How often do you need to take a break from BJJ? This is a question that many grapplers struggle with. On one hand, you don't want to over train and end up getting injured. But on the other hand, you don't want to miss out on valuable training time.

In this blog post, we will discuss how to know when you need a rest day or break from BJJ. We will also provide some tips for taking care of your body so that you can stay healthy and train at your best!

Why Do You Need Breaks From BJJ?

There are a few reasons why you might need to take a break from BJJ.

First, if you are feeling over trained or burnt out, it might be time for a rest day. Second, if you are injured, you will need to take some time off to allow the injury to heal. Third, if you are sick, you should also take a break from training until you feel better.

Fourth, if you have been training consistently for more than six months without breaks and are starting to receive frequent injuries, have troubles sleeping, or have low energy levels it is probably time for a restful vacation!

How To Know When You Need A Rest Day or Break From BJJ?

There are several ways to know when you need a break from BJJ. One way is to listen to your body. If you are feeling tired, sore, or sick, it might be time to take a break.

Another way to know is to keep track of your training schedule. Are you consistently doing more than two hard training sessions per week?

If so, you might need a break. Finally, you can also use the Overtraining Scale to help determine if you need a rest day.

The Overtraining Scale

The Overtraining Scale is a tool that was developed by Dr. Eric Serrano and Dr. Perry Renshaw to help athletes determine when they need a rest day. The scale measures three different factors: physical fatigue, psychological stress, and hormonal disturbances. You can use this scale to measure how over trained you are on any given day.

Physical Fatigue: This factor measures how tired you are physically. On a scale of 0 to 100, 0 is no fatigue, and 100 is extreme fatigue.

Psychological Stress: This factor measures how stressed you are mentally. On a scale of 0 to 100, 0 is no stress and 100 is extreme stress.

Hormonal Disturbances: This factor measures the level of hormonal disturbances in your body. On a scale of 0 to 100, 0 is no disturbance and 100 is a severe disturbance.

Add up all three factors to get your overall score on the Overtraining Scale. If your score is above 60, you might need a rest day!

Tips for Taking Care of Your Body As A BJJ Athlete

Here are some tips for taking care of your body as a BJJ athlete:

~ Breathwork and visualization.

~ Get enough sleep. Most athletes need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night.

~ Eat a balanced diet. Make sure you are eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein.

~ Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and injuries.

~ Stretch regularly. Stretching helps keep your muscles flexible and prevents injuries but timing is important. Learn more about if you should stretch before Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training.

~ Take breaks between training sessions. Allow your body time to recover between workouts.

~ See a doctor if you are injured or sick. Don't try to train through an injury or illness!

How Many Rest Days For BJJ Training?

As we have seen, it is important to take breaks from BJJ training in order to prevent injury and burnout. Rest days are also great to help relieve mental stress if utilized and enjoyed effectively!

Experts recommend taking at least one rest day per week if you are doing a lot of hard training sessions or competitions. You should also take a break after any major injury or illness so that your body has time to heal before going back into action again!

This training undulation schedule provided by Nattie Boss help to share some insights on how to schedule your training sessions and rest days as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete.

Another way to determine how many rest days you need is to see how well you are recovering on your time off. A research paper published in PubMed suggests:

"An athlete failing to recover within 72 hours has presumably negatively overtrained and is in an overreached state. For an elite athlete to refrain from training for > 72 hours is extremely undesirable, highlighting the importance of a carefully monitored recovery process." ~ G Kenttä , P Hassmén

What Can Be Done During Rest Days?

There are several things that you can do to take care of your body and prevent injury. This article dives deep into how to stay productive during BJJ rest days and/or sick days.

Here are a few quick tips and ideas:

Jack M. showing some BJJ warm-ups in Submission Shark Jiu Jitsu Gi Pants.

First, make sure you warm up before training by doing some light calisthenics, BJJ-based movements, or jogging for three minutes. Second, stretch after training to loosen tight muscles and prevent soreness.

Third, foam roll regularly to increase circulation and reduce muscle tension throughout the body.

Fourth, have a proper nutrition plan each day so that you get enough vitamins/minerals which are essential for healing injuries quickly!

BJJ Blog Post Summary: Resting From BJJ

~ Why Rest Is Important For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? ~ Rest is important because it allows your body time to recover from the stress of training. It also prevents overtraining syndrome (OTS). Rest helps prevent injuries and improves performance.

Resting also gives you more energy so that you can train harder when it's time to get back on the mat! Resting is an essential part of any good Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) program.

 

~ How To Know When You Need A Rest Day or Break From BJJ? ~ There are many ways to know when you need a rest day from BJJ.

One way is by listening to your body; if it feels fatigued then take some time off training until all signs of fatigue have subsided completely before engaging in another session again today!

Another way would be looking at how much sleep you're getting each night: less than six hours might mean too little rest while more than nine hours could also mean too much rest (and possibly overtraining).

Lastly, keeping track of how many times you've been injured lately might tell you if it's time to take a break from training so that those injuries can heal properly before resuming normal activity again!

~ Resting From BJJ: Tips For Rest Days ~ Rest days are important because they allow your body to recover from the stress of training.

It's essential for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes and other martial artists alike not only to get enough sleep at night but also to eat well throughout the day as well since this helps supply them with the energy needed during practice sessions or competitions!

So make sure your diet consists of whole foods that are nutrient dense and supports recovery.

Avoid eating processed foods and sugary snacks as these will only hinder your performance! Drink plenty of water each day to help flush out toxins in the body and prevent dehydration.

Finally, try to relax on your rest days: take a walk, watch some BJJ instructional videos, read Submission Shark articles, or do something else that helps your enjoy a break off the mats so you can come back feeling refreshed and motivated!

~ Resting From BJJ: What To Do On Your Rest Days? ~ Resting from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) doesn't mean just sitting around all day doing nothing!

You can still do things like yoga, light calisthenics, or stretching to keep active without putting too much stress on your body.

Another thing you can do is foam roll which will help increase circulation and reduce muscle tension throughout your body.

Remember, try to eat healthy on your rest days so that you can supply your body with the nutrients it needs to heal any injuries you might have and come back feeling stronger than before!

Resting from BJJ is just as important as training hard, so make sure you take advantage of it when needed!

~ Hormonal Dysregulation ~ The Overtraining Scale measures three factors which are cortisol, testosterone, and serotonin levels in the body.

Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress.

testosterone is produced by the testes in males and ovaries in females.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, sleep, and appetite.

If any of these three factors are out of balance then it could mean you're overtraining and need a rest day!

Further Reading:

How Many Times A Week Should You Train BJJ?

Going Back To Bjj After A Long Break ~ Tips To Return Like a Pro

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: When To Tap? How To Avoid Getting Injured In BJJ?

Injury Prevention Tips For BJJ

Knowing when to take a break is an essential part of becoming a self-aware martial artist. As a BJJ beginner, and even at advanced black belt levels, it can be difficult to want to step off the mats.

For some practitioners, a day off the mats can feel like a decade, and being forced to take a few weeks or months away from Brazilian jiu-jitsu due to an injury can be disheartening for many martial artists. That is why Submission Shark has put together these guides on Injury Prevention For BJJ.