Jiu-Jitsu Physical Prep Manual

TableofContents
2-ForewordbyRomuloBarral 30-AccessoryStrengthMovements
3-Testimonials Shoulders
5-OverviewofPhysicalDemandsofBJJ Neck
6-FiveTrainingTips,MythsandGuidelines Traps
9-PreTrainingPeriod(Warmups) Arms
Abdominals LowBack/Hamstrings
JointCircles BackExtensionSeries
PartnerStretches 33-EnergySystemTraining
SpeciPicMovements TempoRuns
Speed/PowerDrills TempoThrows
LowAmplitudeJumping AerobicCircuits
MedballMobility LacticCircuits
13-Speed/PowerWork 38-SampleTrainingPlanforBlue/PurpleBelts
Sprinting 53-SampleTrainingPlanforBrown/BlackBelts
Jumping 73-NutritionalGuidelines
ExplosiveMedicineBallThrows ProgramPillars
MedicineBallRebounds MacronutrientOverview
ExplosivePushups ExerciseMetabolism
22-SpecialStrengthExercises PreFightNutrition
25-MaximalStrengthDevelopment 7DayFightPrepPlan
LowerBody PostWeighInNutrition
UpperBodyPull Supplements
UpperBodyPush References
TosaythatJiu-Jitsuhasbeenapartofmylifeforthepast12yearswouldbeanunderstatement,
Jiu-Jitsuismylife.IhavesacriPicedmyyouth,mybody,timewithmyfamilyandPinancesinmypursuit
ofbeingthegreatestjiu-jitsucompetitorpossible.
Iknowifthereisonethingthathassetmeapartfrommycompetitionandallowedmeto
achievethesuccessIhave(7WorldChampionship,6Gi,1No-Gi)ithasbeenmydesire.Notadesireto
compete,everyonelovestocompete,butadesiretoprepare.Tournamentsareatimetohavefun,but
thatisnotthedayyoubecomeachampion,youbecomeachampionintheweeks,monthsandyears
leadinguptothatcompetition.Itissimple,whoevertrainsharderwillwinmore,simpletosayatleast.
Winningisabyproductofgreatpreparation.
Inlate2009,IPirstbecameawareofChadSmithandJuggernautTrainingSystems.Hewas
trainingseveralguysItrainedwithanditquicklybecameapparentthatwhattheyweredoingwas
working.IknewafterhavingACLsurgeryfromaninjurysufferedatthe2010Mundials,thatIneededto
seekoutChadtohelpmecomebackstrongerthanIwasbefore.Chadsknowledgeandattentionto
detailhelpedmefullyrecoverforthe2011AbuDhabiProand2011Mundials.Thetrainingchallenged
melikeIhadneverbeenchallengedbefore,IknewthatwinorloseIhaddoneeverythinginmypower
toprepare.NotonlywasJuggernautagreatbenePittomeinrehabbingmykneeandpreparingmyselfto
competeagain,theyalsohelpedmystudentFelipePenatransformhisbodyandwinthe2011World
AbsoluteChampionshipasapurplebelt.
Thisbookisagreatresourcetoanyonelookingtoimprovetheirjiu-jitsuoranykindof
grappling.Thetrainingiswellorganized,effective,challengingandfun.Chadunderstandswhatis
necessarytobestprepareyourbodyforsuccessandIwouldurgeanyonewhoisseriousaboutbeing
thebesttheycanbetostudythisbookandapplyitsprinciples.
Chadtoldmeaquotethatsumsuptheattitudeyoumusthavetobecomethebest
Itraineverydayofmylifeastheyhavenevertrainedadayintheirs.-AlexanderKarelin,Russian
OlympicChampionWrestler
BoaSorte,
RomuloBarral
7xJiuJitsuWorldChampion
2
WhattopJiuJitsuathletesandcoachesaresayingaboutJuggernaut
"IwasthePirstJiuJitsuPightertotrainatJuggernautandwithinafewweeksofbeginning,ourgroupgrew
withotherblackbeltsbecausetheyallsawhowmuchofadifferencetherewasinmyphysique,strength
andconditioning.IhadneverhadsomuchconPidencesteppingonthematasIdidduringmytimewith
Juggernaut-FabioGigantinhoVillela,HeadProfessorGracieBarraNorthAustin,WorldNoGiChampion
(BrownBelt),PanAmChampion,AmericanNationalChampion2x
WhenyoureachthetoplevelofJiuJitsu,blackbelt,everyoneisskilled,soitisyourphysicalabilitiesthat
willseparateyoufromyourcompetitors.
TrainingatJuggernaut,mystrength,
speed,powerandendurancereachnew
levels,andIalwaysfeltconPidenttopush
thepaceagainstmyopponentwithout
fearofgettingtired.Thetrainingistough
andmakesyouhateChadwhileyoure
doingit,butyoulovehimwhenyouget
onthematinatournament.-Fabiana
Borges,PanAmericanChampion2x,NoGi
PanAmChampion,2
nd
PlaceWorld
Championships
Ibelievethatwhenyoureachthelevelofblack
belteveryoneknowsthetechniquesandsurely
oneofthefactorsthatwillmakethedifference
isyourcondition.OnceIstartedtrainingat
JuggernautmyJiujitsuchanged,Idonotget
tiredeasily,myrecoveryisveryfast,mybodyis
muchstrongerandevenimprovedmy
psychology.Ibelievethatthedifferenceinjiu
jitsu.-RodrigoSimoes,HeadProfessorGracie
BarraManhattanBeach,AmericanNationalChampion
3
Juggernauthelpedmereachanewlevelinmyjiujitsu,WorldChampion.InthethreemonthsItrainedat
Juggernautleadinguptothe2011Mundials,mybodyunderwentatransformation.EverythingIdid
becamestronger,andmybodybecamemuchmoredurable.BeforetrainingatJuggernautIwouldhave
beenconsideredanunderdogatWorlds,butbecauseofthewellplannedandintensetraining,Iwasable
towinmyweightclassandcapturethetitleintheopenweightdivision.-FelipeCarasdalePena,2011
OpenWeightWorldChampion(PurpleBelt),2011PanAmChampion
Everyaspectofmyphysicalskillsimproved
trainingatJuggernaut.Mypower,speed,
endurance,gripstrengthandmental
toughnessallreachednewlevels.Ifyouare
seriousaboutcompetingattheworldlevel,
youneedtobeseriousaboutyourphysical
preparationandJuggernautisthebest
placetoPindtheserioustraining
informationyouneed.-PhilipeDella
Monica,HeadProfessorGracieBarra
LagunaNiguel,EuropeanChampion,
MedalistatMundials,PanAms,AmericanandBrazilianNationals
4
BrazilianJiu-Jitsupresentsauniquesetofphysicaldemandstoitspractitioners.Theparamounttrait
neededtobeasuccessfulBJJcompetitoristechnique,withouttechnique,allthestrengthandpowerinthe
worldismeaningless;becauseofthisitiscriticalthattheathletestrainingprogramallowsthemthe
developtheirtechnicalandphysicalskillsharmoniously.Astheathletedevelopstheirtechnicalbase,they
mustalsoimprovetheir
Relativestrength-Strengthcomparedtobodyweightisthecontrollingfactorofallother
physicalqualities.Thestrongeryouarecomparedtoyourbodyweight,themovepowerful
everymuscularcontractionandhencemovementyoumakewillbe.Particularlyinaweight
classcontrolledenvironmentitisimperativethattheathleteisasstrongaspossibleattheir
givenbodyweight.
Explosivepower-Theabilitytorapidlygenerateforceiskeytoeverytakedown,sweep,
throwandanyothermovewhichrequirestoyourapidlyovercomeyouropponentsweight.
SpeciPicenergysystemcapacities-Anygreatcompetitormustbeabletogothedistancein
anymatchortournament.JiuJitsuhasaspeciPicsetofconditioningrequirements,covering
theanaerobic-alactic,anaerobic-lacticandaerobicenergysystems.Eachofthesemustbe
addressedinaspeciPicmannerformaximumresults.Simplyrunning5milesafewtimes
perweekisntsufPicienttobeabletostillmovepowerfully9minutesintoachampionship
match.Notonlywillthistypeoflongdistancetrainingnotproperlyprepareyoubeatyour
bestthroughlongstrenuousmatches,italsowilldetractfromyourmaximalstrengthand
powerdevelopment,aswellasplacingunduestressonyourjoints.
Specialstrength-Asanathleteimprovestheirtechnicalabilitiesandrisestowardsthetopof
thecompetitivePield,inthiscaseBlackBelts,thenumberofmeansthatcanbeusedto
improvedtheirsportperformancebecomesmuchmorespeciPic.Forhigherlevel
competitors,adding10poundstoyourdeadliftor2toyourstandingbroadjump,willnot
yieldsportingimprovementsthesamewaythattheywouldforawhiteorbluebelt.For
maximumtrainingeffectyoumustbeabletoanalyzespeciPicpartsofthemovementsin
yoursport,measurethem(intime,forceoutput,etc)andimprovethosetraits.Thistypeof
trainingisbeyondthescopeofthisbook,andforthatmatteranytext,butwewillprovide
youwithstartingpointstobegincriticallythinkingaboutyourtrainingandwaystodevelop
specialstrength.WearealsoavailableforprogramdesignthroughJTSstrength.com
5
HereareFiveTrainingTips,MythsandGuidelinesthatJuggernautathletesknowandyouneedtoknowto
becomeanightmareonthemat.
1. ImproveYourMaximalStrengthandEverythingImproves-Increasingyourmaximalstrengthwill
haveapositivebenePitonyourjumping,sprinting,pushingpowerandconditioning.JiuJitsuhasa
largeisometric(static/holdingstrength)componenttoitandeventhoughitdoesntinvolve
movement,holdinganopponentinyourguardortryingtolockinasubmission,whichcantake
minutes,greatlytaxesthebody.Thestrongertheathleteis,thelowerpercentageoftheirmaximal
strengththeymustexerttocompletethesamemove.Inotherwordsofoneathleteis2xasstrong
astheother,thatathletewillonlyneedtouse50%asmuchenergytoexecutethesamemaneuver.
Asthehighlyrespected(andveryquotable)coachMarkRippetoeoncesaid,Strongpeopleare
hardertokillthanweakpeople.Whichonewouldyouratherbe?
2. EverythingYouDoisaStresstotheSystem-Peopleoftenmakethemistakeoflookingattheirsport
practice(JiuJitsutraining)andphysicaltraining(lifting,conditioning,etc)asseparateentities.
Whycreateaperiodizedplanforyourlifting,jumping,andsprinting,butnotyourBJJtraining?
Theyarebothstressorstothebodyandneedtobemanagedproperlytoreachaphysicalpeak.To
goanotherstepfurther,youalsomustconsiderstressesthatyourjob,relationshipsandhobbys
placeonyou.Ifallthesestressorsarenotconsideredifisveryeasyforanathletetoexperience
CentralNervousSystemfatigueandovertraining,anissuethatiscommonamongcombatathletes.
CharlieFrancis,consideredbymanytobethegreatestsprintcoachofalltime,likenedtheCNStoa
cup.AcuphasaPixedamountofliquidthatitcanhold,anallthetrainingyoudoPillsitupto
variousdegrees.Themoredemandingthetraining,themoregoesinthecup.Thestressesoflife,
suchasworkorproblemswithasigniPicantother,willalsoPillupyourcup,solearntomanage
stress.IfthecupoverPlows,itisalengthyprocesstorecoverfrom.
6
HereareFiveTrainingTips,MythsandGuidelinesthatJuggernautathletesknowandyouneedtoknowto
becomeanightmareonthemat.
1. ImproveYourMaximalStrengthandEverythingImproves-Increasingyourmaximalstrengthwill
haveapositivebenePitonyourjumping,sprinting,pushingpowerandconditioning.JiuJitsuhasa
largeisometric(static/holdingstrength)componenttoitandeventhoughitdoesntinvolve
movement,holdinganopponentinyourguardortryingtolockinasubmission,whichcantake
minutes,greatlytaxesthebody.Thestrongertheathleteis,thelowerpercentageoftheirmaximal
strengththeymustexerttocompletethesamemove.Inotherwordsofoneathleteis2xasstrong
astheother,thatathletewillonlyneedtouse50%asmuchenergytoexecutethesamemaneuver.
Asthehighlyrespected(andveryquotable)coachMarkRippetoeoncesaid,Strongpeopleare
hardertokillthanweakpeople.Whichonewouldyouratherbe?
2. EverythingYouDoisaStresstotheSystem-Peopleoftenmakethemistakeoflookingattheirsport
practice(JiuJitsutraining)andphysicaltraining(lifting,conditioning,etc)asseparateentities.
Whycreateaperiodizedplanforyourlifting,jumping,andsprinting,butnotyourBJJtraining?
Theyarebothstressorstothebodyandneedtobemanagedproperlytoreachaphysicalpeak.To
goanotherstepfurther,youalsomustconsiderstressesthatyourjob,relationshipsandhobbys
placeonyou.Ifallthesestressorsarenotconsideredifisveryeasyforanathletetoexperience
CentralNervousSystemfatigueandovertraining,anissuethatiscommonamongcombatathletes.
CharlieFrancis,consideredbymanytobethegreatestsprintcoachofalltime,likenedtheCNStoa
cup.AcuphasaPixedamountofliquidthatitcanhold,anallthetrainingyoudoPillsitupto
variousdegrees.Themoredemandingthetraining,themoregoesinthecup.Thestressesoflife,
suchasworkorproblemswithasigniPicantother,willalsoPillupyourcup,solearntomanage
stress.IfthecupoverPlows,itisalengthyprocesstorecoverfrom.
