SS and Jiu Jitsu

[Ulysses Everett McGill]

Background: I'm 40 years old, +250 lbs., new to BJJ/grappling but an old guy in the weight room. When I started BJJ, I decided I needed to train like everyone else off the mat. Conditioning focused, high volume, kettlebells, bodyweight drills, etc. What I discovered over a couple of months was the volume was way too much and my strength, the only real attribute I can bring to grappling as a novice, declined significantly.

Question: I want to get back to basics. I'm starting a lifting program, 2 x week (I roll three days per week) using your very simple template laid out in SS, "Programming" (sqt, bnch, DL) (sqt, MP, PCs). I am going to do some easy running two other days in the week.

Any comments/guidance on how to incoporate SS with BJJ?

Bob

[cervicornis]

The bottom line, it will be very tough to do both. I've been training BJJ for 3-4 years and started SS in November. SS to get stronger, in the hopes that the strength would carry over to my jiu-jitsu (it has).

You have to remember that both activities are best approached from a longterm perspective - a marathon, not a sprint. If you're doing SS as programmed, which is probably a good idea, that means 3 days/week with plenty of rest to recover. I found that I was only able to roll 1 day/week, because I was frankly wiped out most of the time. I'm 34 so not much younger than you. SS just kicked my ass in terms of feeling tired, stiff, etc. If you're doing SS full-bore, it will feel the same as training BJJ 6 days/week.

I don't know what your goals are, but if you want to get stronger, I would suggest that you prioritize SS for at least 3 months, maybe rolling a day, two days max per week. No running whatsoever. Eat lots to sustain your growth. In a few months, you'll be a strong mother f'er and then you can switch it up.

Food for thought - I was rolling with a 185 lb. brown belt today who typically plays very heavy from the top. This is the first time I've rolled with him in about two months. I was able to fight off his attacks and then I literally pressed him up into the air and tossed him off me, and was able to scramble to a better position. No technique really, it was a pure strength move. Never would have been able to do that before.

[Scrofula]

I'm a grappler, trying to balance strength training with my sport. For me, grappling is a priority, and the whole point of the strength work is to give me more options on the mat. This means I can't go all out on SS -- two workouts a week, eating slightly above maintenance.

Since you're new to the sport, one option is to scale back your BJJ, go get strong, and start BJJ in earnest once you're done with SS, with some low volume weight training on the side. If grappling is the higher priority, I think this is a bad idea. Strength will help you on the mat, but it will take a few months of experience to learn the difference between muscling bad technique and using muscle to aid technique (so no, strength is not the most important attribute a novice can bring to the mat). I think you're better off doing what you are now, focusing on your BJJ, with two strength workouts a week. Though the running may not make sense if your practices are intense, with lots of free play.

Strength is just one of many skills that will help your grappling, and rarely a decisive skill among recreational grapplers (because the skill differential is so large).

[BigJavs]

If I were you, I'd probably do 5/3/1 with limited assistance work. That way, you can still make progress, but you don't have to commit to squatting 3 days a week. You can even program 5/3/1 two days a week. You won't make gains as fast as if you committed to SS but you'll get stronger and be able to recover better on days you roll.

I would still get Rip's books so you learn how to do the lifts correctly.

[Scrofula]

I was thinking about 5/3/1 as well, but I figured I might as well do linear progression for as long as possible first, being a novice in the weight room without a meaningful 1RM. Since the OP has more experience, it might make more sense for him.