How do I balance my training?

I do BJJ on Tuesday/Thursday nights. I am looking to add in another day for that. On Monday/Friday I lift weights and sometimes on Wednsday. I want to add in some cardio and body weight excerisises(squats/burpees/bag work).

If I weight lift on Monday(Squat/Bench) will I be to sore on Tuesday to be doing body weight squats and push ups?

How do you guys balance your Fighting/Cardio/Weight Training?

I'm preparing for the Raleigh PD physical fitness test, my third strongman competition, and training in Kyokushin Karate right now. My schedule pans out to be like this:


MON:
Warm-up/joint rotations, kihon, Kyokushin Karate, stretching

TUE:
Warm-up/joint rotations, strength training, timed 1.5 mile run, kihon, Kyokushin Karate, stretching

WED:
Warm-up/joint rotations, calisthenics, vertical jumps, long-distance run, kihon, stretching

THU:
Warm-up/joint rotations, strength training, kihon, timed 1.5 mile run, Kyokushin Karate, stretching

FRI:
Warm-up/joint rotations, calisthenics, vertical jumps, long-distance run, kihon, stretching

SAT:
Warm-up/joint rotations, strength training, timed 1.5 mile run, kihon, stretching

SUN:
Warm-up/joint rotations, calisthenics, vertical jumps, long-distance run, kihon, stretching

Warm-up/joint rotations is basically doing some jumping jacks and light shadowboxing mixed with rotational movements and kata to warm up and get ready to train. Also combined with some dynamic stretching.

Kihon is a combination of shadowboxing/bagwork, bagwork on Wed-Fri-Sun, shadowboxing/transitions on Mon-Tue-Thu-Sat.

Strength training is pretty heavy-duty, usually about three main exercises, one or two core exercises, strongman cardio (sled dragging, tire flipping, car pushing, etc.), and a grip exercise or two.

Calisthenics is primarily just a bunch of push-ups and sit-ups right now.

Vertical jumps, timed 1.5 mile runs, and long-distance runs (5+ miles) are pretty self-explanatory.

As for stretching, relaxed static, nothing fancy. I focus on 12 key stretches to cover the whole body, do each one twice.

Pretty basic routine, nothing fancy.

And I'd just like to add: do I always get it all done? No. But as long as I do some of it, I'm content with it.

My training generally looks like this:

BJJ: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat
Lifting: Sunday, Thursday (This is generally more flexible than BJJ)

I'm behind on lifting right now due to a lack of money for food, and a lack of time because I just took a new job. Hopefully by the middle of next month things will be settled down and I'll get back into the routine.

IMO, technical training in your MA and the conditioning sparring provides are first and foremost in importance. I like to say, "drill and spar, drill and spar". Everything else is supplemental whether its weights, cardio, calisthenics, circuits, whatever. My point is to make sure the supplemental stuff doesn't push you to overtrain. If it does, cut back on it, not your MA.

Personally, I'm good for 4-5 training sessions a week. These can be any mix of mat time or crossfit type workouts. If work or family life is kicking my ass then its mostly crossfit for me. Pre-tournament I try to make all of my training on the mat.

For example, this past week was a just how I like it, and looked like this...

Mon: An advanced BJJ class. This is a hard competition focused class. Drill and LOTS of sparring. Lots of advanced blue, purple, and browns on the mat. All looking to bang. I gotta use my A-game just to survive. I'm wiped out after it.

Tue: Stretching and Yoga at home while watching TV.

Wed: An MMA class. This is kinda invitation only, so its pretty hardcore. Skills covered can run the spectrum. This week was a bunch of rounds on the heavy bag, then a bunch of take down focused sparring. I'm wiped out after this one too.

Thu: Normally I get on my Concept 2 rower for an slow and easy 5k row. Me and the wife recently bought bikes so we rode a little. This is always a "take it easy" day since I'm just trying to move around a little bit to help with recovery from the Wed class. I try to stretch in front of the TV too.

Fri: I normally try to do a crossfit workout on this day. This week was a workout I came up with, 100 crossover pushups on a medicine ball. 10 sets of 10. Fried my chest and tris pretty good. I'm still kinda sore and its Sun.

Sat: BJJ at an affiliate school. Mostly whites and a few blue belts on the mat. I try to focus on my BJJ 101 to make sure its sharp, plus it helps the newer guys defend the basics while showing them that they work. This week was harder than most, sparred a bunch of rounds.

Sun: Stretching and Yoga in front of the TV.

Mon & Wed are the hardest days. If I miss class on those days, I substitute with one of the harder crossfit workouts and really try to push myself.

That's just how one BJJ obsessed 35 year old does it...

I'm preparing for the Raleigh PD physical fitness test, my third strongman competition, and training in Kyokushin Karate right now. My schedule pans out to be like this:



Warm-up/joint rotations is basically doing some jumping jacks and light shadowboxing mixed with rotational movements and kata to warm up and get ready to train. Also combined with some dynamic stretching.

Kihon is a combination of shadowboxing/bagwork, bagwork on Wed-Fri-Sun, shadowboxing/transitions on Mon-Tue-Thu-Sat.

