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Evidence-Based Guidelines for Strength and Conditioning in Mixed Martial Arts

Chris Tack, BSc (Hons) Guys & St Thomas National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journals Web site (http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj).

ABSTRACT
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW WILL DESCRIBE AN EVIDENCE-BASED MODEL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION IN RELATION TO AN AMATEUR MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST, WHICH WILL BE LINKED WITH KEY COMPONENTS OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS PERFORMANCE. THE CHOSEN PROGRAM INVOLVES 2 SPECIFIC PHASES OF TRAINING: THE PREPARATORY PHASE AND THE COMPETITION PHASE. EACH WILL BE EXAMINED INDEPENDENTLY AND JUSTIFIED THROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE BEST AVAILABLE EVIDENCE. A NEEDS ANALYSIS OF THE SPORT WILL BE PROVIDED AND KEY PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS. DISCUSSION WILL INCLUDE PERIODIZATION METHOD, EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION FOCUS, AND SPECIFIC TRAINING PRINCIPLES PRESCRIBED (E.G., INTENSITY, VOLUME, REST). A VIDEO ABSTRACT DISCUSSING THIS ARTICLE IS FOUND IN Supplementary Digital Content 1 (see Video, http://links.lww.com/SCJ/A125).

INTRODUCTION

ixed martial arts (MMA) is a multifaceted sport, with varied subsport components (e.g., boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu [BJJ], Muay Thai kickboxing, karate, wrestling). Each of these sports will provide unique physical characteristics of performance, which require evaluation and assessment to correctly prescribe an effective and successful strength and conditioning program. The difcult task in producing an appropriate and specic program for MMA is that each bout can be vastly different depending on the opponent and precise strategy being planned for implementation in the ght. As such the strength and conditioning plan is likely to differ for an athlete facing an opponent with 15 years of free style wrestling experience versus an opponent who was a K1 kickboxing champion. Similarly, the previous experience of the chosen athlete will also provide him/her with physical characteristics, which may need to be altered (reduced, maintained, or heightened) during the preght training program. As such a specic needs analysis of both the sport and the athlete need to be combined to provide an

appropriate program to show optimal results. The aim of this review was to provide an evidence-based model of strength and conditioning for use by the coach or athlete of MMA to demonstrate the complexities of conditioning for this sport and to provide guidelines as to how to devise a periodized exercise program to optimize MMA performance.
NEEDS ANALYSISMIXED MARTIAL ARTS

MMA is multidimensional regarding the physical characteristics required to be successful. The combination of striking and grappling styles involve upper and lower limb strength and power through multiple planes of motion and through the open and closed kinetic chain. Agility is required to change direction to avoid an opponent over short distances (12 m) and to close distance and set up an attack. Speed of limb is required for good footwork and to allow effective striking. Due for the need to stay within a particular weight class, which is appropriate for
KEY WORDS:

MMA; combat sports; strength and conditioning; power; anaerobic

Copyright National Strength and Conditioning Association

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their size, functional, and relative strength to work against an opponents body weight is more important than hypertrophy (32). Power is an essential feature to allow successful striking and the ability to control your opponents position. Force transfer through the transverse plane is essential for striking (123). Environmental concerns include the use of 4 oz gloves for competitive matches (although head guards and heavier 16 oz gloves may be used in training for safety) and training barefoot to replicate this element of competition. Training in just shorts, as required for competition, can also be considered. MMA is predominantly metabolically anaerobic, with a combination of phosphogen and lactate systems dependent on the duration/type of actions of the athlete (117). Amateur ghts consist of 3 ve-minute rounds. There is a requirement of repetitive application of power fueled by the aerobic metabolism over each round, with relative rest in between. Fights would be supplemented by a high aerobic capacity to allow rapid recovery similar to karate kumite competition (12). Injuries in MMA typically involve the upper limb (22.7%); head, neck, and face (38.2%); and lower limb (30.4%), with most occurring in training (105) and predominantly to the defending ghter (15,19,98,144). The most common mechanism is striking either to the area struck or to the limb used to strike (14,138), which is congruent with other striking combat sports (20,84,91,128,145). The specic ghting style will predispose to different injury areas (43,146). Kickboxing specialists are similarly at risk of injury to their striking limbs (e.g., knee, elbow, foot, hand) and the area that is struck (e.g., face, ribs, thighs). However, other subsport analysis identies risk areas in free style wrestling as the knee, shoulder, ankle, and neck (59) and shoulder, elbow, back, and neck in boxing (36). Further injury rate analysis needs to be undertaken for subsports such as BJJhowever, it is possible that injuries common in wrestling may be seen also in other grappling arts.

