Body Recovery

EDR

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Hi everyone,

I just started training in MMA. I was wondering if it's bad to continue even if your whole body is sore. I'm an active athlete, but naturally after never doing anything like BJJ or Muay Thai, my body is pretty busted up right now.

I went to the first BJJ class on Monday, and was pretty sore after that. next was the Muay Thai class yesterday, and now today I'm super sore. I have some pretty wicked huge bruises all over my arms from BJJ, and my neck is super stiff from Muay Thai clinch sparring. My legs are just plain sore.

Regardless of the soreness, I want to go tonight for BJJ, but should I be waiting until my body has fully recovered?
 
Sounds like you may be overdoing it a bit. Since you are new to this, you may want to give yourself a day or two to rest/heal in between the workouts.
 
Skill training is different than the old bodybuilding adage that you have to let your body completely recover before hitting those muscles again. The fact of the matter is that you will have to train while sore a good part of the time.

Since you're just starting, theres nothing wrong with easing into it, but just be aware that its probably something that you will be dealing with a bit more often than other sports.
 
Skill training is different than the old bodybuilding adage that you have to let your body completely recover before hitting those muscles again. The fact of the matter is that you will have to train while sore a good part of the time.

Since you're just starting, theres nothing wrong with easing into it, but just be aware that its probably something that you will be dealing with a bit more often than other sports.

Yeah, you're going to train sore, but the soreness when you JUST start is a little different. I'd say ease into it if you feel like you are really too beat up and not just being a poon. I took 3 months off and started back on Monday. I'm walking like an old man and in a lot of pain...still gonna be in class tonight though.lol. Just remember, especially if you're new you can always ask your partners to take it easy on you during rolling.
 
Agreed...nothing wrong with easing into it. I've been training for years, but still get sore from time to time...it has never stopped me from training on a daily basis.

Stubborness and Thai Linament are my best friends.
 
Yeah, you're going to train sore, but the soreness when you JUST start is a little different. I'd say ease into it if you feel like you are really too beat up and not just being a poon. I took 3 months off and started back on Monday. I'm walking like an old man and in a lot of pain...still gonna be in class tonight though.lol. Just remember, especially if you're new you can always ask your partners to take it easy on you during rolling.

I think that a lot of the soreness when you're first starting is due in part to people's tendency to try to muscle through things. Once you learn to relax a bit, your muscles wont fatigue as much or as quickly. Since his class tonight is for jiu-jitsu, I would say just go, but really focus on using technique rather than trying to get submissions or positions through force.
 
So is it no problem to train 7 days a week if you are just trying to learn as much as you can instead of bulking up/conditioning training?
 
Awesome guys, thanks for all of your input!

I'm not totally beat up to the point where I dont want to go, so I'll be going tonight. I don't want to miss out on some valuable BJJ technique :D

About BJJ, are rashgaurds really necessary? I was stretching when I got home last night, and my girlfriend saw the huge bruise under my arm and thought it was a new tattoo (the bruise has a pretty awesome pattern to it :D). Should I be protecting this huge bruise with one? Or will it even make a difference? I have a rashgaurd but I dont really want to wear it because I want to get used to grappling without one.
 
So is it no problem to train 7 days a week if you are just trying to learn as much as you can instead of bulking up/conditioning training?

I think that that is unneccesary. Personally, I would get burned out quickly going every single day, regardless of how excited you are to begin. Could be a bit of sensory overload there as well. I mean, how much new stuff can you really absorb in a week before you get diminishing returns? I have had the best results with 4-5 days of skill training/sparring a week.
 
A rashguard will help a lot. You may feel like a goof wearing it if you're not in shape, but it'll save your top layers of skin and stop a lot of bruising.
 
A rashguard will help a lot. You may feel like a goof wearing it if you're not in shape, but it'll save your top layers of skin and stop a lot of bruising.

Alright, I'll probably wear one just to protect the one massive bruise I'm sporting. I have a Nike Drifit shirt, and it's super tight on me, not like when I bought it. I've been hitting the gym, so I feel like Spiderman in it. It's tight, but I'm still mobile. I noticed that they sell loose fitting rashguards, is this something I should look into? Or is it just a matter of personal preference?

