Best Combination of BWE and Aerobics

**JuijitsuMan** · 03-17-2009, 02:12 PM

Hi

I love doing BWE
I love doing aerobics

I find I want maximum strength from the BWE but with the least amount of additional weight. I like to work the guard and more weight from the bottom equals more strain on my heart.

I find BWE helps me best with tackles, single legs, double legs, punching etc so I continue to train it. But the problem I'm having is that I'm putting on too much weight. It makes me hungrier. My muscle mass grows fast.

But as a BJJ /GJJ stylist I don't want the bulk of BWE just the muscle endurance.

Currently I do BWE 3x week and Aerobics 2x week.

Do you think I'll solve the problem by doing BWE 2xweek and aerobics 3xweek?

I want sports performance but I also want weight loss. Most guys with great triangle chokes have skinny legs.

Also some details on how I do BWE in particular for grappling

10 reps pushups
10 reps Leg Scissors
10 reps Squats
10 reps Vups
10 reps Dips
10 reps lunges
Walk 1-1.5min to cooldown my heart a little

REPEAT cycle 4 times (this is what I currently can do and would like to repeat cycle up to maybe 10 times eventually).

I purposesly only do 10 reps because I don't feel any muscle in BJJ/GJJ taxed conitnuously (BJJ is a whole body activity).

Thank you for your help.

**JuijitsuMan** · 03-19-2009, 11:57 AM

Over 20 views and no responses! C'mon people!

**Hardball** · 03-19-2009, 12:05 PM

Duh, what is BWE?

**JuijitsuMan** · 03-19-2009, 12:50 PM

BWE = Body Weight Exercises

**Hardball** · 03-19-2009, 12:57 PM

Now, maybe you will get some responses! LOL

**kimura323** · 03-19-2009, 05:26 PM

I would just start slow and work your way up. But not all people with good triangles have skinny legs. I have a fairly good triangle but i definately dont have skinny legs.

my first post =)

**JuijitsuMan** · 03-20-2009, 09:04 AM

Kimura323

You don't have skinny legs but do you have LONG legs? Triangles are easier with long thin legs. One may be able to pull them off on partners up to 180-200 lbs with shorter legs but on partners over 240-260 its close to impossible. The gracies (ones with long legs) can pull triangles off on men who weigh 340 lbs.

**USArmyBJJ** · 03-20-2009, 11:29 AM

Have you ever read anything by Ross Enamait? He writes some really good stuff and specifically deals with the issue of gaining strength without gaining mass. I can look up what he says about it for you if you want, but it'll take a while - someone else has my copies of his two books.

**JuijitsuMan** · 03-21-2009, 07:32 AM

US Army BJJ

Can you please look up for me the details from Ross Enamait? Especially regarding increasing strength without muscle mass.

**kimura323** · 03-24-2009, 03:13 PM

yes juijitsuman im 6'6 255 i have long legs but i have hardly met anyone except an extremely experienced fighter pull off one of my triangles.

**JuijitsuMan** · 03-24-2009, 05:53 PM

Kimura323

I wish I could have your attributes 6'6" 255. Does sound awesome. Unfortunately the triangle choke is difficult for shorter opponents like me against against monsters your size.!

**kimura323** · 03-24-2009, 05:58 PM

Then yes i would advise trying to gain strength without muscle mass. What you are doing currently should give you the results you are seeking. Just up your reps and set numbers and you will reach your goal.

**Filero** · 04-06-2009, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by JuijitsuMan

I find I want maximum strength from the BWE

I find BWE helps me best with tackles, single legs, double legs, punching etc so I continue to train it.

But as a BJJ /GJJ stylist I don't want the bulk of BWE just the muscle endurance.

The attributes you've described are all different. The first is max strength, then you essentially described explosive power and speed (strength speed and speed strength, respectively), and finally muscular endurance. As a beginner, doing almost anything will increase all three at once. Very quickly, you'll find that's no longer the case, and like many folks who don't have a good plan, you may find your progress stalling on some or all of the attributes described.

So first thing to do is figure out which of the attributes I just described that you're after. As a fighter, my opinion is you'll want to be developing all of them at once. After that, you'll want to learn how to develop them (while avoiding weight gain), how to build routines, and build those routines into a program that targets those areas. This really isn't very complicated, especially if you have a good guide. At the risk of sounding like a Ross Enamait shill, since I just posted this in another thread, I think nothing beats his Never Gymless for this. He's a world class trainer and his books are my favorite for being easy to understand and very effective. It also includes a 50-day sample program that you can try as-is, or modify to suit your needs (since you'll learn the principles of program design in the book). RossTraining - Products

**USArmyBJJ** · 04-06-2009, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by Filero

At the risk of sounding like a Ross Enamait shill, since I just posted this in another thread, I think nothing beats his Never Gymless for this. He's a world class trainer and his books are my favorite for being easy to understand and very effective. It also includes a 50-day sample program that you can try as-is, or modify to suit your needs (since you'll learn the principles of program design in the book). RossTraining - Products

I highly recommend Ross Enamait products as well. They've worked wonders for me. In fact, I just realized that I endorsed him earlier in this same thread and said I would get back to the TS with some answers to questions he was looking for...I still need to do that. Totally forgot about it.

**Filero** · 04-06-2009, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by USArmyBJJ

Have you ever read anything by Ross Enamait? He writes some really good stuff and specifically deals with the issue of gaining strength without gaining mass. I can look up what he says about it for you if you want, but it'll take a while - someone else has my copies of his two books.

I can help there ... first, calorie control is key. No matter what you do, you won't get big if you're not getting enough calories. So keeping calories in check makes sense. Beyond that, you want to stay away from programs that optimize for hypertrophy, which are typically 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. To optimize for strength or power, keep reps very low and effort very high -- 3-5 reps, say, of 8-5 sets, and to optimize for muscular endurance, keep effort low and reps high, looking for total volume of dozens of reps. All of Ross's muscular endurance work is in the context of oxygen debt, which means he's doing heavy conditioning work simultaneously with working muscular endurance -- it's ideal to work this way, since the two types of workouts complement each other, and as a fighter, most of the time if your muscles are burning out then your cardio will challenged also, and vice versa.