Combat Sports For Personal Trainers

05/12/2025

➡️ Basics of Stand Up Series ⬅️

A lot of trainers are worried about doing combat sports drills with their clients, despite the many benefits, because they are worried they don't know enough.

This is the first video in a series of basics for stand up that will hopefully give you enough knowledge to be able to use some boxing drills with your clients.

This video covers the foundation stance and footwork.

I will go on over the next few videos to cover the basic punches so you can start getting the main combinations together.

02/12/2025

Over the last few months I’ve been having the same conversation with personal trainers:

Most coaches want to bring more energy, variety and athleticism into their sessions… but they feel stuck recycling the same conditioning tools over and over. Sleds, kettlebells, ropes, circuits — useful, but predictable.

At the same time, a lot of PTs like the idea of adding MMA-inspired training into their sessions because clients respond well to it — it’s engaging, it feels purposeful, and it breaks the monotony.

But the hesitation is always the same:

“Is it safe?”
“Can I actually coach this if I’ve never trained?”
“What do I do with general clients who aren’t fighters?”
“Where do I even start?”

So most coaches leave it alone, or they try a random drill here and there without any structure or confidence behind it.

This page is going to start filling that gap.

Not with fight techniques or complicated pads — but with practical coaching ideas, movement concepts, and training principles taken from combat sports that actually transfer well to everyday clients.

Nothing fancy.
Nothing that needs a fight gym.
Nothing that requires a client to be particularly coordinated or athletic.

Just solid, usable, coach-friendly training ideas that make sessions feel more dynamic and more enjoyable for both you and your clients.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting things like:

• general coaching concepts taken from combat sports that improve session quality
• ways to make conditioning feel more athletic without needing to teach technique
• ideas for adding variety to sessions without adding unnecessary complexity
• thoughts on client engagement, flow and session structure
• practical insights on how to blend traditional PT work with more athletic movement
• simple ways to introduce “combat-flavoured” training without making it look like a fight class

Nothing here replaces the fundamentals of good coaching — this just adds more tools to your kit.

If you’re a PT who wants sessions to feel fresher and more engaging…
Or you want to stand out in a crowded gym without reinventing your entire system…
What’s coming will help.

New content starts this week.
If you want training ideas that are simple, athletic and actually fun to coach, stick around.

11/01/2023

As a personal trainer, incorporating combat sports drills into your training program can bring a wide range of benefits to both you and your clients.

First, these types of drills are often high-intensity and can be adjusted to target specific muscle groups, making them a great way to add variety and challenge to your clients' workout. This can help to improve cardiovascular fitness and increase overall strength and power in your clients.

In addition, combat sports drills can also improve balance, coordination, and reaction time in your clients, making them a valuable tool for injury prevention. These drills also teach clients how to move efficiently and effectively, which can be especially beneficial for older clients or those recovering from injury.

Another benefit of combat sports drills is that they can help to improve self-defense skills and boost confidence in your clients. These drills can teach your clients how to defend themselves in various situations, and many people find that the physical and mental challenge of combat sports training can be empowering.

Incorporating combat sports drills into your training options can also help to diversify your skill set as a personal trainer, making you more valuable to a wider range of clients. Also, it will keep you motivated, as you could learn and incorporate new techniques and strategies to keep your sessions fresh and engaging.

Overall, incorporating combat sports drills into your personal training program can offer a wide range of benefits for both you and your clients. Whether your goal is to improve fitness, prevent injury, or boost self-confidence, these types of drills can be a valuable addition to any training program.

16/09/2021

The double leg takedown is the most common takedown in Wrestling and MMA.

You can drill the technique on your own which will speed up the entry and ex*****on of the movement.

Focus on each element of the movement:

- Drop Step/Level Change
Get as low as you can as you take a step with your lead foot, keeping your weight even in both feet.

- Pe*******on
Push of both feet to get as far forward as possible to your front knee without leaning forward. Keep your head over your hips.

- Step Up
Use the momentum of the pe*******on to bring your rear leg up in to a strong driving/pushing position.

- Drive
Push of the rear leg to drive your opponent on a 45 degree angle to run him to the mat.

06/01/2021

Anyone else catch themselves doing this 🤦‍♂️😂

30/11/2020

Slip to Uppercut progression from a pre-lockdown class that shows how we use a logical process to develop a drill.

The idea of progression is really important for a few reasons:

- to make sure the drill remains fun and interesting.
- to aid with development of a particular skill.
- to allow for an unlimited number of drills to be created avoiding monotonous repetition.

I use this concept for every drill, whether working with beginners or professional fighters.

11/11/2020

A quick Lockdown drill for you or your PT clients 🥊

It's easy to forget about defence when shoadowboxing. You just get caught going through the motions and throwing the same combinations you always throw with no thought or real effort.

This is a simple drill to ensure that defence work becomes an integral part of your shadowboxing routine and restores a sense of purpose to your actions 👊

03/07/2020

26/05/2020

If you are a Personal Trainer training clients remotely (over Zoom or WhatsApp) or in person, you can use Mixed Martial Arts drills with your clients.

Combat sports drills are a great way to keep your clients engaged - that's why you see so many PTs doing padwork (usually really badly!) in the gym.

MMA has the widest variety of drills you can use so your clients will never get bored.

I've put together a program of High Intensity Interval Training based around some equipment free MMA drills.

These HIIT drills are ones I have used for years with all levels - from complete beginners looking to get fit up to World Champion Professional MMA Fighters - and now you can use them with your clients - no equipment needed.

Get this for free now at https://ptpadwork.com/mmahiit (just click on the link and enter your email and I will send it to your Inbox immediately)and start working some fun Combat Sports drills in to their training right now!

07/05/2020

We are all struggling right now.

Training clients remotely over Zoom, WhatsApp or FB Live - doing whatever we can to keep our clients engaged until we can get back to normal (if there is such a thing anymore!).

That's why I put together this Video/PDF for you all.

These HIIT drills are ones I have used for years with all levels - from complete beginners looking to get fit up to World Champion Professional MMA Fighters - and now you can use them with your clients while they train at home. No equipment needed.

It is important to keep your clients enthusiastic at the moment so grab this for free now at https://ptpadwork.com/mmahiit and start working some fun Combat Sports drills in to their training right now.

https://ptpadwork.com/mmahiit