Why do fighters still bother to run for "cardio"

[Robotnickx]

Running is easily the best cardio, you can moderate your pace and push yourself to the absolute limit safely. More than swimming, biking, rolling, hitting the bags, more than anything. You can stay at your max heart rate for longer than in any other activity. Yeah you can hit the bag for an extended period but your shoulders will give out before your cardio ever does.

However, it's not for everyone. Some people's feet cue at the wrong angle and long distance running simply isn't an option as every landing puts undue torsion on the knees and hips.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

That's the most broscience I've ever heard... Why would legs feel heavier when kicking or shadowboxing than they do when running?

Not all the best do it. GSP did sprints, but no distance running. I don't think Anderson did run for hours either. Have never seen a single picture of Jones running either (excepts after the burglar). You also have to take into consideration fighters are often big guys who can't afford running too often if they don't want to mess up their knees.

It's not bro science, your legs are the first to go. There is a reason why all boxers run and also why boxing is known for high level footwork and cardio. Kicking bags is not the same as actually moving around the ring/cage. That is the reason why a lot of fighters become flat footed and stationary in fights. They don't run enough or worked their legs enough to handle movement for a long period of time. Once you develop the muscles in your legs for movement you don't have to run as much, but you need that base developed first or you'll just look like your feet are stuck in the mud while fighting.

Grappling cardio/endurance is different than striking/movement/footwork endurance. Grappling is more muscle endurance based type of cardio. You may have great cardio kicking bags, but if you don't work on your footwork/running cardio you'll be a stationary fighter and movement will drain your cardio easily.

Also you learn to regulate your breathing and recover while constantly moving instead of having to completely stop to recover your cardio.

 

[deucesarewild]

Running is a natural movement to strengthen the legs, move the core, and build cardiovascular stamina.

Running. Push-ups. Pull up. Squats/burpees. You can't go wrong with these when building functional strength. Fighters rely on functional strength.

 

[Oilcitymo]

My take is that running teaches you how to breathe. Also, combat drills take a toll psychologically. Running is a nice break.

 

[Sickbro69420]

I mean, I get that running is important in boxing where they fight longer and where there isn't as much to learn as in mma anyway, so they have time for that, but can somebody fucking explain to me why MMA fighters are still running?
They have so much things to work on technically, there is noone in the world who has elite level boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and bjj at the same time, so why don't they try to work more on technique.

And as far as cardio goes, there are so many better/more specific ways to work on that.
Bjj drills, non stop flow wrestling, high intensity Dutch drills on the bag, if done correctly, those things will ramp your heart rate up as much as running, in addition to developping your technique and not putting wear and tear on your body as much as running does.
Grapplers don't run (not speaking about wrestlers but about jitters, Adcc guys). Some intelligent kickboxers, like Bazooka Joe, don't run either, for the very same reasons I just enounced. So why in the world would guys who have such big holes in their game as far as technique goes (which is normal, you can't be good at everything) still waste time with running?


Btw, I'm of course speaking about long distance running, not speaking of short sprints, which can be useful, though not indispensable

It helps you recover after burst of activity and I think it helps with recovery from hard shots taken and wrestling 0ffensive and defensively. I notice these things when I train. I dont run a lot 3-3mile sessions with jumproping. but I think it's an important element as is skill training, strength and conditioning, sparring, and recovery. I think it's important with shadowboxing and getting some daydreaming and visualisation as well. It's great for mental clarity and I believe it serves a great purpose. Everyone is different though.
You don't need to run as much as a boxer bit you'd benifit from running and it doesn't take as along with as much wear and tear of getting the benifits of intense drilling you're talking about.
But it's like know your body and what works for you and what you're trying to accomplish at whatever part of periodization training or fight camp training. Many hoses to fill the pot.

 

[ITRDC5]

I'm seeing the word cardio thrown around here like its the same thing hitting a heavy bag as opposed to running 5 miles- these are completely different types of cardio.

I remember reading bispings book where he said they he doesnt understand why some fighters dont run, he even mentioned mcgregor at one point as he always seems to cycle all the time.

