Fighter Fit Training Series – Part 3

Training

Doing conditioning work also helps you to quickly shed unwanted weight to give you a shredded fighter physique!

Six Star Pro Staff

By Will Romero
SIX STAR AMBASSADOR

CONDITIONING

The importance of conditioning in most sports is extremely important for the obvious reasons like endurance, durability, reaction time and efficiency, to name a few. In combat sports, as you can imagine, where survival is key, conditioning plays an even bigger role due to the fact that if you get tired, you simply cannot perform to your full capabilities – there is no one else to sub in for you! Doing conditioning work also helps you to quickly shed unwanted weight to give you a shredded fighter physique! The following are my top six exercises that, when thrown into a structured strength and conditioning program, can yield incredible results come fight time.

TREADMILL TABATA

On a treadmill, set the speed at a level that you would consider just less than that of a sprint.
Run for 20 seconds, then safely use the hand rails to get your feet both off to the sides.
Rest for 10 seconds, then repeat for 3 to 5 minutes per round. Do 3 to 5 rounds with a 1-minute rest between rounds

PROWLER (SLED) PUSH

To do this exercise, you need a prowler sled on either turf or concrete floor.

Start without loading any weight to get your technique down, as this exercise has a lot of detail in terms of proper technique and posture, for safety and efficiency.
The best position for exercise is to bend over to 90 degrees with your back straight, arms locked out and shoulders shrugged forward. This will allow you to stack your joints and let you use your legs and glutes as the driving force without expending energy by overly using the upper body.
Once you get comfortable with the technique, do 1 minute on and 30 seconds off. Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes and do 3 to 5 rounds with a 1-minute rest between rounds.

AIRDYNE BIKE TABATA

The Airdyne bike is an amazing conditioning tool that allows you to simultaneously work your lower and upper body. Your goal is to execute this exercise with a resistance that challenges you. To execute this exercise, you want to move as fast as possible giving 100% effort. Do 45-second sprints with a 15-second break, and repeat for 3 to 5 minutes. Do 3 to 5 rounds with a 1-minute rest between rounds

BATTLE ROPES

Battle ropes are great at providing full-body strength training as well as cardio. They’re great for targeting your core and upper and lower body. Try one of these two techniques for a serious conditioning blast.

*DRUM ROLLS:

Have the ropes in your hands and squat down in a seated position.
Make waves with the ropes by quickly moving your wrists up and down like you’re playing the drums, all while maintaining a solid neutral spine with your chest up and butt back. Do 1 minute of work and 20-second breaks, and repeat for 3 to 5 minutes. Do 3 to 5 rounds with a 1-minute rest between rounds.

*POWER SLAMS:

To start, stand with feet hip-width apart and grasp the ends of the rope in each hand.
Bring both arms up overhead, and then forcefully slam the ropes down into the ground, lowering into a high squat as you do.
Straighten up to return to standing and repeat. Do 1 minute of work and 20-second breaks, and repeat for 3 to 5 minutes. Do 3 to 5 rounds with a 1-minute rest between rounds.

ROWING TABATAS

Sit on the rowing machine with your arms extended in front of you, keeping shoulders relaxed and a neutral alignment in the spine.
Hinge forward from the hips and bend the knees, reaching in with the hands so the handle is over the ankles.
Push through your feet, extending your legs, and lean back slightly, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Pull with your hands, bringing your elbows straight back until the handle reaches your chest.
Extend your arms and bend the knees to slide the seat forward, and repeat the movement. Do 1 minute of work and 20-second breaks, and repeat for 3 to 5 minutes. Do 3 to 5 rounds with a 1-minute break.

SKIPPING

RUNNING ON THE SPOT: Using a skipping rope, jog on the spot, bringing your knees waist-high with the intent of trying to do your intervals uninterrupted and as quickly as you possibly can. 1 minute on, 20 seconds off.

DOUBLE UNDERS: Using a skipping rope, your goal is to jump up higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under your feet. With every one jump, the rope should pass underneath your feet twice. 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off.

In our next month’s issue, we will be covering how to put all these exercises in theFighter Fit Training Series into a program you can use to take your game and physique to the next level!