MMA Conditioning Pyramid Circuit Workout

If you're training consistently, then sometimes, the concrete walls of the gym can be a little boring. Especially when the sun is shining and the weather is perfect. When this is the case, knowing a few simple bodyweight exercises and the location of the nearest park can re-energize your workouts. Try the following circuit but I'll warn you, it may be simple, but it's far from easy.

This circuit is great because you combine core work, pushing, pulling, and sprinting, which gives you complete development. I consider this an Anaerobic Endurance workout, and would schedule it 6 weeks or farther out from a fight or competition for one of my MMA athletes.

The first thing you need to do is find a park with monkey bars or a swing set. Use a pyramid scheme, meaning that for each set, I start at 8 reps, then drop a rep until you get to 1 rep. If you're a beginner, you might want to start at 5 reps.

This circuit consists of the following exercises:

  1. Chin-ups
  2. Hanging leg raises
  3. Sprinting
  4. Clap push-ups

 

So do 8 chin-ups, followed by 8 hanging leg raises, sprint a distance that lasts about 20 seconds, then do 8 clap push-ups (or regular push-ups if you can't clap). Keep your rest times at a minute or less, and go hard! When I'm training fighters, I monitor everything. So if you take more rest, write it down. The next time you do this circuit, do the same number of reps, and decrease the rest time. This is how you make progress, and is a missing link in many people's workout routines.

You can see the video of how to perform the exercises in this circuit at MMA Conditioning Pyramid Circuit Workout

Article written by Eric Wong

Eric graduated from the University of Waterloo’s Kinesiology program with Honours and has been active in the Strength and Conditioning field since 2002, specializing in training for maximum performance in mixed-martial arts.

He is the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Jeff Joslin, helping prepare Jeff for his last two fights including his UFC debut. Other athletes following his strength and conditioning methods include Rory McDonell, Ray "The Hitman" Penny, and Jack Szatko, among others.

He is the author of the Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program, which has elevated the performance of mixed-martial artists around the world. He has also produced the highly popular and successful MMA Ripped Fat Loss Program.

He currently resides in Burlington, Ontario, and can be contacted to hold a clinic for your club or design individual programs for an upcoming fight.