Taking a note from @thefightdietician, we are listing 5 items/ concepts in MMA and physical training the can F*ck Right Off. If you love rants, this is the podcast for you. There are a lot of actual tips for more logical training in this episode. Learn the actual backbone of what we are training vs learning the fancy tool. Principles > Methods. The Fight Dietician runs a phenomenal page with great content and we loved his concept for this post. You will have to listen in for 5 training quirks...
Nov 08, 2021•30 min
Buy In” We are talking about how to infiltrate and be a genuine member of a community or create your own community. In growing both of our small businesses Austin and I have found great success in endeavors where we went all in. Being a member of a community brings a personal touch to gaining clientele from that community and not just “selling.” We talk about branding and how to present yourself and your skillset into a marketable package. Then from there acquiring and expanding on a market that...
Nov 01, 2021•38 min
Our favorite guest is back! Christina is here to help us talk about pre-session preparation. This episode is a great guide to make sure you are completely ready to go when the workout hits. Whether it is practice, a lift, or cardio session: at 6am, Noon, or 7pm we cover what can be a good strategy to optimize that session. Christina talks nutrition, Alex talks physical and mental preparation, and Austin talks warm-up and wellness strategies. We troubleshoot some common problems with fueling/prep...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Grappling can be a huge weapon within your MMA game, however there are good and bad ways to implement it in the cage. How does grappling come off to the judges? What is the optimal position to maintain. Even if you are good off your back, should you go there or stay there? Advancing position, staying on top, landing ground and pound, what is a good sequence to maintain once the fight hits the ground? We dive into an analysis of grappling within MMA and how to maximize that aspect of your game. L...
Oct 20, 2021•36 min
Welcome to a sequel of our freestyle episode where we do the exact same thing as the original. We freestyle, from anime to life choices, to coaching style, to S&C scope. We cover the gambit here. Let us know what our freestyle conversation makes you think of! Hang with us through the Anime talk and I promise you will find some value and vulnerability in this podcast. Thanks for listening. buildingafighter.com Message Building a Fighter directly at buildingafighter@gmail.com @buildingafighter...
Oct 04, 2021•49 min
This week we are joined by some special guests! Alex’s fellow performance coaches at Landow Performance, Aaron Porter, and Nate Smock join us! Both these guys have a ton of experience in training mma athletes and both were trained under Loren Landow. Aaron is a Black Belt in BJJ and sports performance coach for Team Elevation in Denver, Colorado. Nate, also coaches at Landow Performance with Team Elevation and has been through the Landow Performance Internship. Both of these guys have been coach...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr
Training vs. Working Out. What’s the difference? Working out is like going for a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop with some friends and enjoying the view, company and coffee. Training is like drinking a Folgers cup of coffee in a high rise office building while you are negotiating the details of a business deal. Training encompasses a process with a defined end goal and an aim to accomplish a goal. Working out is an act of physical activity. We define the role and need of a sports perf...
Sep 22, 2021•37 min
Down the S&C rabbit hole. We play with and juxtapose the Force x Velocity Curve with our Energy System Development. How can we combine the two different exercise science tools and mix intensities with durations and get a certain training effect? We go over a lot of conditioning, exercise modalities and new circuits in this episode, defining energy systems and strength qualities as we go. We question how we can differentiate training effects based on durations and intensities then what will b...
Sep 13, 2021•42 min
An assessment of skill is necessary for progression within any sport. Specifically in MMA we have some very definitive skills that need to be measured. Each athlete has their own skills and weaknesses. We need to know how accurately those skills are measured, and then create a plan to work on them in preparation for our upcoming fight! The key here is to be accurate in your assessment and to work on necessary skills. As a coach you must create, or use someone else’s system to progress. Austin go...
Sep 07, 2021•38 min
Mixed Martial Artist. Be an artist in what you do. Learn the techniques, understand the playing field, but then make it your own. Whether it is skill practice, strength and conditioning, or any other discipline, find what works for you. We take the time to discuss how exploration, creativity, and fun can benefit your training. Plan in some freestyle sessions, create some games, find some enjoyment in what you do and the creativity that can accompany this movement. Get more abstract in your train...
