Beneficial for mma of weight training

I took a break from competitive Martial Arts when my first child was born. I had been competing at a high level for years and was tired and lacking in motivation. I took up body building for about two and a half years, and put some serious muscle on, along with quite a bit of fat.

When I returned to martial arts, there were benefits and disadvantages to the extra weight. I was still OK with minor motor function technique (intricate techniques), but my cardio was bad and my flexibility had fallen. I went from being able to box split, to being around half a meter off the floor when stretching! The extra power in my striking was a great addition, but the speed I had lost certainly was not. This was a great learning experience for me and there are some great lessons for the hardcore gym go-er:

1) It is highly unlikely that you are ‘fit’ if you train bodybuilding exclusively. I even used Dogcrapp and HIIT training in my lifting and just got tooled the minute I entered a gym to roll. My running overall was poor. Unless you are incorporating sprints, spinning, crossfit or another similar high intensity cardio into your training it is unlikely that you could hold the floor with any recreational MMA fighter.

2) Technique beats strength almost every time. The best strikers in the world are not interested in packing on the muscle, as it is momentum and strike particular body mechanics that generate power. Barry McGuigan punched as hard as a heavyweight… Consider that for a moment. On the floor, movement and the use of hips is key. You may dominate postion for a short amount of time, but you will get subbed eventually. Weight distribution and the proper application of pressure are skills, and they are embedded in a complicated skill-set. You will not learn this overnight, and you must lose the ego and accept that you will tap a lot for a while. There is nothing wrong with this as each tap will point out a mistake you are making. Just say thanks to your partner and try again!

3) Unless you stretch properly before and after a gym session (I have seen about 2% of gym go-ers stretch properly) your flexibility will be limited. As most of MMA relies on submissions related to flexibility it is clear to say that those with shortened, stronger tendons and ligaments will suffer greatly when it comes to joint based locks. Therefore, it implies that techniques such as keylocks, armbars, kimuras, knee bars, heel hooks etc. will all go on quicker due to the shortened range of movement.

To finish, you must remember that there will be benfits to your mass. F=MA is basic physics, and mass is a large component of power. You must however learn how to apply the correct ‘acceleration.’ When you first went into the gym did you pick up the 200k oly bar full of plates and deadlift it for 8..? Thought not. You must accept this same attitude with MMA. Start slow, expect to get hit and subbed all over the place, but apply yourself. Within time, that extra mass will twin with your new application of pressure on the ground and your new acceleration learned from correct striking. You may have the edge because of that strength, just learn how to use it properly and accept it is going to be a long haul! Lose the gym ego and train hard, you won’t be disappointed.