Strength and Conditioning?

I've always been an advocate of strength and conditioning. I've actually not been past the first round in an MMA fight yet (I've been able to secure subs and a KO in the three I've had), so not had chance to test my conditioning in a fight, but feel confident I'd be OK (I've won local BJJ comps - some that involved 6 x 5 minute matches in a single day). I wouldn't say that S&C is the only reason I've won, but I really do feel it gives me the edge over competitors at a local level.

What I wanted to ask was to what extent do you guys consider S&C a part of your game? Do you think it is needless if you have great technique or do you think it is vital regardless? Have you seen really skilful guys get taken out by far less skilful guys purely because of a strength/gas-tank advantage? Do you have a set routine or do you you just do what you feel like when you feel like?

My routine:

Strength: I try to maintain my bench (bodyweight 70kg, Bench 5 x 100kg) and my deadlift (bodyweight 70kg, Deadlift 150kg x 3 reps) and am trying to build my squat (bodyweight 70kg, Squat 3 x 110kg). I might do 1-3 sessions a week, but it depends on how I'm feeling in classes. I'll never train weights if I feel tired or am at that point it'll begin to slow me down in sparring (I used to and no good came from it!).

Conditioning: I do two circuits a week. I try not to go above 15-20 minutes and make sure that I'm doing it round specific for what I've got coming up. If I've got an MMA fight it'll be 3 x 3-5 minutes with 1 minute rest. If I've got a grappling comp it'll be 5 minutes. Rest 5 minutes. 5 Minutes. Rest 5 minutes. 5 Minutes.

Training: I do 5-6 x 2 hour sessions a week. I ensure I do a minimum of 10 x 3-5 minute Standup and Ground sparring each week (20 total), but try to get 40 in. I'll also do scenario drilling - so pad work, rounds where I'm in side control or some other position, guard passing king of the hill (5 x 5 minute rounds). The rest of the time will be slower technique based stuff like practicing positions and submissions.

That's about it :) Just trying to get a handle on how people are training really and pick up some ideas :)

Do you have a spotter when benching? I weight about the same as you but I feel like I can only do my own weight 5 times safely. I wouldn't feel safe doing 100kg even once alone. But Im 180 cm tall with a couple pounds of fat.

I used to primarily lift weights as my way to exercise, over the years, I got bored with it, experimented with calisthenics, then only did bjj.

I was feeling good, fitness wise, up until a month ago, I started feeling easily fatigued during roll sessions. So I upped my protein intake, then that same week, fucked up my elbow (it hurt to push, pulling felt OK), so I went back to lifting weights during my break from rolling.

After 2 and a half weeks of the increased protein and weight lifting, I went back to my bjj class. Surprisingly I didn't feel nearly as tired as I used to, felt pretty strong.

I don't know if it's more of the nutrition or more of the strength training, but I'm definitely going to incorporate weight training to supplement my bjj.

There was a thread not too long ago talking about lifting while doing bjj. Seemed like a few people are against it, saying that it takes away from your time learning technique.

Anyways, the kind of lifting I do, I modified it to my injuries and stripped it down to the essentials. Squats, lots of back exercises and ab workouts.

Strength days i front back and zurcher squat deadlift (normal/and sumo) and hang clean to overhead press, in between those exercises i do 10-15 box jumps i also do a max day and dynamic day days lifting max
bodyweight/cardio days are kettlebell circuit, battle ropes circuit (combine and we call phuket circuit 30 sec battle rope 30 sec kettlebells for 5-10 mins then rest, stole it from the leone bros) box jumps side to sides on the box and mountain climbers at 100% called 2 mins of hell pull ups chin ups hanging knee raises and side to side on the bar burpees
technique no less than 9 rounds on the bags and no less than 3 rd with mitts or thai pads sparring when i do it is with fresh guys every 2 rds and i like to go for at least 6 (3min rds) I'll roll forever lol dummy drills solo drills, it's hard to train grappling at a boxing gym but i do what i can. theres probably more HAPPY 4/20 EVERYONE and I will have info on a pro debut soon! keep your eyes open and on here cuz the fam will be the first to know!

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Originally Posted by Aaron Gustaveson

Do you have a spotter when benching? I weight about the same as you but I feel like I can only do my own weight 5 times safely. I wouldn't feel safe doing 100kg even once alone. But Im 180 cm tall with a couple pounds of fat.

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Don't believe in spotters, buddy. They give you false confidence. If you can't move the bar safely and at a controlled pace you need to drop the weight. I've actually benched 3 x 130kg at my best, but that was when I was at University and able to lift almost daily. I actually remember back when I started kickboxing about 10 years ago failing on 40kg :D And, there is a post on Bodybuilding.com with me asking for advice at getting past my sticking point of 3 reps at 60kg in 2007 ;)

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Originally Posted by ml82

I used to primarily lift weights as my way to exercise, over the years, I got bored with it, experimented with calisthenics, then only did bjj.

I was feeling good, fitness wise, up until a month ago, I started feeling easily fatigued during roll sessions. So I upped my protein intake, then that same week, fucked up my elbow (it hurt to push, pulling felt OK), so I went back to lifting weights during my break from rolling.

After 2 and a half weeks of the increased protein and weight lifting, I went back to my bjj class. Surprisingly I didn't feel nearly as tired as I used to, felt pretty strong.

I don't know if it's more of the nutrition or more of the strength training, but I'm definitely going to incorporate weight training to supplement my bjj.

There was a thread not too long ago talking about lifting while doing bjj. Seemed like a few people are against it, saying that it takes away from your time learning technique.

