Issue 069

November 2010

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. 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.  

The strength and conditioning method I’m going to outline this month is great for fighters who sometimes take fights at short notice, as can happen for local shows or at amateur levels. 

In the last couple of issues I spoke about ‘linear periodisation’ – breaking up a fighter’s strength training into specific segments during camp. For example a hypertrophy phase to build him up if necessary, then consecutively strength, power and endurance. 

This time around I’ll tell you about ‘non-linear periodisation’. This is a constant programme of strength training rather than during a specific period as you’d find at a fight camp. It’s usually a better solution for amateur MMA fighters who might not be so aware of when their next fight’s coming as are the pros, or indeed for regular folks who want everyday MMA-style strength training.

My hybrid method of non-linear periodisation is influenced by various systems, explained in the table below, due to the fact that combat sports athletes need to work on various motor abilities simultaneously.

If you have to work and fit your training around a regular nine to five job then you may have to keep your workouts brief, and follow up any skills sessions with a extra strength-and-conditioning ‘finisher’. A ‘finisher’ is anything that taxes you after your workout allowing you to glean a little more conditioning from your session. Finishers can also provide a little mental training too as you’re forced to dig deep. A sample finisher at my facility involves five box jumps, a 60m sprint and bear crawls uphill. The athletes will perform three to five rounds of this back-to-back.  

Hopefully this will help clarify how you can fit training in all year round. Have a play with the format and find what fits. Remember there are no short cuts or a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to periodisation. Find a method that suits you and bear in mind, if you follow this ‘hybrid’ approach, you’ll need a ‘back-off’ or ‘de-load’ week every four to five weeks. During this time you can focus on your body weight and fighting skills. The body weight exercises allow you to maintain your conditioning while ‘de-loading’ helps the spine and other body structures to avoid being ‘over trained’. 

Take care and train hard!

Periodisation Variants Explained

Conjugate Periodisation: Aims to enhance several strength qualities, such as maximum strength, explosive strength and strength endurance. Training could take place over Mon, Wed and Fri with generally a day between each session and a specific attribute (e.g. maximum strength) focused on over the training week. It was developed by Louie Simmons, at the famous Ohio gym Westside Barbell from communist-era Eastern Bloc weightlifting science, and increasing in popularity.

Concurrent Periodisation: Involves training different motor abilities such as strength, power and endurance at roughly the same time as set out by Mel Siff in his definitive 2003 book Supertraining. 

Undulating Periodisation: Varies the volume and intensity of training so gains appear over the long term. Wide rep ranges produce gains in hypertrophy (muscle size) and strength. It’s great for fighters having a lay-off who fancy a change of pace, or if you want to look buff! But not so good for guys in a weight class as it could bulk them up. Originally defined by American sports science boffins Kraemer and Fleck.

Don’t be ‘old school’ with your conditioning!

The days of fighters ‘letting themselves go’ in between fights and gaining inappropriate amounts of weight are long gone, and so they should be! With the list of skills and aspects of training to be focused on, the last thing a fighter needs is to be trying to drop weight too.