How Heavyweight Cardio and Lifting Sessions Built UFC Fighter Kamaru Usman’s Body
Kamaru Usman, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’, never planned to fight his way to the Octagon. His goal in life was wrestling glory – an Olympic medal, as opposed to WWE’s King of the Ring. His skill and commitment propelled the ‘skinny guy in high school’ to All-American honours, wrestling in college and later professionally, to a gold-standard record of 44-1.
But after injuries dashed his hopes of competing in the 2012 Games, Usman pivoted to mixed martial arts, building on his wrestling foundations with the help of UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans. ‘Leaving the comforts of wrestling, where I was already at an elite level, was scary,’ Usman admits. ‘No one comes in with the perfect mechanics on how to throw a punch, or a combination, or how to throw a kick and how to sprawl.’
As well as learning new techniques, Usman had to recalibrate his body. He needed to add to his brute strength – at the time, he was squatting 230kg and benching 165kg – to create the functional fitness of a complete fighter. ‘We still do a lot of deadlifts, and a lot of pulling and pushing, too,’ he says. ‘I’ve got to make sure I keep the strength.’ But now, they’re mixed in with sled sprints and explosive medicine ball punches. Under the tutelage of performance coach Aaron Robinson, Usman says he feels like he is now ‘clicking on all cylinders’.
His record reflects that. After making an impressive start in MMA, he was invited to fight in The Ultimate Fighter, an incubator that introduces rising talent into the UFC. It was the beginning of something special. Usman rose to become the UFC’s welterweight champion, before having his belt taken by a last-minute head kick delivered by the UK's Leon Edwards. He'll be out for revenge when the pair meet again at UFC 286.
Losses happen at the elite end of the UFC and Usman continues to hone his craft. As part of his most recent three-week training cycle, he is staring down the barrel of his next workout: an endurance session focused on supersetting 40-yard weighted sled sprints with offset kettlebell farmer’s carries. Not only will it build a bout-winning engine, the uneven load of the carries will force his abs into overdrive, carving out a cobblestone core.
This is all part of his journey to become the whole package: ‘Not only am I a badass fighter,’ he explains, ‘but I need to look the part, as well.’
Prepare for Battle
Take on Kamaru Usman’s fight-ready workout to build strength, endurance and power you can use.
01/ L-Sit Pull-up
5 sets of 5 reps
Hang below the bar and contract your abs to lift your legs to 90° and hold them out in front of you (A). Drive your elbows down to your sides to lift your chest towards the bar (B). Squeeze at the top and lower over three seconds.
02/ Assault Bike Sprint
10 sets of 10secs
Sit tall on the saddle (A). Drive your arms and feet in unison topush as hard as you can (B). Hitthe max speed that you can in10 seconds, and then relax. For recovery, take seven deep
inhales and (long) exhales.
03/ Landmine Punch
5 sets of 15 reps
Stand in front of the landmine, holding one weighted end at shoulder height (A). Push through your feet, twist through your core and explosively extend your arm
to punch the weight forward (B). Repeat 14 times – quickly.
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