Tips To Making it in MMA

For many, mixed martial arts is a fun spectator sport best enjoyed on a flat screen at the local sports bar accompanied by good friends and cold beer. But for those who practice the sport, it is a physically demanding, psychologically grueling endurance match. Nothing tests a person’s will quite like being thrown to the mat and being forced to decide between rising to the occasion or tapping out. Yet despite the brutal nature of mixed martial arts, more and more young people are throwing their hats in the octagon and giving it a go.

It makes sense. Even practicing mixed martial arts in an amateur capacity will often take a person to peak physical condition. But this, as with anything else in life, requires a firm commitment on the part of the participant. There are no easy roads, especially in a world known for ground-and-pound savagery and near-lethal striking combinations. But the point is there are roads – roads that lead from anonymity to MMA glory.

Here are some tips to staying on these roads and seeing it all through to the end.

Choose a gym

Sounds like a no-brainer, but those who are serious about eventually stepping into the octagon and competing on a professional level are going to need to put a lot of thought into their gym. That’s because it will function as a second home. For this reason alone, price should not be an issue, as long as the exorbitant per-month fee provides all the necessities. That means a positive work-out environment with a knowledgeable staff of professionals and as many MMA classes as possible.

Commit to a strict workout routine

Neither Chuck Liddell nor Randy Couture achieved what they have in the world of MMA by spending all their free time on the PlayStation. They killed themselves physically to achieve greatness. And this takes a firm commitment to variety of often-brutal exercise disciplines. These include regular gym workouts featuring bodyweight training, strongman workouts that develop functional strength, combat core techniques and isometrics exercises for stamina building.

Maintain proper diet

As important as a strict workout schedule is to the pro MMA fighter, so is a healthy diet. The ideal diet for those looing to build their body into a fully functional MMA machine eliminates simple sugars completely in favor of healthy salads free of oil. The ideal MMA diet is also heavy on lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Examples of these include:

• Chicken
• Beans
• Egg whites
• Grains
• Citrus
• Potatoes

It’s also crucial to implement a diet routine that involves eating smaller meals multiple times (4-7) a day, as this stimulates digestion and metabolism. And it is of paramount importance to make one of thes4 a complex carb-heavy meal about three hours before a workout routine.

Decide on a discipline

It’s the natural inclination of the beginning MMA fighter to go charging in headfirst and try to utilize as many forms of martial arts as possible. While the enthusiasm is certainly welcome, it is best to choose a primary focus as soon as possible. After all, most of these martial arts disciplines are ancient art forms of combat. No one is going to learn them all in a few months. The goal: choose one to focus on for months at a time until proficiency has been achieved.

Find a coach

This is easier said than done. Most gyms have combat coaches in some form or another, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one size fits all. Finding the right fit between trainer and student is a delicate dance, and the two parties must mesh in order for the relationship to bear fruit. The trainer needs to motivate and inspire his or her student, and this trainer also need to be prime physical example of the power of effective physical training.

Conclusion

Above all a positive attitude is required on the part of the person looking to get into the MMA game. The road to success is wrought with physical challenges so demanding most mortals have neither the time nor inclination to even give it a go. So if a person’s heart isn’t in it right from the start, then he or she may want to forgo mixed martial arts in favor of competitive checkers instead. 

 Anita Everhart is a professional blogger that enjoys providing fitness advice. She writes for East Coast United, a leading MMA training facility in the Bronx NY.