[quote]Patrick Bateman wrote:
Rickson Gracie is retired, more or less. Although rumors pop up all the time it logic dictates he won’t fight again. Although he is a legend in the game I wouldn’t not skip weight training just because Rickson chose to. He’s not your typical athlete.
If you’re planning to compete in sub tourneys or fight MMA you definitely should weight train. Even if it is for the simple fact that most of your competition does or will be. Technique, flexibilty and endurance are all very important, more so than strength I would say, but this does not mean you don’t want to be strong. If all of those elements are equal and you meet a guy who weight trains intelligently for sport, there’s a good chance you’ll be doin you tappin quick.
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Well, first of all are you saying that lifting sand bags - pulling tires - pullups, etc. won’t make you strong? Secondly, technique, flexibility, endurance come way before big muscles.
Thirdly, I am not saying that wl is bad for you - if you think that then i didn’t make myself very clear.
But i have read so many threads here and in other places where waannabe martial artists say that they want to train in their newly chosen ma three times a week and wl another three times.
Personally i think this is crazy - concentrate on the skill of the ma - increase your flexibilty - increase your endurance - increase your strength without having to spend alot of time by going to the gym - and then when you have reached a compentent level then maybe introduce wl into your regime.
It is only the pros have that time to do both.
Furthermore, i have fought in Brazil and not 1 bjj fighter who i met there weight trains to any sort of degree. So Rickson is not alone in this.
Sorry - just a couple more points. The author of this post said that he is bjj/submission fighter not a mma. So this only reinforces my point that big muscles are waaaaaaaaaay down the list of attributes in bjj.
And did you not read his post? He said he was tired and on his way to losing motivation because he was tired. So what is the point in wl if you are just going to lose interest and (potentially) quit because you are too tired.
So in summation - my advice - quit lifting - get on the mat and grapple
I just do BJJ for a hobby. I have no plans to get into MMA.
When i was lifting three days a week plus grappling three days i did feel tired and unmotivated. Now that i have cut lifting down to two days a week i feel much better. I want to keep lifting, its something i enjoy. I like trying to get stronger. I am just not going to let grappling suffer. If i am feeling tired one week, i will skip a day at the gym rather than skip time on the mat.
Yes, true but say you have two guys - ok twins. They talk daddy into taking them to the corner bjj shop. One decides to train at the shop 4 nights a week while the other decides to train three times aweek and go lift weights another three times.
Oh for good measure number 2 throws in piano lessons. And man is he tired. He can’t concentrate on what bjj instructor is saying.
And number 1 decides that he can stay around the shop and watch the black belts train because he doesn’t have to run off to the gym or to the piano teacher.
Given this scenario which one would win after training for six months.? I know which one I would put my money on.
Wasn’t it Danny John who wrote an article about this very same thing a while ago. I have been involved in ma and wrestling all my life. I have seen it a million times. Starters trying to do too much too often.
99.9999% burn themselves out and then quit. They will have the pleasure in saying " a few years back I took bjj for a year…"
Sorry to ramble but above someone mentioned Don Gable. Well he is a contemporary of mine. Thank god we were not in the same weight class… anyway, Don is or was in charge of one of the most elite wrestling schools anywhere. His wrestlers are elite. So of course his wrestlers lift.
But ask Don if he has his beginner wrestlers lift!!! I KNOW what his answer would be.
Anyone starting anything should read Danny John’s article. Introduce activities and skills incrementally. That is the secret to long term success.
How did you manage to come up with that one? They are in fact directly related-the strength of a muscle is proportional to its size.
Of course there are other factors which may explain why someone with apparently smaller muscles can express his strength more effectively but other factors being equal, bigger is stronger. Take a look at the results of any top level weightlifting tournament for a perfect demonstration that weight lifted increases directly with size.