Do you have what it takes to work out like Jessica Aguilar?

Jessica Aguilar is a female mixed martial artist and the current Women’s Strawweight (115 pound) champion.

The Mexican American athlete has been training in her passion since 2005, and few women can hold a candle to her when it comes to physical fitness.

SEE ALSO: Jessica Aguilar, the queen of the cage

Aguilar is a shining example that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams; on her website, she explains Latin culture and her family’s beliefs that women and competitive sports did not mix were a huge hurdle for her. She was persistent, however, and her mother eventually let her join her classmates in various activities?but martial arts was not one of them.

Out of highschool, Aguilar went on to higher education, making her family’s income and comfort her top priority, but in 2005 she walked into a gym where they taught boxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)–and she never looked back. Now, she has worked her way to the top of her weight class and intends to stay there.

“I don’t think I am the best, I am the best,” said Aguilar MMAFighting’s Guilherme Cruz before her title fight. “I beat the best in the world. She can have the No. 2 spot, she can have her UFC belt, whatever she wants. I don’t even think she’s going to get it, I think Claudia is going to beat her, but that’s another conversation. I don’t think I am the best, I am the best. I’m very humble, but I think I need to start talking the truth. I put a lot of hard work and dedicate a lot of time to be where I am today. This is my title. I am the No. 1 strawweight in the world. It doesn’t matter if someone has the UFC belt, but they don’t have the best in the world. The best in the world right now is with WSOF.”

What it takes to train like Jessica Aguilar

The average person doesn’t understand the time and dedication it takes to be a top professional fighter.

The training is at least 6 days out of the week, and during preparation for a fight it can be everyday, multiple times a day. For example, UFC renowned female fighter, Rhonda Rousey says she works out 2-3 times a day.

Most female fighters have 2 or more sessions of martial arts-specific training a day, like boxing, kickboxing, grappling, or wrestling. Then, they have at least one workout session that is designed to build strength or cardio. Not only do fighters need to be strong in the cage, they need to be able to maintain an explosive pace. When you’re pinned under an opponent, the strength and stamina to push that weight off of you is paramount.

Female fighters undergo the same martial arts training as do male fighters. When in a fight camp–the weeks before a scheduled bout–training means actual mock fights wearing protective gear. During this phase, simulated fight rounds can last 3 to 5 minutes and are often the intensity of a Tabata workout. Punches, kicks, take-downs, and submission grappling become the name of the game. Every muscle in the body is pushed to the max.

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Then, Jessica Aguilar and fighters like her must make sure they nourish their bodies appropriately to maintain such a pace day after day. The Sun Sentinel reports Aguilar recently changed over to a vegan diet to maximize her body’s potential. She is currently learning how to swap out proteins  as they are an important part of maintaining muscle mass.

There are no cheat days for a professional mixed martial artist like Aguilar. Her job is being in the best shape she can possibly be, and she takes that obligation seriously.