Professional Fighter's and former UFC Champion's full day of training! We cover so much in this session from mobility, strength, plyometrics, isolation, breath work to actual striking.

What’s it like to train with one of the most unique fighters in the world?

We recently had the chance to spend a full day inside the training routine of Jiri Prochazka, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and one of MMA’s most unorthodox and traditional fighters. 

We covered training from specialized warm-ups to heavy lifting and from breathing drills to pad work. 

This day consisted of our methods, Jiri's own techniques and training he does under his local strength coach Filip.

The session stretched into a four-hour marathon of movement, strength, and martial artistry.

Here’s how it went!

The Warm Up: Muscle Activation & CNS Preparation

We began not with weights or pads, but with breathwork.

Before training, Jiri often does breath work which is one of the best ways to prepare both body and mind for what's coming next.

Immediately after, we moved into core rotations, shoulder mobility, and animal movement variations to wake up the stabilizing muscles.

These movements were purposeful activations designed to integrate shoulders, core, and hips into a unified kinetic chain.

Eero contributed mobility methods with shoulder rotation and scapular stability drills which focused on external rotation and rear deltoid engagement. 

From there, we turned to hip mobility at multiple angles — a demanding movement for balance, stability, and deep coordination. This is the type of training that is done inside Athlete 20XX Method and something every fighter and athlete should do.

By the end of this extended warm-up, we had touched nearly every major joint and stabilizer.

Jiri grinned and said, “Okay, that’s good for warm-up. Now let’s go!”

Heavy Lifting & Functional Strength

We then shifted gears into serious strength training.

The highlight was landmine presses — a rotational press that mirrors Jiri unique punching mechanics. His striking style is long, coiled and whip-like, so this exercise fit perfectly.

We combined the landmine with chin-ups and side kick crunches, forming a circuit that balanced pressing power, pulling strength, and rotational core training.

In addition heavy squats & nordic hamstring curls were utilized. These are very popular today, but truthfully, we have not done this type of training for over 10 years.

Back in the day (over 10 years ago), this is the type of training we did a lot of but we simply didn't notice much improvement other than heavy strain on the joints. They do have their use, but we think there are far better ways to develop the body as we do in Athlete 20XX Method.

In general, this is Jiri's philosophy: strength training must translate into combat performance, not just muscle size (except maybe of the bicep curls we did in the end!). This is what we excel at truly.

Breath Training: The Invisible Weapon 

Between circuits, Jiri shared one of his greatest weapons: breath-hold walking drills. He explained the concept of the BOLT score (Body Oxygen Level Test), where you exhale, hold your breath, and measure how many steps you can walk before inhaling again.

We actually learned this from Steve Maxwell back in the day and it's a great way to test your oxygen capacity. But since then we have shifted more towards Qigong breathing exercises that tend to be more holistic.

One thing that would help fighters and athletes massively is the Breath of Mental Power we master inside Health & Fighting Qigong at WarriorNeigong.com

The purpose of the breath work was to prepare Jiri's body system for striking.

Jiri’s pad sessions are unlike traditional boxing or Muay Thai drills. They’re dynamic, full-body, and flowing. They mimic the rhythm and unpredictability of a real fight.

“Use all the body,” he explained, “energy here, energy here. Very dynamic.” Watching him unleash combinations was like witnessing a tree whip in the wind: rooted yet explosive, relaxed yet devastating.

Even after hours of strength work, his strikes carried the same fluid power that has knocked out his UFC opponents.

Warrior Philosophy of Body, Mind & Spirit

In total, we trained for nearly four hours. Jiri explained that some days he prefers one long session of three to four hours, while other days he splits into two shorter, more intense sessions.

The common denominator: quality over quantity.

What stood out wasn’t just the physical work, but Jiri commitment to deeper values.

Beyond preparing for fights, he and his team are building a facility to support young fighters with not only training and coaching, but also education, healthcare, and personal development.

“Martial arts is not just about fighting,” Jiri said. “It’s about becoming a better person. Many fighters come from difficult backgrounds, and we want to give them more than just physical training — we want to give them principles, values, and a foundation for life.”

Training with Jiří Procházka was equal parts inspiring and humbling. The warm-ups alone were enough to transform how I think about mobility and stability.

The heavy lifting tested raw strength, but always with an eye toward function and transfer to combat. The breathwork revealed a whole new layer of conditioning. And the pad work? Pure energy, pure flow.

Jiri trains not just to prepare for fights, but to refine himself as a human being, and to pass that knowledge on to the next generation.

Four hours later, drenched in sweat, sore in every muscle, and buzzing with energy, I understood why Jiri Prochazka is one of the most unique fighters in the world.

It’s not just his style inside the cage. It’s his relentless pursuit of harmony between mind, body and spirit outside of it.

Stay strong.