Beware of the Pitbull: Andrei Arlovski began lifting weights so bullies would stop beating him up—now he may be the toughest man in the world

Flex, Oct, 2005 by Terry Goodlad

Arlovski has lost only three fights in his mixed martial arts career and, given the rate at which he is improving and by virtue of defeating every challenger who has come his way since March 2002, experts predict he may be unstoppable for a long time to come.

Outside of the Octagon, Arlovski is no different than any other single 26-year-old red-blooded male living in America. He loves the ladies and the ladies love him, but when it's time to go to work, there are few who train as hard as he does. In 2000, he moved from his hometown of Minsk to Chicago, so there would be fewer distractions (girls and parties) to get in the way of the work he had to do to reach his dream of being the best.

His training schedule--three separate sessions per day, totaling about seven hours, six days per week--leaves little time for playing the field. Each training day consists of two to two-and-a-half hours of boxing, one-and-a-half hours of jujitsu, one hour of Muay Thai kickboxing, 40 to 50 minutes of running and one to one-and-a-half hours of weight training. He manages to get in four meals per day, as well as protein shakes between training sessions for an average of six servings of protein.

Bodybuilding is as important to Arlovski's success as a fighter as any other aspect of his training, because power and strength are vital to be able to strike and grapple effectively to overpower an opponent. Four weeks before a fight, he stops weight training to avoid injuries and focus on flexibility and speed, but outside of that, bodybuilding is a constant in his life, and he believes it's a necessary part of being the best.

Arlovski has developed most of his weight training and nutrition program from what he has read in bodybuilding magazines, and he has been inspired by Ronnie Coleman, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates and others. But his favorite bodybuilder is Milos Sarcev.

In Minsk, Sarcev is a legend and everyone's favorite bodybuilder. In June, FLEX flew Sarcev to Chicago to meet and train with Arlovski. Sarcev, a UFC follower, is as much a fan of Arlovski as Arlovski is of him. Thus, after the introductions and some tough sets in the gym, there was plenty of clowning around as well as exchanges of mutual admiration.

The Arlovski who jokingly interacted with Sarcev appeared in sharp contrast to the overwhelming and seemingly vicious Arlovski who handily dispatched Eilers a week earlier in Atlantic City.

It wasn't. Arlovski is simply a normal young man with an exceptional talent and work ethic, as well as an exceptional mindset that has made him the best in the world at what he does. He began lifting weights so the bullies would stop beating him up--now he may be the toughest man in the world.

MAKE A DATE: Andrei Arlovski will be fighting on October 1 at UFC 55 in Las Vegas. The event is a PPV special. Check local listings for details.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERRY GOODLAD

ANDREI ARLOVSKI'S WEIGHT-TRAINING PROGRAM

EXERCISE                     SETS  REPS

DAY 1: ARMS
Barbell curls                4     10
Dumbbell curls               4     10
Dumbbell wrist curls         4     10
Lying triceps extensions     4     10
Dumbbell triceps extensions  4     10

DAY 2: LEGS
Squats                       4     10
Lunges                       4     10
Leg presses                  4     10

DAY 3: CHEST AND BACK
Flat bench presses           4     10
Incline dumbbell presses     4     10
Dumbbell pullovers           4     10
Dumbbell flyes               4     10
Deadlifts                    4     10
Barbell rows                 4     10

DAY 4: SHOULDERS
Barbell presses              4     10
Dumbbell presses             4     10
Side lateral raises          4     10

NOTES: Arlovski trains abs every day with a variety of four to six
exercises to failure. He also trains two or three days per week with a
unique resistance tool called the Clubbell (it resembles a short thick
bat), using it to perform a variety of exercises specific to
strengthening his muscles for fighting. The Clubbell training system was
designed specifically for fighters by USA National Sambo coach Scott