7
3. CircuitTrainingShouldBeTheBasisofYourPhysicalPreparation(Myth)-Theinternetisagreat
thingandfulloflotsofvaluabletraininginformation,butitisalsotheculpritofperpetuatingthe
myththatallPightersneedtobenearlypassingoutfromgruelingcircuittraining.Nowwe
certainlyusecircuitstohelpconditionourathletes,buttheycomprisenomorethan1dayper
weekofourtraining,or10-15minutesofworktowardstheendofothersessions.Youare
beatingyourbodyupenoughthroughnumerousweeklysessionsonthemat,somakesureyou
arelimitingyourcircuitworkto1-3circuitsperweekandknowthatyoushouldbewalking
awayfromyourcircuitfeelingtiredbutstrongandreadytodoanotherafterafewminutes.
Athletesmustbegintounderstandthathardworkandqualityworkarentoneinthesameand
thatyoudonthavetocrawloutofthegymeverydaytoimprove.Performingextremelyintense
circuitsthatcauseyoutobecomeverysoreareagreatwaytoPillupyourCNScupfastand
overtrain.Forexample,Olympicsprinters,thefastestandmostexplosiveathletesintheworld,
havetrainingthatislargelycomprisedofsprintswithfullrecoveries(eg.5-6minutesaftera
60msprint).Theyareimprovingbecauseoftheirqualityoftheirwork,notbecauseitisdifPicult
tocompleteorhasthemvomitingonaregularbasis.
4.KnowWhatWorksForYou-Manyathletes,particularlyyoungorinexperiencedones,oftenlose
sightofthis.TheywanttoemulatewhatthetopintheirPielddo,butdonotunderstandthatthey
aredoingprogramsthataresuitedwelltothem.Youmustdevelopandintuitionaboutand
connectiontoyourtrainingtotrulymakeityourownandmakeiteffective.Whilethisbookwill
provideexercises,sets,reps,timesandmoreinformationaboutyourtraining,youmustPigureout
whatpartsofthatarethemosteffectiveforyouandbuildfromthere.
ThegreatOlympicliftingchampion,VasliyAlexeyev,oftentalkedabouthowpeoplewouldoften
askwhatprogramhefollowedsotheycouldfollowitto,buthewouldnottellthem.Hedidntdo
thistobesecretiveortowithholdinformation,butratherhewouldtellthemthattheycannotdo
HISprogram,theymustdoTHEIRprogram.Evenifithappenedthatalltheirsets,reps,intensities,
etcwerethesame,itwasimperativethattheyunderstandtheprogramforthemselves.
SowhileitmaybevaluableforyoutoknowthetrainingprogramofgreatcompetitorslikeRoger
Gracie,RomuloBarralorRodolfoVierra,itisimperativethatyouunderstandthattheydowhat
theydobecauseitiswhatworksbestforthemandyoumustPindoutwhatworksforyou.Learnto
enjoythejourneyoftraining,notjustthedestination.
8
5. BeaProfessional-Beingprofessionalisntaboutgettingpaidmillionsofdollarstopracticeyour
disciplineofchoice,itisaboutdoingthelittlethingsrightandtrulybeingcommittedtoyour
craft.IPirmlybelievethereisadifferencebetweensomeonewhopracticesacraftorsomeone
whoisapractitionerofit.Thereisagreatdifferencebetweenpeoplewhotrainjiujitsuand
casuallycompeteintournamentsandsomeonewhoistrulyinvestedintheirsuccessasajiu
jitsucompetitor.TobeatrueJiuJitsuathleteyoumustbewillingtosacriPiceofyourtime,social
life,money,oranythingelsethatmaystandinthewayofyourgoals.Youneedtobewillingto
sacriPicetimetodoextratrainingandrecoverywork,tomakesureyourbodyispreparedto
performatthehighestlevel.Youmustbewillingtopassongoingtothebarswithyourfriends,
becauseyouknowanightofdrunkendebaucherywillholdyoubackonthematsthenextday.
YoumustbewillingtoputyourPinancestowardsbetterfood,softtissue/chiropracticwork,
seminarsandotherthingsthatwillcontributetoyoursuccess,insteadoffancyclothes,cars,or
otherunimportantmaterialitems.
Seven-timeWorldChampion,RomuloBarral,istheultimatecompetitorandknowsthatoutworkingyour
opponentineveryfacetofJiuJitsu,technical,tacticalandphysical,istheonlywaytoguaranteesuccess.
9
TheTraining
PreTrainingPeriod
ThePreTrainingperiodservesmultiplefunctions1)Preparethebodyfortheupcomingsession,
2)Improvegeneralmovementskillsinalowamplitude/extensiveenvironment,3)Evaluatemovement
mechanicsandpatterns,4)Prehabilitateinjuries.Aproperlystructuredpre-trainingperiodwillcoverall
oftheseareas.Pre-trainingshouldalsobeorganizedinageneraltospeciPicmanner,wherethelastdrills
performedwillmostcloselymimicthosethatwillbeginthetrainingsession.AtJuggernautwedivideour
pre-trainingperiodinto3mainphases,1)General,2)SpeciPic,3)PowerandSpeed.Themajorityofthe
pre-trainingperiodcanandshouldbedonebarefooted,providedthatyouandinacontrolled
environmentandwonthaveanythinghazardoustoyourfeetinthearea.
General
Thegeneralpretrainingperiodshouldservetoincreasetheathletescoretemperature.Itis
importantthatthisisdoneinamannerwhichhastheleastimpactontherestofthetrainingsession,
meaningthatyoudontwanttodiminishtheathletesabilitytoperformtheirtrainingforthedaywithtoo
muchworkduringthepre-trainingperiod.Agoodwaytohelpincreasetheathletescoretemperature
andgetalightsweatgoinginapassivemanner,istowearsweatsduringthistime.Herearesomeeasy
waystotakecareofthegeneralperiodinalowcostmanner.Increasingtherangeofmotionofthejoints
isalsoacriticalaspectofthegeneralperiod.
LowAmplitudeAbdominalTraining
InandOuts
MovingSidePlanks-Makesuretokeepthebodyinastraightline.Dontletthehipsmoveforwards
orbackwardsandkeepaneutralanglewithyourhead.
McGillSitups-Focusonmaintaininganeutralspineandpushtheforeheadtowardsthesky.
Remembertosupportthelowbackbyputtingyourhandsunderyourbutt.
MovingFrontPlanks
10
JointMobility-Emphasizeasmooth,controlledmovement,throughanaturalrangeofmotion.Dontforce
thepositions
NeckCircles
ShoulderRolls
ArmCircles-Palmsupwhengoingbackwards
PNFPatterns-Makesurethetophandhasthepalmtotheskyandbottompalmisfacing
backwards
ElbowCircles
HipCircles
GoodMornings-Bigchest,pushyourhipsbackwards.
TrunkCircles
HurdlerCircles-Makesuretoachievefullextensionthroughtheankleandkneeofthelegthatis
ontheground.
IYTs-Focusingonpullingtheshoulderbladesdownandback,squeezingthemtogetherashardas
possible
PNFPartnerStretches
Therearemanycoacheswhoarecriticalofstaticstretchingpriortoatrainingsession.PNF
Partnerstretchesthougharenotstatic,theyinvolveanisometriccontractionandareagreatwayto
increasethetemperatureofagivenmuscle
Hamstrings-Oncetheendoftheathletesrangeofmotiontheywillpushthelegagainsttheir
partnerfor3-5seconds,thenthestretchisreleasedandreset.Thisisrepeatedfor3-5more
rounds.
Prioformis-Thesameprocedureasthehamstringstretchisused.
Quad/HipFlexor-Thepartnerneedstomakesuretousetheirweighttopulluponthekneeand
backonthefoot.Oncetheendoftherangeofmotionisreached,theathletewillpulltheirknee
downandfoottowardstheground,whilethepartnerlightlyresists,butdoesnotstoptheir
motion.
11
SpeciPic
ThespecifcperiodofthewarmupistoaddressmovementpatternsthataremorespeciPictothe
sportofJiuJitsu.Thesemovementsincludeanimalcrawlsandgymnasticandtumblingexercises.
Inchworms
SpiderCrawls
CrabWalks
PushupCrossovers
Cartwheels
SpeedandPowerWarmup
ThePinalportionofthepre-trainingperiodshouldbededicatedtowarddevelopingproper
mechanicsforspeedandpowermovementssuchassprinting,jumpingandmedicineballthrows.Ifyou
donothaveadequatetechniqueintheseexercises,yourpositivetrainingeffectswillbelimitedbecause
yourforceoutputwillbediminishedduetoimpropertechnicalskills.Allofthespeedandpowerperiod
shouldhaveonanemphasisonrelaxedandrhythmicmovments.
RunningSeries-Thisshouldbeperformedpriortoanysprintingsessionfor2-3setsof10yardsper
HighKneeMarch-Kneeup,toeupandfullextensionthroughthedownleg.
Ankling-Toeupandforcefullypullthelegunderyou.
HighKneeSkip-Smooth,rhythmicalmovementsshouldbeemphasized.Achievefullextension
throughthedownleg.
Buttkickers-Focusonaquickturnover.
12
HighKneeRun-Donotoverlifttheknee,asthisoftenimpedesfullextensionofthedownleg.
Maintainagoodchintopocketarmactionthroughalldrills.
LowAmplitudeJumping-Thiscanbedonepriortosprintorjumptraining,orboth
RollingHops-Silentlandingsandasmoothtransitionfromjumptojumpmustbethepriority.
RollingDiagonalHops-Maintainthesamewidthbaseofsupportthroughoutallthejumps.
Continuetoemphasizesoftlandingsandsmooth,quicktransitionsfromjumptojump.
RollingSingleLegHops-Lateralmovementneedstobethepriorityhere.Makesurethatyouare
coveringthesameamountofdistanceoneveryjump.
MedballMobility-Thisshouldbedonepriortoallmedicineballthrowtrainingandcanalsobeusedasa
generalwarmupbeforeupperorlowerbodysessions.Theseexercisesareagreatevaluatorandbuilder
ofshouldermobilityandstrength.
ProneHalos-Createasbigacirclearoundtheheadaspossiblewhilekeepingthearms,chestand
legsoffoftheground.
ProneStraightArmRaises-Squeezetheupperbacktogethertolifttheballashighofftheground
aspossiblewhilemaintainingnearlystraightarms.Donotlettheballtouchthegroundonthe
waydown.
SupineStraightArmPullovers-Keepthearmsstraightandpulltheballthroughafullrangeof
motioninaslowandcontrolledmanner.
GluteBridges-Squeezetheballbetweenyourknees,drivetheheelsintothegroundtobridgeyour
hipstowardstheceiling,squeezetheglutesfora1countatthetopofthemovement.
StandingStraightArmChops-SimilartotheSupineStraightArmPulloverbutdonestanding.
13
Squats-Holdtheballstraightinfrontwhileperformingsquats,pushthehipsbackandkeepyour
weightonyourheels.
FullSwings-MaintainaPlatbackpositionwhileswingingtheballfromstraightabovetheheadto
downbetweentheknees.
DiagonalChops-MaintainaPlatbackpositionwhileswingingtheballfromovertheshoulderto
downoutsidetheknee.
OverheadReverseLunges-Keeptheballstraightoveryourheadasyoureachyourfootbackintoa
lungeposition,maintainaverticalshinanglewiththefrontleg.
AroundtheWorlds-SimilartotheProneHalos,createabigcirclearoundthehead,tracingthe
necklineofyourshirt.Achieveastraightarmpositionatthebottomofeachsquat.MaintainaPlat
backpositionthroughout.
Speed/PowerWork
Speedisoftenthedeterminingfactorinathletessuccessinanysport.TobeasuccessfulJiuJitsu
athleteyoumustbeabletomoveyourbodyandyouropponentsbodyexplosively.Itiskeythatthe
athleteimprovestheirrateofforcedevelopmentandreactive/elasticabilitiesthroughavarietyofsprints,
jumpsandthrows.Speed/powerworkmustbeperformedatthebeginningoftrainingsessions,whilethe
athleteisfreshandhavecompleteornearlycompleterecoverybetweenboutstomaintainhighquality
outputs.
14
GracieBarraBlackBelt,MikeyGomez,knowsthevalueof
beingabletophysicallyoverpoweranopponent,whether
itisintheGi,No-Gi,orwhilecompetinginMMA.
15
Sprints
Sprintsareagreatwaytodeveloplowerbodystrengthandpower,aswellasimproveyour
physique.LookatthephysiquesofOlympicSprinters,theirmusculardevelopmentcanbeattributedas
muchtotheirsprinttraining,asitcantheirweighttraining.
Itisimportanttopreparethebodyfortheforcesitwillhavetoabsorbduringsprinttraining.The
fasteryouarerunning,themorestressthereisonthebodyandCNS,sooneshouldbegintheirsprint
trainingprogramwithresistedrunning(afterundergoingaproperGPPphaseandextensivetempowork,
whichwillbediscussedlater)andthenprogresstofreesprintsatahighervelocity.
SledSprints-Weightonthesledshouldnotnoticeablyslowtheathletedown.Oftentimesfaster
athletes,evenwithalowerbodyweight,canuseaheavierweightthanslowerathletes.Focuson
achievingahardforwardbodyleanandusingapowerfulandaggressivearmaction.
ProwlerSprints-Thesameguidelinesshouldbeusedregardingweightselectionwithprowler
sprints.Focusondrivingyourkneeupaggressivelyandslammingthefootdown.
FreeSprints-Focusonkeepingagoodforwardlean,withtheeyesdown.Aggressivearmaction
andrelaxedfaceandshoulders.
