Professional Strength and Conditioning for Jits: My personal journey

As many of you may know I am a full-time 10TH Planet Coach. This transition 'off-the-grid' ,as Eddie puts it, has been an amazing journey thus far and it's getting better every day. This post will be my ongoing blog in which I intend to share a portion of my journey/transformation with all of you here on the forum... I feel that what I have to say can benefit each and every one of you in some way or another. Within the blog I will document my journey about strength training, conditioning and dynamic physical ability/stretching and maybe even a few behind the scene details about becoming a 10TH Planet Coach. I will also provide you access to my trainer John and perhaps he can jump in from time to time to answer a few question about what we are doing and what I am trying to achieve.

Come follow me!

Sounds good Neale. Looking forward to it.

A brief intro:

Believe it or not a have not touched a weight (other than a kettle bell) in 3+ years. I have achieved all that I have on speed, timing and technique. I truly believed that given enough reps I could keep a step ahead of the wolves... A step that could spell victory over bigger and stronger opponents. I will say that my plan never failed. The wolves are still a step behind but I have decided to leave them behind by a mile or more and the plan is/was... GET A PERSONAL TRAINER. Not just any trainer, mixed martial arts and or jiu jitsu in general requires different movements than most other sports out there and a football routine or body builder regimen was clearly not the answer.

Enter my trainer, John. In a word, one cool cat. He's not your typical gym rat. He not your athletic pant wearing ex-phys-ed coach (pardon my stereotype) in fact he's a 6'6 260 lb Ex Pro wrestler that used to do Strong Man comps. He wears a do rag, has a nose bone and multiple other piercings but more importantly he has and a DEGREE and Certs.... Better than all of this he IS a Jits guy. He's been a fixture in our gym for sometime now and he's been silently learning the game. As it were, he had a reason... He wants to cater to fighters exclusively. Lucky me. Beginning tomorrow I will begin documenting or training and the ideas/ fundamentals behind the PLAN. As I stated earlier I will have him posting here as well and maybe we can all grow a little...

Your journey has potential to inspire Neale. I'm looking forward to reading about your progress and the obstacles you have to overcome to keep growing.

It would be awesome if you posted a detailed log of your workouts, diet, etc... I know most of us could benefit from something like that, especially myself.

good luck, cant wait to hear how your journey goes!

That sounds awesome! I look forward to seeing your progress. Do you ever film yourself rolling? I heard its a good way to catch errors in your game.

I think its a great idea. Im looking forward to it.

Thanks guys! I'm super excited to bring this to you... John, my trainer is typing away as we speak. The idea is to get his 'technical' commentary on what's going on and my 'down and dirty oh-fuck me this is gonna hurt' flavorful commentary. Let's face it, pimpin ain't easy. Lol. I'm deciphering a few things now and I'm trying to clock back a bit in my head... It's week 5 for me now and I'm in a bit of a 'glide' pattern sooo I need to clock it back and tell you all what I've been thru. Tune in and i'll keep it real ;)

I wish more people in MMA took strength and conditioning seriously. I have a hell of a time trying to get people interested around here, even guys with pro fights.

I'm pretty excited for this. I'm in school now and hope to be a strength and conditioning coach in the future.

Just wondering what's your training philosophy? Do you follow any specific training "style" (HIT, Block Periodization, Conjugate Periodization, Linear Progression)?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chad C.

I'm pretty excited for this. I'm in school now and hope to be a strength and conditioning coach in the future.

Just wondering what's your training philosophy? Do you follow any specific training "style" (HIT, Block Periodization, Conjugate Periodization, Linear Progression)?

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I know you're not asking me, but this is just my .02...

I use a non-linear progression with most of my guys now, because they are able to progress in strength and sport-specific skills, but the activities aren't horribly repetitious or boring.

When I'm able to work one-on-one with a fighter or grappler who has an event coming up, I use a blend of block periodization and a straight linear progression, kind of like the Sheiko program (but obviously the lifts and activities are different).

Personally, I use conjugate periodization, but I'm a much more advanced lifter than the majority of guys that I train. My body is used to it. And I'm a little skeptical about how the conjugate method applies to sport-specific training, at least as it is outlined by Westside, et al.

translation pleeez?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Karim Graham

translation pleeez?

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A non-linear progression loosely means that you are performing different exercises every workout, at a different number of sets and reps, and at different intensities. It allows you to be very creative. I went to a seminar by the Kansas basketball strength coach, and she uses a non-linear progression with her basketball guys, and they consistently outperform most other teams yearly.

Block periodization is usually used for contest preparation, broken up into 3 or more "blocks" of time. Typically, the first month or so is foundational lifting, the second is strength development, and the third is sport-specific with a tapering down of weight. Boris Sheiko used a method like this.

Linear progression roughly means that once you can lift x amount of weight for 3 sets of 5, then you increase the weight.

Conjugate periodization is much more complex, but when someone uses this term, they usually mean combining a "maximum effort" day with a "dynamic effort" day during the week. Rather than explain it all, I would say just do a search of "Westside Barbell".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichardC

I know you're not asking me, but this is just my .02...

