Welcome to our Warrior – MMA Workouts. A tip of the hat to the film of the same name. Brutal HIIT and Martial Arts workouts to push you to the limit!!
Skip the intro and go straight to the workouts by clicking link below.
Introduction
“Warrior” is a powerful sports drama film released in 2011, directed by Gavin O’Connor. The movie centers around the Conlon family, torn apart by a troubled past and brought back together by the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), a former MMA fighter turned high school physics teacher, seeks financial redemption by returning to the ring to support his family. His estranged brother, Tommy (Tom Hardy), an ex-Marine with a troubled history, resurfaces and enters the same MMA tournament for his own reasons.
For his role in “Warrior,” Joel Edgerton underwent rigorous MMA training to authentically portray the physical and emotional challenges of his character, Brendan Conlon.
As the brothers navigate the brutal world of MMA, the film delves into their personal struggles and the complex dynamics within their family. Tommy, haunted by his past, is driven by vengeance, while Brendan fights to save his family from financial ruin. The movie’s emotional depth, intense fight sequences, and exceptional performances by the cast, including Nick Nolte as the brothers’ recovering alcoholic father, earned “Warrior” widespread critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. With its themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of family bonds, “Warrior” stands as a moving and unforgettable sports drama.
Tom Hardy portrays Tommy Conlon, a troubled and skilled mixed martial artist seeking redemption through a high-stakes tournament. Nick Nolte plays Paddy Conlon, Tommy’s estranged father and a recovering alcoholic, who hopes to reconcile with his sons and become their trainer.
About the Workouts
Mixed Martial Arts Workouts
MMA workouts are full-body drills that push your body to incredible limits. Regardless of what your training goals are utilising MMA drills can get you into fantastic shape. As a calorie burner, MMA drills can burn between 590-620 calories (in comparison to 45mins of running on a treadmill 400 cals approximately).
Why are they so effective?
The reason that MMA workouts are so effective is that they target every muscle of the body. The majority of the drills utilize the core in powering the moves and stabilizing the body throughout. Furthermore, the upper and lower body is worked hard as punches and kicks are thrown.
Additional benefits of MMA workouts are they incorporate strength, aerobic, anaerobic, and metabolic conditioning. The conditioning will provide you with endurance, strength, agility, and power.
The drills involved in MMA also improve flexibility. To simulate the grappling involved, sandbag training has been incorporated into the workouts. Sandbags can provide instability and weight to help develop joint flexibility, muscles, ligaments, grip, and core strength. Although there is no substitution for the instability provided by a real-life training partner!)
Conlon Brothers Workouts
The Circuits
The workouts below are quick martial arts and bodyweight workouts based on MMA drills. There are six workouts below designed to target the whole body and core strength, speed, power, flexibility, balance, and coordination.
The aim is 4 x rounds of all the stations listed within a workout. The split varies between 45 seconds to 1 minute of work. 0-15 seconds rest between exercises (dependant on level) and one minute’s rest between rounds. Continue until done. At the end of the final round pop on the gloves, as there are 4 x all-out rounds on the heavy bag. Make the rounds straight-up boxing or include kicks and knees as you feel fit. Feel free to scale it down or up as necessary. For example, beginners or the time-strapped may opt for two rounds rather than the full four. Alternatively, some badasses out there might blitz it so fast that they can squeeze in an extra round!!
Warm Up
(Perform Mobility drills on shoulders, hips, ankles, wrist and neck muscles prior to warm up)
3 Rounds – 20 Air Squats. 20 Jumping Jacks, 20 Press Ups. 20 Mountain Climbers.
Circuit 1
The Stations: 4 x rounds. 45 secs rounds. 15 seconds rest between stations.
- Superman punches (alternate sides to sparring pad or heavy bag).
- Plyometric box jumps.
- Alternate knee strikes to the heavy bag.
- Cossack squats (alternate sides – with or without KB).
- Alternate teep push kicks to the bag
- Overhead barbell plate press and lunge (walk across the room).
- Dynamic push-ups.
- Wall handstand pushups.
- Single-leg burpee.
- Hollow Rocks.
Circuit 2
The Stations: 4 x rounds. 45 secs rounds. 15 seconds rest between stations.
- MMA Sprawls. From standing, kick legs out behind you, drop to the floor landing on the palms of your hands. In the ‘push up’ position return to your feet.
- Sandbag push ups and drag through.
- Heavy bag work. Combination strikes to the bag.
- Jump rope.
- Ground and pound on floor bag. (Use several strikes, switch sides).
- Shoulder push-ups.
- Burpees.
- Alternate ankle touchers.
- Sandbag front squats.
- Abdominal crunch using barbell plate as resistance.
Circuit 3
The Stations: 4 x rounds. 45 secs rounds. 15 seconds rest between stations.
- Alternate leg reverse lunges.
- Medicine ball Russian twists.
- Mountain climbers with rotation. (Drive knee to the opposite side).
- Heavy bag work. Combination strikes to the bag.
- Bunny hops on the bench.
- Sandbag shouldering and press.
- Dumbell squat jumps.
- Burpees.
- Sprints. (Run to one end of the room, full sprint on return).
- MMA kick-throughs.
Circuit 4
The Stations: 4 x rounds. 45 secs rounds. 15 seconds rest between stations.
- Heavy bag combination strikes.
- Bear-crawls.
- Abdominal crunch with resistance (barbell plate).
- High knees.
- Sumo squat jumps.
- KB deadlifts.
- KB lunge and overhead press (alternate sides).
- Abdominal leg tucks.
- MMA kick-outs. (Keep hips low to the floor at the start, when kicking out fully extend to drive the kick. Alternate legs.)
- Kettlebell renegade rows.
Circuit 5
The Stations: 4 x rounds. 45 secs rounds. 15 seconds rest between stations.
- Bosu ball KB squats.
- KB clean and press. (30 secs each side).
- KB windmills (30 secs each side).
- Heavy bag work. Combination strikes to the bag.
- Ground and pound on floor bag. (Use several strikes, switch sides).
- Reverse-crunches.
- Sandbag jump squats
- Weighted side lunges.
- Medicine ball slams.
- ‘American’ KB swings.
Circuit 6
The Stations: 4 x rounds. 45 secs rounds. 15 seconds rest between stations.
- One-armed KB swings (30 on each side).
- Mountain climbers.
- Chin-ups.
- T-push ups (alternate sides).
- Alternate knee strikes to the heavy bag.
- Medicine ball woodcutters (alternate sides).
- Sandbag jump squats.
- Box jumps.
- Bear-crawls.
- Sandbag half get-ups.
Finisher (For all circuits)
On completion of the rounds – proceed to 4 x 1-minute rounds all-out assault on the heavy bag. Utilize kicks, punches, knees, elbows, shins. Be creative with your combinations, don’t stop during the round, keep moving!
Whichever workout you undertake Remember to cool down and drink water!
Workout Complete
Its ok to stay down!
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