What physical attributes do MMA fighters need?
MMA fighters need a variety of different physical attributes in order to be successful.
Your anaerobic threshold is simply your body’s ability to perform at a high intensity before the onset of lactic acid. The higher your anaerobic threshold the longer you can fight at a high intensity.
Aerobic ability:
Is the ability to recover and supply working muscles with oxygen between rounds or during the fight. Having a increased aerobic ability helps remove lactic acid from your fighting muscles.
Upper body Speed:
Is essential in not only throwing punches but blocking your opponents’ attacks.
Lower body Speed: Lower body speed is crucial when it comes to controlling the cage, sprawling and defending leg kicks
Agility:
Agility is needed to evade attacks and if needed as well as your ability to get up off the floor. Having great agility is beneficial when you are in a scramble.
Co-ordination:
Co-ordination is a huge part of fighting. You must be able to know where your body is positioned in order to attack, defend and adjust techniques quickly and effectively.
Upper body strength and power:
Upper body strength and power is needed to hold your opponent against the cage or on the floor. Upper body strength is also needed to dominate the clinch and escape off the floor.
Lower body strength and power:
Lower body strength is vital if you want to have powerful takedowns and a good guard game. Having strong legs will work to your advantage in driving through to finish a double leg as well as stopping people passing your guard.
Rotational strength:
All throws and punches need rotational strength. Therefore it crucial to train your core in a rotational manner. Stronger rotation equals stronger punches and power generation.
Core strength:
Core strength is essential for a number of reasons. These include protecting your spine from injury, transferring strength from lower body to upper body, as well as assisting your balance.
Back strength:
Back strength is crucial in order to stay upright and fight with great posture. A strong back will stop your opponent pulling your head down in a Thai clinch.
Hip power: Hip power is vital when defending your opponents’ double leg takedown. If you can develop strong hips you will have an amazing sprawl.
Concentration:
Concentration is required by every fighter at every training session, sparring night and fight night. As a training session or fight goes on and you become fatigued, you don’t just physically stop working, but you mentally begin to make bad decisions. The fitter you are and the more oxygen you have in your body, the better you can concentrate. This results in you making better, quicker decisions in the midst of competition.
Mobility:
Mobility and joint stability is of significant importance to all fighters. Being mobile and flexible will greatly assist you in many areas of your fight game. It will help you evade techniques, as well as assist in injury prevention.
Joint stability:
By keeping your joints supple you will have stable joints that will help you be more stable throughout a fight. Joint stability is also important in reducing the risk of injury in training or competition.
Balance:
Balance is a fundamental aspect of MMA. If you can maintain your balance it will be a lot harder for your opponent to throw you or take you down, especially against the cage.
