This workout is designed for anyone in Boxing/MMA and any combat sports. It’s a 6 day routine based on two compound weight days and four days intense cardio. This workout is for anyone on an intermediate level and beginners should do a 12 week beginners routine before attempting this one.
It was taken into account that most people would be training in proper classes so the day of that class would account for a cardio day on this routine.
Reps Can Be Adjusted To Suit Your Goals:
- Strength = 4-6 reps
- Gaining Muscle = 7-12 reps
- Endurance = 15-20
Workout Schedule:
- Monday: Weight Training
- Tuesday: Cardio/Fighting Practice
- Wednesday: Cardio/Fighting Practice
- Thursday: Weight Training
- Friday: Cardio/Fighting Practice
- Saturday: Cardio/Fighting Practice
- Sunday: Rest Day
Monday & Thursday - Weight Training:
Tuesday & Friday - Cardio & Bag/Pad Training:
Fighting Practice 30 mins (using bags or pads)
Example of practice for BOXING:
- 3 mins of Quick Jabs and Strikes
- 1 min rest
- 3 mins of Heavy Strikes
- 1 min rest
- 3 min freestyle combo's
Repeat as many times as possible and push it!
Followed by 30 min jog
Wednesday & Saturday - Martial Arts Cardio:
Fighting Practice 45 mins
Example for Martial Artists:
- Loosen Up by moving through the combinations of your preferred style (Karate = Kata)
- 30 second rest
- 3 mins Quick strikes on bag
- 1 min rest
- 3 mins of heavier strikes
- 1 min rest
- 3 mins freestyle combo's
Repeat as many times as possible and push it!
Followed by 100-200M Sprints
Got Questions? Ask them in the Boxing/MMA Section of the Muscle & Strength Forum!
Thanks to Mike Kelly for submitting this Boxing/MMA workout.
Got Something To Say? Post Your Comments Below
umm well im an ectomorph and i box and i was gonna start this workout but since im ectomorphic would the cardio burn away everything i gained? because i read doug's article about ectomorph training and it said to keep aerobic activities to a minimum.
Make sure you are eating enough each day. Cardio doesn't burn away gains, but it can make it more difficult for you to gain muscle. You need to learn to out eat your metabolism.
could u pls suggest diet as well..... i a following this schedule.. what should i eat what should i avoid..
Here are some articles that can help:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-...
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/building-muscle-eating-like-a-...
well if u really box and dont do cardio how many rounds r u planning lasting? whats the point give up fighting nd stay home and grow because it sounds like your goals are working against eachother
How long should you rest between sets when lifting and what sort of abs exercises would you recomend to accompany this program?
I would rest between 90 seconds to 2 minutes between sets. For ab work I like the idea of working in a variety of movements like hanging knee raises, weighted situps, etc.
the rest period should be aproximatly in the ratio of 1:3 (25% work out= 75%) this is the standard cross the board advisary of every text book i read however if your sending your body to places like the VO2 maximum or to push the lactic acid system barrier should possibly think bout using 1:2 ( 33% and 66%) however i do not advise this to be ur standard rate of work ratio this should be used infrequently as the bodys benifits from the acute effects of the exersise
i do MMA and jiu jitsu monday to friday right after eachother for 2 hours and then i hit the gym right after
right now im doin a back/bicep and chest/shoulder/tricep twice a week and legs once a week and rest for 2 days in between and im on a very healthy low calories diet
i was jus wondering if im overtraining
and my goal is to get cut and bring my body fat down
You will know if you're overtraining. You will feel very sluggish, and might not feel like eating much. There are many other symptoms of overtraining, but in general, you will know something is wrong. You will just feel "off".
It's good to also ever week or two switch out the weight work out with the Football ones, It will build muscle mass and improve striking power overall. Also, not letting your muscles get into a rhythm with one work out, doing both will help you avoid or break platues.
I would recommend alternating between workouts that frequently. the best way to fight off a plateau is by pushign yourself on every set of every workout.
looks good.. but theres nothing for biceps? :O
Lat pull downs,rows,anything back oriented will work your biceps as a secondary muscle. If your a fighter you want strong biceps not big ones. Big arms are not functional for a fighter, makes punching slow and sluggish.
is this a fat loss workout too?
Hi Jerry,
Fat loss comes primarily from diet. because of this, you can really use any workout you desire while trying to cut fat.
how long should i run this workout for. is 8 weeks enough
Hi Jaskam,
You can run it longer than 8 weeks, depending on your goals. I would continue to use it as long as you are making progress.
right now im 195 with a bodyfat of 22 %, should i keep the reps at 15-20 reps
What are your goals?
my goals are basically to lose fat and i want endurance so i can stasy in fights long and i also want some strength to
Hi Jaskarn,
Then I would stay with 15-20 reps.
