Warm up:

For this workout I warmed up with 5 minutes of shadow boxing throwing a mixture of punches and knee strikes.

Round 1, 3 and 5

Here are the exercises I used for rounds 1, 3 and 5.

Lower body: Squat to step up and knee strike

Start with your left leg on the step and the other on the ground. Squat down and then explode up into a step up. As you step up throw a knee strike with your right leg. Second time around perform on the opposite leg.

Cardio: Knee ride to sprawl

Start with one knee on the bag and one off (Knee ride). From here perform a sprawl by dropping your hips to the floor before jumping back into knee ride on the opposite side.

Upper body: VIPR uppercuts

Start in your fighting stance holding the VIPR. Perform an uppercut movement bringing the VIPR up and over your shoulder. Not only will this work your shoulders and arms but it is great for your lower back and oblique’s. Again perform 30 seconds on one side and switch sides second time around.

Core: Hip drags

From a press up position drag the VIPR under your body to the other side by exploding through your hips. This exercise is great for the core as well as working the hips and will help a fighter when it comes to grappling and ground fighting.

Cardio: Single leg squat thrusts

From a press up position jump one leg up towards the chest and then back out again while the other leg stays in the air. Change legs second time around.

1. : 

Rounds 2 and 4

Lower body: VIPR Rotating lunge

This exercise not only hits your legs but will work your core and helps to mimic throwing a hook punch.

Cardio: 3 strike ground and pound

From the knee ride position throw one punch, elbow and hammerfist strike before switching sides and repeating.

Upper body: Walk over press up

Start with one hand on the floor and one on the VIPR. Perform a press up and then crawl over the VIPR performing press ups as you move.

Core: Plank with plate drag

Start in a plank position with a weight plate by your right arm. Drag the weight from one side to the other aiming to keep your body as still as possible.

Cardio: Lateral jogging

Using objects such as VIPR, hurdles, powerbags etc. Jog sideways over the objects keeping your knees up and holding your hands up in a boxing guard. This exercise is designed to help with a fighters S.A.Q (speed, agility and quickness).

1. : 

Warm up:

As always spend between 5-10 minutes warming the body up with some light cardio such as shadow boxing, skipping, cardio machines etc.

Circuit:

Complete 10 reps of the following exercises.

PRESS UP

PULL UP

1 ARM DUMBBELL SNATCH (10 PER ARM)

DUMBBELL SQUAT (Hold a dumbbell in both hands at chest height and perform a squat).

DUMBBELL FRONT LUNGE (Hold a dumbbell in both hands at chest height and perform 5 lunges per leg).

V-UP

BICYCLE OBLIQUE TWISTS

At the end of the circuit complete a 3 minute round on a punch bag throwing a mixture of combinations. If you have not got use of a punch bag then try the alternative below.

Punch bag alternative:

Complete 30 seconds of the exercises below and complete this circuit twice for a total of 3 minutes.

BURPEE

SQUAT JUMP

ICE SKATERS

At the end of your 3 minute cardio round rest for 1-2 minutes and then repeat the circuit. Aim to complete 3 circuits before cooling down and stretching.

Medicine balls: 1-7kg

 TRX:

Kettlebells: 4-24kg

Powerbags: 7.5-25kg

Boxing equipment: Punch bags, focus pads, gloves, kick shield

Resistance bands:

Free weights: Large selection of dumbbells, barbells and weight plates

Cardio equipment: x-trainer, spin cycle, rower

Slosh pipe: Large pipe filled with water that’s great for core training

Sledgehammers and tyres:

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Our first session is outlined below.

Warm up:

We started off by warming up with a mixture of dynamic movements, functional flexibility and sport specific movements such as medicine ball swings and rotations, lunges, active hip flexor and hamstring stretches and hip escapes.

Main workout:

For the first session we focused mainly on exercise technique rather on how much weight we could lift, working around 10 reps. We started with a lightweight to help warm up the targeted muscle groups and then increased the weight slightly each set completing 3-4 sets per exercise.

 Deadlift 

Clean and press

Squat

2-handed kettlebell swings

Recline row and walk over press-up on a low step (These 2 exercises were completed in a superset with no rest between the 2).

