I wake up every day at exactly 5 a.m. Then I go running from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. After that, I have punching bag training from 6:30 to 8 a.m. I have been doing this for 3 years, and it is still a choice I stand by.
It not only has physical benefits, such as better fitness and an athletic body. It also gives you a stronger mind and greater perseverance.
It has also given me a better understanding of how much you can accomplish in a day and how wasteful it is not to make full use of all 24 hours. After my morning training sessions, my day continues like that of a regular student.
Like everyone else, I have classes from 8:30 a.m. until around 5 p.m. After that, I have MMA training from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by BJJ training from 8:30 to 11 p.m.
The Morning Training and Punching Bag Training Routine
Before I go running in the morning, I drink at least a liter of water. Then I start with a short warm-up. This includes butt kicks, high knees, jumping, and touching the ground.
Nothing special yet!
After that, I go running through the woods and continue straight to my gym. It is about 10 km away. I run this distance in an hour. When I arrive at the gym, punching bag training begins.
This is mainly focused on conditioning and technique. We always start with shadowboxing, followed by shadowboxing with weights in our hands. Then we do relay rounds at the punching bags and poles.
We do this for around 20 minutes. After that, I always spend 40 minutes hitting and kicking pads with my trainer.
MMA Training
A day in the life of an MMA fighter naturally also involves training. The MMA training session from 6 to 8 consists of three parts. The first part focuses exclusively on grappling and ground fighting, the second on stand-up fighting, and the third on both.
In the first part, we mainly practice technique, and strength does not yet play a role. We practice various takedowns, sweeps, clinches, strikes, and chokes. We also learn how to escape from every hold and choke we are taught. So you practice both offensively and defensively.
In the second part, technique and strength both come into play. We only do stand-up sparring here. We do 5-minute rounds per person. We spar against everyone attending the training in a relay format.
Then part 3 begins: all-round fighting. Here, we are allowed to fight both standing and on the ground. We spar for 20 minutes, until the end of training at 8 p.m.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training starts at 8:30 p.m. Here, we train ground fighting at a higher level. Because you are not allowed to punch or kick in BJJ, you do not have to adapt and can focus 100% on grappling.
You therefore also have a completely different fighting stance than in MMA. This BJJ class consists of 2 parts. The first part consists of various techniques for choking someone or breaking their bones.
These include chokes, armbars, leg locks, and many other holds. In this part, we are only practicing and trying to apply the right techniques at the right moment. In the second and final part, we spar until 3 tapouts.
After each tapout, you have to hang upside down from the punching bag for one minute as punishment, while the trainer is allowed to use your stomach as a punching bag.
What Martial Arts Equipment Do You Need?
I use different martial arts equipment for each training session. For example, for punching bag training I use the Rival bag gloves because they fit very comfortably and are top quality.
They also have thick padding that provides me with good long-term protection. With these gloves, I do not need inner gloves or Handwraps, which I really like.
For MMA training, I use different gloves. When sparring, I use 7 oz MMA gloves because they have very thick thumb and knuckle protection, which is very important to me. In addition, 7 oz MMA gloves reduce the risk of injuries because of their slightly thicker padding.
I also use the XPRT Boxing gloves. They are made of genuine cowhide leather and have one-mold foam padding. I also wear the Handwraps XPRT underneath for extra protection. I also use the corresponding XPRT Pro Shin guard. The shin guards are exactly the same quality as the gloves.
But the most important of all are good Mouthguards. And, of course, Mouthguards that are CE approved. Mouthguards provide maximum protection for my teeth, but they also protect against brain damage, and many people do not know that.