Story of 2 White Belts, Same Training Schedule (1 Had Terrible Cardio)

[@Shroudpwnsu]

If you're feeling lethargic and gas quickly during training it's also a good idea to check if you're anemic.

[@nicknesler]

1000%

[@nicknesler]

I had low iron. I started eating iron rich foods and I felt amazing after.

[@KazzArie]

@@nicknesler me too and also slightly anemic. Beef didn’t help, pasture raised and grass fed beef liver desiccated caps didn’t work, but it’s a bit better. Sometimes we gotta make do by training harder like long, boring periods of steady state cardio 😑 but hey if that’s what it takes to improve, amirite 😄🤙

[@mattrennie6876]

@@nicknesler as long as you include lots of fiber as that high iron diet will turn your poop into rocks.

[@nicknesler]

@@mattrennie6876 thanks for the tip! Luckily good poops since then.

[@urag3hard]

My buddy finally got a cpap and my god the amount of energy that dude has in comparison to before is insane.

[@Nebelhom]

Yep CPAP helps. I went from falling asleep standing up after 10 hours of sleep without to being completely awake, rested and ready to go after 6 hours with a CPAP. It was a life changing moment

[@NorseMatt]

Chewy, this video is one of the reasons I love your videos. You talk about more than just BJJ like how we can improve other things along with BJJ. Keep up the good work sir.

[@Chewjitsu]

Thanks Matthew. Appreciate it brother.

[@chuckduncan9098]

I'm 72 and just started Jiu Jitsu about 2 months ago. Cardio is a big factor for me although I'm in very good shape. It is getting better slowly, but I've added interval training to my outside workouts and gradually increasing my rolling. Sure the older body is physiologically much different. My main problem with cardio, I think, is the inefficiency of my technique, i.e. I expend a lot more energy because I'm doing things inefficiently and that takes a lot more practice.

[@CoulierCuts]

One thing I’ve found that massively helped my cardio was being relaxed when I roll. Panicking and getting sloppy is exhausting, and I’ve found that when I’m calm and think about what I’m doing during a roll I can go for much, much longer.

[@chuckduncan9098]

@@CoulierCutsThanks for the pointer. I agree. It just takes some time to learn that and then put it into action.

[@chickasawmike1319]

Good for you and stay with it! I am a 48 year old white belt and I am thankful to finally have jiu jitsu.

[@denismefaev3983]

I’m a white belt and I have been training for 3 years. For a long time my cardio was not improving until I went low on carbohydrates and eliminated foods which I was intolerant to. Today I’m more sharp, feel rested, not bloated and lost weight. Needless to say, I can remain more active for at least 50% extra more rounds. Eat healthy according to what your body needs.

[@like2ROLL]

Maybe?

[@spazzywhitebelt]

How'd you find what foods worked for you? I know I get gassy from dairy so should probably cut that out but didn't know if you had suggestions on methods for testing food groups out

[@denismefaev3983]

@@spazzywhitebelt I’m similar to you. I’ve cut dairy completely. Main allergens are similar to many people. That includes dairy, gluten, etc. I recommend doing a blood food intolerance test. Alternatively, try eliminating diet to see what makes you feel better and just simply listen to your body. Once you have figured out-stick to what you can and cannot eat. It will be hard in your day-to-day life at start, as allergens such as gluten, dairy are everywhere. But it will definitely be worth the haste.

[@karlaxel7358]

White belt still?

[@denismefaev3983]

@@karlaxel7358 Covid bro

[@knky98bouba82]

Hi Chewy, greetings from Brisbane, Australia. Keep up these type of videos I really enjoy them. Not just the technical stuff but also the mental aspect , like the one about losing your mum and how you dealt with that. Thanks for sharing so much with us.

[@coll0070]

Yeah brizy! Where do you train mate?

