Way to combine Max Strength with cardio/endurance?

LoRezzz

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Hey all. First, thanks to all the honest and helpful posters on this forum. I've learned a ton in a short time.

Now for my question.... I train BJJ 2 times per week, 3 if I'm lucky. Generally, rolling leaves me tired so I don't do anything else on those days. So, it leaves me 3-4 "open" days per week for other stuff. I like to have 1 day off per week.

I don't have a lot of time (maybe 1 to 1.5 hours per day). Not surprisingly, it seems the more I do strength, the worse my endurance/cardio becomes, and vice versa.

I suppose I could do two full workouts in one day, but I just don't have the time to spend (work, family, etc.) and honestly, I think I'd just get burned out.

So how would you create your program given my situation? I figure there are three perspectives I've read about in various sources:

1. Already doing BJJ, so just do max strength to complement
2. BJJ is more about technique, so work cardio/endurance
3. Somehow combine or switch off between max strength and cardio/endurance?

I was thinking about maybe like a circuit program with dumbells or a not-so-heavy barbell, but that kind of feels like a tweener that would be a water-down version of both.

What do you think?
 
How long have you been doing jiu-jitsu? How long have you done serious strength training? What is your current programming like and what are your numbers for the major lifts?
 
How long have you been doing jiu-jitsu? How long have you done serious strength training? What is your current programming like and what are your numbers for the major lifts?

Thanks. Blue belt, about a year now. I'm about 195 pounds, maybe about 15% bf.

Due to time constraints, my strength training was a very minimal 5x5 type routine at a commercial gym (3 times per week). No cleans but I did squats, deads, overheads, bench, 1-arm rows (dont like the barbell ones). It's been a few months since I did the 5x5, but if i remember right, my numbers were (for 5 reps) 315 squat and around that much for deads, about 245 bench, 145 overhead, and I think the heaviest dumbell i used was about 100 pounds.

Then I stopped for a while because at times I felt gassed in class and I wanted to experiment. So I did mostly endurance/cardio stuff (which I'm still on) like high rep body weight calisthenics and jogging. I'm sure my strength numbers have gone down but my endurance is better.

Thing is, because we're constantly changing partners in class, it's hard for me to tell (when I get tapped or passed or whatever) whether it was a strength issue, endurance, or what. [edit - technique as well, but that's not really the topic of this post]
 
Two days strength training/one day LISS fit a few weeks, then the other way around for a few, etc
 
Two days strength training/one day LISS fit a few weeks, then the other way around for a few, etc

i think this. swap every 6 weeks say. or if you do a program like 5/3/1 swap each cycle. that way you can maintain one quality and increase others.

That said, your strength sounds good, so focus on cardio to begin with. just try and maintain strength. You could focus on cardio and weight loss and see if you can move down a weight class without serious strength losses
 
I worked 2-day 531 BBB along with training for a 5K; aggressively. My goal was gain some strength and run a 5K in under 20 minutes. I ended up with a 21 minutes 5K and gained some size and strength at the same time.
 
Run 5/3/1 two days a week. Run on the other two days. Damn, I'm a genius!
 
Run 5/3/1 two days a week. Run on the other two days. Damn, I'm a genius!


This, but the more you can roll the better. Obviously you're going to gas out way quicker if you're relying heavily on physicality while rolling. The more experience you have rolling (especially rolling tired) the more you learn to conserve energy.
 
This, but the more you can roll the better. Obviously you're going to gas out way quicker if you're relying heavily on physicality while rolling. The more experience you have rolling (especially rolling tired) the more you learn to conserve energy.

Practicing a sport will make you better at that sport? You don't say?
 
I think the obvious answer is CrossFit.



















































































Problem?
 
BJJ is probably working your LISS pretty well, so my advice would be 531 2 days and some HIIT on another. A similar schedule worked pretty well to increase my cardio and strength when I did BJJ 2x a week.
 
Run 5/3/1 two days a week. Run on the other two days. Damn, I'm a genius!

Love this advice. Been doing that for about a year now. 3 bjj/mma sessions, 5/3/1 2x a week, 2 joel jamison inspired roadwork sessions. I like doing 2x a days twice tho so I have more off days
 
how does this look for a sprint based conditioning program?.....

Track Workouts:

1) 8-10 x 100m sprints (sprint the straights walk the curves)
2) 6 x 200m sprints (walk 200m as rest)
3) 4 x 400m sprints (walk lap as rest)
4) 2 x 800m sprints (walk lap as rest)
5) 1 mile run
6) 3 x 300 yd shuttle runs

Pick 2 days per week to run on that will interfere with your training the least. Wk 1: 1 and 4, Week 2: 2 and 5, Week 3: 3 and 6

i think if this was too much you could sub some the days with say 10x50m + a 200 or something
 
I'm currently doing judo and using Ed Coan's peak program.
 
Two days strength training/one day LISS fit a few weeks, then the other way around for a few, etc


This might work, but to start off with it wouldn't hurt to go at it with an even simpler approach, with just a single day per week where you fit in deads and pressing or squats and pressing, then after a few weeks bump it up to two days. And you don't need the LISS.
 
This might work, but to start off with it wouldn't hurt to go at it with an even simpler approach, with just a single day per week where you fit in deads and pressing or squats and pressing, then after a few weeks bump it up to two days. And you don't need the LISS.

Bullshit. He says he's having cardio issues. LISS work is going to raise his cardiac threshold and aid in recovery. There would be no reason for him to not do LISS work.
 
how does this look for a sprint based conditioning program?.....

Track Workouts:

1) 8-10 x 100m sprints (sprint the straights walk the curves)
2) 6 x 200m sprints (walk 200m as rest)
3) 4 x 400m sprints (walk lap as rest)
4) 2 x 800m sprints (walk lap as rest)
5) 1 mile run
6) 3 x 300 yd shuttle runs

Pick 2 days per week to run on that will interfere with your training the least. Wk 1: 1 and 4, Week 2: 2 and 5, Week 3: 3 and 6

i think if this was too much you could sub some the days with say 10x50m + a 200 or something

Thats a lot of stuff in there.
 
Bullshit. He says he's having cardio issues. LISS work is going to raise his cardiac threshold and aid in recovery. There would be no reason for him to not do LISS work.



He'd be better off improving his cardio through direct training of his sport than doing some gay crosstraining buzzword.
 
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