I use a non-linear progression with most of my guys now, because they are able to progress in strength and sport-specific skills, but the activities aren't horribly repetitious or boring.

When I'm able to work one-on-one with a fighter or grappler who has an event coming up, I use a blend of block periodization and a straight linear progression, kind of like the Sheiko program (but obviously the lifts and activities are different).

Personally, I use conjugate periodization, but I'm a much more advanced lifter than the majority of guys that I train. My body is used to it. And I'm a little skeptical about how the conjugate method applies to sport-specific training, at least as it is outlined by Westside, et al.

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I only have experience with training football players, most who are lower level athletes and relatively new to training. Recently I've been using a modified Jim Wendler 5/3/1 program with them and have seen a lot of success. In the past I've tried Westside styled training but I found it to be too taxing on their CNS which took away from their ability to perform their sport.

I'm interested in how you structure you training. I have a few friends who box and compete in mma who've asked me to help with their training.

Can't wait to read about your progress, Neale. See ya in a couple of weeks!

Ok guys and Gals. Here we go...

Mouser Strength Dynamics - Week 1-2

"We started Neale's journey with a few weeks of anatomical adaptation. This phase of training is used to prepare an athlete for the demands that come with strength/conditioning. Not only do I use this time to prepare the athlete's tendons and ligaments and increase neuromuscular recruitment, but it is an excellent time to teach proper technique on the lifts. Normally the time period for this is planned out, however since it has been one-on-one training, I simply watched Neale and moved him out of this phase when I could see that he was ready." - John Mouser

My translation... This is the BLAH guys. Once I decided to do this I wanted to crush weight, get strong, kick ass! Well, just like with Jits ya gotta crawl before you can walk or run. With John's blessing we decided that since I grapple a minimum of 5 days a week (sometimes 2-a-days) it was good to hit strength on Monday and Friday only. Later we agreed to move to 3 days a week which is where we are now, but the decision was based on my current activity level and RECOVERY. Anatomical adaptation, to me, is similar to the BASICS of Jits. You cant throw some cat in a Twist-o-plata or hit a flying arm-lock if you cant even rep the move. In similar fashion you sure as hell can't hang clean 165lb for 8 reps if you cant do the movement with an empty bar or 65lb of total weight. In a word, NECESSARY. In another word, BORING. In a general sense I enjoyed it because I know the power of 'REPS'. Just like I tell all of my students REPS are the most boring part of Jits. Everyone LOVES to roll live casue it a shit ton of fun but you'll never get any better if you dont put in the REPS. Im being told (By my trainer) that I did a great job and I have good form. I can feel that this has paid of in week 5 because I am moving weight now.

My trainer and I are HUGE believers in dynamic stretching. Each session begins with a short dynamic stretching regimen followed directly by lifts. I have names for the things we do, but you may not understand what they are. Follow up with questions and John or I can add details.

Dynamic warm-up:

INCH WORMS
KICK BACKS
HIGH KNEES
KARAOKE
KNEE HIKES
SIDE KNEE HIKE KICK OUTS
SUPERMAN QUAD STRETCH
CHORUS LINE KICKS
SUPER TWIST

Current weight: 160 lbs
Appetite: Normal
Diet: Good to better (I eat fairly clean)

Exercises:

SQUATS
HANG CLEANS
PUSH PRESS
HIGH PULLS
RENEGADE ROWS
PULL UPS
STRICT PRESS
RDL'S
DIPS
PULL-UPS

Directly after each session (or most. we do change it up a bit) John PNF stretches me. In Laymen's terms... He tries to break my ass in half. John is going to have to follow up here as I cannot even pronounce what PNF stands for but I DO know that all Pro Athelets use PNF. IT HURTS

Post workout: Protein and carb drink. Im sponsored by Marijuana Muscle soooo I dont think I need to stress that Im ingesting their Hemp protein and my carbs come from a Gatorade Post workout recovery drink w/ Carbs and protein.

IMPACT ON MY JITS GAME: At this point, little to none

Please respond to this post and ask me or my trainer questions. Also suggestions or comments on the format. I would like this to be as informative as possible as well as user friendly.

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS Welcome
KILL

this should totally be a separate section on this website perhaps? this info will get buried when the page counts on this thread start to get high.

STICKY? Admins? Can we keep it at the top? I suppose it's up to powers greater than me to decide. For now, ttt ;)

What did your conditioning look like during this first phase of training? Or do you not condition as much because of how much time you spend on the mat?

Great question Chad. With the amount of ROLLING i do week to week conditioning has not been addressed as of yet. We both feel I am getting what I need on the mat. Honestly now that Im into 3 days I think we may need to look at this again as my body is still adjusting a bit and cannot roll as heavy as i like. Thus far I have been tempo rolling with heavier guys on a consistent basis. Great cardio and no better conditioning in my eyes. Im 155 now so the 200's are optimal

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chad C.

I'm pretty excited for this. I'm in school now and hope to be a strength and conditioning coach in the future.

Just wondering what's your training philosophy? Do you follow any specific training "style" (HIT, Block Periodization, Conjugate Periodization, Linear Progression)?

