UFC President Dana White has recently garnered significant attention for his remarkable weight loss and overall health transformation. This journey, publicly documented on social media, showcases not just a physical change but a renewed commitment to health and well-being. This transformation, prompted by a stark warning about his life expectancy, has inspired many and sparked conversations about the methods and motivations behind it.
The Catalyst: A Health Scare
Dana White's motivation for losing weight stemmed from a concerning health assessment. In 2022, after consulting with human biologist Gary Brecka, co-founder of 10X Health Systems, White learned that he had approximately 10.4 years to live if he didn't make significant lifestyle changes. White admitted that he was obsessed with his mortality and reached out to the biologist for help. This revelation served as a wake-up call, prompting him to take immediate action to improve his health. At one point, White admitted to poor sleeping patterns, chronic apnea, blood pressure spikes, and fluctuating weight.
The Transformation: A Visual Metamorphosis
On Friday, UFC president Dana White showed off his incredible weight-loss transformation on social media. The UFC president posted a split picture of himself on his Instagram. One side showed a picture from March 2017, a blurry side view photo appeared to show a heavier White. But the picture on the right, from earlier this month, showed the mixed martial arts executive ripped. In October of last year, White said he was down 30 pounds. The before-and-after images highlight the stark contrast in his physique, showcasing a leaner, more toned figure.
The 10X Health System Protocol
After analyzing Dana's metrics, Brecka gave him only 10.4 years to live. The good news is the 10x Health System can reverse your fate in as little as ten weeks. White credits Gary Brecka, co-founder of 10X Health Systems, for changing his life. The 10x Health System Protocol has four components: PEMF Pad, Cold Plunge, Exercise with Oxygen Therapy, and Red Light Therapy.
PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) Pad
A PEMF mat is a device that emits electromagnetic fields in different frequencies and strengths. You can get a PEMF mat to put on your bed at home. Dana sleeps on his every night. The idea is that these electromagnetic fields have therapeutic effects, including reducing inflammation and pain, improving circulation, promoting relaxation, and supporting overall wellness. While research is limited, some evidence suggests that PEMF could be a novel, safe, and effective therapeutic strategy for at least some subsets of individuals with chronic pain. Gary Brecka suggests that you can achieve similar benefits by simply walking barefoot on the Earth's surface. This practice, known as earthing or grounding, involves connecting your feet directly to the Earth's surface, typically walking barefoot outdoors.
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Cold Plunge
The second part of the process is a daily cold plunge. First thing every morning, Dana jumps into 50ºF water for three minutes. He's nuts about it, even sending one to the hotel ahead of time while on the road so he doesn't have to miss a day. A cold plunge involves immersing your body in cold water, usually with ice added, for a short period. Athletes and fitness folk often use them to improve recovery or to look cool on Instagram. The theory is that cold water constricts blood vessels and lowers inflammation, which can help relieve soreness and promote faster recovery. Anecdotally, the shock of the cold water can release endorphins, creating a sense of euphoria and energy. Dana says it's his version of coffee in the morning. Plus, there are mental toughness benefits.
Exercise with Oxygen Therapy
After getting out of the cold plunge, oxygen therapy is next. Dana puts on a big oxygen mask that looks like something a Top Gun pilot would wear. In this mask, he is getting 93-95% oxygen air. The air we breathe in the Earth's atmosphere is only about 21% oxygen. With the oxygen mask on, he gets on a treadmill for a 10-12 minute cardio workout. During the workout, he alternates walking for 3 minutes slowly and going all out for 30 seconds. It's a short, high-intensity interval training cardio session while wearing an oxygen mask. Proponents of oxygen therapy argue it can boost oxygen delivery to muscles, improve endurance, reduce fatigue, and shorten recovery time. Brecka claims you can get many of the same benefits from simply learning to breathe correctly. He recommends spending around 8 minutes daily on breathwork.
