Intermediate ground and pound workout Integrate this workout into your training program to improve technique and increase your cardio.
MMA Training Tips
Workout Purpose: This workout emphasizes guard passing techniques and ground-and-pound from dominate mount positions. As you work the drills, first throw soft strikes as the guy on bottom plays dummy. It is just a drill, so the guy on bottom should not resist, but should use his hands to cover his face and body from attack. Take turns and switch positions. While training in your partner’s guard, make sure to throw a variation of strikes—just mark the strikes, don’t actually beat your partner.
For example:
- Elbows to the thighs.
- Straight elbows to the head/chest/stomach
- Looping elbows, hammer fists to the face/chest/stomach
- Straight punches to all 3 sections
- Looping punches/hooks
- Hammer fists stomach/head/body
- Short straight punches followed by an elbow After passing guard, alternate dominate positions with your partner.
Start the Workout
- Round 1 Pass guard into scarf control. Throw strikes for 3 minutes, switch partners.
- Round 2 Pass guard into dominate north-south position. Throw strikes for 3 minutes, switch partners.
- Round 3 Pass guard into side control (go clockwise or counter-clockwise; don’t repeat side control on the same side).
- Throw strikes for 3 minutes, switch partners. Combat Sports MMA Sparring Gloves
- Round 4 Pass guard into dominate position with knee on belly. Throw strikes for 3 minutes, switch partners.
- Round 5 Pass guard into dominate mount position. Throw strikes for 3 minutes, switch partners. Repeat as needed for training or camp.
For the more advanced grappler:
Next, add submissions for the guy on the bottom and then for the guy on the top during each round.
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