In my last post I gave you a challenging UFC workout that will help you to sculpt a lean and ripped fighter’s body.  I had designed that MMA-style conditioning workout because I was psyched about the UFC fight that night.

After watching the UFC fights Saturday night, however, I felt like I had to do a follow-up post on the topic of getting a ripped body like a caged fighter.  I saw a couple of things when I was watching the fights that I thought you could learn from.

The most shocking thing I saw was a walking (fighting) contradiction that helps support a few of my advanced fat loss techniques.

I’m talking about Roy “Big Country” Nelson.  As his nickname implies, he’s one big dude.  Well, let’s be honest…FAT would be a better description.

This guy has one of the largest guts I’ve ever seen on any professional athlete, much less a UFC fighter.  Even offensive linemen in the NFL these days are starting to see the benefits of being lean, powerful and explosive…and many of them are losing their guts to enhance their performance on the field.

Roy Nelson had made it to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, which meant he got to fight live this past Saturday night for the chance to win a 6-figure contract with the UFC.  “Big Country” did just that by knocking out the other finalist.

What’s so shocking about Roy Nelson is that his conditioning is off the charts.  If you watched the fight on Saturday or got the chance to see any of The Ultimate Fighter episodes, I’m sure you were wondering how the hell someone who’s that fat can perform at such an intense level of effort without tiring.

The answer to this question supports two of my main fat loss golden rules:

1)  You can’t out-train a bad diet.  Roy “Big Country” Nelson is by far the best example of this principle.  Consider the fact that all this guy does is train and workout…that’s his job.  He gets paid (very well) to do this full time.  Imagine how many calories this guy is burning on a daily basis.

Now take a look at his body…WOWZA.  You almost wouldn’t think it would be possible to out-eat 6 hours of daily MMA workouts, but Roy’s done it…and then some.

This goes to show just how freakin’ important it is to follow a strict lean body diet, as I’ve discussed in other posts.  Roy has said himself that he loves Burger King and his belly is a testament to that.

Just remember, working out hard, frequently and consistently is what you’re supposed to be doing…it’s not a reason to “reward” yourself with fast food, treats or a second helping at suppertime.

It doesn’t take much to out-eat the hard work you’re putting into your workouts.  If you’re not seeing the ripped UFC-like body that you hoped for…you need to take a closer look at your diet plan and find out where you’re slipping up…because I guarantee you are.

2)  Doing endless amounts of cardio workouts will NOT give you a ripped UFC fighter’s body…or make you lean and tone, in general.

UFC fighters workout as much as 6-8 hours per day and perform lots of cardio training (on top of technical training, explosive training and weight training) because it’s required to make it through three 5-minute rounds of demanding competition.

Although most UFC and MMA fighters do have a totally ripped, athletic body…some of them (especially Roy Nelson) are an exception to the rule.  They’re able to have higher levels of body fat without sacrificing their conditioning levels.

In other words, they truly ARE in excellent shape, but you wouldn’t think so by looking at their relatively average physiques.

Marathon runners are another great example of this phenomenon.  If you’ve ever watched a marathon, you were probably wondering how the hell some of the people who crossed the finish line ever managed to run 26 miles.

Many of them have bodies that would imply they’ve never worked out in their life.

Why is this?  Because long, steady-state cardio workouts are less efficient and less effective at burning body fat…and almost totally worthless at building lean muscle.

Don’t get me wrong, standard cardio training still has great internal benefits.  But when it comes to getting a ripped body like a UFC fighter or a lean and curvy body like Shakira… strength training, interval cardio workouts, and plyometric training reign supreme.

I can’t stress this point enough:  If you want your own ripped hard-body, you need to focus most of your workouts around weight training and shorter, more intense interval-type training.

Even if you’re not a huge UFC or MMA fan like myself, just look at the pics of Roy Nelson and then think that he’s in better shape than 99% of the people in this world.  That’s crazy, but it CAN be explained.

In fact, I just explained it:  “Big Country” eats high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods in total excess of the number of calories he’s burning on a daily basis (which is a boatload due to his UFC workouts).

Plus he’s forced to do a lot of standard cardio training to improve his endurance for fights.  Too much long, slow-go cardio actually makes it harder for your body to burn fat because it naturally becomes more efficient at any activity it’s over-exposed to.

That’s an important point to make, because most people think that the answer to fat loss lies within doing more cardio training.

In defense of Roy Nelson, the dude’s an excellent fighter and I’m sure he doesn’t give a shit about how he looks.  In fact, he uses that massive belly to his advantage to hold people down during his fights.

I’m just using him as an example to drive home a couple of very important fat loss facts that many people have a hard time coming to grips with.

