Stay Healthy and Pain Free Using These "Fighters Dozen" Warm Up and Pre-Hab Drills

By Corey Beasley

Most of us avoid warm ups and corrective work.

When you're healthy, it may seem like a waste of time.

But, when you are injured, you'll do just about anything to get pain free and back to training.

The main purpose of warming up, doing mobility work and corrective type exercise is so we can avoid injury, heal up our weak links and perform at a higher level.

In the following video, coach Matt Gifford, walks us through his "Fighter's Dozen."

12 Drills that he uses to keep his fighters healthy.

TUF Season 20 strength coach Matt Gifford is joined by Dustin Ortiz and Sergio Pettis on set in Vegas after a Team Pettis workout. Movement, injury reduction, recovery!

Soft Tissue Work: Lat Line, Pec Minor, IT Band, Glute/Piriformis (:30 seconds to 2:00 minutes)
*Benefit: Improved myofascial tissue quality, gateway to mobility, neuromuscular efficiency, and recovery.

Ground Based Mobility: Thoracic Spine Archback, Cat/ Cow , Thread the needle, Lateral Hip Drop, Internal Knee to Knee stretch (8 to 10 repetitions)
*Benefit: Increased range of motion, greater ability to apply force and improve upon MMA technique and perormance movement patterns.

Scapula and Glute Activation: Glute Extension/ w/reach , Prone Scap Pullback,  Scap Push Up , Side lying Top Leg Lift (15-20 repetitions)
*Benefit: Pre workout Muscle Activation,  General Strength, Improved Posture,  Scap, Shoulder, Hip, Knee Stability , Increased Power, Injury Reduction

Matt Gifford is a strength coach at NX Level Athletics in Waukesha, WI. He works with UFC standouts Anthony Pettis, Dustin Ortiz and many others. His systematic way of developing his athletes has gained him a lot of recognition over the past few months and we are proud to have his voice on Fight Camp Conditioning.