Everyday Warrior Combat Conditioning Series with Matt Owen

The Everyday Warrior Nation will be featuring a general fitness training session and analysis each week to support athletes engaged in combat sports such as Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Tactical, Wrestling, and most other combative sports where strength and conditioning is a major contributor to success.

Combat Conditioning / Matt Owen

First, a little about my background as a coach. I’ve been providing personal training for sports, fitness and combative athletes since 2007 and in 2015 I opened Project Deliverance where I currently, I train many regional amateur and professional fighters based out of the Midwest as well as current UFC fighters like Featherweight Sean Woodson.

The first training session we are featuring is designed to achieve a solid base of general fitness to support performance specifically for combative sports. In this discipline, we see a lot of pulling movements, so we are first looking to offset much of that pulling with some pushing in our sessions. We achieve that through proper utilization of pressing variations such as Bench Press, Overhead Press, Push Press, and Front Squat Push Press where the legs are utilized as part of the movement.

In every training session I program, the lower body is always addressed in some way. Some sessions are much heavier on the legs than others, but we always address the lower half as well as the trunk because those are prime movers and performance drivers for our combative sports. We often utilize some sort of mixed conditioning embedded in the lifts to promote the ability to produce power repeatedly and to train the proper energy systems used for high performance during the stress of competition. Attack this workout with purpose today!

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1. Warm-Up

Cardio - 5 min
Foam Roller or Stretching - 3 to 5 min

2. First Block - Repeat 3 Times

Air Squats - 10 reps
Good Morning @ Light Bar or PVC - 10 reps
Push-Up's - 10 reps
Dumbbell Romanian Dead Lift - 10 reps

3. Second Block - Repeat 3 Times

DB Bench Press @ Moderate Weight - 10 reps
DB Renegade Row @ Moderate Weight - 10 reps per arm
Jump Squats - 5 reps
Wall Sit - 60 sec
Rest - 90 sec

4. Third Block - Repeat 3 Times

Goblet Squat @ Moderate Weight - 5 reps
DB Front Raise @ Light Weight - 10 reps
DB Lateral Raise @ Light Weight - 10 reps
Cardiovascular Effort* @ 80-90% Max Heart Rate - 2 min
Rest - 2 min

*Example Exercises: Row, Run, SkiERG, Fan Bike, Jump Rope, Stair Running

5. Fourth Block - Repeat 3 Times

Hanging Knee or Leg Raise - 20 reps
Standing Plate Twist @ Moderate Weight (25-45# Plate) - 30 reps
Flutter Kick with Hands Over Head - 40 reps
Rest - 60 sec

6. Cool Down

Post Workout Stretch and / or Light Cardio - 5 min