Getting ready for the BJJ US Nationals (9 weeks out)

Cash Bill 52 · 07-08-2009, 06:43 PM

7/8/09

Hi. I was hoping to get some feedback from you guys. I am 9 weeks away from The US National Brazilian Jiu jitsu tournament in Carson, Ca. September 12, 2009.

I have read the Ezra thread and the FAQ’s. I am sure I have missed some things. So, if I need to be redirected to a specific spot in those threads, please let me know.

I am a teacher and I have off until Aug 26. I have a lot of time to train.

I am a 42 year old Cesar Gracie purple belt with about 8 1/2 years experience. I will compete in the Senior 2 heavy or super heavy weight division. I will also sign up for the open class if it is available. I won a gold medal in the latest Pan ams. I won the open but lost in the super heavyweight finals to a guy who I will be facing again at the Nationals.

I have never really lifted weights but I am considerd one of the strongest guys at my academy. I’m 6’1” and 209 lbs. I played college and little bit of semi pro hockey. So I rely on my athleticism quite a bit.

I really like hiking, swimming, walking, yoga, rock climbing, and biking. But I do those things just for fun. I am sure I am getting a heatlthy workout but I am not really thinking, “How can this help me get a gold medal at the next tournament?”

I have been on the mat 10 hours over the last three days. (5-2 hr sessions of warm up, technique, and rolling) I have been doing 2 a days. Am I nuts? I 'm having fun and my body is not too beat up.

But now I want to get serious. I have to grow up someday. I bought a heart monitor. I am ready to “take it to the next level.”

So here’s my plan, finally.

Jiu jitsu training

5-7 2 hr. sessions per week tapering as necessary as I approach the tournament.

Weight training

2 sessions per week

I have no idea what my max bench/squat/deadlift is.

2 weeks increase power
2 weeks increase muscle endurance
2 weeks body weight/kettlebells

Last three weeks not much lifting.

I will talk to other forum about the details. Feel free to comment on that as well.

Cardio/Muscle Endurance

If I am training 2 times per day I can’t really do any thing else. So on my one a days and my off day (Sunday), I would like to add some cardio sessions.

I like running/jogging the least but it seems like it’s the easiest way to maintain my heart in the correct zone.

Btw..my resting heart rate is 64. My max heart rate is 178. I have a Polar F4 heart monitor.

The matches are only 5 minutes long for us old guys. I expect to have 3 or 4 matches with about a 5-10 minute break in between each match. So I plan to see how far I can run around a track in 5 minutes. Then, I will try to beat my time. I did a 2 hr hike on Sunday. My average heart rate was too low (112). However, I was in the cardio zone for 42 minutes. I did some sprinting up hills, but that’s not what hiking is about.

I also plan on doing some HICT , or did Ezra give it another name? If I can stay at 80% -of my max heart rate I’d be happy. My recovery heart rate will be important so I will try to do 10/10 second sprints in 5 minutes slowing down to a jog in between each sprint. (and of course checking my heart rate monitor)

I’d like to still swim and ride my mountain bike. Is it still helpful if I am doing it at a leasurly pace? Under 115 bpm? I am getting enjoyment. Is there room for that? Lol!

Stretching/Yoga

My flexibiltiy is ok but I want to make that better as well. I plan on stretching after each practice. I am not as diligent in this area as I should be.

Of course my diet and sleep patterns will be regular.

I understand that I am rambling a bit. Thanks for reading this. Any comments or advice would be appreciated. I am really interested increasing power, muscular endurance, cardiac output, and lowering my RHR into the 50's. I don't want to overtrain. I have always "just listened to my body". It's gotten me pretty far. But now I want to go farther.

Thanks again.

cockysprinter · 07-09-2009, 01:37 PM

It would be hard for me to make specific comments without seeing the plan specifically, but I will say a couple things. For one, I wouldn't stop lifting three weks out, I would stop one or two weeks out. I prefer to do one, but that may be some bias on my part because I always set up my programs that way. As for the biking around 115 bpm, you can do it for recovery. There is always room for recovery, though don't expect it to do other things.

