MMA is an extremely physical sport, making strength and conditioning very important to building a strong, resilient, injury free athletes that can perform at high levels under high levels of fatigue.

Kettlebells can be a great tool to use in order to create the adaptions required for MMA fighters. Having a well rounded full body resistance training will be very beneficial to MMA players. I have inluded the key movement patterns and exercises for both the core musculature.

The 11 Kettlebell Exercises For MMA Fighters To Add Into Their Strength Workouts

Common Questions

Do MMA Fighters Use Kettlebells?

Yes. They are a common tool in the strength and conditioning programmes for MMA fighters.

Are Kettlebell Swings Good For MMA?

Yes, but it isn’t some sort of magic exercise, it could just be part of a well structured strength and conditioning protocol.

What Exercises Do MMA Fighters Do For Training?

They use a variety of exercises for a variety of outcome, try and think about which movement patterns they use like the squat, hinge, horizontal press etc rather than the specific exercises as there are countless numbers of exercises but only a limited few movement categories.

Is Kettlebell Training And Kettlebell Workouts Effective For MMA?

Yes. Kettlebell training can be excellent way to both improve conditioning and strength while also being used for shoulder stability and core work. As a coach, I think pulling strength mixed with core strength will be key for groundwork. Improving pulling strength can be done through adding kettlebell back exercises into your workouts.