NEEDS ANALYSIS: ATHLETE EVALUATION

In most instances of amateur MMA competition, the athlete and their team are unlikely to have details regarding their next opponent. As such, strategy will be based on the athletes particular strongest physical attributes and performance characteristics. In professional MMA, or with greater details regarding the opponent, the athletes program may differ by using a strategy, which relates to both not only their strengths but also their opponents weaknesses. Table 1 provides key areas of investigation to provide information to guide program development. For example, an amateur MMA athlete with a vast history of striking through kickboxing or karate would be well advised to play to his strengths and ensure a program is in consensus with the physical characteristics required for optimal striking performance. In this instance, a primary training objective may include power and speed development to ensure the athlete optimizes the ability to close the distance to his opponent. Alternately, a BJJ specialist may optimize the ability to control his opponent on the ground through core training and isometric strength development. The 20-week course of training described presently should be a part of a yearly macrocyle, which will aim to develop all characteristics of performance evenly (out of season) so the athlete continues to improve all areas of his performance. Another important consideration is that as an amateur competitor, it is likely that the athlete will have a limited time to dedicate to training due to external work obligations. As such efciency of the program is paramount. Also, the program described takes into account an intention to plan 2 ghts in 1 year only. The program timescales may alter if more ghts are planned. Table 2 identies potential screening tests to be used before program commencement and include sport-specic agility tests, body composition, V O2

max tests (77) and Wingate power tests (26). Vertical jump is included as a measure of triple extension power (26) and as a measure of anaerobic performance (31).
PERIODIZATION

Within the proposed model, although a linear periodization strategy is used within the preparatory phase to provide controlled method of optimizing overload, this ability to fully manage training frequency and load will be forfeited in the competition phase (7,102,107). Due to increased volume of technical sessions in this phase, an alteration of the periodization style to undulating occurs. As such this will allow more frequent periods of recovery and shorter phases to prevent overtraining, while providing varied stimuli to increase sport-specic adaptation (73,102). The use of an undulating model is supported by Rhea et al. (110) who report that the variable stress provides greater overload to the neuromuscular system, and as such greater tness gains, than a linear model. In fact, strength gains are signicantly more (62). See the Figure for the evidence-based Annual Periodized Training Model.
PREPARATORY PHASE

There are 4 key foci for this stage to discuss. Prehabilitative injury prevention, dynamic exibility, and core stability development are prescribed throughout the preparatory phase with regular sessions. These are a regular but secondary focus of the preparatory phase, which aim to provide an optimal basis on which the fourth but primary foci of strength and power development are progressed. When considering athletes of amateur status, it is considered that a substantial preparatory phase is required to ensure that they are in the best physical condition for the varied elements of the competition training phase because it is deemed that failure to prepare fully directly affects the safety of the athlete. The preparatory phase aims to provide a basis of neuromuscular control in all joints to reduce risk of injury and providing a physical platform on which sport-specic abilities can be developed.

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Table 1
Athlete analysis (areas of investigation and questioning)
Athlete analysis

Martial arts training history

Number of years training in specic subsports? Number of years competing in specic subsports? Number of years training in MMA? Number of years competing in MMA? Grades achieved in subsports? For example, 8 years of training in Karate, 4 years as a black belt, competing in full contact competitions, 3 years of training BJJno wrestling back ground, 1 year of boxing, 1 year of MMA-specic training

Current amateur MMA record Wins-losses-draws (0-0-0) MMA strategy What is the athletes main strategic focus?

