Continued: Jared Allen getting his kicks

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Jared Allen's arms felt heavy and his feet were on fire, but he kept throwing punches, kicks and knees to the midsection of his sparring partner. ¶ This was supposed to be a nice, easy Sunday morning workout to get his blood flowing and heart rate elevated. But Allen doesn't do nice and easy, so he ended his 45-minute workout with a flurry of punches and roundhouse kicks. ¶ Afterward, he tore off his padded gloves and bent over, sweat pouring off his body and mullet. ¶ "This was a fairly light day," Allen said later.

This is how the Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end spends most of his weekends this summer. Allen has incorporated mixed martial arts training into his offseason program and has become an ardent supporter of the combat sport, which has risen to popularity over the past decade.

Allen trains with, and helps sponsor, well-known MMA fighter Alex Karalexis, a former professional soccer player who competed in "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series. Karalexis and Allen work out together almost every weekend, either at Allen's Arizona home, in the Twin Cities or on the road.

Allen said he "absolutely" is a better football player because of MMA. Though he still lifts weights, Allen said his MMA workouts have improved his hand skills, footwork and flexibility, especially in his hips. He said the grueling training sessions also are great for conditioning and push him physically and mentally like nothing else.

Mostly, he just loves the sport.

"I have such a respect for fighters because, as an individual, you test how far you can push yourself," he said. "[It's] the art of pushing yourself to a wall and then saying, 'OK, I want to push myself past that wall.' Even though you don't know what's on the other side, you're going to jump over and see what your body can take. That whole concept, to me, is cool."

Allen was introduced to mixed martial arts before the 2007 season by his friend Jay Glazer, a Fox Sports NFL reporter who has been involved with MMA since 2001. Glazer has started a number of NFL players into the sport, most recently Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart.

"Jared is the only guy until Matt Leinart to show up, and then show up the next day," Glazer said. "The reason why most guys don't show up is because of the ego. When you first start, you're going to look like an idiot because it's totally different. But Jared could care less. From Day 1, he wanted to get better."

Allen, who also has studied jujitsu, called his indoctrination into the sport "humbling" and said it took two years for him to learn how to properly throw a punch. The benefits, however, were profound. He lost 25 pounds and dramatically improved his conditioning before his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"You're not going to find better cardio, I swear to you," he said.

Allen obviously is not allowed to kick or punch an opponent on the field, but he said many MMA techniques translate to football. Allen already uses his hands as well as any defensive linemen in the NFL, but he sees improvement in that skill because MMA requires one-on-one grappling in close quarters.

It also helps his footwork because as Karalexis noted, "You don't just run through guys. You've got to move your hips and get around guys and change angles."

The mental rewards seem just as important.

"Jared now goes out there thinking, 'I'm the baddest SOB on this field,' " Glazer said.

That attitude is a byproduct of intense workouts in which Allen jokes that Karalexis "tries to kill me" physically.

"I like to bring him to that point," Karalexis said, "and then make him go a little further."

Said Allen: "If I'm willing to put my body through more stuff in the offseason, then in the regular season in the fourth quarter when you're tired, I'm still going to be coming."

Allen said he encourages other NFL players to try MMA, and it appears the sport is gaining traction among professional athletes. Glazer and MMA star Randy Couture recently started an MMA academy strictly for pro athletes at Couture's gym in Las Vegas.

Allen said he would like to do MMA training year-round but said that's probably not realistic during the season. As for possibly taking the next step and competing in a MMA fight, Allen said he might try it once after his football career. He already has an opponent in mind -- Jose Canseco, the disgraced former baseball star who recently lost his MMA debut in 77 seconds.

"I want to fight Jose Canseco," Allen said. "I would drop Jose Canseco where he stands today."

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