Wanderlei Silva gives anaerobic training a whole new spin by actually eliminating air passage from his nose and if that wasn’t hard enough he further limited the intake of air with a snorkel. This workout will make your body crave for oxygen and will definitely tire you a lot faster. Don’t try this without supervision because you could totally pass out while doing this.  This shows you how crazy Wanderlei’s conditioning is. But do you need to block your nose with a tape and breathe through a snorkel to enjoy this workout?? no. You could totally copy the workout he does but tone it down a bit to a more doable routine.

If you want a complete MMA Workout Plan just like Wanderlei Silva’s, then watch this presentation.

Wanderlei Does this entire circuit for 25 minutes  four times a week, with a 45 pound vest. If you think you can breeze through this course with a tape on your nose and breathing through a snorkel do it, but if you can’t, then don’t force it, doing so will most likely lead to failure of this circuit. Quote of the Day; Don’t Train to fail, train to do one more rep of each exercise. The goal here is to finish the entire circuit within allotted time which is 25 minutes, now this could be modified to your level as well, you can make it longer or shorter. The vest and the snorkel were just added to make it harder. The weights need not to be exactly the same as his either. So it’s totally fine to do this workout without it, besides with the interval of each circuit it’s pretty hard already.

For that matter here is Wanderlei Silva’s Workout, feel free to copy it and print it so you could easily remember:

Wanderlei Silva’s Circuit Training:

Duration: 25 Minutes 4 x A week.

Each Circuit Ends with a 40 Second Break

Circuit I:

1.  Clean and Jerk

• 8 Repetitions , weight: 110 pounds

2.  1 Meter Jump

• Perform as many 1 meter jump as you can within 30 seconds

3.  Punching Machine

• 15 Repetitions , weight 55 pounds

4.  Jog 3 Flights of Stairs

Rest for 40 seconds

Circuit II:

1.  Pull Downs

• 12 Repetitions, weight 198 pounds

2.   Resistance Sprints

• 4 Shots

3.  Plyometrics 30 Seconds (Lateral Box Push Offs)

4.  3 Flight of Stairs

Circuit III:

1. Clean and Jerk

• 8 Repetitions , weight: 110 pounds

2.  Pulldowns

• 12 Repetitions, weight 198 pounds

3.  5 Sprawl Drills

4.  Jog 3 Flights of Stairs

Now Circuits 1 and 2 should be done twice while Circuit 3 is done three times, all of this in 25 minutes. Enjoy.

Feel free to modify it to make your own perfect workout. You can add more sets, decrease the resting time, add a resting time in between workouts etc. The key here is finishing the circuit within the alloted time while following the correct interval.

Photos Courtesy of Sherdog.com

Heavy bag workouts are among the many reasons why an mma workout kills the standard issue workout routine. This equipment is the crowning glory of every mma gym and completes that sweet smell of leather that’s ubiquitous all throughout the place. This legendary piece of equipment has been incorporated with many fitness programs out there, then again, why wouldn’t it be? When this stuffed bag is being used by legendary fighters and notorious for getting an average person in battle shape.

This equipment has a ton of benefits and there are many exercises that you could do with it. Wanna train like a champ? Then stay tuned for this is the first part on the two part series of heavy bag workouts.

Why is it so awesome?
Heavy Bags are legendary because:

1. It’s a Killer Aerobic Workout

• Following the right intensity a two minute round in the heavy bag could be similar to jogging or sprinting. The constant switching   of position and the flurry of punches that you punish the heavy bag with is an aerobic workout.

2. It Improves Power

• Fighters usually punish the heavy bag to improve technique and gain more power. While punching away, you could practice your combos while getting a full body workout at the same time. Throwing combinations while bobbing and weaving at the same time works out your upper and lower body.

3. It Helps You Improve Your Technique

• The heavy bag is also the perfect place to practice different punching techniques. There’s nothing better than putting theory into action, and the heavy bag is the perfect equipment to do just that. This is hands down the most important aspect of your heavy bag training. If you’re punching the heavy bag without following the correct fighting stance you’re missing out on one of the critical aspects of training with the heavy bag.

4. It is a Great Stress Reliever

• Come on, Who doesn’t get a kick on beating something up when you’re stressed? This is one of the benefits that the heavy bag is famous for. It is an awesome tool for stress reduction. Don’t you feel more motivated after punching? I know I do, because you could let all your frustrations out and helps you feel refreshed.

