Scheduling S&C work along with BJJ practice

[Anton Emery]

Hi Everyone,

I've been thinking lately on how to effectively organize my strength and conditioning work, plus my BJJ practice. Right now my BJJ schedule looks something like this

Sunday 2 hr open mat
Monday 1.5 hour bjj class
Tuesday 1.5 hour bjj class
Thurs 1.5 hour bjj class

Sometimes i will skip monday or tuesday, but most weeks i try to go that much. Open mat is free time, usually we just end up rolling a bunch of 4-5 minute rounds with breaks in between.

In addition to this i like to work my strength and conditioning as well. I have been following a model similar to what Ross Enamait lays out in Infinite Intensity, four days a week training strength and conditioning. They are:

Heavier weighted conditioning
Max Strength
lighter GPP, something bodyweight based
Explosive Strength

My question is how to fit this all together. I am able to workout on my lunch hour, so sometimes i do that and then go to BJJ at night. My workout usually takes anywhere from 30 min to an hour, and gets done around 1:00. BJJ starts in the evening around 6:00. Sometimes in evening class i feel fine, but if it was a hard conditioning workout in the afternoon alot of times i am still kind of drained. I usually sleep 7-8 hours a night.

I am thinking i have a few options. One is stop or really limit the two a day workouts. Perhaps something like below.

Sunday GPP Morning 2 hr open mat Evening
Monday 1.5 hour bjj class
Tuesday 1.5 hour bjj class
Wednesday: Heavier conditioning, something like CF's Fran or Ross's Magic 50
Thurs 1.5 hour bjj class
Friday: Maximal Strength
Saturday: Off
Sunday GPP morning 2 hr open mat evening
Monday 1.5 hour bjj class
Tuesday 1.5 hour bjj class
Wednesday Explosive Strength

The above schedule takes me longer to cycle through the four S&C workouts. Plus maybe i dont get enough rest days.

Another option would be to stick to the two a days and make sure i get adequate off days. Perhaps something like:

Sunday 2 hr open mat
Monday Weighted Conditioning 1.5 hour bjj class Evening
Tuesday Max Strength Afternoon 1.5 hour bjj class Evening
Wednesday Off
Thurs GPP Afternoon 1.5 hour bjj class Evening
Friday Off
Saturday Explosive Strength

Another option is perhaps dropping a workout during the week, perhaps my monday BJJ class or a conditioning workout or explosive strength.

I'd be interested to see how other grapplers schedule their training.


Anton

[Derek Weaver]

To be honest, I found CF to be effective when I was still training BJJ. I actually am of the belief that CrossFit is about as effective as it gets for combat sports of any kind unless you're A) Undersized for your weight class and don't/can't cut the weight to drop a weight class) B) Trying to put weight on, in which case you'd have to change approaches and diet.

CF, at least for me, is perfect as I can cross train my sport as well as my strength and conditioning. Remember that CF is a mix of ME and metcon with a large number of core-centric exercises, and mixed medium to long distance efforts.

[Rob Harris]

Originally Posted by Derek Weaver

CF, at least for me, is perfect as I can cross train my sport as well as my strength and conditioning. Remember that CF is a mix of ME and metcon with a large number of core-centric exercises, and mixed medium to long distance efforts.

I agree with this. Your GJJ training doesn't look too intensive, so just go on the 3 on 1 off CrossFit WOD from the main page. If you start seeing signs of over training, you can scale the WOD's or frequency.

[Derek Simonds]

I think what you laid out will work for you as long as your recovery is really, really dialed in. You also could go with the main CF WOD as was mentioned by Rob.

I was having a conversation about this last night. I do the CA WOD and train anywhere from 1 to 5 times a week in BJJ and MMA. Mostly BJJ with the gi. Lately I have been shying away from additional BJJ training because I don't want to be in an over trained state and my focus has been on O/Lift performance.

I am also probably under trained as a strength athlete. The conversation I was having was am I an O/Lifter who does BJJ or a BJJ player who O/Lifts? That really drives how you schedule your workouts.

My answer, in short I don't know what I am. I am more than likely going to compete masters age group blue belt in some tournaments starting in June or July. If that pans out the way it is looking I will have to change my training to something more like what Rob laid out in the PM article.

[Allen Yeh]

Originally Posted by Derek Simonds

I think what you laid out will work for you as long as your recovery is really, really dialed in. You also could go with the main CF WOD as was mentioned by Rob.

I was having a conversation about this last night. I do the CA WOD and train anywhere from 1 to 5 times a week in BJJ and MMA. Mostly BJJ with the gi. Lately I have been shying away from additional BJJ training because I don't want to be in an over trained state and my focus has been on O/Lift performance.

I am also probably under trained as a strength athlete. The conversation I was having was am I an O/Lifter who does BJJ or a BJJ player who O/Lifts? That really drives how you schedule your workouts.

My answer, in short I don't know what I am. I am more than likely going to compete masters age group blue belt in some tournaments starting in June or July. If that pans out the way it is looking I will have to change my training to something more like what Rob laid out in the PM article.

Sort of like what Greg said in his article about the 3 types of CF+Oly people. I thought that was really well laid out and I'm definitely a Crossfitting weightlifter as opposed to the other 2 types.

Pure CrossFitter: The individual is a pure CrossFitter; that is, he or she is interested in nothing more than excelling at the prescribed workout of the day, which will often include Olympic lifts.

Weightlifting CrossFitter: The individual is primarily a CrossFitter, but is motivated to improve his or her lifting to a degree that exceeds the requirements of the WOD.

CrossFitting Weightlifter: The individual is interested in being a competitive weightlifter at a level that allows continued CrossFitting at some reasonable level.

[Anton Emery]

Thanks for everyone's input. I can't say i am any closer to a definite schedule. I am probably going to start training at Crossfit Portland soon, which means i wont likely be working out on my lunch hour, so i may have to switch things around a bit.

As far as BJJ, Crossfit, and O-lifting, at this point i guess i am a Crossfitting BJJ'er, if i had to put a label on it. But i would like to one day be some sort of personal trainer, so soon i am going to have to put more time into Crossfit and learning the O-lifts pretty soon.


Anton