| You could say I'm an old-timer when it comes to MMA. | | | | idea of what to do. |
| And I guess I've been doing the MMA workout routine | | | | I researched what the NFL football teams were doing |
| for about 10 years. | | | | in their strength and conditioning programs. What I |
| I first got involved in Gracie jujitsu or as it is sometimes | | | | found was that they were applying a concept that |
| referred to - Brazilian jujitsu - with Craig Kukuk. | | | | hadn't even been named yet. Today you may know it |
| Craig was teaching BJJ in Red Bank New Jersey. he | | | | as "High-Intensity Interval Training." |
| had just recently formed an alliance with Renzo Gracie | | | | Originally Ultimate Fighting or mixed martial arts fights |
| and they were selling their training tapes in Black Belt | | | | were not at all like boxing or wrestling matches. If you |
| Magazine. | | | | remember Royce Gracie - his fights had no time limits |
| Unfortunately like most people that start out in BJJ - | | | | so you had an opportunity to tire out your opponent. |
| you find out that your conditioning and stamina stinks. | | | | Today, fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship or |
| So I sought out a better way to perform my MMA | | | | UFC as it's called - can vary from three minute to five |
| workout routine. A way in which nobody at that time | | | | minute rounds depending on the fight. |
| was even using, because it was 1993 and mixed | | | | Endurance and stamina has become even more |
| martial arts was just coming onto the scene. | | | | important as part of an MMA workout routine. |
| Just to give you an idea of how far the mixed martial | | | | So much so, that recently Tito Ortiz purchased Oscar |
| arts workout routines have come, when I asked most | | | | De La Hoya's boxing camp at Big Bear Lake for a |
| of the martial artists around me how to improve | | | | reported $2.1 million. |
| conditioning and stamina for grappling their answer | | | | Tito, has known the benefits of high-altitude training to |
| was do more jujitsu. | | | | get himself and the people that he trained with in great |
| So I decided to do some reading on the subject of | | | | physical condition. Stamina and endurance are critical in |
| strength and conditioning. Now mind you, I was a | | | | your success and a good MMA workout routine |
| wrestler in high school and college so I really had some | | | | should include some high altitude training. |