More Pro Athletes Turning to Mixed Martial Arts Workout in Off Season!

Yankees' Russell Martin credits Mixed Martial Arts-style workouts with helping him shed pounds

BY Anthony Mccarron
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, February 9th 2011, 4:00 AM

Layton/Getty

Yanks catcher Russell Martin, who plays for the Dodgers last season, isn't getting into a cage match anytime soon, but he does recommend MMA workouts with helping him stay fit.

TAMPA - It wasn't as if Russell Martin was preparing to grapple with Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell or his favorite Mixed Martial Arts star, fellow Montreal native Georges St. Pierre. Martin just wanted to train like them.
So the new Yankee catcher spent part of the offseason doing MMA-style workouts.
"I wasn't getting in the ring and fighting guys," Martin said, smiling. "It was how they condition, how they prepare. Just a lot of power endurance stuff, high-intensity work with short recovery times. It builds your cardio and you get in better shape."
Martin credits the training with helping to shave 15 pounds off his 5-10 frame, bringing him down to 215. After hip problems last year and offseason knee surgery, he knows he will have to prove his health.
Martin went to see St. Pierre, known as "GSP," to fight and spar in Montreal. "I'm a big fan of his," Martin said. "My trainer that I trained with this offseason, he's trained GSP, so he knows what he's talking about."


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