James Smith - The Significance of Specific Strength Development in MMA
James Smith - The Significance of Specific Strength Development in MMA
By James Smith
www.PowerDevelopmentInc.com
As the sport of MMA progresses so must the specific means
and methods of fighter training. For some time now it has
been widely acknowledged that fighters must be highly
skilled and conditioned in order to be competitive at the
elite level. What has failed to have been addressed in the
grand scheme, however, is the importance of developing
specific strength.
With respect to specific strength development, one term
which all competitive fighters must be made aware of is
power to weight ratio. This term illustrates the
significance of fighters maximizing their power capabilities
with respect to their bodyweight. A high power to weight
ratio, combined with a high level of technical skill and
conditioning, may allow a fighter to dominate his respective
weight class.
In this regard-Most fighters are aware that they must achieve a high level
of technical skill in order to be highly competitive.
-Most fighters are aware that they must achieve a high level
of anaerobic/aerobic conditioning in order to be highly
competitive.
-Most fighters are UNAWARE of the various means and methods
of developing sport specific strength which will directly
translate to increased performance in the Octagon, in the
ring, on the mat, etc.
The development of submissions, takedowns, striking,
positioning, etc, has been well defined. What has not been
well defined (in the MMA world), however, are the specific
means and methods of developing the various manifestations
of muscular strength which will add an extremely valuable
dimension to any fighters capabilities.
Considerations
When devising a training program, all fighters must take
into account the overall volume of training (e.g. skill
www.teamgorillahouse.com/site/view/NeilTheKneeBarMelanson.pm
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Neil has and continues to serve as an example for
demonstrating the efficacy of integrating the optimal means
and methods of strength training into the training program
of a Mixed Martial Artist. Neils strength, conditioning,
and skill level are exceedingly well developed for any
fighter, especially one who has been training for MMA for
less than two years.
Some of Neils strength accomplishments at 64 250lbs (Drug
Free) are:
- 600lb Sumo Deadlift (No Belt)
- 550lb Sumo Deadlift for 3 reps (No Belt)
- 25 Neutral Grip Bodyweight Pull Ups
Neils development as a fighter is a testament to the fact
that a great fighter may be produced in a very short period
of time so long as the optimal means and methods of training
are implemented into the training program only after having
been constructed, analyzed, and categorized by way of the
programming and organization of training.
Program Construction
Program construction is ultimately a factor of time. Every
fighter has a different work/school/training schedule. Thus,
every fighter is faced with different considerations with
respect to how much time may be allotted to the development
of all sport-specific abilities. Furthermore, every fighter
has different strengths and weaknesses. Thus, every fighter
must logically and systematically organize all training
variables so that the development of weak abilities is
prioritized while concurrently developing and/or maintaining
all other abilities
. This logical and systematic organization and
implementation of training variables may be realized through
the Conjugate Sequence System, and the Concurrent method of
periodization. The Conjugate method is a form of
periodization in which all sport-specific abilities are
developed in sequence over time by means of uni-directional
loading of sport-specific training parameters/methods. The
Concurrent method is another form of periodization in which
all sport-specific abilities are developed simultaneously
over time. This concurrent development of abilities is