{"id":21617,"date":"2020-12-11T20:20:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T09:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-328533-4778250.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=21617"},"modified":"2022-10-18T10:22:18","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T23:22:18","slug":"demetrious-johnson-daily-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balancethegrind.co\/daily-routines\/demetrious-johnson-daily-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"Demetrious Johnson: Daily Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On Daily Routines<\/a>, we profile successful leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, executives and athletes to explore their routines, schedules, habits and day in the life<\/em><\/em>.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

During the early days of Demetrious Johnson’s mixed martials arts career, when he was racking up wins against the likes of Miguel Torres, Damacio Page and Norifumi Yamamoto, the former UFC Flyweight Champion was still working full-time as a manual labourer. Most days, he’d put in 10 to 12-hour shifts at the factory then head to the gym for a training session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn about the daily routines from the most successful people in the world by signing up to our newsletter<\/a><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you look at the end of a roll of toilet paper, like the brown paper tube, I basically worked in a factory that made humongous ones like that \u2014 for concrete or anything you wanted to put in there,\u201d Johnson said in an interview with Las Vegas Sun<\/a>. \u201cI was the guy who chopped those up into smaller pieces, put them in a box, throw it in a pallet, wrap it up, jump in a forklift and put it on a truck. There were so many roles, and I basically did all of them except operate the big machines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In between factory work and MMA training, Johnson was also supporting his mother, who was undergoing chemotherapy for bone cancer. “A typical day would entail heading to work, returning home to pick up his mom, transporting her to the hospital, taking her home, going back to work, driving to the gym to train and then returning home for the night,” according to a Sherdog profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up until he defeated Torres at UFC 130, Johnson was training less than 10 hours a week. He then made the switch to a full-time career in mixed martial arts, dedicating close to 30 hours a week to prepare for his title shot against UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that he\u2019s able to train full-time, the sky\u2019s the limit for him. He\u2019s finally able to dedicate himself to the sport and not have to go back and forth between doing other stuff; he\u2019s going to have a real opportunity to really start to train and make a difference.<\/p>No Stranger to Adversity – Mighty Mouse | Sherdog<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Johnson ultimately lost his title shot against the larger and more experienced Cruz, who used his superior size and wrestling to win a unanimous decision. The loss also marked the end of Johnson’s career at bantamweight and the start of his legendary run at flyweight, where he would capture the inaugural championship at UFC 152 and defend it a record-breaking 11 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After dropping the title to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in a close, split decision loss, Johnson was traded from the UFC to ONE Championship, where he quickly notched up three wins in one year and is currently the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Demetrious Johnson’s training routine & diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With a nickname like Mighty Mouse and standing at 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m), it’s no surprise that Johnson doesn’t struggle too much with his diet. Even with his regular cheat meals \u2014 stuffed-crust pizzas, oreos, fried chicken, waffles, and lots of beer (“That\u2019s one thing, I just love beer. And I like dark beers.”), Johnson has no problem making weight every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Last night I had two beers and four slices of pizza and five apple empanadas and I woke up at 143 pounds,” Johnson told GQ in a 2017 profile<\/a>. “I can eat whatever I want and I don\u2019t get over 145 pounds.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later in the interview, he broke down an example daily meal plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the morning I\u2019ll have some type of toast. Ezekiel bread, so it\u2019s all whole grain. Then for the rest of the day I won\u2019t have any sweets, no beer, nothing bad for me. My wife will come home and cook my meals during training camp. She\u2019ll be like, \u201cWhat do you want for dinner?\u201d and I\u2019ll say, \u201cChicken and greens.\u201d It\u2019s that simple. She just throws some chicken in the oven and steams some broccoli or spinach or asparagus. It\u2019s super easy. Then I\u2019ll have some type of good carb, like a sweet potato or brown rice.<\/p>The Real-Life Diet of UFC\u2019s Demetrious Johnson, Who Loves Juicing and Beer | GQ<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, after noticing that his body isn’t recovering like the early days, Johnson has also started to use more supplements on a daily basis. He described his supplement routine in an interview with Onnit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I use MCT oil a lot. I put it into my yogurt, and I\u2019ll make a concoction of coconut water and Mineral Electrolytes, like a Gatorade thing, and add MCT oil to that. I\u2019m really conscious of hydration, because I train so much and I don\u2019t want to cramp or tear a muscle because I\u2019m dehydrated. Breakfast might be eggs and oatmeal, and I\u2019ll take krill oil with that, and spirulina. I take Total Strength and Performance before workouts, and I just discovered Onnit\u2019s Elk Bar, and I love it. I eat that between training sessions. When I get home, I take the Key Minerals. The magnesium helps me relax at night.<\/p>Q&A With \u201cMighty Mouse\u201d Demetrious Johnson | Onnit Academy<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to his daily training routine, Johnson is a multi-tasker, juggling strength & conditioning and sparring sessions with cooking breakfast for his family and school pickup duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get up around 8:00 am, and the first thing I do is cook breakfast for the whole family,” Johnson said, describing an example Tuesday during fight camp. \u201cThe kids would usually have to be at school by 9:00 am, so I get them to school, and then it\u2019s on to my first session of the day.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson likes to kick off his training day with a morning swim at his local pool. \u201cI like to go swimming to get my morning cardio in. It gets the blood and oxygen moving through the body and muscles,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the swim, he’ll head home for a snack (“apples and peanut butter”) and some lunch (“salmon with saut\u00e9ed spinach and brown rice”), then he’s off to pick up the kids from school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go and pick up one of the kids, and we can play for a little bit before I have to get back on the road for the next session,\u201d he says. \u201cAt 5:00 pm, we will start training, and we don\u2019t stop until 7:00 pm, so two-hour sessions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These night-time training sessions usually include specific preparations for his opponent; Johnson will work on wrestling mat drills, grappling, pad work, Muay Thai sparring, as well as video study. He’ll also work on his strength and conditioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019ll do circuit training with exercises like jump squats, sprints, pushups on a med ball, pullups, and wall climbs,” he described to Onnit. “Do all that to jack my heart rate up, and then rest down until my heart is at 120 beats again.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To unwind from his day, Johnson likes to hang out with his wife, Destiny, and then head off to sleep. \u201cI\u2019ll go to bed around 10:30-11:00 pm, and get ready to do it all again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, it\u2019s about being consistent, day in and day out. Some athletes today are burning their bodies up, and that makes them unable to keep on going to have a long and successful career.<\/p>Train Like An Athlete: Demetrious Johnson | ONE Championship<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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