EDIT: Depending on what you do with bodyweight/kettlebells, it's like you're really cutting out the weights five weeks early. You should probably rethink your strength program.

Cash Bill 52 · 07-09-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cockysprinter

It would be hard for me to make specific comments without seeing the plan specifically, but I will say a couple things. For one, I wouldn't stop lifting three weks out, I would stop one or two weeks out. I prefer to do one, but that may be some bias on my part because I always set up my programs that way. As for the biking around 115 bpm, you can do it for recovery. There is always room for recovery, though don't expect it to do other things.

EDIT: Depending on what you do with bodyweight/kettlebells, it's like you're really cutting out the weights five weeks early. You should probably rethink your strength program.

Thanks for the reply. My weight training is non existent. So, I have to start off slow. I plan to figure out what I can safely dead lift using good form. I would like to do 3 sets of 8,7,6 with increased weight, but weight lifting in general will be my biggest challenge.

I would like to do dead lifts, Romanian dead lifts, squats, jerks, lunges, and presses. The plan is to do this only 2 times per week.

My main focus will be sparring and technical proficiency. I am a little concerned that my weight training might negatively effect my technique. Most of my teammates don't lift weights. I know there is a scientific way to do this. I am just not that educated when it comes to weight training.

So if my heart rate is under 115 bpm, I am only recovering? Would you consider this an active recovery? Sitting on the couch makes me sore. The more I move the better I feel. My two hour hike made me feel great. I guess that what recovering is supposed to do.

My training strategy for years was just, "go to practice". I didn't have to think.

This thinking stuff is hard!

Thanks again for the response.

dbennettsr · 07-09-2009, 07:09 PM

For flexibility check the strechting dvd for grapplers at elasticsteel.com

David

paolo27th · 07-09-2009, 07:53 PM

Dude, first things first:

-It`s EZA, not Ezra.

-The HR suggested for cardiac output development is 150, not 115.

- You want to increase power, endurance and cardiac output while also preparing for a major tourney in 9 weeks... but you don`t want to overtrain? That`s going to be hard.

Ok then, weights:

- Stick to the basics. Do`t go crazy trying to do too many movements. Do a Squat, a press and a pull one day and a deadlift, press and pull the next, or even just Squat/Pull on day one and Dead/Press on day 2. Make sure you work every exercise thoroughly while also allowing yourself to keep up with BJJ training.

- Doing 2 week blocks now is a bit pointless. If you never did weights before you won`t accumulate enough strenght to move on to the next block in 2 weeks.

-Stick to a basic strenght program and cut it out 3 weeks before the event.

Cardio:

- A HR of 64 is probably not too bad if you consider your matches are only 5 mins. Do you gas in training rolling hard for 5 minutes? Also, since you got yourself a HR monitor, wear it while going hard for a round and see what happens.

- Rather than working exclusively on cardiac output I`d suggest you really give HITC a try. It will probably help you cardiac output too (but you may want to ask EZA`s opinion on that).

- Also the thing is that you need to choose a training protocol and stick with it for some time. If you do HICT one day, hiking the next, then Cardiac output, then swimming, you will probably not see results from any of them. I`d say stick to HICT 2-3 times a week and spend the remainder of you time rolling - also remember that rolling is sports specific cardio so that alone can make the biggest difference. Again, cut this out 2 weeks prior to the event and concentrate on rolling.

- Do not train on your day off.

Stretching/Yoga:

- I`m no expert on this and I actually need some advice myself. All I know is that when I made it a point to stretch at every session sooner or later I inevitably pulled a muscle. I was doing passive stretching and am not generally very flexible so take it with a grain of salt. My advice is to really research this before you jump into it.

cockysprinter · 07-09-2009, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cash Bill 52

Thanks for the reply. My weight training is non existent. So, I have to start off slow. I plan to figure out what I can safely dead lift using good form. I would like to do 3 sets of 8,7,6 with increased weight, but weight lifting in general will be my biggest challenge.

