Strength routine to complement MMA

[Hakkasha]

Hey guys

So I've been running basically SL + Power Cleans for the last year, my MMA/BJJ training was twice, sometimes thrice a week. I've moved to another town, which has MMA/BJJ training 6 times a week, which I intend to do since I'm planning on returning to competitions.

The problem is, training MMA/BJJ the whole week is leaving me too tired to hit the weights 3x a week, so I was thinking about switching to a 2x a week weight training routine. I've read about the fighter's routine detailed in the book Tactical Barbell, in which I chose the following cluster:

Bench/Squat/Weighted pull-ups/Barbell rows

Anyone here does it? What is your review? And can I add Deadlifts on one day and Power Cleans on the other (which I think are awesome, especially for wrestling) on the other day? I want to keep Barbell Rows because they are very important for posture, and I have some postural problems. Barbell Rows personally have never taken a toll on me, and my back has never been a limiting factor on the Deadlift, so I don't think my back would be too beaten up to do both.

It would go like this:

Bench/Squat/Weighted pull-ups/Barbell rows/Deadlift - 3x4-5 except for deads

Bench/Squat/Weighted pull-ups/Barbell rows/Power Clean - 3x4-5 except for cleans

That's a 3x1 ratio on pulling/pushing exercises, but I feel like pulling strength is much more important for MMA. Perhaps I could ditch the rows and do some Rear Delt exercises instead, but I don't know, that's why I'm asking you all. If there's a better 2x day weight routine please chime in!

Thanks for the attention

 

[ocean size]

You weren't running SL for the entire year if you were doing it properly, otherwise you would be squatting 3x bodyweight by now. You should exhaust linear progression within a few months and after several delays switch to an intermediate program. SL can get exhausting toward the end when every session is a high percentage of your 1RM, but most intermediate programs have high intensity days and higher rep days that are not as taxing.

 

[Flash_Monsta]

Squatting 3x body weight after only a year sounds a little over dramatic.. Don't you think?

 

[selfcritical]

That's the point. If you didn't miss a workout doing SL for an entire year, and progressed according to the text, you'd have to have a ridiculous total. The whole point of the program is that it's unsustainable.

 

[JRT6]

This forum truly has gone down the toilet.

 

[ocean size]

Squatting 3x body weight after only a year sounds a little over dramatic.. Don't you think?

That's exactly my point. You can't run SL for a year unless you are half assing it. 6-9 months ago if he was doing it correctly he would have 'graduated' from the program and switched to an intermediate level program. So, his background information is bullshit, which is an important consideration when trying to give advice.

If he really did run SL for a few months, he would then be able to do an intermediate program with some 'light' days that fit in better to a MMA training schedule.

 

[RemyR]

I'm a fan of 5/3/1 3x a week. Chose any assistance program you want, just make sure you got some chins and dips in there. While prepping for a fight I used to go down to 2x week due to cutting weight.

 

[Xplosive-Viking]

Squatting 3x body weight after only a year sounds a little over dramatic.. Don't you think?

I bet the dude who said that cant even squat bwx2. Negative nancies are putting ppl down while giving their own advice, like theyr experts when theyr clearly not.

 

[ameeksingh]

Doing mma/bjj 6 times a week means you should hit weights less. Think 1x a week or 1x every 2 weeks or 1x a month even.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Doing mma/bjj 6 times a week means you should hit weights less. Think 1x a week or 1x every 2 weeks or 1x a month even.

Twice a week is fine. Once a week is probably not ideal except shortly before a fight, once every two weeks or once every four weeks definitely not. Might as well not do it.

When thinking about how much to train strength, you need to think how important it is to be able to exert a lot of force, and how much power you need (at the slightly slower end of the speed-strength curve). In MMA you do sometimes just need to exert force, and you often need to move explosively (mainly in grappling situations). So there is a clear reason to train strength somewhat seriously, not just half-ass or quarter-ass it. It might just be two 60-90 minute sessions a week- there will be time for everything else.

 

[Tosa]

To add to the above, strength work acts as injury prevention. It prepares the musculoskeletal system to better handle loads and dynamic movements that are experienced when training MMA itself.

It can also be corrective, so that dominant patterns in the sport itself are less likely to result in injury or diminished performance. For example, it's common to spend a lot of time with the shoulders rolled forward in MMA, but you don't want this to become your natural posture. So some of the time spent in the gym could be to correct/prevent imbalances like this.

 

[ameeksingh]

Twice a week is fine. Once a week is probably not ideal except shortly before a fight, once every two weeks or once every four weeks definitely not. Might as well not do it.

When thinking about how much to train strength, you need to think how important it is to be able to exert a lot of force, and how much power you need (at the slightly slower end of the speed-strength curve). In MMA you do sometimes just need to exert force, and you often need to move explosively (mainly in grappling situations). So there is a clear reason to train strength somewhat seriously, not just half-ass or quarter-ass it. It might just be two 60-90 minute sessions a week- there will be time for everything else.

Well you run into allot of bbj grapplers or wrestlers who do not lift weights at all (or just MMA fighters who grapple allot with no weights)...................... and they have freakish fucking strength.

Then you also have people who do bjj/wrestle/lift weights............... and they have freakish fucking strength.


SO>>>>>>>>>>>>???????????????????????????>>?>????????????????????????????????????? Both methods work as long as you dedicate the proper amount of time and effort to "however way to choose to train"?????????????

 

[Chad R. Thundercock]

Well you run into allot of bbj grapplers or wrestlers who do not lift weights at all (or just MMA fighters who grapple allot with no weights)...................... and they have freakish fucking strength.

Then you also have people who do bjj/wrestle/lift weights............... and they have freakish fucking strength.


SO>>>>>>>>>>>>???????????????????????????>>?>????????????????????????????????????? Both methods work as long as you dedicate the proper amount of time and effort to "however way to choose to train"?????????????

What in the world are you smoking right now?

 

[ameeksingh]

What in the world are you smoking right now?

Some good stuff from Canada. You want some? You know what really blows my mind though? Is how the fuck did you know that I was actually high. It's like you either guessed randomly and got it correct out of luck ORRRRRRR you are god?

 

[Chad R. Thundercock]

Some good stuff from Canada. You want some? You know what really blows my mind though? Is how the fuck did you know that I was actually high. It's like you either guessed randomly and got it correct out of luck ORRRRRRR you are god?

I, too, my friend, partake in a little fun with Mary Jane occasionally.

 

[ocean size]

I bet the dude who said that cant even squat bwx2. Negative nancies are putting ppl down while giving their own advice, like theyr experts when theyr clearly not.

Woosh.