Have you ever seen an MMA fighter who wasn’t in incredible shape? Chances are, you haven’t. Training for MMA is a full-body workout that pushes your body to limits like no other sport. Whether you’re training to win a fight or training for fun, MMA can get you in the best shape of your life and has some other great benefits. The American Karate Institute is a great choice if you want to get or maintain in shape.
Lets take a look on how MMA Training can benefit your Fitness.
It’s a total body workout
Most sports require one set of muscles to be used more than another. Swimmers have strong shoulders, cyclists have strong quads, and soccer players have strong lower bodies. MMA fighters need to have strong lower body, upper body, and abdominals.
Why does MMA develop such strength? MMA workouts are designed to incorporate practically every muscle of the body. As you kick, your legs become incredibly strong. As you punch, your arms become equally strong. And, as you grapple, your core builds muscle.
Our Mixed Martial Arts curriculum is designed to work your whole body. Many of our drills build muscle. When you practice sprawling, you’re not only learning how to defend a takedown, but also building up your back and shoulders. Practicing power kicks on our Ultimate Striker doesn’t just improve your technique, but builds your legs up too.
MMA improves flexibility. To grapple well, you need to be seriously limber. Don’t have it? No worries. Grappling helps develop your flexibility as you go. Our Grappling classes focuses also on developing the flexibility of joints, muscles, and ligaments.
MMA is more than just fitness
Working out at a regular gym can be monotonous, and finding the motivation to push yourself can be tedious and difficult. Even in a group class, the workouts are often a routine. The only thing to focus on is getting through the workout.
At AKI, you have instructors and students pushing you along. Because you’re building self-defense skills as you go, you have something to think about as you exercise. Instead of being a chore, class is something you can look forward to, something new to learn, and fresh challenges to motivate you. Fitness is only one benefit of MMA.
Best of all, you can see improvements quickly with MMA and your fitness. It can take months of exercising to notice big changes. But when you do MMA, you will notice as your skills improve. You become more aware of your own strength as drills become easier. Instructors and students may begin to comment on how powerful your kicks have become, or your instructor might observe your improved endurance. The positive feedback can be the motivation you need to keep refining your skills and technique.
Burn calories quickly
In a regular gym, there are only so many ways to burn calories. Some burn calories quicker than others, but no exercise machine can compare to speed at which MMA burns calories. You can burn up to 590 calories in a single 45 minute combinations class. In a grappling class of the same time, you could burn up to 620 calories. Just for comparison, you would burn about 400 calories running at a medium pace on a treadmill for 45 minutes and ellipticals aren’t much better. Don’t rely too much on those calorie counters either; one study showed that they overestimate the amount burned by a whopping 42%.
Grappling and striking put more muscles to use than running on a treadmill, cycling on a stationary bike, or even using the elliptical. Your core is almost always engaged, and the workout is non-stop. You end up burning more calories in a shorter period of time, making your workout more time-efficient.
Time is in short supply, but taking our MMA classes gives you the chance to get an extreme workout in the free time you have available.
More than just cardio
Even if you’re not a fitness expert, you will likely know that there’s different types of exercises. Aerobic conditioning, often referred to as cardio, makes your heart and lungs work better to get more blood circulating. Running is one way to work on aerobic conditioning. Anaerobic conditioning isn’t about endurance, but is about performing better during shorter, more explosive exercises. It’s usually associated with strength training. Finally, metabolic conditioning teaches your muscles to use the fuel your body gives it more efficiently. This type of exercise involves very short (15 seconds), very intense activity.
Unlike a gym workout that focuses on one of three pathways, MMA workouts incorporate strength, aerobic and metabolic conditioning. You get endurance, strength, agility, power, and so much more from our MMA classes at AKI.
Learn self-defense & confidence
MMA is one of the best combat sports for self-defense. In boxing, you learn how to strike while standing. MMA combines stand-up fighting, ground fighting, and takedowns. At AKI, we can teach you how to defend yourself in any real-life situation.
Learning all these skills instills confidence. If you do MMA, you know you’re tough and know you can do anything you put your mind to. Knowing that you can handle whatever life throws at you with your MMA skills makes a big difference in life. People notice your confidence, bringing greater success in other aspects of life.
These skills are especially important for kids. Our Little Eagles program focus on teaching kids confidence, discipline and respect. They learn how to socialize with others. Learn more about our philosophy HERE. The philosophy we instill on our students helps them develop good character and confidence.
Contact American Karate Institute for a Free Trial Class
At the American Karate Institute, we teach a way of life. Our Miami martial arts school and MMA Classes has developed a well thought out curriculum that teaches more than just the art of self-defense. We delve deep into our students’ technique, skill set, intelligence, intuition and overall physical fitness. Contact us today if you’re interested in mixed martial arts and self-defense classes and schedule your free-trial class!