Coach’s Tips: Planning Out Your Weekly Training Schedule
By PJ Nestler
One of the biggest mistakes I see when I first start working with a fighter is planning out their weekly training schedule and almost every single fighter I've worked with has made the same mistake until they have somebody who kind of helps them understand how to lay these practices out and structure everything properly.
Let's use MMA as an example.
Wrestling MMA, strength and conditioning, BJJ, Spurring, Strength and conditioning and that's morning practices and then at night we've got mit work, running, etc. If you look at the intensity in all these activities, usually the mornings are high intensity and then maybe the afternoons are a lower intensity technical work.
The first thing that stands out to me there is at least one high intensity practice every day.
What happens here is high intensity every single day doesn't allow our body to recover, even if it's a different type of work out, they end up with nervous system fatigue, muscular fatigue and they end up beat up by the time they get to Thursday, Friday they are so beat up and over trained, that they don't get anything out of these last three days. They are simply pushing themselves further into over training. We've seen tons of fighters getting hurt, pull out of fights and they don't understand why that stuff is happening because they think they planned this out.
Usually the first thing I do when I have an athlete come in, is they fill out a training schedule that looks like this and they map out low intensity, high intensity and moderate intensity practices and then I help them structure it.
We map this stuff out, their weekly training schedule would look more like this:
- Monday morning - Wrestling (High Intensity)
- Monday night - Strength and Conditioning (High Intensity)
- Tuesday morning - BJJ or other Technical Work (Moderate Intensity)
- Tuesday night - OFF or LSD, long, slow, distance cardio. (Low Intensity)
- Wednesday morning - Thai Pad Work, technical. (Low-Moderate Intensity)
- Wednesday night - Strength and Conditioning
- Thursday morning - BJJ (Moderate Intensity)
- Thursday night - OFF or Technical Work
- Friday morning - Sparring (High Intensity)
- Friday evening - Strength and Conditioning
- Saturday/Sunday - OFF
Now as we map this out, Sunday is usually always an off day, recovering and rest day, recovery rest day. We've got wrestling, this is pretty high intensity wrestling, sparring. Then we've got strength and conditioning, another high intensity session. BJJ technical work is moderate intensity. It's not super low because there is a little bit of drilling and kind of BJJ spurring but it's not super super high intensity and then long slow distance cardio work, very very low intensity. Muay thai pad work, again low intensity, low to moderate.
Strength and conditioning on Wednesdays is more of an aerobic capacity or a recovery day for us, just depending on really what they need and where we're at in camp. So again low intensity. So I'm going to put an L next to low. We'll call that M for moderate. This is low, this is moderate, this is low, if they do anything, then high, high and then off.
We only have 2 major high intensity days in the week.
They are big time wrestling day in the morning, they have big time sparring day in the morning and those are when we do our high intensity strengthening conditioning work. Now I'd like to have it spaced out like that because that allows recovery if you see here. Low intensity, so they are still getting some great technical work in here but they are also allowing their nervous system and their body to recover.
*Note: If they had to get a higher intensity day in here on Wednesday, they could do that because we've got a recovery day in between based on their training schedule they do more of a moderate intensity day there. And then moderate here. It's because these two moderate days are in between here, then we keep this one moderate as well. If they want to go low and low, we could go really high intensity on Wednesday as well depending on their recovery.
Spacing these sessions out like that allows us to get the most out of our sessions and allows your body to recover throughout the week. We like to do high intensity on the same day, we'll give them a lot of 6 to 7 hour of break in between these sessions. This break allows them to recover. I like doing strength and conditioning in the afternoon, so that even if they come out a little beat up and fatigued, we're not taking away from their technical skilled work, which is the most important part. I'd rather the strength and conditioning is affected then the technical skilled work is affected by the strength work.
Having this kind of high/low sequencing allows that proper recovery, keeps my guys fresher for a lot longer and minimizes injuries.
We don't have a lot of injuries with our fighters during camp or even outside of camp and just keeps them fresh and then make sure that we maximize what they are getting out of all these sessions because if they are fatigued going into this Friday sparring, which is arguably one of the most important sessions in the week and the highest risk of them getting hurt and they go in that fatigued and already beat up. They are not going to get anything out of that and most likely they are going to over train and they're going to get hurt.
