How To Find Cheap MMA Gear

Cheap MMA gear can be difficult to come by if you haven’t ever done it before. The problem is that if you find thing like; MMA shorts, shirts, or MMA gloves at a really good price then there is a good chance that they are actually junk. If you have access to the Internet then your chances of finding cheap MMA gear are going to increase. Here are the best places on the Internet to find the gear you need for a cheap price and in a decent condition.

Craigslist

Craigslist is an amazing place to find the MMA gear you want at an affordable price. You can search through the various cities and search the For Sale sections for MMA gear or martial arts gear and you will come up with a good list of products. After a few e-mails or phone calls and you could have all of the gear you need to train or stock your school for a fraction of the price. You can even swap or sell your gear in order to obtain new items that you need.

Martial Arts Forums

Websites like Lockflow, Submissions 101, Sherdog, and Bullshido to name a few all have forums where participants of MMA and other martial arts can join to talk their art and share their thoughts. They can also get together to swap their gear and find products at a significantly lower price than through conventional Internet sites. If you want to get involved and take advantage of some of these deals then you need to head over to these sites and start swapping with other martial arts enthusiasts.

E-bay

Ebay is by far the best source of cheap MMA gear on the planet. At any time you can get on-line and find hundreds of used items from gloves to uniforms, to punching bags and more. The downside of shopping on E-bay is you have to wait until the auction is up to see if you have actually won, but other than that you can pretty much get anything and everything all in one place. If you do a bit of searching then you should have no problem finding almost new gear at a super cheap price.

If you cannot find all the gear that you want on-line then other good spots include garage sales, sports swap meets, pawn shops, and second hand stores. Most times the people selling their items won’t know exactly how much it’s worth and you will walk away a happy camper.

One of the most popular martial art training tools is the stretching machine.  So, when I saw the upcoming review was the “ProForce Stretchmaster”, I was very excited.  When it comes to a stretch machine this is the best of the best.  When it comes to stretch machines some of the most popular machines people think about are the Tiger Claw’s Pro Stretch Machines or the Versaflex Stretching Machine.

So, first what does a split stretching machine do and why would someone want one and last why would we want to create a Stretching Machine Review especially on the ProForce Stretchmaster?

What do stretch machines even do?

Stretching machines are a fantastic tool to increase the flexibility of anyone who uses it.  Most leg stretching machines work by setting each leg into a leg extension.  Once this is done there is a wheel, lever, or another cranking mechanism to increase the tension by spreading the legs further and further apart.  The individual who is using the leg stretching machine is suppose to increase the tension until it becomes slightly uncomfortable.  When this is achieved they are to stop and hold this for at least 10 seconds.  After the set amount of time is achieved the tension is the released and the legs are returned to a normal position.

Why Would Someone Want To Use A Stretching Machine?

Leg stretchers are one of the most efficient and effective ways in which someone can achieve their goal of flexibility.  It is easy to measure and keep a running log of where they have been, where they are, and where they are going.  So, in short it brings a way to measure and continually increase flexibility until the desired flexibility is achieved.

How The ProForce Stretchmaster Compares

Although The ProForce Stretchmaster is one of the more expensive machine on the market it is without a double one of the highest quality machines.  From the way ultra smooth steering wheel tension control to the comfortable leg extension padding.  There are numerous cheap stretchers out there on the market that you can buy which are comparative in price, however this stretching machine will not leave you unhappy.

Where to Get The Proforce Stretchmaster

ProForce Stretchmaster – Stretching Machine

It is amazing how many Thai pads our gyms go through (as well as other MMA Gear).  Most of them get thrown around and take some serious punishment from the heavyweight in the MMA Gym.  So, a good high quality Muay Thai pad is essential in an intense MMA training routine.  You can always get cheap muay thai pads for $40, but then you are replacing them within 4 months and realizing you should have just gotten a quality pair of pads to begin with for around $80 to $100.

Today we are reviewing the new Extra Thick Muay Thai Pads by Century.  When you open the box up after getting these in the mail you will be immediately impressed with the size of this bad boy.  When you go to pick this Muay Thai pad up you will immediately see & feel the quality leather right always.  One other nice thing about this Thai pad is that the corners and edges very round which helps when your strike is a little off target and for beginning MMA students.