Number of competitive MMA ghts

It is appropriate to devise a ght strategy based on the athletes experience and training history, as limited or no details will be available about their opponent Therefore, is their experience predominantly striking or grappling based? Physical training history How long have they been undertaking exercise or sport? Which type/level of activity have they undertaken? Which type of equipment are they most familiar with and how long have they been using this equipment (e.g., free weights, resistance machines, kettlebells) Do they have any experience of particular training methods (e.g., plyometrics, powerlifting, Olympic-style lifting, endurance training) Primary training objectives (Link with MMA strategy) For example, improve rate of force development (to increase strike power), improve speed and acceleration of feet (to increase speed to takedown), increase isometric upper limb force production (to increase grappling holds) Secondary training objectives Power endurance (to ensure power application over maximum 15-minute competitive period) Strengthening without hypertrophy is essential to prevent increase in weight gain before competition Injury history Any previous injuries to be aware of in prescription of the exercise program

Prehabilitation

Prehabilitation exercises are used to maintain exibility and neuromuscular control for a base of efcient movement on which to build sport-specic skills (133). In MMA, basic joint strengthening is essential to provide greater structural joint integrity (4) and tensile strength of connective tissue (39,72) and should aim for optimal muscle balance across all joints (63). Key areas to focus on are the neck musculature (4,18,42) as elements of grappling techniques can predispose

to cervical spine injury (66). Due to the varied injury risk in MMA, it is appropriate to ensure that all muscle groups are equally addressed (4). The shoulder and knee (4,36,59) are also notable areas of potential injury. Efciency of load transfer can be developed through prehabilitation exercises (23,51,89,90,92,96) and prehabilitation specic to grappling should include single limb stance and upper limb weight bearing (45). Body weight training is a functional method for this, allowing appropriate multiplanar

functional strengthening (52) while maintaining sport specicity. Improving biomechanical efciency of the hips and spine through prehabilitation will serve to prevent injury and maximize strength gains, power output, and speed production (44,78,87,124). The bird-dog exercise has been cited as an important one to activate the lumbar spine stabilizers and reduce risk of back pain (85) while allowing movement of the limbs independent of a stable core (see the core stability component).

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Table 2
This table demonstrates the possible screening tests used as a preparatory phase athlete evaluation. Order of testing as advised by Coburn (77)
Athlete A: screening test procedures Performance characteristics Justication for testing Examples of tests used

Generic

Age, gender/sex, current weight, Measurements of athlete size, body competitive weight class, height, body composition, and chronological age are composition skin fold measurements taken at baseline as a reference point and to demonstrate physical change Nonsport specic: 20 m sprint (s), vertical Agility tests are undertaken to assess jump (VJ) height (s), VJ height (cm), hop specic ability to change direction, move height (cm) right, hop height (cm) left, with speed over short distance, and move hop distance right (cm), hop distance left ones body with speed and precision. As (cm), pro agility drill (s); MMA specic: 2 m such this provides a global measure of to strike (acceleration between light coordinated balance, coordination, and gates), 2 m to takedown (acceleration to speed, which is relative to MMA due to shoulder contact with bag), time from the limited size of the competition area, oor to standing and the need to evade and close distance on your opponent Wingate anaerobic cycle test. Alternately, It is essential to measure the degree at specic agility tests could be considered which the athlete can produce rapid a nonspecic measurement of power: transfer of force anaerobically. This is e.g., VJ height (s), VJ height (cm) a measure of anaerobic metabolism and a measurement of rate of force development, both of which are important for MMA performance (e.g., striking, speed to takedown) 1RM: bench press (kg), squat (kg), Romanian 1 repetition maximum (1RM) testing dead lift (kg); 10RM: dumbbell shoulder measures the maximum amount of press (kg), bent over barbell row (kg) weight you can lift one time. Submaximal repetition testing (e.g., 10RM) uses a lighter weight, more repetition, and then a formula to estimate maximum strength. Maximal strength is important for grappling and its link to increased power A maximal or submaximal aerobic workload VO2 max treadmill test (77); multistage test can be used to estimate aerobic shuttle run test capacity (the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during activity). This can be used to provide an estimate to the athletes capacity to undertake a 15-minute MMA competitive match or to estimate their ability to recover between periods of maximal anaerobic exertion

Agility and speed

Anaerobic power

Strength

Aerobic capacity

In the striking martial arts, the spinal stability neural subsystem requires both relaxation to allow sufcient speed of the striking limb and superstiffness at moment of impact, which involves cocontraction of adjacent joints to allow increased power transfer (85,86). This

rapid ring of the neural subsystem from a completely relaxed state should also be trained. For example, a superstiffness push up where the individual lays relaxed in a prone position and quickly explodes into a push up, allows the body to practice fast muscle

activation of the core and limbs simultaneously.


