Inside MMA Mixed Martial Arts

Core Training for the MMA Athelete

by Doug Pieper

Core Training for the MMA Athelete

A number of years ago, I was 5ʼ8 and about 190lbs. I thought for my size I was a rock. I could do 100 pushups in a row without a problem. I could easily bench 250 lbs and leg press 700. One of my martial arts trainers told me that I was weak and needed to improve on my strikes, balance and develop my muscles more. I was about twice as thick as my Sifu (apparently both physically and mentally). I was confused and had no idea what he meant. My pectorals and latissimus dorsi may have been strong but my "core," my abductors and adductors, my obliques, my spinal musculature, were weak and what I was, was a lot of useless mass on a weak platform. Picture a safe box on a toothpick on another safe box. This kind of uneven strength distribution is detrimental to a fighter and most athletes.

Bulging biceps and a massive chest are what most people rave about. I never heard anyone say "HOLY SH^T, LOOK AT THAT GUYS CORE!!!!" Yet, this is the most important area for many athletes, particularly those in combat sports like Mixed Martial Arts. Bruce Lee often spoke about how he punched from inside which is how his meager 140 pound frame generated heavyweight power as potent as anyone. The science behind the generation of power makes such seemingly impossible feats tangible. Force equals mass times acceleration (F=MA). The force of a strike has as much to do with its acceleration as the weight behind it. Additionally, the weight behind a 120lb personʼs punch can be greater than that of a 240lb personʼs punch depending on its delivery. This is where a strong core comes into play. "Arm punches" or punches that are generated by the simple propelling of oneʼs arm carry little power regardless of oneʼs size. Alternatively, if one punches from their "core," drawing power from the ground into the largest muscle group (gluteus maximus umm . . . the ass), and following through into the punch, more power will be generated. In this way, a greater amount of weight is carried in the strike thus creating more force by utilizing more weight. It sounds easy enough but to properly execute strikes in this manner repeatedly and accurately requires a specific type of training that goes beyond simply adding muscle.

YOU HIT ME, I FALL BACKWARDS, YOU HIT THE GROUND!

A recent contest between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former UFC lightweight champion Forrest Griffin featured a stunning example of core strength. The smaller Silva dislocated Griffinʼs jaw, sending him crashing to the ground with waving arms wanting nothing more to do with Silva. Silva was falling away during the punch so his weight was actually moving AWAY from Griffin not toward Griffin yet he generated enough power to send the 200+ lbs Griffin to the canvas. Silva created the potential energy in the strike before the strike was thrown. As he launched the punch, the power was already in place and delivered before he moved backwards from Griffin. Close attention to Silvaʼs footwork and movement illuminates this and how his changing of position and weight distribution created the kinetic energy that comes through with his strikes. It is of note to say, for those not familiar with Griffin, that he is one of the toughest competitors and has an iron will to match his iron jaw. Core strength however can break an iron will.

HOW CAN I BE THE NEXT UFC CHAMP?

If one wants to incorporate such training into their workout itʼs best to start slow and gradually work up. Core training will be equally demanding on both your body and mind. Much of it is acrobatic and utilizes muscles you never knew existed. After the initial frustration it will start to become easier since you will be developing the muscles required to properly do the exercises. The simplest type involves plyo-metrics. I say simplest since I think everyone has "jumped" at least once in their life.

BJ Penn, current lightweight champion and easily one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, demonstrates plyometric drills. The rapid firing of muscles create explosive strength with quick bursts of energy. These quick bursts are priceless in an MMA match. Whether you are firing in for a takedown, or manipulating someone from inside your guard, there is about a half second window to execute the move before a formidable opponent can counter. Itʼs true that much of MMA is about patience and it can be a chess match as it is a brawl but between the finer points there are moments that call for explosive quickness and power. Another legend, Randy Couture, has his "grappling circuit" which incorporates 6 exercises all using explosive movements. The combination of multiple repetitions without rest and explosive movements provides the athlete with quickness and stamina, perhaps the two most important tools in a match. This circuit focuses on stabilizer muscles. These are part of the core and provide the balance one needs when making explosive movements and changing levels.

Exploding from tight spaces is one other thing the MMA fighter needs to do well. The luxury of an open full swing is rare. Most opportunities will come from tight spaces so a quick burst is necessary to deliver that "death blow" and not a love tap. Training with a medicine ball by doing plyo-metric push ups increases punching power and force maximization in a little space.

Location! Location! Location!

Position is a marquee point for the MMA fighter. Boxers work on footwork extensively and so do MMA athletes. A trainer I used to work with told me if I spend a month just drilling one step forward and back that it would not be enough. Placing oneself in a prime position for a strike or takedown is almost as vital as technique with which it is performed. Youʼve seen those cartoons where the Coyote concocts an elaborate plan to kill the RoadRunner but suddenly the road Runner appears behind the Coyote out of nowhere and pushes him off the cliff. In MMA itʼs all about being in the right place at the right time (the right time being before your opponent knows you are going to be there). Work on the stability/swiss/physio ball is a key part of MMA training. Working your position so you can effortlessly move across your opponent like a python, moving your hands and legs around them and setting them up for a choke or a joint lock is a necessary part of a complete fighters game (especially today where the one dimensional fighter is a dying breed). On the ground, a fighter needs to stay close to their opponent robbing them of space. Space allows for counters or escapes while the lack of space holds an opponent in place (allowing for ground and pound leading to a TKO or submission attempts for a tap out). A strong sense of balance and weight distribution becomes vital in MMA. Moving around on stability balls trains the hips to flow with the rest of the body. Without a strong sense of balance a fighter would never be able to strike a pinned opponent but would rather get thrown off via a sweep or reversed or simply pushed off. The sense of balance mixed with proper hip placement holds the opponent in place like block of wood in a vice about to be sawed up into pieces. Wrestlers are often successful in MMA because of their strong core.

This is of course only one part of the MMA athletes grueling regimen. But before one can build a house one needs a foundation and without a strong base any Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, or Muay Thai is going to be performed at a mediocre level at best. A Ferrari shell with a Ford Pinto engine doesnʼt run nearly as well as a Honda with a McLaren engine.

Ali Nakhai

B. A. Psychology/Biochemistry UPENN

CPT, CFT

Related Mma Articles