Dumbbell Training with Kacey Barra June 1, 2008
This training routine is all about innovating and broadening your dumbbell training
Kacey's Dumbbell Routine
Dumbbells are widely used in a variety of sports. Body builders use them to help create their physic, athletes use then for strength training. I believe that they are also a great commodity for the combative athlete. Dumbbells can help add diversity to a fighters routine. They can be used to build strength, agility, explosive power, durability and even speed to any MMA or BJJ game.
Many people are familiar with lifting heavy weight in a controlled static position. They increase the weight with sets and time accordingly to the growth of their muscle. Such training is a standard for building mass and general strength, but the combative athlete needs a lot more to succeed at his or her game. Remember a fighter needs to maintain and exhibit strength in a variety of positions, very different then the standard standing or sitting positions in bodybuilding. A fighter also needs to exhibit his strength in combination with speed and in combination with their cardio peak. For these types of goals a revised type of dumbbell training can make all the difference.
When deriving my weight training I took into consideration every natural position, and especially the mount or mounted, clenching, shooting, boxing and controlling positions that embody MMA.
1. All of my sets go until muscle failure. I use a moderate weight, any where from five to twenty five pounds. My first set is done with a five-pound weight until muscle failure. My second set is done with eight pounds until failure and my third is done with a ten-pound weight. Of course for other fighters larger weights will do the job. (Exp: 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 pounds). When picking your weight remember that you are not in a weight lifting competition, you want to train your muscle naturally, you will go for fatigue in both strength and cardio. Also to large a weight might increase the possibilities of injury.
2. I start by doing regular curls. (weight and duration specified above)
3. Second I do dumbbell extensions in my fighting stance, holding my hands up and extending outward from the chest, I then hold the dumbbells at quarter, half and full extension for ten seconds each.
4. Third I do a jab cross series with the dumbbells, all from my fighting stance.
5. I also do an upper cut and hook series with the dumbbells, all from fighting stance and al until muscle failure.
6. I do the same exercises lying on my back, this creates an upward pushing motion and maintains the punching motion and speed that is vital to an MMA fighter.
Remember you need to address a variety of stages when training for a fight.. the dumbbell series must include punching and pushing, pulling, as well as level and position changes.
As well as the above I also train the overhead push, side extensions, lunges and squats. I also shadow box with a pair of two, three and/or five pound weights.