Issue 121

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk has released a training mask developed to take his workouts to a higher level literally.

The Elevation Training Mask is designed to replicate high-altitude training such as that undergone at California’s mountainous Big Bear region by mimicking a low-oxygen environment.

It allows users to regulate and reduce the amount of oxygen they can breathe in during drills in order to improve cardio.

Breathing less oxygen forces the body to adapt in compensation, producing new red blood cells to improve transportation of the gas. When athletes return to normal altitudes or remove the Elevation Training Mask. Their bodies are more effective during exercise and have an increased ‘VO2 max’, or ability to absorb oxygen.

The training mask has the added benefit of strengthening the diaphragm and increasing elasticity in the alveoli, expanding lung capacity.

Sherk himself is an enthusiastic proponent, saying: “I have used many different types of oxygen masks, altitude tents and hyperbaric chambers over the years but nothing compares to the Elevation Training Mask in performance, size and convenience.

The mask has pushed my conditioning and mental toughness to a whole new level.”

Sherk has long been famous for his exceptional cardio and stamina. When the TV show UFC All Access first showed footage of his workouts, their intensity sent shockwaves through MMA.