Two times to maintain, Three times to get better...

[Cash Bill 52]

Back in the day (late 90's) the saying, "It takes two training sessions per week to maintain your skill level and three times to get better", I believe is attributed to Rickson or Renzo. These days it seems that if you aren't training two times per day you are falling behind.

What is your opinion? I know a lot of guys on here train much more than two-three times per week. I think back in the day things such as surfing or just hanging out with your friends and family were a priority.

I just competed two weeks ago at The OG Worlds. My training schedule in the weeks leading up to the event was 6 x per week with additional strength and conditioning. Now that it's over I am back to 3-4x per week. I am hanging out more with my girlfriend, engaging in other activities and hobbies, and focusing more on my work.

My point is that I think some people are missing out on large aspects of their life by training too much. As a kid I played hockey to the point of burn out. I have no desire as an adult to play hockey at all. It seems that some people are in a rush to get their black belt, compete all the time, and have no other interests other than training.

I know that training schedules depend on age, family commitments, job, health and other things, but I see some people sacrificing major aspects of their life in order to train 2 x per day. Do you see this as an issue? Do you think some people need more balance in their life?

I'm just sitting around wondering if anyone else feels the same way...

 

[Chungungo]

Sorry for refloating this thread but is there a consensus about how many times are neede to improve, I train Judo 4 times a week , I could do 5 but feel lazy lately plus would need another gi hehe , just to know...thank´s

 

[Daveb]

That is something I've struggled with ever since my daughter was born. Currently I work about 40-45 hours a weeks at the academy plus another 5 hours of teaching privates plus my own training 6x a week for 2-3 hours.

I used to train twice a days and honestly I really enjoyed it but I need to have time for my wife and daughter. I cut out the 2 a days so I can at least get 1 or 2 hours a day with the family. My competition performance has suffered I feel but in the long run I'd rather see my daughter grow up

 

[kjg1672]

After about training for about 7 years I just started training 4 times a week, up from 2-3. Physically I fee fine, but mentally I'm a little worn out. Maybe I just need to get used to it, but I don't see myself doing 4 every single week. btw, I'm in my early 40s.

 

[Difeco]

Back in the day less people were living off BJJ.
Now you can win competitions and get famous. Therefore you can get into MMA or build your own academy.

 

[Codger]

12 pages of opinions dating back several years wasn't enough to go on?

 

[Cash Bill 52]

That is something I've struggled with ever since my daughter was born. Currently I work about 40-45 hours a weeks at the academy plus another 5 hours of teaching privates plus my own training 6x a week for 2-3 hours.

I used to train twice a days and honestly I really enjoyed it but I need to have time for my wife and daughter. I cut out the 2 a days so I can at least get 1 or 2 hours a day with the family. My competition performance has suffered I feel but in the long run I'd rather see my daughter grow up

How old are you, Dave? At 45 I feel I have perspective. I can look back at my life and see where I sacrificed some things that I maybe should not have. Some of my teammates think that because I got my black belt I have nothing to prove, but I feel I have been able to find a nice balance with training and other "important" aspects of my life.

Looking at Lloyd Irvin's Medal Chaser Home got me thinking that I am glad that I don't live there. The Medals are just not that important to me.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

Back in the day less people were living off BJJ.
Now you can win competitions and get famous. Therefore you can get into MMA or build your own academy.

There are a few, but I would guess that many people on this board who have good jobs are making more money than most world champs.

Famous on F12 maybe. But I can walk around Whole Foods with Nick and Nate Diaz and nobody knows who they are...

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

It just comes down to how you view your training, hobby, recreation or competition. If you look at any sort of avant garde recreational activities you have varying degrees of commitment. Like skiing, you have some people who only ski a couple weeks ago year, some that ski every weekend and others that never miss a pow day.

 

[Loop Chokes]

That's true, but I have no other interests other than training.. Its the only thing I think about. It's kind of sad actually.

 

[Difeco]

Famous on F12 maybe. But I can walk around Whole Foods with Nick and Nate Diaz and nobody knows who they are...

Dang, i would go "crazy fan mode" but still...

My hobby, training and fun time are all the same thing. So other than college and a couple parties in the weekends, that's all I do.

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

For me the best period where i had a significant growth in BJJ is when i do it EVERYDAY, 2 hours per day with varied training partners. Now i do it around 4 times a week, but with more limited training partner and a higher average in skillsets my growth as a grappler have been limited.

 

[Balto]

The important thing to remember is that training all the time is very much living for the present. There is really no long term plan that comes after. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but it's something to consider hard before you do.

Sometimes I hear about how training that way is setting up the long term goal of running a school, etc. It really is not. Those things take an entirely different skill set. It is possible to also train that skill set at the same time, but most do not do so in earnest because then that is not really full time training. Now you are splitting your priorities.

