By Myatt Murphy - Light heavyweight Ryan ‘Darth” Bader may be known for his muscle, but he owes his ‘force’ in the ring to strength and conditioning coach Ryan Johnson.
We got him to create a workout that the average guy can do to experience some of that power. This one-shot routine trains your entire body from head-to-toe, making a huge impact on your functional strength (especially core strength), so you always have power no matter what job, sport or everyday activity you’re doing.
By Myatt Murphy
Light heavyweight Ryan ‘Darth” Bader may be known for his muscle, but he owes his ‘force’ in the ring to strength and conditioning coach Ryan Johnson.
While he puts Bader through an intense pro athlete workout, we got him to create a routine that the average guy can do to experience some of that power (still, use common sense and know your limits, guys). This one-shot routine trains your entire body from head-to-toe, making a huge impact on your functional strength (especially core strength), so you always have power no matter what job, sport or everyday activity you’re doing.
To see these exercises in more detail check out Johnson’s website at www.extrememmatrainer.com. Watch Bader take on Keith Jardine at this weekend's UFC 110 in Sydney.
THE EXERCISES
1. One-arm Dumbbell Snatch 15 reps per arm
* Ryan Bader Fighter bio
2. One-Legged Squat Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your right knee so you’re balancing on your left leg only. Keeping your chest held high, slowly squat down as far as you comfortably can, then stand back up. Do 8-10 reps for your left leg, then switch positions to work your right leg.
* Video: Keith Jardine match-up
3. Side-to-side Pull-up Pull yourself up but instead of bringing your body straight up, alternate from left to right for as many as possible.
* Sydney video blog (featuring the world's largest crocodile)
4. Diagonal Medicine Ball Slam Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart holding a 10-15 pound medicine ball with both hands in front of you. Quickly squat down and twist your torso so you touch the ball down to the floor by your right ankle. Stand back up and swing the ball over your head, then squat down and touch the ball down to the floor by your left ankle. Do 10 reps to each side.
5. Physioball Push-up Get into a push-up position, with your feet on a weight bench and your hands on a physioball. Do as many as possible.
* Bader vs. Schafer at UFC 104
6. Windmill Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands less than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up so your chin is close to the bar, then raise your legs straight up in front of you and just above the level of your head. From this position, keep your legs together and twist from side to side, so your legs go from left to right. “If the version is too hard, try bending your legs so they’re not perfectly straight,” says Johnson. Try to do 20 reps total—10 to the left and 10 to the right.
THE SCHEDULE: Perform this circuit two or three days a week for a total of four weeks. Give yourself a full two-day rest between each workout—for example, you can use it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Run through all six exercises back-to-back as shown. After you’ve finished all six moves, rest for 60-90 seconds, then repeat the entire routine again. As you get stronger, shoot for doing the entire cycle three to four times.
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and co-author of The Men's Health Gym Bible.