I definitely think most people would benefit from some type of running, although I agree it can lead to injuries if warm ups are not conducted correctly.

 

[John of Arc]

Nothing kills technique faster than gassing.

And nothing builds cardio like steady state running for distance.

 

[WarDronx]

Why would you attack TS is what I don't understand. Perfectly reasonable topic to discuss, with many valid points that don't necessarily disprove the others. Why go immediately to the "you know better?" or the "since xyz does it, then that's the ONLY truth"? Trends about everything change all the time, become more popular or are proven as effective as older/ more "traditional" methods. Why be like that?

On topic, I think athletes in all sports have added more types of training for cardio and more sport-specific training (doing the thing you will need the cardio for), in general. As others have mentioned swimming has become more popular, for example. That said, running shouldn't be completely cut from any training regime. Substituting running with other types instead of doing ONLY that for cardio, sure but it has benefits as well. IMO

 

[Sargus]

Google running/cardio/left ventricle/steady-state cardio. A strong aerobic energy system is excellent for recovery - serving as a refueling mechanism for the phosphagenic and anaerobic energy systems.

 

[kflo]

Because, unlike boxers, they do not fight face to face like real men do, but rather have a tendency to turn their backs and run away when in danger.

They also can’t call a 10 second time out by taking a knee.....

 

[djason1988]

I mean, I get that running is important in boxing where they fight longer and where there isn't as much to learn as in mma anyway, so they have time for that, but can somebody fucking explain to me why MMA fighters are still running?
They have so much things to work on technically, there is noone in the world who has elite level boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and bjj at the same time, so why don't they try to work more on technique.

And as far as cardio goes, there are so many better/more specific ways to work on that.
Bjj drills, non stop flow wrestling, high intensity Dutch drills on the bag, if done correctly, those things will ramp your heart rate up as much as running, in addition to developping your technique and not putting wear and tear on your body as much as running does.
Grapplers don't run (not speaking about wrestlers but about jitters, Adcc guys). Some intelligent kickboxers, like Bazooka Joe, don't run either, for the very same reasons I just enounced. So why in the world would guys who have such big holes in their game as far as technique goes (which is normal, you can't be good at everything) still waste time with running?


Btw, I'm of course speaking about long distance running, not speaking of short sprints, which can be useful, though not indispensable

You're 100% correct, and more and more gyms are moving away from running, but movies and old timey training methods have ingrained running as essential in the minds of the general populace.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Running is easily the best cardio, you can moderate your pace and push yourself to the absolute limit safely. More than swimming, biking, rolling, hitting the bags, more than anything. You can stay at your max heart rate for longer than in any other activity. Yeah you can hit the bag for an extended period but your shoulders will give out before your cardio ever does.

However, it's not for everyone. Some people's feet cue at the wrong angle and long distance running simply isn't an option as every landing puts undue torsion on the knees and hips.

You could do many things for cardio this is true...running is staple for most athletes because it can be done almost anywhere and it has added benefits beyond just cardio like muscle endurance ,and fat loss important for some fighters for weight control throughout camp..a controlled run by heart rate can target fat loss better then other activities.. alot of the time is gives time for mental preparation and visualization which is not something u can really do when doing intense skill related drills...drills...as your concentrating on the movements and not other things but visualization and mental preparation is important too for a fighter in camp it can not be underestimated IMO

Cardio can be achieved many ways tho your not wrong...to each there own...usman i believe only bikes .. And alot of guys swim Which is fantastic

 

[Y2Khaos]

Because, unlike boxers, they do not fight face to face like real men do, but rather have a tendency to turn their backs and run away when in danger.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Hahha..this isnt the normal but is absolutely funny to watch....

The fear of being unprepared is real folks...

Embarassing..as combat sport fan and Mix martial artist myself

 

[Feardafighta1126]

So, no DVDs?

Unless you fight the whole fight doing shrimps.. I think running is a good alternative, reduces stress on muscles from sparring and training.

