excellent book
looks at all areas of training: bodyweight, partner assisted, weights (in med balls and other odd equipment) warm up, cool down etc
got it last year for £17.99 from "borders" ........well worth it
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780 ... index.aspx
Performance coach for the Pitbulls shares techniques that helped make them 2007 IFL champions.
Fitness columnist, Martin Rooney, has consulted for the New York Giants, and trained numerous NFL, MLB, and NBA athletes. As performance coach for the IFL champion Pitbulls, he helps mixed martial artists maximize their strength and speed to win in the ring. With his new book from Harper Collins, he shares the techniques and theory used by the 2007 International Fight League championship winning New York Pitbulls. Packed with a plethora of action shots from IFL events and a forward by Renzo Gracie the large, Training for Warriors is a colorful guide to bringing strength, speed and flexibility to your mma toolbox.
Unlike many mixed martial arts books that are heavy on martial arts technique, Rooney focuses on conditioning and flexibility with exercises focusing on building strength and speed. Renzo Gracie's introduction points out very clearly why you should take an interest in what Rooney has to say, "even though (when he began training with Renzo) he was not very technical, his strength and speed were saving him against some of the techniques". Clearly with the level of athlete involved in professional mma, conditioning and speed can be the deciding factor between closely matched opponents.
Much of the books is very basic, in the beginning, defining common mma terms and a brief overview of mma history. There is some rudimentary information covering very basic cardio and weightlifting information. What it does well is breaks the muscle groups up into specific groups used for specific mixed martial arts application. A dozen chapters break down "warrior anatomy" giving specific innovative exercises to improve each muscled group.
The book briefly covers some other aspects of mma training, including a chapter on safe weight cutting and more importantly, re-hydration following a weight cut. Rooney also provides some advice on the warrior mind and mental game of a professional mixed martial artist, including a melange of inspirational quotes from famous warriors, boxers, and generals. Chapters on diet and supplements, dealing with injury some sample workouts are included, but not extensively delved into. Very little of the book focuses on mma technique, but more about what physical tools can make those techniques more effective. If you're looking for the secrets of Renzo Gracies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, they are not included. The contents are very basic, and easy to follow for an enthusiast who hasn't strength trained before, but even the die-hard gym rat will find some exercises and stretches that can be added to their routine to liven up a work-out.
Hundreds of color photos explain strength and speed exercises in Martin Rooney's Training for Warriors.
($29.95 retail / $19.97 Amazon)
At 8 1/2 by 11 with 340 pages of color photography, the book certainly packs in a lot of exercises. The pictures and instruction are simple to follow, and well organized. It's a little distracting to see recently deceased Ryan Gracie through out the book, but certainly the project was completed before his tragic death last December. The heavy inclusion of International Fight League event photos, and IFL coaches may turn off some die-hard UFC-only fans who underestimate the world of mixed martial arts outside of the Octagon. Seeing Chris Wilson prove a legitimate challenge to top ranked John Fitch at his UFC debut should prove that the mixed martial arts athlete does not exist exclusively in Zuffa owned promotions.
I wouldn't say that Training for Warriors is an essential for every mixed martial arts training library, but if you want to add strength and flexibility training to your workout, this is a great guide to adding those skills to your toolbox. Rooney's position that a solid base of strength and speed can make the difference between evenly skilled opponents is proven every mma event in the ring or the cage
