Starting BJJ + keeping muscle

[wasp7]

I'm new to bjj, I'm 21 yrs old and have only had a week of class and have been submitted all the time. I'm loving this sport and decided to become really good or at least good enough to compete, so im starting to practice 5 days a week. I don't know if thats too much. The reason i ask is because i love lifting weights for looks and for the nice feeling of doing so. I've been lifting for about three years and am now fairly muscular and strong. Im wondering if it's possible to become a good bjj practitioner while keeping or even gaining more muscle.

Im a complete newbie in bjj, so i know almost nothing. I would appreciate any good advice

 

[LatFlare]

Scientific studies have shown that BJJ actually dissolves muscle mass, especially when practicing 4+ times a week, like you. Say goodbye to dem gainz, brah.

 

[LZD]

Course it is man. If you have already got muscle mass, as you say, drop lifting to 2x per week. That is easily enough to maintain strength/mass. Your body has a "use it or lose it" kind of system.

The rest is how you eat. If you're eating a high protein diet and maintaining your weight, you won't be losing mass. If you're losing weight (and don't want to) up the calories. If you want to lose fat, then lift 2x per week and lose bodyweight slowly. Eat high protein. That should ensure you are mostly losing fat.

Final step: Fap over google images of Ronaldo Souza or other high level MMA/BJJ guys to assure yourself that one can be great at BJJ and also be muscular.

 

[wasp7]

I have seen some muscular fighters e.g. Pablo Popovitch, but i would think they train several times a day so the only reason i guess they can look like that is by using steroids.

Anyway, if i wanted to maintain my current mass would bjj be enough? I eat clean most of the time and try to eat as much as possible, i'm an ectomorph

 

[Metamoris]

Shouldn't be a problem. I was/am in a similar situation as you. Lifted on regular basis for 5 years and decided to take up BJJ. Because of my limited time, I go to 2 classes a week and I follow a full-body routine where I lift once a week, focusing on the big lifts and then some minior isolation work at the end.

Been doing this for 1 month now, and oddly enough, I feel I am getting stronger on my lifts. Some friends also commented that I look bigger. I'm not sure how this will turn out in the long run, but I think i'll be able to maintain my mass and maybe even gain some muscle and strength. Let me know what you decide to do. If you want to know my routine, feel free to ask.

 

[wasp7]

Shouldn't be a problem. I was/am in a similar situation as you. Lifted on regular basis for 5 years and decided to take up BJJ. Because of my limited time, I go to 2 classes a week and I follow a full-body routine where I lift once a week, focusing on the big lifts and then some minior isolation work at the end.

Been doing this for 1 month now, and oddly enough, I feel I am getting stronger on my lifts. Some friends also commented that I look bigger. I'm not sure how this will turn out in the long run, but I think i'll be able to maintain my mass and maybe even gain some muscle and strength. Let me know what you decide to do. If you want to know my routine, feel free to ask.

Thanks a lot man, it seems reasonable but I guess one full body workout day would be too much. Besides I'm decided to do bjj five days a week.

I'm planning to do this:

Monday - bjj
Tuesday - bjj
Wednesday - bjj
Thursday - bjj, chest and shoulders
Friday - off
Saturday - bjj, legs
Sunday - back

I'm open any suggestion.

 

[Sarumyan]

I have seen some muscular fighters e.g. Pablo Popovitch, but i would think they train several times a day so the only reason i guess they can look like that is by using steroids.

Anyway, if i wanted to maintain my current mass would bjj be enough? I eat clean most of the time and try to eat as much as possible, i'm an ectomorph

You got to be kidding me.

 

[Codger]

It really depends on how big you are compared to your natural size. If you've had to really push it hard for years and diet perfectly to get large then those gains are always at a greater risk for anything that impacts upon your regime than the naturally muscular guy carrying an extra 10lb of muscle. So it's impossible to say for sure.

If you really manage to train BJJ 5x a week for any length of time then I'd be surprised if you had the energy and recovery ability to do a whole lot of weights but then I'm not 21 anymore.

Anyway, if you get bitten by the BJJ bug properly, chances are you'll lose interest in every other activity and not give so much of a shit about cosmetic bodybuilding!

 

[wasp7]

You got to be kidding me.

Why?

 

[wasp7]

It really depends on how big you are compared to your natural size. If you've had to really push it hard for years and diet perfectly to get large then those gains are always at a greater risk for anything that impacts upon your regime than the naturally muscular guy carrying an extra 10lb of muscle. So it's impossible to say for sure.

If you really manage to train BJJ 5x a week for any length of time then I'd be surprised if you had the energy and recovery ability to do a whole lot of weights but then I'm not 21 anymore.

Anyway, if you get bitten by the BJJ bug properly, chances are you'll lose interest in every other activity and not give so much of a shit about cosmetic bodybuilding!

I used to be really skinny. Yes, it costed me a lot to get big, both in training and in diet.

Actually bjj sessions were hard at first but I feel i have plenty off energy to do that and weight lifting. I have already done it. At the end of the day I'm almost dead, but it's possible.

Bjj is supposed to be for physically weak individuals so maybe if done properly it won't affect my recovery time since I won't be using a lot of strength. Hopefully it will get me ripped idk.

