MMA Workout Plan for Beginners

MMA has been growing in popularity thanks partly to the UFC fighters which people watch on TV but it is a sport which takes time to grow into – you can’t just jump into a ring and expect to be a champion fighter on day one.

As a beginner to MMA you need to start out carefully and with expert workout to guide you on your MMA journey – it’s important to carry out routines designed specifically for beginners and to make sure you start from the ground up.

Before you even start training, you need to make sure you have all the right equipment, particularly the items which will help to protect you from injury, such as a mouth guard. It’s important to wear your mouth guard while training, not just to protect you but also to get used to breathing while wearing one as it will feel quite strange the first time you wear one – and it needs to become natural.

There are several different things to consider when starting out with an MMA training as a beginner so we have summarized the key things you need to know here:

Building up your stamina

MMA is a demanding practice and will require you to have a good level of endurance to keep up with a fight in the ring. If you are planning to take on an MMA workout then it will pay you to build up your stamina and increase your overall fitness first.

Try adding in stamina-building exercise to your current training routine, for example, running two miles every other day, and adding in extra cardio exercise routines. It’s important to have strong stamina if you are to succeed in MMA otherwise you won’t survive your first MMA competition.

Learn how to grapple

One of the techniques you will need to learn as a beginner is how to take someone down by grappling – most MMA fights come to an end because one fighter grapples the other to the ground so this is a technique to get the hang of early on.

You should try practicing take down techniques from Judo and Ju Jitsu to get the hang of it before starting the type of dominant position grappling which you will need to learn for the MMA ring. Practicing these techniques as part of your workout will help you when you come to take part in your first fight.

Learning the MMA moves

Every MMA workout which you do as a beginner needs to include the basic MMA moves to help you practice your techniques. You need to practice the kicks, punches, knees and elbows on a regular basis as part of your workout.

You need to develop your strength, speed and flexibility to help improve your kicks and hits as well as your overall maneuverability while fighting and defending yourself.

You can use a punching bag to practice your strikes and strike combinations as you start training and build this into your regular workout routines. As well as learning the punching and kicks you will also need to practice the counter defensive moves and counter strikes.

Be patient – MMA is a journey

It’s important to know that you will need to workout at a beginner level for some time and learning MMA techniques is an ongoing slow path and it’s definitely a journey, rather than a quick result sport – you won’t be a fighter within your first month.

Ensure you are mentally prepared for MMA

Another important part of your workout routine should be ensuring you are mentally and emotionally ready for fighting. You mustn’t let self-doubt and negative beliefs influence your thinking. You won’t win a fight if you are distracted emotionally.

You need to grow your own mental toughness, confidence and resolve and make sure you are mentally prepared for being struck and grappled as well as physically. Your MMA trainer should help you to make sure you are prepared in both mind and body.

When starting an MMA workout as a beginner you need to work first on your overall fitness and endurance, then when you are ready, commit to learning all the basic MMA techniques and practicing both strikes and defensive moves.

You might also like:

Best Triceps Exercises For All 3 Heads
Calisthenics Workout Plan for Beginners

Some Basic MMA Moves

• Jab
• Double Leg Takedown
• Overhand Punch
• Round Kick
• Trip
• Knee From the Double-Collar Tie
• Sprawl

It’s important to keep up your overall fitness levels as well as practicing the MMA moves, because the two go hand-in-hand – so don’t stop your regular workouts just because you are training for MMA now – you need to keep up your fitness levels.

MMA Strength Workout Plan for beginners

Look you can’t spend all day for strength training because you have to focus on many other things than strength training. Moreover if you spend whole week for strength training, naturally you will get muscle soreness. It will also affect your MMA training. But strength is one of many things that need to be trained. So advanced programs like PHAT workout, PHUL workout, German volume training etc. are not our options. Here you need to find a perfect balanced training that will provide a well-defined progression scheme that is sustainable over a long time period.

A 5/3/1 workout scheme is perfect for MMA training while practicing other martial arts. If you want you can lift more than 2 days. There are people who lift every day and few who lift once a week. There are different schools of thought for different strength goals. We can’t say which one is right and which is not, but it all comes down to the personal potential and muscle stamina. The main thing is you have to find a balance so be wise.

Day 1

• Bench 5/3/1
• Squat 5/3/1
• Accessory exercises
• Neck + Abs

Day 2

• OHP 5/3/1
• Deadlift 5/3/1
• Accessory exercises
• Neck + Abs

Note: There’s nothing wrong with doing isolation exercises to prevent muscle imbalance. But maintain their training volume at a moderate level. So that isolation lifts will not overly fatigue your muscles in addition to the compound lifts you have done.

And finally you need to ensure your training includes mental preparation for facing your opponent in the ring. If you follow all of these steps and acknowledge that you need to have patience and dedication to succeed in MMA you will soon find yourself moving beyond beginner status.