Warm-up, Stretching, and Cool-down Strategies for Combat Sports

Abstract

COMBATANTS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. STRUCTURED COMBAT SPORTS BETWEEN 2 MEN HAVE EXISTED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AS A SPORT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY KNOW AS MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (MMA). SEVERAL CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED IN MMA IN THE LAST 2 DECADES, ALLOWING THE SPORT TO BECOME MORE PROFESSIONAL, WITH RULES, MEDIA EXPOSURE, AGENTS, AND MILLIONS OF SPECTATORS WORLDWIDE. THUS, IT IS IMPORTANT TODAY FOR ATHLETES AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACHES TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE FORMS OF TRAINING FOR THESE MODALITIES, INCLUDING NOT ONLY FIGHTING TECHNIQUE BUT ALSO OTHER RELATED COMPONENTS OF OPTIMAL PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, SUCH AS WARM-UP, FLEXIBILITY TRAINING, AND COOL-DOWN.

Full text

Warm-up, Stretching, and
Cool-down Strategies for
Combat Sports
Pablo B. Costa, PhD,
1
Hugo B. O. Medeiros, BS,
2
and David H. Fukuda, MS, CSCS
3
1
Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, California State University—San Bernardino, San
Bernardino, California;
2
Graduate Program in Physical Education, Gama Filho University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and
3
Metabolic and Body Composition Laboratory, Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, Oklahoma
SUMMARY
COMBATANTS HAVE BEEN FIGHT-
ING FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
STRUCTURED COMBAT SPORTS
BETWEEN 2 MEN HAVE EXISTED
FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AS A
SPORT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE
CURRENTLY KNOW AS MIXED
MARTIAL ARTS (MMA). SEVERAL
CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED IN
MMA IN THE LAST 2 DECADES,
ALLOWING THE SPORT TO
BECOME MORE PROFESSIONAL,
WITH RULES, MEDIA EXPOSURE,
AGENTS, AND MILLIONS OF
SPECTATORS WORLDWIDE. THUS,
IT IS IMPORTANT TODAY FOR
ATHLETES AND STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING COACHES TO
BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE
MOST APPROPRIATE FORMS OF
TRAINING FOR THESE MODALITIES,
INCLUDING NOT ONLY FIGHTING
TECHNIQUE BUT ALSO OTHER
RELATED COMPONENTS OF OPTI-
MAL PHYSICAL CONDITIONING,
SUCH AS WARM-UP, FLEXIBILITY
TRAINING, AND COOL-DOWN.
Contemporary mixed martial arts
(MMA) originated from No
Holds Barred competitions in
Brazil, which derives from the Portu-
guese translation ‘‘vale-tudo’’ (literally,
‘‘anything goes’’) (29,37). MMA has
existed for decades in Brazil and other
countries (13,29), and is increasing in
popularity, while combining different
fighting styles (martial arts) (1,2,6,13).
Combatants wearing minimal protec-
tive gear can use punches, kicks, elbows
and knee strikes, stomps, chokes, joint
locks, throws, and more to obtain a
victory by knock-out, technical knock-
out, or submission (16). Arguably, the
most important occurrence has been
the creation of the Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC), which, along
with the interest of executives, has
required fighters to become more pre-
pared in their training as well as
physically conditioned and well-
rounded in different disciplines for these
events (32). Thus, the UFC was the
major commercialization of a sport that
hasbeenaroundforthousandsofyears.
The physiological demand of MMA as
a sport is tremendous, potentially taxing
all energy systems (13).
PROPER WARM-UP
Adequate preparation is necessary for
any athlete during the various phases
of training and competition. This is
especially true given the overall train-
ing intensity that is required of an
MMA fighter (8). Consequently,
a warm-up routine before a training
session is generally accepted and is
a widely used practice before perform-
ing other forms of exercise (15,31,34).
With an effective warm-up routine,
an athlete can improve the initial
state of physical and mental readiness
necessary for muscular performance
(31). Thus, a successful warm-up
routine can improve subsequent per-
formance, reduce muscle soreness, and
aid in the prevention of injuries
(5,15,30,31,39). Muscles, tendons, and
ligaments become more compliant
as the temperature of the tissue is
increased, possibly decreasing the risk
of injury (31). Other benefits include
enhanced aerobic power and lower
levels of lactate, increased speed of
muscle contraction and transmission of
neuronal impulses, greater movement
economy, facilitated oxygen delivery,
and increased cardiac output and blood
flow (8,24,27,31,43). Scientific evidence
has suggested that an active warm-up
appears to be more beneficial than
a passive warm-up (5). Hence, a warm-
up should involve major muscles used
in the training or competition, be
similar to the activity to be engaged,
progress from lower to higher inten-
sity, and be at least 10 minutes in
duration (14), depending on environ-
mental conditions. It should grad-
ually increase in intensity sufficiently
enough to increase muscle and core
temperature without causing fatigue or
depleting energy stores (31). In con-
trast, although an increase in body
KEY WORDS:
combat sports; grappling; Ultimate
Fighting Championship; reality
fighting; mixed martial arts; MMA
Copyright ÓNational Strength and Conditioning Association Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 71