DifferentStartingPositions
OnStomach-Explosivelypushupanddriveyourkneeunderyou.Utilizethehardleanthan
risingfromthepushupwillcreate.
OnBack-BeginningonyourbackwithyourfeetPlatonthegroundorelevatedasifsomeone
wasinyourguard,explosivelyPlipover,risetoyourfeetandsprint.
VolumeGuidelines:
10-40ydreps.100-400ydspersession.1-3sessionsperweek.
16
Jumps
Jumpingisvitaltoincreaseanathletesrateofforcedevelopment,improvecoordination,andbuild
reactive/elasticabilitiesinthelowerbody.Anathletewithhighreactive/elasticabilitiesisoftenreferred
tobeinglightonyourfeet.Improvedjumpingabilitywillhaveahighcorrelationwithimproved
takedownpower.Thereareseeminglyendlessvariationofjumps,soitisimportanttokeepinmindthat
youwanttomovefromdoublelegvariationstosingleleg,singleresponsetomultipleresponse,
unweightedtooverloaded.Whenperforminganytypeofjumptrainingitiscriticalthatcompleterestis
achieved,focusonqualityofeffortandrepetition,notquantity.
StandingLongJump(s)
UpStairs-Coverasmanystairsasyoucanwhile,reactivelytransitioningfromonjumptothenext.
Twoconsecutivejumpsissuitable.
UpHill-Again,focusonconnectingyourjumpsthroughasmoothandreactivegroundcontact.
FlatLand-Two,3,4or5consecutivejumpscanbeperformeddependingonreactiveabilities.
Whenperformingtheseconsecutivehops,allbutthelastjumpofeachseriesshouldbeslightly
submaximalandonlythePinaljumpshouldbeanallouteffort.
BoxJumps
SingleJumps-Whenselectingaboxheight,youshouldbeabletolandontheboxinnolowerthan
aparallelsquatposition.Ifthisisntoccurring,thisbecomesmoreanexerciseinhipmobilitythan
rateofforcedevelopment.Useotherstepstogetdownfromtheboxinacontrolledfashion.
MultiResponse-Jumpingontheboxasmanytimesaspossibleinagiventimeframeoracertain
numberofrepsinasshortatimeaspossible.Focusonsoftfeetandreactivelandings.
17
KneelingJumps
DoubleLeg-Focusonexplosivelydrivingthehipstowardstheskyandlandingatorabovea
parallelsquatposition.
SingleLeg-Makesurethelegwiththefootonthegroundiscreatingallofthemovementaction,
layingthelacesPlatontheground.Focusonasoftandundercontrollanding,Whenperforming
thebackwardsvariation,youshouldpostovertheoppositelegwhichwillrequiretohaveyourfoot
Plexedsoyouareonyourtoe.
HurdleHops-Whenselectinghurdleheight,youneedtouseaheightthatallowsyoutostillmove
reactivelyoffthePloorfromarelativelyshallowkneebendposition.Threeto5hurdlesperseries
ofjumpsissufPicient.
VolumeGuidelines:
Therearemanyvariablestoconsiderwhenprogrammingjumpingvolume.Ageneralruleof
thumbtoconsiderthoughistonotexceed30contactsofintensivejumpingpersession.Jumpingcanbe
performed2timesperweekinthisfashion.
Throws
Medicineballthrowsareafullbodyexplosivemovement.Tothroweffectivelyyoumustbeableto
coordinateyourentirebodyintoapowerfulmaneuver.Throwscanbeperformedwithavarietyof
weightstoattackavarietyofskillsets.Thinkofallthesethrowsashappeningfromthelegsthroughthe
arms,meaningthatthelegs/hips/trunkcreatethepowerandthearmsdeliveritintotheball.
18
DivingThrows
SingleJump-Startingfromasquatpositionexplodeforwardinalongjump,focusonachievingfull
extensionthroughthelegsandhips.Useaweightthatallowsyoutothrowapproximately12
yards,oncethatdistanceisbeingexceededconsistently,youcanincreasetheweightoftheball.
ThebenePitsofthisthrowareaccentuatediftheathletecandiveontoapad(likealandingpadfor
thehighjump)atthePinishofthethrow,asthiswillallowforgreaterhipextension.
MultipleJumps-Forathleteswithgoodreactiveabilitiesandrelativestrength,theycanperforma
seriesoflongjumpprecedingadivingthrow.Beginwith1jumpandthenthrowandasyouare
abletoexecutethemeffectively.
OverheadBackwards-MakesuretokeepaPlatbackandlongarmsthroughoutthethrow.Your
armsshouldberelaxedandlonglikeropes,releasetheballsothatyouareachievingbothheight
anddistance.Makesuretojumpupandbackasyourelease,youshouldbebackpedalingforafew
stepsaftertheballisreleased.Thisthrowshouldexceed15yards
ScoopThrow-Thisthrowwillhaveahugecarryovertoyourtakedownstrength.Startwiththeball
aboveyourhead,swingitdownbetweenyourlegsasyoudropandloadyourhips,maintainaPlat
back,andthenjumpforwardexplosivelypullingtheballwithyou.Letyourarmsbelongand
relaxedlikeropes,sothatyourlegsandhipsarecreatingthepower.Resultsinthisthrowshould
beonparwiththeoverheadbackwardsthrow,solooktoexceeddistancesof15yardsbefore
increasingweights.
Squat+VerticalThrow-Startwiththeballonyourchest,squatdownandreactivelyreverseyour
momentumdrivingtheballintotheairwithajumpandthenpressofthearms,tryingtoachieve
maximumheight.HeightwillbedifPiculttogaugewiththisthrowsoyoujustneedtofeelthatyou
aremovingpowerfullyandwithgoodtechnique.Onewaytomeasureheightthoughwouldbeto
throwtheballoverthegoalpostsonafootballPield.
19
OverheadForward-Thisthrowissimilarintechniquetoasoccerthrowin.Take1stepforwardand
explosivelypulltheballoveryourheadandthrowitfordistance.Alternatewhichfootisforward
uponreleaseeachthrow.Useaweightthatallowsyoutothrowover10yards.
RotationalThrow-Therotationalthrowshouldmovefromalowtohightrajectorythroughthe
release.Forcefullyturnyourfootandhiptowardsthetargettopullyourshoulderandtheball
around.Keepyourarmslongandletyourlegsandhipsdrivethisthrow.Distancesof12+yards,on
eachside,shouldbeachievedbeforeincreasingtheweightoftheball.
ShotThrow-Makesuretokeeptheballclosetoyourbodyandyourelbowbehindtheball,soyou
arepushingtheballawayfromyou.Stepthroughthethrowpowerfullyasifthrowingapunch.10+
yardsshouldbeachievedconsistentlybeforeincreasingtheweightoftheball.
ScrambleThrow-Layingonyourbackwithyourfeetupasifsomeoneisinyourguard,throwthe
ballashighaspossible,scrambletoyourfeetandcatchtheballbeforethe2
nd
bounce.Thegreater
thehorizontaldistanceyouthrowtheballawayfromyouthemoredifPicultitwillbe.
VolumeGuidelines:
Whenperformingexplosivethrows,aswithsprintsorjumps,qualityneedstobethefocusedand
completerecoveriesbetweenoutputsshouldbeachieved.Theabsolutemaximumvolumeofthrowsthat
shouldbeperformedonanintensivedayis50throws.Ifthishighofavolumeisused,itwillneedtomake
upthelargemajorityoftrainingstimulusforthatparticularday.Ourathletescommonlyperform10-30
intensivethrows(4-6ofdifferentvarieties)persessionfor2-3sessionsperweek.
20
Medicineballreboundsareanotherwaytotrainreactive/elasticabilities.Whenperformingmedicine
ballreboundsyouwanttostandnearthewall(armslengthatmaximum)andperformasmanythrowsas
possibleinagiventimeframeorasetnumberofthrowsinasshortastimeaspossible.
MedicineBallReboundSeries
ChestPass-Standjustoveranarmslengthfromthewall,maintainasquatpositionthroughout
thethrows.
Overhead-Standwithyourtoestouchingthewallandexplosivelypulltheballintothewall
Rotational-Makesuretokeepyourshoulderslevelandpulltheballaroundwithyourabs,not
yourarms.
Scoop-Pushyourhipsbackwards,keepingaverticalshinangle,standupexplosivelytopullthe
ballforward.
VolumeGuidelines:
Twoto3setsof10-20secondsor10-20rapidthrowswillbesufPicientwithmedballrebounds.
Thesecanbeperformedonadailybasis.
21
PushupVariations
Creatingexplosivestrengthandpowerintheupperbodyiscriticaltosuccess.Thesepushup
variationswillalsocreatetremendousstrengthandstabilitythroughouttheshoulderjoint.Focuson
maintainingarigidbodypositionthroughoutthepushups,similartothatofaplank,sothatyouwillrise
ontotheboxbythedriveofyourupperbody,notliftingthehips.
ThreePositionPushups
TopPosition-Keeptheshoulderbladespulledtogethertightlywithaslightbendinthe
elbowsasyourapidlypopofftheground.AbsPlexedhardthroughout.
MiddlePosition-Armsshouldbebentat90degrees,everythingelseremainsthesameas
theTopPosition.
BottomPosition-Chestremains1-2offthegroundthroughout,everythingelseremains
thesameastheotherpositions.
PushupsUpOntoBox-Performanexplosivepositionthatlaunchesyourhandsoffthegroundand
thenlandonboxesthatareplacedjustoutsideofshoulderwidth.Walkyourhandsbacktothe
groundundercontrol,donotdrop.Boxheightwillvarybyabilitybutshouldfallbetween10-24.
Remembertokeepthebodyrigid,soyourhipsdonotriseaboveyourshoulders.
DropPushups-Startingwithyourhandsontopoftheboxes,popyourselfofftheboxesslightlyand
landinapushuppositionwithyourarmsat90degreesbend.Landsoftlyandwalkyourhands
backuptothetopoftheboxes.
ReboundPushups-Thisvariationcombinestheothertwointoone,startonthetopoftheboxes,
droptothePloorandrapidlyreverseyourmomentumbackontotheboxes.
VolumeGuidelines:
Threepositionpushupscanfollowthesamevolumeguidelinesasmedballrebounds.The
explosivepushupvariations(Upontobox,dropandrebound)shouldnotexceed3repetitionsperset,3
to6setscanbeperformedduring2-3sessionsperweek.
22
SpecialExercises
ThedevelopmentofspecialstrengthisthekeyfactorforathletesofhightechnicalqualiPicationsto
continuetofurtherimprovementthroughphysicalpreparationtraining.Specialstrengthhasthehighest
levelofdynamiccorrespondencetosportingperformance.Specialstrengthexercisesarenotrestrictedto
barbellexercises,theyareapartorwholeofabiomechanicalpositionthatisachievedduring
competitionandthenoverloaded.Specialexercisesneedtobeperformedimmediatelyafteryourpower/
speedworkandshouldbethebulkofthetrainingforbrownandblackbelts.Specialstrengthexercises
aredesignedtopreparetheathletesforthestrenuousandexplosivemusculareffortsassociatedwith
combatsports.Herearesomeofourstapleexercisesweusefordevelopingspecialstrengthinourmost
qualiPiedBJJpractitioners.
SprawlRepeats-Makesureyouarepressingyourselfoffthegroundexplosivelyandhaving
reactivefeetasyoushootyourlegsbackintothesprawl.
SwissBallGuardSqueezes-Wrapyourlegsaroundoroveraswissball,andsqueezeitastightas
possibleforthedurationoftheperiod
BarbellStandUps-Startinakneelingposition,onekneedown,withthesleeveofthebarbellinthe
crookofyourelbow,standuppowerfully,drivingyourheelsintothePloorandPiringyourglutes,
asifsinkinginaguillotine,dropthebarbellandreapeat.Makesuretoswitcharmseveryrepor
set.Thesecanbeperformedfromeitherakneelingorseatedposition.
GrapplerPressandHipEscape-Layonyourbackandpressthebarawayfromyoupowerfullas
youescapeyourhiptowardsyouroutsidehand,quicklyreturntothestartingpositionandrepeat.
Emphasizethespeedofthemovementovertheweightbeingused.
GrapplerTwists-Whilestanding,lowerthebartoyourhipwithslightlybentarmsandripitback
totheoppositesidewithyourhipsandabs,allowyourfoottoturnasyoumovetheweight.
23
SingleArmRopeRows-Grabarope(1/2to2indiameter)andleanback,lettingyourshoulders
opentowardsthePloor,explosivelypullyourbodytowardsyourhandandthenfallbackintothe
startingposition.Theclosertoparallelyourbodyis,themoreresistanceyouwillhaveto
overcome.Makesuretoalternatehandseachset.
DonkeyKongs-Squeezeaswissballagainstyourchestandhaveapartnertrytoknockitoutof
yourhandsbyhammeringdownonitwiththeirhands.Makesuretosqueezetheballfromevery
possibleangletoachievemaximumpressure.
ClappingPushups-Propelyourupperbodyoffthegroundwithanexplosivepushupandperforma
clapwhileintheair.Ifyoucantgethighenoughtoclap,thenjustpopyourhandsofftheground,
untilyouimprove.
BoxJumpRepeats-Sameasthereactiveboxjumpsthatareoutlinedinthejumpingsection.
ProwlerShoves-Pushtheprowlerawayfromyouexplosivelyandquicklyadvancetowardsitand
repeat,makesuretoalternatewhichfootisforwardduringeachpush.Focusonthepowerofeach
pushoverthefrequencyofpushes.
