UFC Star Holly Holm in Workout Gear Shares Intense Strength Training Routine

UFC star Holly Holm is showing fans what her workout routine looks like these days. Holm, 42, shared a video of herself wearing blue leggings and a sports bra, doing a full stretching session before hitting the treadmill and doing strength training exercises. “We always start with an active stretch, add some cardio, then on to strength training. @teamturningpoint always mixing it up for me!” she captioned the post. “Go get it @hollyholm! We wish you good fortunes in your next fight against Kayla Harrison!” a fan commented. Here’s how this fighter says strong and ready for the ring.

1. Running Every Day

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Holm runs five days a week on top of daily sparring practice and mitt work. “I go do my workout, do the media, and go right back to my workouts,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “It may mean running in the dark with a headlamp on because I didn’t get it done before the sun went down, but I know that the time put in then will pay off later. I’m disciplined to get it done, but there are times when it’s challenging for sure.”

2. Be Prepared and Focused

Holm says being prepared is her good luck charm. “I just try to stay healthy, keep my body feeling good, eat foods that make me feel energetic but not overly heavy,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “I like to be surrounded by my team—they make me feel good and confident, and the energy is good. Other than that, I just focus on the fight and I know that all the hard work has been put in… The training’s done, and nothing can take away from that, so I try not to get worked up in my head. I try to stay level-headed and keep my body feeing good until it’s time to shine.”

3. Rest and Recovery

Holm knows how important it is to rest when your body requires it. “On some days, I over-trained,” she told Time. “There will be times, when preparing for a big moment, where it can all seem overwhelming. On those days, you need a rest. For me, it’s going back and taking a bath in Epsom salt. You need to treat yourself. I’m a huge coffee addict. When you go out for coffee or even when you sit down with it at home, you know you’re taking a break. You’re going to enjoy it. If it’s not coffee, maybe it’s a glass of Diet Coke. Or wine. Or some chocolate almonds.”

4. Double the Fun

Holm admits to dreaming of doing both UFC and MMA. "I think about doing both," she told ESPN. "And my last boxing match, there was a debate if it would be at 135 or 140 pounds. I had already won a title at 140. I wish I would have pushed that [fight at 135] more because I could have been a four-division champion... But why not [actively hold titles in two sports]? I think that sounds fantastic."

5. Picture the Victory

Holm knows how hard it can be to stay motivated—but says it’s worth it. “On your journey to the top, there will be times when you don’t want to make the sacrifices,” she told Time. “When you’d be happier spending time with friends, with family. So many times, I don’t want to hit the gym. I just want the work to be over. But then I would picture the victory. And that’s all it takes.”

UFC star Holly Holm is feeling emotional after her bout with Kayla Harrison. Holm, 42, admits she wasn’t at her best during the April 13 fight, and told fans how she felt during an Instagram video of herself wearing a black tank top which showed off her powerful shoulders. “A little broken hearted but never broken. These are the moments we dream of etching in our legacy, a dream I failed to reach. Thank you all for the love. ❤️,” she captioned the post. Here’s how this MMA icon stays focused and fit.

1. Weekly Training Routine

Holms works hard during the week, mixing up training and workouts. “Monday through Friday every morning we have class and it’s intense,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “They’re pretty hardcore workouts. Monday there’s MMA sparring, Tuesday is sparring, Wednesday is wrestling, Thursday is MMA day, Friday is wrestling, and Saturday I do sprint runs. So that’s just the morning. Other than that I run five days a week with Saturday’s sprint run being one of them. Monday through Friday four out of the five days I’m running distance as well.”

2. Always Evolving

Holm stays grounded by focusing on her family and always striving to learn more. “I have a different perspective on who I am in MMA,” she told Oxygen. “I don’t like to think of it like that — I just try to be my best with all aspects of my life. With my husband, my family, my sport, my fans, my sponsors. I simply try to be the best I can be and always try to learn more.”

3. Distance Running

Holm does distance running to keep her weight down and to keep moving, she says. “I go back to either jiu-jitsu or wrestling at night Monday through Thursday,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “I’m working out about four and five hours a day depending [on my schedule]. Sometimes it’s more drilling; sometimes it’s going hard. I usually am doing at least two to three hard workouts and the rest of the time it’s technical drilling. Saturday I just run. The other runs I’m going slowly. I’m not training to be a runner; I’m training to be a fighter. When I sprint run I go as hard as I can.”

