Weight Lifting Routine for MMA?

Training
1

Hi guys!

I’m looking for some advice because of the proper combination of weight training and MMA.
I’d like to use a 3 split in a way that I can lift weights at noon and still be able to train MMA in the evening.

Starting conditions:
Age: 28
Height:5 feet 10
weight: 187 lbs
My overall strength is ok (1.5 BW squat, ~1.2 BW DL) but I’d like to get leaner again (BF ~20%, I was getting lazy last 2 years) and improve my MMA-related cardio (which is better than my BF would suggest :wink: )

3-5 times a week MMA
3 times weight training.

So how should I design my training plan?

I don’t wanna start 5/3/1. The reason is: The book is unavailable at amazon, and I don’t wanna download it “for free”.
As i mentioned, it’s just about being able to train twice a day with not being gassed out at night.

Do you think the following plan would work:

Day one:

Squat
Dips
Kroc Rows
Bent-over row

Day two:

Deadlift
Pull-up
Shrug
+1 Exercise

Day three:

Clean and press or snatch
Overhead press
+2 exercises

Which exercises should I add? Or is this already too much? Upt o now I was feeling still good enough to train in the evening with 5 exercises per day.
Also I’m looking for a substitute for the bench press as I got a sore shoulder from punching and benching.

2

Keep it super simple, something like Starting Strength would be really good. You just need to cover the basic human movement patterns- squat, hinge, push (horizontal and vertical), pull (h & v).

So include:
Squat variations- front, back, single leg versions- pistol, split, RFESS/ bulgarian, etc.
Hinge exercises- deadlifts, kettlebell swing as long as technique is solid enough to avoid injury, same with power cleans.
Push- if you can’t bench, find an alternative, i.e. using dumbbells, close grip, (weighted) push ups, etc. For vertical any overhead press (bb, db, handstand push ups, single-arm, etc.)
Pull- (H) Any row (bb, db, inverted on bar, inverted on trx/ blast straps/ gymnastic rings); (V) pull ups/ chin ups/ pulldowns

Don’t worry too much about programming, just make sure you’ve trained all the movement patterns in a balanced way (or unbalanced in favour of pulling if you need more external rotation, but definitely don’t do more pushing than pulling) and aim to add weight and/ or reps every time you do an exercise.

You may want to do prehab exercises for reducing risk of injury, usually as fillers between the main exercises, but make sure you don’t affect the main lift, i.e. upper body fillers between lower body primary lifts, lower body prehab between upper body primary lifts.

Keep the sessions short, and make sure you recover properly so it doesn’t impact your technique training/ competitions. You should always leave the gym feeling like you could have given just a little bit more (but don’t take that as an excuse to be a pussy).

Hope that helps?

3

You don’t necessarily have to buy or download 5/3/1 to start it (even though it’s a nice gesture), the basic information is readily available.

Use this Black Iron Beast - 5/3/1 Calculator to calculate your weights for the cycle, then use this 5/3/1 and Athletes to turn it into a two-day program.

Unless you really love lifting weights, use it for what it is in your case: GPP. You’re not a power lifter or a bodybuilder, you’re a combat athlete and my guess is not a pro (not because you seem like an amateur but because very few people are). If you want to train more, train skills or run hills.

4

“3-5 times a week MMA”

Your strength training will be determined by your goals. Are you training to fight? or is “MMA” a hobby for you? Define your goal and you will receive experienced suggestions. also, there have been several lengthy prior discusions on this topic, should be able to locate with a search.

5

yeah I know there had tbeen suggestions but not on how to lift weights when rolling / thai boxing 5 hours later, that’s why I opened the thread.

my goal is to fight within the next year, up to now I just did 2 K-1 fights 3 years ago. I focussed on weight training the last year, cause I was sick of getting dominated by guys with less technique but much more strength.
Now I wanna get it more balanced again.

thx for the advice given up to now.

So Goal: fight within the next year + getting BF down.

6

[quote]Sethnacht wrote:
yeah I know there had tbeen suggestions but not on how to lift weights when rolling / thai boxing 5 hours later, that’s why I opened the thread.
[/quote]

C’mon, seriously?

Ever manner of how to lift for MMA or combat sports has been answered on this board. Whether you’re lifting before or after or on tuesdays after bingo doesn’t really matter.

Use the search function, come back with more specific questions if you have them.