11 Myths of Warrior Training

by Martin Rooney, Bryan Krahn | 10/18/10

Tags: 
 Challenge Training
 Powerlifting & Strength

Martin Rooney wants to change how you think about mixed martial arts
(MMA) training.

Considered to be the pioneer of physical training for MMA, Martin has 13

years' experience getting fighters ready for action. He's trained and cornered
hundreds of fighters, including several UFC champions.

He's knowledgeable and opinionated, but he isn't above admitting when he's
made a mistake. Fact is, Rooney says it's his mistakes — and learning from
them — that's had the biggest impact on his development as one of the most
sought after coaches in the sport.
Rooney's indoctrination into MMA began in the late 90's in the decidedly non-
Brazilian city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Rooney was a member of the US
Bobsled team and his roommate was Olympic silver medalist Todd Hays, who
also happened to be a pro fighter.

Hays started teaching Rooney a few things on the side and soon Rooney was
hooked. Upon returning to the U.S., he quickly joined a nearby Gracie school.
Rooney eventually began training the fighters he rubbed shoulders with and
the rest as they say, is history.

But not a long history. Although the various fighting disciplines of MMA have
been around for centuries, the actual sport of MMA is just a kid; even worse,
it's a teenager.

"At 16 or 17 years old, MMA and its training is in adolescence," says Rooney,
"and like adolescent teenagers, they think they know everything, they don't
listen, and they make a lot of mistakes."

Rooney says that one of the biggest mistakes is the "evolution" of MMA
training. Trainers and coaches are continually looking for the latest and
greatest ways to improve their fighters, but Rooney says it's bordering on
ridiculous.

"I've travelled the world, to places where the martial arts began, and none of
the trainers are doing any of this nonsense," says Rooney.

"It's like sushi: You go to Japan and sushi is beautiful simplicity, fish and rice.
And it's incredible.

Head down to the local sushi shop in the US and you can get the Hackensack
roll, which has 10 ingredients and 15 sauces. It's more complicated, but it sure
isn't better.
With MMA training, I see the same thing and the same myths being put out
there..."

1 – Training for MMA should be all circuit-style high-volume training.

If you're going to train to be an MMA fighter, you have to perform a bunch of

high volume circuits as they test your will, not to mention leave you crazy
sore, right?

Not so, says Rooney.

"I was circuit crazy for years. I'd destroy my athletes with them," says Rooney.
"And guess what? My guys would still get gassed in the ring. Circuit training
does not build a better fighter; training like an athlete does.

I get guys telling me all the time that they love circuits because they get so
crazy sore. Great, but what's the result? You do these circuits enough and
you'll get better at them and won't be as sore, but you're still weak.

You're now a weak fighter who's good at circuits."

Rooney says that the circuit craze in MMA is a byproduct of the whole macho
tough guy attitude that surrounds MMA training. It may look cool and sell
magazines, but it isn't effective.

"It's pursuing fatigue and not improvement, all part of the idea that you're not a
man unless you're getting your ass kicked in the gym as well as in the ring."

So what's the right way?

"Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, power cleans; the basics, combined with
some sprinting and some stretching. It may not be glamorous, but it makes
you stronger and faster."

For Regular Dudes: If you want to burn fat and improve your conditioning, use
circuits sparingly. Think one, maybe two sessions a week, with the remaining
time spent on basic heavy lifting.

"You have to think of longevity," says Rooney. "Performing five days of circuits
a week doesn't make you tough, it just makes you injured. You can lift weights
forever, but good luck hitting those circuits in 20 years."

2 – Fighters need a minimum of 8 weeks to get ready for a fight.

"Nonsense," says Rooney. "If you're a fighter, you should be ready to fight all
the time. This whole 8-week camp standard just gives guys an excuse to get
out of shape."

Rooney says the "8-weeks out" thing all started with boxing, where old school
boxers used to go to training camps 2 or 3 months before a fight to get into
shape. But Rooney says MMA is not boxing, and current MMA fighters are
fighting all the time, sometimes 7 or 8 times a year. Getting out of shape just
isn't an option.
"If you get out of shape, you have to kill yourself for 8 weeks and will show up
wiped out," says Rooney. "But if you stay in shape year round, you show up
fresh.

