Functional Bodyweight Program:
Scientifically designed to meet the needs of fighters & martial artists.
This program is for two types of people:
1. Fighters & martial artists who need to train without any fancy equipment
It’s for growth-oriented fighters & martial artists who won’t take “quarantine” or “the gym is closed” as excuses to train with less quality.
It’s also for fighters training on vacation or in isolation, who cannot afford to “lose their edge”.
These are fighters who choose to never stop growing. Fighters who are determined to rise & stay at the top of their game no matter what the circumstances.
2. Fighters who need to rapidly “get back into shape” after “less-than-ideal” training periods
This is also for fighters who have honestly lost a bit of strength, power, or speed during the quarantine period or time off of training, and want to gain it back as quickly & efficiently as possible.
Because if we’re being honest… for most fighters & martial artists…
The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
As soon as the pandemic hit and the world was forced into quarantine, I needed to create a training program to help my clients and fighters continue their progress without fancy gym equipment.
My clients and fighters didn’t want to stop training. They couldn’t let all their hard work and progress come to a stop. It was actually the opposite – they were determined to come out of quarantine better than ever.
I’d already made a TRX-based “Minimum Equipment” program… but TRX was sold out by the time most of my clients tried to get one for themselves.
So I had to design programs specifically for my clients – and especially for fighters & martial artists – so they could keep growing even though they couldn’t hit the gym as usual.
But making bodyweight training work for fighters is tricky. Because even though there’s plenty of free information out there – very little is geared toward fighters & martial artists.
Why most fighters fail to grow with bodyweight programs
Progressive overload is a lot more simple in the gym – you add more weight than last time.
When it comes to bodyweight, it’s a lot trickier.
You can only add so much volume. At some point, you have to learn new movements & progressions to add more resistance.
Which also doubles as skill training.
Learning how to use your shoulders, legs, and the rest of your body in ways you never did before.
But this takes a LOT of time and effort – especially for those who are also doing cardio and combat sport training.
It’s much easier to add weight to a bar, than to learn a new movement.
And knowing exactly which movements & exercises to use, and which aren’t worth it – that’s a whole different story.
It requires precise knowledge of sport-specific movement patterns, motor skills, and relative forces and velocities…
Which isn’t easy to figure out, even after years of studying sports science, biomechanics, and the sport itself.
Fighters are serious athletes who need a fully developed athletic profile.
Take a look around any gym, and you’ll find that most fighters have some sort of athletic imbalance.
Some fighters have lots of strength and power but gas out quickly. Others seem like they can train all day long, but are totally lacking when it comes to explosive power.
There are very few who actually work on ALL parts of their game – especially their weaknesses.
While most people will just “live with their weaknesses” – those who reach the top of their game in any field will work on their weaknesses until they become strengths.
To do this, fighters need to train strength, power, speed, AND endurance.
Unfortunately, most bodyweight programs stop at strength or power… which leads to gaps and imbalances in a fighter’s game.
That being said…
Bodyweight training (if done properly) fills the gaps most fighters neglect.
Fighters who haven’t done much bodyweight training have more to gain than most of them realize.
Bodyweight training done right improves balance, postural stability, proprioception & efficiency in movement.
It also helps improve the structural integrity of the body, by strengthening the core, joints, ligaments, and tendons – which leads to a more resilient body, and less likelihood of training/fighting injury.
This is why a period of bodyweight training is not just useful, but even necessary for fighters who want to develop full mastery of their body.
What’s falling short is the same as it’s always been – genuine training methods based on scientific principles.
The difficulty is in figuring out
- Proper exercises & progressions (choosing movement patterns that are actually useful for fighters)
- Proper development of athletic qualities (strength, power, AND speed)
If these two conditions are met, bodyweight training can be JUST as effective, or even MORE effective, than traditional weight training.
And that’s what I aimed to fulfill with this program.
Introducing: The Functional Bodyweight Program
This is a functional bodyweight training program designed specifically for fighters and martial artists of all kinds.
I specialise in Strength & Conditioning for Muay Thai, but I specifically made this program to be effective for all kinds of fighters and martial artists.
