Though many sports have a traditional off-season, combat sports are the exception.  The time between fights can be unpredictable, making it difficult to plan in a macro cycle approach.

Typically, during “down time” the focus shifts toward skill acquisition with lower intensity to promote more frequent sessions so the athlete can improve significantly between fights.  

One aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked at this time is the development of aerobic capacity/endurance.

Many tend to gravitate towards the idea of combat sports as relatively high intensity, with most MMA bouts in the 3-5 minute range, 3-5 rounds, and a minute rest between rounds.  Boxing sees a similar time domain, but potentially more rounds.  And then Jiu-Jitsu faces a WIDE range of times with inconsistent rest – typically in a tournament format.

And while combat sports have aspects of high intensity – we know that it’s not about how hard an athlete can push for 1 round – but rather, how hard can they push for multiple rounds?  I’m sure you’ve seen fights where one fighter senses a finish, empties the tank only for his opponent to weather the storm.  Then, you can feel the tides turn as even the best fighter, under extreme fatigue, wilts under the pressure of another.

It’s not that they weren’t fit (although that could be the case), it’s just that they couldn’t recover quick enough to stay in the fight.

This leads us to development of the aerobic system.

Simply put, an efficient aerobic system will help the athlete recover between sessions, improve the body’s ability to bring in more oxygen (and utilize it), and improve cardiac output.

And if that wasn’t appealing enough, it doesn’t have to be truly difficult to reap the benefits.

For general purposes, aiming for 2- 3 sessions per week at 30-60 minutes of LOW intensity will do the trick.

To determine if the intensity is appropriate, you should be able to talk, but not necessarily carry out an extended conversation – so RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) 5-6.

I would advocate for options that limit beating on the body, like cyclical bike (or airbike), rowing, swimming, light sled drags, and even rucking.  Running can certainly be included, but I’d avoid if the athlete isn’t a proficient (technically sound) runner.

Adding these workouts into your off-season training program will pay dividends later on in camp, during your training sessions, and for your longevity within the sport.

Did you know Conquer has MMA-specific strength & conditioning training programs? Check them out here! If you have any questions or want to learn how we work with athletes with our Individual Design coaching, email help@conquerathlete.com.  Or, check out our website www.conquerathlete.com and set up a free discovery call.

-Coach Jerod Gordon