4. Fight Day Diet

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Holm has a quality protein like chicken or fish before a fight. “I always have sweet potatoes,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “I might have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I might have trail mix. I like to have light proteins and good carbs. I might have some fruits. I don’t want to only do fruit because the sugar doesn’t last with you as long. I feel good when I have a good sweet potato, and nut butters and honey. I snack on stuff the whole time I’m in the locker room. I don’t want to be too full and have too much at one time, so I’ll eat little bites here and there, all the way up until about 30 to 45 minutes before the fight.”

5. Giving Back

Holm is a philanthropist who donates her time hosting events for up-and-comers. “People ask about the new up-and-comers, like they’re hungry. Well, so am I,” she told KRQE. “I still am. The day that I don’t feel that hungry is the day I will retire. It’s life changing, their health, their confidence, even just how they communicate, everything. It’s like, you see them completely transform into the better version that they can be and in turn, they also, very much, inspire me.”

Professional boxer and MMA star Holly Holm took a break from her incredibly intense training regimen to enjoy the sun, sea, and sand on a trip to beautiful Santa Barbara, California. Holm, 41, shared a picture of herself soaking up the sun on a boat, wearing a white one-piece swimsuit with shorts and dark sunglasses. The athlete looked serene and calm, a world away from her usual high-energy competition attitude. “Legend/ one of the greatest female fighters ever,” a fan commented. Here’s exactly what Holm does to earn that accolade.

1. Sculpted Arms

Holm says she relies on body weight to get her powerfully sculpted arms. “I do some strength training but most of what I do as far as arms is bodyweight,” she says. “I’ll do pull-ups, pushups and dips. Of course with fighting, we’re constantly using our arms punching. In the clench you’re wrestling around with other people so they’re constantly being worked. I don’t ever use really heavy weights with my arms.”

2. Strength Training Workouts

Holm shares videos of her workouts on social media. “‘What do you do for strength training?’ Is always a common question,” she says. “I do a variety of many different workouts. A big majority of them are just using body weight. Pull ups being something I do frequently... we change them up... some on the rings, some on the bar, some chin ups, wide grip, narrow grip, some kipping some strict, some with a slow tempo, some explosive and fast. Today we finished with strict pull ups focusing on bringing the bar to my chest instead of just getting the chin to the bar. Thank you @teamturningpoint for your constant push.”

3. Protein-Powered Diet

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Holm’s enjoys a healthy diet with a strong focus on quality protein. “[For breakfast] I eat a bit of protein (eggs, protein shake, protein bar, chicken, beef) and some almond butter in the morning,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll make a mixture of coconut milk, chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax seeds to eat as well. It depends on the morning. Lunch usually consists of chicken breast over salad with light dressing. I love a good salad with greens and nuts, maybe some berries as well. [Dinner is] any kind of protein (beef patty, lean pork loin, grilled fish, grilled chicken) and some kind of side with it, like salad or asparagus or Brussels sprouts. Sometimes I dice up sweet potatoes and bake them with a bit of olive oil.”

4. Preparing For a Fight

Holm likes peace and quiet before a fight. “I just like to be in my own peace and quiet,” she says. “I don’t listen to music or have any music on in the locker room. I just focus and zone in. If I feel like I need music it’s because I’m needing the distraction and worked up too much. So I figure if I can’t focus long enough to think about the fight, maybe I shouldn’t be doing it anymore. I’m fine with my own peace and quiet.”

5. Importance of Confidence

Holm emphasizes how important confidence is for a fighter. “I think it’s good to have confidence in yourself with what you do in life,” she says. “You need to feel like you can accomplish things or else, how are you going to get there? If you don’t feel like you can do it, then how are you going to do it? You have to have confidence in yourself, but I definitely want to be very honest and real with myself at the same time. I’m trying to keep a good balance. I want to have confidence that I can accomplish these things. I don’t think there’s anything bad about it.”

UFC Star Michelle Waterson-Gomez doesn’t need extra plates when she’s doing dips at the gym—something she makes fun of in an Instagram post. Waterson-Gomez, 38, shared a video of herself wearing black leggings and a gray t-shirt, doing an upper body workout with the text “When you got a built in weighted… 😅” written over the video. “It’s a struggle lol 😆,” she captioned the post. “Relatable 😅🫠,” a fan commented. Here’s how the MMA star trains, eats, and lives her fittest fighter life.

