Figured it would be a good idea to start a thread where everyone can post their training results, whether it be from actual MMA classes, or what they’re putting up in the gym.
I’m currently training BJJ 2-3 times a week, taking 1 MMA class and 1 muay Thai class. I lift 3x a week, with a modified West Side For Skinny Bastards template.
Here’s what my current schedule looks like:
Mon: lift (Max. effort upper body)
Tues: BJJ
Wed: lift a.m. (Max. effort lower body)/MMA p.m.
Thurs: BJJ
Fri: lift (repetition upper body)
Sat: BJJ-muay Thai (classes are held back-to-back; some weeks I’ll do both, others just MT, depends on if I get to both BJJ classes during the week)
Sun: off (do some light stretching)
well currently I’m leaning more towards Muay Thai with my training right now.I only lift heavy 2 days a week(full body,compound lifts) because I also do MMA condtioning classes throughout the week:
Today was max. effort upper body. For my max. lift, I did weighted chins. Worked up to BW+35 lbs. for 5 reps (max. effort is from 1-5 reps for this specific program I’m on).
Also did:
2. DB Flat Bench, 2x5-7 (elbows tucked in): 75 (7), 80 (7)
3A. Low-incline pronanted DB rows, 2x7-9: 55 (9)
3B. Side external rotations, 2x10-12: 12 (12)
4A. Shrugs, 2x8-10: 315 (8)
4B. Front plate neck raise, 2x20: 25 (20)
Finished up with 15 min. of stretching. Also did an active warm-up beforehand which included some dynamic stretches and some jumping jacks and jogging. Total workout was around 50 minutes.
Tonight was BJJ. First hour was technique and we drilled a lot of knee-on-belly positions and attacks. We rolled for 30 min. with one person starting from the knee-on-belly position and going until the top person got a submission or the person on bottom got full guard or got to his feet.
I felt like my technique was solid as I had good pressure on the person’s abdomen when on top and nearly hit a couple of armbars. From the bottom I managed to escape several times and avoided subs. So, a good night all around.
Today was lower body work. Worked up to 3RM on squat (my numbers are too low to post right now), then did some DB split squats for 12 reps, good mornings for 12 reps and some calves. Finished with abs and stretching.
Tomorrow I’m going to try to get to either BJJ or muay Thai, depending on how the ab feels.[/quote]
I notice you actually do targeted ab work. I find this can be detrimental for BJJ. If you fatigue your trunk muscles too much you won’t learn the techniques in BJJ as easily. I suggest against directly working abs given that they are one of the smallest muscles around next to biceps and are only used as erectors.
I’d also watch the arm training for the same reason. It can wear out your CNS which will cause bad learning patterns. Keep the movements compound and that sessions roughly full body or upper/lower split. This will minimize neural fatigue and get you “feeling” the techniques faster. once you “feel” it then you won’t have to think about it. That’s when you start nailing people.
I report in on here once I get time to train BJJ again. Last two weeks have been dominated by the writting of term papers (5) so no BJJ for me.
[quote]Avocado wrote:
Djwlfpack wrote:
Took yesterday off (was supposed to go to BJJ) to rest as I strained my ab muscle pretty good in Tuesday’s class.
Still a little sore today but did manage to get a workout in. Upper body repetition day
Tomorrow I’m going to try to get to either BJJ or muay Thai, depending on how the ab feels.
I notice you actually do targeted ab work. I find this can be detrimental for BJJ. If you fatigue your trunk muscles too much you won’t learn the techniques in BJJ as easily. I suggest against directly working abs given that they are one of the smallest muscles around next to biceps and are only used as erectors.
I’d also watch the arm training for the same reason. It can wear out your CNS which will cause bad learning patterns. Keep the movements compound and that sessions roughly full body or upper/lower split. This will minimize neural fatigue and get you “feeling” the techniques faster. once you “feel” it then you won’t have to think about it. That’s when you start nailing people.
I report in on here once I get time to train BJJ again. Last two weeks have been dominated by the writting of term papers (5) so no BJJ for me.
-chris[/quote]
Chris,
Interesting points you bring up. Thanks for giving reasons why, instead of saying “don’t do ab work.”
I actually hadn’t done any direct ab training in a while. The first time I did it (two days ago) I noticed the muscle strain was a lot worse than before the workout.
I don’t do much direct arm training, either. I don’t think 2 sets a week are going to do much damage. The program I’m on doesn’t call for too much arm training, it just happens to be in this particular cycle.
Yeah a couple sets that don’t got o failure are fine. It’s when I get guys coming in to train and they are like:
“My gunz are so sore from all these biceps curls. Did you see how many I did? Yah.”
<\Austrian accent>
and then they suck on the mat and tell me again as an excuse. Then I drop the science for them and they are apparently too cool for full body. I wish they trained at the uni gym. then there would be no excuse not to come training with me. Funny thing is i train with one of our fighters (john nguyen) that’s gone 2-0 and these new guys are set on the fact that full body is not the key to athleticism.
You are doing WS4SB correct? That’s a pretty great prog for BJJ too I’d say once you get used to the Max rep days.
