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Hey guys....I am a former powerlifter who has always wanted to do bjj. I recently joined a local gym that does 10p and I love it. However I am 320 pounds and my cardio is garbage. I always feel awkward doing warmups and drills with people half my size. I have changed my diet and I also put time in the gym outside of class to work on weight loss. How do I get over my feeling of sticking out like a sore thumb. Thanks
Hey brother, I started at 250 pounds and within a year got down to 180. The quickest, easiest answer that's an overnight fix is to buy into the culture. There are countless stories of people overcoming barriers to achieve great personal milestones through the platform of jiu jitsu. It sounds like you've taken the right steps by working on your diet and joining the forum. Continue to listen to your instructors, learn from your instructors, invest in a game that is mechanically and ergonomically efficient. I can't stress that enough. Pedro Sauer is a big proponent of investing in a type of jiu jitsu that is safe on your joints. Stay within your ranges of motion, minimize the will to win and replace it with a will to learn. The greatest obstacle I foresee for you, as was for me, is to get over the ego. Understand that by using strength and aggressiveness to get by, you may in fact get the results you are hoping for, but there is no quicker way to, as you put it, stick like a "sore thumb." Accept that today, you may deal with some injuries. These injuries may threaten to set you back and slow your progression. Use those times to study the movements of the upper belts, and continue to invest in your knowledge. If you do, I guarantee personally you will come back a stronger grappler than before.
Short answer to your question: if you commit yourself to knowledge, asking questions after a round, and safe mechanics, you will flourish. If you commit to winning, you will be your own worst enemy for your development; physically/mentally/emotionally/spiritually.
Take up Yoga - it goes with jiujitsu like a Kardashian loves botox injections.
Notice how your whole post was focused on your journey? That's what everyone else is doing too, so the "sticking out" thing is pretty certainly only from your view point if that makes you feel better. Plus, know that other people love the fact that there are much bigger people than them in the gym, so that does make you a valuable training partner as long as you don't take away from other peoples experience also.
Changing your diet is going to be key to changing your body type and it sounds like that's definitely something your interested in, so I would take that seriously and if needed hit up people in your gym for advise, there is almost always someone that knows about that stuff and loves talking about it.
Really, the secret to this stuff is not worrying about stuff that doesn't matter and just keep training (the type of this stuff you worry about but shouldn't will likely change as you progress, just try to stay focused on constant improvement).
I don't know if any of this helped you because its all so simple... but it is really simple. So simple that someone like me got reasonably good, so you certainly can too!
That is so true, love the comment:D
Love the comment, I will take that to heart.
Hey Man,Quote:
Originally Posted by Jsmith0511
I'm a big dude too. I started jiu jitsu smaller around 245, and then got real big after not playing hockey anymore and letting my diet go to shit end ended up around 320's.
Stay the path, Don't try and blend in, because the environment you're probably wouldn't require you to feel like that. Emulate what the smaller dudes do, and try to play like that. Be honest with yourself and your teammates. Have them be there to keep you accountable if you feel like you're straying off path. Everyone in that gym is there to help you regardless of your size.
Most importantly have fun! Smile, laugh, when you fuck up a move laugh, correct it, and move on. Jiu Jitsu is fun. That's why we all do it.
If you ever need anything just hit me up!
As others have said, keep at it and you'll start to drop the weight and feel much more comfortable :) Again, it's just you who feels this way about yourself. Others aren't noticing it as much as you are. It's so cool that you decided to start BJJ and make such a positive change in your life.
320lb? Well you're a big boy... But no one gives a shit man, I can promise you that.
I'm on the other side of the spectrum. I'm 135lb, and the smallest adult male at my gym. Half the time I roll with the ladies cause they are the only ones near my size. I sometimes wonder if people think I'm a creeper for that, I try not to worry about it.
Honestly man you're thinking a lot more about your weight than anyone else is.
well. I used to be the new guy in class who everyone would underestimate. I was 80kgs (180lbs) at 5'5" so yeah I am short and I also lift but I was told I need more flexibility and need to leave bodybuilding style training if I wanna train in martialarts as my muscles are STIFF and that's bad. In the beginning everyone would beat my ass but now I am the best in all of them and they come to me for advice and no one wants to spar with me... Just keep your composure up, stay humble and work...
Minimize your sugar intake and consequently your weight will minimize. Also, cardio is obviously the key to weight management.
Hey guys thanks for the response and encouragement. Some great advice I will take it all to heart.
Give it a little while and you will be moving like a middleweight soon. Hit up John for sure!
I am guessing you may also be having issues with rubber guard. I am 270 lbs and definitely do with big/broad rolling partners. Look to London/Williams control as an alternative, it has helped my game.
I had a friend who was not a weight lifter but just plan big and overweight. I taught our 99 pound bartender the rear naked choke. One day this big guy heard the little female bartender saying hoe she could choke him out. He said, "Ain't no little 100 under gonna choke me out." So she choked him out. LOL
That big guy is still big and overweight but he is now a Jean Jacques Machado Black Belt. Don't worry about your weight. Eat right and train and you'll be fine. @Eddie Bravo do you know what guy I'm talking about?
Hi everyone, I had such an interesting case as I lost 3 kg in two days, I often remember this. I'm a boxer, that was a year ago. I was going to have a fight with a Russian boxer. It was the best match of my career (of course I won it). For the fight to take place, I had to have 69 kgs, but with three days I was 72, I could do nothing, even my coach did not know how to proceed. Fortunately, a colleague told me that there is such a device that helps to lose weight, it was called Strawberry laser. It was my only chance. And to my surprise it helped, I was just amazed, how is that possible? Yes, the price is quite high but with him, I became a champion.