Aug 30, 2021•44 min
Our owner interviews continue with part two of our dynamic duo! Alex Friedman explains his upbringing and his experiences as a wrestler and coach! Alex has wrestled forever, and coached ever since. Alex goes through a background on himself, then explains his current situation and approach to strength and conditioning. Alex explains a lot about his approach to exercise science, his favorite methods, and tips that he has learned along the way. Alex is a big picture guy and looks for the best place...
Aug 23, 2021•51 min
This week we turn the turntables on ourselves. (I hope you watched The Office and get that reference!) This episode is an interview of Austin which makes up one half of our Building a Fighter ownership! Austin explains his background, current hustle, and what the future holds for him. Austin is a phenomenal chiropractor, strength coach, wrestling coach, and not to mention business owner. He has built a position for himself to innovate and expand the healthcare game for MMA athletes. Tune in to s...
Aug 16, 2021•54 min
Takedowns Part Two! Here we go: part two of our Grappling with Biomechanics Takedowns series. Through our exercise science background and biomechanical approach we analyze preparation and how to best execute physical abilities for transfer to takedowns. The highlights of this episode are promoting single leg strength, fluid strength, Isometric Strength, neck pain solutions, hip pain and blockages, and ankle strengthening. We love integrating our strength and conditioning training to wrestling in...
Aug 09, 2021•56 min
Takedowns! We go off on this one about our favorite takedowns and how to implement them into your BJJ or MMA game. This episode deals a lot in the technical and tactical side of takedowns and how they can play an effective role in your performance. Watch out for part two where we really mix our exercise science background and biomechanical approach to analyze preparation and how to best execute takedowns. We love integrating our wrestling to MMA like this and hope that it is beneficial in your p...
Aug 02, 2021•57 min
ScottyJiuJitsu himself. My Jiu Jitsu professor and the head grappling coach from Factory X Scott Miller. Scott shares a ton of good insights about coaching, Jiu Jitsu, and working as part of a coaching staff. Scotty is one of the most hungry and adaptable coaches that we have met. He is always looking to be better, and make his life about his athletes. We talk a lot about the culture of an MMA team and how to make the best atmosphere around the athlete. We get into grappling a bit too! Our first...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 4 min
This week we have Tim Murray, a Sports Performance Coach, and mentor to myself (Alex) in the strength and conditioning field. We talk a ton about the role of Strength and Conditioning, the S&C Coach, and the impact that we can make. Tim is super knowledgeable about exercise methods, systems, and the field and history of Strength and Conditioning. This is a huge episode to provide background for training and why systematizing your training matters. For the practitioner we are very clear that ...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Mr. Bobby Gaisford, we were very fortunate to have this entertaining and hugely knowledgeable guest on the Podcast. Another awesome team member from the UFC PI, Bobby is an ATC, and clinic manager with tons of experience with combat sports. Bobby tells some great stories, gives some great tips and tricks for working with this population and was a joy to have on! We cover wound care, quick fixes for bleeding, travel safety for athletes, and the model at the PI. If you want to reach out find Bobby...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Top 5 best follows for mma sports performance. These people are influencers in the best possible way for the sport and helping it grow in a healthy and effective way. We give kudos to them and describe our interaction/ perception of their content. We applaud them and want you to get more quality information through these resources. @ufcpi @fightcampconditioning @the_fightdietician @coachjoeljamieson @doctor_kickass buildingafighter.com Message Building a Fighter directly at buildingafighter@gmai...
Jul 05, 2021•34 min
Welcome to a more free flowing format of Building a Fighter. We touch on sociology, coaching, Division three wrestling, research methods, trigger points, and go all over the place. We just bounce off of each other and try to frustrate our best friends. A little more candid and off the cuff this week. Let us know if you like this change of pace! Let us know what you think of our opinions, banter, and information. We want to hear from you! Leave a review or message us. Until next time, this is Bui...
Jun 28, 2021•48 min
When you have a leak in your roof? What do you do? Place a bucket under the drip to catch the water, right? Well yes, but then what? You get on the roof and fix the leak, or you call and pay someone to do it. The drip is the symptom, the damaged roof is the problem. As healthcare practitioners we are interested in fixing the roof, not just replacing the bucket. Pardon the long form analogy, but that is what we talk about in this episode. How as athletes you deserve to correct and see the problem...
