Finding a good strength and conditioning MMA and boxing program can be a minefield at times. With so many so-called ‘experts’ or ‘gurus’ to pick from, it can be a challenge to decide what is the right program for you?
I believe I have found just that program take your body to the next level for MMA o boxing. This program is of course Phil Daru’s Body Armor MMA Bodyweight Program.
In this blog review, I’ll take a deeper look of what you will actually get, learn and who this program is best for.
Watch or read on to find out more.
Who is Phil Daru?
First up it’s important to go over the man himself who created this world class strength and conditioning – Phil Daru.
Phil is primarily an MMA trainer by trade, but has trained multiple boxing & MMA champions including, Dustin Poirier, Sullivan Barrera, Maureen Shea. He has also been voted as MMA Trainer of the year and is Head of Strength and Conditioning at American Top Team.
Coach Phil Daru has produced and optimized many performance programs for combat sports athletes and coaches including the Heavy Hitter Boxing Program, MMA Fight Ready and the MMA Body Armor programs.
Here is what Phil has to say
“I deeply understand not only the training aspects of fight preparation but also the mind set of what fighters are going through from my years being a fighter and training athletes myself.
I’ve devoted my life to performance training and making sure that I will always get an athlete the best results possible when training for a fight or any sport”
You can also check out Phil’s Instagram for more training hints and advice.
Overview of the Body Armor program
This is a 6-8 week strength and conditioning program, designed to increase your strength, speed, power, agility, power and overall MMA performance.
Inside this program you’ll have 4 Strength and Power sessions along with 2 Conditioning sessions. (this is all mapped out for you)
Each exercise within the Body Armor program changes with slight variation to avoid accommodation or anything that would hinder your progression.
Here is an example of Phil doing a bodyweight workout
What do you get from the Body Armor program
You actually do get quite a lot with this program including:
- Ebook lifetime access to 8 weeks of bodyweight exercises and instructional videos
- Darustrong’s Membership Hub
- Phil’s Private Facebook group with like minded individuals
- Discount off future Phil Daru programs
How does the program work?
S.M.A.R.T Goal Setting
Before you start off the program, Phil Daru makes it clear that goal setting is crucial if you are to see the results from the program.
The most successful athletes, coaches, business owners have used the S.M.A.R.T formula to reach short and long term goals for many years. Before you start off the program Phil challenges you write out your goals using this system. Here is what each point stands for:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time
Research shows that by having specific goals you are more likely to motivated to carry through and achieve your goal. Personally I think this is good touch to the program to help you know your targets from the beginning.
Weekly Schedule
The great thing about this program is that it all mapped out for you and there is no need to change too much up for this as you go along.
Phil also explains about supersets and tempo so you can perform the program correctly which will give you the proper stimulus.
Here is an example of what a workout session will look like:
| WORKOUT | SETS | REPS | REST | TEMPO |
| V-Sit ups | 5 | 10 | until 90% recovered | 3.1.1 |
| Pull Ups | 3 | 10 | none | 3.2.1 |
| Leg raises | 4 | 10 | until 90% recovered | 3.2.1 |
| Push Up (close) | 4 | 10 | none | 5.2.1 |
| Side Plank Crunch | 3 | 10 | until 90% recovered | 3.2.1 |
My experience and recommendations
I decided to give Phil’s Course during lockdown when gyms were closed which made it the ideal time to take this on. (Will have video out soon of some of his exercises).
As this program is primarily through his ebook with links to all the videos (Private YouTube library), it was quite overwhelming at first as there is quite a lot of exercises to learn.
However, if you have your phone / laptop near you you can have a quick check as you go through each exercise to make sure you are performing the correct technique.
After about week 2-3 you start to become quite familiar with some of these exercises. I recommend you print off the ebook so you can then tick off your progression.
Who is this program best for?
This program is best for people who don’t have access to a gym or can’t afford huge amounts of equipment. You equally still get quality workouts sessions that will help you get massive results (if followed).
I also think this is great for someone that is in need of a plan, as this is already mapped out for you. What’s not better than having that schedule all in place by a world class strength and conditioning coach? It’s a no brainer!
Another person I think this would be great for is personal trainers or coaches who train fighters. It will really help to give you and your clients a structured process to make the most of their training without weights,
Is the MMA Body Armor Program worth it?
For me Phil Daru has done a brilliant job in putting together a robust training schedule so you can reach your goals effectively.
The fact it has all been laid out for you with 100s of video examples of all the exercises makes it that bit easier.
For the Body Armor program to be worth it, you need to follow and track it as you go along and be serious about seeing changes.
The other great thing is that if you are not happy with the program you have a 60 day money back guarantee – so you really have nothing to lose!
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| You don’t need much/any equipment | Bodyweight exercises can only get you so far |
| The schedule and plan is all mapped out for you | You have to stick to schedule to see results |
| Can be used by both beginners and professionals | Lots of back and forth between videos and ebook |
| You can start feel a real difference in strength after a couple weeks | You have to be self motivated |
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, Phil Daru has done a tremendous job in producing a body weight training schedule of this size! The fact you hardly need any equipment and you can see amazing results is what makes it worth it
I really like the fact Phil has tried to mix up exercises as much possible, all with mixed martial artists and boxers in mind.
The amount of exercise does seem quite overwhelming at first, but you start to get familiar once you set yourself up!
To make the most of this program, I highly recommend printing out a copy of the ebook so you can tick off each exercise as you go along. This will make it much easier for you to follow and track your progress as you go through the training schedule.
If you have access to a gym I would also recommend checking out the Fight Ready Program by Phil Daru instead.
*Phil Daru is also currently offering this program at 50% off! Don’t miss out on this offer while it’s here!
Boxing Life’s Rating
Hope you enjoyed this review, let me know in the comments if you have any questions or if you think you might try out this program.
If this course does not pick your fancy I recommend you check out my other top online boxing course option here or why not check out some more fitness related program reviews.
Or look out more boxing training advice by visiting the link here.
Thanks for reading!
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