5. You Could Easily Install it in Your Home

• Setting up your own Heavy Bag training area is relatively cheap. A heavy bag ranges from $50-$100 depending on the brand and after that all you have to do is install it in your home and you could start training. Complete your equipment with some good hand wraps and a good quality boxing gloves (Which you’re gonna use anyway if you are training for mma) and you’re all set and ready to go. In conclusion, a complete set of equipment (bag + wraps + gloves) it would only cost you something from $100-$200.

With a ton of benefits that this workout offers, why would you not add it to your mma workout? Stay tuned because on part 2 we’ll get busy with some heavy bag drills and combos to get you in shape. So Join Now to  get the latest update.

The following exercises will give you blistering knockout power that will make Manny Pacquiao proud of you. But before that, how do you generate punching power anyway? The power of your punch travels from your feet to your hips , to your shoulder, then out your knuckles. Of course, you would want to transfer as much force to your target’s face rather than wasting it away.The key to transferring explosive knockout power is turning on total body stiffness at that precise moment where you land the strike. Stuart McGill, Professor of Spine Biomechanics, dubbed this super stiffness.

When a muscle contracts, it creates both force and stiffness. Force creates joint torque to support postures and create movement – but sometimes the force will enhance joint stability and sometimes it will compromise stability. It depends on the magnitude of the force and its relative magnitude relative to all other muscle forces acting at the joint…When all muscles at a joint stiffen together a “super stiffness” phenomenon generally occurs…. Read Full Article

Therefore, to gain knockout power you have to able to quickly turn on and off the muscles used in punching like a light switch. Fighters like Chuck Liddell , Rampage and other knockout artists have mastered the art of activating their glutes, abdominals, and lats to transfer that charged power to their opponent’s face and give fans one classic knockout.

And now, you can gain it too with the following exercises:

Exercise 1: Glute Bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent. With assistance from your heels, push your hips upward. Try to hold the position for three seconds, and then go back to the original position. Repeat for 15 repetitions.

For the hardcore person in you, you could make this exercise a bit harder by bending one knee at an angle of 90 degrees while pushing your hip up with your free heel. Then once again, holding the position for at least 2 seconds before lowering. Repeat it 15 times.

Exercise 2: Hand Walkout

Place your hands and knees to the floor, then with your arm straight extend your hands as far out as possible before walking your hand back to the starting position. Make sure that your back is straight and your abs are contracted all the while without letting your stomach touch the ground.

Perform 10 repetitions.

Exercise 3: Power Clean and Press

For starters, grab a pair of dumbells and start a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding the dumbells straight down at an arms length, palms facing your thighs. Next, make the dumbells parallel to your knees by bending a little bit and pull the dumbells up to your shoulders as you dip your body down to catch them. Lastly, push up to a standing position then push the weights overhead in an explosive manner.

If you want it to be a bit harder, use a barbell with a heavier weight and start in a crouching position instead of standing, similar to how Olympic weight lifters are doing.
Remember to always keep your back straight while performing this exercise to prevent injuries

And there you have it, a simple three step mma workout to get you in battle shape. Do you wanna check just how powerful your punches have become? I found this silly iPhone app that can apparently test your punching power just by holding your iphone while you do that punching motion. Check it Out

It is very easy to tell a professional fighter or at least some guy who had training in martial arts from a certified street fighter simply from the punching technique alone. A novice punch is usually over charged , that is when you wind-up your punch too much.

Just like this video below:

Although this punch could be devastating , this kind of punching suffers from its own strength… the over charge. And that leaves you with a very dangerous opening.

Proper boxing technique demands that punches are executed from a balanced boxing stance. And when you throw a punch the arm is brought back to the guard position as quickly as it was thrown forward. The key is sharp delivery and snappy recovery. We’ll go into detail with the boxing stance later on.

In boxing there are 4 kinds of punches, namely; ‘jab’, ‘cross’, ‘hook’ and ‘uppercut’. The jab is a straight punch given from your non dominant hand(commonly your left hand) following a clockwise rotation of the torso and hips.This punch is used for setting up combos and maintaining your distance from your opponent.

The cross is a strong and straight punch using your dominant hand. This is punch is much more powerful than the jab because of the assistance of the hip, shoulder, and the driving force generated by the ball of the rear foot.

The hook is a punch done with either the lead hand or the rear hand to the side of the opponent’s head in a semi-circular movement. This is a power punch that could come as a surprise to your opponent as it is harder to see and defend against as opposed to the jab and cross that are directly coming at you.

