Issue 158
September 2017
Arnold Allen reveals what it takes to train at the world-famous Tristar gym.
How did you start building your strength as a kid?
My old man was a competitive strongman, so I’ve always been lifting weights.
Me and my brother lifted together down at his gym when he was competing, so we’ve always been throwing weights around.
How much more advanced is your strength training as a professional athlete?
My coach, William Wayland at Powering Through, sends me a program while I’m in Canada. It’s a lot of squatting and booty workouts.
It’s always fun to do something different. You get the day-in, day-out stuff in the gym, so it’s nice to go to a different environment and lift some weights.
Do your coaches advise against doing too much heavy lifting?
In the camp, they try to avoid too much. My coach tapers it off and lowers the weights and percentages the closer we get to a fight.
You get into a peaking cycle. It’s all fast, light weights and explosive work.
Do you do conditioning with weights or are you out doing roadwork?
I worked with a sprint coach for my last fight in the Montreal Olympic Centre, where Georges St-Pierre used to sprint. We’d go to the track and race.
The last time we did a lot of shuttle runs – the bleep test.
Sparring itself is conditioning. I like a bit of hill sprints, but I do them more at the start of the camp. If someone tells me to do something, I’ll do it.
Does Firas Zahabi send you things to work on when you’re back in England?
He’s always on YouTube. He’s got technique breakdowns on there, so he sends over stuff to work on, which is really good.
How did you end up at Tristar?
Joe Duffy and Tom Breese (UFC lightweight and welterweight) were there, so I had a connection.
It was after my first UFC fight. It was good fun and a good place to be.
Did you try and make an impression when you arrived or just keep your head down?
Subconsciously I was probably trying to make an impression. I didn’t really think about it, but I was trying a bit harder because I was new there.
Did you get caught off-guard by the high level of training?
The only time was the first time I sparred with GSP. It was a bit weird. I was kind of shadow boxing in front of his face and felt like I wasn’t allowed to hit him.
Then he tagged me with a right hand and went to light him up. I tried to put it on him and thought, maybe I can hit him (laughs).
How did that work out for you?
I don’t know what happened. He kind of pulled a magic trick where I was on my arse and he was on top of me somehow.
He just appeared. He shoots so fast it’s just ridiculous. You don’t even see it happen.
How do you stack up with the gym’s competitive grapplers?
There are a lot of different styles. You’ll get guys that attack with leg locks, then you get the old-school guys that use top pressure, pass and squash guys. It’s good because I’m always trying to adapt.
I always manage to hold my own, but it’s like advanced problem-solving. You’ve got one guy who’s going for your legs, then the next guy is trying to choke you, so you have to adapt pretty quick.
Do you take everything you learn home and share it with your UK training partners?
Definitely. Everyone around is always improving. I keep the odd secret to myself, but it’s always nice to share.
Do you want to train at any other elite gyms?
I’ve got no plans to move around again. I’m happy there. The only place I’d go is maybe to visit affiliate gyms like Renzo Gracie’s or John Danaher and those guys.
Would you move to Canada permanently?
It’s nice, but home is always better. They’ve got a fighters’ dorm room. It’s like a hotel for fighters. It’s nice, it’s cheap and cheerful.
It’s a bit more chilled than The Ultimate Fighter house, because you’re not fighting anyone next door. It’s nice and easy next to the gym, so you’ve got everything you need.
Do you take your girlfriend with you to Canada?
She comes out at the start of the camp for a week or so and works here as well.
We try to sort something out so she can stay here longer, but I feel like it just ends up with me paying more money (laughs).
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