It’s goddamn hard to balance lifting and training. I take two Goju-ryu classes during the week and one MMA class… mix that with working a physical labor job and I have no juice for weightlifting. I barely get two training sessions a week, sometimes only one.
I was attempting to do a WS4SB program at the same time, and then figured it was impossible. My two sessions are based off of Waterbury’s TBT, four big exercises and ab work. I try to deadlift constantly and do an enormous amount of pushups. If nothing else, at least I’ve got those two in.
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
It’s goddamn hard to balance lifting and training. I take two Goju-ryu classes during the week and one MMA class… mix that with working a physical labor job and I have no juice for weightlifting. I barely get two training sessions a week, sometimes only one.
I was attempting to do a WS4SB program at the same time, and then figured it was impossible. My two sessions are based off of Waterbury’s TBT, four big exercises and ab work. I try to deadlift constantly and do an enormous amount of pushups. If nothing else, at least I’ve got those two in.[/quote]
Lifting could work better if your kept the volume low and the intensity up. Keep your sets at about 3-5 and reps at about 3-5. Do 3-4 lifts and then get out. I find it keeps me fresh and ready to work, train, study.
[quote]Avocado wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
It’s goddamn hard to balance lifting and training. I take two Goju-ryu classes during the week and one MMA class… mix that with working a physical labor job and I have no juice for weightlifting. I barely get two training sessions a week, sometimes only one.
I was attempting to do a WS4SB program at the same time, and then figured it was impossible. My two sessions are based off of Waterbury’s TBT, four big exercises and ab work. I try to deadlift constantly and do an enormous amount of pushups. If nothing else, at least I’ve got those two in.
Lifting could work better if your kept the volume low and the intensity up. Keep your sets at about 3-5 and reps at about 3-5. Do 3-4 lifts and then get out. I find it keeps me fresh and ready to work, train, study.
-chris
[/quote]
That’s more or less what I’m looking at nowadays.
It’s hard for me to get used to the idea of moving away from hypertrophy as the goal and more towards retaining/gaining strength while increasing endurance.
[quote]Avocado wrote:
Yeah a couple sets that don’t got o failure are fine. It’s when I get guys coming in to train and they are like:
“My gunz are so sore from all these biceps curls. Did you see how many I did? Yah.”
<\Austrian accent>
and then they suck on the mat and tell me again as an excuse. Then I drop the science for them and they are apparently too cool for full body. I wish they trained at the uni gym. then there would be no excuse not to come training with me. Funny thing is i train with one of our fighters (john nguyen) that’s gone 2-0 and these new guys are set on the fact that full body is not the key to athleticism.
You are doing WS4SB correct? That’s a pretty great prog for BJJ too I’d say once you get used to the Max rep days.
Keep it up killa.
-chris[/quote]
It’s not exactly WS4SB, but it’s close. Most of the principles are the same, only the lifts are different.
Once I get a better grasp on what my work schedule is going to be like for the next few months, I may be making some changes to my workout schedule. So, we’ll see what happens. I may end up going back to lifting 2x a week so I can get more classes in.
Fighting Irish,
What is Goju-ryu? I’m not familiar with that form of martial arts.
If you’re working a physically-demanding job, then yeah, lifting 2x a week is more than enough. Like Avocado said, stick to compound lifts and total body work and you’ll be fine.
[quote]Djwlfpack wrote:
Avocado wrote:
Yeah a couple sets that don’t got o failure are fine. It’s when I get guys coming in to train and they are like:
“My gunz are so sore from all these biceps curls. Did you see how many I did? Yah.”
<\Austrian accent>
and then they suck on the mat and tell me again as an excuse. Then I drop the science for them and they are apparently too cool for full body. I wish they trained at the uni gym. then there would be no excuse not to come training with me. Funny thing is i train with one of our fighters (john nguyen) that’s gone 2-0 and these new guys are set on the fact that full body is not the key to athleticism.
You are doing WS4SB correct? That’s a pretty great prog for BJJ too I’d say once you get used to the Max rep days.
Keep it up killa.
-chris
It’s not exactly WS4SB, but it’s close. Most of the principles are the same, only the lifts are different.
Once I get a better grasp on what my work schedule is going to be like for the next few months, I may be making some changes to my workout schedule. So, we’ll see what happens. I may end up going back to lifting 2x a week so I can get more classes in.[/quote]
You Have to change the lifts around in WS4SB anyhow so looks like WS4SB to me. We can even forego the specifics and call it westside.
What other methodologies have you tried while training MMA?? Waterbury TBT?
[quote]Djwlfpack wrote:
Fighting Irish,
What is Goju-ryu? I’m not familiar with that form of martial arts.
If you’re working a physically-demanding job, then yeah, lifting 2x a week is more than enough. Like Avocado said, stick to compound lifts and total body work and you’ll be fine.[/quote]
Goju-ryu is one of the forms of Okinawan karate; it’s all striking, locks, blocks, etc. and there isn’t too much ground work. It’s good shit. Doesn’t take as much aerobic endurance as BJJ or MMA does, but it is very demanding at times.
It kills me to only lift twice a week! I feel like I’m not doing enough… but it is impossible at this point for me to do more. I need another day in the week…