Dynamic Flexibility

A dynamic stretching routine should consist of function-based exercises, which use sport-specic movements

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to prepare for MMA performance. The chosen routine is developed through analysis of MMA movement patterns (54,79). Movements common to striking and grappling should be used, such as shadow boxing at 50% speed or drills such as hip escaping and bridging, respectively. Sports specicity is essential and allows greater velocity of movement execution during technique (115) while developing correct motor patterning for specic techniques. Jump rope can be used early as a part of a dynamic warm up to develop footwork speed and as a base to progress with sport-specic drills in the competition phase (93).
Recovery

The prescribed routine should include foam rolling and static stretching to increase exibility and recover posttraining. Two minutes of foam roller use increases muscle range of motion as much as static stretching with no impact on force production (53,75) and as such can be used before, during, or after power training. However, MMA requires greater exibility than can be achieved with just foam rolling to allow performance of some techniques (e.g., head kicks, grappling positions such as the oma plata shoulder lock), and as such static stretching is applied as an adjunct to the dynamic exibility routine to ensure range of motion is maintained. Hip exor and adductor range of motion particularly should be maintained through sustained static stretching to allow performance of both BJJ techniques and high kick techniques.
Core Stability

active neural subsystem of the core muscles by placing them on an unstable surface and asking the body to maintain spinal position while a varied perturbation is provided. Progression is accomplished rst through isometric stability in simple positions to multijoint movements involving the hip, torso, and the scapular region (e.g., the plank/side plank/bird dog) (44). The next step would be to add an unstable challenge (125), which challenges the body to adapt to external stimulus, improves neuromuscular control (21), and assists with optimal performance of power activities (10). This increases cocontractile activity of muscles to provide greater joint protection (11). This is further developed by maintaining a controlled trunk/body position while the limbs are moved away from the center of gravity to add a further perturbation to balance.
Strength and Power Development

at loads of 80% 1 repetition maximum (1RM) for 13 sets of 26 repetitions and incorporating 35 minutes rest (8,37,39,73,106109). After 4 weeks of progressive training, increasing loads to 100% 1RM, with an inverse relationship between load and repetitions (73), the athlete is progressed to controlled power exercises. Power is deemed central to successful sporting performance (31,127) and developed through triple extension power lifts (e.g., clean, snatch, high row) to increase rate of force development (29,46,47,82). Power exercises can replicate the physical burdens of wrestling performance (71) and be benecial for striking and closing the distance (117). This acceleration power is an important aspect to successful MMA performance. Power lifts and Olympic style lifts are used with a load of 3060% 1RM for 13 sets of 26 repetitions and rests of 58 minutes (8,37,39,73,106109). Only 23 power exercises are used in each session (1,38,115) to prevent fatigue and overtraining. Speed is reduced with the increase in load; however, intention of fast velocity remains to ensure appropriate improvements in power. Power lifts should always occur rst in session to prevent fatigue limiting the development of speed and power (117). Appropriate rest times are used to ensure that training is not compromised due to neural fatigue (57). Volume is increased for both strength and power sessions in increments of 2.55% per week as required to prevent overtraining (3,73).
Transition

The preparatory phase is divided into subsections. A basic transition phase and introductory period are used to teach complex compound lifting techniques to ensure that the athlete has appropriate levels of proprioception and neuromuscular control on to which load can be added and to prepare the athlete for the controlled stress that will be applied. Four-week blocks are used to develop strength and power, respectively, and allow the use of an 8-week program of moderate volume, which is deemed best to optimize strength and power (57). Exercise selection initially is based around development of maximal strength (and its underlying neuromuscular characteristics) because this plays an important role in the production of maximal power and superior athletic performance (29). Progression to power development comes subsequently to this subsection. Strength exercises involving triple joint extension, such as the deadlift and squat variations, are used alongside bench press and other free weight compound lifts to develop core strength and proprioception. Strength training starts

Core stability training allows the development of greater force and allows a greater base for power from which force can be initiated (27,72,95). Kicking and striking performance requires abdominal activation to provide tension to transfer power into the limbs (10,30,64,139) meaning abdominal activation and control of trunk position while the limbs are moved is essential. The program is based on perturbation training, which is the challenge of the

The varied training for MMA means overtraining is a serious consideration (68). Unloading periods are planned (weeks 11 and 19) to benet recovery (65). An off loading week is planned at the end of the preparatory phase to allow sufcient recuperation before the start of the ght camp, but without loss of the performance characteristics developed in this phase. This is followed

