Hi, *READ FAQ http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/glossary-411218/ AND EDITED TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY* I apologize in advance if my weightlifting terms are incorrect or don't make sense. I am 21 years old and I've been training a form of submission grappling on and off for about 4 years now. I am 5 8" and I used to weigh about 160 pounds but due to my inactivity in martial arts I've gained weight and I am about 180-185 pounds. I've been doing kickboxing or MT for about a year and half before I had to stop due to a scratched cornea that keeps reoccurring (just had a cornea resurfacing surgery for it about a week ago, so any additional advice would be great if this has happened to anyone while training before...) AND... I also had a bad muscular injury in my lower back while doing fireman carries in BJJ class. My back got so bad that it would hurt while running and throwing knees in the clinch or even while playing high guard for subs. I've had to sit out of warmup runs at times and sit out rounds etc. As a result, I've had to stop training and it has been about 6 months. I went to the Doc and I had good news in that it wasn't a spinal injury or anything. He just told me that it was muscular pain and prescribed anti-inflamatory medication (which I haven't used due to side effects) and told me to take it easy on the martial arts and exercise my back lightly to strengthen it. I know this is ridiculous but I never really properly or consistently weight trained up until a few months ago but I feel a lot stronger than I ever have before. For the past 2-3 months I have been weight training fairly consistently, Building up strength in my back and just trying to take it easy for a bit on grappling and MT. I'm finally able to run and rollerblade and basically do cardio again without it hurting like it did before. My current Routines are: Mondays Chest 3X10 BP -150 3X10 Incline BP -120 3X10 Decline -130 3X10 Cable flies 120 (60 pounds each arm) Triceps 3X10 Dips 3X10 Cable Pull Downs with the rope 50pounds 3X10 Skull Crushers 40 pounds Tuesdays: *started about 3 weeks ago* Running 20 mins treadmill and I rollerblade at night for about 30 mins to 45mins Wednesdays Biceps 3X10 Pullups 3X10 Bicep curls with bar wide grip 70 pounds 3X20 dumbell curls with 25 pounds (10 reps each arm) 3X10 curls with cables about 90 pounds then right after each set I drop the weight to 40 and switch the grip from under the bar to over (I am looking at the back my hands as I am doing these ones) and I do about 10 of those...sorry didn't know what to call it...*Read FAQ but I couldn't figure out what to call this* Back 3X10 Rows 100pounds 3X10 Lat pulldowns 90 pounds 3X10 *don't know what it's called* there's a poll on the ground with a 45lbs plate on it and I take a rope or the thing I do my rows with and put it underneath so I can grab it with both my hands. I lean forward with my knees bent and my back pretty much parallel to the ground and I pull the weight in toward my chest. 3X10 deadlifts with 75lbs (I know it's really weak but whatever, I up the weights whenever it gets easy...I started off doing hyperextensions with no weights andthen I switched to doing deadlifts... Thursdays Legs 3X10 Leg Press 150 pounds 3X16 Lunges with 25 pound dumbells in each hand 3X10 Leg curls 90 Pounds 3X10 GHR 80 Pounds Fridays Shoulders 3X10 I basically take a 70 pound bar and grip it with the back of my hands facing me. I am standing while I lift the weight from my hips toward my chin kinda making a T shape with my elbows when I finish. *Same thing I couldn't figure out what exactly to call this also some of the links to the exercises wouldn't work and I couldn't find them from briefly googling* 3X10 shoulder shrugs with 90 pounds 3X10 on cable machine I put the cable so it is at my hips and I keep my arm bent at a 90 degree then I grab the cable and move my arm away from me while keeping the weight at the same level as my hips. *Read the FAQ but I still couldn't find out what to call this* Abs 3X25 sit ups 3X25 Russian twist 3 1 minute platforms 3X20 leg raises As far as supplements go I just take a scope of Glutamine post workouts with my ISO protein shake. Enough with the highly embarrassing workouts and descriptions...I clearly can't lift as well as I could fight but that isn't really saying much either as of late! I am planning on starting to train Jits and MT again in about a month and half or at least at the end of August. I wanted some advice on my lame workout. I also was interested in how you guys incorporate your weight training with your MT and BJJ training because I tried to lift weights and train at the same time and sparring and general BJJ and MT game suffered a great deal due to exhaustion. When I stopped weight lifting while I was training consistently, I was much better in terms of finishing people off in striking or with subs. I plan on training MT and BJJ twice a week, both on the same days because our classes are scheduled one after another 2h BJJ and 1h MT and I also want to train one day of straight BJJ 3H. So that's 3X a week... I am sorry for this LONG AND DREADFUL post but your help and advice would be greatly appreciated both for weight lifting and how some of your guys' schedules are when you are doing MT and BJJ and weightlifting... Basically what I'm trying to get at is: WHAT DO THE WEIGHT-TRAINING SCHEDULES LOOK LIKE FOR PEOPLE WHO TRAIN IN BJJ AND MT? - Lifting NOOB!
READ THE THREAD TITLED 'FAQ' in the main S/P forum somewhere near the top. You need a lot more efficiency and movement integration in your training. Hyperextensions or Glute/Ham raises probably will go a long way in rehabbing your lower back. good luck in your recovery bro...
As far as integrating weight training w/ fighting cutting your volume down to 1/10 of what you're doing will go a long way. The way to do this but to get stronger is to focus on the big compound lifts.
You are a fighter than does a bit of weights, not the other way around. The weights should be as little as necessary to get things done and leave you fresh for your classes.
In order to strengthen your back I would recommend some hyperextensions and reverse hyperextensions. Of course these would be in addition to the routine you chose from the FAQ .
These are the lifts you are doing that are worthwhile. I'd recommend adding squats (alternate front squats and overhead squats to help your back) once you learn good form and learn to properly stretch dynamically. I have no idea what platforms are.
Platforms are actually in the FAQ for bodyweight exercises, they strengthen the core and lower back...people use them for an active rest which is kind of like what I do on my ab days. do you have a link that demonstrates these exercises? I've had a lot of trouble with my form for regular squats which is why I chose to strengthen my back up before adding them in again. But I think my back is finally good enough to try them. Any pictures or demonstrations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I am assuming that you also train in JJ and MT, if you don't mind me asking, what is your weight training routine like in contrast with your martial arts training?
Depending on how serious you are with your fighting you have a few options. Probably the simplest option is to cut your weights back to two days per week focusing on full body movements. Squats, Overhead Squats, Cleans, Deadlifts. But I would only recommend that once your back is recovered from your injuries. It is possible to train both heavy weights and do martial arts training, but bear in mind your martial arts training intencity will suffer slightly. I combat that by dividing my strength phase and my conditioning phase. Check out my log if you want an idea of exactly what I mean.
^ Hey I just skimmed through your log, that is VERY intense. I'd have to train for a long while before I can come close to something like that but your post helped me out a bit. I see people doing cleans all the time at the gym and to be honest I'm a bit intimidated to try them because I am worried that my form would be shit and I'll hurt my self. I'll attempt to do them with really light weights to get my form right maybe like 70 pounds...lol! If I end up doing a two day split, what exercises, out of the ones you've listed above, would you put together on which days and how many reps? thanks for the post, it's nice to hear from a professional fighter who's actually been around the block!
Just do cleans with the bar to start. Nothing wrong with that, and you could just start off with it to disguise it as a warm up.
