Training for Mixed Martial Arts- Interview with James Smith by Jason Ferruggia
JF: James, I’d like to start by thanking you for taking the time to speak with us here today. Let’s get right into it by addressing the strength needs of an MMA athlete. How important is it for these athletes to improve their relative strength? How much will it help their performance and why?
JS: The importance of relative strength for an MMA athlete is one of many abilities that must be maximized in order that the fighter may realize the highest degree of his potential. The degree to which the development of relative strength will heighten the fighter’s performance is ultimately a function of how deficient the fighter is in this ability.
For a fighter with a great relative strength deficit the improvement in this ability will dramatically heighten their demonstration of sport form. Alternatively, for a fighter who already possesses great relative strength any further improvement in relative strength is unlikely to positively impact the demonstration of sport form by any significant margin. Of course, we must remain mindful of technical preparedness- if the fighter is unskilled he can be as strong as he wants yet would be unwise to expect high results.
JF: It was stated somewhere on the internet this year that to be successful in the octagon an athlete should be able to squat and deadlift three times bodyweight. This would mean that a 250 pound heavyweight should be able to squat and deadlift 750 pounds. Obviously these numbers are outlandish and ludicrous but are there any strength markers or minimum numbers that you would like to see MMA athletes shoot for?
JS: No. No markers would, in my view, illustrate any relevant correlation to sport form. The fighter’s goal, in my mind, must simply to be heighten their special strength preparedness as it specifically relates to their discipline. To assign any particular value to a barbell exercise is not meaningful due to the relatively distant relationship between barbell exercises and proficiency in MMA.
JF: Going back to those outrageous numbers for a second, do you think MMA athletes could put too much emphasis on strength and if so how could that hurt their performance?
JS: Yes, too great an emphasis placed on limit strength development poses a negative impact to the perfection of sport form for a fighter. The training associated with limit strength development is very CNS intensive. This particular demand placed on adaptive reserves may very well impair the fighter’s ability to recover between workouts.
JF: What are some of the best exercises or movement patterns for MMA athletes to focus on in the weight room to improve their speed?
JS: Well speed-strength is the quality we must address. This defines the heightened ability to move one’s own bodymass or a relatively light load with the greatest possible speed. Consequently, any strike, throw, takedown, and so forth are first and foremost a demonstration of speed-strength which is then followed up by a demand placed on strength-speed and limit strength.
To develop speed strength, as it specifically relates to fighting, one must utilize movements which approximate those demonstrated during contests and practice those movements by exerting maximum force either bodyweight only or against a relatively light resistance.
The relevance of limit strength here may be significant, as a fighter largely deficient in limit strength can practice unloaded movements as fast as he wants and may not observe any significant improvement in speed-strength. The two abilities, up to a point, are mutually dependent.
JF: What methods or exercises would you use to make an MMA athlete faster and more explosive?
JS: Understand that my selection of means will vary for individual fighters, however, in order to provide a general response here is a list of useful exercises:
JS: Perhaps more so then any specific muscle group one must pay attention to the joints and connective tissues associated with the ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, etc. This list is long.
JF: Let’s shift gears now and talk about conditioning. What are some of the best conditioning methods for MMA athletes?
JS: A subject highly open to interpretation. Let us simply be clear on this: Understand the energy system demand placed on the fighter and know how the fighter must be specifically prepared for specific demands placed on their muscles.
Energy system training alone is insufficient.
The activity must approximate the demands placed on the fighter during contests. In this regard, one must have an adequate understanding of the biomechanics and kinesiology associated with fighting.
JF: Could you share any of your favorite recovery methods that would help out a hard training MMA competitor who is usually training for a minimum of three hours per day?
JS: Ideally- massage, soft tissue manipulation, electrical muscle stimulation, ice, sufficient rest and sleep, and so on- the whole deal.
JF: Let’s take a hypothetical MMA athlete, twelve weeks out from a fight, who trains an hour per day kickboxing and an hour per day grappling. How often should he lift and how often should he be doing extra conditioning work? How long should each of the workouts last?
