Valentina Shevchenko is showing off her powerful physique in her two-piece workout gear. In a recent Instagram post, the MMA champion flaunted her incredibly fit body while training, dressed in a black sports bra and shorts emblazoned with her name. She also posed post-fight. "There's no discussion, Valentina is the best female fighter on the planet 100% 🇰🇬🐐❤️," commented one fan. Known for her rigorous discipline and intense workout routines, Shevchenko takes her preparation for fights to a whole new level. How does the UFC star get ready to step into the octagon? Here’s everything you need to know about the methods Shevchenko uses to stay on top of her game.
1. She Doesn’t Drink Water During Training
In a recent Instagram post, Shevchenko showed off her beautifully toned physique wearing a black sports bra and tight black workout shorts with her name on her upper thigh. The MMA star keeps in shape in various ways, including not drinking during training. “When you are drinking water, you are focusing on that you’re tired,” she said in an ESPN interview. This is a way to kind of develop your champion mindset.” She drinks water before or after training but never during.
2. She Has a Balanced Diet
In an interview with Women’s Health, Shevchenko shared she doesn’t hold back from eating anything, but the key is moderation. "I can eat everything," she says. "But I think the main idea is balance." According to the World Health Organization, a healthy, balanced diet combines different foods, such as protein, fruits and vegetables, legumes, and “staples like cereal.” The site states a well-balanced diet “protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet.”
3. She Trains Nonstop
Shevchenko trains two to three hours a day to prepare for a fight. She told Women’s Health, "It's hard work and nonstop.” However, she takes a day off to rest when she has Saturday fights and does light training the morning of. "It's like a 40-minute training, just to stretch and sweat," she says.
4. Recovery is Important
With such a rigorous workout schedule, recovery is important and something Shevchenko takes seriously. When she has downtime, she spends a few hours at a lake in Vegas she enjoys. "Just being in nature, recharging enough to get back," she told Women’s Health. "My trainings are super intensive and super difficult," she says. "That's why you try to save your energy as much as you can."
5. Sports is her Religion
Shevchenko entered the world of fighting at a young age. She was only 6 or 7 when she competed for the first time, and her first professional fight was at 12. When she joined the UFC, she was a 17-time Muay Thai World Champion. "Fighters, they have to know how to box, have to know how to kick, how to wrestle, how to grapple, everything," she told Women’s Health. "They have to do it, not just okay, they have to do it in perfection." She compares her passion for the sport to religion. "For me, martial arts, it's kind of [the] same as religion, because you have to believe in what you are doing and your temple is your dream," she says.
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