[@knky98bouba82]

@@coll0070 hey buddy, I train at Garra bjj , Darra :)

[@jimreily7538]

Aussie here, cool that you guy are training up in Brisbane, my brother lives there and I've been trying to get him into BJJ. I went up there during Easter, and I wanted to roll. I was staying in Indooroopilly. I ended up going to a gym called Sassom, and got to roll open mat there, they were really friendly people.

[@romelpalmes2235]

Ayy Brizzy mates 👌

[@knky98bouba82]

Hey everyone! Awesome to see our little bjj community. What belt are you guys and where do you train ? I've been training on and off for 3/4 years (I've forgotten honestly) and currently a fresh blue

[@كاملالرمحي-ز2ز]

running every day consistently improves it alot. thanks chewy

[@RicoMnc]

Started as an old man so my cardio likely to decrease over the years, but I have found that getting more sleep, eating better, cutting off or even just decreasing beer, whiskey, cigars etc. help. Also, I've learned to train/roll smarter, not harder, pace myself, keep my thoughts and emotions under control to avoid hitting my cardio wall as hard or often.

[@reginaldanglin4264]

Double whammy. 195lbs 58yrs old. I gas out. I'm putting on my patch to stop smoking. Hopefully this will help. Thanks Chewy. My par Co2 level most likely low as well. Thanks

[@mateuszciaston3047]

Started bjj in febuary. I was smoki g for over 10 years. Just quitted smoking 3 months ago and feel much better

[@johnmcdonagh374]

This just shows the benefit of high intensity exercise. When you are pushed to your limits, any issues or deficiencies are highlighted and brought to your attention at those limits. Better to find out as a young person when it's only effecting sports performance, than when you're much older and you're visiting a doctor due to much more serious health issues. For example, sleep apnea massively increases a person's risk of heart disease and stroke in later life.

[@joshrosebrugh7421]

I feel, at least from my own experience, being able to roll longer has been a combination of conditioning and better technique. As I improve my skills, I have really learned to slow things down a little and let moves develop, rather than forcing them.

[@sandman6241]

Being nervous also makes you gas quicker

[@asingh7887]

Seeing an allergist and getting blood tests for vitamin and hormone levels are game changers. I found out I was deficient in several vitamins, allergic to so many things, and had huge levels of lung inflammation. After working on these I could roll for an hour and then easily complete a Muay Thai spar hour afterwards

[@medicineandbrazilianjiujit8511]

Enjoy your videos, Professor Chewy. Like you said, rule out sleep apnea, allergies, asthma, anemia, pre diabetes, slow thyroid function, etc. Perhaps also a medication review? Many common medications have side effects that impair performance. Thanks for posting. Nik

[@Str8Nightmares]

great stuff here ✨

[@mattrennie6876]

great vid Chewy, I had the same thing with sport as a kid, found out later i was lactose intolerant. once I cut the bowl of cereal with milk in the morning out it was like I was a different person. these days If i eat healthy and sleep I feel like I could roll for hours (once I learnt how to breath)

[@macticus]

Great topic. I have had same problem. Also consider asthma and perhaps using a puff for some temporary relief. COVID is also now a problem; been through that too. The apnoea suggests that Chris can't easily breathe through his nose, making him likely to be a mouth breather, which is not an efficient method of gas exchange in the lungs. Learn to breathe through your nose. There is also the discipline of modulating intense effort and relaxed effort. Best BJJ is efficient. If you can't modulate then you gas every time.

[@tiffanymendoza9523]

I have POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and hEDS (hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome). I went many years undiagnosed and during the time I was undiagnosed, I spent 4 years in Taekwondo. I had a much harder time than my classmates because I tired very easily and if I missed more than a few classes due to illness or anything like that, I deconditioned extremely quickly. I struggled with spin kicks, sparring gassed me, I had difficulty remembering patterns. I felt bad and was often accused by many people in my life of being lazy and not trying hard or working hard enough. 18 years later and diagnosed, I am now doing MMA and having an easier go of it just because I know my body better and how to handle my conditions. That said, I still tire quicker than my classmates and quick deconditioning is still an issue if I don't remain active. Some days there's shortness of breath, migraines, fatigue, brain fog. All kinds of stuff that seriously affect my training. I think it might be pretty common for active people that aren't seeing the same results as others and that are experiencing getting gassed easily, to very well have an undiagnosed underlying issue. I appreciate you bringing it up!

