me of the best MMA training camps and gyms offer high altitude training facilities or are located in places with high altitudes, and we’ll be discussing those camps/gyms and the altitudes at which they train, below.
1. American Top Team Altitude
Located in Aurora, Colorado, USA, American Top Team Altitude is a part of the world-famous team and training camp American Top Team.
The official elevation of Aurora, Colorado is 5.471 feet (1,668 meters) and many surrounding mountains and hills are well above 7,000 feet where fighters can train at high altitudes.
2. High Altitude Martial Arts
High Altitude Martial Arts is Aurora’s premier martial arts gym and training center.
They are the official home of Elevation Fight Team which boasts names such as Curtis “Razor” Blaydes and Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen.
The heights are also around 5,471 feet but fighters occasionally embark on training at higher altitudes in the surrounding mountains.
3. Jackson Wink MMA Academy
Formerly known as Jackson’s Submission Fighting, this reputable gym often ranked amongst the best MMA gyms in the world has housed several former UFC champions including Frank Mir, Georges St- Pierre, and Holly Holm to name a few. It is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, where the elevation is about 5,312 ft.
4. Invictus Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai Academy
This friendly and welcoming gym located in Albuquerque, New Mexico offers authentic BJJ and Muay Thai classes for all levels of expertise.
There are also membership discounts for students, educators, firefighters, nurses, police, and military personnel. The base elevation of 5,312 ft of the city makes it a good location for high altitude training.
5. Insurgent Fitness
Based in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, which has an elevation of 6,910 ft (2,106m), Insurgent Fitness is a fitness gym and training camp that offers classes in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Judo, alongside personal fitness and nutrition programs.
6. Renzo Gracie Academy (affiliate in Mexico)
The Renzo Gracie Academy is one of the most renowned MMA academies in the world. It has an affiliate training school in Mexico City, Mexico where fighters can train at an altitude of about 7,350 ft (2,240m).
7. SBG Tallaght
SBG Tallaght is Europe’s largest MMA training facility. The gym combines and promotes both natural fitness and martial arts training in a family-friendly environment.
It is located in Dublin, Ireland, which doesn’t exactly have the highest elevations, but this gym possesses a specialized simulation room that can simulate training conditions at heights reaching 8,202 ft (2,500m) above sea level.
Why do MMA fighters go to train at high-altitude camps?
High Altitude Training is a form of endurance training that athletes undergo to improve their performance. It involves training at high altitudes where the air is thinner hence making it harder to breathe.
These high altitudes typically refer to heights of about 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level although any heights from 4,900 feet are usually considered as high altitude.
Studies have shown that high-altitude training could increase the production of EPO, the hormone that makes red blood cells that are responsible for carrying oxygen to various parts of the body.
The increased EPO production that arises as a result of the body’s adaptation to the low oxygen levels at high altitudes contributes to improved stamina, speed, and recovery from muscular fatigue.
This is perhaps why several mixed martial arts fighters endeavor to incorporate high altitude training as part of their routines, as the sport demands efforts that put stamina, speed, and recovery to the ultimate test.