ProwlerRopePulls-Seated(withyourfeetbracedagainstsomething)orstanding,pullthe
prowlertoyouhandoverhand.Makesuretodrivewithyourlegsasyoupullwithyourarmsand
back.Athickerropewillmakethismoretaxing.
TireFight-Withapartner,oragainstasurfacewithsufPicientrebound,pushatireexplosively.Feel
freetochangehand/footpositioningthroughoutthedurationofthedrill.
KettlebellDropandCatch-Usingaheavilychalkedupkettebellorhexdumbbell,dropthe
implementwithonehandandcatchwiththeother,alternatinghandseachrep.
24
VolumeGuidelines:
Thevolumeofspecialexercises,aswithanyexercise,isdependentuponthepreparednesslevels
oftheathleteandwhatphysicalabilityistryingtobedeveloped.Withthatbeingsaid,theseexercises
shouldbeperformedinshortbursts(10seconds)whenaimingtodevelopalacticpowerandlonger
durations(30seconds)whenaimingtodeveloplacticcapacity.Whendevelopingalacticpower,rest
periodsneedtobelongenoughsothatthequalityoftheeffortdoesntdiminish.Agoodruleofthumbis
tobeginyourrestperiodsat1minuteandlowerthemfromthereasyouraerobicabilitiesimprove.
Whenlookingtodeveloplacticthreshold,beginat30secondsofworkto1minuteofrestandovertime
bringtherestperiodsdowntoa1:1ratioorconstantlymovefromoneexercisetothenext,withaslittle
timebetweenmovementsaspossible.Twoto8setsofeachexercisecanbeperformedduring2or3
sessionsperweek.
UpandcomingPurpleBeltJeffShulze,ofGracieBarra
SantaAna,isagreattestamenttohowimprovedphysical
preparationcanallowanathletetoovercomeacompetitor
withmoretechnicalexperience.
25
MaximalandExplosiveStrengthDevelopment
Maximalstrengthisthekeycontrollingfactortomostotherphysicaltraits.Whenyourmaximal
strengthincreases,youdonothavetoexpendasmuchenergytoexecutethesamemovements.Itisrare,
andimpracticalfromabioenergeticstandpoint,thataBJJathletewillhavetoexpress100%oftheir
strength/power.Muchmoreoftheworkbeingdoneduringamatchisinthe50-70%intensityrange.By
increasingthemaximalstrengththough,nowyoursubmaximal(50-70%)effortismorepowerfuland
easiertosustainforlongerdurations,asitrepresentsalowerpercentageofyourtotalabilities.Maximal
strengthinthelegs,hips,lowerandupperbackarecriticaltosuccessinJiuJitsu.Itisimportantthough
tounderstandthepointofdiminishingreturnsinmaximalstrengthdevelopment,especiallyforthe
higherqualiPiedathletes(frombothabeltandstrengthstandpoint).Ifanathletealreadyhasachieveda
highlevelofstrengthdevelopment,400poundsquatat200poundbodyweightforexample,theenergy
necessarytodothesamemovementisless.Forexample,ifanathleteimproveshisbenchpressfrom250
to300pounds,hedoesnotneedtouseasmuchenergytopusha200poundopponentawayfromhimas
before.
Therearenumerousacceptablewaysforanathletetoimprovetheirmaximalstrength.Thebest
wayofdoingsoisthroughtheuseofsubmaximalloading,asthiswillbelessstressfultothebody/CNS
andwillposelessriskofinjurytotheathlete.RememberthatyouraretrainingforJiuJitsu,not
powerlifting,sodontexpecttohaveelitepowerliftingnumbersifBJJsuccessisyourultimategoal.
TheJuggernautMethodand5/3/1arebothgreatoptionsfortheathletelookingtoincreasetheir
strengththroughtheuseofsubmaximalloading.BothbooksareavailableatEliteFTS.com.When
utilizingeitheroneoftheseprograms,IwouldsuggestnottakingthePinalsetpasttheprescribedreps
morethaneveryotherweek.Forexample,duringthe10sWaveoftheJuggernautmethodanathletewith
a300poundsquatwoulddothefollowing
Week1(AccumulationWeek)-180(60%of300)for4setsof10reps,180for1setofover10repetitions
Week2(IntensiPicationWeek)-165(55%of300)for1setof5reps,185(62.5%of300)for1setof5
reps,205(67.5%of300)for3setsof10reps.
Week3(RealizationWeek)-Warmupto225(75%of300)foronesetofmaximumrepetitions.
26
NoticethatinWeek2(IntensiPication)noneofthesetsaredoneforovertheprescribedrepetitions.
Doingthiswillallowtheathletetorecoverbetterfromweektoweekandhaveenoughenergytodevote
toyourtechnicalandtacticaldevelopment.
Whendiscussingmaximalstrengthdevelopmentthereare3categorieswewilldivideexercises
into,LowerBody,UpperBodyPullandUpperBodyPush.
LowerBody
BackSquat-Thebacksquatisthefoundationalmovementforlowerbodystrengthdevelopment.
Theloadingparametersforstrengthdevelopmentfortheathleteareverydifferentfromthatof
theelitepowerlifter.Withthatbeingsaid,youwanttofocusthebulkofyoureffortstowardswork
inthe3-10reprangeatweightsthataresubmaximal,meaningthatyoucanmovethebar
explosively,withoutfearofmissinganyrepetitions.TheJuggernautMethodand5/3/1areboth
excellentoptionsforathletestouseasguidelineshere.Bothoftheseprogramsutilizelimitsets
(setstakentonearfailure)andIwouldencourageyoutoonlygopasttheprescribedrepsinthe
1
st
and3
rd
weeksofeachmicrocyle.
BoxSquat-Theboxsquatisagreatoptionforathletesastheyareeasytolearnanddonotinduce
asmuchsorenessasregularbacksquats.Makesurethatyouarechoosinganappropriatebox
heightandrefertothedozensofarticlesonEliteFTS.comfortechnicalhelp.
Deadlift-Thedeadliftcanalsoserveasthefoundationalmovementforathleteslowerbody
strengthdevelopment,butIprefertheuseofthebacksquatforBJJathletesthoughbecausethe
deadliftisverytaxingtotheCNSandcanmoreeasilyleadtoovertraining.Also,manyBJJ
practitionershaveexistinglowerbackinjuriesandthereisnoneedtostressthemfurther.The
weaknessthatexistsinthelowerbackcanbemorethanadequatelyaddressedthroughassistance
workandsquatting.
BeltSquat-Ifyouhaveaccesstothispieceofequipment,itisagreatoptionbecauseitwill
strengthenthelegswithoutloadingthespine.Thebeltsquatisalsoaveryeasymovementto
learn.
27
TrapBarDeadlift-Thetrapbarisasuperioroptionformanythanthestraightbardeadlift,because
itplacesthebardownthemidlineofthebody(takingstressofthelowback)andisaless
technicalmovementthanastraightbardeadlift.
JumpSquat-Thiscanbedonewithabaronyourback,orholdingaDBorKBbetweenyourlegs.I
preferthelatteroption.Makesuretokeepyourchestuptall,landonyourwholefootandpush
yourhipsback.Emphasizeashortgroundcontactbetweeneachjumpandmaximalheighton
everyrep.
HighPull-UsingaBB,DBorKB,explosivelyextendthehipsandknees,drivingyourhipsforward
andupandsimultaneouslypulltheweightashighaspossible.Theweightshouldcomeslightly
higherthanyournaval.
LoadingParameters/VolumeGuidelines:
AsIstatedabove,athleteswanttofocusonsubmaximaltrainingespeciallybecauseyouwill
receiveagreattrainingeffectfromthesprinting,jumpingandthrowingthatyouwillbeperforming.Both
theJuggernautMethodand5/3/1aregreatoptionsforathletestoutilize.Ifusingeitherofthose
programs,donottakeanymorethan2weekspasttheprescribedrepetitionsoutofevery4weeks
(includingadeload)ofamicrocycle.Thepossibleset/repschemesandloadingtechniquesaretoovast
andnumeroustobediscussedhere,butrefertothesampleprogramssectionformoreindepth
suggestions.
28
UpperBodyPull
BentoverRows-ThebentoverrowhasagreatdynamiccorrespondencetoBJJbecauseofthe
anatomicalpositionofthebody,whichisverysimilartobeinginsidesomeonesguard.The
horizontalpullingmotionutilizedisverysimilartomanymovementsinBJJandastronggripis
essentialtobeingabletopullheavyweight.
Pullup/Chinup-Forathleteswhoarestrongenoughtoperformexternallyweightedpullups/
chinupstheseareagreatoption.Idothoughpreferahorizontalpullingvariationasitisamore
similarmovementtowhatoccursinBJJ.DrapingaGioverthebarwillintroduceaspeciPicgrip
trainingelementtothisandotherexercises.
ClappingPullups-Pullyourselfexplosivelyoverthebar,soyoumomentarilybecomeweightless
andduringthistimebringyourhandsoffthebarandclap.Ifyoudontfeelcomfortableclapping,
justletyourhandscomeoffthebar.Makesuretoperformalltheprescribedrepsinasshorta
timeaspossibleandtonotletyourselfgointoadeadhangbetweenreps.
WorldChampion,MarioReis,choseJuggernauttoPinetunehisphysicalpreparationbeforethe2011
Mundials.
29
UpperBodyPush
WeightedPushup-JiuJitsuathletesshouldbeabletouseinexcessof1/3oftheirbodyweight(60
poundofresistancefora180poundathlete)forweightedpushupsinthe5-12reprange.These
canbeloadedthroughdumbbells,platesorweightvests.Makesuretheathleteisretractingtheir
shoulderbladesthroughoutthemovement.
BenchPress-Thebenchpressisafoundationalmovementforupperbodypushingstrength.Make
suretheathleteistuckingtheirelbowstotheirbodyata45degreeangleandpullingtheir
shoulderbladestogethertocreateatightbasetopressfrom.Theinclinebenchisalsosuitableif
theathleteprefers.Iftheathletehasaccesstoaneutralgripbar,thatiswouldbeasuperior
option,asitrelievesstressontheshoulders.Ifyoudonthaveaccesstoaneutralgripbar,usinga
fatbaroraddinggrips(FatGripz,Grip4Force,TylerGrips)willaidingripdevelopmentinaddition
torelievingstressfromtheelbowsandshoulders.
FloorPress-ThePloorpresswillbeagreatalternativetothebenchpressformanyBJJathletes
becauseiflimitstherangeofmotionandthereforethestressontheshoulder.ThePloorpressalso
moreaccuratelymimicsthedemandsofpressinganopponentawayfromyouwhileonyourback.
DumbbellBenchVariations-Flat/Incline/Floor/Declinedumbbellpressaresuitableoptionsfor
theBJJathlete,thiswillallowthemtoPindahandpositioningthatiscomfortablefortheir
shoulders.
ReboundPushups-Performasdescribedearlierintheexplosivepushupsection.
30
AccessoryStrengthMovements
Accessorymovementsneedbetreatedaswhattheyare,secondary.Dontworryaboutloadingup
youraccessorymovesorgoingtofailure,allthatwilldoisimpedeyourrecovery.Accessorytrainingisto
strengthenspeciPicareasofthebody,increasemusclecrosssectionandpromotebloodPlowandmaintain
jointhealth.Howmuchyoucantriceppushdownisntgoingtobethedifferencebetweenwinningand
losingyournextmatch.Understandthataccessorytrainingisntthekeytosportperformance,knowthat
sometimesyouwillfeelrundownandshouldskipit.
Herearetheareasthatyouwanttofocusyouraccessoryworkon,listedaretheexercisesthatwe
usuallyselectfrom,buttheoptionsarecertainlynotlimitedtothefollowing
Shoulders
LateralRaises
FrontRaises
ExternalRotations
RearDeltSwings
DumbbellCleans
Neck
WrestlersBridges
BenchBridges
SwissBallBracing
NeckHarness
PartnerResistedRotations
PartnerResistedBracing
31
Traps
BarbellShrugs
DumbbellShrugs
SingleArmShrugs
Arms
HammerCurls
AlternateDumbbelCurls
BarbellCurls
RopeCurls
DumbbellExtensions
BarbellExtensions
Dips
Pushdowns
LowBack/Hamstrings
RDLs
45degreebackextensions
GluteHamRaises
PullThroughs
ReverseHyperextensions
KettlebellSwings
32
BackExtensionSeries-Thebackextensionallowsathletestocombinemultipleexercisesintoasingle
movement,thusspendinglesstimeintheweightroomandhencehavingmoretimetodevotetowards
technicaldevelopmentandrecovery.
BackExtensionplus
Row(w/Barbellordumbbells)
IYTs
ExternalRotation(w/weightorbands)

BecauseofthevitalrolethatgripstrengthplaysinJiuJitsusuccess,itwouldbenePityoutoadda
gripelementtoyouraccessorytraining.Aneasywaytodothisisbyintroducingafatgriptoanybarbell
ordumbbellaccessorywork.FatGripzandGrip4Forcearebothexcellentoptionsthatareavailablefrom
EliteFTS.com.Rememberthoughthatthegrip,likeanything,canbeovertrainedandbecauseitisbeing
heavilytaxedalreadythroughyourtechnicalBJJtraining,Isuggestthatyoulimitaddingextragrip
elementstotwoexcises,twotimesperweek.
LoadingParameters/VolumeGuidelines:
Asstatedbeforeaccessoryworkisoffarlesserimportancethanspeed/power,specialstrength
andmaximalstrengthdevelopment,andneedstobetreatedassuch.Oneto3setsof8to15repsper
musclegrouppertrainingsessionshouldbesufPicient.Avoidtrainingtofailureduringyouraccessory
work,asthiswillimpederecovery.
