Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently competing in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2010, Lewis has also competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy FC, where he was the heavyweight champion. As of February 22, 2021, he is #2 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Born and raised as one of seven siblings, the second oldest, by a single mother in New Orleans, Louisiana, Lewis was troubled growing up and was often involved in street fighting. In 1998, Lewis and his family relocated to Houston, Texas. At the age of 17, Lewis began training in boxing and was preparing for his first amateur fight when the gym unexpectedly shut down. Two weeks after graduating from high school, Lewis was charged with aggravated assault, and was placed on probation. Two years later, while attending Kilgore College on a full football scholarship, Lewis violated his probation and was sentenced to five years in prison, but ended up serving three and a half. A week after being released, Lewis was introduced to mixed martial arts by a friend and, while working as a tow-truck driver, continued with boxing under the tutelage of George Foreman. However, after dominating in his first professional mixed martial arts fight, Lewis decided to focus on mixed martial arts.In this article, we will learn more about what Derrick Lewis does in his whole day to stay at the top of his games. Besides we will learn about the workout routine, diet plan, what kind of supplements that re-included in his diet and how does he manage all of this. So read on to know all about it.

Derrick Lewis Statistics

Height6 ft 3 inchWeight120 kgAge36 yearsChest45 inchWaist34 inchBiceps16 inch

Derrick Lewis Awards and Achievements

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, and Curtis Blaydes
• Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Travis Browne, Mark Hunt, and Junior dos Santos
• Most knockouts in UFC Heavyweight history (12)
• Legacy Fighting Championship
• Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship (One time) One successful title defense

• MMAJunkie.com
• 2018 Comeback of the Year vs. Alexander Volkov

• MMADNA.nl
• 2018 Comeback of the Year.

Derrick Lewis Workout Routine

Derrick Lewis has quite a different method to work out than other players that would fight in the competition. He seems to have a natural talent for it as he does not have to put as much effort as the others to get the results. At the same time, the others might train for hours a day but with Derrick Lewisès smart methodology, he can get the same results in a matter of few hours. And the whole thing is quite amazing overall.In fact, it is quite shocking to know that Derrick Lewisès's training routine does not include a lot of weight training as he said in many interviews. He does not spar as it is not quite easy to find guys who are his own size. But he does other kinds of training which include boxing and other movements. His workout routine is quite incredible this way.

Derrick Lewis in his social media posts has posted a lot about his health information. He has posted about what he does for his fitness and his diet routine too. You will find a lot of posts related to Derrick Lewis working out. He also runs quite a few times to get that cardio in. Then there are some boxing and fighting posts which he does to get the best out of it. On his Instagram, you can find him doing the treadmill for 15 minutes and after that some stair master for his cardio routine.He frequently updates his fans on the workout routine and thus to get a body like him, you can either train for hours on end or follow his style and tips and tricks to work out for a lesser amount of time but bigger gains. You can do workouts that include pad work, spar, and other fighting moves. Then you can do half an hour of weight training while doing some movements like dealings, snatch, tire flip, hammer slam, clean and jerk, squats, explosive squats, etc.Even though Derrick Lewis does not have a specific training routine in the gym and he is more based on his instinct, here is a sample workout plan of what he is more prone to do in the week:

Monday and Wednesday Derrick Lewis Workout Routine

Upper body

• Neck exercises of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Standing shoulder shrug of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Incline press of 6-8 reps, 3 sets
• Incline flat bench press of 8-10 reps, 3 sets
• Close grip pull up of 8-10 reps, 1 set
• Machine pullover of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Dumbbell lateral raise of 6-10 reps, 2 sets
• Dumbbell front raise of 6-10 reps, 2 sets
• Seated cable row of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Seated cable scapular retraction of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Machine chest press of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Incline machine chest press of 10 reps, 1 set
• Lat pull-down of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Machine overhead press of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Machine row of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Machine reverse flye of 8-10 reps, 1 set
• External rotation of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Internal rotation of 6-8 reps, 1 set
• Triceps press down of 6-8 reps, 1 set
• Cable curls of 3-4 reps, 2 sets
• Hand grippe of 3-4 reps, 2 sets
• Wrist flexion of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• Wrist extension of 6-8 reps, 1 set

