Needless to say, cardio is extremely important for martial arts as it is linked with increased efficiency of the heart and lungs. Martial arts include both aerobic and anaerobic exercises in an intensive manner, therefore it is recommended to martial artists to focus on doing those cardio exercises that are beyond the routine of regular running. Most of the people are aware of regular cardio exercises such as cycling, running, swimming, etc. but when it comes to doing some intensive cardio that can prepare well for martial arts, martial artists need some useful guidance. For this reason, we have come up with a collection of few best intensive cardio exercise ideas that are particularly beneficial for martial artists so that they can perform well on the mat. Have a look here!
Hill Running
Due to the elevated surface of the hill, hill running becomes an intense cardio exercise. It fulfills the needs of an anaerobic element that is required in the training of a martial artist to develop stamina to fight on the mat. The nature of this exercise is to run against the force of gravity which puts more pressure on leg muscles leading to build stamina and strength. So, if you want a horse like stamina that would never let you down on the mat, you should start having an endless cardio exercise like hill running. It is evident that your MMA gear protects you from the injury and your stamina keeps you going during the fight. So, always work on your stamina, strength, and endurance as well while wearing safety MMA gear. If you’d like more information on how Shaolin Kung fu training uses hill running, you should check out our article on how to master the infamous Shaolin mountain run.
Circuit Training
In order to enhance your stamina along with strength and mobility, circuit training is the best form of exercise that you should start now. It enhances muscle endurance while giving a boost to your stamina and overall body strength. Basically, it involves a combination of 6 to 7 high-intensity exercises that hit almost all the major muscles in the body. All the exercises are combined to make one complete circuit with a short break of 30 seconds to 1 minute between each exercise. Each exercise has fixed numbers of repetitions in one set and no more than 1 set is done in each circuit for each exercise. Now depending upon the intensity level of the training, the total numbers of sets are increased up to 3 circuits.
In order to make it even more intense, the rest time can be minimized or can be totally omitted from the circuit. However, rest is definitely needed between the circuits. For a better experience, you can bring some variation in the circuit training by adding 3 to 5 minutes of non-stop heavy bag drills in each circuit. Be sure to wear your MMA gloves that you wear during the MMA training for making most out of this intensive cardio exercise.
High Altitude Training
As the body exerts more force at a higher altitude, many athletes from all the sports have started doing high altitude training for better stamina development. A great benefit of this intensive cardio exercise is that it enhances the capability of your lungs to process oxygen because the air is thinner at a higher altitude. If your’e interested in training Chinese Martial Arts at altitude, Rising Dragon Martial Arts school might be worth a look. Furthermore, the level of toughness is so high in this training that it makes it quite easy for you when you appear on the mat. In order to survive in this sport in the present as well as in the future, martial artists should adopt high altitude training as an essential part of regular training. To know more about the future of martial arts, click here.
Anaerobic Swimming
Anaerobic swimming enhances the pace that is required in MMA training. It enhances the capacity of your lungs while training your body to increase its threshold level. For a martial artist, the best way of doing anaerobic swimming is to do sprints to a set distance. Try to set time targets for you as well which will encourage you to do faster sprints and boost your stamina.
Interval Training
Just like doing sprints in the swimming pool, sprinting on the track is also very effective. If you do not want to swim, you can do sprints on the jogging track. Start from having 10-second sprint, 1-minute regular running, and 2-minute walk. Then make this tougher and take up to 30-second sprint, 1-minute regular running, and 1-minute walk. You can do multiple rounds of sprints, jogging, and walking depending upon the limit of stamina you want to achieve.
It is always recommended to extend your cardio training so that you can never end up exhausted in the match. These all intensive cardio ideas are the best for you, as they increase physical as well as mental toughness that is very much needed in the MMA training or competition.
