I’ve been BB/PL’ing for a number of years. However since MMA is all the rage these days, I quite fancy having a go at muay thai/BJJ.
Being a former skinny bastard. I havent done any cardio or energy systems work since I started strength training. Now before I attend a class, I dont wish to embarrass myself with my current conditioning levels; which after two years of bulking are pretty crap to say the least.
I’m looking for some program guidelines as to what I should for a month to prepare myself before I attend the class itself. So I can concentrate on actually learning the skills without worrying about fitness levels when I get there.
I’ve already started to clean up my diet. Now I need know what type of cardio and/or circuit training to do.
Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Nothing will prepare you for this if you don’t get on the mat and practice. Get there, work hard, no one’s gonna laugh at you or tell you to leave because you unconditionned, they will understand you’re a beginner and will guide you as such.
I used the same rationale to delay starting jiu-jitsu. You will be training with people that don’t lift ever, you have a leg up. Just try to pace yourself your first few days of class until you get the hang of it.
Work your cardio. All things being equal a stronger BJJ guy has a definite advantage. The practiced BJJ guy will make a non BJJ guy or one who doesn’t know how to defend look stupid no matter how strong he is.
I’ve been BB/PL’ing for a number of years. However since MMA is all the rage these days, I quite fancy having a go at muay thai/BJJ.
Being a former skinny bastard. I havent done any cardio or energy systems work since I started strength training. Now before I attend a class, I dont wish to embarrass myself with my current conditioning levels; which after two years of bulking are pretty crap to say the least.
I’m looking for some program guidelines as to what I should for a month to prepare myself before I attend the class itself. So I can concentrate on actually learning the skills without worrying about fitness levels when I get there.
I’ve already started to clean up my diet. Now I need know what type of cardio and/or circuit training to do.
Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.[/quote]
Hi Jack UK,
Like someone said, there is really no type of cardio that you can do that will prepare you for grappling. It’s by far one of the most, if not the most, intense forms of cardio there is. Perhaps wrestling might be more intense simply because their mentality is to be the dominant fighter, while BJJ is more defensive.
If you are going to try to supplement your training, then you need to make sure that you do high intensity types of cardio. Sprints, strongman types of exercises, heavy free weight circuits, etc…
Jogging, biking, using a rowing machine and many of the other types of exercises often used as “cardio” exercises will do you practically no good whatsoever.
But, be prepared that no matter how hard you train for the coming month, you will still be utterly smoked by the end of your first class.
Just go to class. You will adapt to “mat fitness” better and faster that way. use the BJJ/thai box as the cardio, nothing can imitate it.
I’ve seen a few posters try and ‘prepare’ for BJJ and fight training but the reality you are just delaying yourself. Basically you are or aren’t a pussy. If you aren’t then you will just go and have fun and develop in the right neuro-muscular environment. If you are a pussy then you will delay it thinking that some burpees and running will prepare you so you won’t get molested. Then when you get there you will get molested, and wonder where your conditioning is. You will look around for it…
“maybe it’s in my bag…”
“maybe I puked it up over here…”
“was i supposed to buy it at GNC???”
“Is this it? No, wait… that’s just some hockey tape.”
“where did i put that conditioning god dammit?!?!?”
“Oh there it is on the mat, and there’s some over there in the ring too. Looks like I better mosey on over and earn it.”
Just go. It’s class for god sake. every hour you aren’t there is another hour you say to yourself “why do i suck so bad at wrestling?”
high intesity cardio is great. Awesome. BUT if you haven’t done any cardio in a couple years, you’d best start without hardcore sprints. Simply put, extremely long duration runs and extremely short high intensity sprints are good ways to pull, strain, or otherwise injure muscles completely unused to this work.
Start easy, get “comfortable” (there is no such thing as comfortable cardio that works). Then start pushing.
There’s no way to prep for mat work at this point. Strongman training is a great idea though anyway. No straight, regular bars. Everyone will know you’re a beginner, so don’t sweat it. It is inevitable.
I’ve been BB/PL’ing for a number of years. However since MMA is all the rage these days, I quite fancy having a go at muay thai/BJJ.
Being a former skinny bastard. I havent done any cardio or energy systems work since I started strength training. Now before I attend a class, I dont wish to embarrass myself with my current conditioning levels; which after two years of bulking are pretty crap to say the least.
I’m looking for some program guidelines as to what I should for a month to prepare myself before I attend the class itself. So I can concentrate on actually learning the skills without worrying about fitness levels when I get there.
I’ve already started to clean up my diet. Now I need know what type of cardio and/or circuit training to do.
Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.[/quote]
First,Muay Thai+BJJ combo is not going to prepare you well enough for MMA.
MMA is combat sport itself.It has evolved greatly in past few years and must be trained as such.
Second,it takes a few years of intense training almost every day for long hours to get only the basic skills down.You should worry more about drilling the fundamentals and doing light sparring than anything else.
MMA is much more than being big and strong,having good condition and learning a few moves and kicks because its a rage nowadays.
And if you are not a natural fighter(tough and aggressive—most people are not) it will take a lot of mental preparation.
I am talking to you from my amateur boxing experience and MMA could be a lot tougher.
Of course nothing of what I said above matters if you are just going to fool around and not compete.
If you are going into the cage,you must prepare for war.But its a great sport and i wish you all the best!
[quote]PhilG wrote:
Nothing will prepare you for this if you don’t get on the mat and practice. Get there, work hard, no one’s gonna laugh at you or tell you to leave because you unconditioned, they will understand you’re a beginner and will guide you as such. [/quote]
Sprint UP stairs (don’t go down stairs, that will just hurt your knees). Try 220s and 440s on the flat and sprint up 3-4 stories of stairs 3-4 times a day.
Those are the kind of wind sprints you want to do.
Definitely just jump right in and start class. A good ‘cardio’ (god I hate that word) for grappling I’ve seen is Juan Carlos Santana’s SAID series DVD on No-gi grappling. But at first conditioning is not even what you need, you just need to learn the basics and then do isolated positional sparring before you jump in and just start wrastlin’