Figure 1. Example of a warm-up routine. (a) Alternating the base with a trunk rotation mimicking the movement of takedown. (b)
Alternating the base with a trunk rotation mimicking the movement of a single-leg takedown. (c) Mimicking the sprawl
movement, used to defend from takedowns with upright stabilization using preferred leg forward and isometric push-up
once on the floor. (d) Stabilization exercise known as ‘‘superman,’’ used to mimic passing the guard while moving and in
balance. (e) Movement to mimic abdomen strength effort from the guard position.
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Warm-up, Stretching, and Cool-down for Combat Sports

Figure 2. Example of a warm-up routine. (a) Movement to mimic abdomen strength effort during trunk rotation from the guard
position. (b) Movement to mimic stabilization done with a partner, using isometric muscle actions to stabilize the lower
back and abdomen, increasing the strength in this region during the movement of guard passing. (c) Same concept as
above, but from a standing position, to increase lower back and abdomen strength. (d) Dynamic movement to switch
bases, mimicking knee strikes. (e) Movement of getting up from the guard, heavily used during fights.
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 73

temperature may be advantageous, an
excessive rise in temperature may
impair body function processes and
consequently lead to negative effects
on overall performance (10,11,25).
Thus, more attention must be given
to the methods and types of warm-up.
A warm-up can be classified as general
or specific (31). A general warm-up
refers to the type of warm-up in which
movements and energy substrates that
are predominant in the sport are not
explicitly addressed. With this type
of warm-up, heart rate, blood flow,
muscle temperature, respiratory rate,
and sweating are increased (5,9). For
example, a general warm-up involving
running increases internal body and
muscle temperature and prepares the
cardiovascular system for performance.
A warm-up is normally considered ade-
quate when the athlete begins to sweat.
A specific warm-up refers to a routine
that is more specific to a particular
activity, in which movements are
performed that mimic the training of
the intended activity, in this case,
combat sports. Dynamic and static
stretches have traditionally served as
a warm-up for the muscles directly
involved in the sport (5,9). A warm-up
routine that is appropriately timed and
performed is essential for the athlete to
benefit the most from training and
competing. For the purpose of practical
application, a sequence of exercises
is demonstrated (Figures 1, 2 and
Table 1) and can be placed into
the warm-up routine of an MMA
athlete. This combination of stimuli
lasts approximately 10–15 minutes,
with only 20–30 seconds of recovery
between exercises.
FLEXIBILITY
During a fight, it is evident that certain
movements require a rather large range
of motion and mobility. A decreased
range of motion in the basic move-
ments necessary in a fight can impair
striking motions while standing or
on the ground. In addition, a lack of
mobility can make it more difficult
to escape from possible submission
attempts. Hence, the level of flexibility
Table 1
Warm-up routine
Exercises Volume Mode
Lunges with unilateral trunk rotation (2 sides) (Figure 1A) 4 sets 10 s Static
Lunges with unilateral trunk rotation (2 sides) (Figure 1B) 4 sets 8 reps Dynamic
Elbow extension (sprawl) (Figure 1C) 4 sets 20 s Isometric
Superman (Figure 1D) 4 sets 20 s Isometric
Static crunches with hip abduction (2 sides) (Figure 1E) 4 sets 20 s Static
Static crunches with hip flexed and trunk rotations (2 sides) (Figure 2A) 3 sets 10 s Static
Static crunches with trunk rotations lying down (2 sides) (Figure 2 B) 3 sets 10 s Static
Static crunches with trunk rotations standing-up (2 sides) (Figure 2C) 3 sets 10 s Static
Static elbow extension with unilateral knee flexion (2 sides) (Figure 2D) 3 sets 10 reps Dynamic
Standing from the guard (2 sides) (Figure 2E) 3 sets 10 reps Dynamic
reps = repetitions.
Figure 3. Example of the importance of flexibility in combat sports. Fighter performing a front high kick to the face and attempting
an arm-bar submission escape.
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Warm-up, Stretching, and Cool-down for Combat Sports