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by an introductory competition phase for 1 week to allow the athlete to learn the new techniques that will be used in the following phase. See Table 3 for specic examples of exercises for each subsection of the preparatory phase and prescription guidelines.
COMPETITION PHASE (FIGHT CAMP)

strength and conditioning sessions is paramount. Changes made to the program at this stage to allow this, while ensuring development of the key characteristics of performance, are use of complex training (CT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Both power exercises and agility drills are included in separate sessions during the microcycle; however, they are also incorporated into CT and HIIT to optimize session efciency (3) while promoting specicity of movement patterns and special strength (sport specic) (118). With martial arts technique, this is important to allow greater velocity of technique execution (50,115). At this stage, specic MMA training commences and should focus on specic MMA performance attributes, such as power, strength, changes of direction, explosive movement, endurance, and speed (117).
Complex Training

(134) or the performance of wrestling takedown techniques. The back squat at 30% 1RM is correlated with karate kumite success (112) and being correlated with peak power and T test agility times (100). The plyometric component of the complex should be entirely sport specic using either equipment or a partner to drill a specic situation or functional sporting movement (e.g., acceleration to strike, movement to stand from the oor).
High Intensity Interval Training

The progression from a preparatory phase into the competition phase provides various benets for the athlete and the trainer. For the athlete, the gains made in the preparatory phase regarding absolute or maximum strength and power can be transferred into an MMA-specic program. This can therefore streamline the development of key MMA performance characteristics (e.g., power, speed of acceleration, absolute strength) into a ght-specic strategy and plan. For example, if the aim of the athlete was to dominate his opponent with grappling on the ground, then general power training can be progressed toward focusing on acceleration speed to complete a double leg takedown. For the coaching team, the move into a competition phase of training allows the strength and conditioning program to become more efcient alongside technical training and allowing the replication of the demands of MMA competition and the appropriate metabolic system required to perform optimally. Changes to the periodization strategy are mentioned previously and include the movement into an undulating periodized program. This also allows an alteration to the athletes schedule to permit an increase in the number of MMA, BJJ, and wrestling technical sessions with his coaches (which were not a consideration in the preparatory phase). An example of a weekly schedule is proposed in Table 4. As previously mentioned, with this model concerning amateur athletes, it is likely that they may be balancing training with full time work. As such the number of sessions and amount of contact with the strength and conditioning professional is reduced and the efciency of the time spent in

CT is one of the time efcient training methods used within this phase. CT involves the coupling of kinematically similar high-load and high-velocity exercises in a set-for-set combination to induce a postactivation potentiation response (24,34,35,80,116) and which mirrors the benets of separate resistance or plyometric training (74,133). This can be an effective tool for exercising all elements of the force development curve in a time efcient manner. It has been suggested that CT can be a benecial addition to a program as part of the competition phase strength and power maintenance routine (61,88) while maintaining sport specicity. Complexes involve the combination of a strength-based exercise with immediate performance of a plyometric/ power-based drill. The strength exercise component focuses on multijoint strength exercises (e.g., squat, deadlift) as a base for power production (133) and are combined with appropriate plyometric drills (e.g., sled-resisted acceleration). Triple extension exercises are preferable (e.g., squats, deadlifts) because they assist to improve rear leg drive in a rear hand punch

HIIT is important as a substitute for long slow endurance training, which may have a negative effect on strength and power development (117). It also allows the athlete to train at a higher intensity than possible with continuous aerobic training and improve both aerobic and anaerobic capacity (55,69,111,117). HIIT is also a time efcient (99,121,130) effective method of losing body fat and is therefore benecial to continue during the weight cut period (120). Power lifts can be applied as part of a HIIT session using an activity: rest ratio of 1:36 for phosphogen system conditioning and 1:2 for lactate system metabolism (117) over 5-minute rounds to improve tolerance of lactate accumulation and allow conditioning of aerobic recovery (71) in accordance to the metabolic demands of MMA competition (4, 63). Power training as part of a CT or HIIT schedule uses 30% 1RM (9,81,112,140) combined with an 80% 1RM resisted movement (82). Only 23 power exercises, incorporating 23 sets (71), should be used in each session (1,38,115). There are also other various benets to CT/HIIT within the competition phase. The variety of exercises that can be undertaken with these methods of training allow MMA technique specic movements to be combined with unorthodox loading techniques (e.g., kettlebells, battle ropes, medicine balls, chains) (31,97,126,129). This allows the athlete to continue to physically

