JON ‘BONES’ JONES is increasingly looking unbreakable. Already regarded as the UFC GOAT, Jones delivered a devastating display of striking and kicking, in a brutal third-round TKO of former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in New York on the weekend.
Jones dominated his seasoned opponent from the opening bell, landing a series of shots to Miocic’s head in the first round, before ending proceedings with a spinning back kick to Miocic’s abdomen in the third.
Jones had hinted before the fight that he would consider retiring after a victory over Miocic, which led to accusations he was ducking interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. After his decisive victory on the weekend, Jones said he wouldn’t be retiring, raising hopes that a fight with Aspinall will eventuate – let’s hope so.
Jones, who in his previous fight as a heavyweight at UFC 285 in March last year, defeated Frenchman Ciryl Gane in a first-round knockout, entered the Octagon at 240 lb (108 kg). As he noted on Instagram, this wasn’t much heavier than the weight he competed at light heavyweight. “240 pounds, fast and strong. I used to walk around at 235lbs (106 kg) as a light heavyweight,” the 37-year-old said on Insta. “This almost feels like a light heavyweight fight without the weight cut.”
Jones began his prep for Miocic back in July last year, posting workout videos of sets of chin-ups and toes-to-bar with the following caption: “Tomorrow, I’ll be 37 years old !! I’m 260 pounds (117 kg) 16 weeks away from fighting the most decorated heavyweight in UFC history. I feel like I’m in a great spot right before training camp ramps up. My form is far from perfect in these videos, but I’m happy with it considering the surgeries I recently had. 16 more weeks to become the beast, that’s exactly what I will do.”
In preparation for Miocic, Jones gave fans regular glimpses of his training on Insta, including the use of Exercise with Oxygen Therapy (EWOT). Biologist and biohacker Gary Brecka explained the benefits of the protocol on Instagram: “Instead of breathing the usual 21% oxygen in ambient air, he’s breathing in 93-95% pure oxygen straight from a concentrator holding 900 litres of O2. In just 10 minutes, his system is flooded with this oxygen boost, raising his partial pressure and helping his body flush out toxins, eliminate waste, and regenerate on a cellular level. Oxygen is life – and it’s the best defence against disease.”
Jones’ workout approach is clearly at the cutting edge of sports science, incorporating cold plunges, Red Light Bed, Hypermax Oxygen, altitude training and breathwork, as well as leaning on old school muscle-building fundamentals, like bench press and squat, plus endurance staples like steady state running and swimming, to get in peak condition. Here’s a look at Jones’ unique 309 workout plan.
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Jon Jones’ UFC 309 workout
In the lead up to his heavyweight title defence against Miocic, Jones regularly posted workout videos. Here’s a look at the moves he relied on to build strength, endurance and power.
- Battle Ropes
- Sled Push with weighted plates uphill . . . in snow!
- Steady state uphill running
- Bench press: 120kg x 7, 100kg x 10, 100kg x 5
- Med-ball throws
- Dumbbell row x 20
- Weighted pull-up (25lb – 11kg– weight plate)
- Squat x 545 lb (247 kg) IRM
- Chin-ups x 10
- Toes to bar x 8
Instagram – @jonnybones
Jon Jones’ heavyweight diet plan
To move up to heavyweight for his fight against French fighter Ciryl Gane at UFC285 last March, Jones needed to add bulk to go from his usual light-heavyweight fighting weight of 220 lb (100kg) to 260 lb (117 kg). To do this, Jones consulted Stan Efferding, 2010 Mr Olympia World’s Strongest Pro Bodybuilder and creator of the Vertical Diet.
Efferding aimed to put Jones in calorie surplus, no easy feat given the amount UFC fighters train. Under Efferding’s guidance Jones consumed 220 grams of protein a day and a mammoth 4500 calories on heavy training days.
“The 4500 would be on high-fatigue training days and the 4000 or 4250 would, say, be on the weekends, days off or days when he did only one low-fatigue session,” Efferding said.
Stacking on size usually means eating a boring diet and Jones’ was no different: “You’ve got to eat if you want to gain size, so I was eating rice with eggs in the morning. Rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – six meals a day, three protein shakes a day.”
At the time Jones reflected on his abilities as an all-round athlete.
“The importance of sleeping early, staying hydrated, and living the lifestyle of an athlete was also important,” Jones said. “There may be guys who can bench press a little bit more than me, deadlift more, squat more … but when it comes to running long distance, running fast, lifting big numbers, and having muscular endurance – I believe I’m a total package athlete right now,” he said.
After his work on the weekend against Miocic, it’s difficult for anyone to argue with that.
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