FAQ of MMA with Brian Blue: Answering reader’s questions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Brian Blue is the owner of All Star Sports Academy in Toms River and Jackson, N.J.  He possesses a Bachelor of Science in Phys. Ed. /Adult Fitness from Kean University in Hillside, N.J.  Blue works with athletes of all levels, from children to professional, and from a variety of sports.  Blue (Twitter: @ASsportsacademy) will be enlightening readers at MMADieHards.com on a weekly basis about physical training and conditioning, giving helpful tips and answering questions.)

Last week we had some of MMA DIEHARD’s readers send in their questions about conditioning for MMA.  Today, I’ll be answering some of those questions to help give readers an idea of what I have found to produce the best results.

Question #1:

Lots of fighters, even in good shape, gas out fast going hard for TKO or submission. What kind of preparations can prevent this?

Answer: 

First, most fighters that gas out going for a KO or submission have one of two problems:  They’re either not really in “good shape” or they may have had a tough weight cut.  I’ve seen a lot of fighters that claim to have had a great camp and feel great leading up to a fight have all of their work thrown out the window because of how much weight they had to cut and how they rehydrate after.  I’ve always been against the huge weight cut because of how difficult and impractical it is to think you can get your body to return to a healthy, fully nourished and hydrated state in just 24 hours.

Also, what would you claim to be “good shape”?  If your training system is designed correctly, attempting a KO for even five minutes straight should not be an issue.  I usually design my programs with the “fight gone bad” mentality.  If you’ve never truly gotten yourself to that exhausted state followed by minimal recovery, experiencing this in a fight can be dangerous.  Most people stay in their comfort zone when conditioning.  Usually getting a good workout, but never breaking through those barriers.

Question #2:

How would Insanity rank for conditioning in the MMA world? Also push-ups vs. bench press? What’s better?

Answer:

As far as Insanity is concerned, the basic premise and style is similar to what you’re looking for.  The question you have to ask is, how well does it cross over into a fight situation?  Timing, work to rest ratio, and exercise selection are very important.  Is the workout just making you tired, or is it making you better?

Bench Press vs. Pushups is a very common debate.  The easiest answer is, why not both?  I use the bench press to work on absolute strength but don’t base my programming around it.  I also use several pushup variations that engage the core in different ways and put your body in less favorable positions, much like MMA.  I tend to use these in conditioning rounds where I’m looking for more quantity.  One of my previous articles touched on the importance of maintaining a high level of strength over the course of a few rounds.  When implementing the bench press, be sure to not only use it to see how much weight you can push, but also, to work on being able to minimize the drop-off in strength from one round to the next.

Question #3:

Best MMA-related workout move for your core?

Answer:

There really is no answer.  To pick one exercise or one circuit is like picking one combination of punches to use over and over.  That combo may be effective for one of your goals, but not effective for attaining the rest of your goals.  All of the movements you use in your MMA conditioning should involve core strength.  Every traditional exercise can be adapted to do so.  For example, a dumbbell chest press on a stability ball still helps work on chest, triceps and shoulder strength like a press on a bench while adding an element of core stability to it.

With that being said, if I had a gun to my head and had to pick one single core exercise, I’d have to go with a kettlebell get-up.  It’s one of the few single exercises that require core strength, core stability, glute strength, shoulder strength and stability, and balance.  It also requires these things in several different angles and positions, unlike most traditional core exercises.