Omaha native Jake Ellenberger returns to his hometown Feb. 15 for a UFC fight with Diego Sanchez. Get a behind-the-scenes look at his fight preparations on Omaha.com with trainer Riley Ross in the lead-up to the fight. Ross is the founder of Higher Tactics Treigning Systems, where he serves as a sports nutrition and performance specialist. He is also the Director of Personal Fitness Training at Vatterott College in Omaha.

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Jake Ellenberger laid on a table for two hours, his massage therapist working his lower back, shoulders and legs. But this is no spa treatment for the UFC fighter set to square off with Diego Sanchez on Feb. 15.

When training two to four times a day, maintenance and integrity of the muscle is important, especially considering the constant contractions and pressure put on a fighter’s body.

Jake woke up 5 a.m. Tuesday to fuel up. He then met me at the gym for a specialized strength and conditioning session called lactic acid training (more on that in a later blog). After discussing game plans and his schedule for the next week, he left — nearly three hours later.

Film of Sanchez rolled across the TV before Jake found himself back in training mode at 4:30 p.m.

The massage table was next, then a sparring session at Premier Combat Center, where he worked MMA and boxing rounds for two hours.

For Jake, proper rest is just as important as proper training, especially as he nears his performance peak. We knew Jake would need a day off either Wednesday or Thursday.

Jake’s body decided it would be Wednesday.

But days of rest are as hard as training days — only this time the battle will not be in the muscles and bones, but in the space between his ears. Rest days mean taking a mental break as well — watching movies, listening to music, escaping the strict training regimen.

During this time, he stuck to a very strict diet of vegetables and chicken, limiting carbohydrates to a minimum so he will be able to maintain weight. By Thursday, he will be back to training — and back to consuming the carbs that will ensure his energy levels are maxed out for a last training push before tapering down over the weekend.

At 9 p.m. Wednesday, I called Jake to confirm a 6 a.m. strength and conditioning session. We discussed the schedule for Thursday and which direction to take the morning session. We decided to do strength and conditioning before rolling into an afternoon practice of Jiu-Jitsu and boxing technique.

Another full day, but just a small step in the process that leads us to Feb. 15 — fight night.