in this case is directly associated with
range of motion, and if it is low, it can
negatively affect performance. Further-
more, the importance of flexibility is
increased in combat sports, which
require movements to be performed
in the extreme ends of the range of
motion, such as in jiu-jitsu, muay thai,
and MMA (17,42). For example, head
kicks and arm-bar submission escapes
require high levels of hip and shoulder
flexibility, respectively (Figure 3). Spe-
cifically, high levels of flexibility of the
hip and knee joint are necessary for
a high kick, and high levels of flexibility
(and strength) of the shoulder joint are
necessary when trying to rotate the
arm around the shoulder joint when
attempting to escape from an arm-bar
submission. Hence, MMA is a combat
sport that requires mobility and an
enhanced range of motion in specific
movements, particularly in the hip and
shoulder joints. Stretching exercises
should aim to mimic and replicate
these movements as much as possible.
Although an extensive discussion on
stretching is beyond the scope of this
article, a distinction between dynamic
and static stretching is crucial because
studies have shown that acute static
stretching may induce performance
decrements (7). For example, pre-
activity static stretching has been shown
to reduce strength, power, speed, bal-
ance, and vertical jump performance(7).
In addition, the theory of stretching for
injury risk prevention is questionable
Table 2
Static stretching
Exercises Volume
Adductors (Figure 4A) 3 reps 20 s
Hamstrings (Figure 4B) 3 reps 20 s
Abductors (Figure 4C) 3 reps 20 s
Shoulders (Figure 4D) 3 reps 20 s
reps = repetitions.
Table 3
Dynamic/ballistic stretching
Exercises Volume
Backward roll (Figure 5A) 2 sets 10 reps 30 s
Base changes for the abductors (Figure 5B) 2 sets 10 reps 30 s
Scorpion for shoulders and trunk (Figure 5C) 2 sets 10 reps 30 s
Hip abduction (Figure 5D) 2 sets 10 reps 30 s
reps = repetitions.
Figure 4. Example of static stretching exercises. (a) Static stretching for the guard. (b) Static stretching for the open guard, used often
during sweeps. (c) Static stretching with a switched base, used during sweeps. (d) Static stretching for the upper body
limbs.
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 75

(18,19). Furthermore, static stretching
does not elevate body temperature and
hence cannot be considered a warm-up.
Therefore, it is suggested that static
stretching exercises should be per-
formed after training or in an entirely
separate training session.
Flexibility is used and required for
various movements in activities of daily
living, and in some sports it becomes
more important than others. Thus,
maintaining an optimal level of flexi-
bility may increase the performance of
athletes in combat sports. Flexibility
can be defined as the maximal passive
physiological amplitude for a given
joint motion (3,4). Flexibility is specific
and may be different across gender,
age, level of physical activity, and
anatomical and musculotendinous
structures (5,35). Flexibility is also
Figure 5. Example of dynamic stretching exercises. (a) Dynamic back roll, mimicking movements when fighting on the ground. (b)
Movement of flexion and extension of the hips and lumbar spine while attempting to switch bases often necessary
during a fight or training. (c) Base switch while on the ground, using the movement of ‘‘scissors’’ to switch bases and to
stand up during a fight. (d) Dynamic stretching for the adductors, often used during passing of the guard.
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Warm-up, Stretching, and Cool-down for Combat Sports

