Training on an awkward schedule

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 8/23/2008 10:34am

Right now, I'm in the process of trying to assemble a weight training schedule for the fall term that will work easily around my class schedule as well as jiujitsu. I'm pretty new to the business of weightlifting, as evidenced by my comically scrawny frame. But I'm trying to rectify this.
I generally try to lift in the early afternoon (when the gym is not so crowded and I can get a better work out in), and I have jiujtisu at seven o'clock in the evenings. Is doing weightlifting and jiujitsu in the same day pheasable/recomendable? I've generally tried to avoid weightlifting on jits days for fear of tiring myself out and hence not being able to roll well. Is this a realistic fear?
I'm aiming for lifting three days a week, and it's looking like the best times to do that are Friday, Monday, and Saturday or Sunday. Wednesday is pretty much out due to my class schedule, and I have the aforementioned jits on Tuesday and Thursday. Is loading all of my workouts into one half of the week versus spreading them out going to make a difference? Should I try to avoid this course of action?

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 8/23/2008 10:42am

Good question, and one I've been mulling over myself. BJJ Monday through Thursday, so I've been lifting on Friday and Sunday. I'm trying to wake up earlier so I have time to lift before/immediately after work, but I'm not optimistic about that.

What's the target of your lifting? Hypertrophy, maximum strength, power, strength-endurance? Different targets have different optimum recovery periods.

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 8/23/2008 10:50am

Originally Posted by TheRuss

Good question, and one I've been mulling over myself. BJJ Monday through Thursday, so I've been lifting on Friday and Sunday. I'm trying to wake up earlier so I have time to lift before/immediately after work, but I'm not optimistic about that.

What's the target of your lifting? Hypertrophy, maximum strength, power, strength-endurance? Different targets have different optimum recovery periods.

I'm a vain bastard, so my main objective is hypertrophy, especially regarding my chest/arms/everything above my abdomen, which is where my scrawniness is most evident. My secondary objective is strength training for jiujitsu/MA. My tertiary object is long-term health.

**MilkManX** · Posted On: 8/25/2008 2:18pm

I think it depends on how much of a lift workout you have.

I lift 2-3 days a week and sometimes it falls on a day that I go to Enshin.

I dont notice anything different. If I am sore the next day it is usually due to what muscles I worked with weights/bw and not the Karate.

Now I am not trying to get "bigger" with my workout. I am going for strength and endurance so like I said it is gonna vary by workout.

**Nihonto** · Posted On: 8/25/2008 5:46pm

Depends on age and intensity of your workouts.

I was doing 3 days jits and 3 days weights (Rippetoe Starting Strength Program). It was too much for me, and the overtraining showed up in both lifting and jits. If they landed on the same day my jits class would be very rough, and it would mess up the rest of the week's training. I backed it off to 2 days weights and I'm fine now. I'm 37 though, so you might be ok ...

**Yohan** · Posted On: 8/26/2008 9:46am

Yes if you do Jits on the same day as weightlifting you will sacrifice some technique because you are tired. Doing it inbetween Jits days will mess up your recovery periods. You just have to figure it out. Obviously, the most ideal thing would be to go to MA class and lift afterwards. Doesn't really work for John though, because I don't have anywhere to lift at night. After the new gym opens up, there will be a weight room upstairs. YAY!!

**Skillful** · Posted On: 8/26/2008 10:54am

Personally, I find that being tired forces me to do the technique right, rather than muscle through it. I love showing up for class fatigued and pushing myself hard through training. The motivation of someone trying to choke/armbar me helps me keep going where I would be too beat to do any more "intentional" working out...

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 8/26/2008 11:26am

There's a fine line between pre-fatiguing your muscles so you can't rely on brute force to make techniques work (good thing) and fatigue interfering with your ability to learn and/or execute moves correctly (bad thing). This will vary from person to person.

The good news is that hypertrophy workouts should coincide with the peak of recovery (supercompensation) from the last workout, so "full recovery" ("I'm not sore any more") is not necessary. That said, you need to make sure that you're getting enough food (particularly carbohydrates) and sleep to restore your muscle and liver glycogen before each hypertrophy session - otherwise, you're not only going to not gain any size, you're going to be tired and miserable.