 

[Luckyme]

According to Firas Zahabi, cardio is at least partly genetic and guys with KO power like Conor tend to have low VO2 max hence the propensity to gas. That said, they still need to train cardio (whether its running, exercise bike, whatever) to maximize their own individual potential just like every other athlete out there.

 

[Feardafighta1126]

I mean, I get that running is important in boxing where they fight longer and where there isn't as much to learn as in mma anyway, so they have time for that, but can somebody fucking explain to me why MMA fighters are still running?
They have so much things to work on technically, there is noone in the world who has elite level boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and bjj at the same time, so why don't they try to work more on technique.

And as far as cardio goes, there are so many better/more specific ways to work on that.
Bjj drills, non stop flow wrestling, high intensity Dutch drills on the bag, if done correctly, those things will ramp your heart rate up as much as running, in addition to developping your technique and not putting wear and tear on your body as much as running does.
Grapplers don't run (not speaking about wrestlers but about jitters, Adcc guys). Some intelligent kickboxers, like Bazooka Joe, don't run either, for the very same reasons I just enounced. So why in the world would guys who have such big holes in their game as far as technique goes (which is normal, you can't be good at everything) still waste time with running?


Btw, I'm of course speaking about long distance running, not speaking of short sprints, which can be useful, though not indispensable

???? so do all explosive anaerobic movements. Gotcha, that won’t take the central nervous system at all.

 

[Feardafighta1126]

Why walk into the cage, should just crawl.

 

[the gorilla]

I mean, I get that running is important in boxing where they fight longer and where there isn't as much to learn as in mma anyway, so they have time for that, but can somebody fucking explain to me why MMA fighters are still running?

This comment here kills any credibility you might have had in this debate. It also is troll bait lmao

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

To make everything clear because this sometimes kinda escalated lol
1) I don't hate anyone because they run, I occasionnaly run myself as it can be a good stress releaser
2) I know how hard running is and what a good cardio it gives you


First of all, we have to agree on what we call "cardio". If cardio is only measured from a "clinical" standpoint, where they look at your resting heart rate, your left ventricle strength or whatsoever, then, yes, running is great. Even among endurance athletes, runners have the better hearts (the difference isn't as big as some believe it to be though) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/well/move/heart-health-swimming-running-exercise.html
Of course, studies haven't been made on guys who would replace their 1h of running by 1h of non stop steady shadowboxing, heavy bag, wrestling drills etc. but let's admit someone who would run 3* 1h a week would have a "stronger" heart than someone who does that type of martial arts adapted training for the exact same amount of time.

With that being said, having the "strongest" heart because a physician tells you so doesn't win you fights. What we generally call "cardio" is also about movement efficiency, relaxation etc., things that come with muscle memory and proper technique. As I said it before, who do you think is gonna gas first in a fight between your typical mid tier UFC fighter and Kipchoge (marathon world record holder)? I bet you it's Kipchoge, because he would be so uncoordinated it would take him three times the energy of the UFC guy to perform the same move.

To sum this up I would say this:
Take Fighter A and Fighter B. Fighter A and Fighter B are the exact same guys, same height, reach, weight, experience, etc.
Fighter A trains for 3 hours a day and runs 1h after that. Fighter B also trains for 3 hours a day (doing the exact same training), but instead of running afterwards, he puts in one hour of steady shadowboxing, Dutch drill, bjj and wrestling drills etc.
Let them do that for 2 years.
After those 2 years are over, Fighter A and Fighter B fight each other.
What I think is that fighter B would show better "cardio" than Fighter A. Because the "stronger" heart A would have got from jogging would have become irrelevant compared to the extra relaxation/smoothness etc. that fighter B would have got from all the adapted cardio. Not to mention he would have less wear and tear on his body than Fighter A, especially if our fighters are bigger guys.



Of course, there is a state where you will become so proficient from a technical standpoint that you will no longer benefit a lot from working on your technique. If you're Floyd and do the exact same sport since you are 5, you ain't becoming much better from a technical standpoint, so work more on your cardio. But when you have to be good in wrestling, bjj, fence wrestling, kickboxing, muay thai and boxing, I don't think you can afford that to that extent.