St-Pierre is a Canadian-born professional and award-winning mixed martial artist. He is a former Welterweight Champion of the UFC, and he has also worked as an actor. Most people associate George St-Pierre with his macho appearance, besides his excellence at mixed martial arts.
In an aim to achieve an appearance like St-Pierre, many people try to adopt his diet plan and workout routine into their schedules. If you are one of them, or you are simply curious about how this mixed martial artist has achieved his remarkable physique, we’ve got you. We will dwell on that in a bit, but first, let’s learn a little about who George St-Pierre is.
Who Is George St-Pierre?
George was born on 19th May 1981 in Saint-Isadora, Canada. He is also often referred to as GPS, abbreviations of his full name.
Aged 7, he began to learn Kyokushin Karate under the guidance of his father and earned a black belt aged 12. St-Pierre, later on, mastered the art of self-defense to defend himself from a bully in school. After high school, he proceeded to study kinesiology in college. During this period, St-Pierre worked as a sanitation worker and bouncer. He would use the income to pay his college fees.
St-Pierre continued to learn karate and martial arts into his adulthood. Soon after, he became an expert in mixed martial arts. He has trained in various schools, having studied at Jitsu Academy and Muay Thai, and New Mexico’s Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting Gaidojustu.
This professional fighter went for his first-ever wrestling battle aged 20 and fought with Mike Tyson, who was his dream boxer. The event only increased his desire to pursue mixed martial arts further.
For several years, this mixed martial artist has been ranked as no. 1 Welterweight Championship of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In addition, for three years, i.e., 2008, 2009, and 2010, he was declared the Canadian Athlete of the year, going by the name ‘Rush. Another notable achievement is that he is listed as the top fighter in MMA’s history and is the only 4th individual to become a multiple division in the UFC.
In 2019, George St-Pierre retired, and in the following year, he got an induction into the UFC of Fame. Besides mixed martial arts, he has also appeared in movies such as ‘The Winter Soldier and ‘Captain America.’
He measures 5′ 10” tall and weighs 185 pounds during the off-season and 170 pounds when he fights.
George St-Pierre Workout Routine
St-Pierre trains for six days a week when preparing for a fight. The workout routine mainly focuses on strength, fat loss, and power. These three are vital in helping him build a physique for achieving great results in mixed martial arts.
He has various training partners, including some of the best jujitsu artists worldwide. Let’s look at his workout routine and see how he has built and maintained a lean and built physique. St-Pierre workout routine encompasses a variety of strength training exercises, martial arts, and sprints.
Below is his workout schedule. George St-Pierre starts all his workouts with eight reps of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off Tabata on a rowing machine.
Leg Workout Routine: Mondays and Fridays
- Deadlifts – 3, 8 -12 reps
- Stiff leg deadlifts – 3, 5 rep
- Cleans – 3, 5 reps
- Push press – 3, 1 rep
- Squats – 3, 5 reps
- One leg bodyweight squats – 3 sets on every leg till failure
- Jumping lunges – 3 sets till failure while wearing weight chest or holding dumbbells
- Jump squats – 3 sets till failure while wearing weight chest or holding dumbbells
- Bodyweight standing calves – 3 sets till failure while wearing weight chest or holding dumbbells
Abs and Upper Body Pulls: Tuesday and Saturday
- High pull – 4, 10 – 12 reps
- Pull-ups using overhand grip till break down – 3 sets
- Medicine ball slams till break down – 3 sets
- TRX inverted lat rows using smith machine or overhand grip with elevated legs till failure – 3 sets
- Single-arm dumbbell – 3, 8 – 12 reps
- Barbell twists till break down – 3 sets
- 30 seconds of raises with lying eggs followed by twenty seconds of rest – 3 sets
- Stir the pot exercises till break down – 3 sets
Upper Body Presses: Wednesdays and Sundays
- Standing push press – 4, 10 – 12 reps
- Standing push press – 1, 5 – 8 reps
- Dumbbell chest press – 3 sets
- Standing lat shoulder flyers until drop – 3 set
- Triceps extension until drop – 3 sets
- Pushups till breakdown – 3 sets
- Front dips till breakdown – 3 sets
- Rear triceps dips till break down – 3 sets
- Upside down position handstand pushups against a wall till break down – 3 sets
- Pushups until break down – 3 sets
- Front dips until break down – 3 sets
- Dips of rear triceps until break down – 3 sets
George St-Pierre rests on Thursdays and allows his body to recover from the intense workouts. It is unlike most bodybuilders who rest over the weekend or on Sundays.
