MMA fighter Jessica-Rose Clark is celebrating a milestone in her fitness journey. Clark, 36, shared a video of herself wearing shorts and a black shirt, doing a strength training session at the gym. “When you hit a PR and celebrate too early then you can’t stop laughing and totally mess up your remaining reps 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ Thank you @abekhalil79 for training me today, excited to hit more PRs and actually be good at exercising as well as fighting,” she captioned the post. Here’s how Clark stays fighting-fit and ready for action.
1. CrossFit Training
Clark started CrossFit training during the pandemic lockdowns, and wishes she had tried it earlier. “A big part of that was what I was doing on the CrossFit side,” she told CrossFit.com. “I felt like maybe athletically I would have progressed a little quicker if I had been more open to doing it earlier… It made me so explosive and powerful and mobile, which in a sport that involves moving someone else, physically lifting someone else … pushing 135 lb off you dynamically … there’s so much correlation.”
2. Those Who Can, Teach
Clark revels in teaching MMA and Muay Thai, especially to kids. “I just love it. I love seeing the look on someone’s face when they understand what you’re trying to show them,” she told UFC.com. “Or maybe they’ve been having difficulty with a particular technique or a particular move, and just being able to find a way around that difficulty or helping them solve whatever the problem is, it’s fulfilling. If I’m not training, I’m teaching. It’s the other half of my job. I’m not just a fighter. I’m going to be in this sport for a long time, and I’m going to help other people evolve in it as well.”
3. Love At First Sight
Clark was introduced to the world of martial arts through her then-boyfriend. “I’ve been training for 12 years and fighting for 10,” she told ICON Meals. “I was dating a guy who took me to kickboxing one day, and just fell in love with it! I legitimately never looked back. It was the first thing in my life that I ever truly fell in love with.”
4. Training Camps
Clark is supported by a fantastic team. “I’m in a position now where I can really tailor my camps to how I need them, which is a big thing for me,” she told UFC.com. “Instead of just training with whoever I can find, now I can bring people in to help me train. I brought in a black belt to help me with this camp, which has been huge. I’ve got high-level strikers working every day with me as well. Previously I couldn’t afford to pay people to come and help me out. I had to take what I could get.
5. Her Own Hero
Clark has immense self-confidence and focus. “This is probably going to sound conceited, but honestly, I inspire myself,” she told ICON Meals. “It’s been a long and arduous journey, not just through my career but through life. I don’t need to turn to what someone else has done, in order to inspire me to keep going. I don’t believe in balance. My UFC career is my only priority. It is what allows me to keep a roof over my head and my dogs fed. Everything else comes secondary.”