With the world on lockdown in 2020, there’s never been a better time to develop a routine for working out at that you can do at home.
If MMA is your passion, you’ll be able to practice a huge selection of moves and training programs that can get you in fighting shape.
MMA training can encompass many things, and it’s more than just improving your skills in a form of martial arts.
Training for these competitions requires cardio workouts, strength training, and conditioning your body so you’re ready for anything, so there are a lot of options when it comes to creating a routine at home.
What is the best MMA home workout, though?
The goal for a good MMA workout is to do something that builds stamina, strength, and skill. You’ll want to keep your skills up in your chosen field of martial arts but also improve your general fitness and condition your body to be prepared for combat.
If you’ve moved to at-home workouts or are looking to start your own MMA training center in the comfort of your garage or backyard, we’re here to help.
We’ve got everything you need to get a professional level workout without leaving the front gate, and some simple workouts that even beginners to excel at.
What Do You Need for an MMA Home Workout?
One of the biggest misconceptions about MMA workouts at home is that you need to get a lot of expensive gear to do it right.
However, there are just four pieces of equipment that an MMA trainee needs to perform daily drills and routines, and they’re within everyone’s budget.
Heavy bag
This is a must-have for practicing kicks, punches, elbows, and knees, as it’s strong enough to take a serious beating. The weight of a heavy bag allows it to take a thrashing and it’ll save your sparring partner from taking the brunt of the damage.
Boxing gloves
A quality pair of boxing gloves in your size and for the right purpose will be required. Choose a pair that’s weighed correctly for bag work, as that’s what you’ll be using these for predominantly.
Jump rope
The simplest way to condition your body and improve cardio is with a jump rope, and there are an endless amount of ways you can put it good use in a home training routine.
Hand wraps
Protect your hands and ensure your training sessions can last as long as they need to be with a quality hand wrap that’s worn underneath your boxing glove.
Easy MMA Home Workouts You Can Do
Performing an MMA home workout isn’t only reserved for serious martial artists, and it’s something that anyone can do with the right motivation.
With a few key pieces of gear and just a little bit of know-how, you’ll be able to follow along with professionally designed routines to get you in fighting shape for an MMA battle.
Shadow Boxing
Some people report feeling a little strange the first time they try shadowboxing, as it’s the art of pretend-fighting yourself. However, it’s an essential part of a home workout for MMA, and something the professionals do even before a major bout.
Aim to complete three five-minute rounds of shadow boxing at home, and do this each time you train.
You’ll want it to move quickly and incorporate fast punches with a lot of footwork, so it’s just like a real fight. Pretend you’re fighting against an imaginary opponent and put to use everything you’ve learned with strikes, kicks, and punches.
To ensure you’re using the right form and techniques, it’s ideal to videotape yourself while you shadowbox. When you’re done, play it over and make notes of what areas need improvement, and make them part of your next training session.
Bag Work Routines
Your heavy bag will be the focus of a lot of training routines at home when it comes to MMA, and there are many ways you can use it. Heavy bag work can be done by yourself and it’s easy to incorporate a partner into as well if you want to mix things up a bit.
To train with the heavy bag, aim to do three rounds of five minutes each, and just like a Tabata workout, you’ll need a minute of rest in between.
- In the first round, focus on hands only, and deliver punches of long-range and short-range in all areas. The pace should be high and kept that way the entire round.
- During the second five minute round, move downwards and practice your kicks and knees. Try to mix up which leg you’re using as well as where they’re hitting the bag, for the entire five minutes you’re doing something different.
- The final round is about combinations, which means putting together the upper and lower body strikes. Aim to never deliver a single punch or kick without attaching it to another move, as this will give you the best real-world experience of what it’s like to battle in the cage.
Cardio Workout
The simplest form of cardio that fighters have relied upon for centuries is a jump rope. This one item can give you the most intense workout ever, and improve your stamina so you’re able to go round for round, no matter who you’re up against.
A training routine that incorporates your jump rope can be as versatile as you want.
Some days you might choose to do high-intensity interval training where you do 60 seconds of fast skipping followed by 30 seconds of slow, otherwise, you can do a straight 10 minutes of skipping at a moderate pace.
Strength and Conditioning
The strength and conditioning part of a home MMA workout is less about the martial arts side of things about more about preparing your body for battle.
You can spend years training in a combat style and be proficient at it, but having the stamina and strength to carry on a fight with another trained athlete is another story.
A good strength and conditioning workout should be exercises that resemble moves you’ll have to do in the cage. An example of this is a burpee, as it combines a bodyweight exercise, cardio workout, and mirrors the act of getting up and down as you would during a fight.
Spend a solid five to 10 minutes each training session doing some form of conditioning to get your body in perfect shape.
Online Workouts
There are loads of free resources available online with detailed training videos for MMA hopefuls, letting you follow along at home and learn the right form.
Organizations like the UFC even have training videos online that let you work out just like the professional fighters do, so don’t be afraid to try everything.
Following along with an online tutorial or video is good for teaching the correct form, but it can never replace what a coach offers. Martial arts is a skill that must be learned correctly, especially if you hope to use it competitively, so going it alone can only take you so far.
Related Questions
To prepare yourself for a battle in the octagon or even an intense training session with your coach, there’s a lot that goes into getting the body ready.
MMA is a physically dominating form of sport to train for, but it’s also the most thrilling. We’ve answered some FAQs about mixed martial arts training to give you the insider knowledge you need on the popular combat activity.
What Does a Hand Wrap Do?
A hand wrap is placed in between the glove and the hand to provide a protective barrier to the fighter.
As there are many small joints and bones in the hands that can become easily damaged with just one punch, having them wrapped up keeps them cushioned from the blows and prevents early fatigue in the fighter.
Can You Break a Hand on a Punching Bag?
It is possible to break your hand or any of the bones in your wrist and fingers by using a punching bag. This usually happens if you hit the bag at the wrong angle, causing the bones to break.
Sometimes referred to as “boxer’s break” this can be felt with a sharp pain that occurs immediately after contact with the bag, and should be checked out by a trained medical professional.
How Do I Improve My Hand Grip?
A powerful handgrip can be useful in mixed martial arts and it’s one of the areas that people neglect when training for strength.
To improve the grip of your hand for use in clinches and other moves, you can use a specified hand exercise, or workout routines that incorporate push-ups, pull-ups, and bar hangs that work on these muscles.
