I had the pleasure of working with Ultimate Fighting Championship star Lyoto Machida. His manager contacted me last Monday asking if I could help him do a last training session before heading off to Vegas to fight. I obviously accepted. We did a few exercises to warm up his muscles and keep the blood flowing and then some stretching. By the way, 880 pounds on the leg press is his way of keeping the blood flowing. He won his fight with a first round knockout.

I received a call from his manager the day after his fight asking me to train him again on Monday. That’s 2 days after his highly anticipated match. I was expecting him to rest for a longer time, but he was back to it. This time we got to work out hard. The dedication of professional athletes is mind blowing.  

Why am I writing about this? Besides the fact that it was a great experience and I can add a mixed martial artist to my resume, it confirms that dedication, persistence, and hard work are the keys to success….no matter your sport, goals, or fitness level.