Frankie Edgar is known for his incredible motor and he stays in shape and
trains hard year-round. For him, a fight is just another day at the office."

For Regular Dudes: Don't take unnecessary breaks. Do something, anything,

to keep you in the game. Sure, life gets busy and priorities sometimes need to
change ("I can't change Junior's diaper honey, I gotta train legs tonight."), but
you should never have to quit training completely. Have periods where you
train less and periods where you train more. But never just do nothing.

3 – If I follow fighter X's program, I will be fit like him.

Here's the pitch: Follow Georges St. Pierre's (circuit based) workout for three
months and you'll be mistaken for GSP at your favorite nightclub.

Fiction.
"It's like the Schwarzenegger arm routines we all used to follow. Five sets of
barbell curls, 4 sets of preacher curls, a couple sets of 21's. It's lunacy; why
do we expect it to work with fighters?"

It's a good segue to one of Rooney's biggest peeves, and biggest sources of
amusement.

"I don't watch the Ultimate Fighter but I always know when it airs — the next
day at the gym, there will be guys doing stuff like running backwards on a
treadmill with a snorkel on.

The training programs have all been sensationalized to get ratings. I know the
top trainers and what they really do, and it's what you'd expect — basic, smart
training. But that doesn't get ratings."

Rooney says the goofball training also plays an important psychological role.

"Think about it — if I'm training Jim Miller for a fight in two months, when the
cameras arrive do I show how we really train, or do I try to psyche out my
opponent's camp by having Jim swim in shark infested waters while I shoot
flaming arrows at him?"

For Regular Dudes: Try new things: basic, intelligent training that's tailored to
your specific needs — not some celebrity's. That's the smartest option. "I give
seminars all over the world, and I always ask the room who has flexibility
issues," says Rooney. "Virtually everyone will raise their hand. Next, I ask
whoever's working on it (flexibility) to keep your hands up. Maybe one or two
are."

Only you know what you need. Do that, not the latest thing.
4 – MMA is tough, so the training needs to be even more strenuous.

This one frustrates the hell out of Rooney.

"We destroy guys with these grueling camps and endless death circuits to
'mimic' what supposedly happens in a fight, and then we wonder why they
show up absolutely bagged."

Rooney says the logic behind it is simple: if a fight is 15 minutes and the
fighter gets his or her heart rate up to 160 BPM, why not push the fighter to 30
minutes and 200 BPM?

"It's a neat theory, but physiologically, all that's accomplished is the nervous
system and the adrenals get cooked. No wonder the poor athlete shows up
wiped!"

As for mimicking the conditions of a fight?

"Look at how NFL players train: they lift, sprint, and stretch. They don't run
into walls, train for three hours, or have guys smash them in the legs with bats
because it 'mimics' a game situation.

When I train a fighter, he's never gassed on the mat. I train them to feel the
opposite, and after every round of training or circuit work I tell them to raise
their hands in victory.

Not only does this send a signal to the opponent, it conditions them to be
champions. Lying on your back in the middle of the gym is not champion
behavior."
For Regular Dudes: We're not saying never perform hard work, but don't
make training an ego-driven process. Destroying yourself day after day makes
you weak, not strong.

5 – MMA fighters are supposed to be injured and beat up all the time.

"More macho nonsense," says Rooney. "All athletes must compete through
aches and pains and a certain amount of discomfort, but if an NFL player is
legitimately injured, he's not playing — he's on the treatment table.

But I forgot, MMA fighters are supposed to be too tough for that."
Rooney says a fighter should feel amazing coming into a fight, not smashed,
injured, and looking like he's on death's door.

"Inexperienced trainers smash athletes, plain and simple. It's that

adolescence thing rearing its ugly head again, the whole I'm bulletproof and
will live forever attitude.

I bought into it too, and trust me, my hindsight is your foresight."

