Yo,
This is what I’ve been doing lately I sent it to a buddy not that long ago.
I’m gonna be changing it up with a few different things. There’s some stuff I didn’t include in there as well.
I like using ballistic bench press for speed. Or for repetition 15sets of 4 by 30seconds…ala Gironda.
I’ll probably change that last energy system complex. It’s helped by i’d be better off just doing complexes with lower reps and shit like zach even esh or devoting more time to intervals and bagwork… got this higher rep thing from randy couture. I am glad I tried it tho, it really helped me get in a grove with my hang cleans.
I rotate lower body ME lifts specifically to help my front squat (which for me has a direct correlation to my clean) and sumo deadlift. For upperbody it’s based around improving my overhead press and chinup strength (so i’m working on doing multiple reps of 1 arm chins, but for now i’m focusing on pressing)
Those are the lifts that I really feel help me as far as mma, change up as you feel accordingly. For me, my overhead press directly improves my bench, but not vice versa, so i just get more bang for my buck overhead pressing.
For speed work, I prefer jump squats or power snatches. Upperbody, I use jerks, snatch grip push presses, clapping pullups, ballistic bench press… anything fast really.
Sometimes i rotate in repition work, I like to use 3 sets of as many reps as i can do in 1 min. with ascending weights. Jim Wendler and GlennB (powerB) describe it in an elitefts article i think they call “berserker training”.
So that might be with dumbbell overhead presses, dumbbell bench or for lower body- overhead squats, back squats, zercher squats. whatever. You know how much variety you can get into with shit like that.
my training is usually like this:
mon-
warmup: 3 rounds of bas rutten fight tape. Light dynamic stretches and/or light dumbbell complexes.
ME (upper body lift) (6 lifts above 90%)
unilateral (supportive)
triceps
antagonist superset (heavy/light)
Tues-
warmup
speed movement (6-8x1-3)
(…if I do a rep based (3x1min) movement I don’t do the following.):
complex based on strength (2-3 sets)
complex for energy system (2-3 sets)
tabata/stairs/bagwork
wed-
no REAL lifting, usually just do some heavy abwork, dumbbell wrist rotations and stuff for my elbow health. Foam roller, etc etc. If I have time, and it fits my schedule (and I have the 10bucks) I take this yoga class.
Thurs-
warmup
ME (lower body)
Unilateral (quad based usually)
P-chain (heavy)
p-chain (light)
Friday-
warmup
Speed or Rep movement
Strength Complex (2-3 sets)
Energy System complex (1-2 sets)
tabata/stairs/bagwork
Obviously adjust accordingly because you know your body the best. Sometimes I only go in, do my ME lift, p-chain movement and leave cause thats all I really have in me mentally for that day.
note on the complexes. Strength complexes I dont go over 6 reps. Energy system one’s I try to stay over 10 reps…usually around 15, max at about 25.
a strength complex might be like:
a1- one arm pushups
a2- 1 arm snatch
a3- back squats
a4- weighted chins
using 4-6 reps for each movement. 1min rest. and repeat.
an energy system complex:
a1- hang cleans
a2- front squats
a3- push press (or jerks just get it overhead)
a4- back squats or lunges
a5- bent rows
as i mentioned previously between 10-25 reps… try not to drop below 15.
1-2 sets of shit like this really helps even tho on paper it doesn’t seem like much so you don’t have to overdo it as much as you might think. I’ve always been like, “5 sets of 10 minimum for assistance work”, and trying to grow. but I realized that I can do 2-3 sets of 4 then 1 set of 20, and still see improvements. Maybe not as fast as I’d like in my lifts, but my “mat strength” improves weekly and my lifts DO go up, just slower than I’d prefer.
Tabata work- you can get the gist of that. I like to either do 3 rounds of 5 min. though sometimes this might just be 1 round. but lets say I’m doing 3 rounds.
I’ll do 1 round thrusters, 1 round sprawls, 1 round front squats.
Stairs- there is a huge flight of stairs at my school, i run that adn every 2-3 stories stop and do some bodyweight work or shadowboxing and continue.
bagwork- endless variation here, sometimes i use the bas rutten cd’s i have (which are on my mp3 player for ease) or i like to do 1 min explosive rounds, or just work combos. I’ll leave that up to you.
Since I can usually complete the first half of my workout in 25-30min, I leave this last 30-45min open to whatever.