contributed by: Tim Hull

Lately I have noticed there is a lot of misinformation and confusion about certain training principles and techniques.  One of those areas that have stirred a lot of discussion is functional training. It quickly became a buzz word when the concept was first introduced. Since that time, there seems to be more detractors then proponents for it.

I believe the reason so many people are starting to speak out against it, is due to all of the confusion as to what functional training actually is.  In my opinion, there are two main problems that have led to this confusion.  The first is confusing functional training with sport specific training and the second problem is the extremists that have taken a good idea and twisted it into something resembling a circus act.

Continue Reading

Contributed by : Jared Krieg

In the troubled times of today, we are left with no money, people out of work, and worst of all we have to make cuts to our budgets. I am lucky enough to still have a job, but don’t make enough to have all the things i really want. Especially when it comes to my home gym. So I have created with the help of a few other people’s ideas certain gym equipment that seems to be necessary for me to get in a great workout. So here it is and I hope everyone enjoys.
Continue Reading

I have the privilege of being the strength and conditioning coach for an up and coming fighter.  Jessica Richer is a 2010 Pan American Jiu-Jitsu champion and is looking to start moving her career towards the MMA world.  Jessica is one of the hardest workers when she trains.  Her training schedule, plus all the other activities she does like play hockey is crazy.  Jessica however puts in 100% effort in every session that we have.  This dedication I know will pay off.

Many people ask if I strength train woman athletes the same as their male counterparts.  The answer is yes I do for the most part with the exception of a few things, but some may surprise you.   Why would I not they are competing in the same sport with the same demands except maybe on the time limit of the rounds.  I train them for strength, power and power endurance or muscle endurance.

So lets me go over how woman fighters should train.  This article will also serve well for any woman out there that is looking to reach their fitness goals.  All fighters should train using compound movements and woman are no different. Those are exercises that work the whole body.  Some examples of compound exercises are squats, deadlifts, and some of the Olympic lifts such as the clean.

Many woman even woman athletes fear getting big muscles.  This is why many of them do not lift heavy weight.  This could be further from the truth.  First off when training Jessica she has done all of the lifts above and it has made her strong, and she does not look like some kind of bodybuilder.  I am not training her to be in a bodybuilding competition, she is training to fight.  Another thing, it is harder for woman in general to gain more muscle size because their testosterone levels are much lower than men.  The lower the testosterone level, the harder to build muscle.

So if you have the pleasure of training a woman fighter here are some tips to enhance their program.  When designing a program you will want to add one or two more sets and a few more reps. Adding sets and reps will help them recruit more muscle and in turn make them stronger.  It takes woman a little longer to stimulate muscle so adding a few reps and sets will go a long way in helping this.  The one thing though you do not want to forget is if you are doing more reps within sets you will have to bring down the intensity, which is the amount of weight that is being lifted in a rep.  If you have her go to high she may not be able to finish the reps she needs to finish.  These little tips will improve your female fighters performance in the weight room and if you are a woman looking to train and improve your body like a fighter you should also follow these guidelines.

The following is a list of exercises that Jessica performs in her strength and conditioning program.  Deadlifts, Power Cleans, Jump Squats, Push Presses, Dumb Bell Bench Press, Broad Jumps, Medicine Ball Chest passes, and Explosive Pushups.  At the end of the strength training session she is hit with some type of conditioning protocol to finish her off.  But I have found she is never finished.  If you have any questions about strength and conditioning or looking for a program to follow you can email me at rob@combattrainer.com and visit the site http://combattrainer.com I would like to thank Rebecca for inviting to guest post on her awesome site.