33
EnergySystemTraining
Theroleofconditioning(aerobicandlacticcapacityinthecaseofBJJ)isofutmostimportanceto
theathletessuccess,butisextremelymisunderstoodbyathletesandcoachesalike.Theinternetisthe
culpritofmanyofthesemisconceptionsaboutspeciPicenergysystemtraining.Therearecountless
videosofathletespukingtheirgutsoutafterhighlylacticcircuitsorprowlerpushingsessionsand
becausetheseathletesaresohardcoretheirstyleofconditioninghasbecomethestandardformany
combatathletes.UnderstandthatIamnotagainstallcircuitbasedconditioningwork,therearewaysto
successfullytargetthenecessaryenergysystemsforBJJwithcircuitsthatdontimpederecoveryand
technicaldevelopment,itjustrequiresamuchmorethoughtfulapproachtotheirconstruction.
Therearecountlesswaystoimproveyouraerobiccapacitybutforthepurposesofthismanualwe
willfocusonourfavoritemethodshereatJuggernaut.
TempoRuns-TemporunsareanaerobiccapacitydevelopmenttoolpopularizedbyCharlieFrancis
throughthetrainingofhiselitesprinterslikeBenJohnson.Temporunsareruns,notsprintsorjogs,
performedat60-75%intensityforvaryinglengths.Itiskeytostaywithintheprescribedspeedrange,as
the75-90%rangewouldbetooslowtodevelopmaximalspeedandtoofasttopromoterecoveryand
traintheaerobiczone.Slowerthan60%willnotallowtheathletetoraisetheirheartratetothe
necessarylevel.Dependingonyourrunningabilityandcurrentaerobiccapacity,youwillwanttofocus
yourtemporunningondistancesfrom60-200ydsandyourtotalvolumeshouldfallbetween
1000-3000m.Webreakourtemposessionsintotwodistances,onelongandoneshort(100and200yds
or80and160ydsforexample),andperformcalisthenicsbetweeneachrep.Restperiodswillvary
dependingonpreparednessbutshouldbecappedat45secondsaftershortrepsand2minutesafterlong
reps,oncethecalisthenicsarecompleted.Oneto3minutesora100-400ydwalkshouldbesufPicientrest
betweeneachset.Itiscriticaltomaintainthesamepacethroughoutalltherunsinasession,somake
surethatyouarerestingsufPicientlytoallowyourselftodothat.Wehaveathleteswhoareabletodoso
withaslittleas10-15secondsrestaftershortrepsand20-30secondsafterlongreps.Atypicaltempo
runsessionwillbeasfollows
34
Set1-3x100yds
Set2-100,200,100,100yds
Set3-100,200,200,100yds
Set4-100,100,200,100yds
Set5-3x100yds
Betweeneachrepeither10pushupsor20-30absshouldbeperformed.Thisis2200ydsof
volumeandwouldbeanexcellentamountforamediumsizedblueorpurplebeltorlargesizedbrownor
blackbelttoperform.
Ifanathletedoesnthaveaccesstoatrack,Pieldorotherlargeopenspacetoperformtemporuns,
atreadmillisaviableoptiontoperformthiswork.Ifatreadmillisntanoption,thentheathletecan
performhighkneesinplacefor30-90secondsinduration.Witheitherthetreadmillorrunninginplace
option,continuetoperformcalisthenicsbetweenrepetitions.
Temporunsareanexcellentbuilderoraerobiccapacity,butinmyopinionserveanevengreater
functionasanactiverecoverytool.TemporunswillPlushthebodywithnewbloodandactivatesthe
bodysadaptivebiologicalsystems.Toensurethattemporunsareservingtheirfunctionasanactive
recoverytool,makesurethatyou
TempoThrows-Medicineballthrowsareagreatwaytodeveloptotalbodypower,andcanalsobe
utilizedtoraisetheheartrateanddevelopaerobiccapacity.Toperformatempothrowssession,select4
or5throws(Chestpass,overheadforward,rotationalandscoop,forexample)andperform5-10repsof
eachinasshortatimeaspossible.Itisimportantwhenperformingtempothrowsthatyoustandfar
enoughfromthewallthatyouarecatchingthethrowsafter1bounceandthatyoufocusonkeepinga
smoothandevenrhythmtoyourthrows.Onceyouhavecompletedyourroundofthrows,performsome
easycalisthenicssuchas10pushupsor20-30repsofabs,andthenbeginanewroundofthrows
immediately.Twotothreesetsof6to10roundsofthrowsshouldbesufPicient.Tempothrowsarean
excellentwaytochangeupyouraerobiccapacityworkandmakeaparticularlyalternativetoheavier
athletesorthosewithlowerbodyinjuries,toreducestressonthejoints.
35
AerobicCircuits-Aerobiccircuitssharemanyofthesameideasastemporuns,butcanbe
organizedinamannerthatismorespeciPictothedemandsofBJJ.Toperformanaerobiccircuityou
perform12-20secondsofgrapplingdrillsatabout75%intensity,thenjumprope,runinplace,bike,row,
etcfortheremainderoftheminute(40-48seconds).Keepperformingtheseintervalsfor15-30minutes
dependingonyourpreparedness.
LacticCircuits-Lacticbasedtrainingismuchmorestrenuoustothebodyandneedstobe
monitoredcloselytoavoidhavinganegativeimpactontechnical/tacticaltraining.Lacticthreshold
trainingshouldbeperformedinintensive20-40secondboutsofactivityandcanbefollowedby10-60
secondperiodsoflowintensityaerobicactivity.Almostanyexercisecanbeselectedfortheintensive
lacticportionofthesecircuits,theonlycriteriabeingthatasufPicientlyhighoutputcanbeproducedand
sustainedfortheentireduration.Ourbestresultshavecomefromtheutilizationofspecialstrength
exercisesintheselacticcapacitydrills.Forthepurposesoftheseexplanationswewillutilizea30second
workintervaland50secondrestinterval.Agreatintervaltimercanbefoundat
www.speedbagforum.com/timer.html,.Sotoorganizealacticcircuit,select3-10exercisesandperform
eachofthemfor30secondsandthenperformalightaerobicactivitylikeextensivemedballthrowing,
jumpropingorjoggingfor50seconds,andthenmoveontothenextexercise.Twoto4roundsofthis
typeofworkcanbeperformedinasinglesession.Therearenumerousoptionsastothecontentofthese
circuits,soyouarereallyjustlimitedbyyourimagination.
36
Havingagreattraininggroup,likethissquadofGracieBarrablack,brownandpurplebelts,canreally
enhanceyourtraining.LtoR;PabloCabo,BrianMorizi,PhillipeDelaMonica,ChadWesleySmith,
KennyTenny,FelipePena,RomuloBarral,LucianoCristovam,BrunoAntunes,RodrigoSimoes,Jeff
Shulze
37
SampleTrainingPlans
Intermediate(Blue/PurpleBelts)
Thisprogramisgearedtowardsthedevelopmentofthegeneralphysicalabilitiesrequiredtobea
successfulBJJpracticioner.Thiswilldeveloptheathletesmaximalstrength,speed,explosivestrength,
alacticpowerandaerobiccapacity.Thisprogramalsodoesntrequiremuchifanyspecialequipmentthat
cannotbefoundwithinacommercialgym.
Week1
Day1
1) Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,JointCircles,AllPowerSpeedDrills2-3x10yds
2) Prowler/SledSprints-6x10/15/20yds
3) JumpsUpHillorReactiveBoxJumps-4x2
4) Pushupsupontobox-4x2
5) BentoverRows-5x8
6) UpperBodyPush(Anykindyouwant)-5x8
7) AccessoryStrengthWork-1-3setsof8-15repsofeach
Neck,Shoulders,Traps,Arms
8) Abs-150TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,MBMobility
2) ExplosiveMBThrowsx6each(Diving,OHB,OHF,Scoop,Rotational,Shot)
3) TempoRuns/Abs/Pushups
Set1-Short,Long
Set2-Short,Long,Long
Set3-Long,Long,Short
4) Squat-3x8
5) LowBack/Hamstrings-2to3x8-15
6) Abs-30secondson/30secondsoffx6rounds
38
Day3
1) Warmup
2) ExtensiveThrows-1000total
3) Abs-600Total
Day4
2) Prowler/SledSprints-6x10/15/20yds
5) Chinups-15,12,10
6) UpperBodyPush(Anykindyouwant)-15,12,10
8) Abs-150TotalReps
Day5
Set1-Short,Long
Set3-Long,Long,Short
4) Squat-3x6
6)Abs-30secondson/30secondsoffx6rounds
39
Week2
Day1
2) Prowler/SledSprints-3x6x20yds
5) BentoverRows-5x6
6) UpperBodyPush(Anykindyouwant)-3x10
8) Abs-200TotalReps
Day2
Set1-Short,Short
Set2-Short,Long
Set4-Short,Long
Set5-Short,Short
4) Squat-3x6
40
Day3
1) Warmup
2) ExtensiveThrows-1100total
3) Abs-700Total
Day4
2) Prowler/SledSprints-3x6x20yds
5) Chinups-12,10,8
6) UpperBodyPush(Anykindyouwant)-12,10,8
8) Abs-200TotalReps
Day5
Set1-Short,Short
Set2-Short,Long
Set4-Short,Long
Set5-Short,Short
4) Squat-3x5
41
Week3
Day1
1) Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,JointCircles,AllPowerSpeedDrill2-3x10yds
2) Sprints-3x6x20yds
3) JumpsUpHill/ReactiveBoxJumps-6x2
4) Squat-3x5
6) Abs-250TotalReps
Day2
2) ExplosiveMBThrowsx4(Diving,OHB,OHF,Scoop,Rotational,Shot)
Set1-Short,Short
Set2-Short,Long,Short
Set3-ShortLong,Long,Short
Set5-Short,Short
4) DropPushups-4x2
5) BentoverRows-5x5
6) UpperBodyPush-3x8
7) AccessoryStrengthWork-1to3setsof8to15repsofeach
8)Abs-30secon/30secoffx10rounds
42
Day3
1) Warmup
2) ExtensiveThrows-1200Total
3) Abs-800Total
Day4
3) JumpsUpHill/ReactiveBoxJumps-6x2
4) Squat-3x4
6) Abs-250TotalReps
Day5
Set1-Short,Short
Set2-ShortLong,Short
Set5-Short,Short
4) DropPushups-4x2
5) Chinups-10,8,6
6) UpperBodyPush-10,8,6
8) Abs-30secon/30secoffx10rounds
43
Week4
Day1
3) JumpsonFlatLand-5x3
4) Squat-3x4
6) Abs-300TotalReps
Day2
Set1-Short,Short,Short
Set2-Short,Short,Long,Short
Set4-Short,Long,Short,Short
4) DropPushups-5x2
5) ClappingPullups-6x3
44
Day3
1) Warmup
3) Abs-900Total
Day4
4) Squat-3x3
6) Abs-300TotalReps
Day5
4) DropPushups-5x2
5) DBRows-12,10,8
6) UpperBodyPush-12.10,8
45
Week5
Day1
1) Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,JointCircles,AllPowerSpeedDrill3x10yds
2) SprintsfromVariousStarts-3x5x10-20yds,15-20secrestb/treps,2-3minutesb/t
sets
3) ExplosiveMBThrowsx5(Diving,Scoop,Rotational)
5) ReboundPushups-4x2
7) Squat-3x3
9) Abs-350TotalReps
Day2
46
Day3
1) Warmup
2) ExplosiveMBThrowsx5(OHB,OHF,Shot)
Neck,Shoulders,Traps,Arms,LowBack/Hamstrings
5) Abs-350Total
Day4
Day5
sets
6) DBRows-10,8,6
7) Squat-3x2
9) Abs-350TotalReps
47
Week6
Day1
sets
7) Squat-3x2
9) Abs-350TotalReps
Day2
48
Day3
1) Warmup
5) Abs-350Total
Day4
Day5
1)Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,JointCircles,AllPowerSpeedDrill3x10yds
sets
6) DBRows-8,6,5
7) Squat-3x1
9) Abs-350TotalReps
49
Week7(WeekofCompetition)
Day1
2) SprintsfromVariousStarts-2x5x10-20yds,15-20secrestb/treps,2-3minutesb/tsets
7) Squat-2x6
9) Abs-150TotalReps
Day2
50
Day3
1) Warmup
5) Abs-150Total
Day4/5
Off
51
ThetremendousphysiquesofBJJathleteslikeJuggernautRomuloBarral,arenotonlyaproductofgreat
physicalpreparationtraininganddiet,thelargeamountofisometricholdsthatoccurduringBJJtraining
aregreatbuildersofhypertrophy.
52
Advanced(Brown/BlackBelts)
Thisisaprogramthatreliesheavilyupontheuseofspecialstrengthexercises.Itisdesignedfor
athleteswitharelativelylargebaseofgeneralphysicalpreparedness,whowillnolongeryieldgreat
returnsinsportsperformancefromimprovingtheirgeneralabilities(ie.Barbellstrength,sprints,
jumps).
