Warm up:

The warm up follows the same principles as before with you taking your members through a shadow boxing routine. We are sticking to four combinations but we are changing them slightly.

Combo 1: Starting off in the basic fighting stance with either the left foot (orthodox) or the right foot (southpaw) forward the first punch is again the lead jab. Throw the lead hand straight out turning the wrist as you do so your knuckles face forward.

Combo 2: This is a jab followed by a rear hook. For the hook keep the elbow up high and the wrist straight. Lift the back heel and rotate the hips as you throw the punch.

Combo 3: Jab, rear hook and front uppercut. The front uppercut is thrown by dropping the front shoulder slightly and turning the hips to throw the punch upwards. Keep the wrist straight and the knuckles facing up.

Combo 4: jab, rear hook, front uppercut and cross. With the rear hand throw a straight cross. Turn the hips as you throw the punch.

As before use front and rear knees as well as sprawls within the warm up.

Upper body:

Around the head plate rotations: Increased strength and mobility in the shoulders is very important for a fighter when throwing punches and grappling which is why this exercise is included. Hold a weights plate by the sides. Begin with it in front of your chest with your elbows bent. Take the plate over your shoulder and behind your head keeping it close to you. Rotate the plate round and bring it back over your opposite shoulder to the start position. Repeat going the opposite way.

Medicine ball slams: This exercise would help fighters improve their upper body’s explosive power. Hold a medicine ball at arms length above your head and then forcefully throw it into the ground. Catch the ball on the rebound and repeat.

Lower body:

Squats with knee strikes: The basic lower body exercise made more specific to the sport by adding powerful knee strikes. Perform a normal two legged squat, as you stand up from the bottom position deliver a knee strike. Repeat the squat and knee strike with the opposite leg.

Progression: Throw the knee strikes into a kick shield or focus pads.

Staggered squat with strikes: In this exercise the basic squat becomes a defensive manoeuvre combined with the jab, cross. Start in your fighting stance and throw a jab before bending your knees and squatting down as if you were ducking to avoid a punch. Come up and throw a cross. Repeat from the beginning.

Progression: Throw the punches into focus pads.

Core:

 Medicine ball twists: Strong obliques will help fighters to throw more effective punches. Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs in the air holding a medicine ball. Twist the ball to either side of the body while keeping your legs in the air and as still as possible

Regression: Place the feet on the floor.

Progression: Have your feet uncrossed.

Medicine ball crunch with elbow strikes: This exercise takes a powerful elbow strike thrown from the ground and turns it into a great exercise for the abdominals and obliques. Start with a medicine ball between your knees and your legs in the air. Perform a basic crunch, from this position bring one elbow across the body towards the ball as if you were trying to strike it. Perform 10 reps and then repeat with the opposite arm.

Regression: Perform with feet on the floor. Perform without holding the ball.

Cardio:

Ground and pound standing strikes to mount: Fighters need to be able to strike a downed opponent even when their arms are heavy and burning. Recreate the feeling with this simple cardio drill. Stand with your feet either side of a prone bag with your knees slightly bent. Throw 10 straight punches into the bag alternating between hands before dropping down into the mount position. Throw a further 10 strikes using punches, elbows and hammer fists. Stand up and repeat.

Hip escape:  Begin in a press up position. Take one foot of the ground and rotate the hips taking the leg under the body and out to the other side. As you rotate the leg through take the opposite hand off the floor and into the air. Return to start position and repeat to opposite side.

Regression: Keep the hands on the floor and just lift the legs. Perform a basic squat thrust.

Challenge round:

For this update we have included 2 new challenges for you to try.

Chest challenge: This challenge involves a press up with a kneeling sprawl. Start with one basic press up and then go into a kneeling position and perform one kneeling sprawl. Each time increase both exercises by one rep.

Ultimate Abs: This challenge combines a crunch with a guard sit up without a medicine ball. Begin by performing one basic crunch and one guard sit up. Each time increase the crunch by one but only ever do one guard sit up in between.