[@jakson2santos]

I was always fascinated by trap soft, been listening to trap long ti and i finally decided that i will try to make my own but i was so

[@slayerbot1394]

A month in, and im told i have a natural slow, pressure game. Definitely helped with my cardio

[@AxaFin]

that's just a nice way of saying that you're not a spaz. Keep up the good work you seem like a smart fella

[@slayerbot1394]

@@J.smith19901 its what im told, i didnt think that up. Although its probably just due to only knowing very few techniques, so im relying on intuition. Im also real cautious of not being a spaz, so im not trying to be agile at all.

[@slayerbot1394]

@@AxaFin yeah, thats literally it, learning to not spaz

[@AxaFin]

@@slayerbot1394 I think spazzing is fine if you don't knees people in the head and crank submissions. Trying out weird shit helps with creativity.

[@PrescottCaliberClub]

Boy, this one hits home for me. I started jujitsu about eight months ago and even got my first stripe. I love it. But I keep hitting these strange walls where I feel like I have absolutely no energy, explosive energy isn’t even in the discussion. Then two weeks later I will be fully energetics and going at it like normal. And then for a month I can barely get myself to bridge and bridge and bridge under pressure. Come to find out I’ve been diagnosed with systemic lupus which explains the random fatigue and exhaustion and loss of strength. It also explains some of my pain and other issues but that was my journey and I’m now learning how to Take it a little easier so that I can go to class and be full of energy instead of going to class every day and always being drained. It’s not always quite that simple but that’s the idea behind it.

[@jamestk656]

I had terrible allergies growing up where the medication of the time would just barely slow them down. I have better OTC options now and am doing allergy shots but I've realized that my breathing habits were shaped by my years of allergies where I got used to taking short, shallow breaths because my nose was always stuffed up and I didn't want to breathe all those allergens in anyway. Now that my allergies are a little better, I have to retrain myself to breathe properly or gas out on the mat. It's easier to do that if I'm out on a jog, but not when my mind is actively engaged in a roll.

[@skyereave9454]

I had to spend a long time to improve my breathing for similar issues. I try to make it habitual by constantly reminding myself.

[@jkingsley5671]

Great video and tips! I’m 47 and just did my first intro BJJ class. I love it! Hoping to continue on. I have sleep apnea, allergies and exercise induced asthma…all of which have started in my late 30’s. I was a very fit soccer player as a younger man. I have a sleep machine, had sinus surgery and take allergy shots and daily meds and I have a rescue inhaler when my asthma shows up- which it did when I got super gassed during my first roll. I also run and bike and have a torn knee. Actually kind of funny to write it all down and see my “issues” listed. F$&@; IT!! I’m gonna keep going anyway. Get the help you can find for your problems and push through. The mind is the biggest obstacle! Or your best asset. You decide

[@jerrysign5027]

Damn thats a list bro

[@hassenfepher]

Couple more years of marriage and you can trade that blue ring in for a purple one.

[@ryankirkmusic755]

Man I can relate to this so much. I'm allergic to dust, mold, plants, animals and it usually doesn't impact me too much, but some days when I go for a run or go into the gym my cardio is just absolutely crap even if it was fine two days ago.

[@jkp17]

Thyroid could also be an issue. Honestly, there are so many physical ailments that could impact your fitness. A medical checkup and blood work is a starting point.

