Training Twice a Day and Mental Focus

[daninnashville]

Hello,

I have a question after searching for this topic here and would appreciate some suggestions. I'll make a long story very short. I suffered a neck injury years ago and was really afraid of sparring at full strength. I drilled technique for months and months and even competed a couple of times in 2007. (2 stripe white btw....) After some conditioning and training I'm now finally sparring at full strength, every class for multiple rounds. It feels really good. I'm competing the next couple of weekends and really trying to push myself as far as I can go.

I know that really serious BJJ players train twice a day many days per week. I have started to go to two classes a day as my work schedule permits. I'm doing outside cardio as well, drinking lots of water, watching the diet and of course lots of stretching. I also realize that it will get easier the more you train. I'm so glad to finally be sparring because I know it's where I will really learn the most. However, I just seem to fall apart at the end of the second class. I'm just dog tired and just don't have the focus to defend my opponent's attacks. In reality I know I can do these things. I want to get in the best shape possible as I love the sport. But by the end of the day I'm just gassed especially when we're rolling. So my questions are...

How many of you do two-a-days and did you have to work up to it?

How do you maintain your mental stamina/focus/gameplan when you are exhausted?

Is there any drawback to training a LOT? Can it hurt your technique if you start developing bad habits?


Thank you for your suggestions. I have a great teacher and great partners and just want to go as far as possible.

Dan

 

[Afrofeet]

hmm..I trained twice a day for 2 weeks. Yeah it was very hard but I find it easier if I sleep more and morning training was just rolling, no conditioning/strenght workouts. If I do that in the morning I would be dead at evening.

 

[2x2x2x]

Obviously your situation is a little different because you have an injury, so above all else I would say trust your body if it is hurting let it rest.

However, under normal circumstances I would say you can train your mind the same way you can train your body. The only way you can reach higher levels of conditioning is if you push yourself harder and further in practices when you are physically drained. My college coach who was one of the best wrestlers in the world always said that he would try to get himself as tired as he could as fast as he could every practice. That way when you are tired you are forced to focus on the details such as staying in good position and executing the moves properly.

So I would say do not focus on pacing yourself, if you get tired pick out a specific detail to focus on. Also challenge yourself, say "I am too mentally tough to break" and just keep going hard as as you can for as long as you can while trying to execute all your techniques properly.

 

[Playa4layer]

I train 3 times a day - 7 days a week..

You got to just jump right god damn into it.. gots to be pissed off..


and I am fucking pissed

 

[daninnashville]

Good points. I am definitely working on it.

Thanks...keep the suggestions coming!

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

I train 3 times a day - 7 days a week..

You got to just jump right god damn into it.. gots to be pissed off..


and I am fucking pissed

I train 7 times a day 3 times a week, so nananana!

 

[dinpappa]

eat, drink and rest alot

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

Obviously your situation is a little different because you have an injury, so above all else I would say trust your body if it is hurting let it rest.

However, under normal circumstances I would say you can train your mind the same way you can train your body. The only way you can reach higher levels of conditioning is if you push yourself harder and further in practices when you are physically drained. My college coach who was one of the best wrestlers in the world always said that he would try to get himself as tired as he could as fast as he could every practice. That way when you are tired you are forced to focus on the details such as staying in good position and executing the moves properly.

So I would say do not focus on pacing yourself, if you get tired pick out a specific detail to focus on. Also challenge yourself, say "I am too mentally tough to break" and just keep going hard as as you can for as long as you can while trying to execute all your techniques properly.

This is good advice. You got to work up to 2 a days too. You don't want to burn youself out initially. There are weeks that you want to quit jiu-jitsu. Perserverence is imporant through those tough times. However, you need to listen to your body as well. You don't want to get injured again.

That said, you should be dead by the end of the second practice. The point is that if the first practice isn't working you hard enough, then you do the second one. At least that's my theory.

 

[BCarr]

Yeah....6 years ago, I was training 4 times a day (two sessions in the gym and 2 jiu jitsu). Nowadays....once is good for me. I tried to do a twice a day a few weeks ago and it killed me...spent 2 days on Pedialyte, but it felt great.
I know I could work my way back to it, but with work, I could not keep it consistent.

Like Frodo said, you should be dead by the end of your second class, so you're left to focus on one or two key aspects of your game. The end of that second session shouldn't be gassing out while sparring, but back to drilling what you feel you may need from sparring...a good cool down.

And don't forget your best friends....a jacuzzi, Pedialyte, and a good woman.

 

[Rowan11088]

Eat more. Many people seem to think that eating healthier, or "dieting", goes along with training hard...this is only true to an extent. Training hard twice a day drastically raises your calorie requirements, and I'd bet you're gassing out because you're running out of fuel. Try 3 things:

1. A high carb snack an hour before every practice, like a bagel, cereal, etc. IN ADDITION to what you're eating now. Ditto for something sugary after practice.