Jun 22, 2021•36 min
Hey y’all! Great to be back on the wrestling with biomechanics series. We are discussing the underhook today. Such a useful tool, in wrestling for takedowns, control on the cage, and escaping in BJJ! This is a foundational move to master in your grappling practice. We make our way through technical and tactical points, highlighting the benefits in folkstyle wrestling and cage wrestling. We then talk about training the shoulder to and neck complex to strengthen the general qualities that can lead...
Jun 15, 2021•46 min
“Bo Bathtime Sandoval” This week we are joined by Bo Sandoval. Bo is the Head of Strength and Conditioning at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Bo is a legend in the strength and conditioning field as well as a personal mentor to Alex who Interned with him in 2019. Bo has a background working with Olympic boxing, and wrestling, as well as Olympic weightlifting and Collegiate Strength and Conditioning. We talk about the interdisciplinary approach that is employed at the Performance Inst...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Out of camp conditioning! You must train year round and be dedicated to the process. We talk about why it is important to train out of camp, and some of the most important methods to use at this time. We want to eliminate the 8 week fight camp. We have a 52 week fight camp with our athletes. Every week gives you an opportunity to prepare, and we should plan to take advantage of a year round training system! We talk about training the aerobic system, getting strong and other opportunities when ou...
Jun 01, 2021•42 min
This week we are joined by Dr. Tera Giroux. Tera is a Sports Medicine Manager, and Sports Chiropractor at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Dr. Tera is a bad ass. She specializes in high-performance, inter-disciplinary settings, manual therapy, musculoskeletal injuries, emergency sports medicine, sports chiropractic, sport specific injuries, as well as functional, pre-hab, and post-surgical rehabilitation. Tera shares some of her journey, how she practices, and what adjusting to the po...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Confidence, why does that matter? We get pretty personal on this one. As a fighter, practitioner, and person how can confidence influence your psyche and your success. Overconfidence, under confidence, preparation and how does that all play a part into what you do, how you do it. The training grounds and weight room is a great place to build confidence. But how do we do that? We talk all about confidence and how it can influence your life and training. @buildingafighter on Instagram Alex: IG @st...
May 17, 2021•44 min
Second in our Wrestling with Biomechanics Series is leg riding! Throwing in hooks, attacking from the back, escaping and anything to do with leg riding. We talk about cross-body riding, taking the back, using your legs as arms in the strategy of leg riding. We then talk about specific anatomical approaches to training for leg riding and some necessities to train. These include hip internal and external rotation, strong adduction, and co-contraction of the hips and trunk! We finish with potential...
May 10, 2021•49 min
Practice Planning. Many coaches plan practice, they at least plan what technique will be the key point and the general format. Along with our Building a Fighter mission, we believe that this practice planning should be done better. Warm-ups, general activity, specific skill development, positional goes, training, drilling, physical conditioning we can and should include it all in our practice. We should also plan based around what individuals are in our class, how the athletes are feeling, and w...
May 03, 2021•53 min
First Performance Team Roundtable! We are rejoined by Christina Chu RD, a performance dietician based in Chicago, IL. We discuss a hypothetical athlete with whom we are preparing for a fight camp. Our athlete is staged within the episode, and we talk though our whole process in planning, collaboration and preparation. The value in this episode it to see where we prioritize our plan, our time, and most importantly our collaboration. One fighter can never be separated into isolated aspects like ou...
Apr 25, 2021•1 hr 36 min
Applying and applicable assessments. Let’s assume we have already selected the most beneficial and most important training assessments for our sport. (which is another episode altogether.) So we have our tests, and we got some results, what do we do with them? We first weigh the athlete’s results for adequacy. See where the athlete lies on the testing scale, and modify your training plan accordingly. Next, replicate the test. Measure if you got better at what you are trying to get better at. Las...
Apr 19, 2021•59 min
This week’s area for Wrestling / Grappling with Biomechanics is the Front Headlock! We are starting up a New Series: Wrestling with Biomechanics. We are going on an in-depth look at specific positions that arise in wrestling/grappling. We explore the position, strategies, and techniques that apply in wrestling and mma. We investigate the biomechanics specific joints involved in the area, how to strengthen them, make them more effective, and the most advantageous positions to hold. Lastly we look...
Apr 12, 2021•42 min