Coach PJ is a sports performance professional with an unparalleled passion to be the best, in order to have the greatest impact on those he services. During his 10 year career he has worked with athletes in many capacities ranging from coaching high school football, NCAA Division 1 Strength & Conditioning, to his current role as Director of multiple high performance training centers in Southern California.
Weekly Tips for Physical Dominance!
Blog Categories
All Categories #athleticism #athleticmastery #athleticperformance #athletictraining #boxingtraining #dancebenefits #danceinsports #fighterconditioning #gymnasticsdrills #mma #sportstraining #tailoredtraining #warmup accommodating resistance aches and pains action active recovery adaptability adapting techniques adapting to competition aerobic exercise benefits aesthetics affordable eating for athletes affordable gym essentials ageless fitness agility agility drills agility training aging athletes workout aging combat athletes aging gracefully aging grapplers aging in martial arts alcohol alcohol and sports alcohol reduction alcohol's impact on fitness altitude chamber ancient warriors anxiety assessment athlete athlete development athlete lifestyle athlete mental health athlete mindset athlete nutrition athlete performance athlete recovery athlete rest athlete training athlete's guide athlete's health athlete's journey athlete's shoulder athlete's well-being athletes athletic conditioning athletic development athletic health athletic meal planning athletic mindset athletic performance athletic potential athletic preparedness athletic progress athletic prowess athletic recovery athletic recovery techniques athletic rotation athletic success athletic training athleticism athletics athltic performance balance balance and stability balanced diet balancing act bar speed technology battling ropes benefits of sauna after exercise benefits of supplements best fitness presents beta-alanine big fight big toe biological necessity biomechanics bjj bjj conditioning bjj grip training bjj kettlebell bjj strength and conditioning bjj strength exercises bjj strength training bjj strength training workout bjj training bjj training tips bjj workout bjj workouts blue zone diets blue-collar strength body preparation bodybuilding bodyweight bodyweight exercises bottled water bottom-up exercises boxers boxing boxing conditioning boxing conditioning workouts boxing footwork boxing for beginners boxing legends boxing power boxing skills boxing sparring boxing strength training boxing technique boxing techniques boxing tips boxing training boxing workouts bracing techniques brain health brazilian jiu jitsu brazilian jiu-jitsu breath breathing breathing techniques budget-friendly nutrition budget-friendly workout gear building muscle after 40 burnout prevention business ideas caffeine cage combat calisthenics carbohydrate repletion carbohydrate restriction carbohydrates cardio cardio and conditioning cardiovascular endurance career transitions challenges challenges in jiu jitsu champion's journey champion's mindset charity child fitness christmas fitness gifts circuit training for mma clarity clean and jerk climbing rope climbing techniques coach coordination coaching cold plunge benefits cold therapy cold therapy in sports college wrestling combat athletes combat sports combat sports athletes combat sports conditioning combat sports mastery combat training combined training strategies communication community competition competition preparation competitive edge competitive training for seniors concurrent training concurrent training for fighters concussion concussion side effects concussions conditioning conditioning for bjj conditioning for mma conditioning workouts conjugate training consistency continuous improvement contrast therapy in sports convenience drawbacks coordination coping mechanisms coping strategies coping with defeat core core strength core training crawling crawling exercises crawling patterns creatine cross-training cryotherapy and athletic performance culture curcumin cutting weight cutting weight for bjj cvac cvac machines daily improvement daily routines debunked myths dedication dehydration determination detrimental habits diet diet and fitness diet for bjj dietary supplements digital age digital distraction discipline distractions diverse play dominance doping drawbacks of supplements drills durability dynamic stretches dynamic stretching dynamic work dynamic workouts eating habits electrolyte replenishment elevate performance elite performance elite wrestlers emotional challenges emotional intelligence emotional resilience emotional stress endurance endurance activities endurance training energy drinks energy systems in sports enhancing grappling performance equipment exercise exercise equipment under $500 exercise intensity exercise optimization exercise order exercise physiologist exercise physiology exercise science exercise science for seniors exercise science in martial arts exercise science insights exercise variables exercises exercises for jiu jitsu explosive advantage explosive power extraordinary strength eye training fame fame and media fasting for athletes fatigue fatigue management feamle athletes feet female fighters training female martial artists fight preparation fight training workout fight week fight week nutrition