George St-Pierre Workout Tips
Here are a few workout tips by this legendary martial skills artist.
- Hold dumbbells or add a weighted vest when performing lunges, jump squats, standing calves, or bodyweight squats. It helps the body increase resistance. Once done with one set, remove the weight or set aside the dumbbells, rest and repeat the set.
- Exercise standing push presses on a heavier scale to help you reach to break down within about 5 – 8 reps.
- Ensure always to get enough sleep and allow your body to recover fully in between workouts.
George St-Pierre Diet Plan
St-Pierre doesn’t rely on workouts only for his fat loss, strength training, and building muscles goals. He understands the importance of taking care of what one eats, and he has a diet plan he follows. The food he consumes directly affects his workouts and physique; a lot is put into consideration when choosing his diet plan.
Here’s a brief on what George St-Pierre’s diet looks like and what it mainly entails.
Breakfast
He starts his days with a before and after glass of whey protein mixed with water. He also takes healthy vegetables to begin the day. St-Pierre’s breakfast features:
- Three scrambled eggs and spinach
- A small portion of lean turkey
Mid-morning Snack
After breakfast, St-Pierre prepares for and heads for his workout. Afterwards, he takes a midmorning snack which mainly comprises of:
- Protein shake – One glass
- Almonds
- Sunflower seeds
Lunch
- Asparagus
- Turkey meatballs
- Half sliced sweet potato
Afternoon Snack
Between lunch and dinner, St-Pierre snacks on;
- Peanut butter
- Turley jerky
- Some sunflower seeds
Dinner
St-Pierre’s dinner is light but highly nutritious. It often features;
- Whitefish
- Steamed cabbage or salad
Post-dinner Dessert
He likes having a post-dinner dessert and keeps them healthy as well. He also takes a smoothie, and one of his favorite smoothies is a blend of acai juice, whey protein, almonds, carrot juice, avocado, and blackberries.
Although this is his main diet, he twitches it depending on whether he is training or is in the off-season. During the training season, St-Pierre feeds on two low-carb meals a day and one high-carb meal after a workout session.
To lose weight from his regular 185 pounds off-season weight to 170 pounds fighting weight, he eliminates carbs and lean protein from his diet for four days before weighing in.
St-Pierre allows himself one cheat day every week, and his favorite cheat meals are pizza, French fries and burgers, and a little ice cream from time to time.
What He Avoids
- Artificial Additives
- Alcohol
- Sugar
- Salt
- Processed Carb
- Junk Food
- Fried Foods
- Chemical Additives
George St-Pierre Supplements
Here are the supplements this iconic and award-winning UFC champion takes to aid his diet and workout routine.
- Protein Shakes: St-Pierre takes a minimum of one protein shake daily. Protein helps the body build and repair torn or injured muscles which commonly occurs during workouts. In addition, protein shakes help alleviate cravings making one feel fuller and boosting metabolism.
- Fish Oil: When taking the protein shakes, St-Pierre also takes fish oil supplements. They are ideal for providing the body with anti-inflammatory features.
- Green Supplements: Another vital component of his supplements is a dose of green powder. He takes a scoop daily, which helps increase the number of micronutrients in his body.
- Creatine helps him increase lean muscle mass, improves health, and helps the body muscles recover quicker.
Besides taking supplements, sticking to a healthy diet plan, working out six days a week, and getting enough rest and sleep, St-Pierre recommends that one gets abdominal massages using a ball to help the body move food through the colon.
Conclusion
George St-Pierre learned karate from his father at the age of 7. He mastered the art out of necessity as he needed to defend himself against a bully in school. St-Pierre went ahead to train in various institutions, becoming a professional mixed martial artist.
Even though he has since retired, the 40-year-old remains a true inspiration of those keen on fitness. He has won various awards and remains one of MMA’s best athletes ever. To incorporate his diet and workout routine into your fitness journey, you need to first analyze your goals. You may then adjust his plan to fit your desired results.
Marko Rakic is a trail runner and fitness enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. He is the lead writer for The Ultimate Primate and believes the best way to live a happy life is through constantly challenging yourself.