Yoel Romero has become a household name in MMA circles, and just looking at his body tells you that he is one hell of a ripped athlete with explosive power.
As a certified personal trainer and strength coach for all types of athletes, I was interested to find out how he achieved that physique, and it turns out that Yoel is quite secretive and not one of the social media celebrities.
So, our team had to do some digging over several days to find enough information to develop a workout week to get you in that kind of shape.
Quick Summary
- Yoel Romero does a lot of endurance and strength training that involves a lot of compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups.
- Developing explosive power for fights also means training with movements that are similar to kicking and punching.
- The other thing you will need to consider is how dieting and supplements will support training like Yoel Romero.
Yoel Romero Stats
- Born: April 30, 1977
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 205 lbs
Yoel Romero’s Workout Routine
Yoel Romero is a beast of a fighter, and he has a careful plan for his MMA workout routine to get and stay in shape.
Here’s an example of what we believe his fight preparation workout involves.
Monday: Cardio Endurance
To start off the week, Yoel Romero will do some endurance work that mixes cardio and high-intensity interval exercises [1].
Here’s what you could do:
- Weighted sprints (5 sets of 20 seconds)
- Medicine ball wall throws (5 sets of 30 seconds)
- Jog or sprint alternates (12 times 30+30 seconds)
- Treadmill, rower, or elliptical (30 minutes alternating intensity)
Tuesday: Strength Training
Now we’re moving onto some targeted compound movements that create strength and power both for fighting and avoiding injury from an opponent.
Here’s what you can do:
- Deadlifts (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Olympic lifts (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Military press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Triceps pushdowns (3 sets of 12 reps)
- T-bar rows (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Back squats (3 sets of 12 reps)
Wednesday: Plyometrics
Today is all about getting airborne with plyometrics to build up more endurance energy and some kicking power [2].
Here are some fun workout options to try out:
- Box jumps (3 sets to failure)
- Clap push-ups (3 sets to failure)
- Dumbbell lunges (3 sets to failure)
- Burpees (3 sets to failure)
- Lateral squat jumps (3 sets to failure)
Thursday: Strength Training
Here’s another strength workout that targets all muscle groups for more power while MMA fighting:
- Olympic lifts (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Lateral raises (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Romanian deadlift (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Hack squat (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Hanging leg raises (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Bench press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Overhand barbell curl (3 sets of 12 reps)
Friday: Endurance Training
And to finish out the MMA preparation, let’s work on more endurance power to last more than a few seconds in the octagon:
- Treadmill, rower, or elliptical (30 minutes alternating intensity)
- Jog/sprint alternates (12 times 30+30 seconds)
- Medicine ball slams (5 sets of 30 seconds)
Weekend: Active Recovery
Yoel Romero takes an active approach to rest and recovery, and he still does some light martial arts skills and outdoor workouts and activities.
“No one wants to work for what they have, to achieve a goal. No one wants to step outside of the house and go for a long run and sweat. Everybody wants to run inside the house, the treadmill, but they don't want to diet and train”
- Yoel Romero
What’s His Diet Plan?
Yoel Romero has a diet plan that will heavily focus on clean nutrients and an ideal balance of calories and macros.
He hasn’t shared any specifics about what a typical meal plan would look like, so I got my dietitian to come up with a sample.
- Breakfast: Fruit salad with cuts and seeds and scrambled egg on brown toast
- Snack: Protein shake
- Lunch: Grilled chicken or fish with vegetables and rice
- Snack: Protein shake
- Dinner: Turkey or beef with salad and sweet potato
Does He Take Supplements?
Yes, it’s very likely that Yoel Romero takes quite a few supplements to support his diet.
When you exercise that hard between weights and MMA skills, you need a lot of nutrients that you might struggle to balance with food.
First of all, he’ll need a high-quality whey protein powder to improve his muscle protein synthesis and stay lean.
The better the quality, the better the impact is on muscles.
And he’ll also need to consider a pre-workout supplement.
These can provide a small boost of endurance and strength to help you get a bit more out of every session. And those small benefits add up a lot over many weeks and months.
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Start Exercising Like An MMA Champion
Whether you’re into martial arts or not, as a personal fitness coach, I can tell you that this workout routine will transform your physique and energy levels.
Yoel Romero is a great role model for that kind of work ethic, and I highly recommend that you try out the above routine.
Just make sure you also take a pre-workout to be able to push yourself a bit further:
We’ve tested and researched dozens of these products to find those that have the best results that will fast-track your progress.
References:
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/high-intensity-interval-training
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5260592/
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