This Weekend's UFC - Couture/Coleman

Got another UFC this weekend - and this weekend's main event is a "doozy"...esp if you're a long-time MMA fan like myself.

Mark Coleman vs. Randy Couture

Now both of these guys are legends in the sport of MMA. Both are former multi-time champs - Randy in the UFC as a LHW and a HW, Mark as HW UFC Champ and the Pride 2000 GP Champ.

Both are a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and have a little less hair...but both are still awesome fighters..

Now call me crazy, but I think it's kinda badass that two guys in their 40s are not only big enough names to main-event a UFC, but are still good enough that people wanna see them as a main event.

Here's the question though - how are these two guys, at an age where you're supposed to slow down, start "taking it easy", and take up golf, still kicking ass, taking names, and showing 20-somethings what being a 'real man' is all about?

There are several reasons, but there is one main thing that these two guys have in common:

Both have always taken their workouts, fitness, diets, and supplementation very seriously.

I remember seeing Mark Coleman being used as a "poster boy" for a certain supplement warehouse's catalog back in in the late '90s...when he was UFC HW champ. And Randy
brought "greens" supplements to the forefront in certain circles the first time he dropped down to 205.

And although they take vastly different approaches to working out, both have taken their training very seriously over the years and dedicated themselves to staying in shape. If they hadn't, there is no way either could still be competing at such a high level now at their age.

So how is their training so different?

Well, Randy is well-known for using complexes and plyometrics in his workouts. Coleman, on the other hand, has been more known for almost old-school bodybuilding type training (though he's switched up some from what I've seen) - hard and heavy lifting.

And, in a way, it shows - Randy has always been known for being in great shape and having great conditioning, but not really being that strong.

"The Hammer", on the other hand, was always been known for being super strong, but having a suspect gas tank.

Call me crazy, but you'd think that it'd make sense to kinda mix the two, right? Hard and heavy lifting to be strong, and complexes for conditioning.

Makes sense to me, anyway.

Of course, that is *exactly* how I designed "Program #1" in Working Class Fitness - The Programs...basic compound movements on a particular progression combined with weight-based conditioning and complex training. Kinda the "best of both worlds"...ya know?

And thousands of people all over the world have used "Program #1" to get stronger, faster, and in better shape...with some pretty badass results...

...just sayin'. ;-)

If you wanna pick up "Program #1"...as well as the other FIVE 8-week programs (6 programs...a YEAR'S worth of training)...plus a dedicated, specific MMA-fight prep workout...and SAVE 40% when you do...then hit up the link below:

=>CLICK HERE TO GET IN FIGHTING SHAPE FOR CHEAP

Enjoy the fights...oh...and the Super Bowl, too. ;-)

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
MMA Training | MMA Workout | Cardio Workouts | Workout Plans

PS - The "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" is coming in a little over a week. If you wanna keep getting my newsletters, then get here and make sure you do...otherwise you're gonna be caught up in the "Massacre"...just like everybody else...

Brock Lesnar's "Miracle" and Your Workouts

Brock Lesnar was on ESPN this morning, is on the mend from his medical issues, and will return to the Octagon. According to Brock, it was a "miracle".

Learn how you can apply some of Brock's mindset to your own training.

http://www.aweber.com/b/1N2ND

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
MMA Training | MMA Workout | Cardio Workouts | Workout Plans

#1 Thing to Do For New Years

If you want to make any real changes for 2010, there is one main, major shift in mental attitude you have to make.

Can you make it?

http://www.aweber.com/b/28Cs.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
MMA Training | MMA Workout | Cardio Workouts | Workout Plans

Fighters' Big Workout Mistake

Many fighters think that they need to do a lot of cardio in their workouts. But, there is a lot more than that they should be doing. Click here to find out what:

http://www.aweber.com/b/1X3U.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
MMA Training | MMA Workout | Cardio Workouts | Workout Plans

Hero Worship Doesn't Always = Great Workouts (explicit video)

(**WARNING** - there is some explicit behavior in this post. If you don't like that kinda thing, then you probably ought to just close this now and come back next time. Thanks.)

