The secrets to a successful UFC fighter?
Strength, speed and killer abs!
You want all that too? Well great!
Sean Keefe is a strength and conditioning trainer for UFC fighter Michael Bisping and he’s got an intense circuit workout we’d love you to try!
Check it out:
Instructions
Do this workout once a week. It should take approximately 50 minutes. “The aim of the session is to increase both the strength and size of your arms, while also focusing on core strength and stability,” says Keefe.
Run through all the exercises in circuit A without rest between each move. Rest for 60 seconds. Then do three more ‘A’ circuits before moving on to exercises B1 and B2 to finish.
A1. Close-grip bench press
Sets 4
Reps 6
Suggested load 80% of your one rep max
How to do it Lie on a bench and grip a barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, lower under control to your chest and push back up explosively.
A2. Bodyweight tricep extensions
Sets 4
Reps 10
Suggested load N/A
How to do it Set a barbell midway up a rack and lean forward on your tiptoes, holding the bar at shoulder-width with arms straight and in an overhand grip. Your body should be straight, at around a 45-degree angle to the floor. Keeping your elbows pointing down and your body straight at all times, bend at the elbow to lower your head under the bar. Stop when your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Then push back to the starting position.
A3. Plank vs. bands
Sets 4
Reps 60 seconds
Suggested load N/A
How to do it Wrap a resistance band around your waist and connect the other side to a firm object, such as the bottom of a power rack or a bench. Then set yourself up in the plank position alongside it, resting on your forearms with your body in a straight line from head to toe. The further you move away, the more challenging the exercise becomes.
A4. Chin ups
Sets 4
Reps 6
Suggested load N/A
How to do it Using an underhand grip, with palms facing you and hands shoulder-width apart, pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Lower under control. Struggling? Do negative chin ups instead.
A5. Kettlebell curls
Sets 4
Reps 10
Suggested load 65-70% of your one rep max
How to do it Hold a kettlebell on either side of the handle, so your palms are facing each other, and the kettlebell is in front of your stomach. Perform a curl, lifting the weight up to your chest while keeping your elbows tight to your body. “Focus on squeezing your biceps hard at the top of the movement,” says Keefe.
A6. Feet-elevated plank
Sets 4
Reps 60 seconds
Suggested load N/A
How to do it Get into the plank position as before. This time, elevate a leg (30 seconds for each) so your core has to work harder to stabilize your body throughout each 60-second set.
Completed four circuits? Now move on to these two low-weight high-rep exercise to finish.
B1. Cable pushdowns
Sets 1
Reps 50
Suggested load Use a weight where you can complete around 30-35 reps before failure. Rest for approximately 10-15 seconds. Then squeeze out some more reps until, again, you fail. Rest for 10-15 seconds. Repeat until you reach 50 reps.
How to do it Set a cable column in a high position with a straight bar attachment. Keep your elbows tight to your body and extend your elbow, while squeezing your triceps hard as you bring the bar down in front of your body with an overhand grip.
B2. Cable curls
Sets 1
Reps 50
Suggested load Again, use a weight where you can DO around 30-35 reps before failure. Rest for 15 seconds, grit your teeth and go again. Fail again. Rest again. Go again. Repeat until you hit 50 reps.
How to do it Set the cable column to a low position with a straight-bar attachment. Keep your elbows tight to your body and flex at the elbow, curling the weight towards your chest and squeezing your biceps hard at the top of the movement. Use an underhand grip.
That sounds like one heck of a workout!
But there’s no easy way to get into fighting shape!
So give this circuit a try and you might just find yourself with the abs of a UFC fighter!
[Image via AP Images.]
Related Posts
