Phew! What a weekend! - MMA Strength & Conditioning Certification

WOW!

What a weekend! The MMA Strength & Conditioning Certification really lived up to expectations. Fifty Personal Trainers, MMA fighters and Strength & Conditioning coaches from all around the country came together to learn from one of the top conditioning coaches in the world- JC Santana.

JC owns and operates the world famous Institute of Human Performance (IHP), at Boca Raton in Florida. If you want to prepare for a fight or competition, JC is your man to ensure you peak at the right time, and in top shape.

UFC fighter Jeff Monson, and World Jiu Jitsu champion Pablo Popovitch are amongst the many athletes who have used JC’s revolutionary protocols to prepare for their gruelling battles. As someone who is looking to emulate this work and become a specialist in fighter strength and conditioning, I jumped at the opportunity to learn from the best!





Simple-yet effective

Most of the exercises learnt where simple- yet effective, using bands, slings and bodyweight to tax the nervous system and muscles, and groove movement patterns which are identical to combat situations. You just can’t get any more fight specific!The thing I loved most was JC’s honesty and simplistic way of looking at things. The fitness industry loves to complicate things in an effort to be taken seriously and to add validity to what is often common sense!
JC reffered to strength training of combat athletes as “Making you strong enough to break shit...including bones”!


Jeff Monson- UFC
The improvement of the clinch was paramount in the preparation of Jeff Monson leading up to his UFC fight. Monson, a heavyweight, could crush the head of an opponent to the extent that he would offer their neck for a choke submission. So JC had Monson using the sling and hang with a gable grip for up to 2 minutes for Strength Endurance.

If anyone wants to try this, I’m getting those slings, and believe me- I’ll be putting them to good use! This will have my toughest clients whimpering!

My favourite section was the bodyweight exercises..no equipment- just a partner! Years back JC was asked to coach a wrestling team and had little equipment at the time. So he devised a bodyweight only programme, which made perfect sense as a fighter needs to be able to handle his own weight, and the weight of his opponent before going in to the realms of throwing artificial weight around!

 Chisel Your Chest
 JC's “Chisel your chest” programme featured in Men’s Health is a big seller so far. One of the drills involved (feel free to try this!):

10 Press Ups with Left Hand on a Med Ball
10 Press Ups with Right Hand on a Med Ball
10 Press ups hopping hands from one side to the other
10 Press ups with both hands on ball
10 Explosive press up going from floor to ball

 Carry me home!

Chest completely fried! Then came a partner carry. Carry a person who is stiff as a board like a fork lift truck, by doing a lap around the room. The weight of your partner crushes your ribs, making it hard to breathe...sound familiar? Ever tried to breathe with someone on top of you in a grappling situation? Prior to that, JC ensured we where adequately tired by making us do 20 Sprawl to Jumping squats...then pick up the body and do the lap! Killer...but fun!

Thanks to Joel from the Strength Company and JC for working together to put this excellent programme together.
There will be another one in December for those that missed this one!

Anyone attending this week’s Kettlebell Figher class on Thursday (2.30pm@ ZT Fight Skool) will have the pleasure of experiencing the body weight drills. No equipment needed...just good old muscle!
I just can’t wait!
;-)
Christian