Vin Diesel's Fast And Furious Workout!

Vin Diesel's Fast & Furious Workout

Vin Diesel is a true Hollywood A lister, making his way though movies like 'Saving Private Ryan' 'The Fast & The Furious' and 'The Chronicles of Riddick'. He even managed to have a hit with the Disney movie, 'The Pacifier'.

But one thing about Vin Diesel is for certain, the women love him and the men want to be him. He generates an image of being a no nonsense kind of guy, and has the physique to back it up.

As you may have guessed, simply from looking at him, Vin is an avid fan of working out, but he does have his own outlook on it. He likes to hit the weights a few days a week focusing primarily on Chest, Shoulders and Arms - I like to refer to this philosophy as 'Beach Weights'

When he was starting out back in New York, Vin used to work as a bouncer in a Manhattan night club, it is here I assume that he spawned and interest in lifting weights and martial arts - having a few fighting/self defense skills and some muscle for the visual intimidation is a must when doing this job.

However, now that he is part of the Hollywood elite, he has become an avid fan of the UFC and he likes to incorporate some Mixed Martial Arts training into his weekly training regime.

So as you are probably gathering, his fitness program is pretty varied and never boring, come on, what's not to love about hitting the weights a few days, then getting hit and hitting people some other days? Apart from the fact that you might have to smell some sweaty pits before you slap an arm bar on some training partner!

I don't think I have seen a single Vin Diesel movie where he is not in shape, the guy always looks dieseled, for those of you new to bodybuilding lingo that means buff. So I am gathering he has nailed it on the head when he designed this particular training plan.

It has a wide variety of disciplines from the weights room, to the yoga studio to the mats at the local MMA Club. This wide variety of training keeps the motivation levels at a peak and challenges many different components of fitness for a total all round athletic look.

Below I will go through a typical weeks training for Vin, taking into account what is done in the gym and then what he does for cardio and where he fits in his MMA training. According to my sources, Vin is a big advocate of free weights and heavy compound training.

That is, bench press, military press, triceps extensions; he seems to have a real bread and butter approach to his training, like the old saying 'keep it simple, stupid'.

The Workout:

Day 1: Chest

• Bench Press: 2 warm up sets
• Bench Press: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 1 warm up set
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 8 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 4 sets of 12, 12, 10, 10 reps
• Pushups: 4 sets of as many reps as you can do in 60 seconds, 120 seconds rest between sets

Day 2: Back

• Pullups: 4 sets of 12 reps
• Bent Over Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 8 reps
• Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 8 reps
• Deadlifts: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps

Day 3: MMA Training

Day 4: Arms

• Machine Preacher Curls: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
• Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 8 reps
• Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 8 reps
• Rope Pushdowns: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
• Skullcrushers: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 8 reps
• Overhead Cable Extensions: 4 sets of 15, 12, 12, 10 reps

Day 5: MMA Training

Day 6: Yoga

Day 7: Rest

MMA Training Workout

The workout on this day has an emphasis on fitness as well as combat skills so for that purpose, the pace of the routine is kept fast.

Shuttle Runs: 

To begin, perform shuttle runs of approximately 20m. When you reach each line, touch the ground with the finger tips. Run back and forth for 60 seconds, rest for 30 and as the session progresses, increase the pace getting in more runs than the previous set.

Once this phase is complete, make sure to stretch out any muscles which have been feeling tight.

Bag Throws:

From here we will move onto bag throws, grasping a heavy, tall punching bag with both hands. Lift and throw the bag over your shoulder, alternating sides with each throw as you rotate your torso.

This exercise gets the core, the legs, the arms and shoulders warmed up well for the remainder of the workout.

Punching Bag:

Once fully warmed, it is time to begin the combat section of the workout by doing 60 second rounds on the punching bag. There should only be 30 seconds of rest between rounds.

Phase 1:

Begin slowly, with combinations like a left - right jab, then a left - left - right jab. From here, you should progress to adding in hooks so the combination would be left - left - right - left hook. Then change, right - right - left - right hook.

Getting the rhythm and the punch technique correct and accurate is more important than hitting the bag hard at this stage; the power will come, accuracy and speed are far more vital. If you hit the bag in the wrong way, with power, you are sure to get hurt.