Core superset:

After the main resistance workout we finished with a superset of 2 exercises that targeted the core. Each exercise was done for 30 seconds.

 Medicine ball Russian twists

Press-ups with handclaps (Marlon got into a press-up position and I knelt in front of him. He performed one press-up and then lifted his right hand of the floor and clapped my right hand aiming to keep his body still by engaging his core muscles. He then repeated with another press-up followed by left hand clap).

At the end of the workout we cooled down and stretched focusing on lower back, hamstrings and hip flexors.

I will be posting more of the workouts over the next few weeks complete with video clips showing a sample of some of our sessions.

When doing pad work I use a system of numbers with each number relating to a combination. To keep it simple the numbers also relate to how many punches will be thrown, so for example combination 1 is a single jab while combo 3 is a jab, cross, lead hook.

I will start off by looking at the basic punches used and then there is a video showing the 8 combinations being thrown onto a punch bag. To finish off I will look at ways you can incorporate this type of training into your own workouts.

JAB: 

The jab is thrown with your lead hand, which for many people will be the left. Standing with your left foot forward and jabbing from this side is known as the orthodox stance. If you are left handed you may find it easier to stand in the southpaw stance which means standing with your right foot forward and jabbing with the right hand. When throwing this punch twist your arm in a corkscrew type motion to allow the fist to hit the target with your palm facing down.

CROSS:

The cross like the jab is a straight punch thrown with your rear hand. When throwing this punch pivot off your back foot. Again make impact with your palm facing down.

FRONT HOOK:

This punch is thrown with the elbow up at shoulder height with the shoulder, elbow and wrist in alignment. Normally impact would be made with the palm facing down but can be done with the palm facing towards you as long as you maintain a straight wrist. Twist your trunk and pivot off your front foot.

REAR UPPERCUT:

This punch is thrown with the palm of your hand facing towards you. Aim to roll your hips as you throw this punch to help generate the power.

Combinations:

1. Jab
2. Jab, cross
3. Jab, cross, front hook
4. Jab, cross, front hook, rear uppercut
5. Jab, cross, front hook, rear uppercut, front hook
6. Jab, cross, front hook, rear uppercut, front hook, cross
7. Jab, cross, front hook, rear uppercut, front hook, cross, rear uppercut
8. Jab, cross, front hook, rear uppercut, front hook, cross, rear uppercut, front hook

As well as these 8 I also use 2 combinations, which involve throwing 2 punches with the same hand. Instead of calling out numbers I would just shout out the punches thrown.

Front hand: Jab, front hook

Rear hand: Rear uppercut, cross

1. : 

: If you are working on a straight bag (like in the video) then throw your uppercuts just off the target and focus more on technique rather than power. Or you could replace the uppercut with a cross or rear hook. If you are using an uppercut bag (these are normally shaped like an upside down bowling pin) then you can use the 8 combinations as they are outlined on here.

: Start out aiming to complete 1 minute on either pads or bag and then work up to 3 minute rounds. Try to keep your rest in between rounds to 1 minute.

: As all workouts make sure to warm up and cool down. Good warm ups for boxing workouts include skipping and shadow boxing. Areas to focus on stretching after a workout include your shoulders and back (especially your latissimus dorsi, the large muscle down the side of your back).

: If you are just using a bag/pads but want an all round workout then look at doing a circuit of bodyweight exercises in between rounds such as press-ups, squats, lunges, crunches etc.

Ground and pound gauntlet.

Jump and punch your way to fighting fitness with this explosive challenge.

For this challenge all you will need is either a punch bag or a kick shield placed on the floor. You will start off with one lateral jump over the bag or shield (One rep counts as jumping over the bag and then back again) and then drop down and throw five strikes. Each time increase the jumps by one rep and the strikes by 5.

Example:

1 jump with 5 strikes.

2 jumps with 10 strikes.

3 jumps with 15 strikes.

See how many jumps and strikes you can get in within the 5 minute round.

TIP: Throw all your strikes with maximum power and aggression to get the most out of this challenge.

Sprawl and brawl.

Train to defend takedowns and punish your opponents with vicious ground and pound in this challenge.

