What are some periodization of weights and cardio cycles and good methods for recovery given the volume of training required for MMA?
My concern here always comes with the volume of training in MMA. Often times our athletes train 6 – 7 days a week, minimum of 2 or 3 hours a day. This makes periodization highly important due to the fact that you can progress in strength, power, muscualr endurnace, etc. unless your nervous system gets ample rest. One method I have found to be very successful with my grapplers is to follow a method I learned from the crew at Westside barbell. This method is called the conjugate system, sometimes the Russian Conjugate System. I have modified this methos to suit the needs of athletes since we are not training as powerlifters per se. This method of training allows for athletes to continually improve year round in all traits, as opposed to the popular method of focusing on strength for 4 weeks, power for 4 weeks, then muscular endurance for 4 weeks, etc. Let me compare the two of them; The conjugate system allows the athlete to train for all these traits by switching exercises that are simi
