Strength and Conditioning for Combat Athletes

There are a lot of individuals involved in combat sports who think that in order to get better at it, they just need to do more of the sport. In essence, this is correct. Working on sport specific technique is the best way to improve, but having a solid strength and conditioning program is equally important and should not be ignored. This aspect of training for competition is oftentimes what separates the good athletes from the great.

Two Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Athletes perform partner planks

Why is strength training so important for combat sports? Being technically skilled is great but if you don’t have a solid basis of strength, you will never reach your potential. If two guys weigh the same and have the same skill level who do you think will win- the stronger or weaker guy?Strength training makes you more powerful. Ask anyone in a combat sport if being explosive and powerful is an asset and no one will say “no”. 

Strength training decreases the risk of injury and combat sport athletes are prone to some of the worst injuries. The more durable you are as an athlete, the better you will be and the more likely you are to improve longevity and compete for a longer period of time. It will help build up areas that, if left untrained, would become plagued with injury: knees, necks, etc.

Conditioning should be based on the sport. For example, five minutes of rolling in Jiu Jitsu is comprised of quick bursts of action interspersed with periods of lower intensity. Your body must be able to handle five minutes of non-stop moving including bouts of high intensity action. Therefore, conditioning should mimic that. That’s why implements like prowlers and sandbags are great for combat athletes- they mimic conditioning against a heavy load (your opponent).

Strength training should mimic the sport as well. For our Jiu Jitsu athletes, we do a lot of grip work to enhance their grip on the gi, neck work to prevent injuries, and we work on hip strength since it’s crucial to a number of positions you could find yourself in. Training revolves around heavy squats, pulling, and pushing to get our athletes ready for the mats. 

Strength and conditioning training is not only crucial for stronger, more powerful, and healthier athletes but it’s also important that your strength and conditioning training is specific to your sport. If you are a combat athlete, your strength and conditioning program would look drastically different than that of a soccer or basketball player, but the most important thing is that you understand the importance of having one in the first place.

The Most Important Thing

The Most Important Thing

…is family. 

Sometimes we get so caught up in our goals that we forget about the people who are propping us up. The people who are there to break the bad news and stick around for our reaction. Family doesn’t always mean blood relation, so I suppose the proper word for what I am trying to convey is COMMUNITY. 

This past weekend, I competed at the Lexen Extreme Fall Classic and I got a reminder of what it meant to personally be a part of a community. The profound sense of acceptance and support that I received over the weekend is something I will never forget. This article will serve two purposes: to recap the meet and show you why building a community is so important.

I competed in the 132-pound class and finished the day with a  215-pound squat, 135-pound bench press, and 260-pound deadlift. Though I didn’t achieve a couple of my goals, I was happy to get a feel for the 132-pound weight class and set a PR total of 610-pounds with the support of many great lifters, coaches, and friends. Some of these people I’d never personally met before but corresponded with on social media, and some of them I’ve known for quite some time.  Regardless, when I stepped onto the brightly-lit platform, it made all the difference that someone was there to support me when I really needed it.

When I say I needed it, I really did. After my missing my first deadlift attempt, I thought I was going to have to cut it there and bomb out. My hip-popped during the lift and my entire left leg was throbbing as I swallowed tears. I was told to pull conventional instead of sumo and the thought of that made me extremely nervous. My sumo pull has always been much stronger than conventional AND I’d maxed my conventional pull just a few weeks earlier and it was super slow. Not only that, but the weight I opened with was five pounds heavier than that super slow conventional pull. There was no way I’d be able to pull it off with an injury. Surprisingly, I PR’d my conventional deadliest by 25 pounds.

In all honesty, I started lifting weights because I just liked how it felt. But now it goes much deeper than that. Now I’m little more competitive, I’ve got training partners, and it kind of just feels like training and competing is something productive to do with my pals. We set our own goals, but we also know that we need each other in order to achieve those goals. This is why building a community is the key to achievement.

It was almost exactly a year ago that I started training at The Spot Athletics and at first l felt like the odd-man-out. Constantly getting picked on, making dumb mistakes, and always asking “Will I get yelled at if I do such-and-such?” Now, I feel a part of a family. Going further, I’ve expanded my network of friends and it was this small group that pushed me at the Fall Classic. It was these guys who offered verbal support, shared their ammonia to get me pumped, rubbed baby powder on my thighs before each deadlift attempt, and inspired me to believe in myself.

Our very own Nic Bronkall, or Coach B, took the time out of a beautiful Saturday to be cooped up at a powerlifting meet to handle me, because here at The Spot Athletics, we have something that not a lot of gyms have: a family. We want everybody to achieve their goals and be motivated to be the best person they can be. 

Savannah Steamer

Are You Hard"core"?

People throw the word “core” around because it is the latest catch all buzz word.  But do you even know what the “core” is?  When most people are asked this question they usually make a gesture towards their belly in a circular motion.  Basically indicating that they are using a word to which they have no comprehension on the definition.  Doctors, Physical Therapists and sport coaches love to use the word “core” as their catch all explanation as to why there is a lack in performance or an injury.

