What Are Some Ballistic Exercises for MMA Fighters?

In contrast to normal resistance training, ballistic exercises have no eccentric phase -- that is, you throw the weight or your body explosively at full power rather than decelerating and slowly lowering. This helps you develop power without needing to increase your body weight. By using a range of exercises, your efforts will translate to mixed martial arts in many ways, including more power in your punches, take-downs and sweeps.

  1. Olympic Lifts

    • MMA coach Eric Wong recommends the two Olympic lifts -- the snatch and the clean and jerk -- to help you develop explosive power for your fights. In the snatch, you lift the weight from the ground to above your head with straight arms in one motion, while in the clean and jerk you lift the weight to your chest before pushing it overhead. These exercises develop the back chain of muscles as well as the shoulders and triceps. Olympic lifts are technically very challenging and carry a significant risk of injury if performed incorrectly, so seek the guidance of an professional trainer before attempting them.

    Jump Squats

    • Jump squats can also help you develop your glutes and quads, but are easier to perform than Olympic lifts. Stand in front of a bench or other object that you can jump onto. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and squat so that your legs are parallel with the ground. Jump as high as you can and then land on the box. You can also do jump squats from a lunge position, but in this case you won't need the bench – just jump straight up into the air. Swap your leg positions in mid-air to ensure even development.

    Medicine Ball Slams

    • In addition to the back, glutes and hamstrings, you'll also want to work the front chain and hip flexors with ballistic exercises. Hold a medicine ball above your head with your arms straight. Flex at the hips as you slam the ball to the ground, keeping the back straight. You can perform a similar movement while doing a situp by throwing the ball up into the air as you sit up, and catching it before you rock back. You can lift your legs up as you roll back to increase your momentum.

    Medicine Ball Throws

    • Martin Rooney, author of the 2008 book “Training for Warriors,” recommends medicine ball throws as part of an MMA training routine, either with lighter balls as a warmup, or heavier balls to develop power. Stand with one side to a wall and hold the ball away from the wall. Twist your upper body as you throw the ball explosively at the wall. This builds power in your trunk rotation for punches. You can also stand facing the wall with the ball against your chest, and thrust the ball forward. This works the triceps more.