MMA as a sport has been growing like gang-busters the past few years. And everybody from the aspiring fighter to the promotions to the average fan is better off because of it.

But it wasn't always that way.

In fact, it wasn't that long ago that pro fighters were still working full-time jobs, just to afford to keep training - much less making a living. And hiring a strength coach? Yeah, right.

I kept having fighters (and even guys who didn't train in MMA, but wanted to look like a UFC star) contact me, looking for MMA workout programs. They had all tried 'this' MMA workout or 'that' MMA workout, only to get nowhere.

Day 1

Morning

15 minutes skipping

15 minutes shadow boxing

3×5 minutes bag work

3 laps shrimping

2 minutes upa

Table top drill 10/side

Mount escapes 5 minutes

Side mount escapes 5 minutes

Guard passing 5 minutes

Roll until exhaustion

Night

Shadow boxing warm up

Hand pads 3X5 minutes

Ju Jitsu 2 hours

Day 2

Morning

Early run 10km

15 minutes light shadow boxing

5 set of 50 pushups

5 sets of wall pushups

50 Sand bag muscle ups

50 sand bag raises

50 sand bag curls

5 sets of 50 bunny hops

Sprawl w/ medicine ball until exhaustion

10 minute abs set

Night

15 minutes skipping

Stretch

3×5 minutes hard thai pads

Stretch

MMA class/sparring

Late night run

Day 3

Morning

30 minutes Take downs/ Take down defense

Arm bars and defense

Triangles and defense

5 minutes Mount escapes

5 minutes side mount escapes

Roll jiu jitsu

Night

Gi Jiu Jitsu class

3×5 minutes on bag

Late night run

Day 4

Morning

15 minutes skipping

Track 2 bas rutten on bag

3×5 minute ground and pound

1 minute suicide

1 minute medicine ball pushups

1 minute medicine ball burpees

1 minute sprawl and brawl

1 minute explosive ball jumps

1 minute hip outs

1 minute stand ups

1 minute cage walks

1 minute burpees

1 minute pushups

Night

Mma class/sparring

Day 5 - Off

Repeat