Strength Training:

There used to be a misconception that weight training would adversely affect performance by making athletes slower. However this misconception has been firmly laid to rest. Nearly all professional athletes from footballers to runners now regularly partake in some sort of weight training to improve their performance. The simple goal of strength training in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) using weights is to build the muscles that are responsible for stability with reference to weight transference during a fights and when grappling with opponents. Strength training is also useful in successful execution of powerful punches and kicks.
It must be stated that the type of strength training with weights differs from the conventional training people associate with weights which is bodybuilding. A clear distinction needs to be made between the two. Most MMA training focuses on core movements which include exercises such as dead lifts, squats, various “cleans” and bench presses.

In order to be a strong practitioner of MMA is essential that some of these movements are incorporated in your existing routine. The focus should be on using heavier weight with some eccentric movements (emphasizing the negative part of the lift) to create a good base. Light, faster and more relative movements can be implemented as the fight approaches, and very heavy work and eccentrics should be neglected in the last few weeks as they might cause excessive trauma and soreness when an athlete is dieted down and vulnerable to these conditions.

There is a common consensus amongst experts that for MMA training isolation exercises (exercises that target a specific muscle) should be avoided. The only time it is deemed reasonable is to make a lagging part stronger. Generally speaking, they are avoided as they tend to take up valuable recovery time.

Staying with the focus on stabilization, another commonly used methodology in MMA training is what is referred to as off-set lifting. This usually involves lifting a weight under the conditions fighters might find themselves in during an actual fight. A good example of this is, a one-arm snatch would replicate an off-balance position, and this would better stimulate the lack of balance experienced during a fight than would an easier executed, more structured movement such as the conventional bench press.

An Mixed Martial Arts fighter would spend a long time on one leg or in a split stance, so for lower body training, unilateral work, what is referred to as the one legged squat or lunges would work best to build strength in particular muscle groups responsible for stabilizing the body at these angles.

Kicking & Punching Power:

An integral part of any successful MMA competitor is his ability to throw a kick or a punch with knockout force. There are two main systems of training methodology that can be incorporated to increase both kicking and punching power. These are outlined as follows:

1. Training the core of the body in the transverse plane.
2. Focusing the ability of the antagonist muscle groups to decelerate the limb being used to strike.

The theory behind this methodology is that if you cannot safely decelerate a movement, you cannot safely accelerate using the same action. In order to strengthen this ability, it has been suggested by experts that focusing on forced eccentric loading - for example, lunges and landing from jumps - and release-work such as catching dumbbell which is falling at speed.

It has been suggested by certain professional MMA strength coaches that the most efficient way to develop punching power and kicking power is to develop technical superiority and one this has been developed focus on developing strength in the specific areas by utilizing core exercises. For example to develop kicking power one would utilize squats, dead-lifts and movements like walking lunges.