Powell Combat Arts

I am a big believer in physical fitness. This is especially important for those engaged in Combat Sports, such as Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA. It does not matter how skillful you are if you cannot go the distance. That is why I became a Certified MMA Conditioning Coach. I wanted to have the knowledge to train athletes to be in top physical condition to compete successfully. To show just how serious I am about fitness, I recently entered a fitness competition. I am competing to be crowned Mr. Health & Fitness for 2023. You can view my profile and cast your vote here: https://featured.muscleandfitness.com/2023/roderick-p

Back in the old days, many boxers used to chop wood with an axe as a regular part of their conditioning routine.  Former heavyweight boxing champ George Foreman, one of the sports most devastating punchers, used to regularly chop wood.  He credited it with giving him almost superhuman punching power.  More recently, Floyd Mayweather Jr has been seen chopping wood. Many of the same benefits from chopping wood can be gained by slamming a sledgehammer into a tractor tire.  It is one of my favorite conditioning exercises.  I also have my boxing trainees do it.  Hammering a tire works your shoulders, arms and upper-back muscles.  It also improves endurance and grip strength.  Not too many exercises can both shed fat, build muscle, and give you a powerful right cross at the same time.  It's also a great way to relieve stress! I suggest you use a staggered stance the same as you would when fighting.  I have my boxers hammer the tire in both...

No doubt you have seen video of boxers jumping rope.  The flashy and mesmerizing moves.  It is not all for show.  Jumping rope is one of the best ways to improve your footwork for fighting; whether in boxing, kick-boxing, or MMA.  It helps your rhythm, balance, coordination, and endurance.  The exercise strengthens your calf muscles.  Jumping rope is great for a warm up exercise before you engage in more strenuous work in the gym. The basics - rotate your wrists, not your arms and try to just clear the rope with your hops, and look straight ahead and not at your feet.  Now grab a rope and start skipping!

There is a big difference between strength and power.  Strength is exemplified by a boxer who can knock you out with a single punch; assuming he can land it.  Power is when a boxer can close the distance quickly with footwork, beat you to the punch, and knock you out with that punch.  In other words, power is a combination of strength and speed.  Power can emanate from the legs, upper body, and both.  When I think of power, I think of explosiveness.  A boxer or martial artist with explosiveness is very tough to contend with.  So how to you develop explosiveness?  The secret is plyometrics.  Upper body plyometrics usually involve throwing or slamming a medicine ball.  Even old school clapping push-ups can be done.  Lower body plyometrics include exercises like the box jump or any vertical or horizontal jumps.  Kettlebell swings is a great all-around plyometric exercise.  Click below for examples of some of my favorite plyom...

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing out-of-shape martial artists.  There is no way you can be at your best in the ring or in a street confrontation without some minimum level of physical fitness.  If you follow me on social media, you have no doubt seen pictures of me walking through the park carrying a heavy sandbag.  I don't do this just to have interesting pics to post.  What I am doing is a phenomenal physical conditioning exercise called the Loaded Carry .  Legendary strength and conditioning coach Dan John said, "The loaded carry does more to expand athletic qualities than any other single thing I've attempted in my career as a coach and athlete." The loaded carry is a very simple exercise.  All you need to do is pick up something heavy and walk.  That something heavy can be a kettlebell, dumbbell, barbell, hex bar, sandbag, or your little kid.  I often use two or more types of weights simultaneously.  For example, sometimes I will...