"Fight Preparation"

So, you are preparing for a fight. Looking for a good Strength and Conditioning workout? Aren't we all? Well, I've got something that I think works pretty well.

First, let's look at the premise behind a Strength and Conditioning workout - in other words, what is it designed to do? I can hear some "smart-alleck" now, "To 'strengthen' and to 'condition' - DUH Wiggy!!" Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true and all, but there is MUCH more to it. If there wasn't, you could go for a run and do a Nautilus circuit or tow at the local health spa and be ready.

An S&C workout should be designed to, yes, "strengthen" and "condition," but it should do so in the context in which it can help the trainee with his or her chosen sport or activity. For example, a basketball player would have no need to perform S&C workouts geared toward powerlifters. Similarly, a football player would have little need of an S&C workout designed with the marathoner in mind.

Having said that, let's take a quick look at the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). MMA can be a tough sport to train for, because just as experience in many fighting styles is necessary, superiority in various areas of S&C work is necessary. An MMAist must have brute strength, cardiovascular stamina, and strength-endurance. All the while the MMAist trains for these attributes, he/she must not completely "wear themselves out," as there are multiple skills sessions that MUST be attended each week...

Using various tenants from my book "Singles and Doubles - How the Ordinary Become Extraordinary," I've designed the following Sandbag workout. This should severely kick your ass, however, if you're in good shape, it shouldn't fatigue you too much, as the overall volume will still be (fairly) low. (NOTE – this workout was designed for somebody preparing for a fight consisting of 3, 5 minute rounds with 1 minute rest between. Should your fight be structured differently, set the time requirements accordingly) Here is what you'll need:

-Sandbag (choose your own weight based on your strength and endurance level)

-rope

-S-Hook or caribineer

-sturdy belt

-chin bar

-stopwatch

Here is what you do. First, if you can workout near a chin bar in a field or the like, pace off ~25 yards away from the bar and mark this spot. Put the belt around your waist loosely. Either tie the rope to the bag and have the hook/caribineer hooked to your belt, or vice versa. However you do it, you will to be able to hook/unhook the bag to your belt via the rope quickly.

Start off with a nice warm-up. Personally, I find that a bunch of Burpees gets me going *really* well, but it's whatever.

Next, start at your marked spot. Drag your bag to the chin bar. Rest *three breaths.* Perform 5 Chins. Rest *three breaths.* Begin throwing your bag back toward your mark. Once there, rest three breaths. Perform two Sandbag Clean and Presses. Perform 5 Sit-ups. Perform two more Sandbag C&P. Rest 3 breaths. Drag back to the chin bar. Rest 3 breaths. 5 Pull-ups. Rest 3 breaths. Throw the bag back to the starting point. Rest 3 breaths. Perform 2 Sandbag Shoulders (2 per side). 5 Sit-ups. 2 more Shoulders. Rest 3 breaths.

Repeat this sequence for 5 minutes straight. At the end of 5 minutes, rest one minute. Perform 3 "rounds." (Adjust these times for your respective round length, rest period length, and number of rounds.)

It sounds a little complicated, but it's really not. Each time you go toward the chin bar, you drag. Each time you go back to the starting point, you throw. While at the chin bar, alternate doing 5 Chins and 5 Pull-ups. While at the starting point, alternate doing 2 C&P, 5 Sit-ups, 2 C&P with 2 Shoulders, 5 Sit-ups, 2 Shoulders.

Now, here is the fun part - every time you drag and throw, do it a different way. For example you may drag to the bar holding the rope between your legs going forward, and throw back "granny-style" (between your legs). Then you may drag to the bar with the bag attached to your belt, and throw back "chest pass" like a basketball. Then you may drag to the bar holding the rope over your shoulder, and throw back by twisting at the waist and throwing like you might do a medicine ball (just be sure to switch sides every time you throw it). Then you might drag to the bar holding the rope and going backwards, and throw back from the shoulder like you are throwing a shot put (again, be sure to alternate arms).

You can repeat types of throws/drags from round to round, but try not to repeat within the round itself.

Although this should be an ass-kicker, you still are doing a workout that should take you not much longer (including setup time and warm-up) than 20 minutes. This shouldn't be so much that your system can't handle it.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.