specific to each joint and movement,
and, for example, one athlete can
present different levels of range of
motion for flexion and extension in
the same joint (20,38). Maintaining an
adequate level of flexibility is both
crucial and necessary to enhance
performance in athletes. The stretch-
ing exercises (listed in Tables 2, 3 and
Figures 4, 5) for training flexibility can
be classified as active, passive, ballistic,
and proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation (5). As an example of this
training application for MMA, dy-
namic stretching is recommended for
various reasons. First, the athlete re-
produces similar movements during
the warm-up that he/she will use in
training or in a fight, including specific
rehearsal of movement before exercise
(22,23,41). In addition, research sug-
gests an advantageous increase in body
temperature with dynamic stretching
(23,44) when compared with static
stretching, an increase in neuromuscu-
lar activity (21), stimulation of the
nervous system (28,44), and an associ-
ation with postactivation potentiation
(21,26,36,41,44), leading to perfor-
mance enhancements.
COOL-DOWN
A training session consists of a warm-
up, the training itself, and a cool-down
(14,33). After training, a low-intensity
cool-down session should be per-
formed to facilitate a gradual transition
from an exercise level to a resting state
(33). A cool-down period is essential
after a training session and should last
approximately 5–10 minutes (33,34).
This cool-down period is characterized
as a way to transition the body to
a state of relaxation after training and if
done properly can optimize the pro-
cess of recovery (12). In fact, a cool-
down protocol can effectively recover
the heart rate and blood pressure to
pre-exercise resting levels leading to an
antiarrhythmic effect and protecting
the individual from a cardiac event or
hypotensive episode (40). For example,
the cool-down during recovery can
help facilitate venous return and
Table 4
Cool-down
Exercises Volume Mode
Frontal scorpion (Figure 6A) 2 sets 30 s Static
Spinal extension for the abdomen and hip flexors
(Figure 6B)
2 sets 30 s Static
Backward roll for the cervical and lumbar spine
(Figure 6C)
2 sets 30 s Static
Lateral base for the gluteus and lumbar spine
(Figure 6D)
2 sets 30 s Static
Figure 6. Example of cool-down exercises. (a) Lumbar cool-down using the ‘‘scissors’’ movement. (b) Trunk cool-down, especially of
the abdomen muscles heavily used during a fight or training. (c) Back roll mimicking fighting movements in which the
opponent rolls the fighter backward and achieves top control. This exercise helps the fighter relax in this position often
used during a fight. (d) Light stretch for the lumbar region and anterior thigh muscles mimicking positions in which the
fighter is on the ground and attempts to stand up by grabbing the opponent’s leg(s).
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 77

subsequently prevent pooling of ve-
nous blood (33,40). Thus, intensity
should be gradually decreased fol-
lowed by stretching (14). In addition,
the cool-down may minimize muscle
soreness and stiffness after training or
competition (14).
Table 4 and Figure 6 presents examples
of 4 movements that can be used during
the cool-down period after an MMA
training session with the purpose of
enhancing relaxation of the muscles and
reducing the time needed for recovery
for subsequent training sessions.
CONCLUSION
MMA is composed of various combat
sports that require intense physical
training. A comprehensive strength
and conditioning program for an
MMA athlete should include appropri-
ately planned warm-up, cool-down, and
stretching components. Warm-up ses-
sions may be both general and specific
but should be designed to focus on
active or dynamic movements. Stretch-
ing programs are crucial for sport-
specific movements but should be part
of postexercise cool down routines or
used as a separate focused effort to
enhance flexibility. Cool-down strate-
gies should be developed to enhance
the return to basal metabolic levels and
aid in postexercise recovery.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank
former Ultimate Fighting Champion-
ship (UFC) middleweight title con-
tender Thales Leites for the time taken
to pose for the pictures in this article.
They would also like to thank Mega
Sport Center Gym and Huston Huff-
man Center for making their facilities
available for the pictures to be taken.
Pablo B. Costa
is currently an
assistant professor
in the Department
of Kinesiology at
California State
University, San
Bernardino.
Hugo B. O.
Medeiros is cur-
rently a master
research student in
the Graduate
Program in Physi-
cal Education at
Gama Filho
University.
David H.
Fukuda is cur-
rently a doctoral
research and
teaching assistant
in the Metabolic
and Body Compo-
sition Laboratory at the University of
Oklahoma in the Department of Health
and Exercise Science.
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