By Peter Lakatos -Strength coach for Carlson Gracie Hungary & StrongFirst Master instructor

In strength sports intensity means the % of your 1RM, and for this reason “easy” to plan progression, training and basically a whole program – since rules are fairly strict. As Louie Simmons says, at one point it is pure mathematics, physics and physiology. So intensity is measured by the weight on the bar – and that seems easy to manage in daily, weekly or even monthly basis, talking about planning again. Traditionally intensity, volume and density is measured in strength and power sports – and even in endurance sports on some degree – but mixed sports like BJJ is somehow difficult to put on papers, using charts.

In BJJ measuring intensity is far from easy, not only because there is no mathematical formula for 1RM, but because your training partner might have a different plan today, and even you want to have easy day today, your partner could not care less about it – but that is a different story. Intensity in BJJ can be measured by RPE, and mainly on the Borg 10 RPE scale. The point is you have to have a system not only measure intensity – meaning after training like RPE and Bioforce HRV – but most importantly plan ahead.

Bioforce is a pretty cool solution – measuring Hear Rate Variability on weekly and monthly basis should be part of your stress management system.

Now, if you train only twice a week, probably that is not a big deal, both of your training will be around 5-7 on the scale, but what about those, who have 4-6 sessions or more? Maybe even some strength training added? Yes, this is the time, when every single component of your training has to be planned – periodised even? – and must play with the intensity too from session to session, besides other components, while you must remember, technique must learned first correctly, before you put it into intensity. It is like you must have proper deadlift form, before you put any weight on the bar.

The original and the modified Borg RPE scale. Use it for planning and rating your trainings.

Now, talking about play. Powerlifting is amazing stuff, but powerlifting has no play component, and probably should not have. You must be professional, focused and well – get the job done. BJJ is playful, and even when you spar, it has many playful moment. How do we know? Because you go way over your limits just for the sake of doing it, and you lose totally the sense of time. There you go – qualified for play. But that is the danger of it, while you want to repeat and repeat again to feel the fun again, you might go over the planned intensity, and lets say the weekly total load will be just too much.

What is too much? Well…It depends. After all it is not only about what you do in the gym – but how well, fast you recover from it. The question is not how far you can walk from the house in a snowstorm, but can you walk back? But that should be another post.

Peter Lakatos

Purple Belt Carlson Gracie Team Hungary

StrongFirst Master instructor