"It's like I'm a junkie who wants to get high daily by hitting my limit"
November 28, 2009 it all finally caught up to me. I had just earned my Jiu-Jitsu brown belt 6 months prior and was training two, maybe even 3 times per day, week in and week out.
... Hard warm-ups.
... tons of push-ups.
... partner drills, solo drills.
... and 10, 5-7 minute rounds of sparring in the Texas heat.
It was SO damn hot we would completely fog the windows. You could even see the steam rising from you as if your soul was slowly leaving your body. I always thought of it as weakness and fatigue leaving my system. LOL.
And then it happened...
"Torn left medial meniscus and shortly after, torn right MCL."
I was devastated!
My training was reduced to one day per week (maybe). Mostly watching from the sideline. It SUCKED! After 17 years of Jiu-Jitsu I've learned many valuable lessons. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is how to better approach my training.
In fact... I began looking at how I trained Jiu-Jitsu through strength training eyes.
Why's that?
Jiu-Jitsu is an intense art, ironically it's been quipped the "gentle art", in Portuguese "arte suave." If you've been on the mat for any period of time... you know it's anything but "gentle."
Look at barbell deadlifting as an example.
Would you train your absolute max each and every day?
Heck no!
Why not?
Because you'll fry your nervous system, overtrain (yes, overtraining is possible despite what others say), and eventually tear something.
The smart approach would be to train at an average of 70-80% intensity. Build your 80% strength. And seek an opportunist person best ("PB").
Then plan your mobility, flexibility and "technical days" as active recovery training to improve your skills and reduce injury.
So why do we still approach our BJJ training with this "go hard or go home" mentality?
Going hard and rolling hard each and every session is the equivalent of training your absolute max in the deadlift every time you lift.
I've seen many BJJ players take this approach. And today...
They're broken, can no longer train the art they love, and toss it up to "man, I'm just getting old."
Sure, you'll get little injuries here and there, it's a contact sport/art after all. Contact injuries come with the territory. But, they shouldn't sideline you forever. If you keep getting injured... it's time to re-evaluate your approach.
I was chatting with one of our readers a while back and he said something profound that I knew to be so true, "It's like I'm a junkie who wants to get high daily by hitting my limit."
Since 2012, he's been pushing the envelope day in and day out with very little rest. While he did get stronger and had the endurance of a race horse... it came with a price.
I won't go into the details of his training, but it was brutal and he pretty much destroyed his back, shoulders, and knees.
Now don't get me wrong.
There will be a time to push and incorporate that type of physical and psychological training but it's to be reserved for peaking for a competition. Unless you're training to compete, you can do without it.
Similar to peaking for a max attempt deadlift... if you're not training for a powerlifting meet or the Tactical Strength Challenge (TSC) you can do without testing your absolute max.
So you may be wondering, what's the best way to structure your BJJ training so you don't overtrain?
Chief biomechanicist for the Soviet Sports in the 80's, Professor Vladimir Zatsiorsky, mentions in his book Science and Practice of Strength Training, the key to getting stronger over time is...
"Train as often as possible, as heavy as possible, and as fresh as possible."
Over the last 10 years I've applied this philosophy not only to how I train Jiu-Jitsu. But also to how we coach our students in the Hardstyle Academy. Each day we vary the volume, intensity, and effort so we can train hard, frequent, and fresh.
Here's a sample of what my weekly Jiu-Jitsu schedule looks like:
This is not set in stone but you get the idea.
Sometimes I get in more training, sometimes less. Once or twice per month I roll hard, 90-100% effort, with only brown and black belts. These days are brutal and I look forward to my recovery days.
As I approach 40, my game may not be what it was 5 years ago, but I know with confidence I'll be able to train for the long haul.
If you're struggling with staying healthy for BJJ, let me know in the comments.
Appreciate you reading,
hec "the kettlebell coach" g.
P.S. If you wanna build a strong, lean, and resilient body for BJJ in less than 90 minutes per week (Without overtraining and interfering with your life or time on the mat). I recommend this program.