Physical Preparation of a Martial Artist

Physical preparation of the martial artist.

The physical development of a martial artist is very complex in nature. They need to balance out maximal strength, strength-speed (Explosive strength/RFD), speed-strength (Power), and strength endurance as well as maintain proper energy system use, and keep a good base of GPP (flexibility, strength, aerobic fitness, anaerobic fitness).

Considering, in striking, the punch and kick is an unloaded movement, we can say that their abilities are dependent mostly on speed strength, with some focus on strength-speed. With grappling, on the other hand, you are overcoming great resistance, the weight of your opponent and their strength levels. In this instance I see emphasis on strength-speed, with maximal strength serving a supportive function.

Strength-speed will enable you to apply more force, rapidly (rate of force development), even if you are weaker than your opponent.

For example, say you squat 400lbs and your opponent squats 600lbs. Your speed-strength peaks at 80% 1rm, and your opponents peaks at 50%1rm. In this instance you will be able to apply 320lbs of force in the time it takes your opponent to apply 300lbs of force. Guess what happens, you win this battle. By the time his maximal strength can kick in enough to overpower you, his limb is already in full extension (at it’s weakest leverage point). The submission is sunk in and he just needs enough strength to tap out.

So, if we rank strength qualities in order of importance:

Striking
1. Speed-strength (3 points)
2. Strength-speed (2 Points)
3. Speed endurance (1 Point)

Grappling
1. Strength-speed (3 points)
2. Maximal Strength (2 points)
3. Strength endurance (1 point)

MMA
1. Strength-speed (2+3= 5 points)
2. Speed-strength (3+0= 3 points)
3. Maximal Strength (0+2 = 2 points)
4. Speed endurance (1 point)
5. Strength endurance (1 point)


Generally the methods available to us for sport training are as follows:

F=Ma - maximal strength
F=ma- strength-speed
F=mA- speed-strength

Level 1 Strength

Strength

If you are a beginner to the iron game, you must first develop a base of maximal strength and hypertrophy to build the other strength qualities from. In the words of Dave Tate "you can't flex bone"

The principal aim of this phase is to improve your maximal strength levels, where Force = Mass x acceleration (mass is great and acceleration is small)

Maximal strength forms the base of the strength pyramid. So we need a decent base level, not as much as a powerlifter, but you should be able to squat 400 and bench over 250 to begin. In reality I’d love to set the standard even higher (~450, 300), but I do feel that those minimal amounts of strength should suffice.

If you do not begin from a decent base of strength you may not be strong enough to truly benefit from the more advanced methods discussed later.

In the development of maximal strength there are many methods available. I enjoy WSB’s application of the conjugate method. However, if you are starting at this level, you are not strong enough to begin to apply the WSB method. In this case I like a real simple approach.

1. Main lift (3-6x1-5) usually squat, bench or dead, sometimes a variant there of, such as close grip benches, or deadlifts off pins. I work this lift HEAVY 1-5 reps.
2. Heavy Assistance. (2-6x4-6) Generally my heavy assistance is a variant of the main lift. Stiff legged deadlifts for example on deadlift day.
3. Lighter assistance (3-5x6-15)

As far as bodyparts and the like I like this adaptation of the basic WSB split:

LOWER
1. Heavy Lower body (squat, dead lift)
2. Hamstrings
3. Lower back
4. Abs
5. Possible upper back work

Upper
1. Heavy Upper body (bench press)
2. Triceps
3. Delts
4. Lats

Once your strength levels are where we mentioned earlier, we can then consider moving on to the more advanced levels of training.

Later on I'll elaborate on more advanced methods for special strength development (strength-speed, speed-strength,maximal strength, speed and strength endurance). However, rather than tell a tale from the middle, we must start the story from the beginning, maximal strength.

Level 2 Power

Strength-Speed / Speed-Strength and Speed Endurance

With the base level of strength we can begin honing in on our special strength profiles. Looking at our rating of special strength qualities, we see the following:

MMA
1. Strength-speed (2+3= 5 points)
2. Speed-strength (3+0= 3 points)
3. Maximal Strength (0+2 = 2 points)
4. Speed endurance (1 point)
5. Strength endurance (1 point)

In this cycle we will be using the following split.

