WS4SB for BJJ (Westside - Jiu Jitsu)

This is going to sound nuts, but I sing or hum while I’m rolling. It reminds me that I need to breathe. $hit talking also helps with that.

La’

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Yes. I didn’t find interval training helpful until this year when I started following Joel Jamieson again. For me, the point of interval training was bringing my heart rate back down from threshold or near-threshold levels as quickly as possible by focusing on breathing.

And, yes again, that’s exactly the episode! What stuck with me was Bravo’s discussion of the role of recovery, “that you can come back” after a bout of major exertion over and over again.

You sound like you’ve got a great handle on things. Looking forward to following along. Are you doing Master Worlds this year?

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Haven’t heard of him but I followed him on IG just there.

Swimming is a really good form of cardio, and you have a small element of breath holding too. I think when I get the itch to compete again I might do swimming for cardio. Although Bravo himself puked everywhere after that 20minute match, but in fairness he was trying hard to finish Royler in the last few minutes. I remember everyone in our gym trying the electric chair for the next 2 weeks after that match.

No I got my blackbelt in December so not at a level yet to enjoy competing in Master Worlds :laughing: I had a good run in the Euro’s and Worlds last year though but didn’t get to the podium unfortunately.

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Week 13 Max Effort Upper Body Day
22/07/2024

  1. Max set of Weighted Pull Ups
    5kg plate x 4 reps

  2. Supplemental Pull Up sets without weight
    1 x 5, 2 x 4, 1 x 4 (straps on last set)

  3. Machine Chest Press
    Abandoned, shoulder didn’t like it.

4a) Barbell Rows
1 x 12 with 50kg, 3 x 12 with 55kg

4b) Scarecrows
2.5kg 4 x 10
First time doing scarecrows, hopefully will help with my shoulder imbalance

  1. BB Shrugs with straps
    1 x 12 with 90kg, 2 x 12 with 95kg

  2. EZ bar skullcrusher
    1 x12 with 30 kg, 1 x12 with 35 kg, 1 x12 with 40 kg.
    Felt good, just awkward setting it up without a spotter, even pressing it up at the beginning hurts my left shoulder a bit. But the actually skullcrusher motion feels fine.

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Week 13 Max Effort Lower Body Day
25/07/2024

Warm up
Goblet Squat
17.5kg x 10
25kg x 10

  1. Deadlifts
    60kg x 5
    90kg x 3
    110kg x 3
    130kg x 3
    Easy. Decided to use Mixed Grip with chalk on my last set without a belt. Didn’t feel like a max effort, but I’ll put up the weight next week to 140kg and wear a belt.

  2. Hip Thrust
    60kg 1 x 12
    90kg 1 x 12
    110kg 1 x 12
    120kg 2 x 12
    Didn’t feel too challenging.

  3. Leg Press
    66kg 2 x 20
    73kg 1 x 20

  4. 1 x ab circuit 80reps (20 x sprinter sit ups, v-ups, toe touches, hip ups)

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congratulations!

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Week 13 - Repetition Upper Body
26th July

  1. Pull Ups
    1 x 7, 3 x 4 reps
    Couldn’t maintain after first set, expected more reps. Rear delts were quite sore from deadlift session before.

2a) Straight Arm Pulldowns
100lbs 3 x 12
110lbs 1 x 12
Rear delts and lats hurt on this one

2b) Face Pulls
100lbs 3 x 12
110lbs 1 x 12

  1. L-Lateral Raise
    Didn’t like the exercise so switched to regular lateral raises.
    5kg DB’s x 12

  2. Lateral Raises
    10kg DB’s x 12 reps
    12.5kg DB’s x 2 sets x 12reps

5a) Shrugs
30kg x 20, 19, 18 reps
Grip still fatiguing on this exercise

5b) Rope Pulldowns
100lbs 3 x 12
110lbs 1 x 12

  1. Wrist roller with 2.5kg Plate
    1 set x 3 reps
    1 set x 2 reps
    Wrecked on second set, could barely put my watch on after my forearms were swole
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Accumulating way too much fatigue my man. I know it’s hard af to back off but it will pay dividends in recovery ability.

Rear delts retract the humerus… dead lifts are a hip extension / posterior exercise. You’re likely feeling something else.

Shrugs for traps really suck… unless it’s a Kelso. Holding that top position might be of benefit to Bjj guys though… like tucking your chin to defend chokes. Could be of some use.

Just some tips from a guy that has BTDT and found out what really works and what was just contributing to fatigue

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Where do you train at? Might know some of the same peeps

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Almost finished this program, just 3 or 4 weeks to survive the volume. And I’ve taken away all push movements and unilateral lower body movements which would be more high risk. I’ve had a few days rest because of a minor neck muscle sprain/tear defending an armbar in nogi.

I try to squeeze my lats at the extension of the deadlift but maybe you’re right and its from something else, possibly weighted Pull Ups 4 days previously.

Yes, I love Kelso shrugs just finished a 6 week cycle of them so I switched back to regular shrugs. Is there another shrug variation of the Kelso shrug I could try? I train at Limerick BJJ in Ireland.

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Dude… I might be in N. Ireland next week.

Lats aren’t really involved in a dead lift in any significant way. Pull ups yes…and some humerus retraction depending on your row protocol hitting rear delts.

Keep overloading Kelso shrugs. Paused shrugs in the shortened position might help your choke defense. Worth a try… but traps perform scapular retraction so pulling back into the sagittal plane.

I do heavy farmer carries… 410 today for 2 sets.

