You just finished a fight…what’s next? What changes will you make? Do you have strength and conditioning game plan? Should you jump into the same old routine? Are you planning to start another strength cycle? Is your goal conditioning-based? What qualities are you trying to develop? If you are planning on fighting in another 12 … Read More
I am a big fan of simple. It’s taken me over 10 years to figure out that the most effective strength training programs are the often the least complex. Either I am a slow learner, I am stubborn, or I am just not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I’ve finally figured out that simple … Read More
When I hear people talk about improving their cardiovascular shape I can’t help, but shake my head. Here’s why. There is nothing wrong with ‘better cardio,’ but what does that really mean and what does that mean when it comes to training fighters? Fighters have very specific needs when it comes to conditioning, but I honestly believe that … Read More
Every time you watch a fight on television, you will hear similar phrases from the commentators. He was a D-1 wrestler but needs some work on his stand up. He gassed out early in his last fight, lets see how he looks tonight. To the average person this may sound normal MMA small talk, but … Read More
Evaluation/Assessment I am not a fighter. I am not your MMA coach. I don’t pretend to know every nuance of the sport. The MMA world needs clarity when it comes to strength and conditioning and hopefully I can help. It amazes me that fighters can have a wrestling, boxing, BJJ, and Muay Thai coach, yet … Read More
MMA might be the most physically demanding sport in the world. The best athletes are explosive, strong, agile, resilient, consistent and incredibly dedicated. Even if a fighter has all of these qualities, it’s still easy for him to obtain poor information when prepping for a fight. It might not be the fighter’s fault; often times, he’s just … Read More
Mike will now be posting weekly on NorthEastMMA.net. Check out his first article about how he believes all fighters should be evaluated by their strength coaches. During the initial evaluation, the trainer/coach should try to gather as much information about the fighter as possible. This SHOULD include: Injury history Medical conditions Medications/supplements Diet Recent fights- information … Read More
I wrote this article for StrongFirst and wanted to re-post it here… There is no denying the benefits of the hardstyle kettlebell jerk. Whether your goal is power, strength, hypertrophy or endurance, these can all be accomplished by training the hardstyle jerk. There are various drills and exercises to improve the hardstyle clean and jerk, … Read More
Do not be tense, just be ready, not thinking but not dreaming, not being set but being flexible. It is being “wholly” and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come. -Bruce Lee Just like strength, relaxation is a skill. It’s a vital skill that is vastly overlooked in the strength and conditioning … Read More
We have all been there. A new client comes in for an evaluation with a list a mile long of injuries, medical history and aches and pains. Before you even begin with this person, your strategy immediately changes. You throw out the “normal” stuff and try to gather as much information about their movement baseline … Read More