Strength and Conditioning for MMA Athletes: 1 – Program Essentials

July 27th, 2023

Strength and conditioning provides ample benefits to athletes in general. These benefits range from increased strength, power, and speed, to improved body composition, bone density, range of motion, and reduced injury risk. For the combative athlete, specific strength training approaches are a necessary supplement within the yearly training program. In addition to the benefits, strength training provides a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

How do we develop more robust and resilient athletes? Where do we begin?

Below, I will outline an approach that I’ve recently implemented for our fight group at Kearney Combat Sports. By no means is this a “one-size fits all”, but it worked for us and has produced adequate results.

1. Provide Value: It all starts with you. Whether you have obtained a terminal degree or have trained in mixed martial arts for many hours over many years, this applies to all sports performance professionals. We have to find ways to provide some inherent value to the organization that we contribute to. How can you provide value? Formal education on anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, athlete care and injury prevention, biomechanics, and strength and conditioning can bolster your value. Informal education like training and competition can also provide IMMENSE value.
2. Build Meaningful and Lasting Relationships: They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Believe it or not, as athletic performance professionals we are in the PEOPLE BUSINESS. Before we can design intricate and highly effective strength and conditioning programs, we have to FOCUS on connecting with the key stakeholders within our dojos. How can we accomplish this? Relax, be yourself, effectively communicate, and be open to differing perspectives and insights. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how great your program is if nobody is interested in participating in it.
3. Fully Understand Where You are Starting: Assess don’t guess. Take the time to understand the coaches and athletes within your organization. Understand their needs and how you can serve them. Understand areas of excellence and areas of improvement. Invest time here and you won’t regret it. In regard to strength and conditioning, it may be useful to develop an annual training plan, implement a testing and assessment protocol, and effectively design a (flexible) strength and conditioning program to produce desired results.
4. Fully Understand Where You are Going: Failing to plan is planning to fail. Determine specific training goals (whether subjective or objective) and begin to plan out how you can support the accomplishment of them. During this step, it is critical to rely on the expertise and knowledge of your coaches and athletes. Are the goals specific? Are the goals measurable? Are the goals attainable and realistic? Can the goals be accomplished within the desired timeframe?
5. Enjoy the Ride: Time flies when you are having fun. Time goes by even faster in and out of fight camps and when you are responsible for managing the development of athletes at different stages of their career with goals of making it to the pinnacle of their careers. Enjoy the process, time goes by fast!

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