fitness regimen
Recently a friend in class has been curious about how I train. I realized it has been over a year since I formally analyzed my routines so I took it as an opportunity to catalogue and examine my exercise regimen. The letter is below for the one or two of you on my friend's list interested in fitness. Any comments or advice are very much welcome.
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Hey Dan,
This is a little tough because lately I've been both between routines, and also extra lazy. Here is what I intend to do. I don't have set routines instead I try to follow principles I have picked up from others, and that's what I put down below (sorry if it is more long-winded than what you expected). I'm definitely no expert but I feel like I accomplish what I intend, which these days is strength enhancement. I guess you'd be a better judge of whether it actually makes me strong. Also I clearly cut a lot of corners (and eat too many burgers) bcuz if I stuck to this religiously I'd prob look like Carlo!
Cardio -
I run 3-4 times a week. I never run over 35 minutes. Most of the time I start with 5 minutes moderate pace uphill, then (say 3 out of 4 runs) I run 2 or 3 miles and aim to improve my time. My ultimate goal is three consecutive 8 minute miles, and I am closing in. The other times I alternate between the elliptical machine OR running uphill incline the entire time OR high intensity intervals (sprints). My intervals right now are 45-60 seconds at TOP speed, then 60-90 seconds at about a third to a half of top speed. At this point I do 15-18 minutes, about 8 sprints. I've read often that interval training is the best training one can do. Unfortunately when you run intervals if you did it right there is no way you have gas for anything else (class, or weights) which is why I don't do them consistently any more. When you have done it right you should still feel warm a couple of hours afterward. Also I do this on a treadmill but have been told this is not as effective because the treadmill takes too long to speed you up then down between max and rest. I think interval sprints is the cardio activity most applicable to jiu-jitsu as well, since we often end up scrambling intensely for 20-30 seconds then being pinned/pinning.
Weightlifting -
Last 5 months I have been more concerned with base functional strength & athleticism than big muscles/aesthetics so I aim to do full body workouts every other day. I do one exercise for each major group (chest, shoulders, upper back/traps, lower back/abs, triceps, & biceps). I do three sets: 10-12 at a comfortable weight that gets me warm, 8 at a challenging weight, and 6 at max. On the last set I do not force it past 5 if I feel failure coming on because the conventional wisdom seems to be that going to failure increases muscle size not strength. I never rest more than 90 seconds, and if I have rested over 60 I do 15-25 squats or pushups followed immediately by the set. My idea here is that in rolling I am already breathing hard when I push/pull. I also never do the same exercise on two consecutive visits to the gym…so for example if today I do standing dumbbell curls for biceps, next visit I'll do the ez-bar curls, and the next the curl machine, etc. I also rotate the order of the muscle groups. The only exception is that I bench press just about every visit, I almost always bench press first (at least I vary the incline), and I usually do bench press to failure. This is more of a bad habit than anything … however to me it proves that 'common wisdom' about strength because I am not benching too much more now than I did 6 months ago, while I've made advances everywhere else.
I don't have a leg day. Instead as mentioned I do 25 hindu squats between sets here and there if I feel my heart rate dropping. In fact I include these squats in almost every warm-up or activity daily. However every fifth or sixth week I throw my routine out and I do strictly hardcore leg workouts: leg presses, weighted squats and dead lifts. I added that this summer, but I like the results… lifting weights with my legs on a 'leg day' gave them strength & size, but made me slower. This way my legs feel tight, light and athletic.
Finally I can't help a little vanity so sometimes I'll pick a muscle group and do 6-8 sets like bodybuilders instead of just 3 for strength, then do 3 for everything else. I also try to fit in on occasion small muscles like calves, wrists/forearm or neck.
Bodyweight & BJJ/wrestling drills -
When time permits I wrap up workouts with a wide variety of BJJ and wrestling drills. This includes hip escapes, triangles, hip heists, bear walks, a variety of push-ups, pull-ups, or medicine ball stuff. Obviously I don't do them all, I just pick one or two depending how I feel and do a few sets. For the last three weeks I have also set aside Sunday morning for an intense 45-60 minute circuit of drills and bodyweight exercising. Still I think it is more important to just make sure you fit a bit of this stuff in daily, as warm-up or before bed. Along with the squats this is where I get my legwork in.
So a typical week might go :
Monday - submission wrestling class
Tuesday - moderate full body weightlifting with a focus on core/abs; sometimes light cardio in the morning
Wednesday - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class; sometimes light cardio in the morning
Thursday - heavy full body weightlifting, do maximums OR stand-up wrestling class
Friday - cardio, light core/abs
Saturday - submission wrestling class; then full body weightlifting, again maximums
Sunday - 1 hour of technique drills & bodyweight exercises; light lifting or ab/core workout
Notice I did not put down rest days. If I only do class that is kind of resting to me. Invariably I'll also take another day off somewhere in the week depending on demands of work or if I had a very physical night at class. Also I count a very active class as a cardio workout, so if I sparred a whole lot I don't feel guilty about skipping a run to rest. Since fall/winter are coming in I will be reducing cardio to 2-3 days a week. As fall wraps up this year I intend to return to a more typical body building scheme and see if I can put on some mass. My rationale is that it is hard to avoid eating during the winter holidays, and you're all covered up in sweaters anyway so it is the ideal time to put on some pounds. Then when spring comes back I return to cardio and the above routines.
So that is the general framework. Within it I rotate through a lot of exercises, and I do my best to do stuff outside of the norm. I've been experimenting and reading what the other guys in class have put on the forum and I have quite a few wrestling/grappling specific workout vids you may want to check out for ideas and principles. Whenever I am getting bored of working out I go back to these for new exercises. I think it is very important to keep yourself interested and challenged by new movements which is why I have all the vids. Let me know if you want copies of these. Hope something in all this rambling gives you good ideas!