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adapt to varied stressors while maintaining the athletes interest and motivation. This could include transverse plane loading that is deemed to benet rotational striking technique (123). For example, one CT or HIIT drill could use unilateral power lifts to develop rotational force production and multiplanar strength (10,11,71,119). Alternately, medicine balls specically are a good method of working in the transverse plane through the open kinetic chain (123,129) in a ballistic throwing drill. Ballistic training is valuable to increase force development (49,115,142), movement-specic stretchshortening cycle function, acceleration, and movement velocity (28,29,83,142). This could be performed with medicine

ball throws to replicate striking as the plyometric component of a complex drill. The opportunity to work in high volume within CT and HIIT sessions is used to increase metabolic buffering of lactate levels in preparation for competition (41,134). Six sessions of HIIT (15 minutes duration) over 2 weeks have been shown to increase muscle aerobic capacity and metabolic control (113). This can be applied with 2 sessions (15 minutes10 minutes rest 15 minutes) per week with uctuating intensity (120).
Agility Drills

move to control position of yourself and your opponent to close distance, strike, complete a takedown, or defend through evasion is important to replicate and drill in training. One such example is the 458 step ladder drill. The starting angle of 35458 for anterior foot placement when performing powerful kicks (48) and can be replicated by traversing an agility ladder through 458 diagonal steps. Other examples could include sled-resisted drills, which can be used to increase stride length (101) and short-distance power (32). Plyometric training can increase kicking power (48,114) because the stretchshortening cycle is important for kicking

Speed and accuracy of foot placement are essential in many combat sports and martial arts. The ability to precisely

Figure. Annual Periodized Training Program model.

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performance (48). However, agility training must be specic to sport performance. It is appropriate to use closed drills and to progress to specic situation drills using partners and live sparring to reect the precise movements of MMA at game speed (60). It has been suggested that gains from plyometric training can be sustained with 1 weekly session (17,56,114), which can be prescribed with 1 specic agility/speed session in competition phase.
Maintenance Sessions

phase microcycle includes prehabilitation exercises, exibility/recovery sessions, and core stability training to ensure continued sustenance of the biomechanical and neuromuscular benets of the preparatory phase. These maintenance sessions are as follows: Flexibility: dynamic stretching protocol, prolonged static stretching, and foam roller; Core stability: isometric trunk musculature loading against perturbations (e.g., bird dog, plank); Prehabilitation neuromuscular control: body weightresisted dynamic control exercises (e.g., single leg squats, hand stand holds);

In MMA, greater tensile strength of connective tissue (39,72) is required in all joints (4) for optimal muscle balance (63). Therefore, the competition

Prehabilitation general joint strengthening: assistance exercises for strength maintenance (e.g., dumbbell shoulder press, barbell bench press); strength training should be performed 12 times per week to sustain gains from the preparatory phase (71); Power lifts/olympic style lifts: limited to 23 times per week (25,104,107) to ensure optimal gains without overtraining. As such one power maintenance session can be prescribed, alongside 2 power exercise HIIT sessions (82). Power lifts should always occur rst in a session to prevent fatigue limiting the development of speed and power (117). Appropriate rest times must be used to ensure that training is not compromised due to neural fatigue (57).

Table 3
This table provides prescription guidelines for possible exercises to use through all subsections of the preparatory phase
Exercise prescription guidelines Subphase Exercise examples Guidelines

Prehabilitation

Bird-dog motor control exercise (motor control example)

Resistance: body weight; intensity: 2060%; repetitions: 10 15; sets: 36; rest: 12 minutes. Start with 3 sets of 15 repetitions at 20% intensity; progress with an inverse relationship between intensity and volume (e.g., increase to 3 sets of 10 repetitions but increase intensity to 40%) (22)

