A_12_Week_Metabolic_Conditioning_Program_for_a.7
A12-Week Metabolic Conditioning Program for a Mixed Martial Artist
J.Daniel Mikeska,MS
Fairfax Fitness and Self-Defense,Chantilly,Virginia
A B S T R A C T
TRAINING ONE’S METABOLISM FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY IS A CRITICAL PHYSICAL COMPONENT FOR MANY COMPETITIVE ACTIVI-TIES.THE TRAINING NEEDS TO STRESS THE PROPER ENERGY SYSTEM IN THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT BASED ON THE WORK-TO-REST RATIO SPECIFIC TO THE GIVEN ACTIVITY.BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT INTENSITIES OF THE COMPONENT SPORTS OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS(MMA),AN MMA MATCH CAN REQUIRE EACH OF THE3ENERGY SYSTEMS TO BE USED AT VARIOUS TIMES IN EACH ROUND.THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXAMPLE OF A12-WEEK META-BOLIC CONDITIONING PROGRAM THAT PROGRESSIVELY TRAINS THE PHOSPHAGEN,GLYCOLYTIC, AND OXIDATIVE ENERGY SYS-TEMS FOR AN MMA ATHLETE. INTRODUCTION
M ixed martial arts(MMA)is
a hybrid combat sport using
techniques from various striking and grappling arts such as Tae Kwon Do,kickboxing,Brazilian jujitsu,and wrestling.As with many sports,an MMA match comprises intermittent periods of intense activity interspersed with periods of low-intensity or even no activity.Because MMA matches have3or5?ve-minute rounds,it is considered aerobic by de?nition.However,because of inter-
mittent intensity levels,the anaerobic
system is also used(11).Accordingly,
to optimally prepare for an MMA
competition,the metabolic energy sys-
tems of the body need to be progres-
sively overloaded.
As?rst theorized by Seyle,the general
adaptation syndrome(GAS)suggests
that the body will adapt to stress in
a predictable manner(1,3),and the sys-
tem of the body that is stressed will
speci?cally bene?t from that particular
stress(5).Applying the principles of
GAS to MMA would dictate that train-
ing practices consist of aerobic training
and anaerobic training.However,
endurance training(aerobic)and inter-
val training(anaerobic)will often elicit
incompatible results.Rhea et al.(16)
highlighted a?tness continuum that
consists of neuromuscular power,mus-
cular strength,muscular endurance,and
cardiovascular endurance when directly
discussing metabolic training.Training
for the individual components in the
?tness continuum will result in differing
physiological outcomes.They proposed
that the closer the components are in
the continuum,the more compatible
the training adaptations will be.Simi-
larly,the further apart the components
are in the continuum,the less compat-
ible the adaptations will be.
The3energy systems of the body,
phosphagen,glycolytic,and oxidative,
work together and often overlap,but
because of the independent uses
for each system,they need to be pro-
gressively trained as individual
components.For MMA,explosive
movements such as takedowns and
striking combinations lasting just a few
seconds primarily use the phosphagen
system.For engagements lasting
approximately30seconds such as
clinching,controlling positions,and
longer striking combinations,the glyco-
lytic system is primarily used.The oxi-
dative system is used for active recovery
periods and in the later rounds when
endurance is critical(11).
Anaerobic training that involves inter-
val or sprint(burst of speed or activity)
interval training(SIT),will progres-
sively overload the phosphagen and
glycolytic energy systems(1,3).Aerobic
or oxidative capacity is determined by
maximum oxygen uptake(V O2max),
lactate threshold(L T),and running
economy(19).V O2max and L T are
not only improved by aerobic training
but also by high-intensity interval train-
ing and will adapt simultaneously.
Once an aerobic base has been devel-
oped,SIT can begin.By repeating
bouts of high-intensity near-maximal
exercise with periods of active rest for
up to2minutes,the anaerobic system
can be stimulated while maintaining
aerobic power.