Strength training is pretty heavy-duty, usually about three main exercises, one or two core exercises, strongman cardio (sled dragging, tire flipping, car pushing, etc.), and a grip exercise or two.

Calisthenics is primarily just a bunch of push-ups and sit-ups right now.

Vertical jumps, timed 1.5 mile runs, and long-distance runs (5+ miles) are pretty self-explanatory.

As for stretching, relaxed static, nothing fancy. I focus on 12 key stretches to cover the whole body, do each one twice.

Pretty basic routine, nothing fancy.


So your training 6-7 days per week.

That's overtraining, don't you think ?

He's preparing for two specific events, so no, it is not. Quit trying to sound smart when you obviously have no clue what you are talking about.

He has a valid question, so I'll answer it. On my weight training days, these are still my main focus, so I absolutely crush myself on these days. To counter that, my calisthenic days are pushed to failure but not to an extreme (so only about 85-90% effort).

I normally do not run that often, just at this point I've upped the running a lot. It's only a 1.5 mile run, but I want to get under 9 minutes as a personal goal. I normally do two or three sprinting days and one long-distance run a week, and that's it. I hate running to be honest.

I only get in a kihon workout on average about 4-5 times a week, and if I don't do it before weight training it's pretty much not going to get done as I'm going to lie around sore as **** all day.

My schedule's a lot more intense than it usually is due to contest prep and preparing for the physical fitness test. After June 11th when all I have coming up is the academy, I'll be lifting probably twice a week tops and doing calisthenics twice a week just to keep it up for the academy, and go back to my regular cardio schedule. It's essentially a peaking routine, so that by test day and the competition I'll be ready to rock then afterwards, down time and a drop in intensity to only slowly build it up back up again. Would I recommend this for everyone? Hell no. I'm fairly good at recognizing when I'm pushing myself too hard and can allow myself a day off here and there to maintain, but mostly because I've been an exercise junkie for years.

Poop Loops or whatever you call yourself go jump in the creek.

Thanks for the responce Koto. Wasn't having a go at you, it just looked like a routine that would put Francisco Fhilo to shame......

Thnx for sharing guys. After thinking about it Im going to try this out:

Mon : Squat/Bench/Incline Bench/Leg Curls

Tues : BJJ - Gi / Run in mornings

Wed : Calisthenics / Bag Work

Thurs : BJJ - No Gi / run in mornings

Fri : Deadlift/Farmers Walk/Pull-Downs/Shoulder Press/Rows

Sat : OFF

Sun : OFF

How does this sound to you? Im just adding in running, calisthenics and bag work that Ive been neglecting. Too much? I have no clue as I was just doing weights and BJJ before.

Also on the weekend I would like to get an informal grappling session going on with LI GUY 1, KempoFist and some others at a nearby school. We already do that on thurs after my normal BJJ class but I would like to move that too sat or sun.

T,TH,S kickboxing 6-9pm
M,W,F 6am 3-4km run
sun off

I have yet to work in weight training again. Gym isnt built, yet. My plan is to work groups on MWF.

Poop Loops or whatever you call yourself go jump in the creek.

Thanks for the responce Koto. Wasn't having a go at you, it just looked like a routine that would put Francisco Fhilo to shame......

That's why I added at the bottom that it's actually rare when I'll nail everything in one week.

And no way, Filho's is a lot more intense than mine :D My kihon workouts are pretty mild, my "shadowboxing" days I typically focus on one punch, block, and kick and do lots of repetitions of each then do a kata I'm working on several times at a fast pace and that's it. For bagwork, I warm up with some shadowboxing then do only a couple rounds on the heavy bag. I keep those mild as the classes themselves are pretty intense and we get a lot of padwork done there.

Thnx for sharing guys. After thinking about it Im going to try this out:

Mon : Squat/Bench/Incline Bench/Leg Curls

Tues : BJJ - Gi / Run in mornings

Wed : Calisthenics / Bag Work

Thurs : BJJ - No Gi / run in mornings

Fri : Deadlift/Farmers Walk/Pull-Downs/Shoulder Press/Rows

Sat : OFF

Sun : OFF

How does this sound to you? Im just adding in running, calisthenics and bag work that Ive been neglecting. Too much? I have no clue as I was just doing weights and BJJ before.

Also on the weekend I would like to get an informal grappling session going on with LI GUY 1, KempoFist and some others at a nearby school. We already do that on thurs after my normal BJJ class but I would like to move that too sat or sun.

Deads and farmer's in the same day are going to be rough on your lower back, but you could do it. I started doing farmer's first and front squats right after, and I gotta say that crushes my legs big time. Pull-ups would be better than regular rows IMO, but it doesn't look bad at all.

I thought Farmers were more of a grip excersise? At least thats where I feel it the most. I just walk around my gym witha pair of 70s until they are about to drop. Then I make my way tot he rack and try to put them back on.

Maybe I just have a weak grip now?

Farmer's walks don't bother my back either. In fact I used to dead lift heavy and then do farmer's as a "finisher".

I would also find a better exercise for your hamstrings than leg curls...

If you're just using dumbbells then, it probably shouldn't be too bad. I have actual implements so I can work up to be carrying a good couple hundred pounds total.