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MMA Training - Am I Training Efficiently?


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I've been training Muay Thai, Submission Wrestling and BJJ for two years now and recently have switched from training about 3 hours a week to 6. I used to play rugby when I wasn't training so I figured the jump wouldn't be too bad if I gave up all other sports, but I'm finding I can't go above 70% in training at the moment. Is the repetition a beneficial trade-off for the efficiency? Will I get used to the extra training? Basically, does anyone have any advice on how to train better, thanks.

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Just keep at it, man! Find a comfortable pace you can keep during practice and work on pushing that.

Approach your coaches and let them know that you are having trouble giving it your all.

You may have a subconscious mental block but depending on what you are talking about, you should NEVER go 100% in sparring.

100% speed? yes. Don't try and hit anyone 100% in training though that's a good way to start a real fight in the gym or hurt your favorite sparring partner. haha

Also, most martial arts are very similar in the aspect that repetition is your best friend... The best fighters in the world go over the basics daily.

Even when everything becomes second nature, it is still important. Yes, there is a big repetition trade-off for efficiency.

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Just keep at it, man! Find a comfortable pace you can keep during practice and work on pushing that.

Approach your coaches and let them know that you are having trouble giving it your all.

You may have a subconscious mental block but depending on what you are talking about, you should NEVER go 100% in sparring.

100% speed? yes. Don't try and hit anyone 100% in training though that's a good way to start a real fight in the gym or hurt your favorite sparring partner. haha

Also, most martial arts are very similar in the aspect that repetition is your best friend... The best fighters in the world go over the basics daily.

Even when everything becomes second nature, it is still important. Yes, there is a big repetition trade-off for efficiency.

I think OP is going 70% because cardio doesn't allow him to go 100% for 6 hours? I could be mistaken.

 

As for not going 100% with anybody sparring, be prepared at all times. Sometimes you have to. I'm a firm believer in training is for training and fighting is for fighting, but there's few intellectuals in the fight game. Hector Lombard is notorious for hurting (amateur) sparring partners and he does that shit intentionally. He'll see an opening for a kick or notice they are tired, and spinning wheel kick to the face, broken jaw later, last time you see that dude.

 

If somebody is putting effort on you, meet them there. All I'm saying. At least until you establish communication and ground rules (no oblique kicks, front kicks, knees to the face, elbows, etc)...

 

That being said, if he's training 6 hours a day and for 2 years, I don't think that's the info OP needs or is looking for. I'm just replying to the comment made.

 

If it's a cardio thing, try a lot more high interval cardiovascular training. Sprint or max output (ropes, bag work, wall crawls, etc) at 100% for X amount of time, take break, repeat. High intensity interval training super effective for cardio.

 

Another factor could be body type and diet. If you are super jacked, strong, explosive, and bulging with dense fast twitch muscle fiber, your cardio is never going to be like Nate Diaz. IIRC your muscle just doesn't have the oxygen cells to support it. Pace and explode. Connor and Romero style. In time you can (re)build muscle fiber and muscle endurance.

 

Improve your diet, healthy food intake, etc. Some pros rest and eat between sessions (not training ends at 4, eat, train again at 5 shit...)... but if you hit that a.m. session, train, go hard, go eat healthily, digest, maybe rest, and hit the PM sessions.

 

 

I highly recommend NOT approaching your coaches telling them you struggle giving it your all. That sounds like a lazy mental thing. They aren't psychologists and you need to be able to push and motivate yourself. IF they ask, consider opening up. But don't go up to them unless you're paying a personal trainer/instructor. It's their job to teach a class not cater to your mentality.

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I think OP is going 70% because cardio doesn't allow him to go 100% for 6 hours? I could be mistaken.

 

As for not going 100% with anybody sparring, be prepared at all times. Sometimes you have to. I'm a firm believer in training is for training and fighting is for fighting, but there's few intellectuals in the fight game. Hector Lombard is notorious for hurting (amateur) sparring partners and he does that shit intentionally. He'll see an opening for a kick or notice they are tired, and spinning wheel kick to the face, broken jaw later, last time you see that dude.

 

If somebody is putting effort on you, meet them there. All I'm saying. At least until you establish communication and ground rules (no oblique kicks, front kicks, knees to the face, elbows, etc)...

 

That being said, if he's training 6 hours a day and for 2 years, I don't think that's the info OP needs or is looking for. I'm just replying to the comment made.