Here at The Spot Athletics, we pride ourselves on not using buzz words and catch all phrases but rather educating ourselves on how to solve real problems and create better athletes.  What most people are talking about when they refer to core is actually called trunk stability.  So get away from using nonsensical terms like “core” that people who have no clue what they are talking about use and talk about the muscles that create trunk stability, which many people aren’t fully aware of.

Contrary to popular belief, your trunk includes more than just your abdominal muscles. It consists mainly of your transverse and rectus abdominus, obliques (side), lats (back), glutes, lower back, and hip flexor complex. All of these muscles play a role in trunk stability which is literally at the center of most movements including daily life, weightlifting, and cardiovascular exercise.

Some great exercises to strengthen this muscle group are the plank, bird dog, and hanging leg raises. If you’ve trained at The Spot Athletics you’ve probably performed these movements or at least seen them performed at one point or another. For plank, start in a push up position on your elbows, keeping your back straight (avoid arching or hunching your back) and your butt down so that everything is in line. For bird dog start on your hands and knees with your hands directly below your shoulders and knees directly below your hips. Keeping your hips squared and your back straight, raise the opposite arm and leg (ex. Right arm, left leg). Lastly, for hanging leg raises, hang from a bar either by your hands or using straps. Bend your legs and lift your knees up to your elbows, keeping the motion under control. Control the movement down and avoid using momentum to swing your legs back up for the next rep.

So now that we’ve educated you on the word “core” and what the trunk is as well as getting you started with a few easy exercises to help you improve your trunk stability in and out of the gym, keep training and the progress will come.

Former Ohio Dominican baseball player, Bryan Rudolph, hired as strength & conditioning coach at The Spot Athletics.

Bryan with a 60'' box jump & 515lb deadlift during last Friday's training session

Bryan comes to The Spot Athletics with a great background in strength & conditioning and athletics.  As  a graduate of Pickerington Central High School, Bryan lettered in both football and baseball.  He went on to play collegiate baseball at Ohio Dominican University where he started all 48 games last spring. 

Bryan has his NASM Personal Trainer certification and upon graduation (Exercise Science) from ODU, he enrolled in graduate school for exercise physiology.  He is currently employed as the strength and conditioning coach for ODU’s baseball team as well as having trained at several facilities around Columbus before finding his new home at The Spot Athletics.

We are proud to add Bryan to our already great team of coaches.  Bryan not only talks the talk but walks the walk, as all of the coaches at The Spot Athletics do.  He embodies our values of education, hard work and honesty and will help build our already great baseball strength and conditioning program.  

To contact Bryan about strength and conditioning for your baseball player or for personal training, you can email him at Bryan@TheSpotAthletics.com.

Fat and Cardio

                  Lately I’ve been hearing and seeing way too many diet and exercise fads that are ineffective, a waste of time, and in some cases, dangerous. I think it’s important to address some of these so that people can move on from these fads and actually make some real progress towards their goals. The top two I’ve noticed is the ever popular “No Fat” Diet and the obsession with 3 hour long bouts on the cardio machine to lose weight.

While I understand that the word “fat” would make people thing that eating it will make you fat, it’s a little more complicated than that. First of all, your body NEEDS fat in order to function, especially in women. Your body systems won’t run properly or efficiently without certain fats. Without fat, your body is less able to absorb vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. In addition, fat is a source of energy for your body at 9 calories per gram (calories = energy measure), whereas carbohydrates and protein only have 4 calories per gram. Lastly, having fat in your body is necessary for proper insulation.  Fat in your body helps to keep a normal, safe temperature. You may have heard about good fats and bad fats. Generally this is referring to unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, and trans fats. It’s a good idea to get most of your fat calories from unsaturated fat (mainly plant based), some from saturated fat (mainly animal and dairy based) and only a small amount, if any at all from trans fat (mainly fried and processed foods). So rather than trying to cut out fat all together from your diet, treat it as the essential nutrient it is and include the right types of fat. Some of the many good sources are avocado, almond butter, vegetable oils, and fatty fish.

I see so many girls at the gym spend hours upon hours using cardio machines like the elliptical and treadmill. Many people think that the best physical activity to lose weight is spending as long as possible doing cardio. Yes, you are burning calories during that time but if you really want to make progress, there are better ways to spend your time (and less of it). What a lot of people don’t know is that your muscle burns more calories than your fat does. Because of this, it’s important to incorporate strength training into your weight loss plan. Adding more muscle to your body will increase your metabolic rate and therefore help you to burn more calories. On top of that, strength training improves your bone health, increase your stamina, up energy levels, and has plenty of other great benefits. So rather than spend your whole gym time doing cardio, split it up and focus on strength training as well. You’ll see more progress faster and feel better at the same time, just make sure you’re using correct technique so as to avoid injury. If you’re unsure on how to lift weights and strength train properly or effectively, the coaches and trainers at The Spot Athletics are more than qualified to help you out and put you on the right path with classes and sessions for everyone from beginner to expert.

                  Hopefully I cleared up some misconceptions for you today and you can work more efficiently towards your fitness and weight loss goals. Good luck and happy lifting!