The popularity of Mixed Martial Arts is growing and one of the reasons is its completeness.. From Kickickn and punching to throwing your opponent, In MMA your range of attack and defense is wide.
With its wide range of attacks and defenses, almost every muscle is stimulated. Such movements make your muscles flexible, and apparently, It makes pro-UFC fighters incredibly jacked.
But will training in MMA build your muscles?
This is a common question as many of the Pro UFC fighters are insanely muscular. I have been training MMA for two years and this is my experience regarding the question: Will MMA Training Build Muscle?
Hypertrophy: The Science of Muscle Building
According to Merriam-Webster, Hypertrophy means excessive growth of an organ or any part of the body.
Muscle hypertrophy means the enhancement of muscle by doing weight-lifting resistance training or any kind of exercises that help grow your muscles
There are several types of hypertrophy, Among these, two important types are:
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy: Physical increase of Muscles. Usually happens when you lift weights and do resistance training.
Myofibril hypertrophy: In this type, Muscles become compressed and compact
Muscle hypertrophy varies greatly from person to person. There are lots of factors that influence muscle building. Among them, the most important are:
- Genetics: Individual genetic design influences muscle fiber structure and growth potential
- Nutrition: Nutrition works as building blocks for muscles and it impacts muscle building.
- Training Intensity: Higher-intensity workouts that challenge the muscles result in greater hypertrophy.
Will MMA Training Build Muscle?
You have probably seen UFC fighters like Kamaru Osman, Georges St-Pierre, and Francis Nganu.
These fighters have stunning physiques and thousands of fighters have aesthetic body shapes.
If you ask if MMA training helps Bodybuilding, the answer is Yes! Of course.
However, how much you can build muscle will depend on the way you train and how frequently you are training.
There are three essential components of MMA training that bolster muscle building and strength. These are:
- Striking: In mixed martial arts you are allowed to use a wide range of striking techniques. From jabs to elbows, From lower leg kicks to knee strikes, every attacking option is open for players.
Because of its wide range, MMA players practice almost every technique repeatedly. And such practice builds muscle.
- Grappling: MMA fighters use throwing and takedown techniques from wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
If you watched any reels or YouTube shorts of wrestling fighters, you have surely noticed how fit they are.
In MMA training, there will be like to have specific training sessions for learning and practicing takedown techniques.
These trainings are grueling and put a huge amount of pressure on the muscles, especially on the core, shoulder, and legs.
To train these muscles, Many MMA schools have their gym set up for weight lifting and weights.
As I explained before such training causes Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and makes your shape athletic and strong.
- Conditioning: The nature of MMA training requires great body conditioning.
Usually, fighters have to fight 3 to 5 rounds in a match depending on their level of experience.
With each round of 3 minutes, MMA fighters have been agile and super fit to survive such an amount of time in the octagon.
For this, MMA training includes Cardio, High-intensity interval training (HIIT), and endurance training.
This body conditioning helps to lose fat and gain muscle at a faster rate.
Traditional weightlifting emphasizes building specific muscles to enlarge their size.
MMA training differs from such methods. To fight in an octagon, a fighter needs
full-body engagement and hand-eye coordination.
That’s why MMA training helps build not just specific muscles but your entire body.
Can I Build Muscle With MMA Training at Home?
So far, I have shared facts regarding how MMA can build muscles.
There are lots of mixed martial arts enthusiasts who watch videos of MMA training and want to train by themselves.
Can you build muscles With MMA Training at Home? Yes, you can. But how effective your MMA training will be, is hard to tell.
Firstly, Let us talk about muscle improvement and MMA training at home.
You must have a trainer for MMA training, but if you want to improve your physical strength and muscles, you can do it at home.
You don’t need a fancy gym or expensive equipment to get started with MMA training. Many of its exercises rely on your body weight and functional movements, making it possible to build muscle from your home.
Here’s how MMA training can build your muscles at home :
- Bodyweight exercises: Push-ups, squats, burpees, jumping jacks, and planks are basic exercises for all combat sports, And for MMA these exercises are essential for conditioning.
These moves build strength in your chest, legs, shoulders, and core, which are essential muscle groups for fighters.
To perform these exercises, you don’t need any expensive gym membership, You can do it from your home.
- Shadowboxing: Throwing punches, takedowns, and practicing combinations isn’t just for perfecting the techniques.
The repetitive motion engages your arms, shoulders, hip, and core, helping you tone and strengthen these areas.
You can find tons of videos on YouTube and practice these types of exercises at home.
- Plyometrics: Explosive exercises like jump squats and box jumps mimic the dynamic movements of MMA.
These techniques are designed to make a fighter agile against a surprise attack from the opponent.
By doing these exercises regularly, you can increase power in your legs and improve overall muscle performance.
The beauty of these types of movement is that it takes a very small space to perform, Perfect for doing at home.
My home workout Routine for MMA
For a long time, I have been doing my body conditioning at my home. It is cost-effective and saves a lot of time from traveling to a gym.
I usually do one round of a 10-minute HIIT circuit, followed by a 10-minute shadowboxing. Before any game, I increase the number of rounds and integrate a 5-mile run.
Here are the workouts that I do at home:
- Push-ups – 35-40 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Plank holds – 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Jumping Squats– 35-40 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest
- Burpees – 35-40 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Push-ups(Wide, Dimond) –35-40 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Sit-up, Toe-Touching- 60-70 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Jumping Jacks- 60-70 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Burpees – 35-40 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Sit-up, Toe-Touching- 60-70 reps in 50 sec followed by 10-sec rest.
- Elevated Pike push-ups– 30-35 Reps
After finishing this I prefer to take 1-2 minute rest and then start my shadowboxing for 10 min.
I try to incorporate every kind of combination in my shadowboxing so that my mind can prepare itself for any kind of attack.
By doing these types of exercise you can self-train MMA and build muscle at your home.
Final Thoughts: Can MMA Help You Build Muscle Easily?
To become a skilled MMA fighter, the First condition is that you need to be physically super fit.
MMA training modules are designed in such ways, that they can build muscles and enhance your mobility, coordination, and overall energy.
In the process of doing that, MMA training can give you a great muscular look with self-confidence and energy.
If you are looking to build muscles then MMA can definitely help you.
Ready to give it a shot? Lace-up and start training today!
FAQ
Is MMA Training Better Than the Gym for Muscle Building?
MMA training and gym workouts both have their advantages and parks, But to tell which one is better depends on your perception.
If you’re looking to build functional, full-body strength while enhancing endurance, agility, and coordination, MMA is an amazing choice.
On the other hand, the gym is better for isolating specific muscles and focusing on hypertrophy.
I see it this way, With a gym you can only have big, beautiful muscles. But with MMA, Not only you will have beautiful muscles, but you will also learn how to defend yourself against dangerous situations.
Muscle Building and Fat Loss: Can MMA Do Both?
Of course, you can! MMA fighters are known for their insane weight-cutting.
MMA training is grueling and burns lots of calories. So it is possible that you can lose fat and build muscle simultaneously.
However, Losing weight and gaining muscles depends largely on nutrition and food intake. If you can maintain this, You can do both.
Can guillotine choke be used in street fights?
How quickly MMA training builds muscle depends on factors like consistency, intensity of your practice, nutrition, and genetics.
On average, noticeable muscle gains can start showing within 8–10 weeks of regular training.
Does MMA Training Change Your Body Shape?
Yes! MMA training can completely completely change your body shape!
MMA training focuses on the core. Shoulder, abs, and leg muscles. In training, fighters focus on these muscles, and enhancing these muscles changes the posture of the body.
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