Kevin Kearns knows what it means to train like a fighter – he has trained UFC fighters like Kenny Florian, Stephan Bonnar, and Marcus Davis for a living for many years. Now you can get a chance at these hardcore workouts, that also happen to be a lot of fun.
To learn more about Kevin, read our feature interview:
Featured Coach: Kevin Kearns, Part 1 – Blowing Up With the UFC
Featured Coach: Kevin Kearns, Part 2 – Everybody Has a Good Fight
Workout 5: “Bodyblade – MMA-Style”
The Bodyblade is no Shake Weight, my friend – no gag gift. This is a serious piece of fitness equipment that we use for all sports. We will use it from rehab for a shoulder to cage combat specific exercises. Don’t let this bow-type apparatus fool you at all. It can challenge the best of us.
You may ask, “Coach, why does it work?” Simply put it works your smaller muscles from the inside out while awakening your central nervous system (CNS) for a higher demand. The more you activate your CNS, the more muscle memory and coordination comes into play. Guess what? That translates into more force you can put into your strikes.
When you add another piece of equipment such as a stability ball, Bosu, or agility ladder it kicks into high gear. We actually developed a whole MMA workout just with the Bodyblade lasting 30 minutes. In this article we will share some of those exercises, which will help bring your game up a notch.
1. Bodyblade Sit Out
One of the toughest elements to rehearse without a partner is getting back up your feet when someone is on top of you, constantly changing the angle of attack. Place the blade in one hand as you lie all the way on the floor. Keep the blade moving as you get back to your feet.
Key point: Keep the moving through the whole motion.
Volume: Try this for 1 minute switching arms every rep.
2. Knee in the belly
A great move when you are in the top position. We like the to use a stability ball to increase the neural demand and sport specificity. Place one knee on a stability ball and grab the blade in the other hand. Now with the same motion hold the ball in position, get the blade moving, and start throwing the blade hand towards the ground.
Key point: Have the balance equal on both feet.
3. Post and punch
Being able to balance on one hand and throw punches, or what they call “post and punch,” is an important component in MMA. Start in a push up position and grab the blade in one hand. Get the blade moving and rotate it through a full range of motion.
Key point: Reach the blade all the way under you for an added challenge.
Volume: Repeat these drills for 1 minute each for 4 to 5 rounds.
As you can see, the Bodyblade is an awesome tool for MMA or any other sport. As most people who know my company and me understand, we don’t endorse any product unless we use it and believe in it.