fight weight fighter diet fighter diet plan fighter performance fighter safety fighter tips fighter training fighter workout plan fighter's fitness fighter's guide fighter's mind fighters fighting fighting training finances fitness fitness buff fitness enthusiast fitness equipment for small spaces fitness for fighters fitness for wrestlers fitness goals fitness habits fitness history fitness journey fitness motivation fitness myths fitness regimen fitness strategies fitness tips fitness training flexibility flow state fluidity of motion flywheel resistance flywheel resistance training flywheel training focus food and nutrition food industry in the united states foot foot and ankles foot arches foot exercises foot strength footwork drills force-velocity curve foundational movement foundationofstrength french contrast training fueling strategy full-body strength functional range conditioning functional strength gains genetic predisposition genetics genetics in sports gift ideas for fitness enthusiasts giving back global perspective global wrestling glute activation goal achievement goal setting grappler endurance grappler training grapplers grappling grappling myths grappling strength grappling techniques grip grip exercises grip improvement grip strength grip strength exercises growth mindset guard mobility gym diet gym efficiency gym habits gym training gym workouts gymnastics progressions habit formation habits hand exercises hand health hand protection hand strength hand strength assessment hand strength exercises head injuries healing health discipline health preservation health technology healthcare professionals healthy eating healthy habits healthy holidays healthy lifestyle healthy living healthyeating heart rate heart rate monitors heart rate zones heat acclimation with sauna heat therapy for muscle recovery heavy bag workouts help others high altitude chambers high mileage high-intensity training historical feats history history of supplements holiday eating holiday fitness shopping list holiday fitness tips holiday health holiday indulgences holiday nutrition holiday season holiday stress holiday wellness holidays holistic development holistic fitness holistic nutrition home gym equipment home post how to prepare for a fight human strength hydration hydration benefits hydration strategies hydrogen water ice bath recovery time ice bath temperature for athletes ice baths ice baths and immune system ice baths for athletes impact of supplements improve technique increase strength incredible strength individualized workouts inflammation information overload injury injury management injury prevention injury risk inmate strength inner critic intensity intermittent fasting international wrestler interval workouts jiu jitsu jiu jitsu exercises jiu jitsu workout jiu-jitsu jiu-jitsu recovery jiu-jitsu strength training jiu-jitsu techniques jiu-jitsu training joint flexibility joint health joint mobility jumping kettlebell kettlebell exercises kettlebell workouts kickboxing kids fitness kinetic chain knee health knee injuries knockout power knockout punch labor-intensive work lat pull-down lean muscle learning styles leg strength leg strength for boxers legends lifelong success lifestyle changes lifestyle habits lift speed lightning-fast kicks loaded carries long-term athletic development long-term benefits losing weight lower body training macronutrient balance magnesium making weight martial arts martial arts conditioning martial arts fitness martial arts strength training martial arts wellness masters athletes masters bjj masters division fitness masters jiu jitsu masters-aged grapplers meal planning medicine ball mental mental conditioning mental fortitude mental health mental health in sports mental preparation mental resilience mental resilience in sports mental skills training mental strategies mental strength mental stress mental toughness mental training mental training for athletes mental well-being mind game in sports mind-body connection mind-body wellness mind-muscle connection mindfulness mindfulness in sports mindset mindset training mineral water mixed martial arts mixed martial arts training tips mma mma cardio mma cardio workout mma conditioning drills mma conditioning routine mma exercises mma meal plan mma nutrition mma performance mma recovery mma recovery techniques mma strength and conditioning mma strength training mma training mma weight training mma workout routine mobility mobility and flexibility modern athletes modern boxers momentum monastic wisdom motivation movement patterns muay thai conditioning multi-plane exercises muscle building muscle building foods muscle development muscle growth muscle maintenance muscle recovery muscle soreness muscle soreness and ice baths muscle strengthening natural athletes nature's healing ncaa neck health neck strength neck strength and concussion prevention negative effects of weight cutting new goals news nitrate nootropics nutrient-dense foods nutrient-rich foods nutrition nutrition for athletes nutrition for fighters nutrition for young athletes nutrition tips olympic weightlifting omega-3 omega-3 fatty acids optimal performance outdoor outdoor recovery overall health overcoming challenges overcoming excuses overcoming fear overcoming limitations overcoming obstacles overtraining parasympathetic dominance passion peak