The Number One Conditioning Mistake Every Jiu Jitsu Athlete Makes
Photo credit: Leon Maia
Sensational headlines deserve instant gratification. So I'll give it to you:
The number one mistake every jiu jitsu athlete makes is:
RECOVERY
That is to say, they (we) don't value recovery as part of the training method. That's really the core issue here; recovery isn't something you do instead of training, it's a part of training.
You've heard it endlessly, and probably groan at the thought of hearing the following: "take a day off," "give your body a break," "don't run yourself ragged."
The sentiment is nice and intuitive, and comes from a place of concern, but the truth is: if you just stop dead in the water and do nothing as your only means of recovery, it's probably not doing you much good either. In some cases it may do more harm than good.
Now you're probably starting to see why everyone does "recovery" wrong. Let's try to make it right.
The Basic Science of Recovery
I. Lymphatic and Immune System
The body has two organ systems that work synergistically: the immune system and the lymphatic system. The immune system is the one many are familiar with: it helps us fight infection from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and all other pathogens that may cause illness or disease to the body. The lymphatic system can be thought of like street cleaner and the enforcement wing of the immune system: it's what does the actual cleansing of the body. Through the flow of lymphatic fluid, the lymphatic system cleans the body of waste product, abnormal cells and other unwanted byproducts of our biology. I'll be the first to tell you, an hour of jiu jitsu per day (or an hour of weight lifting, running, etc), produces a LOT of waste.
A healthy lymphatic system is obviously beneficial to you. One thing that keeps the lymphatic system healthy and functional is movement. If the body is stagnant, the lymphatic system is compromised (1). The waste that your body is meant to be expunging is just stewing in purgatory without some movement.
So, as you may have surmised: it's not the most effective means of recovery if your "off day" consists of sitting on the sofa for 12 hours. It's also why sitting at your desk at work isn't a proper recovery either.
Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system acts largely in the background, controlling function of various organs and regulates heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, and most of all is home to the "fight or flight" mechanism in the human body.
It has two "divisions":
- Parasympathetic
- Sympathetic
Wrestling, jiu-jitsu, sports of any kind, strength training, and any tough movement are sympathetic dominant activities. They get you in a state of "fight of flight," and ready to roar. Sympathetic dominant activities are largely catabolic, meaning they break down the body in order to honor and fulfill what you ask of it. This means it breaks down energy stores, and sometimes even muscle, to do what you ask of it.
Parasympathetic activity is more synonymous with the "anabolic" activities of life: consuming, resting, regeneration, healing. The parasympathetic nervous system calms the nerves and brings them back to normal function. It's often called the "rest and digest" mechanism (2). Quite simply, recovery happens here.
We as athletes are really good at flexing our sympathetic nervous system muscles. Five 10 minute rounds on the mats last night? Sympathetic. Great deadlift and leg day? Sympathetic. Awesome mile time? Sympathetic. Boss pissed you off at work, or subway was late? Sympathetic.
You need to induce and help the body get back into a parasympathetic state. It's not that hard, but you'd be shocked at how many people are unable to get there.
What You Should Do
There's two simple ways to look at recovery and how you can apply it to your training regimen:
- Daily Practices
- 'Recovery Day' Practices
Daily Practices
It's hard to say one is more important than the other, but if I had to put weight on one, it would be to "Have daily recovery practices." These are little practices and lifestyle modifications you can incorporate into your daily training life.
The little tiny things you do daily add up to be big contributors to your success and sustained high performance.
Most athletes have busy lives. Between work, family, and other obligations, having a day devoted entirely to recovery is probably not always a guarantee. I'd much rather have you take 10-15 minutes a day to do a few things that will benefit you hugely in the long run. We live in a world of realism, not idealism, so start making a few minutes for some of the following.
They include:
- A proper cool-down after rolling (to reset the autonomic nervous system to be a little more parasympathetic dominant to start the recovery process).
- Eat real, good food
- Limit the sugar intake in your life
- Prioritize sleep
- Meditation (in its many forms)
- Foam Rolling, lacrosse ballin', myofascial release of any kind
- Deep stretching in conjunction with breathing
- Epsom salt baths*
- Look into recovery oriented vitamin/mineral supplementation like ZMA.*
- Look into incorporating probiotic foods into your diet or supplementing with a probiotic.
- Take a walk
- If you sit a lot, stand up every 10-15 minutes and pace around.
- Find what may be causing you emotional or life stress and address it (don't underrate this, it will always kill you).
A Proper Recovery Day
If you have a day devoted to recovery, which I highly recommend, you'll further reap the benefits of injury prevention and sustained high performance. Good practices include everything listed above, but with the extra time not taken up by training you can:
- Go for a long walk (3 miles or more) or a hike
- Get a deep tissue massage
- See an ART or other muscle activation specialist for any ailing/nagging issues.
- Put together a proper mobility routine and do it from start to finish
- Do any sport or activity leisurely that is relatively non-contact.
- Acupuncture
- Floatation/isolation tanks
- Experiment with new recovery technologies like cryotherapy (though I do warn you to always do your research and know the efficacy of these methods may not be proven given how new they are).
If you take nothing else away from this:
Listen, I know that jiu jitsu, like many sports, is a contact sport where freak injuries happen. I know this as well as anyone. However, I'd wager that 4 out of 5 injuries that happen are not freak injuries and could have been prevented. How? Preparing your body the right way.
This advice is more relevant than ever. For the first time, there are a large number of professionals and people who make their living from jiu-jitsu competition. To act like the demands of jiu jitsu aren't that of MMA or football is simply silly. Jiu Jitsu athletes who make their living from it are professional athletes. You need as much care as LeBron James or the New York Giants.
I know that jiu jitsu, not unlike wrestling, is notorious for "grinding it out," and having a mentality that nothing else matters except jiu jitsu. There may be nothing I can say to change your mind. You may think I'm just a shill because I'm a trainer, acting out of self interest. It's just not true; I believe this with every cell in my body. I urge you not to wait until you're hurt and in a compromised position to seek out the help of a professional.
Start a proper strength and conditioning routine, work some of the tips stated above into your life, and start to take care of your meat wagon, and you'll stay on the mat. You may even get some hardware.