Week1
Day1
1)Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbodminals,MedballMobilityCircuit
2)MedicineBallRebounds-2x10secondsofeach
3)ThreePositionPushups-2x10secondsofeach
4)PowerSpeedDrills-3x10ydseach(HighKnees,RollingHops,ZigZagHops)
5)ExplosiveMBThrowsx10each(OHB,Rotational,Diving,Scoop)
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPushupsx12,10,8,10,12;BeltSquatx5x8
7)SpecialStrengthCircuit/AerobicCapacity-10secondson,50secondsoffx4rounds
SprawlRepeats,SwissBallGuardSqueezes,BarbellStandUps,GrapplerTwists,
BarbellPressandHipEscape,ClappingPushups,SingleArmRopeRow,TireJump
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
8)Abs-150TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
2) Tempo/AerobicCapacityDevelopment
2x6roundsof40secondsofrunninginplacewith10pushupsor20-30abs
betweeneachrep
3) ExtensiveThrowsx400TotalThrows
4) AccessoryStrengthMovements1-3setsof8-15repsofeach
Neck,Traps,Arms,Shoulders,LowBack/Hamstrings
53
Day3
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPullups/Chinupsx12,10,8,10,12;RackPullfromKnees
x5x8
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
8) Abs-150TotalReps
Day4
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
54
Day5
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPushupsx12,10,8;BeltSquatx3x6
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
8) Abs-150TotalReps
Day6
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
55
Week2
Day1
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPullupsx10,8,6,8,10;RackPullsfromKnees5x6
7)SpecialStrengthCircuit/AerobicCapacity-10secondson,40secondsoffx4
rounds
SprawlRepeats,SwissBallGuardSqueezes,BarbellStandUps,Grappler
Twists,BarbellPressandHipEscape,ClappingPushups,SingleArmRope
Row,TireJumpRepeats,DonkeyKongs
8)Abs-200TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
56
Day3
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPushupsx10,8,6,8,10;BeltSquat5x6
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
8) Abs-200TotalReps
Day4
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
57
Day5
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPullupsx10,8,6;RackPullfromKnees3x4
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
8) Abs-200TotalReps
Day6
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
58
Week3
Day1
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPushupsx8,6,4,6,8;BeltSquat5x4
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
8)Abs-250TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
59
Day3
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPullupsx8,6,4,6,8;RackPullfromKnees5x4
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
7) Abs-250TotalReps
Day4
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
60
Day5
6)MaximalStrength-WeightedPushupsx8,6,4;BeltSquat3x3
Repeats,DonkeyKongs
7) Abs-250TotalReps
Day6
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
61
Week4
Day1
1) Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,MedballMobilityCircuit
2) MedicineBallReboundsx10secondseach
3) ThreePositionPushupx10secondseach
4) PowerSpeedDrills3x10ydseach(RollingHops,ZigZagHops)
5) ExplosiveMBThrowsx5each(OHB,Rotational)
6) ExplosiveStrengthExercises-ClappingPullup6x3,KBJumpSquat6x3,ExplosiveHops
5x2
7) SpecialStrengthCircuit/LacticCapacity-30secondson,50secondsoffx2rounds
SprawlRepeats,SwissBallGuardSqueezes,BarbellStandUps,GrapplerTwists,MB
ChestRebounds,ProwlerRopePull,TireFight,KBDropandCatch,TireJump
Repeats
8) Abs-300TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
62
Day3
4) PowerSpeedDrill3x10ydseach(RollingHops,ZigZagHops)
5) ExplosiveMBThrowsx5each(Diving,Scoop)
6) ExplosiveStrengthExercises-ReboundPushup6x3,HighPull6x3,ExplosiveHops3x3
Repeats
8) Abs-300TotalReps
Day4
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
63
Day5
6) ExplosiveStrengthExercisesClappingPullup4x3,KBJumpSquat4x3,ExplosiveHops
3x2
Repeats
8) Abs-300TotalReps
Day6
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
64
Week5
Day1
Repeats
8) Abs-350TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
65
Day3
3x3
Repeats
8) Abs-350TotalReps
Day4
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
66
Day5
Repeats
8) Abs-350TotalReps
Day6
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
67
Week6
Day1
6) ExplosiveStrengthExercises-ClappingPullups4x3,KBJumpSquat4x3,ExplosiveHops
4x2
Repeats
8) Abs-400TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
68
Day3
6) ExplosiveStrengthExercises-ReboundPushups4x3,HiPull4x3,ExplosiveHops3x3
Repeats
8) Abs-350TotalReps
Day4
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
Neck,Traps,Arms,Shoulders,LowBack/HamstringsAbs-30secondson/30seconds
offx14rounds
69
Day5
Repeats
8) Abs-350TotalReps
Day6
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
70
Day1
1)Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,MedballMobilityCircuit
4) ExplosiveMBThrowsx5each(OHB,Rotationa)
3x3
6) SpecialStrengthCircuit/LacticCapacity-30secondson,30secondsoffx2rounds,
85-90%ofpreviousweekseffort
Repeats
7) Abs-350TotalReps
Day2
1) Warmup
betweeneachrep
71
Day3
1)Warmup-LowAmplitudeAbdominals,MedballMobilityCircuit
5) ExplosiveMBThrowsx5each(OHB,Rotationa)
6) ExplosiveStrengthExercises-ReboundPushups3x3,HighPull3x3,ExplosiveHops3x2
7) SpecialStrengthCircuit/LacticCapacity-30secondson,30secondsoffx1round,
85-90%ofpreviousweekseffort
Repeats
8) Abs-350TotalReps
Day4(OffifcompetingonFriday)
1) Warmup
2x8roundsof40secondsofrunninginplacewith10pushupsor20-30absbetween
eachrep
Day5/6
1) Warmup
2) LightDrilling
3) Massage/SoftTissue/ColdBath
72
TheNutritionalDemandsofCombatSports
ByNateWinkler
Combatsportsaresouniqueinthattheydonotallowforanathletetorelaxwhilecompeting.
Manysportsallowforshortrestintervalsduringthegame/match,thisdoesnotoccurincombatsports
whiletheroundisgoingon.Becauseofthis,anaerobicmetabolism,theshort,explosive,strongbursts,
andaerobicmetabolism,movementsthatrequireoxygenandmakeupthemajorityofmovementsafter
thematchbegins,musteachbeattheirpeakandsimultaneouslyfueled.Preparingfor,andrecovering
fromthegruelingtrainingthatisdemandedofcombatathletesisalsoauniqueaspectofPighting.No
othersportplacesahigherdemandontheathletementally,emotionally,physically,andtherefore
nutritionallythancombattraining.Becauseofthis,understandinghowyournutritionimpactsyour
performanceiscrucial.Eatinghealthyisntenough;leveraginghormones,combiningwholefood
macronutrients(proteins,fats,carbohydrates)withpropersupplementation,andtimingiswhereyour
greatestperformancelies.Thisbriefnutritionaloverviewwillguideyouinassessingwhereyouareat
nutritionally,andwhereyoucanimprovetotakeyourtraining,recovery,andPightperformancetothe
nextlevel.
3ProgramPillars
1)NutritionaldecisionsandplanningALWAYSneedtobedeterminedbyevaluatingthesethreecriteria,
intheirstatedorder:
1) OveralltraininggoalsandPightweight
2) Nexttrainingsessiontypeandduration
3) Recoverydemandsofprevioustrainingsession
Ifyouaretryingtomaintainorloseweight,youneedtobeveryawareofwhattypeofexerciseyou
arerecoveringfromandwhattypeoftrainingsessionyouarepreparingfornext.Ifyourgoaliscutting
weight,eatingcarbohydratesandinducinganinsulinspike(fatburnisceased)beforeacardiosession
wouldnotbeintelligent,however,ifyouarepreparingforanintensesparringorliftingsession,
carbohydratesarecrucialtodominatingyouropponentonthemat,orinthegym.Becauseofthis,
creatingaonesizePitsallapproachtocombatnutritionisnearlyimpossible.
73
Understandthatincreasingdailymealnumbers,carbohydrates,calories,andcreatineintakewill
mostlikelycauseyoutogainweight.Havingadietthatismainlyproteinandfatbasedwillallowyouto
dropweight.Ifyouneedtodrop15lbsforyournextPight,youshouldavoidgettingthebulkofyour
carbohydratesservingsfromstarchesandbread.Also,ifyoueatanywayyouchoosethroughoutyour
trainingcampandtrytocutallyourweightthelast48-72hoursbeforeyourPight,youwillbeloosing
morethanwaterweightandfat.Youcanlose2-3lbsoffataweekonly,anymoreandyouredropping
leanmuscletissue.Youcantrainveryhardwhilelosingweightincrementally.EveryPighterIhaveever
workedwithhashittrainingPRsthroughouttheircamp,evenwhentheyareattheirlightestbody
weight.
2)Thehormonalandmetabolicconditionsthatarecreatedbysleep,aswellasthetimegapbetween
dinnerandbreakfastmustbetakenintoconsiderationandleveraged.Uponwaking,thebodyis
hormonallysetuptoburnfatbetterthananyothertimeoftheday(nobloodserumlevelsofinsulin/
sugar,highlevelsofgrowthhormone,cortisol,andotherhungerhormones),therefore,anymovement
thatoccursearlyinthedaywillbemainly
fueledbyfat.Thiswillcontinueuntilthe
Pirstreleaseofinsulinintotheblood
streamasaresponsetocarbohydrates
metabolism.Toaccomplishthis,withthe
largergoalofperformanceandbody
compositioninmind,breakfastshould
consistofproteinsources,vegetables,and
fats.Thisruleistrueevenifyouhave
earlymorningtrainingsessions:DONT
EATCARBS.
AtypicalbreakfastatJuggernautiseggsandspinach.
Eggsprovideyouwiththehealthyfats,protein,and
caloriestoputyourbodyinananabolicstate.The
spinachwillprovideyouwithnutrientsandPibrous
carbohydratesthatwontinduceaninsulinresponse
earlyintheday.Theresult,leantissuebuilding,blood
sugarstability,andmentalfocusthroughouttheentire
day.CanANYcarbpromiseyouthatinthemorning?
74
3)Eachbiteoffoodyouvoluntarilyeathasamajorimpactonyourinvoluntary,chemicallybased,bodily
responses.Understandingtheseinteractionswillalignyourbodysresponsewithyourbodyweightgoals.
Growthhormoneandtestosteroneaidinfatburn,expressionofabsolutestrength,leantissuegrowth,
mentalacuity,andaggression.Thesehormonesareattheirhighestuponwakingandpostworkout,and
insulinworksasanantagonisttothesehormones,andtheirimpactonthebody.Insulinreleasecauses
themusclecellstoabsorbnutrients,butrepressestheeffectsgrowthhormoneandtestosteronehaveon
thebody.Youcaneatcarbohydrateshours(3-5forfemales,upto24hoursformen)afterworkoutand
yourbodywillprocesscarbohydratesjustasefPiciently,whilestilltakingadvantageofthepositiveeffects
ofgrowthhormoneandtestosterone.Remember,youroverallprogramgoalsandthenexttraining
sessionalwaystakeprecedenceoverthetrainingsessionyoujustcompletedwhentrainingforaPight.
MacronutrientOverview
Thethreemacronutrients,Proteins,Fats,andCarbohydrates,canbeusedasanidentiPierthat
allowyoutocategorizeandclassifyyourfoods.Knowingwhattypeofmacronutrientcharacterizesthe
foodsthatyouarechoosingtoeatwillgreatlyincreasetheamountofpurposeandstrategythatgoesinto
yourmenuselection.Eatinghealthyandmakingtheextraefforttoprepareyourmealsshouldalreadybe
occurring,andIwillprovidenorealdiscussioninanattempttomotivateyoutostartdoingthesethingsif
youarenot.Awisemanonceposedthisquestiontome,Whywouldyouexpectyourbodytoperform
likeaFerrari,whenyoutreatitandfuelitlikeaVolkswagen?Thissimpleconceptcamefromamanin
themountainsofNorthCarolina,butringstrueinallmynutritionresearch;youmusteathighquality
foodsinordertoprepare,perform,andrecoverfromthedaytodaytrainingstressthatcombatsports
imposeonyourbody.Therealskillbecomes
understandingthehormonalsituationthatyourbodyis
in,knowingyourbodycompositiongoalsandweight
youneedtoPightat,andaligningthoseaspectswith
propermacronutrienttiming.ThePirststepis
consideringwhatmacronutrientsyouneedatacertain
time,wheretogotogetthosenutrients,andmore
importantly,howtoavoidthenutrienttypesyoudont
need.
This isa pictureofmy shopping cart, prettyhealthy right?Usinghealthyfoodsat thewrongtime
cancauseyouto gainweightandhinderyourperformances. Itisntenoughjusttoeathealthy,you
needto eat therightmacronutrientattheright time. Inthemorninghours, eats fatsandproteins,
after lunch let the bulk of your carbs come from fruit sources or legumes. At night, gauge your
carbohydrate consumptiononthe3ProgramPillars: 1)Overalltraininggoals andPightweight, 2)
Nexttrainingsessiontypeandduration,3)Recoverydemandsofprevioustrainingsession
75
Therealskillbecomesunderstandingthehormonalsituationthatyourbodyisin,knowingyour
bodycompositiongoalsandweightyouneedtoPightat,andaligningthoseaspectswithproper
macronutrienttiming.ThePirststepisconsideringwhatmacronutrientsyouneedatacertaintime,
wheretogotogetthosenutrients,andmoreimportantly,howtoavoidthenutrienttypesyoudontneed.