Day 1 Strength-Speed
Day 2: Speed-Strength and Speed Endurance

You may be thinking

"hey I thought maximal strength was more important than speed endurance, also why not focus on strength endurance?"

You might be right. But if you analyze the first program, you have already been building maximal strength and strength endurance. Now we must shift our focus to our weaknesses.

This cycle will bring up all of the neglected qualities from the first cycle.

Strength-Speed

F=ma

Strength speed is made up of the 20% of 1rm located directly above your maximum power output. How do you know this level? The test goes beyond the scope of this post. Although I may post it later. For most people max power will be found around 50% 1rm. So strength-speed is developed 50-70% 1rm with sets that last under 1 seconds (1-4 reps)

Strength speed is important for RFD purposes. As I stated earlier:

"For example, say you squat 400lbs and your opponent squats 600lbs. Your speed-strength peaks at 80% 1rm, and your opponents peaks at 50%1rm. In this instance you will be able to apply 320lbs of force in the time it takes your opponent to apply 300lbs of force. Guess what happens, you win this battle. By the time his maximal strength can kick in enough to overpower you, his limb is already in full extension (at it’s weakest leverage point). The submission is sunk in and he just needs enough strength to tap out."

Speed-Strength

F=mA

Speed-Strength is best developed with the 20% 1rm underneath the maximum power output. For most athletes this will be about 30-50% 1rm. Sets, again will run iunder 10 seconds in duration (1-4 reps). Although, speed-strength can be developed with even lesser loads. Improving this quality will improe hand speed, striking speed, and the power with whick the blows connect. For grappling it will aid in speeding the transitions from position to position.

A great benefit of using the lesser loads is you will be teaching the muscle to fire and relax very rapidly. Most importantly you will be learning to release tension. This will help eliminate antagonist interference in unloaded movements.

For example:

In baseball when you throw your agonist (primary mover) contracts, the antagonist will then fire, and this will be followed by a final agonist contraction.

In the analysis of elite pitchers, they have found that they skip the second step of the antagonist contraction. With less interference, they throw at higher velocities.

With the release of tension, we can also help reduce the likelyhood of muscle tears/pulls during training.

Speed-Endurance

Speed endurance is generally trained with bodyweight only or loads in the 0-30% of 1rm with sets that last either from 10-25 seconds or 25-40 seconds. In MMA I tend to favor the use of the longer set durations. This can include many exercises including sprints of up to 300 meters.

As far as bodypart splits go I have successfully used the following

Lower
Squat Variation
AB Variation
Hamstring/Glute Variation
(optional)Squat Variation

Upper
Bench Variation
Row/Chin Variation
Delt Variation
(optional)Bench Variation

Level 3 Advanced Absolute Strength

Maximal Strength

Once you reach the "Have Your Cake" level, there may come a time where you reach the point of diminishing returns. In this situation it is good to know where to turn for increases in strength.

I would firrst look to improve your maximal strength levels. Your max strength may need a good shot in the arm. In this scenario I would use one of two templates.

Template A
Day 1: Maximal Strength, Strength Enduracne
Day 2: Strength-Speed, Strenth Endurance

or

Template B
Day 1: Maximal Strength
Day 2: Strength Endurance

They each present pluses and minuses.

Template A 's main drawback is that it focuses on three qualities. The more spread out your training is, the lower the direct training effect to each quality is. Template A, however, is the basic WSB template. It does present a comforting familiarity to some and has withstood the test of time.

Template B neglects strength-speed. While this may be a drawback, consider, when you reach this point you would have been hammering away at strength speed for at least two months, this quality may become "overtrained" and could perhaps benefit from time away.

