8 Best Ways to Get Your Body Into MMA Shape

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the most physically and mentally challenging sports there is. On television it may seem like nothing more than a brutal combat sport, but beyond the caged octagon there is a lot more going on which goes unnoticed. Leading up to a competition, there are endless MMA training exercises that a fighter utilizes. They push the boundaries and test the very limits of their mental and physical toughness to see what their body is truly capable of. All things considered, there really is an artistic aspect to exercising when you take into account the time, effort and attention to detail that goes into sculpting the human frame in preparation for competition.

• Hill Sprints

  

  No workout is really complete without a good cardio session and MMA fighters have a difficult but rewarding one. Hill sprints build stamina and teach the body how to recover while acting as a perfect warm up to a great workout. Yet, this isn’t a workout for everyone and is best done with the right equipment like comfortable shoes that soften each step and MMA t-shirts that help keep the body from overheating during the session.

• Dive Bombers

  

  Dive Bombers may seem like nothing more than push ups but are actually much more. Unlike a simple pushup, dive bombers work many muscles that can go unused during normal push ups thus working many different muscles groups which MMA fighters love utilize much more frequently than others.

• Burpees

  Burpees don’t require many resources to take advantage of them. In fact, Burpees could be done from the comfort of your own home. However, these exercises can be difficult to maintain and do push the body to work as one fluid unit. Many MMA fighters use this exercise as one of the basic foundations to their workouts because of its effectiveness.

• Mountain Climbers

  

  For many MMA fighters Mountain Climbers are the best abs workout there is. This is another example of a simple workout that’s quick but gets the job done. It’s also great for someone who is looking for an alternative to sit ups and crunches.

• Kettlebells

  

  For MMA fighters it’s important to have strong, big muscles, but more important to have muscles that are sleek and lightweight. Kettlebells allow different weight training exercises to be incorporated into a routine other than the standard curls and bench presses. However, this is an intense workout for most average gym goers and should be done with MMA gear to help ward off injury.

• Jumping Jacks/Jumping Rope

  

  These two workouts may seem unlike the others, but don’t ignore the importance of jumping jacks and jumping rope. They help to build balance, speed, and stamina and are a great way to keep the blood flowing towards the end of the workout.

• Climbing Rope

  

  Climbing rope may be the exercise that everyone remembers hating from grade school, but it’s one of the best workouts for building the arms and for pushing someone to their limits. The simple nature of them forces an individual to complete the exercise because if you quit in the middle, you’ll be suspended in mid-air.