Good interview with BJJ Blackbelt Matt Thornton

I have not posted all that much about juijitsu training.  Mostly because i have not been grappling as much as i would like lately.  I’ve been at Crossfit Portland alot, learning to coach the various movements and helping out.  Then i was out of town for a weeks.  But things a bit more settled down now, so i have been able to get back in and grapple some more.

Here is a good recent interview with Matt Thornton, whom i train under.  Matt’s has some great insights on BJJ and training in general.  I can say first hand that the teaching methods at the Straight Blast Gym are top notch.

Matt Thronton Interview

Anton

Eating for weight gain

I’ll be kicking off Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength routine today.  I think i would function better with more muscle and less fat.  I could cut down at my present weight and probably be around 150, but i would not have any more muscle, and most of the guys in juijitsu are big enough as it is.  I would just get flung around on the mat.

I had been logging my food before for a bit but stopped due to laziness, i guess.  Today i started an account on FitDay.  Its pretty convenient, you just enter amounts of what you ate and it calculated all the nutrients.  I can see how much protein, fat, and carbs i am eating.

My plan is to simply lift hard and take in more calories then i expend, which should hopefully result in some muscle.  Starting Strength is three days a week, and ideally should be done on its own.  But i can’t bear to drop grappling, so i will have to manage the best i can and make sure i eat enough.  I am shooting for 3200 calories a day (bodyweight of 160lbs x 20) and will monitor from there.  If i gain weight to fast i will scale back, and if i am not putting anythig on i will have to up it.  I am initially trying to get all my calories from Paleo friendly sources, meat, lots of fat, nuts, veggies, and some carbs like sweet potatoes.  If adequte food intake becomes a problem then i will have to look at less acceptable sources like Burgerville (yum).

Since i started logging today and have been consciously trying to get enough food i have felt really good.   I realize now that previously in my day to day eating i was not getting nearly enough fat.  I have eaten a ton more fat today and have felt great, despite the limited carbs.

If you are interested in check out my Fitday log you can find it here.

I’ll post here at regularly people can see how this is all progressing.

Anton

Establishing a Strength Base

Physical strength is the most important quality in life – Mark Rippetoe

I have been reading Starting Strength and Practical Programmig by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore.  What great books.  If every beginner started out with these books they would be well ahead of most of the gym going population.

I think spending a few months establishing a general strength base before moving onto conditioning movements can be a very good strategy for beginners.  Strength endurance is dependent partially on maximal strength.  High repetition push ups will be much easier with a good base of pressing strength.  The body adapts amazingly to a routine of heavy squats, presses, deadlifts, and powercleans.  They will raise strength levels and build muscle if you eat for it.  The beginner can literally add more weight to the bar at each workout.

After reaching an adequate strength level, say close to a double bodyweight deadlift and squat, and close to a bodyweight press, you could change the routine and start to add in some metabolic conditioning.  Once reached strength levels can easily be maintained with once a week heavy lifting.  With improved strength things like thrusters, high rep deadlifts, and handstand push ups will be much easier.  I think that is a faster way to success as opposed to jumping into the conditioning workouts from day one and having to modify nearly every movement.

Curious where your strength numbers are?  Check out Mark Rippetoe’s Strength Standards.
If you fall into the untrained or novice categories it might be worth going on a strength cycle for a few months.  I’ll bet you notice an improvement when add your conditioning routines back in.

Anton