Training over 40

[D.Stachovak]

I'm 43 and had an extensive martial arts background before starting in BJJ. It took my body awhile to adapt,but now I feel more limber and "alive" than ever. In fact,now Jiu Jitsu has become my primary training. When I go to the gym,before I do anything else,I do a lot of the warm ups and tumbling from class. This has really helped my agility. I wish we had a decent yoga program around here,I'd love to try it!

[Todd Schumacher]

42 years old here been training for 2 years now and can say i am in the best shape of my life other than when i went to basic training for the Army. Biggest key for me is stretching. I do this in the morning, before practice and at night before my old ass goes to sleep.

[AJ Camacho]

If you are plagued by a bad lower back typically hamstring tightness can beca major contributed to your issue.

Analyzing my game, I think that may have been the problem. I think I was making up for a lack of hamstring flexibility in my guard by using my lower back to pull my legs to myself. Now I'm paying the price and have to re approach every aspect of my game since chronic poor posture and a lack of spine stability was probably the cause.

[Jesse Bell]

I want to point out that Louis Ho is in his 40's. He competes regularly and spars everyday with his students. He is a truely inspirational.

[Louis Ho]

Thanks Jesse. Yeah, I was born in '69 (like John). As Jesse mentioned, I pretty much spar all out everyday with all my students and I do compete regularly. I take no supplements at all. I eat okay (not too much meat or dairy, more whole wheat). I am not blessed with good genetics. My whole body is a walking cemetary. My left knee has almost no lateral support and my lower back is a mess. And I have little girl legs (badly in need of calf inplants). I can barely get up and move in the morning. But I just keep going. As you get older, you instinctively develop more fear (this is needed to protect your aging body from injury). But if you want to improve your Jiu Jitsu, you have to get over that fear and just keep going. No other way. The only thing I really need is REST, which I never get enough of.

[Kevin Green]

I hear that Louis. I am training everyday now (but THR) thats the night I dedicate to my kids without any distractions. Train and Spar (Jiu Jitsu and MMA) every night and lift run in the morning...but you only live once

[Louis Ho]

I wish that I had the time to do supplemental training. But I have to work during the day and teach and train at night. I barely have enough energy to do what I do now. Hopefully in the near future, I can dedicate 100% of my time to my training and my students' training. Those of you who can focus 100% on your training and school are so lucky.

[Kevin Green]

I dont wanna give you the misconception that I dont have a day job too....my day goes like this
Wake up 5am - Lift or Cardio (depending on the day)
M-F Work 8-5pm
Teach 6-9pm Mon-Wed
THR nothing in the pm (Kids time
Fri Teach 6-8pm
Sat Teach 7-830am
Sun Teach 7-830am

I am over trained and over worked...but I think the supplemntal training is what keeps me from getting hurt. Sometimes if I have a meeting a few early mornings and miss my am workout...I can tell...
SUX getting up early Louis. But at our age, I think its important to workout in the AM as a preventative measure. It sux the first week or so, but you get used to it.

[Louis Ho]

Kevin, you're a beast for waking up at 5 am. My hat goes off to you. I wake up at 6:30 am and if I did hard sparring the night before, I can barely get up. Btw, what time do you go to sleep?

[John Roderick]

I'm with Kevin on that-I agree 100%. Like Louis and Kevin, I have a full time "career', often working overnights in I.T. Like Kevin said, mornings are the best and most beneficial. As often as I can, I wake at 5 AM and do a Kettlebell workout for about a half hour, and stretching for 20 minutes afterwards. It does help tremendously. Every day I'm in the gym, as long as I'm feeling up to it, I spar all out with my guys: MMA, Muay Thai, JJ. With everyone and anyone. My students all respect me for that, and for me competing as well. With where I'm at and what I'm dealing with, there are just going to be days where I simply and not able to perform. Having a good diet and fitness routine is essential to mitigating it, but when I have an extreme episode, well it's hard to describe, but imagine the worst pain ever in every joint in your body at the same time. It's a really unique experience. Seriously, for a while I was afraid it was something more serious, but having a solid diagnosis has at least allowed me to research and mitigate it properly so that I can train properly as well. If anything, I think my students have even more respect for me now knowing what I've been dealing with and that I still roll with all of them.