Proteins
Asitappliestoourdiscussion,proteinsarenecessaryfortissuerebuildingandrepairafter/
betweentrainingsessions.TherearetwomajortypesofproteinIrecommend,animalproteinsandwhey
protein.Soyproteinisverypopularrightnow,howeverthisproteinsourcereducestestosteronewhen
consumedinlargequantities,Ialsopreferanimalbasedproteinsourcestoplantbasedproteinanydayof
theweek.Ofanimalproteins,chicken,eggs,beefandPisharethemostcommontypesandthesourcesI
recommend.Porkdoesnotpossesstheleanprotein,tolowfatrationofothertypesofmeatandshouldbe
avoided.ChickensaswellareveryhardtoPindinhighquality,eventheorganicchickensoftentimesare
notanywhereclosetothebilling.Myadvicewithchickensandeggsalike,buyhormonefreeandsaveyour
money.Grassfedbeefhasloadsofhealthyfats,andorganiccattlefarmingseemstobesomewhat
regulated,soinvestinginahigherqualitybeefisworthwhile.Fishisthebestanimalproteinsourcefor
womenduetotheamountofhealthyfatsthatpromotehormonebalance,clearcomplexionandweight
loss.Fishproteinisveryleananddigestswell,anyPighterwantingtoloseweightandhasalargerbudget
forfoodshouldconsiderthisanimalproteinsource.
Wheyisanisolatedproteinsourcefromthedairymilkofcattle.Nutritionally,wheyproteinwill
provideyouwithhighcalorieproteintohelpbuildleantissue.Whencuttingweight,wheyproteinneeds
tobeastapleofyournutritiontoensurethatleantissueispreserved.Wheyproteinalsoisagreatsource
ofantioxidants,andwillprotectyoucellsfromtheoxidativedamagethatoccursfromtraining.Overthe
lasttwoyearsIhavereadnumeroussourcesdiscussingtheissuesandlackofregulationinthemakingof
theseproducts.Onethingyouneedtoknowisthatthereisadifferencebetweenqualitywheyprotein
sourcesandthecompaniesthatinsertplasticsintotheirproductstoserveasPillers.Quickdigesting
proteinisgreatpostworkout,butiftheproteinyouaredrinkingis50%indigestible,poorlyprocessed
wheypowder,fromhormoneladencows,andtheotheringredientsarechemicals(justtonameafew,
niacinamide,d-alphatocopherylsuccinate,selenomethionine,etc.),doyouthinktheseproteinsources
arereallythebestchoicetorebuildtissuewith?ThisiswhatledustodeveloptheJuggernautSupplement
Series,proteinsmadeinAmerica,fromcowsnotthatarenotGeneticallyModiPiedOrganisms.Whatever
sourceyouchoose,researchthesourceandcompanybehindtheproductPirst.
76
!
Juggernaut
Supplement
Series
"#$%&#!'())(&!
*!+,$-!.,%!.,/0%!1#)&2!34($5,#6!
RomuloBarralscrutinizeseveryfoodandproductheputsintohisbody.Hisnutritional
knowledgeandnutrienttimingareunparalleled,soarehis7BJJWorldChampionships.
RomulotrustshisperformanceandrecoverywithTheJuggernautSupplementSeries.
77
Fats
Likemostpopulardietaryadvice,avoidingfatsandthefoodsthathavehealthyfatsinthemcould
notbemoremisguided.FatshavebeengiventheblameforcausingthehighlevelsofobesityinAmerica,
wheninfact,theyareaverysmallpartofthepicture,ifevenatall.Therearefourtypesofdietaryfats,
trans-fats,saturated,mono-unsaturated,andpoly-unsaturated;whatyouneedtoknowiswhereeach
typeisfoundandhowitimpactsyourperformance.AsIwilldetailbelow,fatsdonotsufPicientlyfuel
explosivemovements,whichcombatsportsdemand,ascarbohydratesdo.However,fatsdoprovidethe
bodywithmoreenergypergramthancarbohydrates.So,itispossibletocontinuetrainingwithfatsas
yourdominantfuelsource,ifyourprogramisplannedoutwell.Trans-fatsaremainlyfoundinprocessed
foodslikedesserts,andshouldbeavoidedasmuchaspossible.Willeatingthetrans-fatsfoundincakes
andprocessedfoodskillyou,no,butifyouareseriousaboutbecomingthebestatwhatyoudo,why
wouldyouruinitatthedinnertable?Saturatedfatsarethesecondtypeoffat,andarefoundmostlyin
foodsthatarederivedfromanimals,saturatedfatsshouldmakeupasmallpercentageofyourdietaryfat.
Mono-Saturatedfatsarefoundmainlyincookingoils,witholiveoilbeingthemostpopularmono-
saturatedfat.ThesefatshavenumeroushealthbenePits,butaremostbenePicialwhenusedinconjunction
withleanmeatandvegetablesources,andnotmixedwithcarbohydrates.Ifyouneedtocutweightfora
Pight,donoteatcarbohydratesandfatinthesamemeal.Poly-unsaturatedfatsarethemosthealthyfat
sources(Omega3andOmega6)andmustbesupplementedintothedietbecausethebodycannotmake
theseessentialcompounds.Thebestsourcesofpoly-unsaturatedfatsaregrassfedbeef,Pish,organic
eggs,Plaxseeds,andPishoilpills.Appropriateservingsoffatwillensurehormonebalancethroughoutthe
day,thisiscrucialforatrainingathlete,especiallyduringhoursofsleepwhengrowthhormoneis
released.
Carbohydrates
Theimportanceofcarbohydratesforcombatisdiscussedindetailinthefollowingsection.We
donthavetoeatcarbohydratestoexist,butifyouwanttodominateyouropponent,fatsfailin
comparisontocarbohydratesasafuelsource.Asdiscussedbelow,carbohydratesfuelaerobicand
anaerobicmetabolismmuchbetterthanfats.Whatdoesthismean,carbswillenhanceyourperformance
theinstantthematchstartsuntilthelastsecond.
78
Liquidcarbsourcesalwaysdigestquicker,butanyliquidgetsintothebodyfasterthansolids
(AdvilLiquidGelscomparedtosolidpillformgivesyouanillustrationhere).Whatmakescarbsdigest
slowlyiswhatyoueatalongwithit.Leanmeatandvegetablesdigestslowly,thereforeifyoueatrice
alongwithchickenandbroccoli,thericeisgoingtodigestslowlybecausethoseotherfoodtypesare
goingtoremaininyoursmallintestinelonger.Ifyouwantcarbstodigestquickly,drinkashakewithyour
carbsource(fruit,oats,powder,etc.)blended,oreatyourcarbohydratetypepriortoeatingyourother
menuitems.Sweetpotatoes,rice,blackbeans,rawoats,andfruitshouldbethePirstchoiceshere,bread
canbeoverprocessedandworthlessfromanutritionalstandpoint,sobecarefulinchoosingthisasa
carboption.
OverviewofExerciseMetabolism
DifferentFuelTypesforDifferentDemands
SkeletalmusclesuseAdenosineTriPhosphate(ATP)asthecatalyststogeneratemovement.
Unfortunately,thereisonlyenoughATPstoredinourmusclestofuel3-5secondsofexplosiveexercise,
and15secondsofaerobicexercise.
1
Theseresourcesmustbecontinuallyreplacedorfatiguewillsetin.
2
FatsandCarbohydratesarethetwofuelsourcesthebodywillusetoreplacetheATPstoresinour
musclesduringexercise.
2
Fatsandcarbsbothendupasthesamecompound,Acetyl-CoA,whichpropels
yourmusclestocontinueworkingduringexercise.However,fatmetabolismdoesntcomecloseto
generatingtheexplosivepoweroraerobiccapacitythatcarbohydratemetabolismdoes.
3,4
Carbohydratemetabolismoccursfasterthatfatmetabolism,rePillingATPstoresquicker,and
improvingshortrange(10-60seconds)recoverybetterthanFats.
2
Dontbelievethemyththat
carbohydratesarelimitedtojustimprovingshort-termexplosiveness,fatscannotsupportaerobic
intensityover60%ofVO2maxeitherthewaythatcarbohydratescan.
3
Researchersfoundthatboth
anaerobic(shortbursts)metabolismandaerobic(endurance)metabolismaresimultaneouslyactivated
theinstantexercisebegins;andtheyworktogetherthroughoutthedurationofexercisetoreplenish
muscleATP.
5-8
Carbohydrateshavebeenfoundtoserveasthesuperiorfuelforbothofthesesystems
2
,
andwhenfatiguebeginstosetin,itisduetomuscleglycogen(metabolizedfromeatingcarbohydrates)
depletion,notalackoffats.
9-13
Whenthereispre-existingglycogeninthemusclecell,thebodyusesthe
anaerobic(explosive)pathwaymoreeffectively,regardlessifyouareparticipatinginenduranceor
explosiveactivities.Maintainingcarbintakeduringexerciseisalsocrucial,liquidcarbsources,whichare
quicklydigested,willfurtherincreasetheamountofglucoseuptakebymuscles,takingyourwork
capacityforexplosivemovementstoanevenhigherlevel.
10,11,14,15,16
Whenitcomestochoosingafuel
sourcetousewhiletraining,carbohydratesarebyfarthebestmarconutrientforcombatsports.
79
NutritionastheFightApproaches
Withthisresearchinhand,onemightmakethisassumption:Bycontinuouslyconsuming
carbohydratesIwillbeprimedforphenomenal,longlastingperformances.However,thisisjustnotthe
case,continuallyingestingcarbohydratesresultsinwaterretention,highamountsofbloodsugar,fatcell
synthesis,andPinally,weightgain.Withcombatsports,yournumericalweightdoesmatterandifyouare
onepoundoveryourlimititdoesntmatterhowwellpreparedyouaretodominateyouropponent.What
wewanttodoismaximizecarbohydratemetabolismandutilizationduringexerciseandfatburnaway
fromexercise.Fortunately,thebodyiscomplexenoughtomanagefatlossandintenseexerciseatthe
sametimeifpropernutrienttimingoffatandcarbohydrateservingsisaccomplished.Applyingthe
propernutritionsothatweightlossoccurs,andovertrainingdoesnt,isverydifPicult.
Likewehavediscussedpreviously,carbdepletionleadstofatigue,andcompletelyremoving
carbohydratesfromyourdiettoofarfromyourPightputsyouatriskofbeingtooweaktoprepareforthe
Pightphysically.IhavewitnessedthisPirsthand,anditsfrustratingtoseeawarriorlosetheircompetitive
Pirebecausetheyhavenoenergyonalowcarbdiet.Droppingcarbohydratesandincreasingfatisagreat
waytoloseweight,andthisstrategyshouldhaveaplaceinyourprogramifyouhavetocutweightfora
Pight.Keepinmindthatyourbodycanderivemoreenergyfromacalorieoffatthanacalorieof
carbohydratesorprotein.WhenthePightisnearingandyouarestartingtofocusonmakingweight,a
highfat,highproteindietwillmakethis
processmucheasierforyouthanhaving
tocut15-20lbs48hrsbeforeyourPight
(especiallyifyouarehavingtoweigh-in
andimmediatelysteponthematto
Pight).3-4weeksoutbegintowean
yourselfoffofthecarbohydratessothat
youaregraduallyreplacingyour
carbohydratecalorieswithyourfat
calories.7TimeWorldChampion,
RomuloBarral,initiallyintroducedthis
methodtomeandIthinkitsbrilliant.
Vegetablesareagreatwaytogetcarbohydratesandnutrientsintoyourbodywithoutinducingan
insulinresponse,whichceasesfatburn.Cuttingweightdoesnotmeanyouhavetocutyourcaloric
consumption.ThePiberinvegetablesreducestheimpactthatthecarbohydrateshaveonyour
metabolism,curbshunger,andwillgiveyouthenutrientsyourbodyneedstocontinuetraining
hardascarbohydratesarebeingremovedfromyourdiet.
80
Romulosaidthathehatedcuttingmorethan7lbs.foranyofhisPights,sohestartedgradually
droppingweightfurtheroutthanmostPighters;thiswouldpreventhimfromhavingtocompletely
removecarbohydratesfromhisdietwhiletraining.Bykeepingyourinsulinspikesandcarbohydrate
consumptionlimited,yourbodywillremovethewaterfromyourmusclecellsandbegintousethe
nutrientsinyourfatcellsasafuelsource(thisisaprocesscalledlipolysis).AsIexplainedabove,when
yourbodyisnotusingglycogenasitsmajorfuelsource,anticipatesomefatigue,butifyoufailtomake
weightandcantPight,thenallislost.Ifyouareneedingtodropadditionalweightandarehavingtrouble
makingprogress,trytheJuggernautMorningMochashakerecipebelowanddonoteatanysolidfood
before1:00pm.
JuggernautMorningMocha
15ozCoffee,preparedtodesiredtaste
2ScoopsWheyProtein
10-12ozWater
3000mgL-Tyrosine
2gAcetylL-Carnitine
400mgGreenTeaExtract
5mgYohimbineHCL
TheJuggernautMorningMochahasbeena
greattoolformetousewithPightersasthey
approachtheircompetitions.Thisrecipewill
provideyouwiththeleanproteinandcalories
youneedtooperate.Thecaffeinewillgiveyou
greatenergyandsuppressyourappetite
throughoutthemorninghours.
81
SomePighterswhohavetocutbetween15and30lbsofweightbeforetheyPightresistthisadvice,
sayingthattheycancutmostoftheirweightbysweatingitoutthedaybefore.Iftheycutthecarbsout
oftheirdiet7-8daysbeforetheyweigh-in,thentheycanttrainhardleadinguptothePight.Myresponse
isalwaystryingtohighlighttheobviousfactthatiftheyaretrainingveryhardtheirlastweekandtrying
toplaycatchupwiththeirprogramthentheyaremostlikelygoingtogettappedoutanyway.Thatswhy
Romulosapproachofgraduallydecreasingcarbsoveraperiodofweeksisgenius,graduallydropping
weightwhilekeepingtrainingintensityhighistheperfectrecipeforsuccess.AsIstatedabove,makinga
onesizePitsallprogramforPighterswouldbeimpossible,gaugeyourcurrentweightandwhereyou
needtoPightatasyourPightapproaches.Ifyouare7-8daysoutandstillneedtodropmorethan5-8lbs,
usingthe7DayFightPrepPlanbelowwillhelpguideyoumakeweigh-ins.