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No way what brings you over? What part?
I thought the lats would have played an isometric role, but I deadlifted last night and have no DOMS so far. I’ll add in Kelso shrugs again for the last 3 weeks. What are you using for farmer carries? Jesus that’s some weight

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Week 14 Max Effort Lower Body Day
30/07/2024

Warm up
Goblet Squat
20kg x 10
30kg x 10

  1. Conventional Deadlifts
    60kg x 5
    90kg x 3
    120kg x 3
    140kg x 3 (315 lbs = All time PB)
    Mixed Grip with chalk on my last set with a belt. Smashed by PB set in 2015 by a rep.

  2. Squats (Light)
    20 kg x 10
    60kg x 10
    Light squats for muscle memory

  3. Hip Thrust
    60kg 1 x 12
    90kg 1 x 12
    120kg 1 x 12
    130kg 1 x 12, 1 x 3
    Felt much more challenging than last week, glutes were tired at last set.

  4. Leg Press
    73kg 2 x 20
    80kg 1 x 20

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Best friend lives in London. Part of his territory is N. Ireland.

There’s peripheral stimulation on such exercises. DOMs is always highest 2 days post workout. Too much soreness indicates muscle spindle nerve damage so be careful there, too.

The gym I train at has strong man equipment. Using the Farmer Carry handles allows you to really pile on some weight. Been doing them for years too so I’m able to coordinate the movement better.

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Week 14 Max Upper Body
31st July 2024

  1. Weighted Pull Ups
    5kg x 3 reps
    1 rep less than last week unfortunately but hopefully I will bounce back with 5 reps on Monday.

  2. BW Pull ups
    1 x 6, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 4 (last set with straps)
    Disappointed in third set but more reps than last week on first two. I think I might be able to improve my form somehow. So overall pullup performance is fairly stagnant but getting better at doing more volume.

3a) Barbell Rows
60kg 4 x 10
Used a bit of Body English on some of these reps. Will get more comfortable with these over the
3b) Scarecrows
2.5kg 4 x 10
Really feel my core getting fatigued from maintaining the bent over position

  1. BB Shrugs
    100kg 2 x 12
    Didn’t enjoy these much. Might switch back to Kelso Shrug in 2 weeks as suggested by @marine77

  2. EZ bar Skullcrusher
    42.5kg x 10
    40kg x 2 x 12
    Good stretch in the triceps, first set was too heavy. Maybe I need a warm up set as 2 and 3rd felt good.

Note: Still not in any position to do any pushing or bicep movements and unlikely to change in the next few weeks. Also took some time off bjj due to a neck strain defending an armbar, doesn’t affect me lifting.

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Week 14 - Lower Body Dynamic Day
Saturday 4th August

Vertical Jumps 8 sets x 3 reps
Think I’ve noticed a slight improvement on my vertical.

Zercher Squats
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 3

Leg Press
66kg x 20
73kg x 20
80kg x 20

Pull throughs
150 lbs x 12 reps
180 lbs x 12 reps

Abs

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Week 15 Max Effort Upper Body
05 Aug

  1. Weighted Pull Ups
    5kg plate x 5 reps
    Struggled at the very top of the last rep

  2. BW Pull ups
    1 x 6, 1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 4 (last set with straps)
    Slight improvement. Between Weighted and BW Pull ups, I did 3 extra reps compared to last week.

3a) Barbell Rows
60kg 4 x 10
A little less body english used compared to last week but same reps done. Hopefully 4 x 12 next week.

3b) Scarecrows
2.5kg 3 x 10 and 1 set of band pull aparts
Gonna just do band pull aparts next week

  1. BB Shrugs
    100kg 1 x 12
    Kelso shrugs next week

  2. EZ bar Skullcrusher
    40kg 3 x 12
    Feeling a strong stretch on these

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Week 15 - ME Lower Body
8th August
Deadlifts

60kg x 5
100kg x 3
125kg x 3
150kg x 2 (10kg PB)
Smashed my all time deadlift PB by 10kg. 2nd rep was a slight grind, possibly could have done an ugly third rep.

Hip Thrusts
60kg x 1 x 12
90kg x 1 x 12
120kg x 1 x 12
130kg x 2 x 12
Felt much more comfortable than last week

High bar Squats (light)
20kg x 10
30kg x 10

Leg Press
73kg 1 x 20
80kg 2 x 20, 1 x 7
Tired in the last set.

Abs- Skipped

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Week 15 - Repetition Upper Body
9th August

  1. Pull Ups
    1 x 7, 1 x 5, 2 x 4 reps
    1 rep improvement in total volume on last session.

2a) Straight Arm Pulldowns
110lbs 3 x 12
Rear delts and lats were firing hard

2b) Face Pulls
110lbs 3 x 12

  1. Lateral Raises
    12.5kg DB’s x 3 sets x 12reps
  1. Shrugs
    30kg DB’s x 15
    Grip still fatiguing on this exercise

  2. Straight Bar Pulldowns
    110lbs 2 x 12
    120lbs 1 x 12
    Bothers my wrist a little compared to rope pushdowns but heard its a better exercise with the bar

  1. Wrist roller with 2.5kg Plate
    2 set x 3 reps
    The painful burn finisher.
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Week 16 - ME Lower Body
13th August

Squats
20kg x 8
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
70kg x 3
80kg x 3
90kg x 3
Still 10 kg off my best squat triple back in 2010. Felt I could have made more effort here.

Reverse Lunges (light)
1 x12.5kg DB’s

Hip Thrusts
80kg x 1 x 12
110kg x 1 x 12
135kg x 1 x 12
135kg x 1 x 10
Felt much more comfortable than last week

Leg Press
73kg 2 x 15
Tired in these sets so cut set short.

Abs - 1 circuit 1 x 20 reps of Sprint sit ups, V-Ups, Hip Ups.

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