“Ok, so I arrive at Fitness First Wakefield to take part in a studio class called Strike Fit!

The advertisements say Train like a Fighter.

Today the class will be an event run/co-hosted by Mr. Richard Brewin (founder of the Strike Fit Programme.)

My First impression of Richard is good, he looks the part, looks fit! To be honest I half expected some guy who does not train trying to cash in on the MMA scene like so many others do, (I see this a lot some random trainer/club teaching MMA badly and simply getting off on hitting young lads.)

Anyway back to Strike Fit.

After speaking with Richard for a short while I realised this is no Bum trying to cash in but a serious Instructor that had clearly done both the groundwork and research to understand the concept that helped him formulate Strike Fit.

I decided I would take part in the session, even though I am sick as a dog and high on Lockets, HA!

What I see is a structured circuit layout with 5 – 1min stations then put into 5 rounds, just as a fight would be with 1 min rest between stations.

Sit-ups, sprawls, tucks, ground & pound, all totally authentic exercises that as a Pro-fighter I have used in training, the class is 100% MMA style training.

It is good solid work and I did get a good sweat on and feel the benefit of the session, and just when you think it’s over…the challenge round is thrown in, lol, awesome.

As a pro-Fighter I train 6 times a week and cardio is a big part of what we do, Strike Fit will allow you to ‘Train the way we do’ without the pain and commitment of the fight, it’s not for everyone.

You want to train like a Fighter? Get to a Strike session, and bring some guts with you”.

Mark ‘Superman’ Aldridge (Professional MMA Fighter.)

The class was 5×5 minute rounds of circuit training MMA style and included a mixture of aerobic exercises such as straddle jumps, explosive step ups and sprawls, ground and pound drills, abdominal exercises such as sit up with strikes and Russian twists and upper and lower body exercises such as medicine ball press ups and jump lunges. At the end of the 5 rounds we finished with a tough 5 minute challenge round. For more information on this class check out the link http://www.resultsconditioning.com/mma-conditioning or contact me direct.

Check out the below videos of the class in action.

Check out Mark “superman” Aldridge performing a sprawl with punch combination.

Gary Park:

Gary is one of the instructors at Fitness First who teaches the Strike-Fit class. He has a wealth of knowledge in both martial arts and health and fitness. Check out his website here.

http://www.twgpfitnesstrainingservices.co.uk/

For this evenings session we were again focusing on circuit training to help with Marlons cardio fitness, stamina and muscular endurance. Tonight’s session would follow the format of my R.E.P’s (Register of exercise professionals) MMA conditioning class. This circuit-based workout is currently being run by Fitness first health clubs around the UK on their exercise class timetables under the name Strike-fit. The workout uses a mixture of fight specific movements such as ground and pound and sprawling etc alongside plyometrics and resistance exercises to give you a high intensity session. Participant’s work through 4-6 rounds with each round lasting for 5 minutes. Rounds are made up of 5 exercises with each one either being done for 1 minute or for 30 seconds with each of the exercises being done twice. For this workout Marlon would be spending 30 seconds on each exercise. Rounds 1 and 3 would consist of one lot of 5 exercises with rounds 2 and 4 being made up of 5 different exercises. Once all 4 rounds were done we would finish off with a gut busting 5-minute challenge round.

Warm up:

For this workout the warm up is made up of shadow boxing. I would call out numbers 1-4 and Marlon would throw the corresponding combination, so for example number 1 was a single jab and 4 was a jab, cross, lead hook, rear uppercut.  As well as the numbers I would also call for front and rear knee strikes as well as the sprawl to help warm up the entire body.

Main workout:

The MMA conditioning class follows a set structure so that within a 5-minute round you will perform 1 exercise for upper body, lower body and core and 2 cardio based exercises.

Rounds 1 and 3.

Lower body: Step up to knee strike

Place one foot onto a step box. Push off the leg that’s on the step and as you do so bring the other leg up, forcefully driving the hips through to deliver the knee strike. Step back down and repeat, aiming to spend as little time with your foot on the ground as possible.