This challenge is similar to the one above except this time you perform a sprawl rather than lateral jumps.

Example:

1 sprawl with 5 strikes

2 sprawls with 10 strikes

3 sprawls with 15 strikes.

See how many sprawls and strikes you can get in within the 5 minute round.

Punch out:

Experience some serious shoulder burn as you punch your way to fighting fitness.

For this challenge you will need a pair of light dumbbells (0.5-2kg). Start off with 5 straight punches (jab, cross) before dropping down into 1 sprawl which can be done with or without the dumbbells. Each time increase the punches by 5 and the sprawl by 1.

Example:

5 punches with 1 sprawl

10 punches with 2 sprawls

15 punches with 3 sprawls

See how many punches and sprawls you can achieve within the 5 minute round.

TIP: Avoid locking out your elbows on the punches and focus on technique for the entire 5 minutes.

Here are 2 ways of doing this workout.

Workout 1: Begin both workouts with 5-10 minutes of light cardio such as shadow boxing, skipping, exercise bike etc.

Perform the first 5 exercises back to back with no rest spending 45 seconds-1 minute on each one. At the end of these 5 exercises rest for 1-2 minutes and then perform the next 5 exercises.

Round 1:

Press ups over bag: Begin with both hands on the bag. Take one hand off and place it on the floor and perform a press up. Push yourself back onto the bag and repeat on the opposite side.

Ground and bag: Throw a mixture of strikes on the bag. After every 10 strikes change position on the bag from knee ride (one knee on the bag one knee off) to mount (both knees either side of the bag).

Squat, press and slam: Start standing with feet either side of the bag. Bend your knees and lift the bag onto your shoulder. Perform a squat and as you stand up press the bag upwards. Slam the bag back down and repeat with the opposite shoulder.

Lateral jumps with sprawl: Stand next to the bag and perform a side jump over it. As soon as you land on the other side drop into a sprawl. Stand back up and repeat.

Crunch on bag: Lay on the bag with your feet in the air. Perform a basic crunch by curling your shoulder blades up and off the bag.

Round 2:

Push press: Hold the bag at either end. Bend your knees slightly and as you straighten them press the bag over your head.

Ground and pound with armbar: Throw 10 strikes from the mount position and then perform an armbar technique. Scramble back onto the bag and repeat.

Alternating knee to bag: Get into a squat thrust position with both hands resting on the bag. Perform an alternating squat thrust making sure to touch the bag with your knee on each repetition.

Bag flip: Hold the bag with both hands at around chest height. Flip the bag into the air so it spins around once. Catch it and repeat by flipping it back over the opposite way.

Bag stand up: Lay down with the bag resting across your chest. Stand up without letting go of the bag. Return to the ground and repeat.

Round 3: Same as round 1

Round 4: Same as round 2

Round 5: Hang the bag back up and complete a 3-5 minute round of throwing different punch and kick combinations.

Workout 2: This time complete all 10 exercises back to back spending 30 seconds on each one. At the ends of the 5 minutes rest for 1-2 minutes and then repeat for 3-5 rounds.

At the end of either workout spend a few minutes cooling down with some light cardio before stretching.

PROGRAMME TO INCREASE STRENTH AND POWER:

This workout is designed to help increase strength, power and anaerobic fitness for those that compete or train in mixed martial arts (MMA). These athletes not only need to be strong but also have the explosive power and stamina to perform at a high intensity for multiple 5 minute rounds. This programme uses a mixture of compound movements, plyometrics, sport specific movements and high intensity circuits over a 3 day split.

 DAY 1: Upper body

As well as a basic 5-10 minute light cardio warm up include some bodyweight and muscle activation exercises such as arm swings, spider crawls, crab walks, rotator cuff movements etc.

Bench press: Perform 2 warm up sets using a weight that is comfy for 12-15 reps then do 3 sets using a weight that is challenging for 6-8 reps.

In between each set of bench presses do a set of 10 explosive press ups. Place your hands either side of a low step and perform a press up, as you push back up jump your hands onto the step. Return your hands back to the floor and repeat. Perform the reps as fast as you can.

Rest for up to 1 minute between supersets.