The uppercut is a vertical and rising punch executed with either hand. This punch is a powerful punch that could effectively hit your target’s chin or solar plexus.

These are just some tips for a fresh boxer.

If you want to take your boxing to the next level and get in top shape doing it check out this killer training program:

Brock Lesnar entering the UFC reminded Dana that one; they needed to make new gloves to fit Brock’s lunchboxes he calls fists  and two;  a nice reminder that UFC is not in any way affiliated with WWE.  People have made fun of Brock’s MMA skills ever since he decided to join the UFC. But after dominating Frank Mir at UFC 100 and beating Randy Couture at UFC 91, this monster must be doing something right other than, of course, being ridiculously big.

For someone weighing 265 pounds Brock can seamlessly combine power, speed, and explosiveness into a complete package of big man hurting. Thus making him a force to be reckoned with in  the UFC Heavyweight Division.

Now without further ado, let’s check out Brock’s mma workout. If you want a comple MMA Workout program yourself and become a lean and mean fighting machine just like Brock then check this complete MMA Workout Program.

Nutrition Plan

Lesnar is on a high calorie, high protein and high carb diet. He also makes it a point to drink a minimum of 1 gallon of electrolyte rich water per day. Drinking water with electrolytes replenishes your body much better than just drinking plain water, because it not only rehydrates you but brings back your fluid and electrolyte balance resulting in better recovery and thus better performance during your mma training.

Strength Training

Duration: 1 Hour

Leading up to a fight these exercises need to be conducted with less weight, higher intensity that will also work on overall conditioning.

Day 1: Chest & Triceps

• Bench Press: 6 Sets 12 Reps
• Incline Dumbell Press:4 Sets 10 Reps
• Dumbell Flyes:3 Sets 8 Reps
• Cable Crossovers:3 Sets 8 Reps
• Triceps Dips:4 Sets 10 Reps
• Triceps Pushdowns:4 Sets 10 Reps
• Skull Crushers:3 Sets 10 Reps

Day 2: Back & Biceps

• Wide-Grip-Pull-Up:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Medium-Grip-Pull-Up:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Narrow-Grip-Pull-Up:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Seated-Cable-Row:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Stiff-Legged-Dead-Lift:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Dead-Lift:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Preacher Curl:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Hammer Curl:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Incline Dumbell Curl:3 Sets 10 Reps

Day 3: Shoulders

• Overhead Barbell Press:4 Sets 10 Reps
• Seated Dumbell Press:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Dumbell Front Raise:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Dumbell Lateral Raise:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Smith Machine Upright Row:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Dumbell Front Raise:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Barbell/Dumbell Shrug:4 Sets 6 Reps

Day 4: Legs

• Leg Extension:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Leg Curl:3 Sets 10 Reps
• Narrow-Stance Smith Machine Squat:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Medium-Stance Smith Machine Squat:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Wide-Stance Smith Machine Squat:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Leg Press:4 Sets 6 Reps
• Stiff-Legged Dead Lift:4 Sets 6 Reps

Grappling Training

Duration: 4 Times a Week

• 5 1 minute Rounds
• 5 1 minute Standing Drills

Striking and Ground and Pound Training

Duration: Twice a Week

• 5 X 5 minute Rounds
• 1 minute Breaks
• 25 Total Minute Workout

Muscular & Cardio Intense Endurance Training

1st Round: Pushing Muscular Endurance – 1 Minute

• Spiderman Push-Ups
• Plyo Push-Ups
• Mounted Punching
• Tire Push
• Hand Switch

2nd Round: Pulling Muscular Endurance – 1 Minute

• Recline Pull-Ups
• Bodyweight Pull-Ups
• Pulling/Pushing Tire
• Jumping Pull Ups
• Heavy Bag Twirl

3rd Round: Cardio Endurance Training – 1 Minute

• Airdyne Bike (70 rpm)
• UBE Machine
• Incline Treadmill (as steep as possible)
• Windsprint Bike (standing full time)
• Airdyne Bike

4th Round: Hybrid Strength Training

• Jammer Machine
• One arm Sledge Hammer
• Medicine Ball Sprawls
• Bear Crawls
• Transition Station

5th Round: Most Intense Round – No Rest Periods

• Airdyne Bike (70rpm)
• UBE Machine
• Incline Treadmill (as steep as possible)
• Windsprint Bike (standing full time)
• Airdyne Bike

See it In Action