MMA Training Plan, Intermediate
16-Week Intermediate MMA Training Plan
Sixteen weeks designed for athletes with a real MMA base. Five sessions per week across striking, grappling, and strength, with two sparring days and one dedicated live grappling day. Builds toward an amateur smoker or first sanctioned bout.
Duration
16 weeks
Sessions / week
5
Per session
90 min
Level
Intermediate
Coach Rico
MMA coach, striking, wrestling, submissions
Before You Start
- 12 months of coached MMA or cross discipline training
- At least 20 rounds of positional grappling live
- At least 10 rounds of striking sparring at 50 percent
- Baseline back squat 1.25x bodyweight, bench 1x bodyweight
- Clean medical and no recent concussion
Week by Week Structure
Weeks 1-4: Base and Skill Volume
Rebuild aerobic base, expand technical library, cap sparring intensity at 50 percent. Strength is hypertrophy focused.
Monday: Striking Volume
90 minWarm up (15 min)
- Jump rope, shadow
Pads and bag (50 min)
- 5 rounds of 3 minutes pads, counter combinations
- 5 rounds of 3 minutes bag, kick and knee integration
Cool down (25 min)
- Mobility, film review
Tuesday: Wrestling Plus Strength
90 minWrestling (40 min)
- Shots, sprawls, chain wrestling drills with a partner
Strength (40 min)
- Back squat, 4 x 8 at 70 percent 1RM
- Bench press, 4 x 8 at 70 percent 1RM
- Pull up, 4 x 6
- Romanian deadlift, 3 x 8
Cool down (10 min)
- Mobility
Thursday: Grappling Live
90 minWarm up (15 min)
- Shrimps, bridges, technical stand up
Live rolling (55 min)
- 7 rounds of 5 minutes, rotating partners
- No slams, no heel hooks until the partner taps cleanly
Cool down (20 min)
- Mobility, hydration
Friday: MMA Integration
90 minWarm up (15 min)
- Jog, pad touch up
Integration drills (50 min)
- Strike to takedown combination, 5 rounds of 3 minutes
- Takedown defense and counter striking, 5 rounds of 3 minutes
Cool down (25 min)
- Film review
Saturday: Conditioning
75 minIntervals (40 min)
- Assault bike, 10 rounds of 60 seconds hard, 60 seconds easy
Core and carries (25 min)
- Farmer carry, 4 x 40 meters
- Hollow hold, 3 x 45 seconds
- Side plank, 3 x 45 seconds per side
Cool down (10 min)
- Mobility
Weeks 5-8: Intensity Rises
Sparring moves to 60 percent. Strength shifts to strength focused rep ranges. Integration work includes scrambles and getups.
Monday: Hard Pads
90 minWarm up (15 min)
- Jump rope, shadow
Pads (45 min)
- 6 rounds of 3 minutes, counter combinations with kick and knee
- 3 rounds of 3 minutes live punchout on bag at 85 percent
Cool down (30 min)
- Film review, mobility
Tuesday: Strength Peak
75 minStrength (55 min)
- Back squat, 5 x 5 at 80 percent 1RM
- Bench press, 5 x 5 at 80 percent 1RM
- Weighted pull up, 4 x 5
- Trap bar deadlift, 3 x 5 at 80 percent 1RM
Cool down (20 min)
- Mobility, hydration
Thursday: MMA Sparring
90 minWarm up (20 min)
- Pad touch up
Sparring (45 min)
- 6 rounds of 3 minutes at 60 percent, full MMA with takedowns allowed
Cool down (25 min)
- Film review
Note: 16 ounce gloves for striking, shin guards, headgear optional based on gym rules.
Friday: Scramble Work
90 minWarm up (15 min)
- Shrimps, technical stand up
Scramble drills (50 min)
- Getup from bottom, 5 rounds of 3 minutes
- Scramble from turtle, 5 rounds of 3 minutes
- Wall work, 4 rounds of 3 minutes
Cool down (25 min)
- Mobility
Saturday: Long Conditioning
75 minMixed conditioning (60 min)
- 3 rounds of a circuit: 3 minute bike, 3 minute shadow, 3 minute grappling flow, 2 minute rest
Cool down (15 min)
- Mobility
Weeks 9-12: Tactical Sparring
Three sparring days per week, with style specific partners. Strength drops to maintenance. Focus is fight plan execution.
Monday: Striking Sparring
90 minWarm up (20 min)
- Jump rope, shadow
Sparring (40 min)
- 6 rounds of 3 minutes at 60 percent, strict striking constraints
Cool down (30 min)
- Film review
Tuesday: Strength Maintenance
60 minStrength (45 min)
- Front squat, 3 x 5
- Bench press, 3 x 5
- Row, 3 x 6
- Med ball throw, 4 x 3 per side
Cool down (15 min)
- Mobility
Wednesday: Grappling Sparring
90 minWarm up (15 min)
- Shrimps, drilling
Live (55 min)
- 7 rounds of 6 minutes, rotating partners
- Integrate ground and pound on pads at corner
Cool down (20 min)
- Mobility
Friday: Integration Sparring
90 minWarm up (20 min)
- Pad touch up
Sparring (45 min)
- 5 rounds of 5 minutes at 65 percent, full MMA rules with takedowns
Cool down (25 min)
- Film review
Saturday: Conditioning
60 minIntervals (40 min)
- Hill sprints, 10 x 45 seconds hard, walk down recovery
Core (15 min)
- Weighted carry, planks, anti rotation
Cool down (5 min)
- Mobility
Weeks 13-16: Taper and Smoker
Drop volume 30 to 40 percent. Last sparring in week 14. Week 16 is the smoker or exhibition.
