I always complain about the fact that I don’t do enough physical conditioning besides my regular Jiu Jitsu training. Ideally, one should train both equally, as they go hand in hand in order to be successful in BJJ. Being fit without technical skills will not serve you, however, having good technique and no gas in the tank and/or strength is also quite pointless. The key is to maintain a good balance.
The problem
Lately, we’ve been more focused on drills and techniques and less on the strength and conditioning during our classes, and that’s perfectly fine. It should be the responsibility of each martial artist to take care of their own fitness level outside of the tatami. BJJ classes are only 2 hours long, and we need to prioritize.
Unfortunately, I rarely attend the strength and conditioning classes at our gym, simply because the schedule doesn’t really work for me. Classes are at 9.00 am, and I start work at 8.00 am. And if I do happen to go, I have to work later during the day to make up for the hours, and I don’t feel very productive later in the afternoon. I also quite frankly hate working out in the morning. My body just doesn’t do what my mind tells it to do until 10.00 am and at least 3 cups of coffee later.
one of the rare occasions I do make it in the morning
So to make up for it, I train at home sporadically in the evenings. I do whichever exercises come to my mind in the moment, without having a specific plan. These include skipping rope, squats, burpees, pushups, situps, you name it. My problem is, if I don’t have anyone to tell me what to do, or more precisely how many reps I should do, I don’t push myself to the limit! And here’s the problem: if you don’t push yourself beyond your limits, you never make any progress.
Usually, I just do the bare minimum to get the satisfaction that I’ve done something. It’s a personality defect I‘m very conscious of, and I really have to solve this problem somehow.
Hiring a personal trainer is not an option for me, because I simply can’t afford it. Also, it’s not like I don’t know the exercises. I just need to get the f*** off of my lazy ass, that’s all. But fighting with myself is not as easy as it seems! The little devil on my left shoulder usually wins this fight...
It seemed like there was no real solution for me, until a friend told me about a this:
Fitness Blenders on YouTube!
What the hell is this, you ask? Fitness Blenders are short workouts in video format, in which a trainer tells you which exercises to do. He or she does them at the same time, which is great if you are not sure about your posture, and need someone to follow. These videos are highly efficient, for several reasons:
They are short!
Each video only lasts between 5 to 20 minutes, depending on which exercise you choose. The list is long, so there is definitely something for each person and muscle group. It’s the ideal option for people like me, who have limited time during the day and need to squeeze in a workout in between commitments.
Today for example, I did a HIIT training of 20 minutes (check out the video here.
When I saw that the length of the video was only 24 minutes, I thought to myself aah, piece of cake!, but people, trust me when I say that I totally underestimated the intensity of it. The exercise was moderately difficult, meaning not hard enough to make you quit, but hard enough for a fit person to be challenged. Today’s workout was mainly jumping squats and lunges, as well as timed speed exercises to get the heart pumping! Needless to say, my glutes will be extremely sore tomorrow, probably much more than I expected.
On previous occasions, I’ve tried the 10 minute ab workout, as well as the 8 minute leg exercises. The abs didn’t do much for me (it’s the only part of my body that is actually quite strong), however the leg exercises also got me sore while I was traveling last month.
Quick, but intense exercises
The thing I like the most is that these exercises are timed (usually 30 seconds), which decreases the chances of you abandoning mid-way. The exercises are meant to be very quick and effective, and to have maximum impact on a specific muscle group in a limited amount of time.
In today’s world full of impatient people, what else could we ask for?
In conclusion...
You don’t have to worry about traffic to get to the gym, changing and showering in dirty lockers, and the best of all, it’s totally free. All it will cost you is some willpower to switch on your TV for 20 minutes.
All in all, I highly recommend it to anyone who has a busy schedule during the day, and doesn't want to invest in a gym subscription or workout equipment. Most of these workouts can be done in your living room, and do not require a lot of space. You also don’t need any accessories, as everything is done using your own body weight. I would still recommend you to use a yoga mat in order to do exercises like abs which require you to lay on the floor.
I’ve decided to do one of these workouts every other day, when I don’t train jiu jitsu. That means, I need to do a Fitness Blender every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. It’s very doable since these workouts are so short that I could even squeeze it in during my lunch break, so no more excuses on my side.