Jon Jones' new look: How has the UFC superstar transformed his physique?

Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been working hard towards his aim of conquering the heavyweight division of the UFC. 'Bones' frequently posts videos and photos of his workouts that show him working towards maintaining peak fitness while expanding his frame and bulking up.

Bigger, stronger and faster than I’ve ever been. My trainer told me I’m around 35% the athlete I could be. We have so much work to do. pic.twitter.com/tIAQn2QE3i

— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 19, 2021

Evidently, Jon Jones has bulked up to a frame that one would have thought was impossible. Nevertheless, it is well known that Jon Jones is as dedicated an athlete inside the gym as they come, even if he's not always the most disciplined outside it.

To reach such extraordinary levels of athleticism while bulking up, one needs to be extremely meticulous in their approach. Such drastic changes in body composition can often lead to internal and external bodily damage. Thus, diet plays a huge role in ensuring that an athlete does not end up in a tough situation while undertaking such ambitious projects.

Jon Jones' trainer, Stan Efferding, appeared in an interview with Fouad Abiad. He described the strict diet that Jon Jones has taken up to make his shift to the heavyweight division as fruitful as possible. Efferding said:

"I try and keep him at about a 500 calorie surplus. His workload is high, so he is north of 4,000 calories a day. 250 grams of protein divided at a minimum divided into 4 meals. So, he is about 60 grams-plus of protein per meal. The fundamentals of that are primarily, uh, he will eat five or six ounces of lean top sirloin steak with a meal. Maybe a scrambled egg, you know I'm obviously a big fan of the micronutrients in eggs, and then some yogurt... and that would be fat-free, only because there is adequate fats in the meats and the eggs. So it is a gram of protein per pound of body weight, so [proteins] are about 250+. Keep the fats at 0.4 grams per pound, so we're trying to stay somewhere around 80. It's higher, but I don't wanna over restrict."

How does coach Stan Efferding manage hydration for an excessive sweater like Jon Jones?

Over the course of the interview, Stan Efferding explained the need to maintain hydration levels in terms of water, salt and sugar. He said that such nuances are essential to take care of when it comes to super athletes like Jon Jones.

He explained that one doesn't just sweat out water, but also carbohydrates and sodium. Thus, employing just water to rehydrate can cause hindrances in performance.

Therefore, combinations of all nutrients being sweated out, specific to the volume of sweat of various athletes, are great alternatives for pre-workout, mid-workout and post-workout hydration and well-being.

Ran through the light heavyweight division on talent, about to run through the heavyweight division like dominoes off pure hard work

— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 30, 2021