Why your hands slow down before your muscles fail
The real mechanism behind fading in round three — and what you can do about it
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Aerobic exercise | Anaerobic exercise | Gas Mask Training | Respiratory muscle endurance training | Respiratory muscle strength training
The Truth About Gas Mask Training for MMA
The truth about gas mask training some MMA fighters swear by. In this article we’ll down what training masks actually do, what they don’t, and the science-backed alternatives that actually improve conditioning.
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The Evidence-Based Guide to Strength & Power Training for MMA
A complete evidence-based guide to strength training for MMA. Covers exercise selection, programming variables, workout templates, and how to integrate resistance training into your fight camp.
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How to Periodize Your MMA Training: The Science of Fight Camp Planning
Why Periodization Is the Most Important Thing You’re Not Doing Here’s a pattern I’ve seen over and over in MMA gyms: a fighter trains hard, trains consistently, and then either burns out three weeks before the fight, gets injured in camp, or walks into the cage feeling flat. The common thread is almost never a…
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Why You Gas Out in MMA (And How to Fix It)
“Gassing out” is a catch-all phrase fighters use when their performance drops during a fight or hard training session. But that drop can look very different depending on what’s causing it
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The Complete Guide to Energy Systems in MMA
Master the 4 energy systems in MMA and learn how each one fuels your performance in the cage. A PhD exercise physiologist breaks down ATP-PCr, glycolysis, and oxidative pathways with practical training methods for fighters.
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Unlock Your Full MMA Potential: How Goal Setting Transforms Fighters
Learn how goal setting MMA strategies can transform your fighting career. This evidence-based system helps fighters assess their current state, set meaningful targets, and build a clear path to reaching their full potential in combat sports.
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Choosing the right training load and repetitions
Choose the right MMA training load and reps for strength, power, hypertrophy, and endurance. A science-based guide to rep ranges, sets, rest periods, and weekly programming for fighters.
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The MMA-Specific Fitness Test You’re Probably Not Doing: The Fighter’s Drill
Discover the only MMA fitness test designed to measure real fight readiness. The Fighter’s Drill uses 4 sport-specific drills across 3 rounds to test striking, grappling, and conditioning.
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How to Maximize Your Flexibility With Minimal Stretching
MMA flexibility is a real competitive advantage. A fighter who can throw high kicks, retain guard from awkward angles, and slip out of tight submissions has options that a stiff fighter simply doesn’t. Flexibility won’t replace skill, but it does expand what your skills can reach. The problem is time. Between sparring, drilling, strength work,…
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How To Avoid Overtraining in MMA
Learn to recognize overtraining in MMA before it wrecks your fight camp. This guide covers the warning signs, recovery strategies, and smarter approaches to training volume for combat athletes.
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The Most Important Energy System in MMA
A PhD exercise physiologist explains why the aerobic system is the most important energy system in MMA, backed by research on metabolic demands, recovery, and fight performance.
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How to Peak in 3 Months: The 90-Day Fight Camp Blueprint
A complete 90-day fight camp blueprint covering 4 phases: fight-specific prep, shock block, developmental block, and taper. Includes endurance, resistance, and simulation protocols.
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Aerobic exercise | Anaerobic exercise | Bioenergetics | Metabolic Demands | Periodization | Unstoppable Endurance
The Fighter’s Edge: Understanding Bioenergetics in MMA Training
Bioenergetics in MMA explained: how the three energy systems (ATP-PCr, glycolysis, aerobic) power your fight performance, the VO₂max threshold for sparring, and evidence-based conditioning strategies.
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How Much Rest Should I Take Between Sets?
Sick of random training advice that leaves you guessing how long to rest between sets? Or maybe you’ve tried popular methods, only to find they don’t align with MMA demands. Let’s clear up the confusion. In this article, we’ll show how rest intervals can make or break your strength, power, or endurance gains—especially in a…
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How Many Sets Should You Do? Science-Based Guide for MMA Fighters
You’ve probably heard a dozen different answers to the question “how many sets should I do?” One coach says three. Another says five. Your training partner swears by one hard set to failure and nothing more. The confusion is real, and for fighters it matters more than most people realize—because you’re not just trying to…
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How Often Should MMA Fighters Lift? The Right Load & Reps for Fight Performance
How often should MMA fighters lift weights? Learn the evidence-based guidelines for resistance training frequency (2-3 sessions per week), optimal load selection, and rep ranges for strength, power, and hypertrophy. Includes a practical weekly schedule for fight camp.
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How to Order Resistance Exercises (and Choose the Right Load & Reps) for MMA
Master the correct MMA exercise order with this evidence-based 3-tier system. Learn how to sequence resistance exercises and choose the right load and reps for power, strength, and hypertrophy.
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Essential Resistance Training Exercises for MMA Fighters
An evidence-based framework for choosing the best resistance training exercises for MMA fighters. Covers power movements, core multi-joint lifts, and accessory work—with peer-reviewed research to back it up.
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How Muscles Work
Learn how muscles work and why it matters for MMA fighters. This guide covers muscle fiber types, contraction mechanics, and the science behind building strength and power for combat sports.
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Anaerobic & Aerobic Performance Testing
Learn how aerobic performance testing helps MMA fighters measure and improve conditioning. This guide covers the Balke treadmill test and other key assessments to track your cardio fitness for combat sports.
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Boost Your MMA Performance: Testing Muscular Endurance the Right Way
Learn how testing muscular endurance helps MMA fighters identify weaknesses and track progress. This guide covers the partial curl-up and push-up field tests with step-by-step protocols for combat athletes.
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How To Build Unstoppable Endurance in MMA
If you’ve ever watched a fighter come out blazing in round one and then completely fall apart by round two, you already know the most important truth in MMA: skill means nothing if you can’t sustain it. A rear-naked choke in the third round requires the same technique as one in the first. The difference…
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Building Real MMA Strength: Practical Tests for Bench Press and Squat
Learn how MMA strength testing with bench press and squat protocols helps fighters measure real-world strength. Track your progress and build a foundation for explosive power in the cage.
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Measuring Muscular Power for MMA
Learn how to measure muscular power MMA fighters need with vertical jump and medicine ball toss tests. These practical protocols help you track explosive strength and improve fight performance.
