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The exercises based on Conor McGregor's MMA training routine can be of help if you have to spend a long time at home or if you do not have, for whatever reason, access to a gym or martial arts tatami near where you live. In this guide we have analysed the exercises that are best suited to small spaces and in the absence of equipment. They are based on the routine McGregor followed for his UFC fights.

Training MMA at home, first steps

It is clear to us that in order to improve in mixed martial arts, the ideal is to have an experienced coach to guide you and a facility equipped with a tatami, punching bags and hard punching equipment. This does not mean that at home and without the help of a partner you can maintain your physical condition at an acceptable level while waiting for better resources.

Disciplines to train at home that improve MMA performance

We are going to use the specific training done by MMA professionals, specifically Conor McGregor, as one of its greatest exponents. McGregor and his professional colleagues do not only work on bodybuilding, sparring and jiujitsu for their fights. To achieve certain levels of concentration and mastery, they must have every detail of their body and psyche under control.

Conor McGregor has expressed that he doesn't like stagnation in his training routines and that as much as possible he tries to incorporate exercises from all kinds of disciplines. "I want to be an expert in many different things," he announced in the media a few years ago.

And according to some fitness experts, improving your body mechanics with specific stretches and movements allows you to get into positions that enhance strength.

For this at-home MMA workout, we can follow the routine McGregor took over from specialist Ido Portal. He uses a bodyweight-based training that he inherited from his 15 years of Capoeira. It also includes movements borrowed from the circus, dance, yoga, somatic movement, etc.

This may sound exotic and weird but McGregor said he was clear that different and unconventional training helped him become a better fighter for the UFC: "I learned new footwork, and also the importance of positioning myself with a lower centre of gravity. With all this I found more angles to throw punches".

Conor McGregor's partnerless MMA training at home

With this series of exercises you can develop a complete home MMA training system. We include in this home workout McGregor' s exclusive drills with Ido Portal that were used for UFC fights. Optionally, if you want to add MMA striking techniques you can get yourself an inexpensive punching bag and a pair of MMA gloves from a specialist brand and intersperse it with these drills.

To make it easy for you, in this guide we have extracted and sequenced the drills from McGregor's sessions with Ido Portal, but we recommend that after putting this system into practice, you take a look at the Israeli fitness master's videos. A link is provided at the end of the article.

Do the following exercises in order as they progressively increase in intensity.

1. Stretching and Mobility for MMA at Home

To begin, perform the following basic stretching exercises for martial arts. Intersperse them with joint mobility to help the blood supply to the muscles. Set a timer or stopwatch so you don't get distracted and do it quickly. Spend 5 to 10 minutes on this phase to avoid injury.

2. MMA Specific Knee Flexion

Mobility in your knees is essential for changes of pace and direction in attacks and dodges that occur in the octagon. As a tip, we recommend that the first time you perform it, you position yourself in a gentle manner and support your weight on your arms so as not to compromise the joint.

The position is performed by placing your left ankle behind your right knee, as in the picture. Then you perform a smooth and controlled movement of lowering the hip (bringing the buttock closer to the ankle resting on the floor). As a variation, you can alternately lower your hips from side to side. Hold this for 10 seconds and move to the other leg. Complete two sets with each leg.

3. Sustained deep squat

Position yourself as shown in the picture and hold the position for 5 seconds. Perform the hip extension (standing up) in a controlled manner paying attention that the spine remains straight throughout. Repeat the process with 3 sets of 5 repetitions. When you have mastered this, you can move on to 10 repetitions. This exercise stretches the hips and hamstrings, while the isometric posture tones the entire lower body and core.

4. Eight shoulder rotation against a wall

This is the first exercise from Conor McGregor 's MMA workout to do at home without any assistance and is taken from Ido Portal's sessions with The Notorious.

It consists of performing the rotations as in the example in the following video. Alternate it in 2 sets of 30 seconds for each arm.

5. Drunken Cane

This exercise is a creative and more dynamic evolution of the Side To Side Lunge. It is not as static and activates essential reflexes in combat.

Place a bar or broomstick vertically on the ground, release your grip and be ready to pick it up from one end just before it touches the ground. Lower by bending your knee to the side while lowering your hips to the floor and keeping your back straight. Perform combos of this movement in succession. Set a work time of 30 seconds and a rest time of 20 seconds to complete 5 sets. In the following video you have the execution of the movement.

6. Push-up push-up with alternate lateral tilt

Lie on your stomach as if doing push-ups with your legs apart. Then bend your elbows until your chest is close to the floor but not touching it. This is when the exercise begins. Swing from side to side as shown in the video from Conor McGregor's training session. Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions in total.

7. Toe jumps in semi knee flexion

Hold these mini jumps for 10 seconds. Recovery for another 10 seconds and repeat the series 5 times. Video

8. Frog Partials

This is to perform the frog pose but without staying in it static. Find out how to perform it in the video and do 3 sets of 10.

9. Bridge Hip Rotation with Offset

Clear an area of several metres to perform this unique displacement. Start with your hands and feet flat on the floor as if you were going to walk like a cat. Perform a twist at the waist as shown in the video, raising your arm above your head. Complete 5 twists before resting. Do 4 sets of this.

Benefits of Conor McGregor's MMA Home Training Plan

If you haven't done these exercises before, we encourage you to give them a try because they are very challenging. With this training that you can do alone at home, you will gain more control over your movements and an activation of the deep musculature that is essential in the stability and balance of the body.

With these techniques, Conor McGregor built a solid base and learned to better control his centre of gravity for fights.

Be patient if you don't get some of these exercises right at first. That's to be expected. But in two sessions, by repeating the movements slowly and carefully, you will become proficient enough that you will not find them difficult. From then on, you can increase the times and number of repetitions proposed to obtain a better result. Good luck and go for it.

Conor Mcgregor and Ido Portal drills and fitness sessions

In this link, we leave you the channel with the teachings of Ido Portal. They are very interesting and will surely give you extra information to incorporate into your workouts at home or in the gym. Click here.

If you are interested in curiosities about Conor McGregor check out our exhaustive guide on the meanings of Conor McGregor's tattoos.

Or you can also check out the Practical guide to hitting the bag and choosing the best one for your home in case you need some information before acquiring one.