Georges St-Pierre Workout and Diet
UFC Fighter (Retired)
Born: 1981
Georges St-Pierre aka ‘GSP’grew up in Quebec, Canada. Bullied asa child, his father introduced him to karate when he was 7. St-Pierre earned a black belt at age 12, and took up wrestling, jiu-jitsu and boxing as a teen. After high school, he studied kinesiology in college and worked as a bouncer and garbage man to pay his school fees. St-Pierre won his first professional fight at age 20, and went on to win the UFC Welterweight Championship 3 times. In 2017, St-Pierre won the Middleweight title, and is only the 4th person in the UFC to be a multi-division champ. He is considered to be one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. St-Pierre retired in 2019 as was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020. He has also done some acting and made an appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. St-Pierre founded the GSP Foundation to encourage youth participation in sports and reduce bullying. He has millions of followers on social media. St-Pierre is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 170 lbs. when he fights and 185 lbs. in the off-season.
Known For:
Georges St-Pierre’s Diet
Summary
Like all all pros who need to make weight, St-Pierre pays careful attention to his diet. He eats clean, counts macros, and maintains his weight at 185 lbs. when he is not fighting, but manages to cut 15 lbs. in just 4 days before a fight. He does this by eliminating sodium and carbs, and fills up with plenty of leafy greens and lots of protein. Other than when he is cutting, he always stays hydrated with plenty of water. St-Pierre suffers from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition that can cause serious complications.
Estimated Macros
- Low Fat 25%
- Low-Medium Carb 35%
- High Protein 70%
Diet Details
Eat Well
St-Pierre eats clean and it shows. But it isn’t all chicken breast and broccoli. He says life is also meant to be enjoyed, and he sometimes enjoys a little ice cream.
Carbs for Recovery
When he’s training, St-Pierre eats 2 low-carb meals each day, and 1 high-carb meal after his workout.
Super Shakes
St-Pierre also has 2 protein shakes each day, and adds a greens supplement and mixed berries for extra nutrition and flavor.
Needs Must
To drop the 15 lbs. he needs to meet his fighting weight of 170 lbs., he cuts out carbs and hits the greens and lean protein hard for 4 days leading up to his weigh-in. As soon as he steps off the scale, he goes back to carbs so he can regain his weight before the fight.
Tips for UC
To help deal with symptoms of ulcerative colitis, St-Pierre recommends drinking water first thing in the morning, along with eating plenty of fruit, especially berries to help food move through the colon. But he says it’s most important to consult with a specialist.
No IVs
St-Pierre has taken a stance against IV rehydration because it can contribute to unhealthy amounts of weight cutting, and may also mask performance-enhancing drugs.
Home Cooking
St-Pierre’s favorite meal is tourtiere or meat pie, a French-Canadian speciality, and no one makes it better than his mom.
What to Eat
Eggs
Greens
Chicken
Salad
Vegetables
Whole Grains
Berries
Protein Powder
Water
Meats
What to Avoid
Salt
Sugar
Alcohol
Processed Carbs
Fried Foods
Junk Food
Artificial Additives
Chemicals
St-Pierre on His Diet
‘I tend to eat as well as I can, but I use the diet to lose weight.’
St-Pierre on Making Weight
‘In 4 days, I’m going to lose 15 lbs. I’m gonna cut down on the carbs, the sodium, and I’ll be eating a lot of greens and a lot of protein.’
St-Pierre on Making Weight
‘After the weigh-in, I’m going to do the opposite by eating a lot of carbs and get all my weight back.’
St-Pierre on Banning IV Rehydration
‘I believe it’s a good thing. If it’s not your division, stay to your own division.’
St-Pierre on His Favorite food
‘Tourtiere, a French-Canadian dish, but unfortunately I can’t eat that when I’m cutting my weight down. It’s going to be for after the fight. My mother makes the best tourtiere in the world.’
Georges St-Pierre’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
Never Submit
St-Pierre got started with karate as a way to defend himself, and he still hates losing.
Renaissance Man
St-Pierre has trained at a number of schools. He studied with Renzo Gracie at the Jiu-Jitsu Academy and Muay Thai with Phil Nurse at the Wat in NYC, at Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting Gaidojutsu school in New Mexico.