 

If it's a cardio thing, try a lot more high interval cardiovascular training. Sprint or max output (ropes, bag work, wall crawls, etc) at 100% for X amount of time, take break, repeat. High intensity interval training super effective for cardio.

 

Another factor could be body type and diet. If you are super jacked, strong, explosive, and bulging with dense fast twitch muscle fiber, your cardio is never going to be like Nate Diaz. IIRC your muscle just doesn't have the oxygen cells to support it. Pace and explode. Connor and Romero style. In time you can (re)build muscle fiber and muscle endurance.

 

Improve your diet, healthy food intake, etc. Some pros rest and eat between sessions (not training ends at 4, eat, train again at 5 shit...)... but if you hit that a.m. session, train, go hard, go eat healthily, digest, maybe rest, and hit the PM sessions.

 

 

I highly recommend NOT approaching your coaches telling them you struggle giving it your all. That sounds like a lazy mental thing. They aren't psychologists and you need to be able to push and motivate yourself. IF they ask, consider opening up. But don't go up to them unless you're paying a personal trainer/instructor. It's their job to teach a class not cater to your mentality.

My original point was literally about how you build cardio in training lmao... Do you know what is more important than cardio? Finding a pace you can stick at and sticking to it and gradually pushing it! (and of course a few puke sessions during and after training)

Almost all my friends are in the fight business, I am friends with multiple fight promoters and gym owners have trained at 4 MMA gyms, some with ufc vets.

One of my good buddies almost got a contract on Dana Whites Contender Series last summer...

 

Have you ever trained? More often than not coaches are either VERY understanding or VERY motivational! So you are wrong there...

The worst thing someone training can do is to not open up, not ask questions, and not try and get their coaches to push them harder.

 

Also, he NEVER said he was training 6 hours a day lmao he said over the course of the week.

 

As for everything else you said, I would say it's spot on.

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Just keep at it, man! Find a comfortable pace you can keep during practice and work on pushing that.

Approach your coaches and let them know that you are having trouble giving it your all.

You may have a subconscious mental block but depending on what you are talking about, you should NEVER go 100% in sparring.

100% speed? yes. Don't try and hit anyone 100% in training though that's a good way to start a real fight in the gym or hurt your favorite sparring partner. haha

Also, most martial arts are very similar in the aspect that repetition is your best friend... The best fighters in the world go over the basics daily.

Even when everything becomes second nature, it is still important. Yes, there is a big repetition trade-off for efficiency.

Yeah I'd never hit someone full on in sparring haha, thanks for the advice, I'll stick at it!

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Also, how many days a week are you training and are you trying to cram a bunch of training in a few days?

I usually try and train four times a week but when school commitments or something comes up I'll end up doubling up on classess for the days I can go

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I think OP is going 70% because cardio doesn't allow him to go 100% for 6 hours? I could be mistaken.

 

As for not going 100% with anybody sparring, be prepared at all times. Sometimes you have to. I'm a firm believer in training is for training and fighting is for fighting, but there's few intellectuals in the fight game. Hector Lombard is notorious for hurting (amateur) sparring partners and he does that shit intentionally. He'll see an opening for a kick or notice they are tired, and spinning wheel kick to the face, broken jaw later, last time you see that dude.

 

If somebody is putting effort on you, meet them there. All I'm saying. At least until you establish communication and ground rules (no oblique kicks, front kicks, knees to the face, elbows, etc)...

 

That being said, if he's training 6 hours a day and for 2 years, I don't think that's the info OP needs or is looking for. I'm just replying to the comment made.

 

If it's a cardio thing, try a lot more high interval cardiovascular training. Sprint or max output (ropes, bag work, wall crawls, etc) at 100% for X amount of time, take break, repeat. High intensity interval training super effective for cardio.

 

Another factor could be body type and diet. If you are super jacked, strong, explosive, and bulging with dense fast twitch muscle fiber, your cardio is never going to be like Nate Diaz. IIRC your muscle just doesn't have the oxygen cells to support it. Pace and explode. Connor and Romero style. In time you can (re)build muscle fiber and muscle endurance.

 

Improve your diet, healthy food intake, etc. Some pros rest and eat between sessions (not training ends at 4, eat, train again at 5 shit...)... but if you hit that a.m. session, train, go hard, go eat healthily, digest, maybe rest, and hit the PM sessions.

 

 

I highly recommend NOT approaching your coaches telling them you struggle giving it your all. That sounds like a lazy mental thing. They aren't psychologists and you need to be able to push and motivate yourself. IF they ask, consider opening up. But don't go up to them unless you're paying a personal trainer/instructor. It's their job to teach a class not cater to your mentality.

