Mr Britain

Is the 5x5 weight lifting rouine good for MMA training? If not what routine will keep me flexible?

I wanna start weight lifting like the MMA fighters do. Is this 5x5 routine good for having powerfull punches but also keep me flexible? Also is the 5x5 routine for all weight lifting excersises or just upperbody?

Public Comments

1. MMA fighters generally do very little weightlifting in the sense that you are thinking of. They focus more on HIIT (high intensity intercal training) to help with muscle endurance and explosiveness. The may use light weights but it is more for developing explosiveness not size. the 5x5 routine is more for bulking (low rep x high weight). Look into doing body weight excercise, medicine ball work, plyometrics, weight vests, resistance bands, etc. This will also keep you lean...good luck its going to suck but its worth it
2. lifting doesn't help your punching power as much as you would think... anyway, my philosophy on lifting for martial arts is simple: lift heavy. this isn't body building folks, that's for posers - literally. you could be yoked out and still have pillow hands
3. Loco had a good answer. 5X5 routines are way too low in reps. Look for Circuit routines, particular with Olympic lifts if you are looking for straight weight stuff. There is also a lot of explosive plyometric circuits that can build explosiveness and quickness. Olympic lifts by nature are explosive lifts. Circuits have the added benefit of cardio and allowing you to mix in interval training as well as supersetting. There are some REALLY great workouts in forum sections out there, here are some good websites to start to get ideas of lifting for MMA and Athletics. http:///www.intocombat.com http://www.bodybuilder.com (they have an athetlics section ) http://www.bullshido.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23
4. 5x5 is not For bulking up , 1-5 reps whit 90% of what you can lift 1 time is to build maximum power whitout gaining much weight or for explosive power (but then you need to use 50-60% of what you can lift 1 time). If you train like this you need to combine this whit explosive training like sprinting ect ( if you train maximum power ) + your mma training , trust me you wont become slow. Before starting training maximum power you need a base so start of lifting the 1st 4 weeks whit weights that you can lift pretty easy to get a good base and learning the exercises this is important to avoid injuries. You can also train for muscle endurance , this the most used form of lifting in mma (in my opinion the best for martial arts ) here you do 20+ reps and you use 30-50 % of what you can lift 1 time. And yes you can do 5x5 for each body part ( best is to do exercises where you use allot of muscle at once so not to much isolated exercises like bicep curl ect..) ::::::::::::: Maximum power : - reps 1-5 - sets 3-4 - rest between each set 3-8 min - 90% of 1 rm(what you can lift 1 time) Explosive - reps 1-5 - sets 2-5 - rest 2-4 min - 50-60 % Endurance - reps: 20+ - sets 1-3 - rest 1 min - 30-50% Just stretch daily and you keep and get more flexibility
5. 5x5 will get you strong, which is good, and applies to any part of the body. To have powerful punches you need to do high-intensity conditioning and plyometrics as well. Plyo push-ups and sledgehammer drills are examples of these types of exercises.
6. the classic 5x5 is three warm-up sets light, two work sets heavy at 5 reps each. Going heavy 5 sets will burn you out. It is more for chins, pulldowns, bench press, row, overhead press, etc. For small muscles like the side delt or biceps, go for higher reps, lighter weights, and fewer sets. For legs go for 20 reps or more. For legs, the ideal is heavy weights for high reps! here is an example: four day per week program (1/20= one set 20 reps) Monday: bench press 5/5, side delt 1/10, standing press 5/5, rear delt 1/10. Tuesday: legs- squat 1/20, leg press 1/20, leg extension 1/20, leg curl 1/20. W/S/U/ off Thursday: chinups (bodyweight) 5/5, pulldowns 5/5, rows 5/5, curls 1/10. Friday: abs, calves, shins, forearms, and neck.