to those that Work all day and train at Night...

Fedorzilla said:
Diet helps improve energy
sleep well --- no caffeine (maybe green tea or yerba mate) after lunch

lawyer... so I basically have to drink coffee to some extent given my schedule. Work from first thing in the morning, go to class and am working at night as well plenty of the time. Shit sucks. Last night we did situational sparring for an hour. I'm getting ready for the Asian open and so I was dealing with our better guys and with whitebelts they were rotating in fresh guys. I thought I was going to puke after class and a lot of that was just lack of sleep.

That said, there is something to be gained from going to class when you're just exhausted. You rely on technique and push yourself. Then, when you train on a Saturday/Sunday and have a good night's rest and plenty of energy, it's like unhitching the trailer and you can step the whole game up.

The key is just to GET to the gym. The main problem I think most people with time-consuming jobs have is that the day has been long and they fight themselves about whether to trudge out to the gym. GO, always go no matter how tired you are at the end of the work day. You'll be glad you did.
Click to expand...

This is also good advice. His mention of just going to the gym even if you don't want to is a damn good thing. You won't improve as much if you don't push yourself, as oppose to not.

I was looking for a good quote for you, I couldn't find it, but it went something like: "Jiu Jitsu has taught me that when I can't go on anymore that I actually can."

That's not even close to it, but I did find this one: "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Vince Lombardi

So just know that you are not the only one who gets tired and doesn't feel like going to class. Trust me, its very possible and there is always much to be gained. You only live once and you aren't going to get any younger.
 
MisterRay said:
How do you handle eating so early before class? I can't eat within two hours or I feel like it'll come back up when exercising and drilling.
Click to expand...

I just don't eat too much. Usually a handful of raisins, a handful of some nuts, a serving of veggies and a sandwich. Then again I am trying to lose weight so that might not be enough for a lot of people.
 
JH34PG said:
how do you do it?

I'm up everyday at 7am...working hard all day and then jiu jitsu at 7pm...im just so physically and mentally drained lately that my training has sucked...

any suggestions?
Click to expand...

awwwww

i travel for 4 hours a day and work 8 hours a day. just train.
 
I work 40 hours a week and I have a family so that takes a lot of my time. For me I feel better when I train. Being tired does not stop me from going to train because I know when my body warms up I will feel better. My problem is when I miss training because I don't have time to go to class it makes me feel bad. Right now I have an injured knee and I have not been able to train for a month. I feel tired during the day and I am in a bad mood when I get home because I am tired and I feel like an old man. When I train every day, wether it is jiu jitsu, weight lifting or running I feel great all day and I sleep well at night. Don't forget that diet makes a big difference. When I eat lots of fruits and vegetables I feel good but if I eat proccesed sugary food I feel bad the whole day.
 
Try not to think about how tired you will be, make yourself look forward to training all day at work. Make it the greatest part of your day in your mind.
 
I just think about that purple belt. Every day I don't go to the gym and train is an extra day I'll have to wait before I can get it.

A lot of guys here talk shit about people who are motivated by belts, but most days I really love training and if the next belt is a goal that keeps me going on days when I otherwise wouldn't feel like it, what's wrong with that?
 
Its tough. I'm up at about 530 545 a d leave for work around 620. Luckily the school I work at is about 10 Mins away and I work till about 430 go back see my son and wife for an hour or so before I have to make my hour long drive to the academy. I usually shoot for 3 times a wk and I'm drained but its as if once I hit the mats and warm up I wake up. I wish my school was closer but gotta make sacrifices for my training I guess..
 
the_Dark Knight said:
Its tough. I'm up at about 530 545 a d leave for work around 620. Luckily the school I work at is about 10 Mins away and I work till about 430 go back see my son and wife for an hour or so before I have to make my hour long drive to the academy. I usually shoot for 3 times a wk and I'm drained but its as if once I hit the mats and warm up I wake up. I wish my school was closer but gotta make sacrifices for my training I guess..
Click to expand...

Damn, an hour drive? I was debating switching schools when my school moved 25 minutes away.
 
These threads are the reason I'm going to stay in school for a very long time :D
 
Remember those meditation crap that you see in traditional MA? They do work.

People are usually tired from stress and worries, that's what sends a training down the crapper being "tired" has nothing to do with it, its the mental tiredness what screws you up.

Try avoiding caffeine, meditate a few minutes, take deep breaths during work, and when you go to class meditate a little and try to forget everything so you can focus on training.
 
