Fighting sports require an incredible amount of physical and mental endurance. To be able to reach your peak performance level, athletes must be able to have exceptional strength, speed, agility, endurance and in addition, have sharper reflexes and a strategically focused mindset. Here are the four ways you can reach peak performance in fighting sports.
Train with purpose
One of the first steps in reaching peak performance in fighting sports such as MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai & Martial Arts is to train with purpose. By setting clearer goals for yourself and to work consistently to achieve them time and time again. Meaning that you just don't go through the motions of training, but you are constantly pushing yourself to improve all your technical skills with every training session. Whether you want to increase strength, technique, or enhance your overall endurance, make sure that your sessions are tailored towards your ideal performance goals. Resistance Bands are a great way to add tension to all your workouts to improve technical skills when training with purpose. We recommend the GND Fitness Resistance Bands // 5 Weight Options
or the GND Fitness Resistance Band Pack // 5 Band Pack, both are perfect for your home gym and small enough to chuck in your bag and take anywhere.
Resistance band drill: Use heavier load resistance bands to create more tension when doing punching extension exercises by securing it to a sturdy object and slowly punching against the tight tension of the band. This drill is great for building strength and power in your punching arm.
Build a strong cardiovascular foundation
Being able to build a strong cardiovascular foundation is paramount to performing well in fighting sports. Including (HIIT) high-intensity interval training into your training routines will improve your cardiovascular fitness. A healthy cardiovascular foundation helps you perform better in the ring, but it will also assist you in recovering faster between rounds. You can build on your cardio vascular foundation by using skipping ropes in your sessions to increase your heart rate and improve overall fitness level. We recommend the Twins Special Pro Skipping Ropes, GND SR Speed Skipping Rope // Single Ball Bearing or the Adidas Skipping Rope Leather/Weighted.
Skipping rope drill: Skipping rope is a great way to improve foot work, hand/ eye coordination, and endurance. Incorporate skipping rope into your training routine for 5-10 minutes at a time to build your cardiovascular endurance and improve your footwork.
Focus on your technique and form
Overall technique and form are crucial in fighting sports. You have to have a solid technique to be able to deliver powerful strikes whilst also avoiding injuries. Start by focusing on perfecting your technique in each drill and session by using Boxing Punching Bags or Dummy's, such as the Bob Punching Bag. Repeatedly practicing the basic movements and working on refining your overall form. When doing repeated actions to refine your technique and form, punching bags can be a great piece of equipment to help you to deliver powerful strikes for repeated movements. For this, we recommend the Free Standing XL 'BOB' Punching Dummy/Bag, Fairtex Heavy Punching Bag - 6ft 'Banana' (HB6) or the Fairtex Super Tear Drop Heavy Punching Bag (HB15).
Punching bag drill: Use a punching bag to practice your striking, combinations, and foot work. Focus on your proper technique and overall form while striking the punching bag. This specific drill will help improve your striking power, speed, and endurance.
Incorporating resistance bands, boxing speed balls, skipping ropes and boxing punching bags into your training will improve your performance in fighting sports, as you must incorporate technical drills into your training session to actually see results. Boxing speed balls, skipping ropes, punching bags and resistance bands are all excellent tools to improve your speed, agility, and accuracy. For improving speed, agility and coordination we recommend frequently using boxing speed balls. We highly recommend out top sellers, which are the, Adidas Leather Speed Ball, Fairtex Speedball - SB1 or our floor-to-ceiling boxing speed balls; RDX - LONG FLOOR TO CEILING BALL WITH PRO ROPE and the 12” AAA Floor to Ceiling Speedball "Punch".
Speed ball drill: This drill involves hitting a small, bouncing ball with both hands. The goal is to hit the ball as many times as possible without missing. This drill improves hand-eye coordination, speed, and accuracy.
Finally, reaching your peak performance when training for fighting sports require strong determination, dedication, hard work, and a strategic frame-or-mind. Incorporate these tips into your routine to improve your performance and take your overall skills to the next level. Remember to train with purpose, build strong cardiovascular foundations, focus on your technique and form, by incorporating specific drills into your training routine, and prioritize your rest and recovery.