Personally, I’d rather look like George St. Pierre, Randy Couture, or other UFC fighters who are also in excellent shape, but unlike “Big Country,” have the ripped body to show for it.

I hope I’ve gotten these points across and you’re now ready to follow a lean body meal plan with the appropriate lean body supplements, and add to that some top notch fat-burning workouts.  If you’re ready, I’m going to take you by the hand and show you exactly how to live the lean body lifestyle.  That's a whole lot of leanness, people.

Go hard.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - I know all of my UFC fans will enjoy these: Tacfit Commando Review | Navy SEAL Workout

*This body weight only training system is taught to elite athletes that require maximum strength, endurance, explosiveness and mental toughness.  As an affiliate partner who's tried out these workouts fist hand, I can confidently recommend this killer workout system to all of my TopFatLossTrainer readers who want a lean, ripped body AND the athletic abilities to back it up (because beach muscles don't look so cool when you get your ass kicked by some stick figure kid who was simply in better fighting shape)

To continue with my UFC-inspired posts this week, I'm going to hook you up with another sample diet plan that I'd recommend to anyone who wants to sculpt a lean and muscular body like a UFC fighter.

This diet not only promotes fat loss and helps build rock hard muscle, but also provides lots of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals to aid in recovery from intense MMA-type workouts.

Eating at a caloric deficit to make sure you burn body fat is one thing, but most people overlook the importance of taking in enough healthy fat sources, along with crucial vitamins and minerals that come from eating an assortment of veggies.

I know it sucks, but you have to put in the extra effort with your diet plan (not just your workouts) if  you ever want to get super lean and attractive.

Once you accept this realization - that nutrition is hard work and you're going to quit living like everyone else and start living (eating) for yourself and your goals - you'll start noticing amazing changes in your body, especially when you combine this 'lean body eating' with advanced training, like Randy Couture's UFC workout.

I want you to follow an optimized diet plan that will torch body fat and rebuild lean muscle mass 5 days per week, then boost metabolism with one all-out cheat day each week and follow that up with one fasting day.  This weekly diet strategy has helped myself, my personal training clients and my TopFatLossTrainer online coaching clients to put a hurtin' on stubborn fat stores.

So the cheat day and fasting day are both obvious... but what should you eat on the 5 clean days each week?  And what would be ideal for guys looking to get lean and ripped like a UFC fighter or girls who want to be lean, but without losing their curves (like UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste, shown above and below...oops, I just drooled on my keyboard)...

I'm glad you asked.  Here's a diet plan that will deliver UFC fighter (or ring girl) physiques.  Adjust total calories  up or down slightly, depending on your current weight and activity level.

UFC Diet For a Lean Body:

Breakfast - UFC Lean Body Smoothie

1 cup strawberry yogurt, fat free
2 oz raw almonds
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tsp olive oil
20 grams whey protein powder

AM Snack - another UFC Lean Body Smoothie - double the ingredients and save 1/2 for PM snack

1 cup fat free milk
20 grams whey protein powder
1/2 cup blueberries
1 tsp olive oil

Lunch - UFC-style salad to keep body fat low and build a lean 6 pack

4 oz low fat cheese
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup red kidney beans
3 cups romaine lettuce
2 tsp olive oil
12 slices turkey bacon

PM Snack - yet another UFC Lean Body Smoothie...finish 1/2 leftover from AM snack

1 cup fat free milk
20 grams whey protein powder
1/2 cup blueberries
1 tsp olive oil

Dinner - pack on lean muscle, burn fat and promote recovery with this UFC-approved meal

8 oz lean beef cuts
1/2 cup broccoli
1 bell pepper
3 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 cup portabella mushrooms
1/3 cup red onions
1/2 cup red kidney beans
1/2 handful raw almonds
2 tsp olive oil

Bedtime Snack - fat slows absorption of protein ---> steady supply of protein to muscles while asleep

3 oz low fat cheese
1 cup grapes
1 handful raw almonds

Total calories for the day - 2,027

The hardest part of this UFC diet plan is buying, cleaning, cutting and preparing the vegetables.  Other than that, it's super easy to get enough healthy fats by using olive oil throughout the day...and I'm a big fan of smoothies because they taste awesome and they're easy to take along when you're on the go.

Plus, smoothies make it easier to get enough protein with each meal or snack and you can make a ginormous amount in the morning and use the rest later in the day, which cuts down on prep time.

Work hard during your fat loss workouts and work even harder in the kitchen...and soon you'll be the one causing people to drool like a hungry dog starring down a juicy steak (woof).

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - Want more lean body meal plans to get ripped like a UFC fighter?  Say no more, I'm hooking you up major.  Grab 'em right here...

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