I would like to do dead lifts, Romanian dead lifts, squats, jerks, lunges, and presses. The plan is to do this only 2 times per week.

My main focus will be sparring and technical proficiency. I am a little concerned that my weight training might negatively effect my technique. Most of my teammates don't lift weights. I know there is a scientific way to do this. I am just not that educated when it comes to weight training.

So if my heart rate is under 115 bpm, I am only recovering? Would you consider this an active recovery? Sitting on the couch makes me sore. The more I move the better I feel. My two hour hike made me feel great. I guess that what recovering is supposed to do.

My training strategy for years was just, "go to practice". I didn't have to think.

This thinking stuff is hard!

Thanks again for the response.

For weights, I would normally use five reps or less. If are worried about injury, you can always stay light on weights, it wont hurt you. As Paolo said, do a push pull and squat on both your days. If you want to be serious about gaining strength, it might have to wait until after your competition.

Weight training won't affect your technical proficiency if you do it right. Working light (60-80%), like mentioned above can also help prime you for activity later in the day. Bodybuilding circuits can also be used as a form of recovery.

Yes that would be active recovery.

Like Paolo said, you are going to have a hard time accomplishing all that in nine weeks. Usually you train one to three qualities per mesocycle (2-4 weeks).

EDIT: For stretching, do some dynamic stretching in your warmup, static stretching in your cooldown, and if you need flexibility gains, look into PNF.

cockysprinter · 07-09-2009, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paolo27th

-The HR suggested for cardiac output development is 150, not 115.

Are you sure about this? I'm pretty sure EZA said the lactate threshold for pro fighters is 170. I could see 130-150 as a range for cardiac output, but 150 seems to border aerobic power.

Cash Bill 52 · 07-10-2009, 01:12 AM

Thanks guys. Oops, EZA...I just think of him as Joel. :-)

I know that 115 bpm is too low to make a real difference in accomplishing my goals. I have to reread the cardiac output section.

Also, I plan on doing EZA's Hict training. For those who don't know what that is, here ya go...

from the 8 weeks out website

HICT is high resistance low frequency training such as riding a spin bike with very high resistance for an extended period of time. It's different from an interval in that it's continuous yet it also works the endurance of the fast twitch fibers because it is against high resistance.

So I trained jiu jitsu 12-2 today. Sparring with Jake Shields and his boys in Berkeley. Half hour of technique followed by 4-7 minute gi less matches. (2 with Jake)

At 5 pm I went to our main Pleasant Hill academy and worked with weights and rode the stationary bike.

dead lifts

3 sets of

8 -90 lbs
10 -100 lbs
15 -110 lbs

The real weight bar was broken. I used those old school weight bars that stand vertical in a rack with the with the total weight painted on the side. It only goes up to 120 lbs.
It wasn't very hard but I was just trying to keep good posture and technique. I know that this was not a real weight workout.

I did 3 sets of 7 pull ups (wide grip, narrow grip, backward ? grip)

Dumbbell jerks 2 sets of 10 - 35 lbs. ( My left elbow and shoulder is a little jacked so I used my right arm to help my left arm on the decent)

I was mainly just trying some stuff out. It's my first day. I don't want to go too crazy.

Next, I rode the stationary bike keeping my heart rate around 140 - 150 for 20 minutes. To end it all, I cycled as hard as I could but only got up to about 165 bpm. Then, when I got off my heart rate went up to 173. I took some deep breaths and it got close to 140 (didn't time how long it took) Then it went back to 90 relatively quickly.

Next, I stayed for the technique portion of the evening class. When rolling began, I had the desire to get on the mat, but I didn't.

I came home and put my back and body on a foam roller.

All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Thanks again for your advice. I have a lot to learn.

I am thinking this is more of a training log. Should I put this thread in that forum?

Thanks again. You guys actually helped me.

edit...Are bjj 2 a days too much? If I am in too much pain I won't train. However, I still feel good.