Last weekend I was walking through Central Park when I randomly saw Logan Paul running toward me up East Drive. The YouTuber turned boxer was flushed in the face and drenched in sweat as he kept a furious pace in the 80% humidity.
Say what you want about Logan’s combat career path, but the guy has an impressive physique and has stood toe-to-toe with some of the best modern fighters on earth.
What struck me as interesting was, here is one of the wealthiest fighters on earth, with essentially unlimited resources, running with the common folk in 90 degree heat through a crowded park.
He’s got access to the world’s best coaches, equipment, and technology, and he’s out pounding the pavement with old-school roadwork in the middle of July.
This brought a few things into perspective.
Keep It Simple
At Order & Progress we pride ourselves on delivering high-value, minimalist methods to help grapplers 35+ fortify their bodies for BJJ durability. So, I’m continually vetting new and old methods to add to our arsenal.
In today’s world, where technology gives us more data than we can process, and newer is often sold as better, we can’t forget the simple things that have endured the test of time.
Running may be the grandaddy of high-value, minimalist methods for fighters.
It may be boring, and certainly not as exciting as swinging weights, but it’s definitely effective.
Plus it’s free, and one of the primary movements human were designed to do.
Many of us, however, often get caught up in complicated training methods for conditioning work.
Running doesn’t even take much of a warm-up either. You can simply lace up and go.
Running Protocols For Grapplers
I mentioned in last week’s article a few things I’ve changed my mind on regarding training for BJJ. One of them was how I train energy systems.
I no longer crush myself with grueling circuits and glycolytic work, as their metabolic cost may detract from longevity. Plus, we get plenty of glycolytic training on the mat.
Instead, I focus more on alactic, or high intensity work that doesn’t produce lactate, and aerobic training.
You can develop both of these with running.
Aerobic Running
Aerobic training is simply steady state, low intensity work done for longer periods. Your aerobic system kicks in after 3-4 minutes of work and can sustain energy output for hours by burning oxygen.
Aerobic training is highly important for endurance, longevity, recovery, energy levels, and cognitive health.
It will also help you get through a 90 minute BJJ class.
This is what Logan was training. Simply lace up and run at a slow steady pace.
Shoot for 20-60 minutes, twice a week.
Anaerobic Running
An easy way to add anaerobic training with running is with hill sprints.
Just keep your sprints short, less than 12 seconds, and at near max intensity.
Anaerobic intervals burn creatine for energy, which is very efficient, but zaps out quickly.
The good thing is that it restores itself after about a minute of rest.
Try this.
Find a steep hill. Sprint at max speed and intensity up it for 10 seconds. Take 1 minute to walk down and recover.
Repeat this 4 more times for 5 total sprints. Then, rest 3 minutes and repeat the 5 sprints with 1 minute rest between again. You can even add a third round of 5 sprints after another 3 minute break.
If you follow this cadence you wont tap into your glycolytic system. You’ll develop your alactic anaerobic system with the sprints and your aerobic system with the volume over the 15-25 minutes.
You should also feel good, as opposed to thrashed with lactate afterword.
Recovery Running
During the pandemic I was exploring ways to keep my conditioning up while being off the mat. I actually created an entire program that has different protocols that you can find here.
One of my favorite discoveries were Tempo Intervals from Joel Jamison.
This method will improve your aerobic fitness and work capacity while helping to speed up recovery.
It’s accomplished by performing 10-15 sprint intervals at a sub-maximal pace of 75% max effort.
Sprints are on a flat surface from 12-15 seconds long with 60 seconds of rest between.
I do these once or twice a week, usually on Sunday for a recovery workout.
Final Thoughts
I may not agree with the way Logan Paul has made a name for himself in the combat sports world, but I certainly respect the work he’s put in to stand with the best in the world.
And I appreciate the reminder he sparked simply by running through the park.
Humans are meant to walk, run, and throw.
So if you’re neglecting one of our core human movements, start with these simple methods to improve your conditioning on the mat, and your potential for longevity.
We often focus on muscle and strength building methods for performance and longevity, but none of that would work without a fully-functioning heart and lungs pumping oxygen and blood where we need it.
Improve these vital qualities for grappling and ultimately life but simply hitting the road.
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