The purpose is to help fighters & martial artists turn periods of training in isolation into periods of superior transformation.
If you’re buying this during the COVID-19 pandemic: My hope is that you will come out of this period of “social isolation” better than ever.
What makes this different from other bodyweight programs?
It is not just a bunch of exercises for the “arms, legs, abs, shoulder, back, and butt” cobbled together into a routine that make people “feel like a bodybuilder”.
It’s a functional training program built for competitive fighters & those who want to perform like one.
This involves training fight-specific movement patterns and applying progressive overload with increasing volume and intensity.
This way we can build a complete athletic profile for fighters & martial artists.
It doesn’t just focus on strength like most bodyweight programs do.
It involves building ALL of the qualities fighters need – strength, power, AND speed – because fighters can’t afford to be lacking in any of these areas.
These are in no way necessary – but if you have them, I show you exactly how to make the most of them.
If you have these, you can add resistance to specific movement patterns which are more difficult to train with bodyweight alone.
So I’ve included options to incorporate kettlebells, a pull-up bar, and resistance bands – and have given instructions on exactly where to put them in the program as substitutes for the default bodyweight-only exercises.
If you don’t, no worries – the bodyweight exercises & progressions will certainly be challenging enough.
This training program will help you improve in terms of mobility, postural stability, proprioception and body awareness.
The exercises chosen help to develop stronger tendons, ligaments, and joints – which make the body resilient, and less prone to training & fighting injuries.
Especially knee and shoulder injuries, which are largely a result of high-impact movements using improper movement patterns (for example, running with poor form, or throwing high-force punches with improper alignment).
How it works
The Functional Bodyweight Program is an 8-week progressive bodyweight training program, consisting of two 4-week training blocks:
A Mobility and Movement block, and a Functional Strength block.
Both blocks involve committing to 2-3 functional training sessions per week.
Each session takes approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Each session involves a specific set of exercises, programmed with precise volume & intensity to develop
- Functional strength & movement patterns
- Explosive power
- Speed & agility
- Balance
- Rock-solid abs & postural stability
These 2 blocks are meant to be cycled. After successfully completing the first 8-week training cycle, you can run more 8-week cycles using the included exercise progressions.
Both blocks do not require any gym equipment. This program is built on bodyweight training to ensure nothing prevents you getting started, and keeping on top of your fitness while you’re unable to make it to the gym.
Here are some examples of bodyweight exercises used in the program, and the equipment based exercises they replace…
If you have resistance bands, a kettlebell or dumbbell, or pull-up bar – I’ve provided precise instructions on how to incorporate these as well.
But they are not necessary – the bodyweight exercises and progressions I’ve included were chosen to make the same adaptations & growth we aim for in any high-level athletic training programs.
This is how it works:
Weeks 1-4: Movement & Mobility
The focus of this block is primarily on Mobility & Movement –
with some concurrent functional strength, speed and power training thrown into the mix.
Because this block targets mobility and movement, the relative levels of strength, power, and speed qualities trained are proportionate, but at a lower level than in the following strength block.
Relative Proportions of Training Volume.Load
This bar chart shows the intensity multiplied by the number of sets and reps for each of the relative concurrently trained athletic qualities in this block.
This ensures that all qualities are maintained (or even developed if you’re relatively untrained in this quality), and that the predominant emphasis is strength development.
We start with 4 weeks of Mobility & Movement block which works on some of the biggest “foundational weaknesses” most fighters have today.
Our aim in these 4 weeks is to
- Improve postural stability & structural integrity
- Better proprioception and body awareness
- Greater mobility & flexibility
- Develop movement qualities – mobility, stability, and coordination – for better technique both in the ring and in the weight room
- Strengthen tendons, ligaments, and joints to prevent injuries and overtraining
Resistance Training sessions consist of:
- Soft Tissue & Flexibility Work
- Activation & Movement prep (warm-ups)
- Plyometric/Speed, Explosive Power, and Functional Strength Circuits
- Mobility Circuits
Weeks 5-8: Functional Strength
The second block has an emphasis on developing “Functional Strength”
The purpose of this block is to continue anatomical adaptation (functional strength/hypertrophy) started in the previous block, and begin to train the central nervous system to generate maximal force using functional movement patterns
Relative Proportions of Training Volume.Load
This bar chart shows the intensity multiplied by the number of sets and reps for each of the relative concurrently trained athletic qualities in this block.