Most of the glamorizing of this lifestyle comes from people who have never really seen it up close. I have not done it myself, but I have known several people who have (some acquaintances and some very close friends). I have seen the ups and downs. I have also seen how eventually it comes to an end, and from then on in life, what was accomplished previously has practically zero bearing whatsoever on what comes after. It is all just in the past.

That being said, I still believe it is 100% the correct choice for some people. To them it doesn't matter that it's living in the present. They just need to do it. It's just their path in life.

I think of it like becoming a priest or something. It's not the path for everyone or even most people. Once you go down it in earnest, you pretty much give up any shot at a "normal" life. And even if you choose to leave that life later on, it is impossible to ever really get back into normal life in quite the same way as before.

Still it's the right path for some people. It is just their calling.

 

[Chuck Bass**]

In terms of muscle memory that is true. Especially in general fitness, you need 1-2 times a week to maintain endurance/strength, another 2-3 times to improve on it

 

[Chulo**]

You hang out more with your girlfriend because that's what YOU like to do. You spend more time going to the the movies because that's what YOU like to do. Like many job careers, some people do it because they love to do it. You got the people that like to work over-time, not because they need it, but because they love it.

I understand were you're coming from, but in reality, these people love to twist arms and fight for positions more than your average practitioner, you can almost compare it to a vegetarian lifestyle. You can't tell a vegetarian to eat more rib eye or sirloin because you think he's missing out (which he fucking is). More than likely, he has ate it before and decided it wasn't for him.

Personally, I don't have girlfriends, I just have a lot of girl friends. I don't need to hang out with a girl I have no sentimental value with to make me feel better. Just a few times going out but in reality it's all about sex. Sex is everywhere. I'm into the club scene as well, and that's something I like to do on my free nights. But, I am much more focused on BJJ, it's a passion, not a job, and if I could train x2 a day, I would.

 

[Dogstarman]

I can only manage 2-3 times a week. I would do more but then I would never see my family or I would have to quit my job then my family would starve and become homeless. I guess according to this theory I will never accomplish anything and just maintain at blue belt level.

 

[Melkesyre]

I am 16 years old, go to school in the morning and then go right home to get my GI and run right to the academy. I mean, I don't feel as if I am missing out on anything. I get to talk to alot of people who are interested in the same things as I am and a really good friend of mine is along for the ride.
The only thing I need to sacrifice to be able to train two sessions a day is to cut down on the computer gaming.

 

[DaRuckus337]

I actually think that saying is right on. You can maintain enough fitness and skill and timing training 2-3 times per week to not regress. You start training 3-4 times per week and you actually will notice gains from week to week or month to month. Of course, it can be hard to tell if you're maintaining or improving if people you are training daily or twice daily and thus improving much faster, but I still think the saying has merit.

 

[JRT6]

I struggle to progress only going to BJJ twice a week but only going once a week is definately an exercise in frustration. 3-4 is best for progress for me where as 4 and more every week hurt my joints hurt too much and I burn out mentally. I got a sweet spot of 12-14 times a month.

 

[Graunie]

I think for the average person 3-4 days per week is a pretty good number. Of course it all depends on the individual situation but once a regular job, wife, kids and mortgage come into the picture anything more than the 3-4 days gets really tough.

So I think more than that is totally acceptable given there is the end goal that others in this thread have spoken of. Otherwise 3-4 days per week should eventually get you to a blackbelt.

 

[ScottE]

After 2 years off the mats, I'm now back training. I've been getting in 2-3 times a week as I try to ramp back into 5-7 days a week training.

Because of the time off I'm noticing literal class to class progress as I just get back into things and my wind comes back. I think that those just starting out can certainly get better at 2 times a week but I think there is a plateau after the first year or so that will just be very hard to push past if you are only making it to class 1-2 times a week. I also think there is a certain skill level that you can reach where even a lot of time off won't take as much from you as it would at other times. Just on the face of it my high-level purple belt friend, after the same time off as myself, could likely walk on a mat today and roll with a skill befitting his belt. I as a two stripe blue was rolling like a white belt for my first two or so weeks back.

 

[The Bomb]

Every time on the mat is a chance to improve. With all the info that is out on the Internet today, you could get really good training 2-3 days I personally could never train more than 4 times a week, but that is just me.

 

[TriangleMan]

Back in the day (late 90's) the saying, "It takes two training sessions per week to maintain your skill level and three times to get better", I believe is attributed to Rickson or Renzo. These days it seems that if you aren't training two times per day you are falling behind.

What is your opinion? I know a lot of guys on here train much more than two-three times per week. I think back in the day things such as surfing or just hanging out with your friends and family were a priority.

Goddamn, that explains why I suck. I've been only doing 2x training sessions a week for the past 2 months (law school and class times interfere with BJJ schedule). I'd trust the 3x a week ideology, 2x seems like nothing beneficial to me. Moving at ultimate snail pace. But yeah, training 6x a week when you're just hell bent on being better might lead to burn out if you don't have passion for the sport.