Why Less is More When It Comes to Grappling Training Strategy
Hey gang!
As someone who went from grappling 5-6 days a week to grappling 3 times per week, how did I adjust to the ‘decreased rate of progression’?
Firstly let’s establish why I couldn’t train 5-6 days per week anymore. In the height of my time travelling the world competing I didn’t have any kids, then came one, which was manageable enough… then number two 😂 which alongside other commitments really made me have to think, prioritise and ultimately restructure my approach to training.
Yep, initially it was hard and I felt like my peers were going to be wiping the floor with me, but, after figuring out a few crucial elements I realised that it wasn’t that big a deal! In fact, in my opinion, I feel like I have progressed faster than ever in recent years with this approach – I’m not saying every one would, but if you’re tight on time then take a look at what has helped me drastically👇 (for those with a little more time on your hands, try applying these to your grappling training as well, it’ll help dramatically!)
⬆️ Increased recovery = increased energy per session
🤓 Technical studies = more focused training sessions
🧠 Mindset work = advantage during rounds
🥩 Nutrition focus = better performance, output and recovery
🏋️♀️ Resistance training = stronger than peers, increased performance, less injury (and thus long time-off the mats)
Let me elaborate a touch on each of the above for you 👇
⬆️ Increased Recovery:
This one is simple, because I was on the mats less frequently, I wasn’t ‘A’ getting as much of a beat up body and I would have more time for my body to recover in between sessions, which ‘B’ would in turn allow for me to get the absolute most out of every session. Prior to this, there were many sessions where I would go to each week and only be there in body, not in mind – a wasted session going through the motions.
🤓 Technical Studies:
Following on from the point above, with having less time on the mats, I wanted to make sure I got the absolute most out of each session. When I consciously watch an instructional (not just spam spammy-subs from an instagram feed!), my sessions feel so much more structured and progressive!
🧠 Mindset Work:
By this stage you’ve probably seen athletes across all sports invest heavily in mindset/mindfulness training in order to reach the peak of their performance. This is no difference for anybody training any sport and at any level. Mindset training WORKS! Having more energy from less time on the mats and wanting to get every advantage lead me to focus a lot of energy and time working on my mind – to huge effect!! I can’t say enough about the benefits of this pillar.
🥩 Nutrition Focus:
Alike the above point, you’re not going to be finding many (if any) top tier athletes not looking after their nutrition with a fine tooth comb! Grappling is a high intensity sport, that demands a lot of energy from our body to fuel it, but it also needs to be replenished and rebuilt after all of the hard work. This is where performance nutrition comes into play. Eating well helps me to recover and perform at my best, but also keeps my inflammation levels down, helping to avoid injuries!
🏋️♀️ Resistance Training:
Grappling is a martial art that prioritises the use of technical skills and the application of leverage to manipulate our opponents, often times with a large disparity in size. The smaller guy can beat the bigger guy, just as good old Helio Gracie showed us during the inception of BJJ. But, and a big BUT! This is only the case if skill levels aren’t equal. If you are of equal skill level to your peer, in short, it is quite evident that strength will be the deciding factor on who (the majority of time) will be victorious. Lifting twice a week, doing time-efficient sessions has been crucial to my continued progression on the mats… and guess what? When I was training more BJJ, I was frequently missing my lifting sessions (for long periods of time) due to my lack of energy = more injuries and less strength 😞.
If you’re wondering where to start with your grappling-specific strength training, take a look at our website to find out more about what is on offer to you!
https://www.trainerize.me/profile/impruvgrappling/IMPRUV.Grappling/
https://www.impruvgrappling.com
In the mean time, keep on rolling 🤼♂️ 😉!
Austin
