lazyfighter

Me again with yet another question.

Recently since I have been doing my weights again I have noticed something. A few people that I have seen at the mma gym are lifting heavier weights than me. This doesnt upset me or anything.
What confuses me is I dont have a problem with them strength wise on the mats. Infact I feel stronger in many ways.

All I want to know is why is gym strength and mat strength so different?

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Its almost as if I like to be tapped out! lol

The Lone Wolf

At a guess i'd say that weight lifting in a gym isolates specific muscles. When youre rolling on the mat its different. Your muscles are working together to give practical strength. Technique and leverage also play their part.

G_Land

I am the same way Lazy. My bench weight is shit but when I grapple I can out muscle ppl who push 100lbs more than me.

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americanfighter

Probably because you have allot better core strength which can make a huge difference.

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Voiceless

^ Basically this. Isolated muscle training doesn't fully transfer to application. You need inter-muscular training for practical strength. Then, muscle strength is only the potential strength, technique exploits this potential. The better the technique, the more you can use of your potential muscle strength. And finally, on the mat you use different muscles (in relation) than in the gym. That's where americanfighter is right. Core strength for example plays a big role.

xeberus

The main lifts that add functional strength are: squats, deads, rows, clean (or some variant) and bench/incline.

That being said it's all about leverage. Strength vs Strength is only equal in equal position. It's all in how it's applied. Core strength is everything, it's how you do anything. Your body is basically in two pieces, and your core is the connector and the more conditioned and powerful your core the better functionality you are going to have. The amount of energy you can transfer into shooting or even a punch greatly depends on your core strength.

You ever see a guy in the squat rack curling? His arms are twice as big as mine, just rippling with muscle and veins. What are the odds this guy can hit anywhere near as hard or fast as I can? Probably not that great. At the same time I've man handled guys bigger and stronger than me and I've been tapped by someone smaller.

I keep thinking about marquardt vs sonnen

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lazyfighter

Hey thanks for the replies I havnt been online for a bit so couldnt reply.
I guess that clears it up a little.
Just confused me.
I cant bench a lot I rep about 80-90kg for 5-8reps
Not weight trained for a while and only do dumbell bench now with the 32kg dumbells. But the other guys comment on my strength on the mats and I find it easy to beat a guy who reps 120kg and has generally stronger lifts than me.
Dont get me wrong I still use weights and will do in the future to gain strength.
I can see how it doesnt translate well to mma.

Anyone else kinda get annoyed when someone comes into the gym and reps better weight? Random question but it destroys my confidence.

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Its almost as if I like to be tapped out! lol

Squirrelfighter

Well done Master Xeb, hit it right on the button!
When someone has a superior bench, squat, dead, what have you, it doesn't bother me. If I get ragdolled and mounted is what usually irks me!

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Sig courtesy of that photo-matic magician limba

ODonovan8

Is your technique better than theirs maybe??

No_Mercy

One answer retard strength. In all seriousness Xeberus hit it on the button. Congratulations Xeb you win a brownie!

Plus you probably have fast twitch muscles that can help you explode and power out of situations. GSP is a great example and is extremely strong. Saw him doing 100lb kettle bell exercises with one arm. That's what I strive for...functional strength vs brute strength.

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Maximus: For the glory of the Empire, sire.

Baked, not fried... the healthy choice.