Also, I'm only planning to use the rashgaurd until the bruises heal up, so will the bruising be less frequent the more I train? (not that I mind the bruises, I just dont want my training partners thinking I've got a really bad staph infection or something)
 
Alright, I'll probably wear one just to protect the one massive bruise I'm sporting. I have a Nike Drifit shirt, and it's super tight on me, not like when I bought it. I've been hitting the gym, so I feel like Spiderman in it. It's tight, but I'm still mobile. I noticed that they sell loose fitting rashguards, is this something I should look into? Or is it just a matter of personal preference?

Also, I'm only planning to use the rashgaurd until the bruises heal up, so will the bruising be less frequent the more I train? (not that I mind the bruises, I just dont want my training partners thinking I've got a really bad staph infection or something)

Rashguards are personal preference, I know a guy locally that sells nice ones cheap so PM me for details.

As for the bruising I find that taking a homeopathic Arnica Montana 30CH in the water you drink while training greatly reduces tissue damage... you can buy it in a health food store and it's very effective and doesn't have any side effects.
 
brute it out as long as you can, but eat healthy and get at least 1 day a week to rest. your body will adapt and soon you won't feel nearly as sore as you do now.
 
I think that a lot of the soreness when you're first starting is due in part to people's tendency to try to muscle through things. Once you learn to relax a bit, your muscles wont fatigue as much or as quickly. Since his class tonight is for jiu-jitsu, I would say just go, but really focus on using technique rather than trying to get submissions or positions through force.


There's definitely a time and place for muscle and speed.lol. I have seen a lot of people satressing technique over just brute strength, but technique w/ strength > technique alone. I like to push myself in training to where I am tired and hurting. Training should be harder than fighting and you will be tired and hurt in a fight. I feel putting intensity into your rolling while still using technique is helpful for grppling strength and conditioning.

Also in my case during an MMA class we'll have heavy conditioning beforehand. What got me so fucking sore all week was thai pad drills (as fast and as hard as possible as instructer), a couple hundred leg kicks on the thai bag, once again hard and fast, and then shooting in on a medicine ball for 1 5 minute round. I have no idea how you are supposed to do THAT workout, then roll, then not be sore because you used technique rather than "strength".

I think being strong and powerful is important, but I am a big "strong" guy. I'm sure if I was 5'3" and 130lbs. I'd be offering different advice.
 
I have seen a lot of people satressing technique over just brute strength, but technique w/ strength > technique alone. I like to push myself in training to where I am tired and hurting. Training should be harder than fighting and you will be tired and hurt in a fight. I feel putting intensity into your rolling while still using technique is helpful for grppling strength and conditioning.

Thats quite the no-shitter, right there. My advice for him was based on his description that he was very sore from the previous day's training. If thats the case, and he still wants to get training in the next day, it would benefit him to focus on relaxing and using leverage, instead of trying to muscle through submissions. Training, especially conditioning, should be harder than you will fight, but sparring is mixed. There are light sparring days and there are hard sparring/rolling days. Since he is already sore, my advice would be for him to use the next day as a "light" sparring day.

I think being strong and powerful is important, but I am a big "strong" guy. I'm sure if I was 5'3" and 130lbs. I'd be offering different advice.

Its a weight class sport, so strength and power is importand even if you were "5'3" and 130 lbs." You wont find anybody arguing against that.
 
Hey everyone,

I just want to thank you all for your insight, all of it helped alot! Last night I focused more on my technique rather than trying to muscle my way through everything, and it was certainly a huge improvement. I was able to gain a better understanding of when and where I should be applying more muscle strength, and I'm also beginning to grasp the whole concept of weight displacement. Being a little guy (5'7, 130 pounds) I realized it the most after sparring with a gent that was 6'0 and 190 pounds.

As tired and sore as I was, I wasn't gassed as quickly as I was the first class, and I noticed a huge improvement in my performance.

After using the rashgaurd however, I realize that I do prefer to roll without one. It did help in protecting the 3x3 inch bruise on my arm, but once it's cleared up I'll probably just end up rolling in a T.

After class I found it very difficult to literally keep my head up, due to increased fatigue in my neck. This morning, I could barley move it! But after a good 20 minute stretch every few hours, I'm ready to head back out to Muay Thai class tonight. Last class for the week, then I have a day to rest!

Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to offer all of your insight and advice, it certainly helps making my first week of MMA training a very very good one!
 
Icebath directly after training helps your muscles prevent all that soreness. Its really cold and it makes your garbage freeze but it helps alot.
 
Icebath directly after training helps your muscles prevent all that soreness. Its really cold (duh) and it makes your garbage freeze but it helps alot.
 
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