7DAYFightPrepPlan
Thisplanshouldbestarted7daysawayfromweigh-ins.Usingothermethodsofcuttingweight,sauna/
steam/sweatsuits,etc.areuptoyourpreference.Keepthecarbohydratesaslowaspossibleandtrytoget
yourcaloriesthroughproteinshake/meat/eggs.These7dayswillbeuncomfortable,frustrating,and
painfulattimes,allthatmattersismakingweight,refueling,thendominating
WaterIntake
DrinkthismuchwatereachdayinadditiontonormalPluidconsumption
DayAmountType
11LiterNormal
2&33LitersNormal
46LitersDistilled
58LitersDistilled
66LitersDistilled,FinishallPluidsby5pm
FabianaBorgesbeforeweigh-insatthe2011Pan
AmericanChampionships.FabianatrainedatJuggernaut
goingintothePanAmsandwedesignedaprogramthat
allowedhertograduallyloseweight6weeksleadingup
totheChampionships.ShePinished2
nd
overallinthe
blackbeltdivision.
82
Day1-5FoodMenu
LeanRedMeatwithsuggestedwaterconsumption,addproteinshakesandmorningshakeswhenneeded.
Addingsodiumtoeachmealthisweekiscrucialtoallowingyourbodytostayinbalancewhileexcreting
thewateryouareconsuming.
Day6
Nofooduntil8pmotherthanwaterandsmallwhey/caseinproteinservings.Yourpreferenceofcutting
methodscanbeusedonthisevening.Ifyouhavetroublesweating,gettingintoasteamshowerwillhelp
bringthewateroutofyou.Whenyouhityourtargetedweightorgetwithin2lbs.thenightbeforeyou
weigh-in,youcanstopthecuttingmethods.Priortoweighingin,youcanspitout2lbs.ofweightifyou
arehavingtroublesweatingtheextraweightoff,justgrabahandfulofyourfavoritehardcandy,geta
spitcup,andtakecareofbusiness.
Dinner8pm
Item QTY
FiletMignon6ozwelldone
Asparagus 1to2cups
Senokot(orequiv)2tabs,Pindatanypharmacydepartment
BeforeBed
Item QTY
BeefJerky Variable
Senokot(orequiv) 2tabs
Day7
UponWaking
Item QTY
Espresso 2to3shots,noadditives,andnoregularcoffee
**Nothingelseuntilweigh-in
83
AfterWeigh-InNutrition
Becausethetimebetweenweigh-insandPightvaryfromtournamenttotournamentthefoodtypes
youselectpostweigh-inarecrucial.Ifyouhavetoweigh-inandstepdirectlyontothemat,cuttingas
littlewaterweightaspossibleforweigh-insiscrucial.Ifthisisthecase,12-30oz.ofPedialyteshouldbe
consumedimmediately,with20gramsofwheyhydrolysateandblendedrawoats(20-80gramsbasedon
levelofstomachcomfort).Youneedsomethingquickandpackedwithnecessarynutrientsforthe
metabolicdemandsofcombat.Ifyouhavehoursbetweenweigh-insandPighting,2-3bottlesofPedialyte
andasmallwheyhydrolysateproteinservingcanbeconsumedPirst.Wait30-45minutesforyour
stomachtosettle,thenstartintroducinglargeramountsofcarbohydratesandsolidfoodsintoyourbody,
stopping90minutesbeforeyoubeginwarmingupsoyourCentralNervousSystemandAutonomic
NervousSystemsarenotimpairedbydigestion.Asalways,avoidlowqualityfoodsandbreadsascarbs
sources.Anothernoteforcompetitionday,avoidintroducinganythingnewtothebody,thisincludes
foodtypesyouhaventrecentlyeatenandstimulants.Yourbodysenvironmentischaoticenoughwithout
youintroducingSuperJacked35000forthePirsttime.Caffeineandothersupplementsaregreatandaid
inperformance,justmakesurethatyouhavehadaparticularsupplementinyourbodybeforesoyou
knowhowyourbodyisgoingtoreact.Myfavoritesupplementsandtheirimpactonperformanceare
listedbelow.Incorporatingisolatedsourcesofacertaincompound/vitamin/nutrientwillgreatly
improveyourperformance,recovery,andbodycomposition.
Supplements
a. Creatine
i. Noothersupplementhasbeenscrutinizedandresearchedmorethan
creatine,andtheresultsareveryconvincing:creatineworks.Creatineis
thePirstfuelsourceourbodysusewhenmovingexplosively,andcreatine
isamajorplayerinrestoringATPlevelsinthemusclecell.Ourbodys
creatinestoresarelimited,muchlikeourATPstoresandmuchbe
continuallyreplacedduringexercise.
2
Creatineaidsinrecoveryand
increasesstrengthgainsmadefromtraining.Understandthatcreatine
doescausesomeweightgainandmenshouldanticipategaining5-10lbs
ofwaterweightandwomenwillgain3-5lbsofwaterweight.Thisweight
canbelostquicklyandshouldbefactoredintoyourplanningprocessas
yourPightapproaches.
84
b.CaseinandWheyProtein
i. ThesesupplementswerediscussedindetailintheMarconutrient
Overviewsectionfortheirabilitytorebuildandrepairtissue.Casein
proteinismuchslowertodigest(6-8hrs)thanwheyproteinandshould
beusedasaneveningproteinsource.Manyclaimthatprotein
supplementsarehardontheliver,orthatyoucantabsorbmorethan20
gramsofproteininonesitting.Theseopinionsarejustthatandwith
properwaterconsumptionyouwillbesafe.
c.FishOil
i.Discussedearlier,PishoilsareagreatsourceofnecessaryOmega3sand6s
thataretoughtogetfromyourdietalone.Fishoilhelpsbalancehormones
andreduceinPlammation,somethingthatiscrucialforPightersgiventhe
stressthatvariousholdsplaceonthejointsandtendons.Servingsforthis
rangefrom3-5gramstwotimesperday.
d.Caffeine
i.Thethreemajorsourcesofcaffeinearecoffee,energydrinks,andtea.
Caffeineincreasesmentalalertness,informationretention,andmuscle
contractionefPiciency(increasedmotorunitrecruitment).Serving
suggestionsdependonyourpreexistingexperiencewithcaffeine.Forthose
ofyouwhoneverdrinkcoffee,oranycaffeineproducts,Irecommend
300-400mgofgreenteaextract/dayjusttogaugehowyourbodywillreact,
andasmall(8oz.)icedcoffeeatsomepointintheearlyorlateafternoon.
Forthosewithmoreexperienceinhandlingtheeffectsofcaffeine,morning
andearlyafternooncoffeewouldbegreatforthistimeperiod,one8oz.
servinginthemorningandone8-12oz.servinginafternoon.Energydrinks
haveanumberofartiPicialingredients;Isuggestavoidingthesewhen
possible.Makesurethatyouaregettingpropernutrientreplacementifyou
usecaffeine,withtheincreasedmusclecontractionstrength,youwillrequire
morenutrientstomeetthesedemands,whichcreatesahigherriskofmuscle
cramp.
85

e. Nilk Thistle
i. This supplement piomotes livei health, with the stiess anu uemanus you aie
placing on youi bouy thiough othei supplements, exeicise, anu iecoveiy, milk
thistle is a gieat heib keep youi livei functioning at it's highest level. Because
this is a heib, ovei uosing is no concein, stait with one seiving in the moining
anu one at night anu see how youi bouy ieacts. As with any heib, if you notice a
loss stool, ieuuce uaily seivings.
f. L-Tyiosine
i. I like to use this amino aciu with my female fighteis because of it's
effects on impioving metabolism, thyioiu function, anu
neuiotiansmittei tiansmission. I have my athletes stait with a Suuu
mg seiving once pei uay to begin with to see how theii bouy ieacts to
it.
g. Acetyl L-Cainitine
i. This supplement helps initiate the ielease of fat into the metabolic
piocesses. The initial seiving sizes foi this supplement aie 2 giams
uaily.
h. vitamin E
i. This supplement will aiu in oxygen binuing anu women's health. I use
it piimaiily with my enuuiance athletes oi those that must engage in
heavy aeiobic bouts, i.e. combat tiaining. If you aie having tiouble
catching youi bieath aftei exeicise begins, inciease the amount of
vitamin E supplementation you aie incoipoiating into youi uiet.
i. Yohimbine
i. This heib aius in fat loss by woiking as a vasouilatoi, which incieases
bloou flow to auipose tissue. The gieatei the bloou flow to auipose
tissue, the gieatei the iate of lipolysis.
86

In Summaiy
Nutiition plays a much laigei iole in peifoimance than many fighteis iealize. Aligning youi
tiaining camp anu bouy weight goals with piopei foou selection will give you an uppei hanu with any
opponent. Incoipoiating these uieting stiategies, techniques anu nutiient souices into youi tiaining
ioutine will allow you to tiain haiuei, iecovei bettei, anu ieuuce the amount of weight you have to
cut piioi to youi fight. Executing these aspects will allow you to compete anu peifoim bettei than
you evei have befoie.

Refeiences
Fiist anu foiemost, I woulu like to thank authoi anu cieatoi of BangeiouslyBaiucoie.com, Kiefei
}ohn foi his effoit in euucating me. Be uevelopeu the '7 Bay Fight Piep Plan' anu ueseives cieuit foi
so much of my wiiting anu success with my athletes. Kiefei, along with the souices I have citeu
below, along with so many otheis ueseive the cieuit foi my methous. Ny aim is not fame, but to help
gieat athletes achieve iesults with theii bouy composition anu peifoimance levels that they nevei
thought possible. Youi success is my success.

1. Biyant, N.}., uoveis, R., }ames, B.E. Regulateu tianspoit of the glucose tianspoitei uL0T4. Natuie
Review (Noleculai Cell Biology). S: 267-277, 2uu2.
2. Baigiaves, N., Spiiet. Skeletal Nuscle Caibohyuiate Netabolism Buiing Exeicise. Exeicise
Netabolism. 29-44, 2uu6.
S. Costill, B.L., Coyle, E., Balsky, u. anu otheis. Effects of elevateu plasma FFA anu insulin on muscle
glycogen usage uuiing exeicise. }. Appl. Physiol. 4S: 69S-699, 1977.
4. Richtei, E.A., ualbo, B. Bigh glycogen levels enhance glycogen bieakuown in isolateu contiacting
skeletal muscle. }. Appl. Physiol. 61: 827-8S1, 1986.
S. Paiolin, N.L. Regulations of skeletal muscle glycogen phosphoiylase anu PBB uuiing maximal
inteimittent exeicise. Ameiican }ouinal of Physiology. 277: E89u-E9uu, 1999.
6. Bangsbo, }. Anaeiobic eneigy piouuction anu 02 ueficit-uebt ielationship uuiing exhaustive
exeicise in humans. }ouinal of Physiology. 42: SS9-SS9, 199u.
7. Spencei, N.R., anu P.B. uastin. Eneigy contiibution uuiing 2uu-to-1Suum iunning in highly tiaineu
athletes. Neuicine anu Science in Spoits anu Exeicise. SS: 1S7-162, 2uu1.
8. Spiiet, L.L., R.A. Bowlett, anu u.}.F. Beigenhausei. An enzymatic appioach to lactate piouuction in
human skeletal muscle uuiing exeicise. Neuicine anu Science in Spoits anu Exeicise. S2:7S6-76S,
2uuu.
87

9. Coggan, A.R., Coyle, E.F. Reveisal of fatigue uuiing piolongeu exeicise by caibohyuiate infusion oi
ingestion. }. Appl. Physiol. 6S: 2S88-2S9S, 1987.
1u. Coyle, E.F., Coggan, A.R., Bemmeit, N.K. Ivy, }.L. Nuscle glycogen utilization uuiing piolongeu
stienuous exeicise when feu caibohyuiate. }. Appl. Physiol. 61: 16S-172, 1986.
11. Coyle, E.F., Bagbeig, }.N., anu otheis. Caibohyuiate feeuing uuiing piolongeu stienuous exeicise
anu uelay fatigue. }. Appl. Physiol. SS: 2Su-2SS, 198S.
12. Beimansen, L. Bultman, E. Saltin, B. Nuscle glycogen uuiing piolongeu seveie exeicise. Acta
Physiol. Scanu. 71: 129-1S9. 1967.
1S. NcConell, u., Snow, R.}. Pioietto, }., Baigiaves, N. Nuscle metabolism uuiing piolongeu exeicise in
humans: Influence of caibohyuiate availability. }. Appl. Physiol. 87:1u8S-1u86, 1999.
14. Angus, B.}., Febbiaio, N.A., Baigiaves, N. Plasma glucose kinetics uuiing piolongeu exeicise in
tiaineu humans when feu caibohyuiate. Am. }. Physiol. Physiol. 28S: ES7S-ES77, 2uu2.
1S. Chen, B.C., anu otheis. Activation of the ERK pathway anu atypical piotein kinase C isofoims in
exeicise- anu aminoimiuazole-4-caiboxamiue-1-B-B-iibosiue (AICAR)-stimulateu glucose tianspoit.
}. Biol. Chem. 277: 2SSS4-2SS62, 2uu2.
16. NcConell, u., Snow, R.}., Pioietto, }., Baigiaves, N. Nuscle metabolism uuiing piolongeu exeicise
in humans: Influence of caibohyuiate availability. }. Appl. Physiol. 87: 1u8S-1u86, 1999

88

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