Essential Mobility Drills For Every Fighter

Martial artists need to work on their strength, speed, and flexibility. In martial arts and boxing training, mobility and flexibility are usually nowhere to be seen, while fighters pay attention and spend hours on developing power and refining techniques. For a solid performance, flexibility is the key component.

Mobility and flexibility in a fighter enhance the movements, reduce injury risk, and give a competitive edge in the ring. It can elevate your fighting skills, as you will be more flexible to move your joints in a complete range of motion.

This blog serves as an essential guide covering all essential mobility drills a fighter should be doing to level up against any opponent in the ring.

Mobility for Combat Athletes: Why It Matters

No matter what your sport is, mobility is essential. There are specific protocols for fighters and athletes to utilize their major muscle groups and incorporate mobility workouts. The mobility stretches for kickboxers are important for the following reasons.

Improved Range of Motion

A fighter wants fluid movements, solid footwork, and smooth transitions, and without a better range of motion, this cannot be achieved. Including effective mobility drills that work on all joints can help to achieve this. Range of motion in fighters allows them to produce maximum force, providing protection against injuries.

Decreased Injury Risk

The combat sports flexibility drills can effectively reduce the risk of injuries by increasing blood flow. The mobility drills are also an important part of the recovery process in combat sports athletes in case of injuries like sprains or strains.

Improves Performance

The mobility exercises lengthen the muscles and allow for smoother transition in different movements while throwing fierce and strong punches. Other than that, working on relaxing and stretching the muscles also allows you to recover better after training.

It is important for athletes to warm up effectively before training or competition. The warm-up routine for martial arts and combat sports prepare athletes mentally and physically to meet the demands of sports training and competition. The dynamic warm-up for martial arts also aids in improving blood flow to the muscles, and joint’s range of motion, which decreases the risk of injury.

The warm-up routine before training also boosts athletic performance by preparing them mentally for the upcoming activities. Athletes should have a detailed warm-up session focusing on their needs, goals, and abilities to overcome the challenges in the game while providing optimal support for practice.

The training routine or competition is hard for combat sports athletes and stepping into it without preparing the body will harm them. Spending at least 15–20 minutes warming up the muscles with an effective stretching routine is recommended.

Following are the best dynamic warm-up drills for MMA and Combat Sports athletes:

Arm Circles: Doing at least 2 sets of arm circles on each side with 30–35 reps prepares the athletes for rigorous training. The exercise also warm-ups the shoulder joint for effective striking and grappling.
Leg Swings: Athletes need to mobilize their hip joints for powerful kicks and effective footwork. The leg swings on each side for at least 3 minutes help in that.
Lunges With Twists: It is an effective warm-up exercise that engages the core, hips, and spine for maximum mobility and flexibility.
High Knees and Butt Kicks: Important to elevate the heart rate before training, these exercises also warm up the lower body for explosive movements. Do each exercise for at least one minute.
Hip Circles: The exercise works great to increase mobility in the hip joint while engaging core muscles and promoting better balance.

Hip Mobility Drills for Fighters

It is very common to experience stiffness in the hip joint due to excessive hours of sitting, even in fighters. The mobility exercises for martial arts are necessary to tackle the problem, which otherwise can cause knee and back pain and limit the movements completely, affecting their training. Hip mobility for fighters improves their range of motion and builds explosive power in their lower body, which is necessary for kicks and maintaining a good balance. Following are some hip joint mobility drills for MMA fighters and combat sports athletes:

Hip Flexor Stretch

The hip flexor stretch is a great exercise to remove tension and tightness from the hips.

Kneel on the floor and bring your right leg in front of you. The right thigh should be parallel to the floor, and the other leg should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure that your foot is flat on the floor.
Put your hands on your hips, engage your glutes and core, and move forward without moving your bent leg. Feel the stretch in the front thigh and glutes. Repeat on the other side.

90/90 Stretch

The stretch improves mobility and relieves tightness in the hips.

Sit on the floor with your right leg forward and your knee bent at 90 degrees, such that the bottom of your foot is facing the left wall.
Extend your left leg out to the side and bend your knee at a 90-degree angle so that the bottom of your foot is facing the back wall.
Now square your shoulders to the front, sit upright, and extend your arms in front of you. You can also place your fingers on your shins for better balance. Change the movement of the legs repeatedly (left leg in right leg position, and right leg in left leg’s position) without moving from the position. Do this for at least 2 minutes.

Deep Squats

Great for activating glutes and hamstrings and mobilizing the knee joints

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands in front of you.
Push your hips back and bend your knees to go down. Go as deep as you can without disturbing the balance. Do it for at least 1 minute.

Hip Circles

The exercise improves joint flexibility and hip rotation.

Stand with feet at hip-width apart. Keep your hands in front of your stomach.
Lift your right knee. It should be parallel to the floor, and then the knee should be pulled out.
Rotate and then return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

Shoulder Mobility for Combat Athletes

The kickboxing mobility workout for combat sports athletes strengthens the shoulder joint and allows for precise and powerful kicks. It is also important for defensive movements and grappling. Following are shoulder mobility exercises for boxers:

Arm Circles

The arm circle is one of the greatest pre-fight mobility exercises, improving joint rotation for fluid and powerful punches.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight out to the sides. There should be no bend in the elbows.
Start by making small circles from your shoulder joint in a forward motion, and gradually work to make these circles big. Remember to move from the shoulder.
Do 30 circles in a clockwise rotation and 30 in an anti-clockwise rotation.

Scapular Push-Ups

The exercise strengthens the muscles around the scapula and improves power.

