Top of Your Game? How to Maintain Your Fitness

It’s one challenge to get to the top, and another challenge to stay there.

In the ultra-competitive world of mixed martial arts, even the most capable champion is subject to endless challenges by ambitious, upcoming fighters who have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

With the right training schedule and attitude, you can defend your position at the top of your local league and maintain your fitness.

Apply these four tips and you’ll remain king of the ring – or king of the octagon – for as long as you want to.

1. ‘Stay Hungry’ – The Training Philosophy of Champions

When Arnold Schwarzenegger first became Mr. Olympia – the highest title in the world of bodybuilding – he didn’t waste a second enjoying his achievement. Just days after his victory, he was back in the gym training for next year’s competition.

His philosophy was to ‘stay hungry’ – always create challenges for yourself, even if no-one is challenging you. Even if you’re better than your peers at fighting, training, and overall fitness, it’s important to create goals for yourself to remain motivated.

If you lose the ‘hunger’, you will slip on a slippery slope.

2. Periodise Your Training For Maximum Results

World champion athletes take a very different approach to strength and fitness than the average gym addict. Instead of sticking to a consistent routine, they continually set new challenges for themselves by periodising their training schedules.

Periodised training involves setting a specific training schedule that forces you to adapt to higher weights, harder reps, and more intensive training. Instead of just lifting the same weights and running the same distance, week after week, create a progressive training routine that forces you to adapt to more intensive training.

You should never find a training session easy. If you don’t feel the burn, you aren’t being pushed hard enough.

3. Focus on Eliminating Disadvantages, Not Just Improving Performance

Some of the best fighters are torn down by their injuries, not by their lack of fitness or weak muscles. When you’re at the top of your game, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re invincible and start using a training schedule that’s far too intensive.

Rather than pushing yourself to the limit in an effort to improve yourself, take a very careful approach to training that helps you minimise injuries. This could mean using lower weights during your training, or engaging in physical therapy and massage to ensure that your muscles are never subject to strains and tears.

Remember, you can prevent injury by wearing adequate supports for your wrists, knees, ankles and back.

4. Record All Of Your Workouts, Measurements, and Abilities

It’s impossible to make progress – or maintain the progress you’ve already made – if you don’t track your results. The world’s best fighters keep track of their fitness and fighting skills by being ruthless and recording every detail of their training routine.

Keep a notebook – or create a spreadsheet on your PC – and log every detail of your workouts. Every difficult rep, every joint or muscular pain, and every failed rep can be tracked for future reference. This allows you to keep track of how effective your training routine is, as well as keep track of potential injuries before they occur.

Photo credit: iamagenious (cc)

This article was written by Fightshop.com, one of the UK’s leading martial arts and boxing accessory specialists. Visit their website today to learn more about MMA strategies.