How Jake Paul Gets Fighting Fit - Men's Health Magazine Australia

How Jake Paul Gets Fighting Fit

The YouTuber’s training regimen is no joke. - by Ben Jhoty
Instagram/@jakepaul

Love him or hate him – and most boxing purists despise him – the time has probably come where YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul, has forced you to do something you probably thought you’d never do: respect him. 

After last weekend’s split-decision victory over former MMA Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, Paul is now 4-0 in the ring, with victories over fellow YouTuber AnEson Gib, former NBA star Nate Robinson, former MMA champion Ben Askren and now Woodley.

As he showed against Woodley, Paul can take a punch. And he can throw them, too. While his opponents have typically been washed up and the weight mismatches close to farcical, you have to give the man his due for getting in the ring against seasoned fighters like Askren and Woodley in the first place – Robinson and Gib, not so much.

Would he stand a chance against a real boxer in his own weight class? Hell no. But Paul is using a tried-and-tested formula that gets bums on seats, pay-per-view downloads and eyeballs on social media, one that’s worked for the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Connor McGregor, even Australia’s Anthony Mundine. That is, if you run your mouth, an enormous number of people will watch in hope that someone else will shut it. If you watch this spectacle, even highlights on YouTube, you’re lining Paul and his brother Logan’s pockets and contributing to their exploding media profiles. You’re the sucker. 

The question now is whether Paul can lure McGregor into the ring for what would be an irresistible (Yes, I’m a sucker) pay-per-view bonanza, with enough trash talking to sink the Internet. Given the state of McGregor’s career and the boatloads of cash they’d both stand to make, you’d probably put money on it – you can then blow your winnings on the pay-per-view fee.

All jokes aside, it’s worth examining Paul’s preparation for these bouts because if you talk the talk, you have to train your arse off to walk the walk. There’s no doubt Paul’s conditioning could use some work – he was visibly tired in the final rounds against Woodley and probably wouldn’t have gone the distance in a longer fight. This isn’t too surprising when you consider he’s essentially a civilian – a punk, if you like – trying to mix it with guys who’ve been training and fighting their whole lives.

In that respect, Paul’s training regimen is perhaps more instructive and relatable for regular guys than an elite fighter’s. Earlier this year Paul revealed his weekly pre-bout workout protocol to Men’s Journal. Take a look:

Jake Paul workout

Monday

Paul starts the day with a bowl of oatmeal, followed by 10 minutes of meditation. He then punches out a three-seven-mile jog, followed by some stretching, an ice bath and a nap. In the evening he’s in the ring, working up to 20 rounds of shadow boxing, mitts, heavy bag, speed bag and noodle drills. He then does core and neck exercises, followed by more stretching and ice baths. 

Tuesday

This is a sparring day, Paul says. He spars four to 10 rounds, depending on where he is in training camp. “Sometimes I’ll spar two guys. It’s always good to have a fresh guy come in, just sort of be there on you for some cardio,” Paul says.

Wednesday

Paul does wind sprints on a football field, followed by ice baths, massaging, stretching, cupping and cryotherapy.

Thursday

In the morning Paul does a strength and conditioning circuit. In the evening, he’s back in the boxing gym for 10 to 20 rounds of mitts and heavy bag.

Friday

Paul does another lighter boxing session at night.

Saturday

Another sparring day, with an “intense yoga session” at night.

Jake Paul diet

Breakfast

An omelette with chicken, sunny-side eggs, toast, and fruit. 

Lunch

Lean chicken and rice or quinoa, or salmon and quinoa. “I’ve always got vegetables in there, like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli,” Paul says.

Dinner

Fish, chicken, or even red meat, sometimes elk.

By Ben Jhoty

Ben Jhoty, Men’s Health’s Head of Content, attempts to honour the brand’s health-conscious, aspirational ethos on weekdays while living marginally larger on weekends. A new father, when he’s not rocking an infant to sleep, he tries to get to the gym, shoot hoops and binge on streaming shows.

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