Multiplane rotator cuff loading Resistance: resistance band/cable machine; load: 3060%; repetitions: 1220; sets: 35; rest: 3060 seconds. Start (muscular endurance with 3 sets of 20 repetitions with a 30% 10RM load. Progress example) with an inverse relationship between load and volume (e.g., increase to 4 sets of 12 repetitions with a 40% 10RM load) (72) Dynamic exibility Shadow boxing, hip escape drills, Wrestlers sit out drill Quadratus lumborum foam rolling Static adductor stretch Volume: 60 seconds repetitive motion per drill; sets: 35 sets per drill; relative rest: 3060 seconds (within a 20- to 30minute session) (6) Duration: 2 minutes per area (53,75) Static stretching: duration, 3060 second holds; rest: 20 seconds rest between repetitions. Repeat for approximately 8 minutes (143) Repetitions: high repetitions until fatigue/loss of technique control; sets: 36; rest: 12 minutes (22) Maximum strength: load, 80100% 1RM; sets: 13 sets; repetitions: 26 repetitions; rest: 35 minutes rest (8,37,39,73,106109) Power: load, 3060% 1RM; sets: 13 sets; repetitions: 26; rest: 58 minutes rest (8,37,39,73,106109)

Recovery

Core stability

Unstable plank holds, cross body mountain climber, reverse curl Deadlift, back squat

Strength (preparatory)

Power (preparatory)

Clean, snatch

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Prevention of Overtraining 910 am, MMA training; 11:30 am 99:15 am, to 12:00 pm, power maintenance prehabilitation; 9:1510 am, HIIT 56 pm, advanced MMA agility 89 pm, BJJ training
GJS 5 general joint strengthening (assistance exercise); NMC 5 neuromuscular control exercises; (I) 5 independent training.

Loading/Intensity Parameters

Taper/Weight Cut

Weight cutting is common in combat sports but can adversely affect performance. A 5% rapid loss of body weight can reduce strength, aerobic capacity (137), and punching force (122). The optimal tapering strategy prescribes a 2-week period with an exponential reduction in volume by 4161% while maintaining intensity (16,141). This is achieved by an immediate 50% taper on day 1 of week 19 and graduated regression (141). For an effective weight cut, loss is limited to 11.5 kg/wk (70) and the athlete should commence the competition phase no more than 5 kg above ghting weight. Only 1 kg of acute intentional dehydration should be planned (70).
Practical Applications

Weeks 1718

In response to the lack of dened and specic exercise program for MMA, a 2-stage model of strength and conditioning has been provided for an

Afternoon

Morning

Evening

NB: All technical/strength and conditioning sessions include a dynamic warm-up and recovery session (10 minutes each).

Example weekly schedule (weeks 1718)

Full time working/rest from activity

66:30 am, 66:30 am, core exibility (I) stability (I)

89 pm, wrestling

Monday

88:15 pm, prehabilitation NMC; 8:159 pm, HIIT

Tuesday

Rest 89 pm, MMA 88:30 pm, CT training session; 8:309 pm, prehabilitation GJS

66:30 am, 66:30 am, core exibility (I) stability (I)

 A careful balance between training and rest is planned to reduce injury risk as intensity increases (2,5,33,40,58,67,76,94,103,131,132, 135,136).  There is an inverse relationship between load and repetitions (73).  An intensity of 90% of 10RM load in the chosen microcycle in the last 2 weeks of the ght camp is used to prevent excessive fatigue and overtraining (13).  Volume is increased in increments of 2.55% per week as required to prevent overtraining (3,73).  Unloading periods are planned (weeks 11 and 19) to benet recovery (65).  1 day per week for rest is appropriate for 46 week periods of athletically demanding programs (94).

Saturday

Friday

Table 4

Wednesday

Thursday

Rest

Rest

Rest

The varied training for MMA means overtraining is a serious consideration (68). To prevent overtraining and to optimize the efciency of the program, the following rules are applied across the program.

Sunday

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amateur MMA athlete, guided by the best available evidence. The separation of the signicant preparatory and competition phases of training ensures that the athlete has completed a wellstructured preparatory phase of training developing general tness, strength and power; before undertaking a sport specic ght camp. Hopefully, this should minimize any risk to the amateur ghter from being under prepared to perform in combat sports. For a professional ghter, the preparatory phase may be extended to include any transitory period between the completion of a ght and the commencement of a new competition phase and as such would include a slower progression alongside continued technical training sessions. This model demonstrates an efcient way of maintaining physical developments of the preparatory phase through a period of reduced time spent with the strength and conditioning coach and greater demand from technical training sessions. It further benets by the appropriate use of training methods to transfer gains from general strength and power development into a sport specic environment. Conicts of Interest and Source of Funding: The author reports no conicts of interest and no source of funding. Chris Tack is a highly specialized musculoskeletal physiotherapist working at Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. He is a lead clinician and owner of All Powers Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation & Conditioning in London.
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