When it comes to sports like Boxing & Muay Thai there are a lot of old school training methods.
Some of these are great and not only serve the purpose of physically preparing the fighter for competition but also have massive psychological benefits (“Harsh/Old School” training environments & techniques can greatly increase an individuals mental toughness, which is vital for combat sports.)
However a lot of these training techniques are simply outdated and are far from the most effective and efficient ways to develop a fighter… This does not mean that these methods have to be discarded entirely, it just means that we should implement them sparingly along side more specific training methods.
The most prevalent training flaw that I see within programming for combat sports (Not so much MMA) is what I refer to as “Too Much Cardio & Not Enough Conditioning”… When I say “Too Much Cardio” I mean too many long, low to moderate intensity runs/jogs and when I say “Not Enough Conditioning” I mean not enough high intensity (Shorter duration) exercise that is full of sports specific exercises that not only work the Cardio-Respiratory system but also smash an individuals muscular strength & endurance.
Here’s a list of 12 of my favourite Exercises/Equipment for Conditioning (In no particular order)
- Battle Ropes
- Plyometrics / Varying Box Jumps
- Sledge Pushes
- Tyre Flips
- Burpees
- Kettlebell Work (Compound Exercises/High Reps)
- Barbell Work (Compound Exercises/High Reps)
- Dumbbell Work (Compound Exercises/High Reps)
- Wall Ball Variations
- Shuttles
- Landmine Trainer
- Rowing Machines