A little PT advice for MMA fighters

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 12:36pm

For people who train MMA, or at least train in an 'alive' style fairly regularly (3-4 days a week);

When do you do your weight training?
Sometimes I feel certain muscles like shoulders, back and legs get so tired from jujitsu/mma/muay thai training that it seems like at this point I might be just burning muscle by working them hard on my off days. What do you do?

I have heard of people that only do weights 1-2 days per week when doing extensive MA training. Right now I'm eating a shitload, train 4-5 days per week MA and lift weights either before/after class or on my off days, but I am not gaining alot of mass, which is my goal. Is it futile with all the cardio I'm doing? I'm pretty ripped, but I've always wanted to be bigger. Maybe it's just not my body type- I dunno.

I do alternate my excercises- chest, triceps one day. Back, shoulders, biceps, lats, etc. the next. I also alternate legs and abs to evey other weight day, I usually rest once a week, but I find myself doing little sit ups or calf raises or something on that day anyways-maybe that's my problem. Oh, also I have noticed some people alternate doing incline and flat bench presses to different days. Is there a reason for this?

Any advice on what you guys do, how often you rest, and advice on gaining mass will be appreciated.

Thanks,
-Z

**dinnerpig** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 12:47pm

check the PT stickies before Teh El Macho eats you for breakfast...providing you are mostly made up of lean meat.

but as a quick note

i do heavy lifting one to two days a week and currently train in bjj 5x a week.

my uneducated guess is that you just arent eating enough. with all of the cardio you are doing it sounds like you are expending all of your cals on that. You may also need to up your protein intake. Read up on the stickies and I think most of your questions will be answered. There is alot of great info concerning diet and mma strength training. Enjoy.

http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=61712

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 12:52pm

Y'know, I have read the stickies in the past, I just was asking as kind of a survey this time to see what everyone else does.

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 12:53pm

I train something like 11 times a week (two-a-days monday-friday). Only one of those is weight training. I never do it before training. That just hurts you weight training and your MMA training. Here's my super special work out routine: squats, bench press, deadlifts 5 sets of 5 reps each. I take the next day off for rest. I've gained a good amount of strength and some weight, but I don't have trouble gaining mass and it's not my goal anyway.

**dinnerpig** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 1:28pm

back before i got hurted i used to train 2-3 hours a day mon-fri, 4 hours on sats and hit the track on sundays. i trained in no gi/boxing/muay thai/krav maga. on top of that - i was lifting heavy 3x a week. DUMB! dont go my route. don't over train and keep your lifting to 1-2x a week if you are training as much as you say you are. deffo give yourself a full day of rest. i am a product of over training. it's not something you want to be.

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 2:09pm

You're right. I definetely don't want to be a cute anime chick with a back injury.

Thanks. That's what I've been feeling, that it's too much.

**Fighting Cephalopod** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 2:26pm

Originally Posted by BudoMonkey

You're right. I definetely don't want to be a cute anime chick with a back injury.

Thanks. That's what I've been feeling, that it's too much.

I do my biggest heavy lifts (deadlifts, etc) on one of my non-class days, and the rest of my lifts after class.

But if you're not gaining size, it's because you're not eating enough, not because of when you're lifting.

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 2:54pm

Fuckin A, I guess your right. I'm 6'0 tall, recently I went from 153 up to 160Ibs, and it's taken me eating at least 3,000 cals daily to get up here. Now that I'm here though, I'm just maintaining.

Is it safe to up it another 500/1000 cals? Watchu think? I don't wanna get a big ol' gut or anything.

Thanks for the help.

**Sakmongkol** · Posted On: 9/17/2008 6:25pm

Originally Posted by BudoMonkey

Fuckin A, I guess your right. I'm 6'0 tall, recently I went from 153 up to 160Ibs, and it's taken me eating at least 3,000 cals daily to get up here. Now that I'm here though, I'm just maintaining.

Is it safe to up it another 500/1000 cals? Watchu think? I don't wanna get a big ol' gut or anything.

Thanks for the help.

3000 cals is nothing. You can stand to add up it another 2000 calories with the workload you are doing. Fat is far easier to lose than muscle is to gain.

You must prioritize. Either getting bigger or cutting fat. If you try to hedge your bets you will get no where.

I realized this a couple of months ago and have worked my way up to drinking a gallon of whole milk a day on top of a general increase in food. I have put on a stone in 2 months and seen the best strength increases of my life. Hell on some days when I'm a little shy of calories I knock back a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. (I'm on a variant of the rips beginners program)

Food is your friend when you want to get bigger/stronger.

**dinnerpig** · Posted On: 9/18/2008 10:05am

eat more and look into yoga - especially bikram yoga. I know alot of grapplers and mma ammy fighters who have taken up bikram yoga to help relax their aching muscles and to improve their flexibility. Bikram is no joke but it does do wonders for the body. i've done it and me likey.