THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Mixed martial arts star Georges St-Pierre says his new at-home fitness program is designed for regular people who want to get in shape. And he includes his own mother in that category.
But the workout series is not exactly “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.”
Even St-Pierre, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight title-holder, admits he struggled with some sections of “GSP Rushfit,” a series of workouts that combines MMA conditioning with circuit training and body weight exercises.
“I can’t do the whole thing 100 per cent,” says the 29-year-old Montreal native. “I have to stop sometimes because it’s too much for me. Imagine if it’s too much for me how it is for a guy who’s 60 years old with five kids? It’s pretty hard.”
He’s not kidding. As a 36-year-old longtime runner, I considered myself to be in pretty good shape, but my above-average cardio fitness didn’t help me much during the two weeks I spent testing “GSP Rushfit.” I found the high-intensity workouts challenging and was fatigued by the end of most of them.
The results won’t come without giving it your all, says St-Pierre.
“People want to get in shape, they want to lose weight but they don’t have the will do to the effort,” he says. “That’s what I’m talking about in the DVD. There is no magic pill.”
But those at home shouldn’t kid themselves. While “Rushfit” incorporates some MMA training techniques, it isn’t a replica of St-Pierre’s regular workout routine.
Widely recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, St-Pierre has numerous trainers and coaches who work with him on every aspect of his fight game. Much of his regimen is well beyond what the average person could manage. Just type “Georges St-Pierre workout” into YouTube and you’ll get a taste of what he puts his body through before he even enters the Octagon.
The “GSP Rushfit” program, which gets its name from St-Pierre’s nickname Rush, includes seven different workouts on a series of six DVDs — full body strength and conditioning, explosive power training, fight conditioning, abdominal strength and core conditioning, strength and endurance, balance and agility, and stretching for flexibility.
St-Pierre collaborated on the project with Erik Owings, a trainer and MMA fighter whom he’s known for years. Owings leads most of the workouts while St-Pierre occasionally offers some tips, though he spends most of the time seemingly working his butt off doing the exercises to Owings’ satisfaction. Every now and then, Owings corrects St-Pierre, who will reply “Yes sir!”
Most of the sessions start with a 10-minute warmup and then are broken into five high-intensity five-minute circuits, or “rounds,” before finishing with a five-minute cooldown. With the exception of balance and agility and stretching sessions — which are labelled “bonus workouts” and don’t follow the five-round format — most workouts are about 45 minutes in total. The only required equipment is a set of dumbbells, and a spacious workout area is also beneficial.
The program is designed to be done over an eight-week period and promises that devotees will “build muscle, cut weight and get in shape.” There are three different training schedules — beginner, intermediate and advanced — though all three call for working out at least five days a week. The advanced program even includes some two-workout days. The package also includes a nutritional plan.
The series offers something for everyone.
If you’re interested in mixed martial arts you’ll probably enjoy the fight conditioning workout, which incorporates several techniques such as punches, kicks and grappling. My lack of co-ordination had me hopelessly lost during that one.
The explosive power disc incorporates plyometrics, another common element of fight training. My personal favourites were the full body strength and conditioning, and the abdominal strength and core conditioning workouts. Not only did they focus on areas I want to improve, they were challenging but still easy to follow.
Obviously not everyone can work at the same level as St-Pierre, whose fitness is legendary in the MMA world, so Owings provides some modifications for exercises that may be too difficult and reminds those at home not to overdo it and injure themselves. It’s good advice if you’re just starting out.
Owings said that even St-Pierre struggled at times with his form and insists the champion fighter was giving it his full effort throughout the entire week of shooting.
“He did really go after it,” says Owings. “There was no playing it up. There was no acting involved in that whole thing.”
“GSP Rushfit” is available online at www.gsprushfit.com. The entire six-disc program with nutritional plan and training calendars costs $89.99 while a slimmed-down four-DVD set goes for $69.99 and individual discs are $19.99 each.
