We know that no matter what stage of your combat career you are in, working on longevity in such a demanding sport is essential for continued success, but what is not always clear is the best way to train in order to meet that goal. Enter Steven Sahyoun, who is a respected MMA coach who works with UFC stars and also provides online training programs for athletes at any level. Fortunately, the popular coach has shared four essential exercises areas for extending MMA careers.
“I bet we all wish we had started implementing specific qualities and certain MMA exercises earlier in our training,” wrote Sahyoun in an informative Instagram post for his 168K+ followers. “For me, it was targeting specific areas of the body that I struggled with due to grappling sports.” Those ailing areas will be familiar to many MMA athletes: the neck, elbows, spine, and hips. To that end, Coach Sahyoun set about incorporating four mma exercises areas into his workout that weren’t just about building strength or stamina, but mobility too. Try them for yourself:
“I never used to train my neck until I took up combat sports,” says Sahyoun, who began competing at the mature age of 31. “The therapeutic benefits of integrating neck work has definitely had a positive impact on the way my shoulder and neck feels on a daily basis.” To strengthen your neck, you can follow his lead and lie back on a bench. Now, with your head off the bench, lift and lower a weighted plate (similar to skull crushers) with both hands. You could also build up to neck raises with a weighted helmet but as always, take care not to strain yourself.
“From my background in strength sports, I always struggled with feeling heavily compressed,” shares Sahyoun. “This exercise has helped improve my back health and is a great way to train the spine in flexion. To execute the move, sit in an inclined position and put your elbows over your head, leaning back and grabbing the top of the chair or bench with your fingers. Squeeze the ball between your thighs and calves, and raise the ball by lifting your knees. Keeping the core tight, lower the ball and repeat.
“I chipped the bone off in my elbow, wrestling, resulting in a s**t load of discomfort and tightness,” explains the coach on why his elbows need special care. “This position has worked wonders with managing pain, restoring range, and strength.” To practice the move, take a sledgehammer and grip it midway down the handle. Then rotate the hammer clockwise, and then anti clockwise, challenging your range of motion to improve.
“Yielding and overcoming in deeper stretched positions at higher velocities, in a variety of stances, has improved the way my hips move and feel on the mats,” says Sahyoun. Of course, overcoming those stretched positions requires flexibility and explosive power, so he demonstrates bilateral leaps using his bodyweight, and with a weighted ball to push his balance and strength further.
“These exercises mentioned are incorporated throughout the week into my movement prep and key resilience work,” explains Sahyoun. For more information on longevity in MMA, checkout our interview with UFC Consultant, Todd McGrath, MD. and be sure to follow Coach Steven Sahyoun on Instagram for more MMA magic.