How Effective MMA is for Body Sculpting and Toning
Hello Everyone,
The thing about a dedicated martial artist is when they decide to train, they train hard. He goes hard when it comes to hitting pads, driving himself with full and sheer force while taking his partner down. The practitioner works each and every single muscle in the body, while pushing himself even when he has given up. It separates the martial artist from an average gym practitioner. Martial arts motivate them to be the best possible version of themselves. — Physically, spiritually, mentally & emotionally.
To reach higher goals you need to put in more work. Activities such as walking and swimming are good and effective for keeping yourself active and being at the top of your health but if you want ripped or fully sculpted You must do cardio or try lifting weights. Answer depends on the personal preference & goals: if you are looking to have a sculpted & toned body, you must perform a healthy amount of cardio & strength, & martial arts must tick all those boxes for topping your fitness program that are required for a sculpted & toned body. Ans must stay consistent regarding your training.
It is common among MMA fighters to carve physiques which are aesthetic & functional. Which is really hard to do in the average health club. MMA explosiveness harnesses your ability of applying the strength to muscle gains & a leaner physique. So forget bulky weight machines & treadmills. Fastest way for rocking the hard body like a professional martial artist is performing strength training by utilizing your bodyweight. Bodyweight workouts are ideal as they can be done anywhere. All you are needed is the pull-up bar & an unbreakable warrior. Another benefit of bodyweight workouts is that it works on the strength, your balance, muscle toning, mobility & flexibility at the same time. Bodyweight allows avoiding unnecessary bulk which weightlifting can add & develop functional strength at right places. Many martial arts use bodyweight workouts for warming up.
Benefits of Practicing Mixed Martial Arts
With time MMA training is reaching new heights of popularity due to the benefits it offers. Though it’s a fantastic way of getting in better shape, both mentally & physically. But there are many benefits that we are going to address in this article. Most of the people let this golden activity pass because they are afraid to do mixed martial arts. As they think it will hurt them. They see it as a sport full of violence and see it as an activity that leads to violence & greater injuries. Which isn’t true. No activity is hundred percent safe. No matter what you train for there’s always a risk for injury but the incredible benefits of MMA makes it worth it. We see mixed martial arts as a great, healthy & safe training. With the right equipment, coch & regimen, mixed martial training is rewarding in a lot of ways. It’s a fantastically fun activity. That promotes body training & fitness like no other sport. And almost everyone can practice it. It’s an effective way of getting away from the run-of-the-mill activities.
Whether you’ve just started doing the gym, or practicing it for so many years, mixed martial training will certainly help you. It helps and works where most of the diets & exercise regimens fail. It helps you with personal life as well, your performance, way you feel, self-esteem, how you look & much more. People love MMA for the reason it makes them feel. Mover it
develops certain skills while you learn self defense. Martial arts is more like a lifestyle and the one who practices it knows it really well.
Exercises to Add in your MMA Regimen for Body Sculpting
1) Bench Press
Start this exercise by lying flat on the back on a hard bench surface. Then grip the bar by using both of your hands placed firmly wider than your shoulder-width. So when you get to the bottom start moving the hands above the elbows. It helps with maximized force generation. After that bring the bar down closer to the chest while you breathe. After that Push-up while breathing out, grip the bar with a strong grip & watch the spot on ceiling and make sure to travel the same path every time.
2) Squats
This body weight exercise only works on the lower body but your core. While you stabilize your legs, you feel a burning sensation in the core, especially when you stand. Start performing this exercise by standing on your feet, open shoulder distance apart & the back in a neutral position, then bend the knees, hips & ankles till you have reached an angle of 90-degree. Make sure you keep the knees aligned with the feet & ensure they do not pass the feet. Then Inhale deeply while you lower yourself & exhale while returning to your starting position.
3) Chin-ups
Many athletes consider chin-ups a test of their strength. It demands the person to carry the body weight that works on your upper back & shoulders. While performing the chin-up, try not relying too much on momentum instead focus on the form. Start practicing this exercise by grabbing onto the bar & jump up so the chest touches it. Then start lowering yourself by using both of your arms & pull yourself back. While you pull yourself back, ensure that the chin goes over that bar. Then inhale deeply while pulling yourself up & exhale while you return to the starting position.
4) Alligator crawls
This exercise is mostly performed by BJJ practitioners as a warm-up exercise for the class, it works on your core and upper body. Start this exercise by lowering yourself in the push-up position & step the right hand forward while bringing the left knee out & in toward closer to the left elbow. Keep the body low, and switch sides. Inhale as deep as you before returning to the starting position.
4) Dive Bomber Push-ups
This workout is a tougher variation of regular push-ups, it’s the dive bomber push-ups that requires higher body awareness & coordination. You will definitely feel that burning sensation after performing a few reps of these. Start performing this exercise with the glutes raised & your hands & feet placed at a distance more than your shoulder-width. Then start lowering the shoulders closer to the floor & before the chin hits the ground, while letting the body swoop forward so the chest faces the forward section.
Make sure your back is in an arched position at that point, with the head up & the arms straight. Then inhale deeply while lowering yourself & exhale as you begin to return to the starting position. Do the push-ups in the continuous flow for maximizing the benefits.
5) Hanging Leg Raises
The thing about these workouts is they do not require specialized MMA gears. Most of them are body weight workouts that you can perform at your home. Hanging legs are more effective when it comes to toning abdominal muscles. It doesn’t only work on the entire abdominal muscles but helps in developing amazing grip strength. Majority of the martial artists perform hanging leg raises for strengthening their core & building functional power.
For performing this exercise jump up & hold onto the horizontal bar & hang in there for a few seconds. Then raise the legs & lift them at the angle of 90-degree while keeping the grip & core tight. After that start lowering your legs slowly, make sure you keep them straight throughout the exercise. After that inhale while raising the legs & exhale while returning to the position from where you started. Refrain from using the momentum by keeping your movements slow & steady for working on the core.
6) Box Squat
Box squat is the compound exercise which uses the barbell & plyometric box for working on the muscle groups in your body. Do the box squats by undergoing the wide stance by using the feet, placing them slightly wider than the shoulder-width. Then inhale deeply, and brace the core, & unrack the barbell. While you rest that barbell on the upper back, start lowering the body till you’re sitting on some plyometric box, after that return to the position from where you started.
7) Sit Ups
Start this exercise by lying down straight on the ground while facing the ceiling by bending your knees slightly & arms bent, your elbows & hands touching the head by your ears. Then engage the core & try lifting the upper body so the right elbow of yours touches the left knee. Then return to the position form where you started and try lifting the upper body so the left elbow touches the right knee.
8) V Sit Ups
Start this exercise by lying down straight on the floor. While facing the ceiling with both knees bent at your knees & both arms bent & hands slightly touching the head by your ears. After that, engage the core & try lifting the upper body so the right elbow touches the left knee. Then return to the position form where you started. Then try lifting the upper body so the left elbow touches the right knee. Then return to the position from where you started position.
9) Inverted Row
Row the chest up closer to the handle by using one of your hands, after that rotate your other hand closer towards the floor & turn the chest while coming back down so you perform the side plank hanging by the handle. After that, twist the body back while performing the row by bringing your chest closer to the handle.