CALISTHENICS EXERCISE FOR MMA FIGHTERS

Just like MMA is a mixture of martial arts, calisthenics is also a perfect assortment of beauty (kálos) and strength (sthénos).

• Beauty- To emphasize the aesthetic pleasure that causes the perfection of the human body.
• Strength- Great mental strength, courage, strength, and determination.

Calisthenics is an exercise in which one’s body weight is used to perform a variety of exercises in a rhythm and flow without making use of equipment or apparatus generally. When calisthenics exercise and MMA fighters meet, a fighter takes birth who becomes almost invincible. 

Many fitness freaks discovered their passion in calisthenics after getting introduced to it. Gabo Saturno, a professional trainer with 10 years experience shares same kind of story, “After lifting weights for 8 years, Gabo Saturno set his sights on mastering a new, challenging arena of training and fitness – calisthenics. There, he discovered his passion.”

Calisthenics is on a rising trend as witnessed by the following Google Trend and is embraced by the fitness freaks across the globe. Even MMA fighters have employed calisthenics exercise in their workout routine.

   

 

When it comes to MMA, the whole body is involved in it and it places unique stresses on the body. The successful artist must not only be strong, but have great endurance, be fast, precise, agile, powerful, and coordinated. To inject all these ingredients in a single body is hard to achieve, but Calisthenics make it possible. Following is the litany of few exercises that every MMA fighter should incorporate in its daily workout routine:

• Rolling Uppercuts

Uppercuts are most used part of martial arts and are vital in many of the striking-centric martial arts. It helps to boost shoulder mobility and endurance and also paves the way to enhance the core strength. The speed of your punches also gets increased with rolling uppercuts.

Methodology

1. Start off in your fighting stance.
   
2. Slowly roll your shoulders and have your hands roll over one another.
   
3. Be sure that you bend your knees and lower yourself and your core is engaged to enhance the movement.
   
4. With time, get a little faster with shoulder rolls and arms.
   

• Stationary Bear Crawls

The stationary bear crawl aka opposite hand-knee lift is one of the ideal exercises to activate the spinal stabilizers that play a pivotal role in back injury prevention. This exercise helps in improving core stability and reinforcing a healthy, neutral spine.

Methodology

1. Start off in a crawl position with your hands and feet on the ground slightly greater than shoulder-width apart.
2. Have your knees slightly bent towards the floor, but your hips raised high.
3. Move your right hand forward while simultaneously moving your left knee towards your left elbow.
4. Place them both back in the starting position and alternate to the other side.
5. The farther you reach and move, the more it will work your body.

• Sprawl Knees
  

It is a defensive technique in grappling training. It has also become an exercise for the average fitness enthusiast who wants to improve strength, speed, and stamina.

Methodology

1. Start standing, a little crouched, with your legs over shoulder width apart.
2. Squat your body down, until both your hands touch the ground.
3. Shoot both of your legs back, and drop your hips towards the ground.
4. Hop back the legs, to return to the standing position.
5. Bring one of your Knees up in front of you.
6. Shoot your hips forward and be on the ball of the other foot to enhance balance and strength.
7. Go right back down into the sprawl Alternate knees every time you come back up.

Calisthenics and MMA is a great combination and is much safer than weightlifting. Calisthenics veteran, a 71- Year old Mike Joplin, shares tips and wisdom from his 50 years of Calisthenics exercises.

As per him, “Bodyweight exercise provides you enough resistance to attain a great physique but also gives you a safer and more natural barrier to avoid injury in comparison with weightlifting.”

Pic:Homemademuscle