Building The Ultimate MMA Athlete Review

If you stay fairly abreast of things in the strength training community then you know who the Diesel Crew is. These guys are no joke, they are to grip training what Westside is to powerlifting (in my opinion) they're revolutionizing the industry.

So when I saw that they had an MMA manual I figured it was no joke, but I was thinking really what do they know about MMA? Well other than being avid fans and participating in combat sports themselves, their keen eye for detail is what sets them apart. The same keen eye that helps them become innovators in the field of grip training is evident when you go through this manual.

To begin, with what normally probably wouldn't interest most (but should), the Nutrition section, Supplemental (Balance, High Altitude Training, Agility/Reaction/Quickness, Equilibrium, Breathing), and Mental Aspects is ridiculously informative. There are things that they present for you in these sections that took me years of trial and error to learn. DO NOT pass this up thinking that it's unimportant. This information will improve your recovery time (an invaluable asset) and is just as beneficial as the training routine.

Continuing on to what you want to hear about, Most of the time when you get some sort of strength training material (no offense to anyone) but they go through a whole lot of redundant information. They always want to explain things to you that are almost irrelevant. While the Diesel Crew goes into a good bit of theory none of it is redundant and actually pretains directly to the following material. Rather than repeating what you already know, they give you an understanding of WHY they reccomend the following. It's not just a bunch of fluff.

The Energy pathways used, sport specific movement pattersn, functional positioning, skill breakdowns, and other functional concepts are discussed.

A lot of trainers attempt to follow sport specific movements but they usually miss the boat in my opinion. Either by loading up the literal movement and changing the movement mechanics or by doing something that while it "looks" like the movement is really irrelevant.

Lets get into the specific exercises (I Don't want to give away too much): If you've lifted weights for a while and trained mma, you come to the conclusion yourself that they two are far different. Normally this is because we engage in bodybuilder style lifting. 3 sets of 8 reps for curls will not help slam your opponent. As you progress further, strongman training seems like the right way to go but you need previous strength from some implements and the neural fatigue is high and after a while...

So what do you do? Well the D-crew pretty much has it figured out for you. "Incorporating the progression theory, with the 'extension of movement', and 'movement under tension'- The Diesel Method will allow you to take the typical exercises and apply a multi-dimensional force production approach"

You really don't need much equipment at all... It's not your conventional materials. "Rolling Thunders", Bands, Sandbags, Kegs, A kettlebell or two... and you're pretty much ready to go.

They cover prehabilitative exercises, and often neglected muscle groups (such as your ankles, knees, neck, etc). The exercise selection focuses on the hip/core musculature and how to transfer power from your feet to the hips and out through the arms. Every movement is designed for power production. If you're not smooth and strong you'll not complete the movement. But rest assured unlike olympic lifting there is no learning curve and really on some movements you make it up yourself (Sounds like it doesn't make sense but it does haha).

Most movements are inherently spontaneous because of the extensive use of odd objects and sometimes you kind of have to make it up as you go along. As they say in the manual, "Random Movements, Huge Rewards". You can hit every angle and level of movement with 95% of the movements presented. One of my personal favorites (Keg/Kettlebell Explosions) have the potential to make you VERY ballistically strong. To quote the manual again, "The athlete becomes more efficient at generating force AND power in all movement patterns in a training environment that stresses dynamic stabilization."

I can't speak enough about the exercises. From giving you a RUGGED grip, and making you ruthlessly powerful another benefit is that I have there are a lot (meaning 98%) of these exercises that I have NEVER seen them before. EVER. And the one's that you can learn from other available sources they don't waste your time on (olifts, kettlebell lifts, etc). You'll definitely be doing something different than your competition. But not just different. EFFECTIVE. Every plane of motion you would encounter in a combat situation from that position is accounted for.

The anaerobic conditioning is addressed through using their unique movements in the form of complexes, there isn't much to say other than what they put in like 72 inch font. BE CREATIVE WHEN DESIGNING YOUR ANAEROBIC CONDITIONING!

The Conjugate Method is utilized 3 days a week allowing you to account for your energy work as well as every range up and down the force/strength curve.What really impressed me was that they balanced the strength training well with the skill training. The strength training wasn't given the forefront of the training. Instead they focused on how exercise volume should be modified to fit your level of recovery from the previous training session. Harmonizing those attributes are at the core of being able to handle the workload of mma training. As they put it, "Obey the principle without being bound to it".

It's not a cookie cutter program and they give you a great idea on how to implement the program concepts efficiently. So don't feel bad if you can't do every single exercise because of a lack of equipment or whatever. Absorb the concepts.

"Building the Ultimate MMA Athlete" probably won't make you bench press more. The manual also probably won't improve your squat, or your deadlift.*

What it will do is give you the ability to enforce your will on your opponent. If you want to never say, "He was just too strong". If you want to enhance every athletic aspect necessary to become a great Mixed Martial Artist, then this is the book for you.

*Actually, more than likely it can improve your other lifts!

Dorian D.
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http://www.dieselcrew.com/MMA.HTM