MMA Workouts: How To Increase Power, Strength, and Speed

In our previous strength and conditioning workouts, we focused on the core body demonstrating the standing barbell landmine twist, we also show how to improve the upper body using the reactive medicine ball punch and the lower body using the single-leg dynamic power step up. We will now demonstrate the slam ball suplex which is a full-body core strength and conditioning exercise that focuses on improving power, strength, and speed.

Workout of the Week - Slam Ball Suplex Throw

In this video, I'm demonstrating the slam ball suplex at full speed and then in slow motion.

How to do it:

This exercise is a variation of a Medicine Ball overhead toss.

1. Position yourself a couple of meters from a strong wall or in a place where the ball can fly freely.

2. Grabbing hold of a slam ball and keeping it at around sternum height, assume your squat position or feet just outside hip-width apart.

3. Engaging your core, glutes, and hips, squat down by pushing your bum back, knees out and keeping your back flat.

4. Let your arms release slightly so the ball swings between your legs.

5. From this position you are going to powerfully drive through the floor thrusting your hips forward, coming onto your toes simultaneously explosively throwing the ball back into the wall or space you have allocated. (The direction of the ball should travel around head height behind you)

The mechanics of the exercise are to mimic that of the wrestling move the 'Suplex'.

It's fantastic for power generation throughout your whole body and also can be changed slightly so the ball is thrown directly up in the air (overhead med ball toss) to teach the athlete 'triple extension' which is the explosive generation of power produced by the simultaneous extension of the hips, knees, & ankles.

This position is used in many sports such as mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, including sports that require jumping and sprinting and can help make any athlete faster and more explosive.

I hope that you can improve your strength and conditioning program by adding these different methods next time you train and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Andrew Wood – S&C Coach - Vis Vires Athletics
Coaching Athletes Worldwide
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