Body Building Like an MMA Champ

Want to get a knockout fighter physique like your favorite MMA stars? Before you jump into a body fat loss and muscle gain program with the goal of building the upper body of an MMA champ, you need to know that those fighters that you look up to undergo an intense personal training. Competing for the MMA requires power, speed, strength, flexibility, endurance, mental toughness and a serious set of compound exercises. MMA fighters work every aspect of their fitness through functional movements and compound lifts. With the guidance of your personal trainer, get intense action workout with these MMA-tested routines:

Target Muscles: Chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abs
Workout Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Frequency: 45 minutes. Up to three times per week with at least a day of rest in between.

Complete each round as “straight sets”, finishing all three sets of each exercise before moving on. Rest as needed in-between each round and record how long it took to complete the workout.

Round One
1. Barbell Push Press 3 x 6
2. Alternating Medicine Ball Push-up 3 x 10 (each side)
3. MB Russian Twist 3 x 15 (each side)
Rest for up to two minutes

Round Two

1. Weighted Chin-ups 3 x 8
2. Dumbbell T-Push-up 3 x 5 (each side)
3. Medicine Ball Slam 3 x 15
Rest for up to two minutes

Round Three

1. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press 3 x 10 (each side)
2. Towel Barbell Curl 3 x 10
3. Medicine Ball Woodchop 3 x 8 (each side)

Barbell Push Press

While holding a barbell at shoulder level and dipping your knees as if you were about to jump, explosively straighten your legs and drive the bar straight overhead. Lower your arms back to shoulder level.

Alternating Medicine Ball Push-up

Do a push-up position, resting your left hand on a medicine ball. Lower your body until your chest touches the floor. Do a push-up. Roll the ball to your left hand, and repeat.

Russian Twist

Hold a medicine ball, dumbbell, or weight plate and sit on the floor with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees. Hold the weight straight out in front of you and keep your back straight (your torso should be at about 45 degrees to the floor). Explosively twist your torso as far as you can to the left. Reverse the motion, twisting as far as you can to the right .

Chin-up

Grab onto a chin-up bar with hands shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your feet off the floor. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your body up until your chin is over the bar. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Dumbbell T Push-up
With a dumbbell in one hand and doing push-up position, perform a push-up as normal, returning to the starting position. Rotate your body 90 degrees, reaching toward the ceiling with the hand that's holding the dumbbell. Your body should form a T shape. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. Complete all your reps on that side, and then switch the dumbbell to the other hand and repeat on the other side.

Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press

Hold pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a flat bench, with the dumbbells at the sides of your chest. Press one weight straight up, and then lower it back to your chest. Then press the other weight, and lower it back down.

Towel Barbell Curl

Stand tall while holding a barbell with a towel wrapped around it (the towel will challenge your grip). Keep your elbows locked against your sides, lift the bar until your elbows are fully bent. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.

Medicine Ball Slam

Stand holding a medicine ball straight overhead. Explosively throw the ball down in front of your feet then catching the ball as it rises. Complete the reps as fast as you can contracting your abs as you slam the ball down.

Medicine Ball Woodchop

Stand while holding a medicine ball above your left shoulder. Explosively rotate your torso diagonally downward and to the right as if you were chopping into a tree, until the medicine ball passes your right knee (allow your feet to pivot naturally). Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. Complete all prescribed repetitions on one side before switching.