All of us have been staying at home most of the time since the 2nd quarter of the year 2020. This is such a great way for fighters to unwind a bit. It is the perfect time to discover new routines of exercises that will enhance their performance better than before.
Do you know someone who is a great fighter? Do you ever wonder what his workout could be? Basically, they go for heavier weights and lower repetitions. This is their ultimate secret to have a stronger and more conditioned body.
Before we go to the high-intense routine, let’s discuss the pre-workout first.
15 Minute Warm-up
What? A warm-up this long? Buddy, this could already be a whole day workout for someone. A warm-up is supposed to serve its meaning. It must get your body feeling the warmth beneath your muscles all ready to fire up. This is a precautionary routine practiced to avoid injuries and sudden fatigue.
On the other hand, a good warm-up shouldn’t exceed more than 15 minutes. You may actually be risking your momentum by waiting too long before you hit the high intensity. You are tiring yourself out before the actual workout begins.
Try this routine and make sure to take 15-30 seconds of rest in between.
- Hold onto any sturdy and stable object
- Do 10 front back leg swings
- Do 5-10 side to side leg swings
- Stretch for 1 minute
- Do 50 single jumps with a jump rope
- Do 10 air squats
- Repeat 50 single jumps with a jump rope
- Stretch for another minute
Here are five killer home workout routines every fighter should start doing to increase their endurance to the next level.
Pull-ups
This routine helps fighter to defy gravity. Pull-ups enhance the strength and build of the upper body by improving the muscles in your upper back. This workout is essential for martial arts with pulling motions such as in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is also a very important skill to learn, especially in mixed martial arts.
Since this is kind of hard, most fighters are unable to do a proper pull-up. Anyone can begin with simpler exercises such as jump pulls or negative pull-ups while you stand on a platform. Make sure your chin is above the bar when you jump or step onto a platform, then slowly lower yourself.
These activities focused on the controlled progression of the downward motion of the pull-up itself. Build the strength you need and be consistent as this will help you to eventually perform a proper pull-up.
However you do this, the harder or the easier version, mind on squeezing your shoulder blades together to develop your back muscles and not your biceps. Back muscles are your focus here.
Overhead Presses
Hitting the gym every day is a lot more complicated these days. Don’t worry. Kettlebells got you! This home exercise will boost the strength of your deltoids. Overhead presses allow you to lift the kettlebells or dumbbells over your head from your shoulders. Make sure you have strong shoulders because it can rip those muscle tissue and worst injuries can also happen. Strong shoulders can help to keep your guard up, especially during sudden fatigue and cramps.
Aim to perform about 8-10 reps. Choose a weight heavy enough to improve your endurance. When the last three reps are more challenging to lift, then that’s the perfect weight of the equipment for you. Always keep your forearms parallel to each other and your biceps should be at ear-level in the top position.
Push-ups
Total Shape has proved the multiple benefits of this exercise. Push-up is all about strength and whole-body condition. This is the most humble routine of the martial arts. It improves the foundation of the fighter’s striking motion skills, as well as the pushing motion skills. It can put more power behind your punches and the opponent can feel the bursting energy of your training.
Appropriate push-up performance requires your arms to be tucked-in. Your hands should be properly located beneath your shoulders. Your elbows must glide along with your rib cage as you start the moving motion.
For those fighters who want to achieve greater balance, do the push-up routine that uses a medicine ball. Roll it over to your hand and repeat the motion.
Deadlifts
As the name implies, you can figure out that this is a very high-intense exercise. Deadlift is designed to activate your glutes, lower back muscles, hamstrings, and core. It helps build up your grip at the same time. Never go too heavy when you first start out, focus on your current capacity, and see how much weight you can tolerant to improve your body form.
Firstly, your toes should be pointing forward as you look ahead of you. Make sure that you do not curl or round your back. Whenever you lower the bar in a straight vertical motion, stick your buttocks out and controlled, then slightly bend your knees. If you do this correctly, there is a good feeling of stretch in your hamstrings and not in your quads.
Barbell Squats
This is like the reversed version of the deadlift. It focuses more on leg muscles and tolerance. Barbell squats improve your quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings. Again, the focus is on the form. Remember this, and you won’t be lost in any routine.
Do the front squats or when the barbell rests on your shoulders under your chin. And also do the back squats or when the barbell rest on your shoulders behind your trapezius muscles and neck. It is advisable to use heavier weights while performing back squats.
Heads up! This won’t work for someone who has underlying back issues. You should stay away from this routine at all costs. Our spinal cord is very sensitive. Check with your doctor if you feel backache for the past week, especially when this occurs after an accident or injury.
Since the latest pandemic happened, modern changes in our day to day activities happened as well. Fighters feel time-crunched and over-pressured to keep up with their training even with social-distancing restrictions. The above workout routine is collected so anyone can still do a fitness regimen even at home.
