With the World Championships coming to a close just this past week, it may be true that many BJJ practitioners are now focusing on smaller tournaments, watching film of their fights from Worlds (in other words, refining their technique) or possibly taking a short rest from training. Wait, what was that last point? Taking a break? Most of you may be thinking, who would ever do such a thing? Although some may believe that it is a myth, overtraining is a phenomenon that can occur. BJJ may be to some a chess game in a sense, possibly an art form that is gentle in nature, because after all, BJJ is both, but it is also like every other martial art a physical activity. With that being said there can be a time when an individual may become overwhelmed with their training or maybe even burnt out. Though taking a week off may seem impossible, it may prevent an injury from occurring or maybe even help improve your game. Here are some tips to avoid overtraining:
1.) Be aware of the FITT principle- Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. This is in regards to exercise and a good strength and conditioning program will look at each to allow for proper times of hard training and recovery periods as well.
2.) Mix up your training- This could be in a form of cross training. You can add some different things other than jiu jitsu. These could be things like biking, hiking, swimming, running, etc. Just to mix up the routine a bit and avoid a monotonous routine.
3.) Taper- When training for a competition obviously everyone will be training hard. But knowing when to begin tapering or in other words lessening your training can be crucial to your success. For example, a half marathoner will have long runs of 10-15 miles 2-3 weeks from their race, but after will lessen their distances to 6-8 to allow for proper recovery.
2.) Mix up your training- This could be in a form of cross training. You can add some different things other than jiu jitsu. These could be things like biking, hiking, swimming, running, etc. Just to mix up the routine a bit and avoid a monotonous routine.
3.) Taper- When training for a competition obviously everyone will be training hard. But knowing when to begin tapering or in other words lessening your training can be crucial to your success. For example, a half marathoner will have long runs of 10-15 miles 2-3 weeks from their race, but after will lessen their distances to 6-8 to allow for proper recovery.
To many these tips may seem irrelevant. But the take home message here is to take time to recover. If you show any signs of overtraining, whether it be loss of interest in training, feeling sluggish or your becoming ill more often than usual, etc. Try some of the above mentioned tips or try taking a few days or possibly a week off and come back to the gym; you may see some huge improvements in your game.
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