Why Strength Training Is Important For Mma
The importance of good strength and conditioning has constantly been downplayed by traditional martial arts. Why this is the case is beyond my comprehension, but I want everyone to understand that strength and conditioning is paramount if you want success in the cage. Being stronger than your opponent will give you a competitive edge that he does not have - every tool is useful, and this one is akin to a jackhammer. You'll be able to control your opponent effectively on the ground and will throw more powerful strikes.
Aside from the reasons mentioned above, having a good strength and conditioning program will allow you to dictate the pace that the fight goes. If you want to go all out for a few rounds or minutes, then you'll be able to because you have fantastic conditioning. There's nothing worse than being completely gassed at the end of the third round and at the complete mercy of your opponent. In order to avoid this helplessness, you'll need to improve both your gas tank and your strength. This can be done relatively easily, although it takes a significant amount of dedication and a fair amount of time. You can start seeing results in the first six weeks of your training regime if you do it correctly.
Remember that all of the top fighters have great strength and conditioning programs. That's not to say that it's easy to reach the elite level on just conditioning, but you can do very well in the lower pro circuits if you're moderately skilled but have fantastic conditioning. This is because a lot of people don't know how to do it properly until they start competing at an elite level - look at BJ Penn, for example. He just started taking strength and conditioning seriously, and it has helped him tremendously. He was able to trounce Diego Sanchez with relative ease in his latest fight and now looks unstoppable at 155. Compare this to the stomping he took from GSP, and you'll quickly see how much a good S&C program can help you.
Aside from the reasons mentioned above, having a good strength and conditioning program will allow you to dictate the pace that the fight goes. If you want to go all out for a few rounds or minutes, then you'll be able to because you have fantastic conditioning. There's nothing worse than being completely gassed at the end of the third round and at the complete mercy of your opponent. In order to avoid this helplessness, you'll need to improve both your gas tank and your strength. This can be done relatively easily, although it takes a significant amount of dedication and a fair amount of time. You can start seeing results in the first six weeks of your training regime if you do it correctly.
Remember that all of the top fighters have great strength and conditioning programs. That's not to say that it's easy to reach the elite level on just conditioning, but you can do very well in the lower pro circuits if you're moderately skilled but have fantastic conditioning. This is because a lot of people don't know how to do it properly until they start competing at an elite level - look at BJ Penn, for example. He just started taking strength and conditioning seriously, and it has helped him tremendously. He was able to trounce Diego Sanchez with relative ease in his latest fight and now looks unstoppable at 155. Compare this to the stomping he took from GSP, and you'll quickly see how much a good S&C program can help you.
