This pretty much sums up most of what I've learned from Joel Jamieson over at his website, 8 Weeks Out.
I found myself looking back over my training logs for the past several months and I'm wondering if the problems I've been having with cardio in training of late are simply due to the fact that I haven't done any serious cardio work since early last fall?
I'm sure there are a lot of factors involved. But I was a little shocked to realize how little emphasis I've been putting on pure, LSD type cardio.
I think I've been confused about how limited the anaerobic energy system is. There's a nice thread over at 8 Weeks Out that talks about this in connection with mixed martial arts. But I think a lot of the conversation is applicable to jiu jitsu, as well. As one poster notes, the anaerobic glycolytic system generates max power at the one minute mark and by the five minute mark has been cut in half.
In two out of the last four competitive matches I've been in, I've been ahead on points with a few minutes left (sometimes 45 seconds!). I'm increasingly convinced that the reason I lost those matches was because I was just too tired. Too tired to think, too tired to act, too tired to prevail.
Reminds me of that great Dan Inosanto quote: "If you are tired you’re not strong, if you are tired you’re not fast, if you’re tired you don’t have good technique, and if you’re tired you’re not even smart".
So part of my return to the drawing board that has me tightening things up with my half guard (i.e., introducing a "high half" component with chokes, sweeps and the kimura), I want to get back to twice a week LSD, treadmill cardio for the next several weeks.
And given the fact that I've been able to keep my weight under 160 without this kind of cardio, I'm curious to see what happens with some additional, pure fat burning cardio sessions added back to the mix.
