Top 8 reasons to try Arena for fitness

Have you ever seen a fighter who wasn’t in incredible shape? Chances are, you haven’t.

Arena-style training has been developed by mixed-martial arts trainers and provides a full-body workout that pushes your body to limits like no other sport. Whether you’re training to beat the bulge, training for serious pursuits or training for fun, Arena can get you in the best shape of your life and has some other great benefits.

Take a look at what Arena training can do for you.

1. No-contact fight training

Train like a fighter without getting hit! Arena Fitness offers classes based on training and conditioning programs that are followed by elite mixed martial art fighters in a safe, non-contact environment. It is designed by a group of fitness experts and elite MMA trainers who shared a common vision of wanting to take the incredible health and fitness benefits that martial artists enjoy and make them accessible to everyone.

The programs are taught by professionals using the latest setup to simulate opponents and fighting situations, but without getting into people’s bubble or comfort zone.

It does not matter if you want to lose weight, or if you want to know more about self-defence; you will get the exposure of skills, conditioning and fitness training of elite fighters without the worry of fighting with someone, getting punched or being kicked.

2. It's a total body workout

Most sports require one set of muscles to be used more than another. Swimmers have strong shoulders, cyclists have strong quads, and soccer players have strong lower bodies. MMA fighters need to have strong lower body, upper body, and abdominals.

Why does this training develop such strength? They are designed to incorporate practically every muscle of the body. As you kick, your legs become incredibly strong. As you punch, your arms become equally strong. And, as you grapple, your core builds muscle.

Our Total Fighter program is designed to work your whole body. Many of our drills build muscle. When you practice sprawling, you’re not only learning how to defend a takedown, but also building up your back and shoulders. Practicing power kicks on a heavy bag doesn’t just improve your technique, but builds your legs up too.

It also improves flexibility. To grapple well, you need to be seriously limber. Don’t have it? No worries. Grappling helps develop your flexibility as you go. All of our Total Fighter Ground classes focus on grappling and develop the flexibility of joints, muscles, and ligaments.

3. Arena fitness is more than just fitness

Working out at a regular gym can be monotonous, and finding the motivation to push yourself can be tedious and difficult. Even in a group class, the workouts are often a routine. The only thing to focus on is getting through the workout.

At an Arena Fitness centre, you have an instructor and classmates pushing you along. Because you’re building self-defence skills as you go, you have something to think about as you exercise. Instead of being a chore, class is something you can look forward to, something new to learn, and fresh challenges to motivate you. Fitness is only one benefit of this type of training.

Meeting experienced, current and retired fighters is a big motivation to push yourself. We have plenty of fighters around the gym, eager to share their experiences with you. We even have special guest coaches, like world kickboxing champion Ian Jacobs. When you see their determination, it makes you want to push yourself harder.

Best of all, you can see improvements quickly with Arena Fitness. It can take months of exercising to notice big changes. But when you do Arena, you will notice as your skills improve. You become more aware of your own strength as drills become easier. Classmates may begin to comment on how powerful your kicks have become, or your instructor might observe your improved endurance. The positive feedback can be the motivation you need to keep refining your skills and technique.

4. New style of workout

When you work out at a regular gym, you have all of the responsibility of coming up with a workout. You need to know how to stretch and warm-up properly, organise your workout appropriately, and do the techniques correctly. This ability to train your body for the quickest and safest results takes training and know-how.

Going to an Arena class gives you the chance to have someone does all that for you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what dynamic stretches are, because your instructor does. Your instructor comes up with the workout, so you don’t have to. All you need to do is show up to class. Because technique is a big part, you can be sure someone will be making sure you do every exercise the right way. All of the responsibility is off your shoulders.

5. Burn calories quickly

In a regular gym, there are only so many ways to burn calories. Some burn calories quicker than others, but no exercise machine can compare to speed at which Arena classes burn calories. You can burn up to 590 calories in a single 45 minute striking class. In a grappling class of the same time, you could burn up to 620 calories. Just for comparison, you would burn about 400 calories running at a medium pace on a treadmill for 45 minutes and ellipticals aren’t much better. Don’t rely too much on those calorie counters either; one study showed that they overestimate the amount burned by a whopping 42%.

Grappling and striking put more muscles to use than running on a treadmill, cycling on a stationary bike, or even using the elliptical. Your core is almost always engaged, and the workout is non-stop. Even non-contact classes, like the ones we offer, are intense. You end up burning more calories in a shorter period of time, making your workout more time-efficient.

Time is in short supply, but taking a class gives you the chance to get an extreme workout in the free time you have available.

6. It is so much more than cardio

Even if you’re not a fitness expert, you will likely know that there’s different types of exercises. Aerobic conditioning, often referred to as cardio, makes your heart and lungs work better to get more blood circulating. Running is one way to work on aerobic conditioning. Anaerobic conditioning isn’t about endurance, but is about performing better during shorter, more explosive exercises. It’s usually associated with strength training. Finally, metabolic conditioning teaches your muscles to use the fuel your body gives it more efficiently. This type of exercise involves very short (15 seconds), very intense activity.

Unlike a gym workout that focuses on one of three pathways, Arena workouts incorporate strength, aerobic and metabolic conditioning. You get endurance, strength, agility, power, and so much more from an Arena class.

The workouts are a type of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), which maximize the amount of calories you burn by combining the pathways into one workout. Our Total Fighter Program has Arena HIIT and Strength HIIT classes.

7. Learn self-defence and confidence

MMA is one of the best combat sports for self-defence. In boxing, you learn how to strike while standing. MMA combines stand-up fighting, ground fighting, and takedowns. Arena Academy takes our classes to the next level, where we can start to We can teach you how to defend yourself in a real-life situation.

Learning all these skills instills confidence. The first few weeks after I started training, people told me they noticed I walked with my head held higher. If you do Arena training, you know you’re tough and know you can do anything you put your mind to. Knowing that you can handle whatever life throws at you with your ninja-like skills makes a big difference in life. People notice your confidence, bringing greater success in other aspects of life.

These skills are especially important for kids. Our Little Ninjas and Samurais programs focus on teaching kids confidence. They learn how to socialise with others. We even have our own code of honour! The Code of Honour we teach kids helps them develop good character and confidence.

8. Make friends & be part of a family

Arena classes are all about respect. You learn to respect your instructor, your training partners and your opponents. That respect forges a bond and everyone in the gym has a close relationship. The people you train with become family!

For more information feel free to visit any of our Arena Fitness clubs or get a free trial to experience it for yourself.