Make Your Body Your Machine

by Dewey Nielsen – MMA Performance Enhancement Specialist

The demands of mixed martial arts are grueling and the demands placed on the core probably trump all other sports. With the research now available from people like Stuart McGill we clearly know that flexion (crunching and situps) based training for the core is not a wise choice. Not only is repetitive flexion dangerous, it is also lousy for performance enhancement.

I will sometimes run into the argument that because flexion happens so much in MMA we should train it in our programs. I couldn’t disagree more. These athletes are going through so many cycles of flexion during their “skill training” that it is absurd to intentionally program or train lumbar flexion for the core.

A larger demand in MMA is the ability to maintain a tight core and stable spine. During a fight, an MMA athlete is resisting flexion, extension and rotational forces at the core area. Here are some examples:

Striking – As the athlete stikes, the core must stay rigid and prevent excessive movement in order for forces to travel from the ground, up through the hips/core come out the extremities. If the core is not stable, power would be lost and the punch would be weak. This is called an energy leak.

Clinching – Imagine Anderson Silva getting a Muay Thai clinch around your neck. Do you think he is going to be nice? No, he is going to steer you around the octagon while trying to make you eat knees. Beyond solid defensive technique the thing that is going to save you is a strong and stable core…. One that can effectively RESIST movement.

Base – Maintaining a strong base is everything. This could be avoiding take downs or avoiding sweeps from the ground. Again, it’s “anti-movement”. The athlete with better base will feel like freight train on top of their opponent!

The TRX Suspension Trainer is a great way to train the core for MMA.