Cardio: Ground and pound

From either the mount position (knees either side of bag) or knee ride (one knee on, one leg off) throw a mixture of punches, elbows and hammerfists.

Upper body: Walk over step

Begin with both hands on a low step. Take one hand off the step and place it on the floor and perform a press up before returning your hand back onto the step and repeat to the other side.

Core: Crunch with med ball between knees.

Perform a basic crunch whilst keeping your legs in the air and holding a medicine ball that is positioned between your knees. This not only works your abdominal muscles but also the muscles used when holding someone in guard.

Cardio: Lateral jumps

Stand next to an object such as a low step, hurdles, powerbag etc and perform a 2 footed side jump. Aim to land soft by bending your knees on impact.

Rounds 2 and 4.

Lower body: Step jumps

Jump up onto a step box that is positioned in front of you, aiming to land soft by bending your knees on impact. Step back down and repeat.

Cardio: Ground and pound with armbar

Start in the mount position and throw 10 strikes before pushing yourself off the bag and throwing your left leg over the bag and falling to the left hand side. This forms the armbar position, which is a submission technique, used within MMA. From here scramble back onto the bag and repeat with an armbar to the right.

Upper body: Medicine ball strikes

Standing at arms length from a punch bag. Hold a heavy med ball in both hands and rapidly tap the bag. After each strike against the bag bring the ball back and tap your stomach. This exercise will help to improve the stamina in your forearms, which can benefit a fighter when it comes to grappling and clinching. It also gives your abdominals some impact training.

Core: Guard sit up

From a crunch position hold a medicine ball across your chest and then scramble to your feet without using your hands. Return to the floor and repeat.

Cardio: Sprawling.

From a standing position drop your hips to the floor as if defending a takedown. From here explode back up onto your feet. For this workout Marlon would throw a jab, cross into the focus pads each time he stood up.

Challenge round:

At the end of a MMA conditioning workout there is a 5 minute challenge round. This is designed to push people to their limits and simulate how it feels in the last few minutes of a MMA bout when faituge and latic acid really kicks in.

The challenge I used with Marlon used lateral jumps over a kick shield and ground and pound strikes. Place a shield on the floor and stand next to it. From here jump sideways over it and then back to your start position (this counts as 1 rep) then drop down and throw 5 strikes. Each time increase the jumps by 1 rep and the strikes by 5. I set Marlon the challenge of reaching 10 jumps with 50 strikes within 5 minutes. He completed it in under 4!

The video shows Marlon working through round 3.

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I am pleased to announce that Fitness First health clubs will be launching Strike-fit in the following  clubs in the next couple of weeks.

Mansfield

Solihull

Stoke

Manchester Gorton

Pontefract

Wakefield

Bradford Horton park

Moston

Manchester Central

Leeds

Chesterfield

For any more information regarding courses or classes please contact me.

Upper body: Rotational medicine ball slams

Hold a medicine ball above your head at arms length. Rotate at your hips and slam the ball into the ground by the side of you. Catch the ball on the rebound and take it back over your head before repeating to the other side.

Lower body: Stand to kneel

Hold a medicine ball in both hands at chest height. From a standing position place one knee onto the floor followed by the other. From this kneeling position, stand back up again and repeat.

Regression: Perform this exercise without the medicine ball.

Core: V-ups

Lie on your back with both your arms and legs extended. Crunch up and lift your arms and legs together. Return to the ground aiming to keep your feet just slightly off the floor whilst maintaining a flat lower back.

Regression. Lift one leg at a time.

Progression. Add resistance by holding a medicine ball or weight plate above your head.

Cardio: Straddle jump with switch stance.

Stand with your feet either side of a step. Jump onto the step and land in your combat stance with one-foot forward and hands up in guard. Jump back off and land back in your start position before repeating, landing this time with opposite leg forward.

Regression. Use a lower step or perform step-ups rather than jumps.