Tuesday and Thursday Derrick Lewis Workout Routine

Lower body

• Dead-lift of 6-8 reps, 2 sets
• Squats of 6-8 reps, 2 sets
• Romanian deadlift of 6 reps, 2 sets
• Glute-ham raise of 6-10 reps, 2 sets
• Leg press of 6-8 reps, 2 sets
• Leg curl of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• One leg press of 6-8 reps, 1 set
• Dumbbell step-up of 3-4 reps, 2 sets
• Lunges of 6-8 reps, 2 sets
• Leg curl on an exercise ball of 4-8 reps, 1 set
• One leg hip extension of 6-10 reps, 1 set
• The bridge on an exercise ball of 8 reps, 1 set
• Hip abduction of 6 reps, 1 set
• Standing calf raise of 6 reps, 1 set
• Reverse crunches of 8 reps, 2 sets
• Cable side bend of 8-10 reps, 2 sets

Friday and Saturday Derrick Lewis Workout Routine

• Cardio exercises like running, sports playing, etc

Sunday Derrick Lewis Workout Routine

• Rest day

Once Derrick Lewis said that he is too out of the shape but he has improved so much ever since. He even fights for the title against Daniel Cormier. Many things changed. Derrick Lewis tells in his words, "Yeah, yeah—I said I don’t want to fight. I was really joking about that. I can really go five rounds. I believe I have a shot and I won’t quit. [The UFC] asked me if I was up for fighting and I said, “Yeah, I would love to fight DC.” I found out on Monday."

He has previously admitted that the way that he conditions himself had been a matter of issue. He has however changed his strategy now to take greater challenges in life. Abd it is for the best. Here is what he says, " "The strategy is just really to stay in the gym a little longer. You know, it amazes me how far I came in my career, only training 30 minutes or an hour a day, and all of these [other fighters] are training like three to four hours a day and eating right, and stuff like that. I haven’t been doing any of that."He even explains what was camp like for his last fight against Alexander Volkov by saying, "I tried to eat right this camp and try and stay an extra hour in the gym. I just know that I’ll have to start doing my two-a-days." His training session is quite interesting for him. In his words, he explains, " The crazy thing is we do five rounds of pad work and then 15 minutes on the Stairmaster and treadmill each."He also does some weights and sparring but it is not that common. In his words, "I don’t lift weights, and I don’t spar—it’s hard to find guys my size and guys I trust."He admits that he does not use any kind of special equipment while training. In his words, "No. I just wear my Assembly clothing. I don’t even wear fight clothes—no mouthpiece and just 22-ounce boxing gloves."His diet has been quite nice too. He makes sure to add quality food to provide him with the best of energy. In his words, "I’ve been eating chicken breasts, white rice, my grains, smoothies, and stuff like that. I also make sure to drink plenty of water—I don’t have juice or soda—and to watch my sodium intake."He has a very sweet way of celebrating his wins. He usually likes to celebrate his wins with his family and kids. In his words, "It’s really spending time with my kids. Cracking jokes with them, making them laugh, making sure everything is good around the home. [Fighting] is just a job to me. Like the week that I will be gone, I miss them more than anything. Then, I just wait until I just get tired of being around them and I try to go out or whatever and have a few drinks."He also has quite a funny answer of what he will be doing if not fighting. He says, "I’d be President of the United States."But quite a smart answer when he says that there is something else that has taken him this far which is his belief in himself. In his words he explains, "I believe that my power and my heart carried me this far. You know, it doesn’t have anything to do about my technique. I laugh sometimes when people say I’m an elite athlete. I believe that I’m not." According to him, it is just the tip of the iceberg when you judge him by his potential. He is apparently approaching his fighting career with a little more seriousness and dedication.

“I owe it to the fans,“ Lewis said at the post-fight press conference. “I owe it to everyone that supports me. I got to really take it more seriously than what I have been.” Lewis has admitted that he is after all not the most serious kind of trainer when it comes to his workout routines and training sessions But he is looking forward to changing this attitude.

He plans to drop some more pounds before he starts competing again. He expects a much better and more grand entrance when he returns o the UFC for his subsequent fights. In his words, “I for sure have to get down 15, 20 pounds to feel comfortable in there, and you really will see something scary out of me for sure.”

“I’ve really been eating whatever I want and just been training a lot longer than 30 minutes this camp,” Lewis said. “We’ve just been training a lot more. I’ve still been eating bass [fish], still been eating Popeye’s and stuff like that. Just been training more. For sure, I’ll be a lot quicker, a lot more agile, a lot more aggressive, and everything.

