Strength Training in Martial Arts

Numerous distinct disciplines are classified as combat sports, yet each of them entails a slightly different form of exertion. We distinguish striking disciplines such as boxing, muay thai, kickboxing, K-1, taekwondo, where the standing position holds sway; grappling disciplines such as BJJ, judo, wrestling, sambo, where most of the fighting takes place on the mat; and mixed martial arts disciplines such as MMA or jiu-jitsu, where the levels of fighting change. Despite the use of various techniques, fighting on different planes, and differences in the duration of rounds and fights, the fundamental element of motor preparation for a person practicing any combat discipline should be strength training.

Muscle strength is considered a fundamental ability, and the best tool for its development is multi-stage training using free weights. The training program should focus on exercises such as squats, deadlifts, or presses that will improve the functioning of the nervous system and allow for the recruitment of a much larger number of motor units and fast-twitch muscles. This will significantly increase the potential for strength and the ability to utilize it in other movements. The growth of this parameter will determine other motor skills such as speed, jumping ability, agility, endurance, flexibility, balance, or precision of movement. Improvement of these skills will have a direct impact on form and achievements in the leading discipline.

Functional exercise is a type of exercise that, according to definition, involves multi-joint and multi-dimensional movements that improve stabilization and deep sensation, and reduce injury risk. Strength training of a person practicing martial arts should implement the principles of functional exercise. It is worth mentioning that the previously mentioned exercises are 100% part of the functional approach to training. This type of strength training will be the suitable tool to restore muscular balance between antagonistic groups, reduce asymmetry and imbalance of strength. Strong muscle groups stabilizing joints, efficient muscles, and elastic tendons will lessen the likelihood of injury or accidental injury, to which individuals practicing martial arts are exposed.

First and foremost, it is essential to stress that the objective of strength training in the case of martial arts practitioners is not to sculpt the body, but to improve muscle function. The exercises carried out by martial arts athletes should be characterized by high intensity and high dynamism. These exercises should enable the creation of a power reserve that will subsequently be transformed into striking, gripping or throwing force during specialized training.

In the sport combat sphere, bodybuilding training does not meet the requirements of the combatant. Every action executed by the athlete, regardless of the discipline, is a complex movement. In sport combat, these will be entire movement sequences requiring the active participation of multiple muscle groups, the recruitment of the maximum number of movement units, and the rapid transfer of force. Therefore, a strength training based on conventional bodybuilding principles, which aims to perform exercises that isolate the work of individual muscles, executed in large repetition ranges, will not be effective.

Martial arts rank amongst the most demanding disciplines, and the athletes who engage in them are the most intensely training individuals. Their training should focus on developing relative strength (the ratio of maximum strength to body weight), which creates the potential for further development of strength and speed. The training should also serve a preventive function and prevent injuries (work on mobility and stability, strengthening ligaments and tendons). The selection of exercises should correspond to the individual abilities and limitations of the athlete, and at a certain stage should also take into account the specificity of the discipline. The possibilities that strength training offers often determine victory in combat.