2. Drink gatorade right before and during practice. If you want you can mix it with equal parts water. An alternative is to use those power-gels, which are just pure glucose.

3. After your 2nd practice, eat a big dinner, and then snack until an hour before bed. Allow yourself to eat what you feel like, your body will crave certain nutrients as well as high-calorie foods like fats.

If you start to gain weight doing this, then it's OK to cut out some of the before-bed stuff, but I bet you'll be surprised how much you really need to eat. Right now your body is just consuming itself during your 2nd practice, since you're denying it proper energy.

 

[BCarr]

Great point! Rowan is really in tune with the dietary needs aspect.

I should've mentioned that, when I was training that much, I was eating 6 meals a day, totalling roughly 3300 calories.

 

[Meegle818]

What kind of neck injury did you obtain? How long ago?

I'm asking cause I broke my neck years ago and I

 

[daninnashville]

Thanks again for the responses. Very helpful. I will definitely consider some of the dietary issues. I'm not really obsessive about my weight (5'9", 205...stocky but in good shape...I've lost 90lbs over the last six years)

In regards to my neck...the injury was actually a long time ago. I was in a car accident in 1995. I broke my neck in three places and had a spinal fusion (C-1, C-2) and I have spent the last two years really learning to do things over my shoulders and I avoid getting stacked and whatnot. If I have to stop...I stop. All my training partners know about my neck and are very respectful. Being so new to sparring I have some bad habits adn am trying to relax and really hone in on the techniques.

Thanks again all...this is very helpful.

Dan

 

[Meegle818]

Thanks again for the responses. Very helpful. I will definitely consider some of the dietary issues. I'm not really obsessive about my weight (5'9", 205...stocky but in good shape...I've lost 90lbs over the last six years)

In regards to my neck...the injury was actually a long time ago. I was in a car accident in 1995. I broke my neck in three places and had a spinal fusion (C-1, C-2) and I have spent the last two years really learning to do things over my shoulders and I avoid getting stacked and whatnot. If I have to stop...I stop. All my training partners know about my neck and are very respectful. Being so new to sparring I have some bad habits adn am trying to relax and really hone in on the techniques.

Thanks again all...this is very helpful.

Dan

i'm somewhat in the same boat. I broke my neck but didn't fuse anything (halo brace for 3 months). Just take it easy and be careful, thats all anyone can tell you to do. My whole family thinks i'm crazy for doing BJJ after a broken a neck i'm doing everything i can to prevent damage and thats all anyone can really do. Good luck to you brotha

 

[Rowan11088]

Wow, BJJers with broken necks? Respect to you guys I don't know if I would continue with it if that happened to me...my neck already gets cranky after every practice.

 

[Q mystic]

Hello,

I have a question after searching for this topic here and would appreciate some suggestions. I'll make a long story very short. I suffered a neck injury years ago and was really afraid of sparring at full strength. I drilled technique for months and months and even competed a couple of times in 2007. (2 stripe white btw....) After some conditioning and training I'm now finally sparring at full strength, every class for multiple rounds. It feels really good. I'm competing the next couple of weekends and really trying to push myself as far as I can go.

I know that really serious BJJ players train twice a day many days per week. I have started to go to two classes a day as my work schedule permits. I'm doing outside cardio as well, drinking lots of water, watching the diet and of course lots of stretching. I also realize that it will get easier the more you train. I'm so glad to finally be sparring because I know it's where I will really learn the most. However, I just seem to fall apart at the end of the second class. I'm just dog tired and just don't have the focus to defend my opponent's attacks. In reality I know I can do these things. I want to get in the best shape possible as I love the sport. But by the end of the day I'm just gassed especially when we're rolling. So my questions are...

How many of you do two-a-days and did you have to work up to it?

How do you maintain your mental stamina/focus/gameplan when you are exhausted?

Is there any drawback to training a LOT? Can it hurt your technique if you start developing bad habits?


Thank you for your suggestions. I have a great teacher and great partners and just want to go as far as possible.

Dan

2 a days arent 'hammering' 2 classes/day all year around tho. They are usually very technical varied with cardio or power classes with drills and reasonable fighting and then taper those to fine tech at speed as comp comes close. If no comp, work tech to endurance, come closer to comp change to drills and fighting, just before comp go to high speed tech.

Going to heavy too fast can rob you of your possible potential.


Usually you might go once a day and then as you do better in comp the situations around you will modify your program to a better program. You go too fast in excitement and by the time you compete you might be burnt out. If you lose after all that hard work you might be distraught from thinking you can do better.

Go to your bjj to just focus on tech and train outside it for your fitness. As comp comes close go harder at bjj and drop back the fitness....other wise if your going to go hard at class, go 1 a day at most till someone shows you to a better way. Its less stressful to boot.

Sry..lol...that sounded pessimistic but once everyday is impressive till you got a given gameplan.