Get into a push-up position. Start the exercise by keeping your arms locked and lowering your chest by retracting the shoulder blades together.
Push back up, pushing your shoulder blades apart and protracting the scapula.
Do at least 10–15 reps of the exercise.

Band Pull-Aparts

The exercise helps to mobilize the joint while building endurance.

Start the exercise by holding a resistance band with both hands at shoulder level. Keep your arms straight.
Pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Always remember to keep your arms aligned with your shoulders.
Return to the starting position slowly and gradually and repeat for 10-15 reps.

Doorway Chest Stretch

This is a great stretch to remove tension from the chest and shoulders and improve posture.

For this, you need to stand in a doorway and place your hands on the frame at shoulder height.
Step forward without moving your hands and feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders.
Hold this stretch for at least 20–30 seconds, and repeat 2–3 times.

External/internal Rotations

The exercise strengthens the rotator cuff muscles and prevents injuries due to overuse of joints.

Use a resistance band for this exercise. Hold it while keeping your elbow bent at 90 degrees and pull it outward for external rotation.
Now start the exercise by pulling your hand away from the torso and pulling the band inward.
Repeat 3–5 times.

Flexibility Drills for Kickboxers and Muay Thai Fighters

Flexibility drills for Muay Thai fighters are important for ultimate success in the game. The flexible joints allow athletes to move in a fluid and rapid motion with maximum flexibility. Athletes should focus on getting enough flexibility routines during their training for effective strikes. Following are some essential stretching routines for combat athletes:

Standing Hamstring Stretch

Tight hamstrings can limit an athlete’s performance, as they play an important role in executing explosive movements such as sprawling and kicking. Tight hamstrings can also limit leg extension in athletes, reducing their power and speed. The athletic mobility exercises for fighters such as standing hamstring stretch improves flexibility, and provide better control. Stretching this muscle also reduces the risk of strains.

Seated Forward Fold

Seated forward fold is an amazing stretch targeting calves, lower back, and hamstrings. These muscles are engaged in almost every training session and it is important to develop flexibility in them. The seated forward fold improves mobility and flexibility, and helps in delivering high, powerful kicks, and quick transitions. Stretching these muscles regularly also reduces fatigue and maintains fluid movement.

Butterfly Stretch

Hip mobility is important for knee strikes in combat sports and quick lateral movements, and that is why doing butterfly stretches is essential. It increases the flexibility of the muscles in the inner thigh and groin. The stretch also helps in reducing the risk of common injuries in groin, supporting posture, and increasing efficiency in striking and grappling.

Pigeon Pose

Athletes need constant hip engagement while throwing kicks, takedowns for grappling. Tight hip flexors not only restrict the movement but also cause severe discomfort. Doing pigeon pose regularly manages the problem by reducing tension in the glutes.

Core Mobility Drills for Fighters

A strong core supports athlete’s posture, and almost every movement in combat sports. It is important for athletes to work on their core mobility to improve their overall performance. The full-body mobility for MMA training emphasizes a lot on core, but working on it with specific exercises is also great. Following are some effective core mobility drills for fighters:

Plank Variations

Planks are a great exercise to engage the entire core muscles. The exercise improves stability and mobility that athletes need for better grappling and striking. Include dynamic plank variations such as holds, shoulder taps, or side planks to improve endurance and control.

Torso Twists

The torso twists improve the rotational power in athletes needed for powerful kicks and punches. The exercise also activates oblique muscles, eventually improving flexibility and generating more power in strikes without developing any injury.

Russian Twists

The exercise is great to strengthen the core and get a flat stomach. With that, it also improves rotational balance, which is essential to maintain a solid control and absorbing body shots without affecting the form.

Dead Bug Exercise

Doing slow and controlled movements in this exercise improves core stability and mobility. It is also great to develop strong core strength and power. Adding resistance to the exercises multiplies the effect.

Injury Prevention Mobility Drills for Combat Athletes

Mobility and stretching routines can effectively help to prevent the injury risk. Athletes have to engage in intense training sessions that can make them prone to develop injuries. However, with proper stretching and mobility work, they can get better range of motion in joints and flexibility, preventing overuse of the muscle and joints.

It is also important to engage in pre-fight mobility drills to show best performance in the ring. Some drills include:

Wrist and Ankle Rolls

Before going to training session, make sure to mobilize wrist and ankle joints. This helps to loosen up the joints for optimal support in punches and kicks.

Foam Rolling

A foam rolling routine before a fight releases tightness from the muscles and improves blood flow. Athletes can do foam rolling post-training to relieve soreness from muscles.

Dynamic Neck Stretches

Neck stretches such as slow and controlled rotations can reduce the risk of developing neck injuries during strikes, grappling and defensive maneuvers.

Upper Back Exercises

Do arm circles or scapular rotations to release the tension in back and shoulders. This helps in improving punch accuracy and mobility.

Related article: 5 Best Flexibility Exercises For Boxers

Conclusion: Building Mobility for Better Combat Sports Performance

Combat sports athletes should be practicing mobility drills as it plays an essential role in improving range of motion, and injury prevention. Other than that, mobility also improves performance, allowing fighters to throw punches with explosive power, maintaining stamina in the ring, and recovering faster after any fight.

Practicing mobility drills can sharpen your skills in your discipline. Combining strength training, cardio, and fighting drills with mobility exercises can prepare the fighter to fight with massive power, landing punches and kicks with precision.

If you are a martial artist, and haven’t been ignoring your flexibility and mobility routine, then now is the time to take it seriously. Your performance will improve, you will not develop injuries, and you will have an upper hand in the ring.