Wilmore et al.(20)suggest that SIT
practices are similar to any type of
periodized exercise protocol,in that
the rate of exercise intensity,the
number
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of sets and repetitions,the length of the activity and corresponding rest periods, the type of activity,and the frequency of training should be considered.Addition-ally,because training needs to closely mimic the activity,the work-to-rest interval needs to be established.Unfor-tunately,although the work-to-rest rela-tionships have been determined in more mainstream sports(T able1)such as bas-ketball(18),soccer(14),baseball(4),and football(10),very little modeling has been completed for MMA.One avail-able abstract reveals that the work-to-rest ratio for MMA is1:2–1:4(6).This is similar to other combat sports;how-ever,with such little information avail-able,the best approach may be to determine the metabolic demands of the component sports of MMA and develop a training model based on the individual criteria.
Kickboxing,Muay Thai Boxing,T ae Kwon Do,Judo,wrestling(freestyle and Greco-Roman),and Brazilian Jujitsu have all had time-motion and/or mod-eling analysis completed(2,7,8,12,13,17). The results of these analyses(T able2) suggest that the component sports of MMA have an average work-to-rest ratio of13.34:12.68seconds or approxi-mately1:1(the results of the Brazilian jujitsu analysis were excluded because of the large variance compared with the other sports).This ratio,based on the individual sports,can and should be manipulated to meet the needs of the athlete and to match the strengths of the opponent.
The following example of a12-week metabolic conditioning progression is based on a number of assumptions.
The athlete is a30-year-old man who
has been involved in MMA for over2
years.He has a solid cardiorespiratory
and strength base and is familiar with
training protocols,as well as individual
sport-speci?c techniques.The athlete is
also performing a periodized strength
training program in conjunction with
the metabolic conditioning program.
He has just competed in an MMA
match and has another match at the
end of the12-week training program.
The upcoming match will consist of
three5-minute rounds with a1-minute
break between each round.
EXAMPLE12-WEEK METABOLIC
CONDITIONING PROGRAM FOR
A MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST
Table3lists the training schedule and
intensity levels of each day;Table4
details each day’s metabolic workouts.
Week1:assessment week.With just
12weeks to prepare for a competition,
there is not an off-season,and the?rst
phase of training should be treated
similar to a preseason.Daniels(5)sug-
gests that the?rst phase of a training
program should be considered a foun-
dation phase and consist of building
a base and injury prevention.After an
intense training camp and the subse-
quent contest,the athlete needs to have
an assessment completed to determine
whether there are any imbalances
caused by training or injury.Posture,
strength,power,cardiorespiratory
endurance,speed,agility,and quick-
ness will also be assessed to provide
a direction for improvement,a baseline
for goal setting,and to determine the
outcomes of the previous training
camp(3).Muscular imbalances and in-
juries will be treated and corrected as
needed.
Because an MMA match uses the oxi-
dative energy system for bouts lasting
longer than2minutes,the?rst phase
will focus on exercises that emphasize
steady-state training to increase endur-
ance and establish proper mechanics.
Long slow distance(LSD)cardio
training that uses80%maximum heart
rate(MHR)will enhance cardiovascu-
lar function and oxidative capacity.
LSD training will also increase mito-
chondrial energy production and
improve the body’s ability to clear lac-
tate(1).Additionally,the bene?ts
gained from LSD training can be main-
tained throughout subsequent training
phases(5).Beachle and Earle(1)pro-
pose that6–7training sessions per
week can be performed during the pre-
season.Training will consist of a variety
of traditional cardiovascular protocols
and use some sport-speci?c equipment.
Additionally,although metabolic train-
ing will take place6days per week for
weeks1–4,and5days per week for
weeks5–12,intensity levels will vary.
Week2.Week2continues the LSD
training of week1with the addition of
some higher intensity training involving
pace/tempo training(aka threshold
training or cruise training)(1,5).Pace/
tempo training is steady-state training
that will continue to improve endurance.
Pace/tempo training can be performed at
up to90%MHR,which is of a higher
intensity than LSD training.By training
at L T,the intensity of pace/tempo train-
ing stresses both the aerobic and anaer-
obic energy systems,and will increase
economy and L T.Although the upcom-
ing match will last a maximum of
15minutes,it is important to understand
that the bene?ts of LSD training and
pace/tempo training are gained by com-
pleting30minutes of LSD training and
20–30minutes of pace/tempo training.