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Excellent Question.... I'm actually a fan of all of those methods. There are actually several correct methods for attaining strength, you just need to figure out which one is going to work best for your goals. Currently, I am using traditional periodization with Neale. This is mainly in part that he hasn't done any real strength training for years. This method has him sticking to the same lifts (some actually do change) throughout the program and this will help him master technique on those lifts. Once he is familiar with the lifts we can try some of the more dynamic styles of periodization.

Heres a quick rundown of the type of flexibility work (including the warm-up and cool down) that Neale and I are using. As he started previously, we start each workout with a dynamic stretching routine. We start with movements involving a small range of motion (ROM) and move towards movements with a greater ROM. This serves 2 purposes: 1) is to prepare the muscles for work and stress and 2) to gradually increase heart and core temperature. Once the dynamic stretches are done, we either move on to more traditional warm-up exercises (butt kickers, high knees, ect..) or we start to warm-up with light weights on the first exercise (squat, cleans, ect..). So thats how we progress into the workout.
Heres how we end the session. Ideally, we end with some more dynamic stretching. This time it all high ROM (leg swings, dynamic band stretches, ect). Immediately following we begin PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). In laymen's, this is push/relax stretching. The premise here is to trick the body's stretch reflex mechanism and achieve a greater than normal stretch. This type of stretching requires a good relationship between you and your client and I always play it safe with type of stretching until I'm certain that I know my client's limits. Neale and I have been using PNF mainly for the legs, but as we both grow more comfortable with this, we will move on to other areas. After the PNF we do some basic partner stretches, band stretches (static) and standard static stretches. This is all dependent on what joints/muscles we attacked during the workout and areas were previously tight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chad C.

I only have experience with training football players, most who are lower level athletes and relatively new to training. Recently I've been using a modified Jim Wendler 5/3/1 program with them and have seen a lot of success. In the past I've tried Westside styled training but I found it to be too taxing on their CNS which took away from their ability to perform their sport.

I'm interested in how you structure you training. I have a few friends who box and compete in mma who've asked me to help with their training.

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The 531 is awesome for supplemental work, IMO.

I'll give you a quick summary of what I did for one guy who had 3 months before a fight...

Always warmed up with dynamic stretches and some sport-specific movements. A good warm-up lift after, usually involving kettlebell clean-and-press or overhead squats with a barbell.

For the 1st month, we gently worked a few core lifts. For him, I believe it was hip squats and sumo deadlifts (he had some knee stabilization problems, and hip squats are thought to help by strengthening the glutes and vastus lateralis), and then incline press and power cleans. The daily structure usually began with a power movement or plyometric exercise, followed with a static strength lift, and ended with some form of circuit.

The 2nd month was where we began to peak in strength. The focus lifts became heavier, and the rep ranges became smaller. Whereas the 1st month was 80/20 strength movements to plyometrics and cardio movements, the 2nd month was somewhere around 60/40.

The 3rd month was where we tapered down to the event itself. The overall volume of lifting went down, but the weights stayed heavy. The first week was about 50/50 strength to plyometrics and cardio, the 2nd was about 40/60, and the 3rd maybe 30/70. The last week before the event involved only cardio and plyometrics. This allowed his body to rest sufficiently that entire week.

I know a lot of strength coaches who use a template similar to this, and the idea is that the athlete will have maximum 1RM output on the date of the event, their cardio, explosiveness, and sport-specific movements will be fresh in the mind, and their body will be as rested as possible.

Awesome info guys! I cant wait to begin incorporating some of these ideas into my own training program.

TTT

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichardC

A non-linear progression loosely means that you are performing different exercises every workout, at a different number of sets and reps, and at different intensities. It allows you to be very creative. I went to a seminar by the Kansas basketball strength coach, and she uses a non-linear progression with her basketball guys, and they consistently outperform most other teams yearly.

Block periodization is usually used for contest preparation, broken up into 3 or more "blocks" of time. Typically, the first month or so is foundational lifting, the second is strength development, and the third is sport-specific with a tapering down of weight. Boris Sheiko used a method like this.

Linear progression roughly means that once you can lift x amount of weight for 3 sets of 5, then you increase the weight.

Conjugate periodization is much more complex, but when someone uses this term, they usually mean combining a "maximum effort" day with a "dynamic effort" day during the week. Rather than explain it all, I would say just do a search of "Westside Barbell".

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thanks a lot man lol
appreciate you dumbing it down for me :)
its good to know these kinda things for future reference too

Thanks to everyone who answered one of my questions for all the feedback.

Do any of you guys recommend any MMA or grappling specific training books? I've just ordered one by Martin Rooney from amazon that should be here soon.

Hey guys... I'm going to update with part 2 later today or tomorrow. Rather than dig this saga 15 pages deep I'm going to start a new thread each post and label it Part 2, Part 3 etc. Check back later :)

You can get some good ideas from the specific books, but your best bet would be to look into a program design book such as the Designing Resistance Training Programs or the Westside Book of Methods. Once you have a good knowledge of how to design a program, then you can supplement with the specific books. Of course you should also do the same with conditioning.