Mixed martial arts is a very dynamic, fast-paced sport that requires many mental and athletic attributes in order to be an effective competitor. One of the most important and sought-after skills is fighter explosiveness.
Explosiveness is a crucial skill an MMA athlete requires in order to be effective at a high level. From punching, kicking and kneeing, to shooting for takedowns and footwork, the advantages of being more explosive are endless. Performing explosive exercises can help with power, speed, coordination, endurance, reaction time and with fast-twitch muscle fiber activation. Without these added performance benefits, an athlete is at a definite disadvantage against his or her opponent in the cage or ring.
The following are my top six beginner exercises that will help you achieve improved explosiveness, so you can take your game to the next level.
1. JUMPING SQUATS
How to:
i) Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms down by your side. Your shoulders should be back and down with your chest out and chin slightly down, making sure that your spine is in a neutral alignment.
ii) Squat down to at least knee height (or even lower if you can) while maintaining that neutral alignment in your back with the chest up, shoulders back, and pushing your butt as far back as you can, as if you were going to sit on a chair. If done properly, the weight of your body will be mostly transferred to your heels. Your toes should feel light but still on the ground.
iii) At the same time as you’re squatting down, simultaneously raise your arms fully extended in front of you to assist in keeping your chest up and back straight. At the bottom position of your squat, your arms should be extended, parallel to each other and to the floor.
iv) On the way up, push your arms down as fast as you can, keeping them straight at all times like you are pushing off the floor, and jump as high as you can into the air and back into your starting position.
v) As you land, absorb the landing by using all of your legs muscles and maintaining a strong erect posture right down to your bottom squat position. Keep your chest up, shoulders and butt back, with your arms out front, parallel to each other and the ground.
**Do this exercise without stopping throughout the entire range of motion. Think like the piston of a car, up and down nonstop, and repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
2. BUNGEE SKIING
Some high-performance gyms have a cardio machine called the Concept2 SkiErg, which is an amazing trainer, but most gyms don’t have this machine, so you can use a resistance band to do the same exercise.
How to:
i) Place the band over an overhead bar that’s not too high, ensuring that the band is evenly centered.
ii) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees with a neutrally aligned spine.
iii) Grab the band with a neutral grip so that you are holding the ends like ski poles. Start with your hands extended straight and over your head.
iv) While keeping your arms fixed in a STRAIGHT but not locked position, pull down on the band so that you bring your hands down all the way, just past your thighs. On the way down, bend your knees so that you activate your leg muscles along with your back.
**Repeat for 30 to 45 seconds.
3. MEDICINE BALL WALL STRAIGHTS
How to:
i) Start by standing 2 to 3 meters away from a solid brick or concrete wall, holding a medicine ball in one hand. Start with a low weight, like 5 lbs., to feel out the exercise, then move up gradually as you get comfortable with the weight and, more importantly, the technique.
ii) Get into your fighting stance with the ball in your power (back) hand. Your opposite (lead) hand should be high guarding/defending your temple with both elbows underneath your shoulders simulating a solid fundamental guard.
iii) Throw or press the ball as hard and as fast as you can towards the wall, like if you were throwing a straight cross punch, making sure you pivot your back foot, allowing your hips to generate the power required for a fast, explosive punch. Make sure the ball bounces right back to you, so you can go again immediately.
**Make sure the ball bounces right back off the wall into your hands and repeat 12 to 15 times, ensuring the ball does not hit the ground at all during the set.
4. MILITARY PRESS BARBELL EXPLOSIVES (WITH FOOTWORK):
How to:
i) Start in your fighting stance with a barbell in your hands with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart at shoulder height.
ii) Explosively press the bar starting from shoulder height in a diagonal motion upwards until your arms are almost fully extended, the bar should end up at a height just above your head
iii) Make sure that while exploding the bar forward, you also move forward in your fighting stance by stepping forward with your lead leg and then back again as you pull the bar back towards your body. The bar should be in constant motion – do not pause to rest until the set is complete.
**Repeat for 30 seconds.
5. MEDICINE BALL WOOD CHOPS:
How to:
i) Grab a medicine ball (10 to 12 lbs.) and get into your fighting stance. Ensure that you have a neutral alignment in your spine with your shoulders back and down, and your chest out proud like a soldier at attention.
ii) Start by having the ball down by your hips with your arms fully extended.
iii) Pull the ball from your right hip, in a diagonal motion across your body until you are holding the ball in an overhead position. Then slam the ball as hard as you can into the floor directly in front of you, so it bounces back into your hands and repeat, making sure the ball only bounces once between slams.
iv) Do this movement like you’re chopping wood with an axe. The twist as a result of starting at your hip instead of directly in front of you will activate your oblique muscles a lot more than a regular overhead slam, which will improve core rotation for greater punching power.
**Repeat for 12 to 15 reps per side.
6. SINGLE-ARM LANDMINE:
How to:
i) Place an Olympic barbell into a landmine attachment or position a 45 lbs. plate on the floor in the corner of your gym and place the end of the bar in the center hole.
ii) Again, start in your fighting stance with one foot in front of the other. Hold the end of the barbell in your power hand (back hand). Place your free hand by your head in a defensive position.
iii) Start with the bar at shoulder height. Now, while you’re in your fighting stance, press the bar up until your arm is fully extended as fast and under control as you can. Make sure you pivot your back foot, allowing your hips to help with your power and coordination.
iv) Slowly and under control bring the bar back to the starting position, ensuring that you’re maintaining a strong neutral posture, and repeat.
**Repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
