weight lifting for fighters?

**legomepanda** · Posted On: 5/16/2011 6:52am

I can't believe this question is still being asked.

If you don't believe the fighters on this board, go to a gym where professionals fight out of and ask them if lifting is good for fighters.

Plus there's this. Which is in the stickied PT thread. For years.

**สกัด** · Posted On: 5/17/2011 5:20pm

Lift.

Do big lifts: Deadlift, Squat, Bench, Overhead Press.

I like the 5,3,1 program because I continue to see a steady progression even with a relatively low volume. So I'm getting stronger, but I still am fresh enough, and have enough energy to train 4-6 hours after lifting. I've done programs that were more effective for size/strength, but they left me too worn out to train effectively 6 days a week.

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 5/18/2011 11:59pm

There are two things to keep in mind with weightlifting and fighting:
-Fight training > weight training. Like letters I can't read said, if you're overtraining with the weights, it'll hurt your performance when you're actually doing fight-training.
-You're fighting in a weight class, presumably one that's a lot lower than whatever you walk around at. Thus, hypertrophy training and bulking up are not in your best interest.
Strength is tots important, but too big of a focus on it can hurt your performance long run.

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 5/19/2011 2:09am

Be strong.

If you think weight training makes you stiff; you're an idiot or you're doing it very, very wrong.

I always get mocked for lifting at my boxing gym, and I'm certainly not the best boxer there - but funnily enough every time I plant one on them they stop laughing.

..But yeah, fight training should always come first. Weight training a fighter = a better fighter, just weight training does not. (although it may get you more poon tang)

**Bullwhip** · Posted On: 5/21/2011 9:43am

Weight lifting makes you strong, body weight training conditions you. You can do conditioning with weights too. Put it this way. You training to move your body around your opponent with body weight exercises. You train to move your opponent with weight lifting.

**Cullion** · Posted On: 5/24/2011 12:55pm

I wish Omega or somebody of comparable experience as a striking coach would post in these threads.

**Sledge** · Posted On: 5/26/2011 10:24pm

Thats what I thought too. I always lifted in the past and had great results/ gains in speed and power. I was just told by some more experienced fighters that it can slow and tighten your skills. They focus more on skill and ease of motion to win fights. But, for me weight training seems like it would help with my fighting and like you said, muscle is body armor. So do you go with heavy weight low rep, or mid weight mid rep, or low weight high rep? I want overall power and speed, but dont want to put on a ton of weight.

**edselaquino** · Posted On: 5/26/2011 11:16pm

Think about it in this way.

There is more to a fight than just raw strength and power. Fighters at a higher level will be less concerned about increasing their raw strength, and more concerned about increasing the other factors in a fight which is their cardio capacity, technique, distance, timing etc.

A heavy lifter doesn't always mean a superior fighter. But being fair to both sides of that statement if you don't have the strength level of all the fighters in your class your not going to win any fights either.

Periodize your training so that you can work on all 3 major conditioning factors that a fighter needs to work on. That is STRENGTH, POWER, CARDIO in that order.

Set goals for each of them and then work out a program to reach those goals within a set time period. For example 6 - 8 weeks of heavy lifting to reach a certain strength level or 6-8 weeks of cardio conditioning to run a mile in 5 mins.

Just keep in mind that your body will remember to move in the fashion that you train. so if your ONLY focus is on increasing your strength then your body will be less inclined to increase its ability in other areas.

Of course rep range, frequency and types of exercise will have an effect but you should do a little more research into your currenty fitness level and work out what you wish to accomplish before you start getting prepared for the next fight.

And yes i believe you should weight lift.

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 5/27/2011 2:46pm

Minor interjection.

Ali did not believe in Weight lifting. He was explicitly against it.

Mike Weaver threw his punches in very tight arcs, this was clearly 'cos he was tight owing to his Weight Lifting.

Try more Bagwork. Remember your arms get damn heavy.

When I was doing lots of Weights - following years of circuit training, I was rather strong and then put on a heavy bag. I knocked the bollocks out of it and on one occasion, knocked it off it's hook. The gym teacher who was watching to take the next class (and Karate 2nd Dan) looked amazed and called me an "animal". I took it as a compliment.

The Bag certainly never hit ME back. Thank **** for that. Also I think the hook gave owing to metal fatigue.

**serey** · Posted On: 5/27/2011 10:30pm

sugar ray robinson also used calisthenics exclusively. would ali and robinson have been goats if they "lift weights"? of course! resistance is resistance.

skill work is the main focus for a fighter. everything else is supplemental. training is relative to a fighters needs. quit focusing on the tools use, but rather the athletic quality desired.

you honestly think when these boxers perform pull ups they are not weight lifting? Fedor Emelianenko is another prime example of "playground training". and he's the goat of mma.

it shows you that it's not so much about the tools.

the "weight lifting" vs calisthenics argument is flawed. diversity is the spice of life. it should be objective based.