Deadlifts: Perform 2 warm up sets using a weight that is comfy for 12-15 reps then do 3 sets using a weight that is challenging for 6-8 reps.

In between each set of deadlifts do a set of 10 jump pull ups. Stand under a pull up bar and jump up and perform one pull up before dropping down to the floor and repeating. Perform the reps as fast as you can. If you want to make this exercise even more anaerobic based and sports specific then perform one sprawl each time you hit the ground.

Clean and press:  Perform 3 sets of 6-8 reps with a challenging weight.

 In between sets of clean and presses perform 10 overhead medicine ball slams. Hold a heavy ball above your head with arms extended. Bring your arms down quickly and bend your knees slightly as you slam the ball into the ground. Catch the ball and repeat. Perform the reps as fast as you can.

High pulls: Perform 3 sets of 6-8 reps with a challenging weight.

Core circuit: Perform these 2 exercises back to back for 3 supersets. Rest for up to 1 minute between supersets.

Plank with up and down movement: Start in the basic plank position resting on your forearms and hold for 2 seconds and then push yourself up onto your hands with arms fully extended. Hold for another 2 seconds and then return to the start position and repeat for 10 reps.

Medicine ball Russian twists: Perform 20 reps.

Day 2: Lower body

As well as a basic 5-10 minute light cardio warm up include some muscle activation exercises and body weight movements such as prisoner squats, walking lunges, floor bridges, iron cross etc.

Barbell squats: Perform 2 warm up sets using a weight that is comfy for 12-15 reps then do 3 sets using a weight that is challenging for 6-8 reps.

In between sets of squats perform 10 plyometric step jumps. Stand in front of a step box or plyometric platform and jump 2 footed onto it aiming to land softly with knees bent. Step down and repeat. Perform the reps as fast as you can.

Reverse dumbbell lunges: Perform 2 warm up sets using a weight that is comfy for 10 reps per leg then do 3 sets using a weight that is challenging for 6-8 reps per leg.

In between sets of reverse lunges perform 20 jump lunges (10 per leg).

Side lunges: Perform 3 sets of 6-8 reps per leg with a challenging weight.

In between sets of side lunges perform 10 lateral side jumps. Stand next to a low step box or a kick shield stood on its side. Perform a 2 footed lateral jump over the object landing softly with knees bent on the other side. Perform the reps as fast as you can.

Stiff legged deadlifts: Perform 3 sets of 6-8 reps per leg with a challenging weight.

Core circuit: Perform these 2 exercises back to back for 3 supersets. Rest for up to 1 minute between supersets.

Medicine ball woodchops: Hold a medicine ball over your right shoulder and then contract your abdominals and twist the ball across your body to your left knee. Repeat for 10 reps and then repeat on the other side.

Hanging leg raises: Perform 10 reps.

Day 3: Circuit training

As well as a basic 5-10 minute light cardio warm up include some muscle activation exercises, body weight movements and S.AQ drills such as prisoner squats, walking lunges, side crawls, hip escapes, speed ladder drills etc.

Perform each of these 10 exercises back to back for 30 seconds. At the end of the tenth exercise, rest for 1 minute and then repeat for 3-5 rounds.

Walk over’s: Place both hands onto a medicine ball (use a low step box for an easier variation), take one hand off the ball and place it onto the floor. Perform a press up pushing yourself back onto the ball before repeating on the other side.

Jump squats: Perform a basic squat, as you stand up jump into the air as high as possible. When you land bend your knees and drop straight back into a squat and repeat.

Explosive get ups: Lay flat on the floor holding a medicine ball above your head. Quickly pull the ball over your head and sit up whilst at the same time pulling your feet under your bottom and exploding up onto your feet. Return to the ground and repeat.

Sprawls:

2 handed Kettlebell or dumbbell swings:

Jump lunges:

Rotating dumbbell shoudler presses: Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing towards you. Alternatively press the dumbbells up and across your body by rotating at your hips and extending your arm.  

Lateral jumps onto step box: Stand next to a step box and perform a 2 footed side jump landing softly on the box before jumping off to the other side. Repeat by jumping back the opposite way.

Dumbbell clean and presses:

Burpees: