This week was my first full training week in preparation for Masters Worlds in November. I didn’t get in as many BJJ training days in as would have liked, but it still went well.
Getting back to my normal training routine after a week of light training, no weightlifting, and feeling satisfied was more difficult than I thought it would be. After training so hard and for so long for the New York Summer Open and accomplishing everything I set out to do, I had a feeling of satisfaction all week. I have to make sure that feeling of satisfaction doesn’t turn into complacency. I have to continue to stay focused on drilling, rolling, weightlifting, and my diet.
Diet Control
Regaining my focus on my diet seems to be the hardest thing to do, especially when I have to stay under 210 pounds to be able to compete in the heavyweight division. Eating poorly seems to be like a giant snowball. I get off my diet after a competition and eat a bad dinner, and then the next day I eat a bad dinner and have some desert. Then maybe I start to drink more and more beer after each dinner. It’s a snowball that keeps growing and growing.
Now it’s time to clean it up, and it’s hard to cut all of that garbage out. Once I get back on track, I don’t even think about eating crappy stuff and I only concentrate on foods I can eat for fuel. I have to get back on that track. I did clean my diet up this week, but it was tough. It will be like this for the next week or so, until it becomes automatic.
Training Plans
While refocusing on my diet is the hardest part, refocusing on training is the easiest. After all, this is what I love to do, so the hard part is taking breaks and training lightly. I only got three days of mat time in this week, but one of those days was competing at the inaugural BJJ championship at the Keystone State Games in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Since this was the first year for the jiu jitsu championship (judo and about fifty other sports have been regular events at the games for many years), it was pretty small, but it is always great to get on the mat and compete. I had a couple pretty good matches in the adult purple belt ultra-heavyweight division. At 206 pounds, I was a little undersized. The two other competitors in my division were 255 and 365 pounds. However, I did go 3-0 with three submissions, and I had a great time.
I had small groin pull on Monday. It is already felling a lot better and didn’t interfere with any of my training, except for deadlifting on Wednesday. I still continued to deadlift, but kept the weight pretty light. The rest of my strength and conditioning program went great. Just like with BJJ, I never have a problem focusing in the weight room.
So this week I need to continue to get my diet in order, because in three weeks it will already be time for the Boston Summer Open.
Monday – Strength and Conditioning
- Power Jerk 80kg x4x5
- Squat 150kg x4x5
- Medicine Ball Push Up 20,17,11
- Alternating Dumbbell Curls 40x3x10
- Suitcase Crunch 20lb x 16,16,16
Monday – BJJ
Half guard attacks, rolling
Wednesday – Strength and Conditioning
Deadlift 315×2, 320×1, 325×1
Dumbbell Step Up 30x3x10
Chin Up 20,15,10
Wednesday – BJJ
Sweeps, rolling
Friday – Strength and Conditioning
Hang Cleans (kg) 75×5, 75×5, 77.5×5, 80×5
Dumbbell Incline Press 80×5, 85×5, 85×5, 90×5, 95×5
Farmers Walk 55 Yards x3, 105lb dumbbell
T-Bar Row 140×10
3 Way Knee Raise 11,6,5
Saturday – BJJ
Keystone State Games