Week3.Week3is the last week of
phase1training.LSD training
and Metabolic Conditioning for a Mixed Martial Artist
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62
tempo/pace training will continue for week3.
Week 4.Daniels(5)suggests that although6weeks in each of the4phases of training is ideal,3weeks in each phase is adequate.Therefore,week4begins
phase2,in which speed and mechanics
are improved upon.Repetition training
will be introduced into the program,
the sparring intensity will increase,and
LSD training will occur only1day.
The goal of repetition training is to
improve technique,speed,and economy
with the focus on the areas that need
improvement.Repetitions consist of
repeated bouts of sport-speci?c training
for up to2minutes at intensities
greater
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than V O2max or MHR.The anaerobic system is extremely taxed,and the active rest period of approximately70%MHR is about5times as long as the work period to allow the anaerobic system to fully recover(1).Sparring is very intense and will consist of?ghting and drills that will mimic competition(2).
Week 5.Repetition training,LSD training,and sparring continue as described in week 4.High-intensity training should be performed no more than3days per week(1,2).Accord-ingly,in addition to a day of very intense repetition training,there is also an added day of rest.Week6.Week6should be a repeat of
week5,but because of the shortened
nature of training camp,a day of inter-
val training will be introduced.By
repeating bouts of intense training that
reaches close to100%MHR,V O2max
capacity is increased and anaerobic
metabolism is improved.Each interval
can last from30seconds to5minutes
with an equal or shorter amount of
recovery time(1,5).Because of time
constraints,the intervals will start at
1minute and progressively shorten as
the competition day approaches.
Week7.Phase3starts this week.
T ermed“Transitional Quality Training”
by Daniels(5),the emphasis is on devel-
oping the metabolic systems needed for
competition.At this point,the aerobic
base has been established,so the phos-
phagen and glycolytic energy systems
will be the sole focus.Two days of inter-
val training will be added,and training
paces will start to move into the direc-
tion of competition pace.
Week8.Week8closely resembles
week7;however,the intervals will
become shorter.
Week9.Because of the shortened
training camp,phase4will start in
week9.Although similar to the
third Metabolic Conditioning for a Mixed Martial Artist
VOLUME36|NUMBER5|OCTOBER2014
66
phase in intervals and intensities,phase 4focuses on the strengths of the ath-lete’s?ght game with the intent to improve already existing skills.The training needs to be as close to the actual competition as possible.Accord-ingly,the intervals will continue to shorten,as the competition day approaches.
Week10.Week10consists of short intervals comprising of MMA-speci?c techniques.
Week11.The?rst half of week11 mirrors week10;however,tapering starts in the second half of the week. The goal of tapering is to maintain the physiological adaptations achieved during training,not to add to them.
A fast-decay taper consisting of high intensity and low volume has been shown to increase performance and may provide the best results(15). Although the training volume is decreased by60–85%,the training fre-quency remains the same(9,15). Week12.Week12is competition week.The?rst half of the week will mirror week11with moderate inten-sity,and the second half of the week will be reserved for rest and very light movements.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the principle of speci?city is not new,applying these principles to MMA conditioning is.The suggested protocols are not meant to be inclu-sive,but rather an example of how speci?c metabolic training practices can be incorporated into an overall MMA conditioning program.Coaches and athletes should adapt the pro-posed metabolic conditioning pro-gram,so that it meets their speci?c needs.
Sports such as basketball,soccer,wres-tling,and judo enjoy the bene?ts of time-motion analysis.Athletes can use improved training protocols and gain a competitive advantage by incor-porating sport-speci?c metabolic train-ing.Therefore,future research should focus on determining the work-to-rest
ratio and length of time spent using
each of the energy systems during an
MMA match so that training can meet
the demands of the competition.
Con?icts of Interest and Source of Funding:
The author reports no con?icts of interest
and no source of
funding.
J.Daniel
Mikeska is the
owner of Fairfax
Fitness and Self-
Defense,
Chantilly,
Virginia.
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