-A
====
Hey Dan,
This is a little tough because lately I've been both between routines, and also extra lazy. Here is what I intend to do. I don't have set routines instead I try to follow principles I have picked up from others, and that's what I put down below (sorry if it is more long-winded than what you expected). I'm definitely no expert but I feel like I accomplish what I intend, which these days is strength enhancement. I guess you'd be a better judge of whether it actually makes me strong. Also I clearly cut a lot of corners (and eat too many burgers) bcuz if I stuck to this religiously I'd prob look like Carlo!
Cardio -
I run 3-4 times a week. I never run over 35 minutes. Most of the time I start with 5 minutes moderate pace uphill, then (say 3 out of 4 runs) I run 2 or 3 miles and aim to improve my time. My ultimate goal is three consecutive 8 minute miles, and I am closing in. The other times I alternate between the elliptical machine OR running uphill incline the entire time OR high intensity intervals (sprints). My intervals right now are 45-60 seconds at TOP speed, then 60-90 seconds at about a third to a half of top speed. At this point I do 15-18 minutes, about 8 sprints. I've read often that interval training is the best training one can do. Unfortunately when you run intervals if you did it right there is no way you have gas for anything else (class, or weights) which is why I don't do them consistently any more. When you have done it right you should still feel warm a couple of hours afterward. Also I do this on a treadmill but have been told this is not as effective because the treadmill takes too long to speed you up then down between max and rest. I think interval sprints is the cardio activity most applicable to jiu-jitsu as well, since we often end up scrambling intensely for 20-30 seconds then being pinned/pinning.
Weightlifting -
Last 5 months I have been more concerned with base functional strength & athleticism than big muscles/aesthetics so I aim to do full body workouts every other day. I do one exercise for each major group (chest, shoulders, upper back/traps, lower back/abs, triceps, & biceps). I do three sets: 10-12 at a comfortable weight that gets me warm, 8 at a challenging weight, and 6 at max. On the last set I do not force it past 5 if I feel failure coming on because the conventional wisdom seems to be that going to failure increases muscle size not strength. I never rest more than 90 seconds, and if I have rested over 60 I do 15-25 squats or pushups followed immediately by the set. My idea here is that in rolling I am already breathing hard when I push/pull. I also never do the same exercise on two consecutive visits to the gym…so for example if today I do standing dumbbell curls for biceps, next visit I'll do the ez-bar curls, and the next the curl machine, etc. I also rotate the order of the muscle groups. The only exception is that I bench press just about every visit, I almost always bench press first (at least I vary the incline), and I usually do bench press to failure. This is more of a bad habit than anything … however to me it proves that 'common wisdom' about strength because I am not benching too much more now than I did 6 months ago, while I've made advances everywhere else.
I don't have a leg day. Instead as mentioned I do 25 hindu squats between sets here and there if I feel my heart rate dropping. In fact I include these squats in almost every warm-up or activity daily. However every fifth or sixth week I throw my routine out and I do strictly hardcore leg workouts: leg presses, weighted squats and dead lifts. I added that this summer, but I like the results… lifting weights with my legs on a 'leg day' gave them strength & size, but made me slower. This way my legs feel tight, light and athletic.
Finally I can't help a little vanity so sometimes I'll pick a muscle group and do 6-8 sets like bodybuilders instead of just 3 for strength, then do 3 for everything else. I also try to fit in on occasion small muscles like calves, wrists/forearm or neck.
Bodyweight & BJJ/wrestling drills -
When time permits I wrap up workouts with a wide variety of BJJ and wrestling drills. This includes hip escapes, triangles, hip heists, bear walks, a variety of push-ups, pull-ups, or medicine ball stuff. Obviously I don't do them all, I just pick one or two depending how I feel and do a few sets. For the last three weeks I have also set aside Sunday morning for an intense 45-60 minute circuit of drills and bodyweight exercising. Still I think it is more important to just make sure you fit a bit of this stuff in daily, as warm-up or before bed. Along with the squats this is where I get my legwork in.
So a typical week might go :
Monday - submission wrestling class
Tuesday - moderate full body weightlifting with a focus on core/abs; sometimes light cardio in the morning
Wednesday - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class; sometimes light cardio in the morning
Thursday - heavy full body weightlifting, do maximums OR stand-up wrestling class
Friday - cardio, light core/abs
Saturday - submission wrestling class; then full body weightlifting, again maximums
Sunday - 1 hour of technique drills & bodyweight exercises; light lifting or ab/core workout
Notice I did not put down rest days. If I only do class that is kind of resting to me. Invariably I'll also take another day off somewhere in the week depending on demands of work or if I had a very physical night at class. Also I count a very active class as a cardio workout, so if I sparred a whole lot I don't feel guilty about skipping a run to rest. Since fall/winter are coming in I will be reducing cardio to 2-3 days a week. As fall wraps up this year I intend to return to a more typical body building scheme and see if I can put on some mass. My rationale is that it is hard to avoid eating during the winter holidays, and you're all covered up in sweaters anyway so it is the ideal time to put on some pounds. Then when spring comes back I return to cardio and the above routines.
So that is the general framework. Within it I rotate through a lot of exercises, and I do my best to do stuff outside of the norm. I've been experimenting and reading what the other guys in class have put on the forum and I have quite a few wrestling/grappling specific workout vids you may want to check out for ideas and principles. Whenever I am getting bored of working out I go back to these for new exercises. I think it is very important to keep yourself interested and challenged by new movements which is why I have all the vids. Let me know if you want copies of these. Hope something in all this rambling gives you good ideas!
-A