Following on my post on eating for weight loss, the second part of my prep for competition is obviously, training.
It was hard to juggle training, rehab and teaching, especially considering I'm still working towards recovering my neck and back and haven't trained hard consistently for 2 years. I separated training into Mat training (BJJ and Muay Thai) and Off the Mat training.
Most of my Off the Mat sessions at the gym focused on strength retention and rehab work as prescribed by my physio, e.g. for my glutes, my back and my neck. This is just so my body stays pain-free and I never push to failure on any set. I also had a weekly yoga session.
My full training schedule for the 7 weeks is below, and my full Off the Mat training schedule can be found here including every rep I did during that time.
Lessons learnt, at my age and with my body, 5 to 7 sessions a week of BJJ training is good for my competition preparation. Along with 2 sessions of Muay Thai padwork or bagwork sprinkled in for extra fitness and 3 sessions of gym work for strength and conditioning. If I'm a bit over my target weight, a 4-5km jog will yield 600g weight loss.
In addition, to keep my body up to the task of the training, I need a minimum of a yoga session, two sessions in the sauna, and a massage every week. Two massages would be ideal, but not everyone can afford 😅
I felt really good during this 7 week preparation, all the way until I stepped onboard the flight. The only regret I had, was I ruined my whole 7 week prep, by flying in on the same day as I was competing, eating nothing but fruit on the 13 hour flight and sleeping a total of 4 hours the night before the competition.
Even though I lost my first match by the slimmest of margins (2 advantages), the upside is that I know I can still compete, and I will again. That for me, who once thought I'd never compete again at 35 years of age, was the best part.