Friday 13 March 2009

Training For Combat Athletes

How can an athlete best prepare themselves? If you are a wrestler, the best training for you is wrestling. If you are a boxer, the best training is boxing. Make no mistake; nothing can replace actual training in your specific discipline. That being said, if you neglect conditioning training in addition to combat training, you are missing a huge opportunity. If you are going to step into a gladiatorial arena, you had better make sure you are in the best shape of your life. Bruce Lee said that training (fitness conditioning) was one of the most neglected aspects of a fighter’s development.

Many fighters are training though - incorrectly. Too many are still making the mistake of training like bodybuilders. Sure the muscles are impressive, even intimidating, but functional they are not. The physical movements you go through in conditioning training must mimic the actual combat movements you will perform during a fight, preferably under greater resistance and for more time. This is functional training - teaching the body to move in ways that will benefit your sport.

One of the most important aspects of functional training is core training. The core muscles (stomach, back, hip & leg (hamstrings) muscles) are the centre of your body's strength & power. They are the bridge between the upper body and the lower body. Core training is the only way to effectively co-ordinate the upper and lower body muscles. The 'secret' is to training this area is to recruit the muscles together whilst exercising, and not to train them in isolation. This is where kettlebell training comes in...

...more to follow...