The Body Shop Fitness Company, located in Southern Pines, now has a certified Mixed Martial Arts conditioning coach on staff.

Lynn Lane has joined with the Body Shop to help people train like a champion, without having to fight one.

“Our overall goal in MMA training is to build and improve power, flexibility and speed,” said Lane. “So we try to get all those things covered each week during training. MMA can help you in any functional type activity such as football, wrestling, boxing, biking, canoeing, climbing and so forth.

“Also, it is a great alternative for people who do not particular enjoy static exercising. Folks tend to get so bored doing the same thing over and over, like walking on a treadmill or lifting weights. While those are good aspects to have in your overall regimen, MMA is a total body workout and gives you so much diversity.”

Lane, who is the head instructor of the Standing Warriors Kenpo Karate Studio, based out of the Body Shop, was recently certified by the MMA Conditioning Association.

“I have been involved in martial arts for 11 years and have taught Kenpo Karate for about nine years,” said Lane. “It is something that I love to do and wanted to get into.

“The test I took to get my certification in MMA was pretty intense. Several years ago, I was an EMT (emergency medical technician), and the test I had to take for the coaching of MMA was much harder. So that struck me as quite impressive, because I came away from my certification with a great feel for how acute the training would be as well as the vast amount of knowledge I would be able to offer my students.”

According to Lane, MMA is the second fastest growing sport in the nation, after NASCAR, and has grown considerably in worldwide popularity over recent years.

“The athletes in the MMA are among the best in the world,” said Lane. “MMA champions work at combining strength training with endurance. Drills in Jiu Jitsu, boxing, kickboxing and karate are all utilized. Proven science and hardcore unconventional training are joined to help create the ultimate workout and fitness level among its athletes.”

Recently, Lane conducted an introductory MMA training session with Brooks Harrington, of Southern Pines. Each workout begins with what Lane refers to as a dynamic warm-up.

“After the warm-up, my heart rate was at the max,” said Harrington, a graduate of Union Pines and former member of the Vikings’ wrestling team. “That is a great way to get started. Although it is tough, such a warm-up allows you to get in really good training while pushing yourself to the max in terms of cardio.”

Once the warm-up was completed, Harrington then completed a three-stage circuit that included getting on the ground and pounding a full-sized heavy bag, standing medicine ball pushups, squat slams with the heavy bag, cross-punch sparring and army crawls.

“This was my first time training in this fashion, and it was truly intense,” said Harrington. “It feels like going to work and then working your butt off. The great thing about the workout is how it equally distributed the working of several different muscle groups with exercises all geared toward strengthening your core.”

Lane says he’d like to start a boot camp as an introduction to MMA, which would run for 12 weeks and involve a core group of people that train Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“This will give everybody a chance to come in and become familiar with all the different exercises we do,” he said.

Each class, the group would focus on a different discipline, including floor work, striking and resurgence, while completing one of the nine different circuit workouts. Lane hopes to get the boot camp started sometime in late July or early August.

“Usually, a training session will last 45 minutes and is finished off with some weight training,” said Lane. “I only train people 16 years of age or older, and that is because some of the things we teach here can be pretty dangerous.

“One aspect about MMA that I particularly like is it affords you the ability to protect yourself, so long as you are properly conditioned and skilled. The other aspect about MMA I enjoy is that it really becomes a challenge to one’s self to get in the necessary shape so that you become skilled and proficient in the different disciplines so that you can then put them to practice.”

Lane made sure to stress that there are four different entry levels for potential students.

“When they come in and attempt a dynamic warm-up session, while willing to push it to the max, then however far they get determines their entry level,” he said. “So MMA is open to anyone in moderately good physical shape so long as they are willing and dedicated to improving their fitness level and tackling the disciplines though circuit training. “

For more information, stop by the Body Shop, located at 1650 U.S. 1, or call Lynn Lane at (910) 638-1905.