JS: First off, I’ll expect a generous cash advance for the novel I’ll have to write in order to adequately answer this question.
I’ll answer it this way- perform no more then two to three comprehensive weight training workouts every seven days, perform general conditioning farther out from the fight and specific conditioning closer to the fight, the workout will last as long as it has to in order to complete the work.
Keep in mind, however, that a higher quality training effect is usually obtained when mental concentration is high. For this reason, a marathon workout presents a greater risk for less then optimal results especially when the training is moderately to high intensive to the CNS.
JF: How would you apply the high/ low concept to this or is it not applicable in this situation?
JS: It is absolutely applicable. In this instance the coach must have sufficient knowledge as to how one qualifies intensive means. In this regard, I must note that I wrote and published a manual which outlines this precise subject. The manual is entitled “High/Low Sequences of Programming and Organizing Training” and it is available through www.elitefts.com
In short, the drills which demand the most explosive movements, movements against high resistance, full speed rolling/sparring, and so on would be reserved for high days and any lighter intensity technical drills, conditioning, restorative means, and so forth are performed on low days.
High/Low provides and accounts for recovery between intensive workouts.
JF: What are some of the biggest mistakes that MMA athletes make in their training?
JS: Planning the training without a sufficient understanding of the physiological effects of the means.
JF: Is there anything else you would like to add? JS: So let it be written…So let it be done
JF: Thanks so much James. Where can people learn more about you and your training methods?
JS: You’re very welcome Jay.
I am part of the Q and A staff at www.elitefts.com and I have my own website www.powerdevelopmentinc.com. Additionally, my two training manuals “High/Low Sequences of Programming and Organizing Training” and “Speed Training Considerations for Non-Track Athletes” are available through www.elitefts.com
JF: James, I’d like to start by thanking you for taking the time to speak with us here today. Let’s get right into it by addressing the strength needs of an MMA athlete. How important is it for these athletes to improve their relative strength? How much will it help their performance and why?
JS: The importance of relative strength for an MMA athlete is one of many abilities that must be maximized in order that the fighter may realize the highest degree of his potential. The degree to which the development of relative strength will heighten the fighter’s performance is ultimately a function of how deficient the fighter is in this ability.
For a fighter with a great relative strength deficit the improvement in this ability will dramatically heighten their demonstration of sport form. Alternatively, for a fighter who already possesses great relative strength any further improvement in relative strength is unlikely to positively impact the demonstration of sport form by any significant margin. Of course, we must remain mindful of technical preparedness- if the fighter is unskilled he can be as strong as he wants yet would be unwise to expect high results.
JF: It was stated somewhere on the internet this year that to be successful in the octagon an athlete should be able to squat and deadlift three times bodyweight. This would mean that a 250 pound heavyweight should be able to squat and deadlift 750 pounds. Obviously these numbers are outlandish and ludicrous but are there any strength markers or minimum numbers that you would like to see MMA athletes shoot for?
JS: No. No markers would, in my view, illustrate any relevant correlation to sport form. The fighter’s goal, in my mind, must simply to be heighten their special strength preparedness as it specifically relates to their discipline. To assign any particular value to a barbell exercise is not meaningful due to the relatively distant relationship between barbell exercises and proficiency in MMA.
JF: Going back to those outrageous numbers for a second, do you think MMA athletes could put too much emphasis on strength and if so how could that hurt their performance?
JS: Yes, too great an emphasis placed on limit strength development poses a negative impact to the perfection of sport form for a fighter. The training associated with limit strength development is very CNS intensive. This particular demand placed on adaptive reserves may very well impair the fighter’s ability to recover between workouts.
JF: What are some of the best exercises or movement patterns for MMA athletes to focus on in the weight room to improve their speed?
JS: Well speed-strength is the quality we must address. This defines the heightened ability to move one’s own bodymass or a relatively light load with the greatest possible speed. Consequently, any strike, throw, takedown, and so forth are first and foremost a demonstration of speed-strength which is then followed up by a demand placed on strength-speed and limit strength.
