Hurricane training Part I: short and powerful, like a dangerous storm, our exclusive MMA workout will burn fat and build a fighter's heart

Men's Fitness, August, 2008 by Martin Rooney

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We all want to look like fighters--except for the broken teeth, scars, and cauliflower ears. Especially mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, who generally possess the c h seed physique and overall hardened, rugged appearance that most guys covet. Our exclusive two-part workout (Part II is next month) will show you how the world's best fighters get their stamina--and how you can use their techniques to develop a fighter's physique and tireless wind.

WORKOUT I

ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE

The age-old method among combat athletes for building endurance and getting lean is "roadwork," which usually consists of getting up at 4 a.m. and running for an hour or more. But long, slow aerobic training has been slammed by recent science showing that briefer, more intense bouts of exercise are far superior for building endurance that's specific to the fight game. Short, harder cardio sessions have also been shown to even build lean muscle while burning more fat.

Enter Hurricane training, a favorite conditioning tool among MMA athletes. As you know, a hurricane is a powerful yet brief storm that leaves destruction in its wake that requires extensive rebuilding. Similarly, Hurricane training causes a major disruption to your body (translation: it's freakin' hard), forcing it to burn loads of calories and fat during the workout, and for days afterward in order to return your system to normal. The program we outline causes acute increases in growth hormone and testosterone, both of which help you build muscle and burn fat simultaneously. Our workout also raises your metabolism for 38 to 48 hours; you'll be burning fat even in your sleep.

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The MF Hurricane program consists of nine intervals of high-intensity cardio interspersed with body-weight or free-weight exercises. We'll start you with two basic Hurricane routines--Categories 1 and 2, in ascending order of difficulty--this issue, to get you acclimated. Next month, the "winds" will pick up a bit with Categories 3 to 5.

HURRICANE TRAINING DIRECTIONS

FREQUENCY: Perform the Category 1 workout at least three times, resting at least a day between each session. Afterward, you can move on to Category 2, performing the workout twice a week, again resting at least a day between each session.

CATEGORY 1

HOW TO DO IT: Choose a cardio activity and get to any equipment you need in order to do it. For example, you can run on a treadmill or track, use an exercise bike, or jump rope. Warm up with light activity (such as a jog, or light pedaling if you're on the bike) for five minutes. Now up your intensity so that you're working at near maximum effort for 15 seconds. (If you're on a treadmill, for instance, this would be a sprint.) Next, slow down or stop (depending on the activity) and figure out your heart rate: Find your pulse next to your Adam's apple and count the beats for six seconds. Multiply that number by 10 to find your heart rate in beats per minute. When your heart rate drops to 120 beats per minute, perform another intense bout of your cardio activity. Repeat the process for nine total intervals. Time your rest periods and try to perform your intervals with less rest in each succeeding workout.

CATEGORY 2

HOW TO DO IT: Perform intervals of high-intensity cardio as described above, but increase the time to 20 seconds each. In lieu of resting between intervals, follow each burst with one set of two exercises (done back-to-back) for active recovery. Perform 10 reps of each exercise as fast as you can, using a relatively light weight (do not go to failure). After every third interval, you'll change the exercises you do during your recovery period. See the table below for the prescribed exercises.

CATEGORY 2 WORKOUT

INTERVALS            EXERCISE

   1-3       Medicine-ball toe touch,
                    judo pushup

   4-6               Pike up,
                 single-leg burpee

   7-9      Medicine-ball triangle abs,
                 Swiss-ball pushup

WORKOUT II

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MEDICINE-BALL TOE TOUCH

Hold a medicine ball with both hands and lie on your back on the floor. Raise your legs into the air and hold the ball against your chest [1]. Contract your abs and crunch your torso toward your legs, reaching with the ball until it touches your toes [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep.

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JUDO PUSHUP

Get into pushup position and raise your hips high in the air, so that you're up on your toes and your arms are stretched out in front of you [1], Lower your body in an arcing motion until your chest is about an inch off the floor [2] and continue pushing your torso forward as you push up, so that your torso is pointing almost straight up [3]. Return to the starting position. That's one rep.

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PIKE UP

Lie on your back on the floor and reach your arms over your head [1]. Contract your abs and crunch your torso up as high as you can while simultaneously raising your legs into the air. Your fingers and toes should meet in the air [2]. Lower your body back down in a controlled motion, keeping your lower back flat against the floor. That's one rep.