Combat Sports and Training Trends
Article by Jason Lau
3-5 minute read
In the world of Combat Sports S&C, multiple training methods gain popularity each year boasting how it is the single most efficient method in helping fighters achieve elevated performance results. The nature of competition in Combat Sports is decisive and high-stakes, with a fighter's performance hinging on a single fight or tournament. Unlike team sports, where success is determined over an entire season, a fighter's training is geared toward peaking on one critical night.
Training trends in Combat Sports often borrow from disciplines like powerlifting or CrossFit, emphasize specific equipment, or focus on enhancing "functional" performance. While these methods aim to improve performance to the general population, many fail to deliver and can even hinder performance by wasting time or misdirecting effort for Combat Sport athletes. This article examines the most popular training trends in recent years, exploring how each approach can both benefit and potentially harm a Combat Sport athlete’s performance.
CrossFit/HYDROX
CrossFit was first founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai, CrossFit, Inc. was incorporated in 2000. They opened their first gym in Santa Cruz, California, in 2001, sharing their workouts online for clients. These workouts quickly gained traction among individuals in the police, military, and firefighting services. CrossFit training combines Olympic lifts, their variations, and gymnastics movements, alongside a wide array of other exercises. One of its core principles is to "prepare for the unknown," leading to varied exercises in both competition and training.
Rising in popularity in 2018, HYROX features standardized race events with a simplified approach. Unlike CrossFit, HYROX eliminates the need for proficiency in Olympic lifts and gymnastics movements, making it more time-efficient and open to all skill levels. By limiting exercise selection, HYROX reduces the learning curve and emphasizes conditioning over complex movements or heavy weights.
The exercises used in both CrossFit and HYROX can benefit combat sports athletes. Activities like running, jumping, throwing, and tossing help develop peak velocity, while strength and power movements, such as squats, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts, provide a solid foundation for athletic development.
However, the issue lies not in the exercises themselves but in the structure of the training. The high intensity and volume typical of CrossFit and HYROX sessions can conflict with a combat athlete's demanding schedule, which already includes extended mat time. Balancing intensity and volume is crucial to avoid overtraining and ensure peak performance in competition.
Single Equipment-Based Training
Kettlebells date back to the 1700s, where they were initially used as counterweights in Russian markets. Over time, they gained popularity within the country's Olympic teams and eventually achieved global recognition. As the fitness industry expanded, a broader variety of equipment was introduced (landmines, aquabags, sandbags etc.), often marketed as superior alternatives to traditional barbells and dumbbells. Many businesses capitalized on these innovations, creating equipment-focused workout programs that introduced fitness to the general public and claimed improved performance tied to the chosen tools.
While most training methods offer some benefits, single-equipment training has specific advantages, such as ease of teaching and movement execution due to the equipment's unique design. However, centering training around one type of equipment, like kettlebells or landmines, often leads to diminishing returns because of inherent limitations. These include restricted loading capacity (e.g., the amount a kettlebell can hold or the weight manageable in a landmine setup) and limited exercise functionality (e.g., the number and variety of movements possible).
For instance, kettlebells are constrained by how much weight can be handled in one hand, while landmines depend on the available attachments and exercises they support. Such limitations can hinder the ability to provide diverse and progressive stimuli, which are essential for long-term athletic development.
Ultimately, specialized equipment can be a valuable addition to an athlete’s toolbox, offering alternatives for those with mobility restrictions, limited experience, or other challenges, while still achieving desired outcomes. However, single-equipment-based training is often a marketing strategy targeting misinformed individuals, rather than a comprehensive solution for improving performance.
Functional Training/Movement Training
The term functional training emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, gaining popularity alongside the introduction of equipment like Indian clubs, cables, and TRX. Early exercises aimed to replicate movements such as sawing, chopping wood, pulling a plow, raking, or mowing. Over time, this approach expanded into ground-based "animal movements," which focus on joint function, core strength, and stability, similar to calisthenics. Functional movement training was designed to prevent injuries, enhance lower back and abdominal strength, and promote full joint mobility and stabilization. Its primary goal is to facilitate natural movement and restore the body’s intended range of motion.
The mission behind functional training is well-founded, as maintaining mobility and a healthy body is essential for everyone, not just athletes. For combat sports athletes, methods like animal movements can contribute to joint robustness and injury prevention. However, such exercises should complement, not replace, primary strength and power work and are best performed at the end of a training session.
