hi guys long time lurker first time poster, I've browsed a load of forums and yours is the best by a mile (you guys realy know your stuff).
My quetion is whether a higher rep hypertrophy phase is neccesary or even desirable if the final goal is the developement of power?
A guy that I train with is extreamly skillfull in the technical aspects of mma but lacks power for his size and has a poor body comp which has lead to him loosing his last few fights to guys who were essentialy more powerful than him.
I was talking to his manager who said that he was going to put him on a body building style programe initialy as he believed that his body wouldn't be able to handle a powerlifting style routine (he hasn't lifted weights before as he believes they'll make him slow doh).
My instinct was that if you start out with high reps then the cns burnout will make it harder to learn good lifting technique, and the doms will impair your technique training plus the I beilieve the westside schpeil states that learning technique to lift very light weights does not neccesarily prepare you to lift relatively heavier weights. I'm no expert so I bit my toungue and nodded, what do you guys think (sory about the long post).

okay I'm feeling a real sense of rejection right now.
Is this forum the right place for this question or is the question just retarded?

There is no need for a specific hypertrophy phase but hypertrophy isn't necessarily a bad thing. However there also isn't any need for specific power work either. power = strength x speed....Dont worry so much about phases, reps, etc. just get him some strength. The MMA training will take care of the speed.

Strength is a combination of

A: Coordination
B: Muscular recruitment
C: Muscular size

Higher frequency training with lower reps works better for the first 2 so that's what I'd recommend.

If he's a beginner the starting strength model will work fine.

Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Power cleans

Alternate back and forth between the 2 workouts on an every other day basis. Here is an informative thread on the subject:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

The manager sounds like an idiot so I'd steer him clear of anything that guy has to say.

Thanks for your reply mate, you prety much confirmed what I thought already.

The only thing the hypertrophy phase may help out with is getting him acclimated to high volumes and loads. In this case, a hypertrophy phase will be used not so much to gain size, but to do high reps/sets with minimal rest. This might not be needed since he should already have that baseline of conditioning from MMA, but just keep an eye on him. If it seems like he is really struggling with a power or strength routine, it might not be bad to put him on basic hypertrophy for a month. When in doubt, remember the K.I.S.S. principle.

Thanks
I had to google K.I.S.S., I was realy exited thought it might be some kind of super stength building programe

It actually is a super program. I've seen more gains with myself and with those I've worked it by doing simple things really well instead of doing a bunch of things in a complicated manner.

Mate,
Next time you want to call me stupid you don't have to use an acronym.
As someone who's spent the last couple of years doing a push/pull with a squat or deadlift I'm certainly with you on doing the simple things, now all I need is to start doing them realy well and I'm sorted.
cheers j

I was being honest and sincere, it's easy to lose the forest for the tree's. I dont know if you're joking around or not. If so, cool - if not, I will gladly do whatever I can to be a dick in the future. Dont want to skew everyones expectations of me on this board

K.I.S.S. is a fairly well known acronym. People use it all the time. He wasn't calling you stupid by using it, so don't get wound up.

But yeah, just get him strong. MMA training will take care of the rest.

Sorry mate I was joking, I realy apreciate your response.