Matt Larsen, director of the Army Combatives School, knows a thing or two about building strength. When it comes to a fight, strength can make up for technical weaknesses.

That’s why his instructors train to maximize their raw strength, functionally and dynamically, through a series of basic total-body exercises. The result? A lean, well-muscled build capable of moving around more weight or, should the need arise, getting an enemy into a choke hold.

“In almost every gym, you have all of the fundamental things needed to become a powerful fighter,” Larsen says. “You should focus on the lifts that build power and improve your core strength and functional ability so that you can perform when you need to.”

You can mix military workouts into your normal routine for 6-8 weeks to start building power and endurance. Perform military workouts in addition to your normal training.

However, it’s important to adjust the volume of your bodypart-specific training, cutting back to no more than 8-10 sets per muscle group, to avoid overtraining. Abs, traps, calves and forearms will get extensive work through the exercises and won’t require additional targeted training. To be continued… [via]