I have seen many a guy banging the bag as hard as he could for the girls, only to wind up in the emergency room with a sprained or fractured wrist.

Phase 2:

The next phase of bag work is going to focus on leg kicks; 60 second rounds with 30 seconds of rest. From a fighting stance, throw a front kick with the lead leg, and follow up with an inside shin kick to the thigh with the back leg. Go two rounds then switch stance by changing the lead leg.

Once you have gone two rounds again, switch to a thigh kick with the lead leg, followed by a knee with the back leg. Again, go two rounds and change stance.

Phase 3:

The final phase of the workout involves both punches and kicks. The length of the round is also increased to 120 seconds and rest time is increased to 45 seconds.

Remember, speed and accuracy are key; power will come. Utilize the combinations from earlier on in the workout and create new ones. Let yourself get into a fight with the bag after all, you are sure to win. Punching bags don't hit back!

Please note: when punching a bag, it is vital that you wear hand wraps and the appropriate gloves for your own protection!

Yoga Training

The yoga workout is primarily used by Vin as a way to increase flexibility and enhance core strength. After all, if you have a weak core, everything else will be weak. The core is the center of the universe when it comes to your body's strength and athletic performance.

I have picked out some of the basic yoga positions that are most relevant to the rest of the workout, that is, the MMA portion and the weight training portion. The great thing about these positions is that very little or no rest is required between movements.

The Plank:

This position is relatively easy. The object is to balance on you forearms and toes, much like the push-up position. While here, you must keep the ears, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles in line. You must hold this position for 60 seconds.

Left Plank:

This is where you are balancing on the left side of your body, using only your left forearm and left foot as points of contact with the floor. You must also keep the torso stiff in this position for 60 seconds, maintaining a straight line through the centre of the body.

Right Plank:

This position is the exact same as the above position, apart from changing from left to right.

Tree:

This is one of the more popular yoga poses. From a standing position, lift the left leg to knee height and face the sole of the foot inwards so that you feel a stretch in the adductor muscle.

The arms should be outstretched like a crucifix. Hold for 60 seconds then change legs.

Downward Dog:

This is a great stretching movement for the hamstrings and it also really focuses on keeping the core tight. Start on all fours, with hands under shoulders and feet under hips.

Walk out slightly with the hands until you create a V shape with the body. Keep knees and back straight. Hold for 30 seconds.

Progression:

Straighten one leg back so that it is in direct alignment with the body (similar to plank position) hold for 30 seconds then change legs.

Progression 2:

As above with the leg outstretched, place opposing arm alongside the body.

The Crow:

Get into downward dog position (palms pressed into mat, feet hip-width apart) and walk feet forward until knees touch your arms.

Bend your elbows, lift heels off floor, and rest knees against the outside of your triceps. Keep toes on floor, keeping the core tight and legs pressed against arms.

Progression:

With hands spread wide, slowly move body forward until your weight is balanced over your hands. Draw abs inward (as if pulling belly button to spine) to lift your hips up higher, keeping your face forward, the only part of your body now touching the mat should be your hands.

Progression 2:

From the above position, as your upper body tilts forward, begin lifting your right leg toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes, spread out your toes, and hold for 5 to 10 breaths. Lower, switch legs and repeat.

Summary:

The above movements are ideal flexibility and core strengthening exercises to increase performance for MMA and weight training. As much of a sissy as some people might feel by doing yoga, the benefits seriously outweigh any girly stereotypes one might have heard.

Remember, the more supple and flexible we are, the less likely we are of sustaining a soft tissue injury. And the stronger our core, the less likely we are to suffer from lower back strains.

Conclusion

This workout is not for the faint hearted. As you will notice the MMA sessions and the yoga sessions are left pretty bare, this is because this type of training should be done in a group to bring out the most in the individual undertaking the training.

If your gym does not provide an MMA class, look up your local club and join a class. The combination of wrestling, boxing and kickboxing will surely set your metabolism on fire, turning you into a lean mean (well maybe the yoga will get rid of the mean) fighting machine.