Well, unless you've been avoiding all the major sports news outlets as of late, you've already heard the results of the Hatton/Pacquiao fight this past Saturday night. And in case you haven't seen, oh, I don't know, a newspaper, TV, radio, internet, etc. - the Pac-Man won in convincing fashion via 2nd round TKO.


While I like Hatton - I'm a big fan of the "Hitman" - I didn't think he had a chance against the "Pac-Man". Manny is just too fast, hits too hard, and the somewhat intangible factor - Manny has (I believe) the best trainer in the game today in Freddy Roach.

Leading up to the fight, if you're any kind of fan, you probably watched at least an episode or two (if not all four) of HBO's critically acclaimed 24/7 series that they now do before every major boxing match.

One of the things I enjoy about 24/7 is seeing the training footage. (Guess that's no surprise, huh?)

I had to laugh during the 2nd episode. Ricky Hatton was shown working out, and at one point was cranking out reps on a pair of "perfect pushup" handles. I had to laugh because I was knew it wouldn't be long before I was seeing somebody, somewhere, think that if one of the best 140 lbs. boxers in the world was using these things, that they probably should, too.

Sure enough, the next day, I saw a thread on an internet forum I visit talking about how Ricky Hatton uses the "perfect pushup".

(Now, to the thread creator's credit, he wasn't asking if he should go out and buy a pair right away like many folks would - he was just pointing it out for conversation's sake. But still, Pacquiao was shown going for a jog...and nobody was posting about that.)

How did the "perfect pushup" fair for Ricky? Well, I guess you could say that Ricky...

(play below video)



Now, does that mean the "perfect pushup" was responsible for the outcome of the fight? Of course not - that would be a pretty stupid assumption to make.

Right?

Then why in the ever-living hell would you care in the first place? If the "perfect pushup" wasn't responsible for Hatton getting his clock cleaned, then would you say it could have been responsible had he beaten Manny?

Uhhhh....NO.

Too many people seem to have a complex about freakin' hero worship. In all my years of training, I can't tell you how many dudes I've seen or talked to that spent a ton of time trying to find the workout program of their favorite bodybuilder, strongman, fighter, football player, athlete, etc.

What a waste.

Now, it's not a waste to take find somebody successful, study what they're doing, and try to figure out how you can apply some of what they're doing to your own life. That just make sense. Studying what makes successful people that way (be they athletes, fighters, parents, managers, or whatever) is just plain smart.

But, just mimicking what other people do is kinda stupid. You're not a parrot. A parrot might repeat what you say, but it won't sound like you. It won't look like you. It won't have the meaning you do. In other words - it won't be you.

Well, workouts are the same way.

Knowing the workouts of Sean Sherk, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Fedor, Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko, Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar, or anybody else won't make you those guys. All of those guys have found great workouts that work, and work well...for them.

Not for you. For them.

Does that mean that you couldn't learn anything by studying habit of great people? Again, of course not. But that doesn't mean you should just go out and copy what they do, just because they're winning.

I remember some 10+ years ago, when Ken Shamrock's book Inside the Lion's Den first came out. Quite a few people I knew (including me) were anxious to get the book. Personally, while I was interested in the stories can had to tell, and the biographical information in the book, I was pumped to read all the training info in the second half of the book.

And I wasn't alone - I knew a lot of dudes that were amped to try out the MMA workout of the "World's Most Dangerous Man". After all, Ken was a UFC Superfight winner, former King of Pancrase, and had just signed a big money contract with the WWE (then WWF). Ken was arguably one of the most popular guys in the fledgling sport that was MMA.

Fast forward to 2009. Ken Shamrock lost three fights to Tito Ortiz, hasn't won a fight against a decent opponent in a lot of years, and was just busted for steroids.

I could be wrong, but I don't see anybody lining up to find out Shammy's workout anymore.

So, does that mean what he did then was great, and what he does now sucks?