More Than Exercise
St-Pierre doesn’t just work out. He combines exercise, diet, and mindset to defeat his competitors.
Double Daily Dose
Except when he’s leading up to a fight, St-Pierre works out twice a day, 6 days a week. He practices a broad range of martial arts, sprints, and strength training.
Skip the Press
St-Pierre doesn’t do some standards, like bench-pressing, because that motion rarely happens during a fight. His trainer prefers not to use machines, and instead frequently uses Olympic lifting techniques.
Training of Champions
St-Pierre doesn’t just train like a champ, he trains with other champs so he is always being pushed to give his best.
Exercise Style
A Georges St-Pierre Rush Fit Circuit Routine
Warmup circuit: Repeat 3x
Sprint: 30 sec
High knees: 30 sec
Plank burpee: 30 sec
Speed push-ups: 30 sec
Circuit 1: Repeat 3x
Dumbbell squat to shoulder press: 15
Bent-over dumbbell wide row: 15
Walking dumbbell lunge: 15
Rest: 45 sec
Circuit 2: Repeat 3x
Single-leg push-up: 10/side
Bent-over row: 10/side
Rest: 45 sec
Circuit 3: Repeat 3x
Shadow box: 30 sec
Bent-over power row (alternating arms): 30 sec
Biceps curl: 30 sec
Cool down circuit: Repeat 3x
Weighted crunch: 20
Floor wiper (extend weight for stabilization): 20
Bicycle crunch: 50
St-Pierre on Losing
‘You don’t want to lose. You don’t want to be humiliated. You fight to win, and at all costs.’
St-Pierre on Finding Your Sport
‘I started with karate, some people are very successful in wrestling, some others in tae kwon do…There isn’t a better style — that’s a lie. There is a better person, but not a better style.’
St-Pierre on His Training
‘I always train with better wrestlers than me, better boxers than me, better jiu-jitsu buys than me.’
St-Pierre on Crosstraining
‘If you want to be a tough MMA fighter, you have to have a background in something.’
Georges St-Pierre’s Supplements
Protein
St-Pierre has at least one protein shake each day. The body uses protein to grow and repair muscle. It also curbs cravings, boost metabolism and helps you feel satisfied.
Greens Supplement
Fish Oil
Workout Fuel
Georges St-Pierre’s Lifestyle
Sleep Is Key
St-Pierre knows the value of quality rest and recovery, and recommends people not neglect this important pillar of health.
Gut Massage
In addition to eating a healthy diet and medicine, to help tame his ulcerative colitis St-Pierre recommends abdominal massage with a ball to help move food through the colon.
Canadian Highlights
St-Pierre’s stardom has turned MMA into one of the country’s most-watched sports, and also increased interest in other related sports like Muay Thai and boxing.
OCD Isn’t All Bad
St-Pierre says he has obsessive-compulsive disorder, and that it can be helpful in a fighter because it drives him to be the very best. But when the obsession spills over into the rest of his life, it’s not as great.
Sore Loser
With a record of 26-2, St-Pierre is not used to losing. After he lost to Matt Serra, St-Pierre got fixated on revenge. His sports psychologist had him carry around a brick to show him that he was focused on the wrong goal.
St-Pierre on Sleep
‘Don’t forget guys, a good night of sleep is crucial. Bonne nuit!’
St-Pierre on Winning
‘Battles are won by momentum.’
St-Pierre on OCD
As a competitor…it’s a good thing to have it because it makes you better…Every day…is oriented toward a goal. This same obsession I had about my work…it was going to drive me crazy.’
St-Pierre on Losing
‘Nobody is invincible. It makes me remember that I need to work hard for what I have.’
St-Pierre on Focus & Negative Energy
‘I think it helped me to release a lot of the negative energy that I had. Instead of focusing, I kept my eyes off of the goal. So now I’m focused again on the goal. I think this helped me a lot.’
St-Pierre on Science & Sports
‘The more you allow technology to play out on the result of a sporting event, the more you take away the real talent.’