Martial Fitness: How to Train Your Legs Like an MMA Pro

Strength begins

From the Ground to Sky

A Tree Stands

Want leaner, stronger legs? Looking to improve your performance and fighting skills? If so, you need a custom workout that's designed for today's MMA fighter. The right lower body exercises can help build devastating kicking power, boost your stability and balance, and develop the strength needed to win fights with your legs and feet. The more you work your legs, the more power you'll have in your kicks and takedowns.

Here are a few tips on how to train your legs like an MMA pro:

Do Heavy Lifts

Don't be afraid to go heavy on leg day. Start your workout with powerful, dynamic lifts to stimulate muscle growth and get stronger. A typical leg training routine can include barbell squats, calf raises, lunges, step-ups, Bulgarian squats, and single leg deadlifts. Unless you've been training for years or have a strong back, avoid regular deadlifts because the risk of injury is high.

Train Anywhere

Bodyweight workouts are important for MMA fighter because they boost overall strength and endurance. These exercises target multiple muscle groups, strengthen your legs, and train the whole body in less time. The best part is that you can do them anytime, anywhere because they require no special equipment. Your workout can consist of weighted box jumps, burpees, stairs, vertical jumps, and planks.

Mix It Up

Doing the same exercises over and over again isn’t the best idea. Try new moves once every few weeks, add cardio to the mix, and vary your training routine to prevent plateaus. For example, you can do strength training exercises the first month, bodyweight exercises the second month, and a combination of the two in the following months. Change the number of reps and sets, increase the load, and take shorter breaks. Perform different squat variations, plyometrics, and more advanced lifting techniques to spice up your workouts. 

Develop a Schedule

 

Setup a leg training schedule. This will help attain your fighting goals. If you have a fight coming up, then setup various weekly and monthly training milestones in preparation for the fight. A personal trainer or fight trainer can help you set this up and help you execute.


Get out and develop some hefty tree trunks you sweet sweet people.

-Dwight