In each template I would reccomend a bodypart split similar to what was proposed earlier:

LOWER
1. Lower body (squat, dead lift)
2. Hamstrings
3. Lower back
4. Abs
5. Possible upper back work

Upper
1. Upper body (bench press)
2. Triceps
3. Delts
4. Lats

After maximal strength improves, I would just primarily cycle between the speed-strength and maximal strength cycles, continuing to develop capacities with careful mind to progression (isometric strength before eccentric, you have to absorb power before you can exert it, etc...)

Periodically throw in a three week restorative/hypertrophy program in order to give the CNS a break and increase your raw material for force production (muscles). althou you should notice your muscles developing to what the specific needs of a power-speed athletes sport requires with the other templates listed

Looking forward to questions, comments and discussion.

The Dot Drill

This is an excerpt written by Charles Stayley

Id say the dot drill as a whole could be used for anaerobic conditioning, or each drill could be used individually as a "rate" or speed-strength/speed endurance drill

"Dot Drill: I realize that most weight-trainers think they own the market on pain-tolerance, but the dot drill makes 20 rep squats look like a trip to Baskin Robbins by comparison. Particularly insidious is the fact that, unlike resistance training, repeated exposures to the dots will not make subsequent exposures any easier.

First conceived by basketball coach Adolph Rupp in the 1940's, and then later popularized by Bigger Faster Stronger Inc. a few decades later, the dot drill is both a remarkable agility, foot strength, and anaerobic conditioning exercise, as well as a superb and easy-to-administer testing tool.

It is unique in that it creates not only a high level of fatigue, but also a high quality of fatigue- fighters in particular will be able to relate to the feeling of panic that ensues when your heart rate soars to about 120% of age-predicted maximum.

The dot drill is a battery of 5 separate drills, performed in rapid succession, with each drill performed six times in a row before proceeding to the next drill (please refer to the diagram as you read the description).

Dot Drill Schematic

D E

C

A B

The dot drill features (5), five-inch diameter dots orientated in a pattern similar to the five dots on a pair of dice, expect that the "square" is three feet by two feet. Use a solid surface such as weight room matting, and tie your shoelaces. Tight.

Begin the drill as follows:

First drill: Starting position: your left foot is on "A" and your right foot on "B." Hop forward and touch "C" with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on "D" at the same instant your right foot lands on "E." (a total of 2 hops). Now go back to the starting position by reversing what you just did (hopping backward). That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Second drill: From the starting position, lift your left foot in the air and with right foot only, hop to "C," "E," "D," "C," "A," and back to "B." That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Third drill: Repeat the last drill but using the left foot only (hop to "C," "E," "D," "C," "A," and back to "B.") That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Fourth drill: Repeat the last drill but using both feet, keeping the feet together- this looks somewhat like a skiing drill. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Fifth drill: This is very similar to drill number one, with a slight variation: When you reach the top of the pattern (left foot on "D" and your right foot on "E."), instead of hopping backward to get back to the starting position, you instead jump-spin and land on the same two dots (only now your left foot will be on "E" and your right foot on "D."), facing the opposite direction.

Then hop forward and touch "C" with both feet simultaneously, then continue forward so that your left foot lands on "B" and your right foot on "A." Lastly, jump-spin again to assume the starting position. That's one rep. Repeat for a total of six reps.

Errors: Subtract .10 seconds for every missed dot from the total time.

Once you've done the drill a few times, you'll notice that you can't help but be competitive once you start. Even if you don't feel terribly motivated, you'll bust a gut trying to get a good time. Or maybe it's just that you want to get it over with. Either way, the dot drill brings out your best (and I'm not referring to your last meal).

Implementing The Dot Drill

The five dots of death (as my athletes refer to it) can be used as a warm-up for a strength training session (one drill will bring your heart rate to 100% and will get you sweating big-time), as anaerobic conditioning, and/or as a fantastic foot and calf strengthening tool.

One precaution however: I suggest never doing more than 4 repetitions of the dot drill on any given day, and not more than 12 dot drills on any given week.

OK, you've done the dot drill a handful of times and you think you're a stud (or studette) because you finally broke the two minute barrier? According to Bigger Faster Stronger, you'll need to break the 60 second barrier to be considered fast "