[@maydaygaming3953]

I just made it through my first full 5 min roll on Monday(without gassing out). Was awesome. And I got my first tap out. One of the bigger white belts with a few stripes was allowing me to work. Was pretty cool of him. He beat my ass right after of course! Haha. That was awesome too.

[@CoulierCuts]

Good job!!

[@georgemakary5127]

As a respiratory therapist id like to shine some light on this. Two things are happening. The diaphragm is the muscle thats in charge of breathing but also the core muscles are in-charge of expiration part. Those muscle meed training. One thing you have not figured out yet is that one athlete might have smaller arteries than another athlete. Peoples vessels are different sizes. Your arteries are far bigger than your friends arteries and as we know arteries are what take oxygenated blood to the body. The sleep apnea almost always makes problems when your asleep not when your training. He could of had a deviated septum in his nose. If you look into his nostrils you’ll see one side is crooked and that shows deviated septum. Another reason is his mouth is too small for his tongue. All these things effect but main thing is the size of arteries

[@Seneida]

Might also be a good idea to check for astma. You can get astma as an adult, like I did. And I did not suspect astma beeing the reason why my cardio was getting so bad, because it’s of the atypical kind.

[@MyCommentsRMaturelol]

Nasal spray was a life changer. Gagging on post nasal drip while throwing a kick suuuuucks

[@gentlemandemon]

I know I've been snoring for a while, and I find myself still hitting cardio walls despite months of daily running. I think I'm gonna get myself checked for sleep apnea.

[@Trephining]

At first I had thought Chewie's anecdote was going to be about breathing until it was playing out over years, then I figured it had to be a medical condition or situation.

[@ryanweiss1721]

Similar thing happened to me. I recently had a sleep study and it turns out that my limbs randomly jerk while I am sleeping which prevents me from getting REM sleep. The treatment for this has left me far better rested which means I have better recovery and work harder and longer.

[@Luiz997488]

What is the name of your condition? I might have something similar

[@ryanweiss1721]

@@Luiz997488 Perodic limb movement disorder

[@badxradxandy]

I knew it was gonna be sleep apnea. Same thing happened to me.

[@Minx717]

I started bjj at 42, I have severe apnea and allergies. I got a CPAP a couple years ago and now at 49 my cardio is through the roof compared to what it was. I heal better too.

[@husseinmohamed3871]

Try supplementing vitamin b1. Makes wonders for the cardio

[@tryptaminenurse9851]

Take cordycepts militaris (may be spelled wrong). You WILL see a noticeable difference in endurance the first week of taking it.

[@Dabtowels]

Wow makes me want to get checked just to see if I can improve

[@zaynez2332]

Since having to go through this myself I would also like to add that starting point of fitness is important. I could only do the gym once a week because I'd be dead physically after. Poor recovery. I stopped doing the jntense gym sessions and took a break to do cardiovascular fee times a week now im recovering better and have more of a gas tank

[@zaynez2332]

Like the intensity can be too high for you to gain from so you have to start slower

[@carnivorous_vegan]

You remind me of old school elliot hulse when he used to do this type of content

[@thebeathatstungamberheards3138]

This

[@AxaFin]

before he turned insane xdd

[@Jackthestripper]

I’m super sweaty and my gym doesn’t have an AC. When that 90 degree weather hits and I don’t replenish my electrolytes I gas hard

[@Luiz997488]

Hey Chewy! i suffer from a similar problem that i havent found solution anywhere, not even in doctor offices. Have you ever seen somebody that has some strange muscle fatigability? I have to hype myself up with coffee and have to eat double the amount of creatine necessary otherwise i can't train AT ALL. I looked into breathing, into immunity, into micronutrients/supplements, i do resistance training, try to have a calm mentality while rolling, anything that can help me out, but the root of problem seems to be something else. I've been trying find out what that is for years. Did you ever knew anyone with a similar problem?

[@jeremyakajeem]

if i could suggest a book related to this, Breath by James Nestor, life changing

[@suavecito7456]

Hey chewy how do I shoot you a question?

