Like many of you, I’ve had some drunken grappling matches with my buddies.
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They used to happen in University quite a bit but not so much anymore…
For me, it usually happened after a night that included serious amounts of Vodka.
I don’t know what it was but maybe the spirit of Fedor got into me that made me feel unstoppable.
Before I had any skills, I would use my general athleticism and strength to fight.
But there’s one opponent that you might’ve come across that was difficult to deal with…
It was the guy who didn’t look like he was in too good of shape, but he had big hands, a powerful grip and he was just plain strong.
The strong guys would always be a challenge regardless of their level of skill.
They could tie you up, squeeze you and just nullify anything you tried to do with pure brute strength.
If you’ve grappled one of these bears you know exactly what I’m talking about (or maybe you’re one of them).
This is a simple example of what is the most important characteristic to build as a Mixed Martial Artist.
Strength.
Pure. Brute. Strength.
But what are most guys doing?
Endless circuits, intervals and CrossFit.
Sure, strength training isn’t as romantic as high intensity training where you’re hammering a tire or swinging a KBell.
And I’m not saying that circuits, intervals, or CrossFit are completely useless and ineffective.
They are necessary to any complete MMA strength and conditioning program.
However I AM saying that the foundation, that important slab of concrete that is poured FIRST when building a house, is the key to everything else.
Want to be powerful?
Get strong first.
Want to be agile?
Get strong, my friend.
Want endless cardio?
Strength is the foundation.
Just think of this simple example:
If you can Bench press 150 pounds, and there is a 150 pound guy laying on top of you, trying to push him off will take all of your strength and you won’t have as much strength with each subsequent attempt.
But if you can Bench press 200 pounds, you’ll be able to do 8-12 repetitions before you start to fatigue.
And that first attempt will be a lot more powerful vs. if you could bench 150.
As this example clearly shows, strength is the foundation to both endurance AND power.
One of the things that makes proper strength training so unpopular is the fact that you have to REST between sets.
This is because there’s so much hype and misinformation surrounding what effective MMA training really is.
To get strong, you have to lift a heavy weight, let your body and nervous system recover, then repeat, over and over.
Not the most glamorous way to train and it might *feel* like it’s not as effective as Tabata’s, but it will make all the difference in the world.
Do this often enough and following the right program and you’ll be the guy that people hate pairing up with because they feel like they can’t move you and gas themselves out trying.
But that’s the problem – most guys go by feel – if it feels hard then it must be good.
Sorry, that’s just not the case.
Physiology is much more complex than ‘the hardest worker is in the best shape’.
And therein lies your opportunity.
Most guys think this and follow this path.
But as an insider, you know better, or if you didn’t, now you do.
The reality is that ‘Hard Work + Smart Work = Optimal Results’.
If you’re ready to work hard – then get the plan to help you work smart:
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