Better Late Than Never

I've come to realize that the scheduled practices in my area do not provide everything I need to maintain and grow my skills.  Full armored sessions do what you'd expect.  Provide a venue for sparring and learning through full contact drills.  This is fantastic for the technical side of things until you realize they do not tend to help you get into better shape.  I've hit a point where my ability to improve will also be dependent on my personal commitment to physical health.  Building up the body will not only allow me to perform with better technique, but also give me the musculature to support blows thrown at opponents and impacts received from them.

With such a mobile style, cardio will be instrumental in developing a higher level of endurance that will enable me to play the game I want during fights.  Teaching myself to recover quickly and maintain will also provide a benefit for tournament performance.  Where I've push into higher rounds previously, my energy was too low to compete at the level necessary to go further.

Building up muscle is going to prove a bit of a challenge for me.  My genetics and my brain want two different things.  While I would like to bulk up my musculature, my genes essentially go great lets get more lean so you can run faster and have more dexterity, but not lift more weight.  I'm hesitant to jump right into lifting due to inexperience.  It's not something I've done much in the past, and I really have no idea about proper form and technique other than what I've read here and there.  I'm perusing options with a personal trainer through my gym to see if they can help me develop a fitness plan.

What do you do to train yourself, physically and mentally, for fighting?