[@johnnyboy6429]

Also keep in mind you can be in perpetual burnout. I trained to run a sub 7 mile for months. Only when i took a week off could i do it. I was perpetually burnt

[@CarMad97ci]

I have really bad sleep apnea 😅

[@terranceschemp294]

Bob question. I am a new blue belt been training a year and a half. I am the youngest in the adult class (most guys are like late 30’s to early 50’s. So tonight I rolled with a fellow blue belt in class and he said to take it easy since his back has been really bothering him lately. No problem. During the roll I felt I was being technical and not pressuring or locking body triangle like I usually do. At one point I had back control and was searching for a choke and he released one of my books and I was letting him come up to my guard and he said he was done because his back tweaked. Literally the next roll I get the new white belt and we started standing and my professor said to go easy, just be technical, don’t be explosive. No problem. So we start standing gonna see if he takes me down and he doesn’t soon I arm dragged him and held his back in a loose body lock and he freaked out and jumped backwards on top of me. while I had his back he then just tapped out in agony like a full minute later apparently from the takedown. An older purple belt told me I should be starting with him on my back and then the blue belt that hurt his back earlier said I need to stop trying to win everything and it’s okay to be put in bad positions. I’m the smallest guy In the gym I’m 150lbs the blue belt is 185 and the white belt is 205. I’m fine with them starting on my back because I know I can get out but no one else started with the white belt on their backs. Is this like a universal common courtesy I wasn’t aware of? I feel like shit for hurting these guys and I feel like I was responsible. But at the same time I don’t feel like I did anything wrong. I don’t feel like I’m always going for the win and I love trying new stuff especially on guys I know I can beat. I also feel like I can tone it down when someone says they want to go easy. When I was starting out as a new white belt the purple belt (the one that said to have him start on my back) said my biggest problem was that I was too nice about things and that’s why none of my techniques were working. Have I gotten out of control? That was my biggest fear when I started was unintentionally hurting people. Is it me? Is my gym just full of old ass broken dudes? Just would like your input and love your videos. P.S. both the white and blue belt are in their 40’s Thanks chewy

[@badxradxandy]

Sounds like your gym is full of female dogs woof woof. Have them start top side control on you since they can't handle anything.

[@stangdude5593]

Dang, made me sign-in lol. I trained in my 20s and got my blue belt, didn't train in my 30s, and now back again in my 40s. Winning is definitely not the point in sparring. Sure you're young and faster, and that's okay to use it to your advantage. Just take care of your training partner. Be quick and smooth, not quick and abrasive. There's a difference. Also, slow it down from time to time, and try to match your opponent's intensity to a certain degree. When guys are trying to be fast and strong, sometimes I relax and go with the flow. Be careful with body triangles. I believe I hurt someone once being a little too aggressive with one followed by an RNC. The instructor that day got pissed and wrenched my shoulder twice because of it. We had words and it wasn't a good situation, but we got over it. Don't let that happen to you. Winning isn't everything in sparring. Go do a competition if you want to go 90-100%. And don't let anyone tell you you're being too nice. I'll train with 'nice any day over 'spazzoid'

[@lumpanimalyt971]

You can also learn to control your breathing if you haven’t thought about that

[@Kevin-cr7dp]

Over my time in, I've played with a bunch of different things to see what works. I'm 43 and almost everyone at my gym are college age...most are college athletes. I keep my protein as high as I can, keep my sugar intake low, watch my carbs (but you do need some) and pre hydrate all day. During class, ill sip water instead of instinctively chugging because I feel thirsty. I drink a pre workout that doesn't have all the jittery stuff, but helps my NO levels stay up and I got on TRT. After the gym, Ill start a warm shower, step in and start gradually inching toward a cold shower and that helps with blood flow and soreness. Get good sleep and start over.