athletic performance peak performance peaking peaking strategies peds peptides performance performance enhancement performance impairment performance metrics performance nutrition performance optimization performance testing performance-enhancing drugs periodization perseverance personal development ph water philanthropy physical activities physical activity physical challenges physical conditioning physical demands physical development physical fitness physical health physical matchups physical preparation physical stress physical training plyometric exercises plyometrics positive self-talk positive teammates post-training recuperation post-workout post-workout ice bath post-workout recovery posture power power generation power lifting powerlifting pre-competition routine pre-competition strategies pre-supplementation preparation pressure prison workouts probiotics professional fighting progressive overload proper nutrition protein protein for fighters protein intake psychology pull downs pull ups pull-ups punching accuracy punching power punching technique punching techniques quality sleep quality vs quantity range of motion reaction time reaction times recognition recovery recovery habits recovery methods recovery nutrition recovery science recovery strategies recovery techniques recreational athlete recreational athletes recreational boxing rehydration rejuvenation relaxation techniques repetitions resilience resistance to change resistance training rest rest and recovery rest and rejuvenation rest day rest days rib cage rice method rock climbing rope climbing rotational exercises running sacrifice safe weight loss safety sauna sauna and cardiovascular health sauna and ice baths sauna and stress reduction sauna benefits for recovery sauna for endurance athletes sauna therapy for athletes sauna use for muscle recovery saunas schedule scientific strategies screen time sedentary lifestyle sedentary lifestyles self-care habits self-compassion self-control self-defense self-sabotaging habits senior athlete training shadow boxing shoulder blade movement shoulder exercises shoulder health shoulder strength shoulders signs of overtraining sleep sleep duration sleep for recovery sleep optimization sleep quality snatch social challenges social media sparring tips speed speed and agility speed and power speed and power training speed training sports sports injuries sports nutrition sports odyssey sports performance sports psychology sports science sports supplements sports vision training sprinting stability stamina stamina improvement staying focused steam room steroids strategic meal planning strategic workouts strengh strength strength & conditioning strength & conditioning for combat athletes strength and conditioning strength and endurance strength and power strength and technique balance strength building diet strength coaching strength exercises strength exercises for mma fighters strength feats strength for mma strength maintenance strength training strength training for boxers strength training for jiu-jitsu strength training myths strength training over 40 strength training principles strength training psychology strength work strength workouts for grapplers strengthcoach strengthening exercises stress stress management stretches for bjj stretching stretching exercises striking strong cultures success sugar supplement guide for mma supplement industry supplements supplements for athletes supplements for brain health support system surfing takedowns targeting team dynamics technique technology technology impact time management top-rated exercise gear toughness tournament readiness track workouts for fighters" tags: combat sports training training balance training blocks training camp training challenges training consistency training efficiency training innovation training intensity training methods training optimization training plan training plans training recovery training regimen training routines training schedule training strategies training stress training techniques training tips training to failure training volume training volume and intensity triumph through adversity twice-a-day workouts unconventional training unilateral training untapped potential us presidents usada vertical pull exercises visualization techniques visualizing success vitamin d volunteer wada warm up warm ups warm-up and cooldown warm-up exercises warm-up techniques warrior mentality water intake water types weigh in weigh-ins weight class weight classes weight cutting weight cutting methods weight cutting safety weight gain weight lifting weight loss weight loss strategies weight management weight-cutting guidelines weightlifting well-being well-being tips wellness whey protein women in jiu-jitsu women's fitness work-life balance workout workout for older adults workout intensity workout nutrition workout optimization workout plans workout recovery workout revolution workout routine workout tips workout variation workout volume workouts wrestlers wrestling wrestling champions wrestling conditioning workouts wrestling games wrestling strength training wrestling techniques wrestling tips wrestling workout plan wrestling workouts wrist alignment wrist safety wrist strength young athlete's diet youth youth athlete development youth athletes youth grapplers youth sports youth sports coaching youth wrestling