Not necessarily. Something has obviously changed over the years (aside from Ken getting old), but I don't think Ken's workout had anything to do with it.

See what I mean?

There is nothing wrong with wanting more "tools" in your "toolbox"...but copying somebody else just for the sake of copying them is unoriginal, lackluster, and in the end...you'll only be short-changing yourself.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

Last-Minute MMA Fight Training

Recently in this forum thread, somebody asked a question that I see somewhat regularly from fighters that are getting ready for their next MMA fight. And that question is (more or less):

"I only have 2-4 weeks left before my next fight. What sort of workout should I do to help prepare?"

Oh man.

The answer is one that they usually don't want to hear - by this point, what workout you do isn't going to matter that much.

You see, when you're only 2-4 weeks out from a fight, you pretty much waited until the last-minute to address your strength and conditioning needs, and now it's about too late.

You see, at this stage of the game, if you were doing a full MMA Workout leading into your fight, you really wouldn't be still developing your strength, cardio, endurance, etc.

Rather, you'd be adapting it.

You see, this close to a fight, it's virtually too late to develop more strength or conditioning. (Well, that's not entirely true, but I'll get into that in a minute.) By this point, you want to be taking the S&C you have, and 'molding' it toward the specific needs of MMA.

Instead of just being strong, having good cardio and endurance, etc., you need to be a good fighter. That means doing more and more skills training, sparring, hitting the bag, drilling, etc.

All this skills training does two things:

1 - It makes you a better fighter. Duh.

2 - It gets you in better shape. Sure, you might have good wind, and think you're in shape. But can you throw punches non-stop for minutes on end? Can you keep scrambling on the ground? Can you still shoot in for the takedown when you're tired?

And more importantly, can do any of these things intensely? Or, after your first hard minute or two of activity, are you just flailing around like a big rag doll?

That's what skills training can do - help take you from being in 'good' shape to being in 'fighting' shape.

Remember when I said 2-4 weeks wasn't really enough time to get any stronger, improve your cardio, etc?

Well, that's not completely true.

You can make S&C improvements in 2-4 weeks - people do it all the time. But as a fighter, it's not necessarily a good idea.

To make those kinds of S&C improvements, you're going to have to do some intense S&C training. (Makes sense, right?) Well, that's not what you want to be doing this close to a fight.

First of all, it should go without saying that skills training comes first. That means that everything else comes second or less. That also means that your skills training should be the most important. If it's the most important, then that means that your recovery abilities should be reserved as much as possible for your skills work. Doing intense S&C work will take away from that.

(Again, remember that had you been doing S&C workout for your MMA Training all along, though you'd be doing intense S&C work, you wouldn't really be trying to develop new levels of S&C. You'd be making the S&C capabilities you had developed by this point more MMA-specific.)

Next, because intense S&C work is what would be needed, it can set you up to be overtraining or worse yet, get injured.

Intense S&C training is not only tough on your physically because it breaks your body down, but it can also be very demanding on your CNS, which is already likely getting taxed pretty heavily from all your skills work.

Then there is the idea that while you might build more S&C capabilities, you still won't have time to adapt them to being MMA-specific. Now, that's not to say that being stronger or having better wind won't still be helpful, but you'd have been much better off had you started early on, and been able to prepare properly.

Ultimately, it's the "skills that pay the bills". This close to the fight, you're best off by trying to be the best fighter you can technically, be that being a better striker, improving your ground game and submissions, learning how to stuff takedowns, or whatever. All these will help you win a fight much more than adding 20-30 lbs. to your bench press 1RM.

That isn't to say that a good MMA Workout Program isn't important. It just means that you have to start far enough out from the fight for it to be done right.

In the end, you need to focus on what gives you the best chance of having your hand raised at the end of the fight.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you haven't waited too long, and still need a good MMA Workout, then, being the self-promoting shill I can't help but recommend the "Working Class MMA Workout Program"...and if you get the "Championship Edition", you even get a month of "Power Trip" workouts and all the extras...FREE!