To develop speed strength, as it specifically relates to fighting, one must utilize movements which approximate those demonstrated during contests and practice those movements by exerting maximum force either bodyweight only or against a relatively light resistance.
The relevance of limit strength here may be significant, as a fighter largely deficient in limit strength can practice unloaded movements as fast as he wants and may not observe any significant improvement in speed-strength. The two abilities, up to a point, are mutually dependent.
JF: What methods or exercises would you use to make an MMA athlete faster and more explosive?
JS: Understand that my selection of means will vary for individual fighters, however, in order to provide a general response here is a list of useful exercises:
- The practice of actual components or permutations of sport form (strikes, throws, takedowns, transitions, escapes, and so on)
- Explosive throws with medicine balls, kettle bells, sandbags, etc
- Jumps with and without external resistance- single leg, double leg, landings, depth jumps, repeated jumps/bounds, multiple directions, and so forth
- Explosive lifts and calisthenics performed bodyweight only or with various weighted implements
- Very short sprints and change of direction drills
- Basic exercises to develop strength
JS: Perhaps more so then any specific muscle group one must pay attention to the joints and connective tissues associated with the ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, etc. This list is long.
JF: Let’s shift gears now and talk about conditioning. What are some of the best conditioning methods for MMA athletes?
JS: A subject highly open to interpretation. Let us simply be clear on this: Understand the energy system demand placed on the fighter and know how the fighter must be specifically prepared for specific demands placed on their muscles.
Energy system training alone is insufficient.
The activity must approximate the demands placed on the fighter during contests. In this regard, one must have an adequate understanding of the biomechanics and kinesiology associated with fighting.
JF: Could you share any of your favorite recovery methods that would help out a hard training MMA competitor who is usually training for a minimum of three hours per day?
JS: Ideally- massage, soft tissue manipulation, electrical muscle stimulation, ice, sufficient rest and sleep, and so on- the whole deal.
JF: Let’s take a hypothetical MMA athlete, twelve weeks out from a fight, who trains an hour per day kickboxing and an hour per day grappling. How often should he lift and how often should he be doing extra conditioning work? How long should each of the workouts last?
JS: First off, I’ll expect a generous cash advance for the novel I’ll have to write in order to adequately answer this question.
I’ll answer it this way- perform no more then two to three comprehensive weight training workouts every seven days, perform general conditioning farther out from the fight and specific conditioning closer to the fight, the workout will last as long as it has to in order to complete the work.
Keep in mind, however, that a higher quality training effect is usually obtained when mental concentration is high. For this reason, a marathon workout presents a greater risk for less then optimal results especially when the training is moderately to high intensive to the CNS.
JF: How would you apply the high/ low concept to this or is it not applicable in this situation?
JS: It is absolutely applicable. In this instance the coach must have sufficient knowledge as to how one qualifies intensive means. In this regard, I must note that I wrote and published a manual which outlines this precise subject. The manual is entitled “High/Low Sequences of Programming and Organizing Training” and it is available through www.elitefts.com
In short, the drills which demand the most explosive movements, movements against high resistance, full speed rolling/sparring, and so on would be reserved for high days and any lighter intensity technical drills, conditioning, restorative means, and so forth are performed on low days.
High/Low provides and accounts for recovery between intensive workouts.
JF: What are some of the biggest mistakes that MMA athletes make in their training?
JS: Planning the training without a sufficient understanding of the physiological effects of the means.
JF: Is there anything else you would like to add? JS: So let it be written…So let it be done
JF: Thanks so much James. Where can people learn more about you and your training methods?
JS: You’re very welcome Jay.
I am part of the Q and A staff at www.elitefts.com and I have my own website www.powerdevelopmentinc.com. Additionally, my two training manuals “High/Low Sequences of Programming and Organizing Training” and “Speed Training Considerations for Non-Track Athletes” are available through www.elitefts.com