I've been looking at the physiques of a lot of MMA fighters and I was wondering if any of them lift weights. It seems to me like a lot of the bodies I've seen can be achieved solely through body weight exercises. Other than fighters like Assuerio Silva and Tank Abbott, I don't really see anyone who would be a good candidate for a lot of weight lifting, what do you guys think? Do you know of any fighters that for sure lift weight? If so, any knowledge on what their weight training is like would be helpful to know. Thanks.
I think the chances of a pro MMA fighter NOT lifting weights are very very low. As for the techniques that they would use in their lifting, get yourself over to the health and fitness section and search, the info you find will keep you going for a while, maybe 10 years or so!!
Yes, pretty much all of them do. Be it Tank Abbott's flabby physique that can bench 600lbs or Randy Couture's uber-ripped frame (I've had a go at his weight circuit routine; it's brutal)
What kind of weight training would they be doing? I mean I can hardly imagine Rich Franklin in the gym trying to up his max 1rep bench. I also don't really know what kind've weight training I'd expect Chuck Liddel to be doing in the gym. I've read in the health and fitness forum that the most important exercises for MMA fighters are compound muscle ones that don't isolate just one muscle at a time. It just seemed to me when looking at like....Matt Hughes, that his body could be achieved through bodyweight exercises, but I mean I'm probably just ignorant.
Dude, trust me - NO ONE gets a body in looks or performance like Matt Hughes or Rich Franklin with just bodyweight exercises - if they could, I'd have been as strong as that for years. I can't tell you exactly what their routines are, but I'd imagine it's pretty much a lock that they include squats, deadlifts and other compound exercises. Everyone will have a different routine, if you swing by the H&F forum, maybe you'll find one that suits you too
If you get the chance, have a look at the ultimate fighter TV shows, shows some of the training that the fighters use, and there is defo some iron included!!! Forget the silly game challenge things though, not really a prt of the real training!!!
The program disapoints a bit when it avoids showing any real training. It'd be nice to think these fighters prepared themselves using ancient mystical eastern training methods, but they don't
Yeah that's be funny! Only mentioned that show 'cause it featured the fighters Irish mentioned, and that its not a vid that would be hard to get a look at at if you're not in a vid swop circle.
Dude that is only cause Tank and Assuerio eat a lot. Weightlifting defines or adds muscle not bulk (mass added by muscle and fat) only heavy eating leads to Tank Abbott bodies, not to say they're not athletic but weightlifting in itself can't make you cabbage shaped. Definitely Rich Franklin, didn't you see that pre-fight Franklin v. Loivasseau interview of Rich Franklin by that hottie Rachelle Leah on Spike?
Some guys lift a lot more than others, but the great majority of professional fighters, especially those working with a team, lift regularly. The only high level guy who I know of who doesn't lift much is Fedor, and he does all sorts of other stuff, like repeatedly blasting a tire with a sledgehammer, and pulling rubber bands, to get his strength work in. EDIT: At one time Tank was bench pressing over 200% of his bodyweight. And are you sure you're thinking of the right Silva?
Considering that according to silva's website, he's about 5 foot 9 or 5 foot 10 and he weighs 237 pounds and I can't see any visible fat on the dudes body, I'd say yeah, he's lifting some serious weight.
A lot of the MM guys who describe theie weight routines talk alot about working on core strengh. Essentially lifting people and the muscles and strength required to do that. When they do lift weights the way they lift the weight has more significance then what they lift. They are looking to explode the weight through the range of motion not lift it like a body builder. Even though MMA fighters lift weights it is usually for building specific srtengh types not looking good for the cameras. TUF series gives a glipse of this when they show the plyometric sessions or the sessions in the pool with chuck liddle but some of the dedicated MMA mags regually feature weight routines for MMA fighting.
A lot of the MMA guys who describe their weight routines talk alot about working on core strengh. Essentially lifting people and the muscles and strength required to do that. When they do lift weights the way they lift the weight has more significance then what they lift. They are looking to explode the weight through the range of motion not lift it like a body builder. Even though MMA fighters lift weights it is usually for building specific srtengh types not looking good for the cameras. TUF series gives a glipse of this when they show the plyometric sessions or the sessions in the pool with chuck liddle but some of the dedicated MMA mags regually feature weight routines for MMA fighting.
Every PRO MMA fighter lifts weights, pretty much all fighters lift weights. If anyone caught UFC ALL ACCESS with Rich Franklin, you saw he had a particular grueling weight circuit. The focus was endurace strength. 1hr lifting, without rest.
im just saying that ive seen a matt hughes-like physique achieved without weights. not knocking weights, i want to start a lifting program n stuff, i just wasnt sure if he actually did.
Are you kidding? Did you see that behind-the-scenes thing Spike TV did, about Rich's training routine? Lifting weights is a big part of it. And the routine was INSANE. As others have said, just about all of the pro MMA fighters lift weights. In fact, just about all pro athletes do.