For Regular Dudes: Recoveryis the most underappreciated variable in

training, whether among professional athletes or weekend warriors juggling
60-hour workweeks with family and hitting the gym four days a week.

If you feel run down when you show up at the gym, don't train! If your shoulder
aches when benching, don't bench! Regular guys need rehab too — rest, ice,
nutrition, and sleep.

6 – Throwing up during a workout means the trainer is tough.

This is the epitome of macho meathead training, says Rooney.

"Throwing up is a nervous system defense mechanism that something very

wrong has happened — why you would want to associate that with training is
beyond me."

For Regular Dudes: It all boils down to pursuing positive indicators of training,
not fatigue.
7 – Strength work shouldn't be done too often, especially for fighters trying to
cut weight.

This stems form the old school myth that lifting weights and building strength
will make you gain significant amounts of bodyweight. Rooney blames that on
muscle-head marketing and small-minded folks who confuse getting fat with
building muscle.

"People forget that lifting weights helps you burn fat," says Rooney.

"Jim Miller is 7 & 1 in the UFC, and two years ago he never used to lift
weights. He also never used to knock anyone down. Now he has a 455-pound
deadlift at 155 pounds and is knocking guys down left and right. And he still
makes weight."

For Regular Dudes: Kettlebells, battling ropes, and sledgehammers are

effective tools, but they should be used accordingly. The point is, getting
stronger in the basics is the foundation of any smart program.

8 – Fighters can eat what they want since they train so much.
Often the fighters with the best genetics eat the worst, something Martin finds
frustrating. He also knows just who to blame:

"I blame Michael Phelps for this myth. When that stupid article came out
showing all the crap he supposedly ate every day, I was inundated with
fighters thinking this somehow validates their junk food habit.

Look, a guy like that is the exception, not the rule. If you truly believe that
you're a genetic superfreak and can reach the top eating garbage, good luck
to you.

My experience suggests guys like that are few and far between."

Rooney says that to have a superior body, you have to feed it the best
possible fuel. "I'm huge on whole foods, lots of fresh produce, and plenty of
water," he says. "Supplement wise, I'm big on protein powders, vitamin D, fish
oil, vitamin C, glutamine, and Biotest Superfood."

For Regular Dudes: Although it's as outdated as your dad's 8-Track cassette

player, a lot of guys still think you can out train a lame diet. 'I did a grueling
circuit today and threw up all over the floor so I can have this Big Mac on the
way to work.'

Nonsense. "Elite athletes can't do that, and you can't do that," says Rooney.

9 – Wrestlers make the best MMA fighters.

"Surprise, this one isn't a myth," says Rooney. "If you could only learn one
discipline before stepping into the octagon, wrestling should be your discipline
of choice.
Just look at the top guys. Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Frankie Edgar, GSP,
Josh Koscheck; they all had outstanding wrestling careers before MMA."

Rooney says that wrestlers are not only very strong, they can also decide
where the fight goes. "If I'm good at striking and I know it's a weakness for
you, I can use my wrestling takedown defence to keep the match off the
ground to where I can use my striking advantage. Obviously, the opposite is
true as well."

Rooney describes the process of coming up the wrestling ranks as a giant

meat grinder. "Ten thousand guys in various programs competing week after
week, until a handful of men emerge as champions."

"These champions are basically unbreakable. You can't injure them, can't
break them, can't defeat them."

Rooney adds that wrestlers are also the best weight cutters of them all. "For a
wrestler, dropping 25 pounds in a few days is just par for the course. Other
fighters can find that really challenging."

For Regular Dudes: Not much to say here, other than if you're thinking of
being a great MMA fighter, conjure up the spirit of Albert Einstein, build a time
machine, and persuade your folks to enroll you in wrestling as a kid.

10 – The best way to train for endurance is with endurance work.

This is a popular myth that's desperate for debunking.

Rooney says everyone assumes that fighters and wrestlers have outstanding
V02 max scores, but they really don't, at least not in comparison to cross
country skiers or the like.
"What they do have is incredible strength and as we all know, maximal
strength work will also work the aerobic energy system.

