How to Get Rid of Weight Cutting in Mixed Martial Arts
All combat sports competitions deal with the issue of weight-loss. Most combat sports including amateur wrestling, mma, boxing, or kickboxing require their competitors to be at a certain weight limit. Depending on the regulations of each sport, the amount and methods of weight cutting can differ greatly.
The term weight-cutting is often used broadly by athletes to refer to both the long-term process which includes dieting and the short-term process which focuses primarily on shedding water weight shortly prior to the weigh-in.
Mixed Martial Arts events often hold public weigh-ins (much like boxing) up to 24 hours prior to the athletic events. In these cases, it not uncommon to find athletes losing and gaining back in excess of 10% of their body weight. These massive short-term weight cuts often involve trips to the sauna, sweat suits, and low-intensity cardio exercises intended to cause sweating with minimal exertion. Cycling is the preferable cardiovascular exercise
Click here to continue readingMMA Workouts - Different Philosophies
The intense physical demands of Mixed Martial Arts fighting has led to a variety of different strength and conditioning routines. This article is not going to compare and contrast different routines in order to determine which is “the best.” Rather it will focus on what are some of the most popular programs and some of the different philosophies behind them.
Probably the most common conditioning routines are what I call the “home made” routines. Most amateur fighters, without proper guidance, have concocted a unique combination of routines from the internet, movies, and their friends. This is the type of routine I see a lot of college students come in with at my Baltimore Mixed Martial Arts gym.This guy might run 5 miles once a week and also follow a bodybuilding weightlifting routine.100 pushups, 100 situps, and 100 squats every morning and night might be the conditioning routine of another guy.
Another popular fitness
Click here to continue readingInjury and Illness on Martial Arts Training
For the athlete or martial artist, one of the most frustrating situations one can face is when one is slightly injured or sick. Unlike a severe injury, the athlete often faces increased self-doubt about his own toughness. For example, at my Baltimore MMA gym, one of my top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors, had to undergo major shoulder surgery. There was absolutely no possible way he could practice. On the other hand, when my athletes are sick with the flu or a simple cold, they often try to come in and work out.Reputation is important in the gym and they do not want to be seen as not tough enough to train when sick.
But is this really a good idea?
The first issue to consider is the benefit to the athlete himself. Will an extra training session be productive in his or her weakened state?In addition, will the athlete's return to health be
Click here to continue readingBenefits of Combining Youth Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training.
The United States has experienced an explosion in the popularity of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Grappling. These are two grappling sports that allow submission holds – movements that force one’s opponent to ‘tap out’ or give up. Unlike wrestling which is a single-season sport, the competitions for BJJ and Grappling are year round. Because of this, many serious wrestling parents consider placing their child into another grappling sport during the off-season but they have concerns…
Not surprisingly, safety is on the minds of the parents. It sounds dangerous to have a child do techniques that require tapping out to signal defeat. However, most injuries in these types of competitions occur from takedowns, an aspect of grappling that occurs in wrestling as well. Also, any legitimate school and competition has the appropriate insurance and safety procedures to limit sports injuries.
Another issue facing parents is how much overlap there would be between
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