Progression. Increase the step height or the speed of the movement.

Cardio: Transitional elbows.

From your knee ride position throw one elbow strike. Use the same arm for the strike as the knee that is on the bag. So if you have your right knee on the bag you would strike with your right elbow. Switch to the opposite knee ride position and throw another elbow strike. Repeat this as fast as you can; only ever throwing one strike.

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Warm up:

Combo 1: Jab

Combo 2: Jab, descending elbow. (Bring the elbow up and over the shoulder and strike down. You are aiming to strike with the point of the elbow).

Combo 3: Jab, descending elbow, hook.

Combo 4: Jab, descending elbow, hook, ascending elbow. (Bring the arm up as if throwing an uppercut but strike with the point of the elbow).

Defensive technique: Duck

From your combat stance perform a squat by sitting your hips and bottom back and down. Keep your guard up when performing the duck.

: 

I am pleased to announce that Fitness First health clubs will be launching Strike-fit in the following  clubs in the next couple of weeks.

Mansfield

Solihull

Stoke

Manchester Gorton

Pontefract

Wakefield

Bradford Horton park

Moston

Manchester Central

Leeds

Chesterfield

For any more information regarding courses or classes please contact me.

Chest Challenge:

Destroy your upper body in this press up challenge.

This challenge involves nothing more than your bodyweight. Start with one press up and then go into a kneeling position and perform one kneeling sprawl. Each time increase both exercises by one rep.

Example:

1 Press up with 1 sprawl

2 press ups with 2 sprawls

3 press ups with 3 sprawls

See how many press ups and sprawls in can complete within the 5 minute round.

Exercise technique:

Kneeling sprawl: Start from a kneeling position and place both hands on the floor and then jump your legs back and out to the side dropping your hips to the ground whilst keeping your chest up (same as a standing sprawl). Kick your legs back in and return back to a kneeling position.

Ultimate Abs:

Combine a crunch and a guard sit up to hit your core whilst getting your heart and lungs working too.

Again this challenge only requires your bodyweight. Complete one abdominal crunch followed by a guard sit up. Each time increase your crunch by one whilst keeping the guard sit up to a single rep.

Example:

1 Crunch with 1 guard sit up

2 Crunches with 1 guard sit up

3 Crunches with 1 guard sit up

See how many crunches you can complete within the 5 minute round.

Exercise technique:

Guard sit up: Start in a crunch position and as you sit up tuck one foot under your bottom whilst extending your opposite leg straight out. From here get onto the knee of your bent leg and then push yourself up into a standing position without using your hands. Check out the sample round at the MMA Conditioning link and on it you will see a medicine ball guard sit up being performed.

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.

Challenge 1: Jump to it.

Feel how heavy your legs would be at the end of a 5 minute MMA round with this brutal lower body challenge.

All you will need for this challenge is a step box. Perform a box jump followed by one sprawl. Then increase your box jumps each time by one rep whilst keeping your sprawls in between to a single rep.

Example: 1 box jump with 1 sprawl

                 2 box jumps with 1 sprawl

                 3 box jumps with 1 sprawl

See how many box jumps you can get up to within 5 minutes. Check out the video below to see an example of box jumps and sprawls within a sample MMA circuit.

Lower body: Jump lunges. Start in a lunge position. Jump up and switch legs landing back in the lunge position.

Core: Triangle crunch. Place one foot across your knee with the other leg extended to form the triangle position. As you crunch up pull your straight leg towards you.

Cardio: Lateral jogging. Set up either a speed ladder or a row of cones. Perform a side jog from side to side as fast as you can whilst keeping your knees high.

Ground and pound with side control. Start from the mount and throw 10 strikes before moving to knee ride and throwing another 10 strikes. From here drop to the side control position by placing your body on the floor next to the bag whilst keeping hold of it with one hand. Throw 10 strikes with your free hand before moving around the bag to side control on the opposite side (keep your hands in contact with the bag as you move). Go from side control back to knee ride and then finish back in mount before starting again.

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