Jiu-Jitsu Newbie - How Often to Train

[bigcountryok]

Well I started BJJ last week. I got into it to have something to do with my son (he's been in it for about a year now), to stay in shape, and learn some self defense in the process. So far I'm having a blast.

The place I train at offers training sessions 5 days a week Mon - Fri (Mon, Wed, Fri Gi then Tues, Thrus no Gi). Before this I thought I was in decent shape...now I feel like a slug. I've found muscles I never knew I had, my arms elbows and shoulders are screaming, and I realized just how poor my flexibility was. Keep in mind I was doing a mix of P90x 3 days a week and jogging two days a week before this.

I'm torn on if I should just fight through the pain for the first few weeks and train 5 days a week, or if I should start out three days a week. I'm not sure if my learning would suffer due to the lack of strength and stamina I have without a day of recovery. I started on Wed of last week and trained Wed, Thurs, Fri. On Fri I could barely move.

For those of you in BJJ, what would you recommend for a newbie 1) suck it up slacker. fight through it and go 5 days a week and you'll learn to deal with it, or 2) 3 days a week until I get in better shape?

Thanks
Big C

 

[purplehaze]

Grappling can and will put lots of strain on ligaments and connective tissues. I would go three times a week for a month and then ramp it up.

 

[kennedy]

Water and ibuprofen are your friends....the reduce the lactic acids in your muscles and reduce the pain quicker

 

[bigcountryok]

Thanks. I think I'm going to go three days a week for the first month and up it from there as recommended. I've already got the hydration and will probably add the Ibuprofen shortly.

With Mon, Wed, and Fri being Gi training nights I think it will be more benefitial to me now anyway. From what I have read Gi training forces you to be more "technical" and rely less on strength. My biggest problem right now is that I try to muscle my way through things which typicaly ends with me being worn out and placed in a painful position LOL.

 

[purplehaze]

I have grappled in one form or another most of my life and the greatest percentage of that has been No-Gi. So, I cant agree that Gi is more technical than no-gi but, the Gi certainly has its uses and can add to your no-gi game and I have spent a bit of time in one. Have fun with it and enjoy the ride. I love grappling and like to hear people have a positive experience participating in it.

 

[KYLE_B]

Where are you training?

 

[bigcountryok]

Where are you training?

Sandro Sampaio BJJ
http://sampaiobjj.com/

 

[hanson405]

Just out of curiosity, what is the cost? I've been looking to get into this as well.

 

[Honeybee]

If you find you are hurting enough to need more than a couple of doses of ibuprofen a day drop it down to 1 or 2 sessions for a week and let those streached mussles get used to it slowly,

if you push yourself till you hurt you will not stay with it long and you will find that you can really pull something too hard and think that it is just normal pain of the stretch until it swells up overnight.....then you are out of practicing for several weeks.

Practice and workout are 2 different things...Practice as often as you can but keep the workouts to 2 or 3 times a week until you build up into it and workout feels like practice. Then start pushing yourself for another day.

 

[bigcountryok]

Hanson, I think its about $110/mo for full training package if you do 6 mo auto debit.

Honeybee, I understand exactly what you are saying. I took yesterday off and I feel pretty good. I still have a touch of tenderness in my shoulders, but I'm going to play it by ear. I'm learning as I get older that my body requires alot more care than it use to....that sucks....LOL