[@chriscrew4478]

Anyone have advice for constant mild sore front ribs? Going on 5 months and it is annoying

[@attackscorpion5323]

Cardio tip. Put a pinch of baking soda in water and drink it 30mins before class.

[@BJJ_Richie]

Holy shit does this really work the sodium bicarbonate supposed to delay the lactic acid please let me know your experience with this because I bought the Armen Hammer baking soda did it one time didn’t notice a big difference is is something that builds up please let me know thank you

[@ro4900]

@@BJJ_Richie it’s like a beta alanine thing.. it’s meant to create an alkaline environment so there’s less lactic acid. I’d say it works to an extent but I personally felt like i couldn’t roll above 70% effort. Good for tempo rolls tho

[@ro4900]

And bicarbonate soda not baking soda ! !

[@dzikus.minimus.maximus]

@@ro4900 Problem is when you look at the hemoglobin deloading curve it shifts to the left in an acidic environment (meaning it's easier to drop off oxygen in acidic tissue), so if you alkaline your blood the deloading of oxygen from your erythrocytes would be not as optimal.

[@AxaFin]

I just have a weird thing where my biceps start hurting real bad and literally start shaking when my heartrate comes back down from a roll/spar. I've googled and all I could've got is a pinched nerve or something but I dunno wtf I should do xdd

[@genises200]

Allergies or some medical issue. If he's pushing himself hard enough and getting same results. He hit his limit and controlled breathing. He hit his limit

[@christianpickett8822]

Make sure you get deep sleep. At least 7 hrs and you’ll feel great

[@anarchic_ramblings]

Drink a LITRE of water in the hour leading up to training. If you are thirsty during training, you are doing it wrong. Fully hydrate BEFORE training, not during.

[@retro6652]

Another consideration is hypothyroidism or low testosterone. Both conditions will severely hamper your ability to maintain sustained exertion.

[@bxeggy]

I feel like im in the Matrix... I just checked my Nose for the first time ever yesterday. I always had allergies, snoring problems, I always sounded nasally. The first thing the Doctor said when he looked inside my nose was, "Oh my God". "Do I have a Deviated septum?" "I can't see because your nasal glands are so inflamed, I cant see the back of your nose to determine that." I had an X-Ray and it is deviated. They Sprayed me with Afrin Nasal spray, works really well to clear up your nose. Eventually I'm going to have surgery to get everything up to 100% No way your cardio is going to improve without a functioning nose.

[@makingkidsgreatagain3043]

Vo2

[@Gg777sunday]

You may have exercise induced asthma and not know it. Go to a pulmonologist and get lungs checked, maybe an inhaler can help !

[@coloradoclif]

That's what I have. Kicks in when my heartrate gets real high, not terribly fun.

[@MaatsFeather]

He needs to see a cardiologist

[@mishrathium]

The short version is: Genetics. Get bloodwork, fix what you can.

[@johnl2648]

I was drinking too much coffee and it caused a little gas or reflux so my breathing was kind of off during striking and grappling classes. My cardio seemed to improve when I reduced or stopped coffee and switched to tea (but it could also be due to more reps in training).

[@Chewjitsu]

Yeah. Overuse of caffeine can destroy your cardio. I've seen guys back off the energy drinks and go from gassing out to finishing all their rounds.

[@cjlarson4553]

Stop smoking weed, drinking caffeine and you will be a force of nature! Also ride a bike ( short distance, fast speed) & do boxer style training, & live wrestling. If you still gas out, check if you are dairy INTOLERANT ( it’s not an allergy)

[@ukaszb5694]

Not only allergies, do blood tests to check if you're ok.

[@obnoxiousthegod]

mannn

[@senecaturnpike9179]

He had pet rats??? I think that’s the problem

[@Chewjitsu]

Yeah, they're actually pretty interesting little critters. Not my personal favorite, but interesting.

[@spankatron5133]

Definitely worth a check up. Undiagnosed medical issues are a possibility. Hopefully not but it’s best to know.