Basic Training For MMA And Wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a great addition to your mixed martial arts (MMA) arsenal. Being well rounded in terms of your striking and ground game will give you an edge over your competitors. However, as with all martial arts, training effectively is one of the best ways to ensure you have the strength, speed and power to execute the moves effectively. Wrestling requires a lot of power, especially from the legs which drive the body forward. This guide will offer some great exercises you can do in the gym to help some of the specific takedowns and moves that you'll be performing in the ring.
Double- And Single-Leg Takedown
The double- and single-leg takedowns are classic moves in both MMA and wrestling. These moves require the attacker to almost lunge forward, rocking onto the knee before swinging the back leg around the opponent and driving the shoulders and body into them, grabbing either one or both legs to topple them over. As this is performed with speed and there is an element of lifting done here, it's important to develop lower back and core strength. Breaking down this move you can see elements of a lunge and a lift. Therefore, you can focus some effort in the gym working on full-range split squats or lunges, coupled with deadlifts to enhance lower back strength. The lifts should be done explosively for power, and for fewer reps. Deadlifts can be simulated by doing sandbag or medicine ball lifts. Learning to lift awkward-shaped objects can be great for the stabilisation muscles in the back.
Raw Power
In wrestling and MMA you need lots of driving force from the legs. Taking an opponent down with pure force when a technique goes wrong is not uncommon, and driving them up against the cage is a tactic many fighters employ. This power can be trained in the gym as well. Try getting a sledge and set it up on a track with some added weight, charge into it, and push the sledge until your speed begins to slow down, then recover and try again. You can also employ heavy punch bags and practice driving your weight into these. If this is too easy, pre-exhaust the legs first and use it as a post-training supplement. Just remember that power training is all about moving heavy weights fast, which means that fewer reps at a higher quality with more rest is better for this type of training.