If your looking to slim down fat but keep muscle i would work in some interval training, being a wrestler and a fighter ive tryed ever little technique to lose fat and still be strong and healthy and ive found that interval training was the best thing, with such a low calorie diet i was always finding myself sluggish and out of energy to work hard so doing intervals not only takes much less time in the gym but it sheds much more fat go as hard as you can or about 30 seconds and then take 4 minute rests in between you wont have to workout near as long to get a good workout and you can do this with weights to not just cardio it helps you be explosive which is especially important in our sport. as far as diet goes i was at a 8% body fat weighing in at 166 and had to drop to 152 at first i was taking an anobolic cuts and practically starving myself and making frequent visits to the dry sauna but after about a month of that and losing the weight i started to slowly start eating more meals and digesting some good protein shakes like 6-8 times frequently through the day and still maintaining a good weight which was amazing one thing i was doing wrong prior to losing my weight was thinking juices are healthy for you ive never been a soda drinker so that wasnt my issue but i loved juices and figured they were the best thing for you but then finding out how much sugar i was digesting from the juices i mise well of drank energy drinks. i completely cut out the juices and went to just water also stacking that with a dandellion root pill pre-meet ,and pre fight all these things helped me maintain good weight while staying strong and healthy so i could perform at my best i hope this helps everyone email me with questions ive been there done it i promise!
Would this workout be good for the Army? In the perspective of endurance.
Hi Nick,
This workout would help your endurance. I would recommend adding in running, situps and pushups.
Can I add some ab workouts to this routine?
Hi Miguel,
Absolutely!
Just curious, as all of boxing is explosive and so is the striking element of MMA requiring more power than mere strength, would you recommend completing the reps in an explosive fashion? Or maybe just one set of explosive reps on a lighter weight and then at normal speed with a slightly heavier weight? And by explosive I just mean quickly, still controlled.
Hi Ollie,
From my understanding, MMA fighters should use quite a few explosive lifts in their training. You could, using solid form, make some of the lifts explosive.
how man sprints do you do? and how much rest inbetween?
Hi Gabe,
There are many ways to do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sprints.
In total, I would limit training to 20 minutes. Sprint for - say - 10-20 seconds, then rest for 40. Repeat this pattern for 15 to 20 minutes.
I understand that the 15-20 rep range for endurance. But I'm also looking to keep some of my muscle mass. I take boxing classes 1-2 times a week but I'm not looking to become a fighter. My goal is the conditioning and to add some cut. Can I alter the rep ranges, say 8-12 one week, 15-20 the next week?
Hi Steven,
Absolutely. That's a very solid approach.
Hi love this workout and was wondering when would be the best time to do my ab workouts after each weight training session or after each cardio session thanks dan
Hi Dan,
I would recommend after lifting.
Hey what would you recommend if you didnt have a punching bag
Hello,
I've been searching for a good weight training routine for boxing and thanks so much for posting this one. I'd also like to know if I can divide the weight training to 3x a week? What would you suggest on the 3rd day? What I was planning was M-W-F weights then T-TH boxing/cardio. Would that work? Lastly would you also advise that if we can you apply the pyramid weight lifting on this routine? Thanks again for this post, will be using this nextweek.
Thanks!
Hi Paulo,
You could definitely split up the weight training to 3 times per week. Possibly:
Monday - Legs & Triceps
Wednesday - Back & Grip
Friday - Chest & Shoulders
Regarding the pyramid approach, you can apply it to this routine.
i do boxing twice a week and do some practice in my spare time i'm not really after fighting just for self defence purposes. so i like this layout but could i add another day or maybe 2 into it for the strength and muscle gaining side? as i want to get the bare necessities needed for boxing i.e power and speed but i also want to build muscle and strength as i'm an ectomorth. i have a steady diet so hopefully it may work. if so can you give me an idea of a layout? also could i include heavy deadlifts (for strength) somewhere?
cheers steve! :)
Hi Steven,
You could add another couple days. I might suggest asking the layout question on the forum. You'll get some great suggestions. MMA/boxing style training isn't my forte.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/
looks good but wot bout side and rear shoulders
Hi Rory,
Side delts are worked with military presses and upright rows, and rear delts are worked with rowing and pulling movements on back day.
hi steve could i do 4-6 reps 1 week then 15-20 reps the next week after to build up strengh aswell as endurance..
Hi Rory,
That sounds like a reasonable approach.
Hey I'm not a boxer but am interested in this workout for muscle and endurance purposes. I was wondering what your thoughts are on doing ti 4 days a week mon-thursday. Currently those are the only days I can use the gym, would it be bad to do 4 days on and 3 days off. I'm also running/playing soccer/jump ropping about 4-5 days a week when I have the time.
Hi David,
That should be ok.
I'm 185lbs with 17% body fat if I repeat this routine for 6-8 weeks will I continue to gain muscle? Or will I I need to switch something up?
Hi Dillon,
If you train hard and eat correctly, you should make some good gains.
can write a workout for basketball
hi i was wondering whats the difference between building muscle and building strength?
Add comment