Strength is a huge factor for mixed martial arts. Gaining strength is a must in order to be effective inside the ring, cage or mat.
Body weight training is an incredibly effective way to become a tougher guy or gal. This is an ideal way to build up your strength very quickly.
Whatever you do, do NOT discount this method just because there are no weights involved. I would rather be able to do more pull ups, push ups, and dips with my bodyweight than be able to bench press a heavy set weight for 1 or 2 reps. What do you think is going to help you more when you are tangling with someone - your bench press max or your ability to perform repeated repetitions with your own body which require utlizing various muscles at the same time? Body weight training will beat out bench press training any day of the week.
Also consider the number of inmates in prisons who are without weights and have to rely on the old standards like push ups, pull ups, and dips. After only a few months they are able to dramitically transform themselves into lean and strong individuals. With lifting weights it can literally take 2 months just to perfect proper form for a particular exercise. With body weight training you cut straight to the strength gaining and can experience results immediately from workout to workout.
That is why this type of training is ideal for someone looking to gain strength right out of the gate and make massive improvements after only a few months. You don't have to deal with specific details regarding form and then spend a number of weeks figuring out a specific weight that is ideal to work with, and on top of that a complicated routine to put everything together in a manner that is ideal to become stronger.
With your own body you have what you need and can get started immediately with exercises that you have likely already practiced before in the past. And while there are definitely different routines to follow in order to maximize your progress, the basic notion is the same: simply trying to do more reps than you did before. In other words if you were only able to do 5 pull ups your last work out, then you shoot for 6-7 on your next workout. There are also speed, tempo, and other variations you can apply once you are able to achieve a respectable number of reps for each body weight exercise.
If you are starting fresh, your strength will increase greatly. Everyone experiences massive jumps in strength gains during their first 3 or 4 months of training. Because you are focusing on body based weight workouts and don't have to worry about the issues we previously mentioned, you can expect gains in overall strength to occur even sooner.
Two big body weight exercises are pull ups and dips.
With pull ups you are working your shoulders, back, and even biceps if you switch your grip and do chin ups. It's a hardcore exercise and there's a reason why every strength athlete is able to do numerous reps of pulls or chins, while the average person is only able to do one or two.
Dips will work shoulders, triceps and your core. It's a huge exercise and very tough. You can feel the effects throughout your entire upper body on your first attempts at dips. And once again, if you can do numerous dips, then you are a tough guy or gal. Many average and untrained people cannot even perform one or two.
Here's an excellent resource for MMA training which includes body weight workout routines specifically designed for mixed martial arts - http://www.sizegirth.com/better-workouts.html
On this same page you will find information on Kettlebells which can be the next step in MMA strength training after developing a core through body based training - http://www.sizegirth.com/better-workouts.html
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