Performance Management

Here is an article i wrote for Fighters Only magazine a while ago, i've changed my thinking a bit on blocking training for mma and use a more integrated approach but either way brings structure and direction to training.

Performance Management

In many other sports, a role exists that overviews the whole training process for the athletes involved. These roles are often referred to as ‘performance managers or directors of performance. In professional rugby and football this position is often, but not always, taken by an experienced strength and conditioning coach. Although a thorough understanding of the technical requirements of the sport are vital, an s and c coaches experience of periodisation, monitoring, testing and programming lends itself to fulfilling this role successfully.

                The key tasks for a performance manager of an mma team or individual fighter is to create a balanced, periodised training plan. The nature of mma as a sport means that there are many facets that need to be addressed in a training week. These are not just from a physical perspective but from a technical and psychological view point too. Failure to do so can result in overtraining and sub optimal performance. Below is a basic diagram of the considerations that need to be addressed when planning for an upcoming fight.

Diag 1 Training Needs

Another major consideration for a holistic program is to address the psychological aspects  of mma with the fighters. This is however a very specific area and should be dealt with by an experienced, qualified sports psychologist.

In order to fit all the requirements into a training week and ensure fighters are at peak physical, technical and emotional levels on fight night, training needs to be blocked into units that lead to a peak. Putting the pieces of the training jigsaw together is a complex process and requires input from all the coaches and fighters involved. Below is a basic outline of the considerations that should be adhered too when designing a training schedule.

PHASE 1: Foundation Phase (10 weeks or more from the fight) (this is effectively an off season)

Physical Qualities

                This period should be dedicated to developing base physical qualities such as strength, rehab and non specific conditioning. As fighters are still a long time from the fight, peak power and fight conditioning are not priorities. Setting the foundations during this phase allows for the finer, more precise training phases later on. Strength training sessions should also be based around basic, foundation type work. However some mistake this time as an opportunity to use GPP (general preparatory phase) training. This is often mis-placed work. Fighters with years of training behind them rarely benefit from GPP as their levels are often inherently excellent from their training history. More appropriate sessions would be focused on high threshold motor unit recruitment via ‘biggest bang for your buck’ exercises. (Full Squats, deadlifts, Pressing and Pulling variations).

Conditioning training should be very general, with a high variety of methods. This keeps motivation high and gives the specific movements patterns used in the later phases an offload.

Technical Qualities

Phase 1 of the training cycle is an ideal time to split training between working the most basic fundamentals and getting up to speed with the latest technical developments. Relearning and refining the basics here is important as it lays the foundation for future work and trying out new material keeps training interesting and evolves a fighter's game by expanding their knowledge and awareness. Once the training enters the later phases and opponents are known training both these aspects can be hard to fit in. Duration of technical sessions can afford to be longer and intensities lower. This phase lends itself to higher levels of technical input from coaches as there are less time constraints and less pressure. It is key that a fighters weaknesses are discovered and worked on in this phase.

Psychological Qualities

                This area should be addressed by an experienced and qualified sports psychologist. However variety and creativity can help to maintain motivation during training.

Below is an example of how a week could be structured in Phase 1

Cycle 1: Week 1
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Upper Limb Weight Training	Lower Limb Weight Training	Light Sparring	Upper Limb Weight Training	Lower Limb Weight Training	General Conditioning	Rest & Recover
Rest & Recover	Technical Striking	Rest & Recover	Technical Striking	Technical Striking	Technical Grappling / Wrestling
General Conditioning	Technical Grappling / Wrestling	Rest & Recover	Technical Grappling / Wrestling	Rest & Recover	Rest & Recover

PHASE 2: Camp Begins (10 – 4 weeks out from fight)

                Physiclal Qualities

                A quality over quantity approach should be taken with the physical training during this phase. Strength and Power can be addressed simultaneously via complex training, meaning strength levels can continue to improve as power is introduced. When working with Dan Hardy in the Preparation for UFC 95, supersetting Full Back Squats with 1m10cm Hurdle jumps allowed us to train both physical qualities at the same time. Conditioning methods should become more fight specific, possibly interspersed with non specific, pre fatiguing, exercises.

Technical Qualities

At this time the opponent is known and a game plan has been formulated so this phase becomes a split between training that is specific to the upcoming fight and bringing performance in all areas up to a high level. Addressing weaknesses, hard sparring and pressure drills become the main stay of the program to create the best athlete possible and this will be mixed with lighter technique and sparring sessions where the gameplan is explored and refined with more reference being made to fighting the specific opposition.

Below is an example of how a week could be structured in Phase 2

Cycle 2: Week 1
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Technical Striking	Hard Sparring	Grappling	Hard Sparring	Grappling	General Conditioning	Rest & Recover
		Rest and Recover			Technical Grappling / Wrestling
Specific Conditioning	Full Body Strength / Power		Full Body Strength / Power	Technical Striking

Phase 3: ‘Peaking’ (4-0 weeks out from fight)

                Physical Qualities

                With the less than 3 weeks of training left, the priority is now to get into fighting shape and use all the physiological gains made in the previous phases to enter in the arena  as close to prime shape as possible. Power and rate of force development is the priority at this stage. Increased intensity of sessions is vital with the volume remaining low, as not to create accumulated fatigue. The use of lighter weights at a higher velocity also to helps to create the feeling of being, ‘sharp’ and can impact the psyche of the fighters.

                Technical Qualities

Hard training sessions still feature heavily up until a week out but will often be v drill specific and gradually become less frequent as gameplan walkthroughs, mental imagery and worst case scenario training become a major part of the program. Live sparring and drills where training partners emulate or ‘play the part’ of the upcoming opponent will also yield great results and boost confidence at this stage. Technique training close to fight time will have limited effect as the cognitive requirement to improve is too great when there is so much else going on at this time.

Below is an example of how a week could be structured in Phase 3

Cycle 3: Week 1
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Striking	Hard Sparring	Striking	Hard Sparring	Striking	Fight Conditioning	Rest & Recover
	Full Body Power	Rest and Recover	Full Body Power	Gameplan / Walkthrough	Technical Grappling / Wrestling
Fight Conditioning	Grappling		Grappling

In summary, ‘blocking’ or periodising training can improve the focus and quality of training. However the real skill is knowing how and when to push harder or back off to maximise the program. This can only be done by developing a trusting relationship between coach and fighter. Often fighters can not ‘self regulate’ the durations and intensities of training because they are so emotionally involved in the training process they refuse to be outworked or thought of as being lazy. This is where a performance manager can help as well as helping to limit mis-directed work. Mis-directed will only lead to frustration and disappointment and should be avoided at all costs. If it can’t be justified, then why is it in the program ?

Special thanks to Nathan Leverton, Head coach at Leicester Shootfighters (www.leicestershootfighters.co.uk) for the input in the technical sections.