Between rounds, I've never had a fighter say, 'Wow, he's got really good
endurance.' But I do hear, 'Man he's so much stronger than me' all the time,"
says Rooney.

Overwhelming strength can wear you out fast. If two fighters clinch in an
isometric hold but one fighter is three times stronger than the other, obviously
the weaker fighter will tire first, because at 100% exertion his opponent would
only need to be exerting 30%.

"Circuits won't develop significant maximal strength," says Rooney, "so you
get guys who gas in the middle of a guillotine lock.

Frankie Edgar is known for his incredible motor. His secret — tons of strength
work."

For Regular Dudes: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, heavy basic
lifting combined with some sprinting and stretching is a near perfect
combination for the average guy looking for an above average physique.

11 – You can train MMA and still have your high powerlifting numbers.

"I hear this all the time," says Rooney. "Coach, my bench is going down! Look,
you can't ride two horses with one ass. Although I know some strong MMA
fighters, none of them are watching their bench or deadlift go up as a fight
approaches."

Rooney says it boils down to deciding what you want. If you want to have an
elite total, great! Go for it. If you want to have veins and abs and bring up your
 brachialis, more power to you. Just don't think you can excel at those things
and excel at fighting.

"No boxer has ever been famous for his bench press," says Rooney.

"Deciding to be an MMA fighter could and should be one of the most serious,
life-changing decisions you ever make. Respect it as such."

For Regular Dudes: As the old saying goes, pick a goal and work backwards.
It's highly unlikely that if your goal is, "Compete in bodybuilding in 3 years"
that, "Submit Ricky from accounting" is one of the targets along the way.

Pick a goal, own it, and become it.

So enough myths, how about some tips?

Here are some tips for aspiring MMA fighters and regular guys trying to look
like an ass-kicking man:

 Schedule recovery first. Recovery is priority number one. Always build

your schedule around it, not training.
 Clean up the diet. Everyone thinks they eat better than they really do.
Peri-workout nutrition is top priority.
 Get 8 hours of sleep a night. Humans are the only species that get up
when they aren't supposed to and go to bed when they aren't supposed to.
You can't perform if you're tired.
 Drink a gallon of water a day. You hear this a hundred times a day, but
how many actually do it? Double your water intake and you'll feel better,
perform better, and get leaner.
 Add strength training into the program. Circuit training is useless if
you're weak. You must develop strength first.
 Sprint three to four days a week. Sprints not only lean you out, they
build significant hamstring mass and power. Plus, look at sprinters — who
wouldn't want to look like those guys?
 Fit circuits in only around the other MMA training. With circuits, a little
goes a long way. As the technical demands of MMA training go up, things like
circuits need to be scaled back.

The Heavy Stuff

Weight training exercises every MMA fighter and average dude should be
doing and why.

Deadlifts: "These could be the best exercise going, and definitely the most
misunderstood. For fighters and weekend warriors alike, it's extremely
functional. What's more functional than picking up a heavy object — like a
gassed opponent?"

Single-arm farmer's walks: "Most sports are unilateral. This exercise transfers

well to the kicks and takedowns exhibited in MMA."

One-arm dumbbell row: "Vertical pulls like chin-ups are important, but for
MMA, the horizontal pull is crucial. You need to pull your opponent towards
you to control him."

Floor press: "This is an exercise that's crucial for MMA. If you're on your back,
you need good pushing power to get an opponent off you and pass guard."

Jump squats: "Great exercise for developing lower body power. Sets of six
reps are ideal."

Hamstring curl or glute-ham raise: "To control an opponent, you have to be

able to recruit the hamstring by flexing at the knee. Hip extension movements
like deadlift variations are not sufficient."
Sit ups: "Trading spinal flexion for anti-rotation and plank variations is the
trendy thing to do, but most submissions in MMA require some degree of
spinal flexion. It's a mistake for fighters to leave them out completely."

Neck harness: "The neck is the pillar of the body, but nobody trains the neck
at all these days. The top guys all have extremely strong necks; to compete
with the big boys, neck training is essential."