Bit of a work in progress…see our MMA strength and conditioning program and pdf here

I would also recommend doing a lot of single leg work, such as Bulgarian Split Squats, single leg plyometrics (be mindful of injuries with plyometrics) and single leg squats, in addition to traditional squats and/or deadlifts. Most MMA techniques involve standing on 1 leg.

Do what works for you…my recovery is pretty shite, so when I was training for a competition or fight I would arrive 20 minutes early to training, warm up, do 1 or 2 sets of squats, or plyometrics, or barbell row – then go into MMA training.

I found that combining a very short strength session and then treating training like a cardio workout – I could recovery much more quickly, than doing 2, longer, separate sessions.

I’d recommend a coach or a mentor to teach powerlifting exercises and Olympic Lifts. These are the best exercises for building a solid base of strength and power, but also the best way to get injured if done incorrectly.

You can’t build ‘wrestling’ strength with weights, you need to wrestle/grapple and ‘move bodies’ around, not symmetrical weights.