That was all about the workout routine of what Derrick Lewis follows. But besides that, he also has some tips and tricks which he is currently following to be more dedicated and consistent with his training patterns. Here in the next section, we have discusses all of it. Take a look.

Derrick Lewis Workout Tips and Tricks

Derrick Lewis gives out some amazing workout tips and tricks to his fans which he thinks would be great to incorporate in daily workout routine as it will help to amp up the training sessions. He himself incorporates these tips into his routine as he aims to be more dedicated and consistent towards his routine. Here are the following tips:

1. Stick to Free Weights

Although modern gyms emphasize advanced and high-tech gadgets, they are not that effective when they are utilized to build solid muscle volume. In their place, the best weights for developing muscle are dumbbells and barbells, particularly for newcomers.With the help of free weights, you can move more smoothly and develop decent form, so you can build more muscles than with the limited machines generally available in the gym.

2. Do Compound Lifts and Movements

One of your first bodybuilding tips should be to adhere to the fundamental movements in the training and not keep on doing trials with various exercises that you see in fitness publications and on websites.In addition to exercises such as bench presses with barbells, and shoulder presses with the perfect military type of grips, your routine should also include other exercises like the squat and deadlift. The logic for their popularity is quite simple. It is going to help you built up the routine from the ground up with these programs that target the significant muscle groups.

3. Find a Program, and Stick to It

To accomplish success in the bodybuilding profession, you are required to adopt a stringent routine and stick to it diligently. You have to get a plan from your personal trainer or an experienced bodybuilder who can draft the specific exercises that you are required to perform, the number of sets, and the number of repetitions for each set.To design a weekly training schedule that will construct more muscle mass, you need to know what you will do in all gym sessions. When you know what you have to do on a particular day and know what came before, and this way you'll be able to bypass getting injured or overexerting yourself.

4. Don’t Train Every Day

As usual, the person who made your workout cycle should get you doing three to four workouts each week if they know what they are doing for you. A novice does not need training more frequently than such. It is therefore important to have recognition of this bodybuilding tip to evade straining your muscles, otherwise, it can lead to draining damages.It should be kept in mind that you are tearing your muscles each time you do bodybuilding exercises. You may cause permanent damage if you do this every day in a week without having a rest period in between. For your muscles to remain healthy, you must let at least one day pass between exercises.

5. Train Each Muscle Group Every Week

Getting bigger will not occur if you go to the gym too much regularly, but not sweating out adequately will not make you huger either. For maximum results, each of your muscle groups should be worked at least once a week. It is also crucial for you to increase your weight each week or every other week to keep driving your body to develop more muscle.

6. Learn Correct Form

Though you might be attracted to try and lift more weight than you can, you should always begin with a lower weight and receive the proper form for each exercise. At the gym, you can normally find trainers. They are always ready to explain to you how to do different kinds of exercises. And if you need more supervision, you can consider hiring a personal trainer for one or two weeks.The other bodybuilding tips for newcomers you use once you've achieved the exact form will empower you to proceed to push yourself on without going too far.

7. Gradually Increase the Weight

You need to progressively increase the weight after you understand the correct form of each exercise. Make sure to keep a record of how much weight you lift during each exercise, and raise it after every two weeks. This way you will be able to acquire more strength and expand muscle mass.By staying at one weight for very long, your body will get used to it and will not develop muscle anymore. Therefore, you are required to keep on pushing your body to stimulate itself.

That was all about the workout is that Derrick Lewis has to offer to his fans and following. Besides just a gruesome workout routine and some amazing tips to follow with that, Derrick Lewis also has a great diet plan that would supply him with amazing energy. Here is all you need to know about his diet plan.

Derrick Lewis Diet Plan

Derrick Lewis has revealed his diet on many occasions in many interviews. It is quite a high protein diet because he is in the sports sector. Besides this, his diet does not lack any macros as he involves everything in it. His diet is sufficient in carbs and fiber along with sufficient fats too. He eats foods like chicken breast, rice, grains, smoothies, etc. Thus one can safely say that his diet is rather clean and healthy because he focuses on quality rather than quantity. When Derrick Lewis wants, he also eats a lot of burgers as it is his favorite besides other foods.Thus although he does not have a fixed diet plan, there is a sample diet plan which includes all the meals that he shares with his fans and following.Derrick Lewis diet includes:

Breakfast

His breakfast is quite simple which includes some easy recipes like toast and eggs. His breakfast can be said to be the typical American breakfast. H likes to keep it quite easy in the morning but sufficient enough to fuel him up for these workouts.

