ACL surgery 3 years ago
Rico suffered a bucket handle meniscus tear and ACL injury three years ago, recovered in 6 months, and now uses an anti-gravity treadmill to protect his joints.
Snapshot · The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico Verhoeven
Explore episode
Aug 4, 2026
Where this was said
Conditioning, Training Secrets, and the Anti-Gravity Treadmill
At 1:13:11 · chapter starts 1:10:30
Rogan pushes for the specifics behind Rico's extraordinary conditioning, which let him push a relentless pace against a former cruiserweight who is supremely fit [1] — Rico Verhoeven "At 260 pounds, Rico Verhoeven does full-body circuit training 3 times a week with 20-rep sets and only 30-second rests between exercises — …" 1:10:28 . Rico explains his philosophy: he doesn't lift to get bigger — he already has the mass. His goal is endurance-strength. Three full-body circuit sessions per week, 20-plus reps per exercise, 30-second rests, completed in 35-40 minutes. The key is the pace of the session itself — it functions as conditioning while building strength. He adds a crucial mental dimension: when he starts to feel tired, he considers that a signal that his opponent is in trouble. His ACL surgery 3 years ago led to one significant change: he now uses an anti-gravity treadmill (a pressurized chamber that reduces effective body weight) to protect his joints during conditioning runs, having loved running as a form of mental solitude for years.
Full body workout 3x/week, 20+ reps
Rico's strength and conditioning program involves full-body circuits 3 times a week with 20+ reps per exercise and only 30-second rest periods to build endurance simultaneously.
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