Old-School UFC Workout Is 'Toughest' These Bodybuilders Have Ever Tried
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Bodybuilding brother duo Brandon and Hudson White have tried all kinds of old-school workouts on the Buff Dudes channel, from early 1900s boxing drills to classic bodybuilding training. In what they describe as the "hardest physical struggle" they've ever undertaken, the Buff Dudes' latest video sees them take on a workout inpspired by UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, founder of the "Lion's Den" MMA training camp.
The Lion's Den was famous for putting rookie athletes through an intense initiation process; a "grueling fitness test" that would push them to their limits. "These challenges were not so much a show of martial arts ability, but more of a litmus test, a sign you were truly willing to push yourself to the absolute edge in order to apply for the job," says Hudson.
Shamrock's initiation typically consisted of:
500 squats
500 leg lifts
200 pushups
200 situps
a 1.5-mile run
They begin with the highest volume portion of the workout, the 500 squats, and the transparent difficulty of what lies ahead becomes apparent as early as the 100th rep, prompting both of them to dig deep on "mental fortitude."
"A big part of me right now is saying 'stop,'" says White. "This is so exhausting, and I couldn't imagine trying this application in front of a whole bunch of old-school badasses like Ken Shamrock and his brother Frank. Not only are you pushing to max... They're waiting to kick your ass as soon as you're done with this initiation process."
After "demolishing" their hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and lower back, Brandon and Hudson turn their attention to upper body exercises, and begin the 200 pushups—but the cumulative fatigue means that the brothers admit they may be sacrificing proper technique in favor of rep count.
"All that mental fortitude talk is a lot of bullshit," says Brandon.
The next round is situps, the exercise Hudson is the most nervous about, and it is here that both Buff Dudes concede defeat: with core cramps kicking in, they each max out at just 75 reps, less than half the required amount.
"When you do a challenge like this, you really get to see what your strengths and weaknesses are," says Hudson. "I haven't been prioritizing core, it's really come back to get me right now. It's a perfect way to humble yourself but also figure out what you need to work on. I feel that's especially important for athletes such as mixed martial artists, because if you don't have a rounded skill-set, someone is going to come at you who is rounded, and they're gonna take you down using your weakest point."
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