NESTA MMA Conditioning Coach key terms

The ATP-CP energy pathway that fuels very brief, maximal efforts such as a single takedown shot or a short flurry, lasting roughly 6 to 10 seconds before needing recovery.

The pathway that breaks down glucose without oxygen to resynthesize ATP quickly, dominating efforts of roughly 10 seconds to 2 minutes such as a hard scramble or a prolonged ground exchange.

The aerobic pathway that produces ATP slowly but in large amounts from carbohydrates and fats, supporting recovery between bursts and sustaining a multi-round fight.

The exercise intensity at which blood lactate begins to accumulate faster than it can be cleared, marking the upper limit of sustainable high-intensity work for a fighter.

The maximum rate at which the body can take up and use oxygen during intense exercise, a marker of aerobic capacity that supports repeat-effort recovery between exchanges.

The foundational conditioning built through sustained lower-intensity work that improves heart stroke volume, capillary density, and the ability to recover between high-intensity bursts.

The relationship between the duration of an effort and the recovery interval that follows it, manipulated in conditioning to target specific energy systems and mimic fight pacing.

A structured evaluation of the demands of a fighter's sport, position or style, and their individual capacities, used to select priorities for training.

A standardized set of assessments covering strength, power, endurance, speed, and mobility, repeated at planned intervals to track adaptation and guide program adjustments.

A brief series of controlled movement tasks used to identify asymmetries, restricted ranges, and poor control patterns that may raise injury risk before loading is progressed.

The process of combining injury history, movement quality, workload data, and sport-specific demands to flag fighters who need modified training or referral.

Systematic tracking of volume and intensity, often as session duration multiplied by perceived exertion, to gauge cumulative stress and avoid spikes that precede injury or overtraining.

The planned organization of training into phases with distinct goals and emphases, sequenced so that peak performance arrives at the right competition.

The largest training planning unit, typically spanning several months to a year, encompassing preparation, competition, and transition phases for a fighter's competitive calendar.

A training block of several weeks within a macrocycle, usually built around one or two primary adaptations such as maximal strength, power, or fight-specific conditioning.

A short training block, commonly one week, that arranges sessions, hard days, and recovery days to deliver the mesocycle's objective without excessive fatigue accumulation.

A planned reduction in training volume while maintaining some intensity in the days before competition, allowing fatigue to dissipate while fitness is retained.

A scheduled lighter training period, often within or between mesocycles, that reduces accumulated fatigue and restores readiness for the next loading phase.

Programming strength and endurance work in the same plan, requiring careful sequencing and spacing because high-volume conditioning can blunt strength and power gains.

How quickly a fighter can produce force, which matters more than peak strength for fast strikes, explosive takedown entries, and rapid direction changes.

The product of force and velocity, describing how much work is done per unit time; the quality underpinning explosive striking, throwing, and takedown finishing.

Exercises using rapid stretch-shortening cycles, such as jumps and bounds, to train elastic and reactive qualities that transfer to explosive sport actions.

Variations such as pulls, cleans, and high pulls that train triple-extension and whole-body force transfer at speed, closely resembling the mechanics of takedown finishes.

A method of loading by monitoring bar speed, allowing the coach to adjust resistance to target specific force-velocity qualities and manage daily readiness.

Conditioning built from repeated bouts of defined work separated by defined recovery, structured to stress chosen energy systems and replicate the burst-and-recover rhythm of a fight.

Short, near-maximal efforts interspersed with recovery periods, used to raise aerobic power and repeat-effort capacity in time-efficient sessions.

The capacity to sustain multiple high-intensity bursts with incomplete recovery, mirroring the repeated exchanges of a fight and reflecting both aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

A planned, premeditated redirection of movement, such as a step-around or angle cut, trained with drills that emphasize body positioning and braking force.

The ability to change direction rapidly in response to an external stimulus, such as an opponent's movement, requiring perception and decision-making as well as physical speed.

The ability to initiate movement or a limb action with minimal delay, seen in the first step of a sprawl or the reaction to a feint.

The controlled reduction of speed, requiring eccentric strength and good mechanics; poor deceleration is a common source of lower-limb injury in fighters.

A progressive sequence of movement drills that raises tissue temperature, rehearses sport patterns, and prepares joints and muscles for the session's demands.

Holding a position at end range for a set time to lengthen tissue; best placed after training or in separate sessions because prolonged bouts can transiently reduce power.

The usable range of motion a fighter can actively control under load, combining joint range, soft-tissue extensibility, and motor control rather than passive flexibility alone.

A syndrome of impaired physiological function, including hormonal and bone effects, caused by prolonged mismatch between energy intake and the demands of training.

The energy left for normal body functions after subtracting exercise energy expenditure from intake, a key concept for supporting performance and health during weight management.

Aggressive acute dehydration or food restriction to make a weight class, which degrades performance, recovery, and safety and is a major concern in combat sports.

The planned restoration of fluids and electrolytes after weigh-in, using beverages that replace sodium losses and support rapid plasma volume recovery before competition.

The professional duty to explain training risks clearly, obtain agreement, and stay within the coach's competence, referring out for medical, dietary, or psychological issues.

A rehearsed protocol specifying roles, equipment locations, and communication steps for responding to serious incidents such as head injury or cardiac events during training.

The ability to spot signs such as confusion, imbalance, or headache after a blow to the head, remove the athlete from training, and arrange medical evaluation.