TFS#29: The Other Half Of Training

Most of us who train Jiu-Jitsu are quite dedicated.

We fully enjoy the process and are always excited to go through the rigorous training schedules.

But are we resting enough?

I know part of the American culture is to “go big or go home.”

But let’s not forget the other side of process here.

Unfortunately…we’re not machines that can operate on a high scale year-round.

Our bodies simply need rest. Both short and long-term rest.

Whether it’s getting enough sleep every night or utilizing rest days throughout the week, our bodies need to stay off the mats.

The best athletes and World Champions all rest.

A good rest schedule should be incorporated into your workout schedule.

It’s what keeps you consistently training and outlast most of your peers.

Why do we need breaks?

This question might seem obvious but let’s be real, if you enjoy Jiu-Jitsu like the rest of the community, it’s hard to get away from the mats.

If you’re feeling over trained or burnt out, it might be time for a rest day.

Something that might creep up on you are small tick-tack injuries.

They may be small enough for you to continue to push through, but make sure you’re monitoring them.

Because usually it’s the small injuries that leads to bigger injuries. (Especially for older folks!)

If you’re currently noticing this, you might need a little vacation away from BJJ.

Take care of your body

Sleep - Most athletes will need 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Balanced diet - I won’t get into this, you can figure out your own diet plan that works for you.

Hydrate - You’d be surprised how much water people are drinking a day…

Breaks - Give your muscles adequate time to recover and rebuild to get stronger.

See a doctor - If you’re sick injured, it’s best to know what’s going on with your body before to know how to deal with it.

Breathwork - Doing breathing drills will help your rolls and overall longevity of your lungs!

How much rest do we need?

If you’re a regular competitor (competing 1-3 times a month), I’d recommend you have 3 hard training sessions per week, 2 drill/flow rolling sessions per week, 1 active recovery session per week, and 1 full rest day per week.

If you’re more of a hobbyist (competing every few months), I’d recommend you have 2 hard training sessions per week, 1-2 drill/flow rolling sessions per week, 1-2 active recovery session per week, and 1-2 full rest day per week.

These are loose recommendations of course.

Ultimately it comes down to how you schedule your training.

But at the end of the week, I would recommend at least 1 active recovery session.

What can we do on rest days?

Stretch, yoga, foam roll - Keeping your body warm and nimble throughout the week is a great way to avoid injuries.

Warmup/solo drills - These will help your body to continue to move without the high impact of regular training.

Herbal teas - Hot teas is a great way to soothe irritated throats for illnesses. Ginger, chamomile, and lavender are great choices for helping to calm the body and ease congestion.

Magnesium baths - These baths will help relieve sore muscles during from hard training sessions. A majority of us are actually magnesium deficient and this can be a nice way to allow your body to absorb additional mineral while you recover.

Resources You Might Like

1. 8 Key Factors On How To Handle Loses
No one likes losing and no one likes losing consistently. These steps will help you avoid the negative feelings of losing and how to maintain focused on your training.

2. Alternatives To This Important BJJ Workout​
Developing good posture for Jiu-Jitsu will help us with various parts of our game, from guard passing to breaking triangles. If you aren’t able to perform this workout, check out these alternatives.

3. Get Proper Rest & Recovery In 3 Ways​
Martial arts like can be intense and exhausting on the body. BJJ requires the whole body to physically dominate an opponent. With this, it is expected to sometimes feel beat down after a hard training session.

4. Get A Grip Of Fortitude Gi’s With Unique Urban Design​
Check out the latest drop from Autore’s unique Fortitude line of Gi’s. Just this weekend, take advantage of the 30% off store wide Black Friday Sale.

5. Learn How Not To Allow Your Ego To Get You Injured​
Give this podcast episode titled “Ego and injuries” a listen on your next commute. We don’t want either of those in our training.

Closing Thought

Don’t neglect rest, build it into your schedule.

Most upper belts I talk to at the gym will tell me they benefit from taking at least one day off from any training.

Sleep is a non-negotiable, our bodies and mind need it to stay sharp.

Your goal here isn’t to get in as many training sessions in a week, it’s to get in as many training sessions over your life time.