 

[KimuraKid]

Shouldn't be a problem. I was/am in a similar situation as you. Lifted on regular basis for 5 years and decided to take up BJJ. Because of my limited time, I go to 2 classes a week and I follow a full-body routine where I lift once a week, focusing on the big lifts and then some minior isolation work at the end.

Been doing this for 1 month now, and oddly enough, I feel I am getting stronger on my lifts. Some friends also commented that I look bigger. I'm not sure how this will turn out in the long run, but I think i'll be able to maintain my mass and maybe even gain some muscle and strength. Let me know what you decide to do. If you want to know my routine, feel free to ask.

Can you post your routine?
I'm going to start doing Muay Thai 2-3 times a week and also kind of worried it will take away from any gains I made in the gym. Going to try to up my calories and do full body workouts twice a week hopefully as well.

 

[Genghiz]

Stick to lifting twice a week and fight training/conditioning the rest of the time if you prioritize BJJ/fighting. Use a legit program like 5/3/1 MMA or Tactical Barbell Fighter template. You'll be fine. I was in the same boat (with Muay not BJJ), see my log for ideas. I'm not convinced strength training once a week is enough, but your experience may differ.

 

[wasp7]

Stick to lifting twice a week and fight training/conditioning the rest of the time if you prioritize BJJ/fighting. Use a legit program like 5/3/1 MMA or Tactical Barbell Fighter template. You'll be fine. I was in the same boat (with Muay not BJJ), see my log for ideas. I'm not convinced strength training once a week is enough, but your experience may differ.

Thanks man, you made gains?

 

[ironwolf]

I have made gains in strength while training Muay Thai...It was actually not that hard, I was expecting to hit a wall at any day but it never happened. In fact at the time I was doing this I was getting ready for a trip to Thailand to train for a month.

I was thinking that I would be behind the curve only training MT 3-4 times a week and lifting 2-3 times per week.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I appeared to be in better shape than 90% of the people training at the gym, guys were skipping classes, limping around, hanging on the ropes, skipping their morning runs while I basically sailed through a solid month of training 2x plus a run each day (~5 hours of training a day). Again, I was expecting to hit the wall but even with 10+ rounds of pads a day, I just kept feeling better and better while the other guys there started doing less and less.

My routine was really basic in my preperation for the trip. Ridiculously basic, seemed to wok and I would use it again. I rarely put in over 10 hours a week.

 

[Metamoris]

Can you post your routine?
I'm going to start doing Muay Thai 2-3 times a week and also kind of worried it will take away from any gains I made in the gym. Going to try to up my calories and do full body workouts twice a week hopefully as well.

Sure. It's a tough workout since there's lots of big lifts involved. I wouldn't do it twice a week if I were you. If you're set on lifting twice a week, I'd split it in two days and just do more exercices for the big muscle groups. Here's my workout, in that order of exercices. Reps number can change depending on your goal.

- Bench press(flat) 3 sets of 8
- Bentoverrows with dumbbells 3x8
- Squats 3 sets of 8
- Pull-ups 3 sets of 8-10
- Seated dumbell shoulders press 3 sets of 8
- Deadlifts 3 sets of 8

And then I do 3 sets for biceps and triceps each. Nothing crazy, just to keep the muscle. I'll also sometimes do a calves isolation exercice, but all this minor work is optional. The most important are the big lifts above. Even once a week, you'll gain strength.



As for OP. If I were you, I'd stick to training BJJ no more than 3-4 times a week. 5 plus lifting seems overkill and you may just end up losing motivation. Anyways, this is up for you to decide but in my experience, going too hard too early will kill the fire.

 

[wasp7]

Sure. It's a tough workout since there's lots of big lifts involved. I wouldn't do it twice a week if I were you. If you're set on lifting twice a week, I'd split it in two days and just do more exercices for the big muscle groups. Here's my workout, in that order of exercices. Reps number can change depending on your goal.

- Bench press(flat) 3 sets of 8
- Bentoverrows with dumbbells 3x8
- Squats 3 sets of 8
- Pull-ups 3 sets of 8-10
- Seated dumbell shoulders press 3 sets of 8
- Deadlifts 3 sets of 8

And then I do 3 sets for biceps and triceps each. Nothing crazy, just to keep the muscle. I'll also sometimes do a calves isolation exercice, but all this minor work is optional. The most important are the big lifts above. Even once a week, you'll gain strength.



As for OP. If I were you, I'd stick to training BJJ no more than 3-4 times a week. 5 plus lifting seems overkill and you may just end up losing motivation. Anyways, this is up for you to decide but in my experience, going too hard too early will kill the fire.

Each lesson last about hour. Is it still overkill? If it is I would reduce it to 4 times a week.

I have felt a bit smaller, maybe I lost body fat. Hopefully.

Anyway, thanks a lot

 

[Metamoris]

Each lesson last about hour. Is it still overkill? If it is I would reduce it to 4 times a week.

I have felt a bit smaller, maybe I lost body fat. Hopefully.

Anyway, thanks a lot

That might not be too bad then. Mine are 2 hours and we always spare at the end so it's tiring. I guess it depends on how hard you guys go during that hour. If I were you, I'd start by going 3 times a week and lift once a week for the first month and then up it to 4 times a week if you feel ready. Ease into it.