Price

I have seen the Extra Thick Muay Thai by Century range from $80 to $100 online.  So, the price isn’t pad when you are talking about quality pads.  Some of the upper end pads are upwards of $160 for a single pad which is way to much for me.

Quality

Here at MMAFu we have worked reviewed and tested some of the higher priced pads and this Muay Thai pad from Century is just as high quality (if not higher).   The hook and loop straps allows your forearm and hand be very secure in order to take on some of the big boys.

Where to Get the Muay Thai Pad

   Extra Thick Muay Thai Pads by Century

 

The UFC Weighted Vest adds an increase of intensity to your MMA training.  Like the Valeo weighted vest this allows you to change the amount of weight to increase or decrease the difficulty of your workout routine.

I’ve had Reebok, Atlus, and the Valeo vests before, and this one just blows them away with the exception of the Valeo vest.  The UFC vest is of lesser quality the one that Veleo makes.  However, it is very comfortable to wear, and it feels like it uses a gel for padding which is unique to the UFC vest and it fits really snug which is a crucial element in weighted vests.

UFC Weight Vest Review

One of the most important factors in weighted vests is the comfort.  Since they are heavy and tend to rub and produce chaffing against the skin it is very important that they fit securely so it won’t rub.  One easy way to avoid this issue is to wear a rashguard underneath the vest.

Design & Comfort

The design of the vest feels like a suit vest, meaning it adjusts easily and becomes form fitting, allowing the wearer a huge range of mobility for free weight and cardio exercise.  It looks like a flak jacket or bullet proof vest when you have it on so be ready for some strange looks from people if they don’t know what you are doing.

Excellent to wear weighted vest while performing core muscle building movements, cross training, and cardio workouts.

Quality

One comment I did hear about this vest from one reviewer is that it started to leak after 1 week of wear.  You will know if a vest is doing this by finding little bits of sand on the ground where you put it on and take it off.  So, make sure you keep the receipt and you should notice quickly if there are any issues with your specific vest.

For a weighted vest that is made with higher quality material you should take a look at the Veleo weighted vest, however it is more expensive then the UFC weighted vest.

Value & Price

Excellent value due to the lower price then the Veleo weighted vests.  However the quality of this one is a little lower.  Even though I didn’t have any issues with my vest there are reviewers that had a small leak open up in their vests after a week of wear.

Where To Buy The UFC Weight Vest

Amazon: Weighted Vest

CenturyMMA: UFC Vest

Suspension trainers like the TRX Suspension Trainer Professional Pack and the Jungle Gym XT review are starting to be incorporated into MMA training. Since MMA training is at the cutting edge of the strength and conditioning world it is important to utilize the latest equipment and gear in order to push the limits of the mixed martial artist and the latest way to do that is through suspension training. With that being said we wanted to cover 8 simple tips to use a suspension trainer for MMA training.

1. Make sure you have a clear goal on the MMA skills you are wanting to improve. This will help you choose the type of training and exercises you will need to do with your suspension trainer. With suspension training you will see gains in strength, conditioning, and flexibility all while reducing the risk of injury that can happen with normal weightlifting.

2. Schedule your suspension training alongside your MMA workouts and training. Suspension training is perfect to do before your actuall MMA training since your muscles are loose and flexible.

3. Continually change the repetitions you are doing. Whether you are doing slow controlled reps or explosive reps make sure you change up the number you are doing in order to shock your muscles into growth.

TRX Suspension Trainer Review

4. Change up your routines and workouts about every 3 weeks or 21 days. It can be as simple as first doing your MMA training then your suspension training.

5. With suspension training it is easy to coast, but don’t do it! You can easily change the intensity and difficulty of the excercises with a simple change in the angles but keep the heat up, don’t cheat.

6. After a good training session and workout make sure you treat yourself to a reward.

7. Make sure you get a full stretch at the bottom or top (depending on the exercise) of each rep this will create more power in the ring or octagon.

8. Stick to 10-15 minutes for your suspension training prior to your MMA training. If you are doing it post MMA training then you can push it up to 45 minutes, but no longer then that.

Jungle Gym XT Review

Key Strengths Of Training With A Suspension Trainer:

• Core Strength
• Balance
• Flexibility
• Endurance
• Power