5 days for cardio?

5 days until my tourny and my main concern is my cardio. do u think 5 days is enough time to improve my cardio at all without losing weight? I am 135 exactly and i would like to stay there so i can match up against some bigger guys. (if i lose a pound i drop a weight class). So i was just wondering if there is any way to improve my cardio by then without just wearing myself out and being drained the day of. If not its cool i can just start working on it afterwards, but if anyone has any tips im all ears.

If you're 1lbs of the weight class below you why are you competing higher? Or is there much fewer competitors in the lower weight class?. I doubt you can make any considerable changes in your cardio before the tourn.. just try and control the pace of the match lol :P

No you should see an increase in your cardio if you work it right. If you don't want to lose weight or strength make sure you are eating plenty of complex carbs before your workout and eating after your workout.

cardio can be a mental thing also. ever roll with a guy (new to jiu jitsu) that you know is in shape but can't hardly breathe when you roll? make sure that you are using your energy wisely.

You can get a considerable increase in cardio within a week? Care to explain?

high altitude training comes to mind but don't know if that is an option for you.

I'm still gonna go ahead and say.. don't expect to make and considerable gains cardio wise in 5 days.. just focus on what you need to do in the comp.

When I want to do some good cardio I hit pads or a heavy bag while breathing through a snorkel. I cut the sleeve off a shirt and wear it like a head band and then slide the chimney of the snorkel through it, use a swimmers nose clip and breathe through the snorkel for about 45 min. of bag or pad work. At work we do 400m sprints with our gas masks on or using the same snorkel idea. Helps lung capacity and trains your body to work hard with less O2. Kinda cavemanish...but it works. Oh, if you wear that stuff in a public fitness center or on a public track...you get lots of weird looks.

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Originally Posted by Will Thaxton

cardio can be a mental thing also. ever roll with a guy (new to jiu jitsu) that you know is in shape but can't hardly breathe when you roll? make sure that you are using your energy wisely.

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Out of everyones advise this to me is the best. I really only put extra time in for cardio when I fight MMA. As for grappling tournaments I dont do much other then rolling in class 4 times a week for 45-60 mins a day. Its all mind set and controlling your breathing, stay relaxed and keep your mind clear and stick to a game plan.

One thing I have learned competing is that your cardio could already be great while you're just rolling, but competition is a different animal all together. Just try to stay as calm as possible and stick to whatever game plan you and your coach have come up with. On a side note, why would you not want to go down a weight class? When are the weigh ins? The night before or the day of?

Stress has a direct effect on your cardiovascular output. The more "jitters" you have the faster your heart is beating. Compound that with tense vasoconstricted muscles that do not allow for proper O2 exchange at the cellular level and you fatigue quickly. Acidosis builds up in your muscles(more CO2 than O2) and your muscles fatigue. Compound that with your other veins that are constricted down to your aveoli in your lungs which grab the O2 you inhale and push out the CO2 you exhale. So, all over you are in an acidosis state and fatigue quickly. Use your time rolling in your gym to practice staying relaxed, focused, at a "yellow zone" level (hr about 90-110 bpm) and remember to breathe. When possible get a good deep breath in. And, when doing big moves or going for submissions forcefully exhale. Ok, I'm done being a medic for now.