Issue 143

July 2016

Push the pace and work out like a fighter with a Daily Ultimate Training routine from the top coaches at UFC Gym 

The UFC Gym chain is now 125 facilities strong across the world. The brand is growing almost as fast as mixed martial arts due to fitness and fight fans discovering the benefits of MMA-style conditioning. 

Some of the most popular programs among the 125,000-plus members at every UFC Gym are the Daily Ultimate Training (DUT) workouts. Designed to replicate a professional fighter’s training regimen, a standard DUT is a 50-minute circuit that taxes every part of the body.

They’re inspired by CrossFit’s workout of the day (WOD) premise, but designed so anyone can complete them, whether they’re a professional athlete or a fitness novice. “DUTs are a biomechanically safe version of Crossfit,” says Tamer El-Guindy, UFC Gym SVP. “They are designed to replicate how a fighter would train – but for all the family.”

So, if you want arms like Alistair Overeem, legs like Holly Holm or cardio like Robbie Lawler, here’s a bespoke DUT especially for Fighters Only readers.

Fighters Only DUT

Complete the warm-up and fired-up exercises before moving onto four rounds of circuits and finally the finisher. There is no prescribed number of reps – they should reflect your fitness level – but always aim to hit higher numbers in the third and fourth rounds than you did in the first and second.

Warm up

Alternate each movement and do as many lengths as required over 10 minutes at 70% effort to prime your muscles for the harder work ahead.

Sprints

High knees

Bear crawls

2 mins rest

Fired-up

This calisthenics routine is designed to get the heart racing, ready for the rounds to come. Do sets of 10 reps for each exercise for five minutes at 70% effort.

Jumping squats

Mountain climbers

Jumping jacks / push-ups

2 mins rest

Circuits

Do each exercise for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then do the next one. Rest for one minute between rounds.

Rounds 1&3

  Med ball slams

 BOSU push-ups

 Kettlebell swings

 Tractor tire flips

 Sled pull

Rounds 2&4

 Sledgehammer slams

 Battle ropes

 Stair sprints

 Box jumps

 Sled push

Finisher

A five-minute ab session. Do as many 10-rep sets of each exercise as possible.

Bicycle crunch

Russian twists

Windshield wipers

Your UFC gym instructor

Workouts demonstrated by former UFC middleweight Krzysztof Soszynski from UFC Gym in Torrance, California