each exercise

Fighter Circuit

Heavy Bag Punches:

Begin facing the heavy bag at an arm’s length distance away.

Perform as many alternating punches with each hand against the bag for the required time. Keep the hands high and at the chin when not punching.

Sprawls:

Begin standing in a good wrestling position with the hands out front and elbows at the sides. Drop to the ground while kicking the feet backward and landing on the hips, hands and forearms. After the hip contacts the ground, jump back up to the original position.

Heavy Bag Kicks:

Begin facing the bag in a fighting stance with both feet on the floor. Perform as many alternating kicks with each leg against the bag for the required time. Keep the hands high as shown.

Knee-on-Chest Bag Drill:

Begin with one knee on the heavy bag and the other leg out to the side. Support yourself with the arm on the same side as the supporting knee. Punch the bag with the opposite hand and then jump over the bag, switching the supporting knee and arm. Punch again and repeat for the required time.

PRO TIP:

It's imperative these drills are actioned with the correct technique to reach our aim of good conditioning from good form. We know not everyone will have access to a quality coach to critique their exercises so if you're in a bind learn from the best. The internet is full of tutorials from champions and coaches preaching the correct way to perform these actions.