This ensures that all qualities are maintained (or even developed if you’re relatively untrained in this quality), and that the predominant emphasis is strength development.
The purpose of this block is to continue anatomical adaptation (functional strength/hypertrophy) started in the previous block, and begin to train the central nervous system to generate maximal force using functional movement patterns
Here we will use bodyweight exercises specifically chosen to
- Improve striking technique by strengthening the same movement patterns used for punches, kicks, and defensive techniques
- Increase capacity to generate power from the legs for BOTH lower-body strikes (kicks and knees) and upper-body strikes (punches and elbows)
- Increase efficiency of power transfer from legs to striking limbs by building a stable core
Functional Strength sessions consist of:
- Soft Tissue & Flexibility Work
- Activation & Movement prep (warm-ups)
- Plyometric/Speed, Explosive Power, and Functional Strength Circuits
- Power Endurance Circuits
- Active Recovery (mobility & accessory work in between main “working sets”)
Ready to get started?
This is what you get when you enrol in the Functional Bodyweight Program:
- Functional Bodyweight Training Mobility & Movement Block
- Functional Bodyweight Training Strength Block
- Detailed training plans & PDF print-outs
- Step-by-step exercise tutorial videos & progressions
Still not sure? This is for you IF
– You are a martial artist or fighter of any kind (you train Muay Thai, MMA, or any other striking/grappling art)
– You are interested in learning how to MOVE better – expanding your range of motion for smoother, faster, more efficient movement and greater flexibility (which translates directly into better punches, kicks, and other fighting techniques)
– You want to develop a complete athletic profile – which includes training strength, power, AND speed
– You want a bodyweight training program designed specifically for the needs of fighters
– You want to come out of quarantine even better than before
– You are coming back from a “less-than-ideal” period of training, and want to get back into shape as quickly & efficiently as possible
Frequently Asked Questions
Because each of the three resistance sessions provided are total body routines, doing more than three of these will be detrimental to your recovery and therefore your progress.
If you want to add more training sessions, cardio conditioning (endurance) sessions, or Muay Thai/MMA/grappling sessions should be your choice. The weekly templates provided show you how you can scale these up or down to best effect around the three resistance sessions.
As a general rule, if you have both resistance bands and kettlebells available to you, opt for the kettlebell exercise – as long as the resistance it provides you achieves the required intensity prescribed in the sessions template.
If you are better able to achieve the required intensity target prescribed in the template using resistance bands (because the kettlebells you have are either too heavy or too light), then use your resistance bands instead.
Yes, the Functional Bodyweight Program comes with videos (of both exercise tutorials, and session structure walk-throughs) as well as session template PDF’s for you to download.
This montage video shows examples of some of the bodyweight exercises used (and their relative equipment-based counterparts).
Yes, there are progressions provided by way of exercise variations and/or intensity ranges aligned to desired loading for each week in the training block. And you have video tutorials for every exercise, and videos showing you how to follow the training templates too.
Cardio training sessions aren’t included, this program provides you with your resistance training sessions. However, weekly structure templates do include your cardio training – so you know exactly how to plan your training week for maximum efficiency & performance.
If you have a TRX, I’d recommend the Minimum Equipment Program because it runs for full 12-week fight camp and includes cardio conditioning sessions too.
This program uses a self-selected “relative intensity” progression model, meaning that you dial in the exercise version or load used to meet the weekly prescribed intensity.
That way, you get the right level of training, regardless of your starting ability.
Ready to get started?
This is what you get when you enrol in the Functional Bodyweight Program:
- Functional Bodyweight Training Mobility & Movement Block
- Functional Bodyweight Strength Block
- Detailed training plans & PDF print-outs
- Step-by-step exercise tutorial videos & progressions