I appreciate the input, it's a cardio thing as well as muscular endurance, especially relevant was the point about the pacing. I'll try and put some rope work etc into my routine, thanks!

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My original point was literally about how you build cardio in training lmao... Do you know what is more important than cardio? Finding a pace you can stick at and sticking to it and gradually pushing it! (and of course a few puke sessions during and after training)

Almost all my friends are in the fight business, I am friends with multiple fight promoters and gym owners have trained at 4 MMA gyms, some with ufc vets.

One of my good buddies almost got a contract on Dana Whites Contender Series last summer...

 

Have you ever trained? More often than not coaches are either VERY understanding or VERY motivational! So you are wrong there...

The worst thing someone training can do is to not open up, not ask questions, and not try and get their coaches to push them harder.

 

Also, he NEVER said he was training 6 hours a day lmao he said over the course of the week.

 

As for everything else you said, I would say it's spot on.

Never trained. I googled the information.

 

Your original post was dog shit when it comes to improving cardio. Don't take it personally, but it was. You offered the most basic, simple, uninformative reply possible. You offered the standard coach response to somebody he wants to keep as a customer. "Keep at it, keep pushing, and you'll get better eventually" is what you said in a nut-shell. That's not very helpful.

 

Methods. Routines. Etc.

 

If I am being honest I feel like you got super defensive in your reply, talking about all your credentials and friends in the fight business... well I expect you to offer much better insight next time. Tell him some methods that improve cardio... and tell Diaz and McGregor cardio isn't one of the most important aspects of the fight game. You can either fight, or you can't. When both people can (or can't) the fighter with the superior cardio is usually the victor.

 

Then you went on to tell him not to punch people at 100%... that's common sense 101 day 1 at the gym shit. They tell you to spar at X %. But if you've been in gyms, and around fighters, it doesn't always work like that. Best to tell people give what you get or give what you expect in return.

 

 

And I did misread how many hours a day he trains. 6 hours a week... well most the pro's train 6+ hours a day, and have been for a while. Cardio is hard to build. You can go the slow and steady I will be better eventually route, or you can try mixing up some high intensity exercises that are scientifically proven to increase cardio in 6-8 weeks. High intensity interval training my friend.

 

 

I'm a firm believer in never showing weakness. In my book that means not telling your coaches you're having a hard time giving it your all. That's some shit you can figure out on your own. If you need somebody to motivate you to push yourself, pay a personal trainer.

 

 

Repetition is the art of perfection. Basic shit.

 

My original point was literally about how you build cardio in training lmao... Do you know what is more important than cardio? Finding a pace you can stick at and sticking to it and gradually pushing it! (and of course a few puke sessions during and after training)

Not sure I comprehend this reply to my post... but hey, you do you, I'll do me. GL. Lol.
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Id recommend step down a little bit and develop the basic physical abilities of steength endurance and cardio and then step up specific training frequency again. Be careful with carbs requirement, athletes tend to tread too low on carbs. Training load increase plus low carb intake equals overtraining/overreaching syndrome.

Should be probably something around 7g of carbs per (your bodyweight) kilogram per day. Its a lot. When i had to get that kind of carb, I had to use supplements.

Also, careful with hydration status. Lots of training sessions = losing more water and more sodium. A physician consultation could evaluate what kind of liquid intake would be best for you (plain regular water or some electrolytes added).

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I'm gonna start off by saying something that might sound shitty, but bear with me.

Your training volume has been so low in each of the styles you've been doing up until recently that you can't realistically expect any large results, either physical or technical, in any of them. For example, 3 hours a week of MT/SW/BJJ over 2 years roughly translates to about 100 hours in each, and that's the best case scenario. Realistically you've probably had weeks off of training which lowers that number.

100 hours of practice in ANYTHING even remotely either physically or technically demanding is nothing. I probably have at least that many hours of deliberate practice playing the guitar, and I'm a terrible guitar player.

Also, you've recently doubled your training volume, which your body DEFINITELY isn't used to. Give it some time to adapt. You're better off in the long run going easier in training and doing more sessions than you are going HAM and getting yourself injuried. If you ease into it you'll probably be able to ramp up your intensity in a couple of months, while developing just as much technique in the process.

Keep it up and good luck with your training! You'll be seeing dramatic increases in both your physicality and technique after a few months of doubling your training. Just don't go overboard in the beginning and hurt yourself.

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