| We all know that conditioning can make or break an | | | | Jumpo Jump Squat |
| MMA competitor and be the determining factor in | | | | Note: You should always cycle four weeks of high |
| any fight. If you get gassed early on, you have | | | | intensity jump training like depth jumps or altitude |
| essentially no shot at victory, no matter how skilled | | | | landings, with four weeks of lower intensity jump |
| you may be. Another component, however, that is | | | | training like low hurdles or box jumps. |
| often overlooked in the training of combat athletes is | | | | Olympic Lifts |
| speed. While speed may not be as important as | | | | Olympic lifting has long been used by strength and |
| conditioning is to the mixed martial artist, it is still an | | | | conditioning coaches to improve speed in their |
| incredibly valuable commodity to have in your arsenal. | | | | athletes. While Olympic lifting can sometimes be over |
| If you are faster than your opponent you will be at | | | | rated it is still very effective in the training of combat |
| an advantage in many situations and may be able to | | | | athletes. Olympic lifts should be performed one to |
| administer strikes or takedowns faster than he can | | | | two times per week for 3-6 sets of 1-5 reps. The |
| defend against them. So, if you have been neglecting | | | | most effective Olympic lift variations for combat |
| speed work in your training, I highly recommend that | | | | athletes are listed below:o High Pullo Hang Cleano |
| you read on and start employing some of these | | | | Hang Snatcho Hang Clean and Push Presso Keg |
| ideas right away. | | | | Cleano Keg Snatcho Keg Clean and Press |
| Before we discuss the most effective speed training | | | | Sprints |
| methods we need to go over a brief explanation of | | | | When it comes to getting faster there is no more |
| how someone actually gets faster. Inducing | | | | basic method of training than sprinting. However, you |
| improvements in speed comes through proper | | | | may be wondering how speed developed on a track |
| training of the nervous system. It is actually your | | | | or field carries over to your performance on the mat. |
| nervous system, and its ability to fire efficiently, not | | | | When you do a proper sprint training workout which |
| your muscles, that is responsible for making you | | | | includes a low volume of work consisting of short |
| faster. Getting stronger will improve speed but | | | | distance sprints of 50 yards or less and adequate |
| strength alone is not enough. To develop lethal speed | | | | rest periods of 2-5 minutes, you develop explosive |
| and quickness requires dedicated speed training which | | | | speed and power. The speed you develop from such |
| focuses on improving the firing rate of the central | | | | a workout is transferable to anything you do. By |
| nervous system. | | | | working on improving your starts and focusing on |
| Since speed training taxes the central nervous | | | | short distance sprints you can dramatically improve |
| system and can be very demanding it should always | | | | the speed at which you shoot in or your opponents |
| be done first in your workouts when you are | | | | for takedowns. Sprint training should be performed |
| freshest. Doing speed work in a weakened or | | | | one or two days per week and should consist of |
| exhausted state does nothing to improve speed and | | | | 10-20 short sprints with sufficient rest intervals. |
| only leads to bad habits being formed. If you | | | | Always be sure to perform a thorough warm up |
| combine many methods of lifting in one workout, | | | | before commencing your sprint training workouts. |
| speed work should always come first followed by | | | | Throws |
| heavy, max effort work, then repetition work and | | | | Any throwing type exercise will always do wonders |
| finally conditioning work at the very end. Also, since | | | | for speed development. For throws you can use a |
| we are targeting the central nervous system with | | | | wide variety of implements such as sandbags, |
| speed work and since the CNS takes 5-6 times | | | | medicine balls, kegs and sledgehammers. The key is |
| longer than the muscles to recover you want to be | | | | to use an object that is not so light that it provides |
| sure to always use an adequate rest period between | | | | very little in the way of resistance but not so heavy |
| sets. This will usually be in the range of 2-5 minutes | | | | that it slows you down and noticeably alters your |
| depending on the exercise and intensity level. | | | | throwing mechanics. Optimally, you should be able to |
| Another important thing to remember when | | | | throw the object no more than 100 feet and no less |
| implementing your speed work is that you should | | | | than ten feet. If you can throw the object further |
| always limit your sets to six reps or less. Speed work | | | | than 100 feet it is far too light to do anything for |
| must always be of the highest quality with no levels | | | | speed development. Conversely, if you can not |
| of residual fatigue allowed. When you do sets of | | | | throw the object more than ten feet it is too heavy |
| more than six reps the quality of the work will start | | | | for speed development and would be closer to a |
| to suffer and your speed will begin to decrease. | | | | strength exercise instead of a pure speed exercise. |
| What you do in training transfers over to your | | | | My best advice would be to stick with an implement |
| performance in the cage or on the mat. Therefore, | | | | that you can throw somewhere between 20 and 50 |
| training slowly leads to performing slowly. This is the | | | | feet. Throws should be done once or twice per |
| last thing you want. For this reason, keep your sets | | | | week for 3-8 sets of 1-5 reps. Some of the most |
| of speed work short and sweet. In most cases, 1-3 | | | | effective throwing exercises are listed below.o |
| reps are actually best. With that out of the way let's | | | | Medicine Ball Forward Scoop Throwo Medicine Ball |
| get to some of the most effective speed training | | | | Overhead Backward Scoop Throwo Medicine Ball |
| methods for combat athletes. | | | | Rotational Throwo Medicine Ball Soccer Throwo |
| Jump Training | | | | Medicine Ball Chest Passo Overhead Sandbag Throwo |
| Various forms of jumps, also known as plyometrics, | | | | Rotational Sandbag Throwo Overhead Keg Throwo |
| are my favorite and most often utilized form of | | | | Rotational Hammer Throw |
| speed training. I prefer to limit the use of jumps to | | | | If you have been making conditioning the focus of |
| an average of 15-25 ground contacts per week and | | | | your training while hardly giving speed work a second |
| no more. Therefore you could do 3 sets of 5 reps all | | | | thought, it's time for a change. Prioritize speed training |
| the way up to 6 sets of 4 reps if you train jumps | | | | for the next few months and watch the difference it |
| once per week, or somewhere between 2 sets of 4 | | | | can make in your performance. It could just be the |
| and 4 sets of 3 if you train jumps twice per week. | | | | one ingredient that was missing from your arsenal |
| The most effective forms of jumps are listed | | | | and what helps you break through to the next level. |
| below:o Box Jumpo Hurdle Jumpo Depth Jumpo | | | | Like the old saying goes, "speed kills. |
| Altitude Landingo Standing Broad Jumpo Vertical | | | | |