Cross training, balance and periodisation

[Atrfin]

Hi guys, I'm quite new to the forum. Wanted to get some advice on training balance and periodisation.

Quick background - I've been doing kickboxing for about 18 months (1-2 times a week) and strength training twice a week (first SS then 531). Recently I changed gyms and added BJJ. All of this proved to be too much for my body to handle and not sustainable (I also travel a lot for work). I ended up dropping kickboxing to focus on BJJ as there is a LOT to learn as a noob. I train for fun and fitness and don't intend to compete.

My problem is, I don't want to neglect my standup for long and ultimately want to be able to cross train BJJ/MT regularly. However if I do BJJ 3x a week and MT 2x a week I'm not sure if I can show up at the gym to do the heavy compounds twice a week every week.

The question is, if I drop lifting from my training and focus on BJJ/Muay Thai can I still maintain size and strength? What are some alternatives to juggle all 3 without spinning my wheels?

 

[Genghiz]

What exercises were you doing during your 531 two day? Were you doing a lot of accessory shit? Drop all the accessory work and stick to 3-4 compounds only.

You can also do a block of off-season work once or twice a year. Take 2 months off MMA and work on aerobic base building/strength/general conditioning.

 

[Atrfin]

When I tried to fit all 3 in a week (lift/BJJ/MT) my assistance was very basic - only pull ups/chin ups/dips. Maybe the % of weights on the compounds were too much for me to recover from quickly. But it was mainly the difficulty of fitting enough training sessions into my schedule for all 3 regardless of the intensity.

Edit: With off-season/on-season type of split, would you cut strength&conditioning to focus on skills training when you are doing the "on-season" part?

 

[Genghiz]

Edit: With off-season/on-season type of split, would you cut strength&conditioning to focus on skills training when you are doing the "on-season" part?

I wouldn't cut it out completely. Just shift priorities and reduce the volume. Work on maintaining rather than progressing your strength on-season. It really depends on your individual situation. For the most part, my Muay Thai classes are structured in a way that I get a ton of conditioning /cardio. So I do very little extra road work. Maybe once or twice a week if that. On the other hand, MT offers zero maximal strength, so I strength train twice a week using a minimalist program.

 

[SteveX]

Also what percentage were you using for training max? In the original 5/3/1 Wendler used 90%, but in recent years I know he's been a big proponent of using 80-85% instead. Depending on your numbers this could drop the intensity to a point where it is more manageable to train all 3.

You could also try going in and only hitting the required repetitions. You could also try only go for rep maxes on the 5/3/1 week (maybe accompany that with decreased MA training frequency that week). Maybe a few joker sets or first set last if you're feeling fresh on a particular day.

The options are pretty much endless if you're finding the intensity and/or volume too much to handle.

 

[Atrfin]

Great advice guys, thanks a lot. I was using 90÷ as training max but can try 80÷ and see how it goes.

One thing I don't get about 531 and maintaining is, the program evetually gets heavy and starts forcing you to focus on your lifting sessions. If I want to focus on my MT/BJJ for 3-4 months how would I program 531? Maybe use something else like Tactical Barbell?

 

[Badger67]

5/3/1 is great for out of camp i find as it allows a lot of weeks to build strength. During camp, if you're in the intermediate/advanced levels of lifting, best you can hope for usually is maintaining during camp. Switching to TB or even rehashing SS but starting at 75-80% may work.

If you did want to use 5/3/1 in camp....
You could incorporate 5/3/1 as an "i ain't doing jack shit" or BBB, and start off at 80-85% which will take some of the strain off the lifts if you're having recovery issues since you wont be lifting as heavy but will still be able to maintain.
Since most bjj/mma clubs will have you doing conditioning, some accessory aspects will be hit there, though not to much significance.