# Best Training Method: Lone Wolf or Team Based



## Spite

Saw this on an episode of UFC Now.

What do you guys think is the best way to train?

*Lone Wolf*

Pro's

Train how you like
Training/Fight prep is always centered around you
Sparring is more competitive, other gym fighters will want to make a point against you
No purse cuts

Con's

Lots of travel
A certain level of honesty and dedication is required

*Team Based*

Pro's

Good training partners/coaches
Camaraderie/friendship
Convenient

Con's

You work on what the team is working on for that day
Not always focused on you, especially if low level fighter
Purse cuts


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## Trix

I think lone wolf is best the way Conor does it.

Team based training is kind of like re-hashing the same tired things for the last 10-20 years. 

A lot of teams seldom try new things and don't experiment because they're afraid of challenging the status quo and failing.

They're essentially echo chambers in some cases & some of the things they're doing are obsolete.

They laugh at Conor for doing movement training with Ido Portal and trying things in training that aren't standard.

Have to admit Conor looks better and improved everytime he fights. That could mean he's on to something.


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## Spite

Trix said:


> I think lone wolf is best the way Conor does it.
> 
> Team based training is kind of like re-hashing the same tired things for the last 10-20 years.
> 
> A lot of teams seldom try new things and don't experiment because they're afraid of challenging the status quo and failing.
> 
> They're essentially echo chambers in some cases & some of the things they're doing are obsolete.
> 
> They laugh at Conor for doing movement training with Ido Portal and trying things in training that aren't standard.
> 
> Have to admit Conor looks better and improved everytime he fights. That could mean he's on to something.


Conor trains at SBG though. Although he's in a slightly different spot because he can afford to bring whoever he wants into the gym.

Notable Lone Wolfs - Bisping, Ferguson, Chris Cyborg, Sage Northcutt.


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## Trix

Spite said:


> Conor trains at SBG though. Although he's in a slightly different spot because he can afford to bring whoever he wants into the gym.
> 
> Notable Lone Wolfs - Bisping, Ferguson, Chris Cyborg, Sage Northcutt.


Conor does train at SBG. I don't think he follows the standard training everyone at SBG does though. He has his own routine.

There are some gyms like Nova Uniao where you can tell all of them follow the same training regimen because everyone from that gym has almost the same fighting style, technique and tendencies.

When it comes to SBG, there's a huge difference between how Conor fights and how Cathal Pendred fights. You can tell they're not training the same way or doing the same things.

If anything I would say Conor is a lone wolf who is trying a lot of different things and SBG is benefitting from that slowly but surely.

If it wasn't for Conor, everyone from SBG would be training how Cathal Pendred did, and they wouldn't be nearly as successful.


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## Spite

Trix said:


> Conor does train at SBG. I don't think he follows the standard training everyone at SBG does though. He has his own routine.
> 
> There are some gyms like Nova Uniao where you can tell all of them follow the same training regimen because everyone from that gym has almost the same fighting style, technique and tendencies.
> 
> When it comes to SBG, there's a huge difference between how Conor fights and how Cathal Pendred fights. You can tell they're not training the same way or doing the same things.
> 
> If anything I would say Conor is a lone wolf who is trying a lot of different things and SBG is benefitting from that slowly but surely.
> 
> If it wasn't for Conor, everyone from SBG would be training how Cathal Pendred did, and they wouldn't be nearly as successful.


John Kavanagh is the boss at that gym, what he says goes, he got Conor to where he is now (Conor has only been on big money since the Aldo fight). The gym definitely benefits from having Conor there because he paid for top guys to come in (300k training camp for Diaz 2), obviously the guys he brings in are for his benefit but they will work with the rest of SBG when not with Conor.

Theres quite a big talent gap between Cathal and Conor. The top gyms cater for individual fighting styles as well, just look at the difference between Rockhold and DC or Conor and Nelson.


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## AlexMM

I've trained at an SBG gym before, and it seems to me that he trains with the SBG curriculum which is very Team Based. If you look at interviews with John Kavanagh, many people who've recently joined & train at SBG Ireland are surprised to see that Conor is just one of the guys working out in the class.

SBG does not believe in "advanced techniques" - it's all basic fundamentals. If you're an SBG gym member and you compete in MMA then you get to be part of a class that mixes things up (between stand up, clinch, take down, ground...in various combination) on top of isolated classes (i.e., stand up only class, clinch & take down only class, ground only class). SBG is not interested in MMA sparring only for the sake of sparring. In fact, they're against the training method that just about beating the crap of each other - hence Kavanagh's words: "Upgrading the software without damaging the hardware." SBG's specialty is in "Isolation" of movements and techniques and "progressive resistance." You kind of have to train with them to get a sense of what it is (it's unfortunately very misunderstood by other gyms). So if you train at SBG Ireland and want to compete, chances are you'll be side by side with Conor, and end up partnering with him in an exercise or isolated drill/sparring.

Part of the reason why Conor is able to do some fun "Lone Wolf" approach is because of his skill level, and he now has tons of $. But I don't think it is in expense of what SBG does - he still continues to do the regular SBG curriculum. So he hires & trains with very advanced folks (celebrity fighters & trainers) on top of doing SBG team training methods. I don't think Cathal Pendred & Conor are training differently. It's just that Conor is more skilled in what he does (specifically in stand up).


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