Anyways, the kind of lifting I do, I modified it to my injuries and stripped it down to the essentials. Squats, lots of back exercises and ab workouts.

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Bit of both I imagine. If you were strong enough to just about push a 200kg box then you will find it pretty easy to push a 90kg box. If you are half as strong, say you can just about push a 100kg box then a 90kg box is going to be tough. If you are stronger than your opponent (considerably) things like maintaining a position and moving their limbs about are easier than if they are stronger than you so you will get less fatigued.

At the same time, if you are restricting / not eating enough carbs it is almost impossible to restore your glycogen in less than 24 hours and so you will quickly find your muscles don't have an ability to fire correctly. If you eat and eat your carbs you can fill your glycogen back up 'nearly'.

So, if you are now doing both when you weren't before you shouldn't be too surprised at these changes. All props to you though, mate… you're now training more efficiently and healthily than before I'd say ;)

Sounds to me like you got a good grasp on the concepts and balance of s&c . You look in great shape in you photo for sure. My son is attending college at Washington State university and he is majoring in Kinesiology and s&c. he could answer any question you have about this topic and back it up with science.
My answer to your questions would be just stay fit and try not to get injured as you are doing a lot of rolling, sparring and drills.

Hey Rockanrollin,

Indeed! I think my general grasp on stuff is good, but I'm all about changing things up - always been into keeping things fresh (especially when it comes to drills and circuits). Love hearing people's ideas - William above had some cool ones with ropes. Must be proud of your son, I did English Literature BA at University… wish I'd done sports ;)

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Originally Posted by Apperz

Don't believe in spotters, buddy. They give you false confidence.

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This iz possibly the dumbest shit I have ever read; wow.. So no resistance training 4 you?

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Originally Posted by Patt Holloman

This iz possibly the dumbest shit I have ever read; wow.. So no resistance training 4 you?

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If you look at what I have written above: I Bench, Squat and Deadlift on a weekly basis. I have a pretty decent Bench at about 1.5x my bodyweight (1RM). I will make sure someone is around to stop accidents, but I won't let someone touch the bar when I'm lifting. I see people with spotters who do 90% of the work for them and it's ridiculous. If you're benching a 5RM weight then you don't need to train to failure - that's a misconception. The only time you should ever need a spotter is when you are looking to fail (hypertrophy) or if you are testing your 1RM and you are nervous about whether you will be able to push it up. Even then though I'd prefer a safety bar to a spotter, personally.

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Originally Posted by Apperz

If you look at what I have written above: I Bench, Squat and Deadlift on a weekly basis. I have a pretty decent Bench at about 1.5x my bodyweight (1RM). I will make sure someone is around to stop accidents, but I won't let someone touch the bar when I'm lifting. I see people with spotters who do 90% of the work for them and it's ridiculous. If you're benching a 5RM weight then you don't need to train to failure - that's a misconception. The only time you should ever need a spotter is when you are looking to fail (hypertrophy) or if you are testing your 1RM and you are nervous about whether you will be able to push it up. Even then though I'd prefer a safety bar to a spotter, personally.

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Well, that's where communication would come in; telling said spot how 2 handle it. I hear ya on not touching bar(unless lifter says), but that would be in "regular" Bench Press. I'm talkin' bout resistance 4 Slow-Twitch 2 mimic rolling, being able 2 hold some1 off until a transition iz made; especially some1 that weighs more. I put hella weight on and bring down az slow az I can, exploding up(sometimes) meaning sometimes I use weight I can only bring down(az slowly az possible) and will need a spotter 2 lift up each time.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Po0...page&q&f=false

Following Louie Simmons's advice (in regards to training Matt Brown) I've added the following into my training with good results. You can either pepper them into your existing workouts or put them all together for a pretty brutal 45 minute workout.

Zercher Squats (work up to max)
Sled Pulls 8-10 x 60yard Pulls
Medicine Ball Overhead Throws (3 x length of your match)
Grappling Dummy / Barrel Carries (3 x length of your match)
Sled Pulls (3 x length of your match)

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Originally Posted by Apperz

Following Louie Simmons's advice (in regards to training Matt Brown) I've added the following into my training with good results. You can either pepper them into your existing workouts or put them all together for a pretty brutal 45 minute workout.

Zercher Squats (work up to max)
Sled Pulls 8-10 x 60yard Pulls
Medicine Ball Overhead Throws (3 x length of your match)
Grappling Dummy / Barrel Carries (3 x length of your match)
Sled Pulls (3 x length of your match)

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westside barbell is legit i love their methods

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Originally Posted by William Gunter

westside barbell is legit i love their methods

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You only have to look at the rise of Matt Brown to see the difference it 'can' make to certain fighters :)

Idk the conversions, but I recently got involved with a strength and conditioning coach, and he's done wonders for all my lifts, through power, speed, explosiveness, and conditioning. Im benching 265lbs, front squatting 305lbs, back squatting 330lbs, and deadlift 400lbs. all while weighing about 215. I fight at 185lbs though. I'm also in the ass end of one of my weight cuts for my fight coming up this weekend, so im weighing 196lbs, and am still maxing those weights. now also keep into consideration that I only began lifting 6months ago. my cardio and strength are seemingly untouchable to other people my size and even bigger. and im also hanging and sometimes beating out the smaller guys in cardio. I also have the pleasure of rolling with the monsters in Chicago, where we do minimum 6min rolling, sometimes getting up to unlimited rolls, just keep going. I would definitely recommend people getting some S&C into their game, as I know it's helped me tremendously.