MMA
training program
Strike, wrestle and scramble for five rounds — explosive power, a relentless grappling engine and a vice-grip on everything.
One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.
Why this program exists
Three disciplines, five rounds, and a strength program that has to fit around the skill sessions that actually matter — without leaving you flat for them.
Explosive striking and takedown power on one side, a scramble engine that does not empty on the other, and grip that holds a clinch at the end of round three. Grappling asks for deep hip positions and a neck that can be cranked, so the prehab is built for that rather than for a barbell.
A default MMA week
This is the sport’s own template — the starting point before it is fitted to your days, your equipment and your season. Team nights and game day are protected; everything else moves to the days you are free.
What MMA is won with
These are the qualities the program is built to develop, in priority order. They come from the sport, not from a generic template.
- Explosive striking + takedown power
- Scramble + grappling engine
- Grip + clinch strength
- Rotational + anti-rotation core
- Neck + full-body durability
| Session | Type | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explosive Power + Posterior | Gym | 55–65 min | Takedown + striking power |
| Scramble Conditioning | Conditioning | 35–45 min | Repeat all-out grappling efforts |
| Sparring / Rolls | Skills | — | Mat + cage work |
| Grip, Pull + Trunk | Gym | 50–60 min | Clinch control + grappling durability |
| Aerobic Engine | Conditioning | 40–50 min | Back up rounds + recover between sessions |
The season changes the program
- Pre-season
- Fight camp — set volume ×1.2. Build the engine and the strength base.
- In-season
- Competing — set volume ×0.7, prescribed weights hold. Maintain, don’t drain.
- Off-season
- Between camps — baseline volume. Rebuild general strength and fix the niggles.
- Block structure
- Four-week blocks: three weeks accumulating, one week deload. The block’s character changes across the year rather than repeating.
- Game day
- Protected. The day before gets a 20-minute explosive primer with no running, no heavy legs and no prehab block bolted on.
The MMA testing battery
Five numbers, re-run every eight weeks. Chosen to match what MMA programs actually measure — and the results re-price your training weights and reset your conditioning paces.
| Test | Measures | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2km time trial | The aerobic benchmark your program is built around. | mm:ss |
| Max push-ups | Pressing endurance and trunk control with no kit required. | reps |
| Weighted chin-up 3RM | Pulling strength once bodyweight has stopped being a challenge. | kg added |
| Standing vertical jump | Lower-body power in its purest form, and the cheapest fatigue check you own. | cm |
| Back squat 1RM | The base of every lower-body quality you have. | kg |
Staying available
The prehab block is matched to the region of the session it sits in and to the tissue this sport actually punishes — not a generic mobility flow bolted to the front.
Prehab only works if it happens, and the reason it usually does not is that it has nothing to do with the session it is attached to. Rotating a pool by session number puts shoulder work before a squat day and Copenhagen planks before a bench press. Technically covered; nobody does it.
In Train Smart each movement is classified by the region it protects and matched to the session, and the pool rotates across the week so you cover all of it rather than doing the same three moves three times.
More on prehab that people actually do →
MMA training questions
What does the Train Smart MMA program include?
When is MMA pre-season?
Can I follow this program if I only train twice a week?
What tests does the MMA program use?
Do I need a full gym?
Get your MMA program
Pick MMA, answer eight questions, and your week is built — around your team nights, your game and the days you can actually train.
One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.