• Chicken sausage
• Eggs
• Toast

Snack

His morning snack includes some protein smoothies which he takes after working out. It helps him o replenish all the nutrients and build muscles in the body.

• Protein smoothie

Lunch

Lunch has to be quite filling with the traditional bodybuilder foods: chicken, rice, and veggies. It is quite sufficient for him to fill up but he does add some quality protein to it.

• Chicken breast
• Rice
• Veggies

Evening Snack

His evening snacks include some carb sources because he needs to have some energy for the rest of his time left.

• Grains

Dinner

The dinner is very similar to the lunch and contains some quality protein in the form of chicken and turkey with some veggies which gives him a great source of carbs and fiber.

• Steak or turkey
• Rice
• Veggies

Lewis announced that his first-ever effort at dieting to FloCombat in the days heading into his confrontation with “Vai Cavalo”, moving on his cardio results in his most current failure to Mark Hunt:

“I was still eating fried chicken, hamburgers, all of that fight week,” Lewis said. “The day of the fight, I’ve stayed eating the same way my whole career. Now I’m going to see how I feel however I get in there to see what the difference is to see what all the fuss is about.“My mouth is watering right now thinking about some Carl’s Jr. I’m starving right now,” Lewis said. “You eat salad and you’re hungry the next 30 minutes and you’re hungrier from when you ate the damn salad. That’s what I don’t like about it.“The damn McRib was in town. I had to miss the McRib and all the other things. My favorite restaurant had a special going on and I couldn’t even eat it. Somebody’s gotta pay.”

That was all about the diet plan that Derrick Lewis follows in his daily routine. He makes sure that he does not miss out on any kind of nutrients while following his diet. Thus, he also follows some diet tips to make sure that he is always consistent. Here in the next section, we will discuss all his diet tips.

Derrick Lewis Diet Tips

His diet is a marvelously designed one with a strong balance of nutrition and Derrick Lewis also observes a set of rules which drive him to stick to it as much as possible. He regularly shares his tips with his supporters and fans on social media as well as in various transcripts. He presents these diet tips as below. Here's what you must know.

1. EAT BREAKFAST TO HELP BUILD MUSCLE MASS

Taking a healthy breakfast immediately before your next meal or snack will help you feel full and keep you going until then. Furthermore, it sets the course: you'll like to eat healthily if the day begins with a powerful, wholesome breakfast. Your best lot when it appears to build muscle mass is omelets, smoothies, or cottage cheese.

2. EAT EVERY THREE HOURS

Expanding your muscle mass is totally dependent on eating the appropriate food at the appropriate time. The most obvious way to accomplish your calories is to eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as normal, followed by a post-workout meal, a snack before bed, and a snack post-bed meal. You will not be as starving if you maintain your food intake, since eating small meals more often versus a few large meals will help you to reduce your stomach dimension. With some cravings, you'll feel fuller faster, and slimmer while your waistline will almost be lessened. You may overeat at your succeeding feed if you don't eat for a prolonged time or eat unhealthy bites from the vending machine if you don't eat for a long interval. Consume food at fixed times every day to hinder the cravings, and your body will get starved at those set times.

3. EAT PROTEIN WITH EACH MEAL TO BOOST YOUR MUSCLE MASS

For muscle building and sustaining, you need a lot of protein. If you want to have this, you have to consume at least 1g for every 454g of your body mass. If you weigh 91 kg, that requires 200 grams of protein every day. The most effortless way to take this quantity is to get a protein source with every feed. The following are amongst them:• Red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, etc.• Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.• Eggs. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths. Eat the yolk.• Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.• Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post-workout shakes.• Try vegan options too, such as lentils, tofu, seeds, and nuts.

4. EAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WITH EACH MEAL

Most fruits and vegetables have moderate calories so you can eat them till you are filled without getting grease or gaining mass in your body. In summation to vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber; fruits and vegetables help indigestion, but you have to be sure to keep an eye on their sugar component.