I work construction 10 hour days 6 days a week and still train 5 days a week. Suck it up. up at 4 am to sleep at 10 pm rinse and repeat. focus on not using strength and athleticism just technique. you won't lose the athletic tools you have they will always be there as long as you're in shape. I just focus on going to class and having fun it keeps me going.
 
Coolcatsithe said:
This is also good advice. His mention of just going to the gym even if you don't want to is a damn good thing. You won't improve as much if you don't push yourself, as oppose to not.

I was looking for a good quote for you, I couldn't find it, but it went something like: "Jiu Jitsu has taught me that when I can't go on anymore that I actually can."

That's not even close to it, but I did find this one: "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Vince Lombardi

So just know that you are not the only one who gets tired and doesn't feel like going to class. Trust me, its very possible and there is always much to be gained. You only live once and you aren't going to get any younger.
Click to expand...

The Lombardi quote is a good one, nonetheless. The other side of the coin, also, is that fatigue will make you better as a technician because you can only rely on technique when your strength is gone. Take the good with the bad.
 
I feel your pain, between 5x a week school, 4x a week work it seems like you're gassed before you even step on the mat. If I can't be effective when I'm exhausted and dragging my feet into the gym then I'm doing something wrong. If you can only work under ideal conditions then you're missing something. Plus, its awesome when you're rolling and doing really well when you know the other person had a full sleep and didn't bust his ass for 8-10 hours already that day, its a little bonus for me. Also, meth, 96 hours of straight training and work, no sleep, it should solve all of your problems.
 
You just get used to it eventually. It's more of a mental obstacle than a physical one. Could be that I also have about 8 cups of tea (2 sugars) all day in work, too :icon_chee
 
Well I worked in a factory all summer (student normally)

I hardly used my brain for that, somewhat heavy workload but I felt energized for grappling after work
 
I wake up at 4:30, get to work by 6, off by 2, in lawschool by 2:30, out of lawschool at 7:20, in BJJ at 8, out by 9 (or 10 depending on the day), shower, studying till at least 12. I eat during work, in between work and school, and between school and jits.

I do have one thing in my favor in that my girlfriend trains as well, so I'm not away from her the entire day. Things would be considerably more strained if this wasn't the case.

My advice is just Do it To it. BJJ is one of the highlights of my day (along with seeing my lady), so I'm excited to go, even if I'm dead tired (which I usually am). Eating food usually makes me feel not as shitty. I don't drink caffeine, FYI.

Try to get loads of sleep on the weekend to pay back some of your sleep debt, though this usually does nothing for me during the week. Something else is, be smart about it. Is this a transitionary time in your life, or is this just how it's going to be for 2+ years? If it's the former, lower your training time and accomodate. Sometimes life gets in the way of training. Believe it or not, BJJ will always be there. The large majority of practitioners will never be ADCC champs, and will never make money from BJJ. This means that, occasionally, BJJ is going to have to take a backseat to things that do put food on the table. Maybe train two or three times a week. If this is a long term thing, you're just going to have to learn to deal. It's just a matter of willpower, either way.

In summation:
Franklin said it best. Sleep is for the dead.
 
I work 8-9 hour days in a somewhat physically demanding job, I am an electrical contractor, plus I end up working some weekends. I train 6 days a week. I do 8 sessions of BJJ and 3 weight lifting sessions. For large tournaments I will also do 3 conditioning sessions. Personally I always look forward to going to class and will always feel better after a class, but I do get worn down by the end of the week from time to time.

I think one key to managing work and BJJ is diet, being in good physical condition is another. Also realize that exercise is typically going to make you feel better, not worse.
 
iam up at 5 30 am every morning monday to friday somedays iam off at 12 45 pm so i get home and nap and stuff and have a good night of training but some days i work 3 hours int he afternoon after my first shift which ends at 6 and i go right o bjj at 6 30 when i do that i plan out a nap schedule i eat my lunch and nap for 30 mins then i nap for 20 - 30 mins on my second break it helps .

I am never gonna be the next bjj champ this is my way of staying active so i train 3 days a week if iam tired i dont go it doesnt bother me too much because sometimes your body needs to have a rest if you dont you will injure yourself .

But like my instructor said to me think about how good you will be at a tournament when you have had a good night sleep, when your tired you are physically drained but you if you are still doing good it means your using technique .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,917
Messages
55,455,000
Members
174,786
Latest member
Gladiator47

Share this page

Back
Top