Red Light Therapy
After the cardio with oxygen therapy, Dana jumps in a red light therapy bed for 20 minutes. Red light therapy uses wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to enter the skin and promote cellular regeneration and repair. The idea is that light therapy is excellent for the mitochondria of the cells, leading to increased energy levels and improved cellular function. Red light therapy also enhances collagen production, resulting in smoother, more youthful-looking skin and improved wound healing. Additionally, it might help reduce inflammation and pain, making it good for those with chronic ailments, including arthritis, joint pain, or muscle aches. Brecka says you can get a similar benefit simply by exposing your skin to sunlight, particularly first thing in the morning.
Nutritional Strategies: The Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent Fasting
Dana decided to adopt a ketogenic diet, guided by health expert Gary Brecka. This diet helped him shed extra pounds and improve his overall well-being. Dana White’s diet revolves around the principles of the ketogenic diet. This plan emphasizes high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate meals. Foods like meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and nuts are staples in his daily meals. Even if you don't want to follow everything Dana does to a T, here are a few principles to add to your routine to help you look and feel your best. He consumes very few carbohydrates. This wasn’t a casual dabble in low carbs. “No cheat meals. He described it as “hell for the first week,” but once the sugar cravings subsided, energy levels shot up. Mental clarity improved. He slept better.
Intermittent fasting is another key aspect of his nutrition regimen. White limits his eating to a specific time window, typically from 2 pm to 7 pm.
Read also: Effective Weight Loss Strategies
Workout Routine
Dana has a full gym connected to his office at UFC headquarters. And when I say full gym, I mean full gym. It's sick. In a video posted on the UFC YouTube channel, Dana is training in this gym with legendary bodybuilder and bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev. He said his workouts are all light weights for high reps. He also supersets everything. Dana integrates Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) into his fitness routine. Training in MMA not only enhances his endurance but also improves his agility and strength. MMA workouts are dynamic and demanding. They blend various combat styles, keeping workouts exciting and challenging. Dana’s routine includes a balanced mix of cardio and weight training. Cardio plays a crucial role in burning calories and enhancing cardiovascular health. He supplements his cardio with weight training, aiming to build muscle while shedding excess fat. This combination ensures that he maintains a lean, muscular physique.
Water Fasting
In Dec. 2023 on the Full Send Podcast, he talked about his 86-hour fast that he got to know about through an online clip of a doctor from Boston. White has been pretty experimentative while making fights for the Octagon and seems to have a similar approach regarding his health. Brecka approved of the fast and White survived on water for over 80 hours. To the shock of many, he felt great in the process and said that he could have fasted for seven days if he wanted to. According to White, putting the body through adversity compels it to shred dead cells and temporarily giving your organs the task of surviving a fatal situation has many advantages. He had a lot to say about his experience, noting that he felt “like a superhero” afterward. Worth noting: 86 hours is about three and a half days.
Reactions and Perceptions
Fans seem divided on White's transformation as some see it as inspirational, while others are skeptical about the techniques used by Brecka. As a public figure in the world’s most alpha-driven sport, White was no stranger to criticism. Many fans had grown used to the larger-than-life, barrel-chested version of White. His sudden leaner frame sparked conversation, even speculation. Either way, White's transformation is talked about heavily because of its sudden, yet effective nature, and it's hard to deny that a lot of effort went into making it possible.
Consistency and Dedication
If nothing else, Dana is super consistent. He is so consistent that he takes a cold plunge tub on the road with him. That's a bit extreme, but how you do anything is how you do everything. Since starting this new fitness journey, Dana has been relentlessly following his daily routine and diet. Over the past couple of years, Dana White has recommitted himself to fitness and health. He chose to go all in with Gary Brecka, and the results have been phenomenal. However, the take-home point is how he is attacking it with relentless effort and consistency.
A Holistic Approach to Health
White admits that having the money to make your own gym and purchase other equipment gives him an edge, he strongly believes that anyone can revamp their health with the right mindset. This is one of the reasons why he's been so open about his weight loss journey and expects his followers to take their health seriously as well. Dana White’s transformation is more than just a weight loss success story, it’s a testament to how prioritizing health can lead to remarkable results. Not long ago, he could barely walk and relied on seven medications to manage his health issues. Facing a future as pre-diabetic with rising blood pressure, he committed to a lifestyle overhaul.
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