1. Drills, Boxing, and Tabata

Waterson-Gomez says when it comes to training, nothing is more important than drills. “I also like shadow boxing which is like fighting an imaginary opponent,” she told Women Fitness. “Shadow boxing allows you to fix your mistakes and make your movement smooth so that it becomes second nature. Doing bag work is also a good workout routine. It allows me to work on my power and footwork. One of my favorite things to do to improve my stamina are tabatas. 20 seconds high intensity, 10 seconds rest, seven times, then rest for one min in between sets. Do it three times. This is a very short but very effective way to build your explosive muscles.”

2. Training Diet

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Waterson-Gomez is strict with her diet when she’s training to fight. “I stay very hydrated, and eat very clean,” she told Women Fitness. “I try to stay away from processed, fried foods. Towards the end of my camp I stick to leaner meats and lots of green veggies.”

3. Fighting Beauty

Waterson-Gomez refuses to be boxed in by stereotypes of what a fighter should look like. "When I talk to people that have no idea that I fight, their first thing they say is, "Really, you fight? You don't look like a fighter,'" she told PeopleStyle. “I'm like, 'Well, what are fighters supposed to look like?' Some of us like to wear makeup, the red lips, the sexy black dress [too]."

4. Shaped by Martial Arts

Waterson-Gomez says martial arts has shaped who she is today and she couldn’t be more grateful. “It gave me a voice when I was too afraid to speak,” she told Numéro Netherlands. “It gave me the courage to take action when I was petrified with fear. There have been so many times throughout my life when Ifelt lost or stuck, and I leaned on my training as a martial artist to help guide me. Martial arts taught me to be humble, patient, persistent and driven.”

5. Love For Julie Kedzie and Holly Holm

Waterson-Gomez is inspired by and has great respect for fellow fighters Julie Kedzie and Holly Holm. “These ladies inspire me in more ways than one,” she told Women Fitness. “Outside of being amazing people, they carry the spirit of true warriors and I have learned so much from them. I have sweat, bled, cried and celebrated with these two and I would do anything for them.”

Holly Holm is one of the most well-known female fighters out there. She shares a lot of her wellness tips on Instagram. Recently, Holm did an ice bath, and shared a video on her page. She captioned it, “Looking like a sunburn. As long as I make it past the first two minutes I’m good. But those first two always burn! Today was 6 minutes. Don’t let the frown mislead you… it always feels good afterwards!” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Holly Holm stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. She Does A Different Class Each Day

Holm revealed her favorite workouts in an interview with Muscle and Fitness. She says that she does a lot of different workouts each day. Holm says that she specifically likes to do classes. “Monday through Friday every morning, we have class,” she says. “And it’s intense. They’re pretty hardcore workouts. Monday there’s MMA sparring, Tuesday is sparring, Wednesday is wrestling, Thursday is MMA day, Friday is wrestling, and Saturday I do sprint runs.”

2. She Runs

Holm tells Muscle and Fitness that she’s an avid runner. “I run five days a week with Saturday’s sprint run being one of them,” she explains. “Monday through Friday, four out of the five days, I’m running distance as well…Saturday I just run. The other runs I’m going slowly. I’m not training to be a runner; I’m training to be a fighter. When I sprint run, I go as hard as I can. When I do distance runs I don’t care how fast I go. I do it to keep moving, keep the weight coming down and just kinda cruise.”

3. She Alternates Between Drills & Intense Workouts

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Holm does two types of workouts: intense training and drills. She tells Muscle and Fitness that she likes to alternate. “I do mitt work three to four times a week. I go back to either jujitsu or wrestling at night Monday through Thursday. I’m working out about four and five hours a day depending [on my schedule]. Sometimes it’s more drilling; sometimes it’s going hard. I usually am doing at least two to three hard workouts, and the rest of the time, it’s technical drilling.”

4. She Works Out Her Arms

Holm has amazing arms, and she makes sure to do a lot of arm workouts. “I do some strength training, but most of what I do as far as arms is bodyweight,” she tells Muscle and Fitness. “I’ll do pull-ups, pushups and dips. Of course with fighting, we’re constantly using our arms punching. In the clench you’re wrestling around with other people so they’re constantly being worked. I don’t ever use really heavy weights with my arms.”

5. She Doesn’t Compare Fights

Holm opened up about how she approaches a fight to Strong Fitness Magazine. “Every fight is different, every fighter is different, every training camp is different. So I try not to compare because sometimes that could set you up for a mental breakdown if you’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this isn’t going like it did before!’ I just try to take each day and learn from what I did wrong, try to retain what I did right, keep it one day at a time. Our whole training camp and how overwhelming it is can be too much to handle, so I just take it one day at a time.”