Monday: Sharp Pads
70 minWarm up (10 min)
- Jump rope
Pads (40 min)
- 5 rounds of 3 minutes, crisp combinations, fight plan
Cool down (20 min)
- Mobility
Tuesday: Speed Strength
55 minStrength (40 min)
- Trap bar jump, 4 x 3
- Bench throw, 4 x 3 at 30 percent 1RM
- Weighted pull up, 3 x 3
Cool down (15 min)
- Mobility
Thursday: Light Grappling (Week 13 and 14 only)
70 minWarm up (15 min)
- Shrimps
Flow rolls (35 min)
- 4 rounds of 5 minutes flow rolling, no heel hooks, positional focus
Cool down (20 min)
- Mobility
Note: Skip in weeks 15 and 16.
Friday: Movement Only
50 minShadow and footwork (35 min)
- 5 rounds shadow, 3 rounds footwork
Cool down (15 min)
- Mobility
Saturday: Smoker or Bout (Week 16)
VariableWarm up (30 min)
- Pad touch up, shadow
Bout (20 min)
- 3 rounds of 3 minutes or smoker format
Recovery (60 min)
- Hydration, food, ice
Key Techniques
Double jab shot
Two jabs to close distance and draw a hand response, then a reactive shot in under the returning guard. Timing comes from the opponent blink, not from a count.
Sprawl and front headlock
Sprawl response to a takedown, then transition to a front headlock with a cupped chin and a whizzer. The chain opens up a guillotine, a knee tap, or a back take.
Closed guard to armbar
Control the posture, isolate one arm with cross grip, hip escape toward the controlled arm, and shoot the leg over the head. Emphasize slow extension, not cranking.
Body lock to trip
In the clinch, secure a body lock with interlaced hands, post a leg behind the opponent, and trip by shifting hips forward. Strong against wrestlers who defend shots but not clinch.
Getup from bottom
From under guard or half guard, frame the neck, shrimp out, base up one arm, and come to a technical stand up. Critical skill in MMA because bottom position loses rounds.
Fueling and Recovery
Five session weeks demand 2800 to 3400 calories for most intermediate MMA athletes at 70 to 85 kilograms. Protein at 2.0 grams per kilogram, carbohydrate cycling between 4 and 6 grams per kilogram based on session intensity, and fat at 1.0 gram per kilogram. Post session recovery meals with 30 to 40 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram within 90 minutes are the single largest adaptation lever. Hydration targets sit at 35 to 45 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per day, plus another 500 to 750 milliliters per hour of training. Creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 grams per day, caffeine at 3 milligrams per kilogram before hard sessions, and beta alanine at 3.2 to 6.4 grams per day are the best studied legal ergogenic aids. Avoid pre workout blends with unlisted stimulants. Confirm every supplement against an Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport registry.
Equipment Checklist
- Rashguards and fight shorts
- MMA gloves, 16 ounce striking gloves, shin guards, headgear
- Mouthguard, ideally custom fit
- Hand wraps, multiple pairs
- Groin protection
- Trap bar and barbell access
- Assault bike or rower
- Heart rate monitor
Progress Milestones
Week 4
Integration drill shows 3 different strike to takedown chains under pad pressure.
Week 8
5 round MMA spar at 60 percent with stance and posture intact.
Week 12
Tactical sparring executes a fight plan for at least 3 full rounds.
Week 14
Taper begins. Weight within 2 percent of bout target.
Week 16
Smoker completed with a specific plan, not chaos.
Track this plan in MMA AI
Log every session, get AI video feedback on your technique, and follow Coach Rico as a personal coach inside the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my gym does not have multiple sparring partners?+
Travel one day per week to a sister gym or a higher volume room. One partner per sparring day is not enough stimulus for tactical development, and the same partner trains both fighters to each other.
Do I really need strength work on top of all this skill volume?+
Yes, but keep it low frequency and targeted. Two sessions per week at heavy loads support bone density, tendon health, and late round output. Skipping strength raises injury risk in long camps.
How do I balance BJJ classes with MMA classes?+
Use BJJ as your grappling live day. Skip gi if your event is no gi and time is limited. Avoid adding BJJ in a peak week.
What if I get a minor injury in week 8?+
Modify, do not abandon. Cracked rib means no grappling but can keep running and pad work. Thumb sprain means no punching but can keep kicking and grappling with the thumb taped. Skipping the whole week is usually unnecessary.
When do I get a pro license?+
After at least 6 to 10 amateur bouts where you show a clear skill advantage. Turning pro from a smoker record is a reliable way to collect a fast losing record and a head injury.