A few notable names, such as Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, have managed to excel in two very different professional sports. They both trained hard, but they were also both bestowed with a set of physical gifts that most of us weren’t given. Recovery ability, hand-eye coordination, and speed are something that is often specified to us at birth. They were given plenty of it, and as a result they were able to excel in two sports. For most of us, it’s hard enough to excel in a single sport at the high school or collegiate level. We can work very hard on our skill set, and use weights and cardiovascular exercise to improve our endurance in the sport.
For athletes interested in excelling in two sports, the weight and cardiovascular aspects of training for one would often cover the needs of another. In other words, if you trained with weights and ran for baseball training, you’d have that endurance for football. You would just have to find a way to find time to train for both sports – and recover from the double-training workload.
Bodybuilding and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are two sports which could actually benefit one another. You would engage in the weight and cardiovascular training, and that would cover your MMA needs. You don’t need any particular skill set to perfect in bodybuilding, other than posing, if you wish to actually compete in shows. You would then only have to add MMA training to your routine. It’s a popular crossover. Many bodybuilders such as Chris Cook and Flex Wheeler have attempted to make the transition to professional fighting, with mixed results. Cook is moving up the professional ranks, while Flex was quickly returned to reality and came back to bodybuilding.
There are several factors to consider when attempting to mix MMA and bodybuilding. First off, you’ll need to protect yourself. Getting a broken hand while striking an opponent in the ring means you won’t be bench pressing or doing curls for 6 to 8 weeks. Likewise, a torn pectoral in the gym means you won’t be getting into the ring for the next 3 months. Recovery ability is important too. Engaging another man in fisticuffs is a tough thing to do. Three minutes in the gym can be tougher than three weeks of training with weights. Find ways to improve your recovery ability. Finally, you’ll need to realize that if you just want to have fun, competing in both sports is fine. However, if you every do wish to become a professional in either rank, you will likely have to choose one or the other. Unless, of course, your name is Bo or Deion!