All training can be considered functional when it supports human performance and movement. Claims that functional training alone can improve every aspect of performance are exaggerated and often serve as marketing tactics rather than evidence-based practices.
Wearable Weights
Wearable weights first gained popularity in the 1980s, beginning with sand-filled cuffs designed to be worn on the wrists and ankles. These were commonly used during walking and jogging to increase workout intensity. Over time, advancements in design led to the development of weighted vests, backpacks, Lilatech, and full-body resistance bands, driven by the demand for tools to enhance sport-specific training through added resistance.
The main issue with loading sporting movements using wearable weights lies in improper resistance levels. Many products provide excessive resistance, which can alter movement mechanics, compromise technique, and place undue torque on joints. This often results in minimal physical adaptations, as seen with full-body resistance bands.
That said, wearable weights can be beneficial when properly designed and applied. For example, Lila EXOGEN weights are lightweight and span the length of the limb, limiting the load to a few grams. Their unique design allows athletes to strategically position stress along either the proximal or distal joint. However, effective use of this training modality requires a thoughtful approach to loading and a solid understanding of body mechanics to avoid injury and maximize benefits.
Pros and Cons of Training Trends
I do not believe that training trends are inherently negative. Many trends are designed for the general population, encouraging fitness and promoting pain-free living. Both HYROX and CrossFit provide avenues for strength and energy system development through compound lifts (such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, barbell snatches, and barbell cleans and presses) and cyclical activities (rowing, running, and the SkiERG) incorporated into workouts and competition events.
Other trends, such as functional or movement training, focus on enhancing joint and tendon health and improving general movement patterns. However, when it comes to athletic development in Combat Sports, each of these trends has benefits and gaps towards overall systemic athletic performance development.
HYDROX and CrossFIT
Benefits towards Combat Sports
Use of general preparatory exercise selection (squat, bench, deadlift) to develop overall strength and power.
Includes higher-velocity variations (clean and press, snatch, jumps, slams, throws) which meets the demands of most sporting movements. However, most sessions are too high in intensity and volume to be performed with intent to drive neurological adaptations.
Most WODs or training sessions will include some form of conditioning aspect
Pitfalls towards Combat Sports
Lack of specificity towards Combat Sports as both HYDROX and CrossFit’s training is catered for participants to compete at their events and races, not three or five rounds in the ring or octagon.
The overall training volume of each WOD or race is simply too high to accompany the frequent skills practice. The focus of combat sport athletes is to prioritize skill work and requires resistance training to reflect that.
Each WOD is randomized making it difficult for athletes to track and allow time to properly progressively overload an exercise to make it beneficial to athletic development
Single Equipment-Based Training
Benefits towards Combat Sports
Due to the unique equipment and the low technical demand of exercise used, this allows for ease of access for athletes that do not have the mobility or strength for the exercise’s traditional counterpart.
Allows for greater loading for certain exercises due to the added stability versus free weights or barbells
Pitfalls towards Combat Sports
As much as single equipment-based training allows for greater loading for certain exercises, the inverse applies as well. A kettlebell or landmine squat is quite difficult to perform at a high load while being held in the hands versus the same load placed on top of the traps in a barbell back squat.
Most of these training methods are marketed as the secret to “unlocking your athletic potential” but due to the lack of equipment, limited exercise variations and other constraints, will leave holes in a complete athletic development
Functional Training/Movement Training
Benefits towards Combat Sports
Prioritizes joint and tendon health above all else.
Offers movement and ranges that are not commonly used within sport.
Strengthens common areas of discomfort and pain through low-intensity exercise selection
Movement training can be done at the end of a training session as it is fairly low in intensity and will not affect skills practice
Pitfalls towards Combat Sports
Lacks physical development and stimulus through intensity that affects changes to performance such as strength, speed and power.
Certain functional training methods aim to improve fascia and fascia lines while exercises such as plyometrics and ballistics offer the same while improving other athletic qualities such as rate of force development.
Certain functional training requires specific equipment that most gyms may not carry.
All exercises are functional as it helps support a joint or body function. Categorizing a training method as functional is simply a marketing strategy.
Wearable Weights
Benefits towards Combat Sports
Depending on the amount of weight, placement of the weights and torque on the joint, it can offer physical adaptations in sport specific techniques.
Pitfalls towards Combat Sports
Requires extensive knowledge in the technique, movement mechanics, understanding of the extent of physiological adaptations and careful loading and prescription to avoid injury and bad technical execution.
This will only encompass a small part in the overall athletic development while traditional resistance training will continue being the main focus of the Combat Sports athlete.