5. EAT CARBS ONLY AFTER YOUR WORKOUT

The fact is that carbs are essential for energy, but most people consume more than they require. Carbohydrates should be consumed only after exercise. • Whenever possible, eat a fruit or a vegetable with each feed. In comparison with whole grains, these include fewer carbohydrates, except corn, carrots, and raisins. • Next carb is only after a workout. This includes rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, quinoa, and oats. White carbs should be shunned and whole grains should be consumed.

6. EAT HEALTHY FATS

Since healthy fats digest at a slow pace, they assist in fat loss and promote health. You should consume a balanced diet of healthy fats at each meal, and you should be well aware to avoid artificial trans-fats and margarine.

7. DRINK WATER TO HELP YOU BUILD MUSCLE MASS

Because of severe sweating during muscle training, you may undergo problems recuperating from the workout and thus you won't be able to gain muscle volume. Along with preventing dehydration, drinking water can also inhibit hunger, because an empty stomach can stop you from feeling hungry.

8. EAT WHOLE FOODS 90% OF THE TIME

It is advisable that 90% of the food you are going to consume must be whole food to obtain the results that you are looking for and to increase your muscle quantity.• Wholefoods: The natural state of these foods is as solid as possible because they have not been concocted and polished or little processed. For instance: fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, pulses, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa, etc.• Processed foods: The processed food generally include added sugars, trans-fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium, and more chemicals. For instance: bagels, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, frozen meals, supplementsThat was all about the diet plan that Derrick Lewis follows in his day. His diet plan is not consistent and might involve a lot of change but his principles remain the same. The tips that he offers really continue a lot in him being at the top of the game. Thus in the next section, we will learn about what kinds of supplements does he take.

Derrick Lewis Nutrition and Supplements

Derrick Lewis also takes some supplements along with his diet plan which makes him top his game. He takes regular protein shakes so that he could build up muscles. All these supplements help him overcome fatigue and help him build muscles without gaining much fat. It also helps him cover the daily nutrient requirement. Here are all the supplements that he takes:

1. Creatine Monohydrate

It has an extremely high safety profile, as well as a great deal of evidence supporting its efficacy and muscle-building properties. Creatine improves energy production during high-intensity exercise such as weightlifting by taking creatine and phosphocreatine (PCr) readily available in the muscle. Further, increasing the availability of PCR could help speed up the recovery between sets.

2. Caffeine

It is no coincidence that caffeine is among the most commonly used stimulants on earth. This ergogenic aid has been repeatedly demonstrated to boost performance both during endurance exercises and during intense activities. Caffeine is more variable when it comes to strength performance, however.

3. Branched Chain Amino Acids

We don't see any good reason why strength athletes or bodybuilders shouldn't take BCAAs. The fact that BCAAs taste great and can accelerate recovery and repair after a workout makes them ideal for taking between sets.

4. Citrulline Malate

In its original form, citrulline malate (CM) was marketed to combat fatigue. When thinking back about 40 years ago, the use of CM for post-surgery patients was being prescribed for both mental and physical fatigue. CM has recently gained popularity thanks to its performance-boosting properties.

5. No Boosters

Besides beets, radishes, and pomegranates, nitrate-rich foods like these are a great source of nitric oxide (NO). Despite limited research on beetroot juice and pomegranate extract's effects on resistance training, both of these ingredients have previously been shown to enhance muscle blood flow and reduce soreness, which can ultimately result in improvements in strength and performance.

6. Whey Protein

Post-workout, you should consume protein that digests rapidly like whey so your muscles can recover and adapt. A study has discovered that eating whey protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis to a greater degree than eating casein or soybean protein.

7. Glutamine

Despite not delivering huge fitness gains or world-beating PRs, this amino acid plays a significant role in injury repair and recovery. When you exercise, your body can accumulate excess ammonia. Glutamine helps you keep your acid-base balance in check by removing this excess ammonia. The extra support of glutamine supplementation may be beneficial to those engaged in heavy resistance training, workouts split over two days, or in a calorie deficit.

8. Fish Oils

It is surprisingly easy to find fish oils in most grocery stores. They are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredible for the body. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of these supplements are most important to strength athletes and bodybuilders. During intense resistance training, microscopic tears in your muscles can appear, leading to damage and inflammation. Acute inflammation after exercise plays an important role in the recovery process, but too much can retard it.