Most wearable weights are designed poorly to be used in an effective manner.
The Details Matter
When planning resistance training for Combat Sport athletes, it is crucial to understand both the positive and negative effects of physical training. Athletes and coaches should continually assess what will best support long- and short-term athletic development and whether it aligns with the established training goals for that period. Resistance training should complement the physical traits of a Combat Sport athlete while prioritizing skill development. In simple terms, the goal is to determine the minimum amount of work a Combat Sport athlete can do to induce physical change without disrupting their time on the mats.
Given the high volume and frequency of Combat Sport skill sessions, consider the following simplified guidelines when planning an athlete’s Strength & Conditioning training:
When aiming to develop top end strength and power through high-intensity exercises (high load) for an athlete, consider lower repetition sets and/or a lower number of sets. This may alter slightly depending on the training focus and period (off-camp or fight camp).
Jump training and ballistic exercise variations (Olympic lifts and variations) should not be identical to specialized programs (a jump program, sprint program or CrossFit WODs). The impact and volume of both jump exercises and ballistic exercise variations is simply too demanding on top of the stress placed within skill sessions of Combat Sports. Instead, I recommend athletes to focus on the select few exercises of their choosing and perform each repetition with maximal INTENT.
Conditioning in combat sports is nuanced and is influenced by cognitive demands, as well as the tactics and strategies involved. General conditioning methods (ex. roadwork, cycling, swimming, rowing) also plays a role in developing the body’s energy systems that support sparring or rolling. Athletes must understand that general conditioning methods have both positive and negative physical stress from both long distance/duration, low-intensity work as well as short distance/duration, high-intensity work. I recommend Combat Sport athletes to have at least 1-2 carefully curated general conditioning sessions per week.
The law of diminishing returns applies within the realm of training as well. There comes a point in which investing in one physical quality and development will plateau. During this period, an athlete must consider altering other training variables and/or invest in other training qualities.
Example S&C Session for Combat Sport Athletes
Strength and Conditioning for Combat Sport athletes focuses on addressing performance gaps that the sport does not cover while enhancing physical traits that directly impact competition. In my coaching experience, our goal is always to leave no stone unturned, as most of our training is concurrent, emphasizing different focuses within each training block leading up to a fight.
While I am generally opposed to many training trends because they often overlook the nuances of Combat Sports, there are still some similarities between fitness trends and training sessions for athletes, including exercise selection, exercise variations, and certain methodological inspirations. Below is an example of a Strength and Power training session for one of my Combat Sport athletes:
WARM-UP
Dynamic R.A.M.P Warm-Up Routine [5-8 minutes]
Heel Elevated Lunge Isometric Holds @Bodyweight 3x45s each
PLYOMETRICS & BALLISTICS
A1. Continuous Lateral Bounds @Bodyweight 2x12 repetitions
A2. Medicine Ball Rotational Toss @4 kgs 2x12 repetitions each
Rest: 2 minutes
STRENGTH & POWER
B1. Barbell Power Clean @70% 3x4 repetitions
B2. Counter-Movement Jump @Bodyweight 3x4 repetitions
Rest: 3 minutes
C1. Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift @25 kgs 2x10 repetitions each
C2. Weighted Push-Ups @15 kgs 2x10 repetitions
Rest: 2-3 minutes
ACCESSORIES & ROBUSTNESSD1. Chest Supported Machine Row @40 kg 2x12 repetitions
D2. Cossack Squats @15 kgs 2x12 repetitions each
Rest: 30 seconds
COOL-DOWN
Animal Flow Routine [5-10 min]
Closing Thoughts
There is no "one size fits all" approach to improving athletic performance. Athletes must follow fundamental principles, address their sport's specific demands, and align their training with personal goals. While not all training methods are inherently "bad," not every approach suits a combat sports athlete's objectives. However, adapting insights from various training trends can significantly enhance performance when guided by a knowledgeable Strength and Conditioning coach. For example, strength training can integrate Powerlifting principles, power training can draw from Olympic Weightlifting, hypertrophy training can learn from Bodybuilding, energy system development can benefit from sprinters and cyclists, and injury prevention can leverage Animal Movement techniques.
A comprehensive training plan for combat sports athletes must balance the nuances of skill sessions and weight-room work to maximize overall performance. If you're looking to elevate your performance on the mats and in competition, click the link below to learn how my coaching can help—and access a FREE webinar on planning year-round training for combat sports.