Did you know that anyone over the age of 30 is considered old for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) classes? Yet, 30+ is the age group we work with the most here at Ivey League.
We’ve got a good number of “older” students who take classes in everything from Kickboxing to Grappling to Fitness Boot Camp.
I like to think we’ve got more 30+ students than most MMA gyms and I’m pretty sure we do.
The reason for that is because we know how to train the right way. What I mean by that is we’d train a 21 year old college student much different than a 44 year old government worker.
Whenever I run into someone who’s looking to start taking classes I always point out the obvious, they’re not 18 anymore.
I know that sounds like common sense but I kid you not, all the time I run into a guy with a wife, 3 kids and full time job that seems to think they can train just as hard as they did back when they were 18 years old.
Knowing your body and it’s limitations is key.
It’s a tough pill to swallow I know. But before you even get started with training you’ve first got to be realistic with yourself about your age and physical abilities.
Can you train hard and be successful within your MMA classes? Yes, absolutely. However, you’ve also gotta be smart about how you workout.
You’ll still find success and all that. You’ve just gotta be smarter about your training.
A 21 year old kid can train twice a day super hard five days a week. I’ve yet to meet a 50 year old that can do that.
Let’s say Monday night you roll during the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) class for six 5 minute rounds. That’s a good amount of rolling and a heck of a workout for sure.
If you’re like me, I’m willing to bet you’ll be pretty sore the following day. Being sore is totally okay and normal.
That’s your body’s way of saying “yo dude, take it easy for today and maybe tomorrow”.
But does that mean you can’t come in and take the Tuesday night class? No you can and should come in for that class, you just need to adjust your training some.
Instead of rolling or doing anything live, skip that and just focus on drilling with a partner or many partners.
You’ll still be learning and getting better sure, but at the same time you’ll be taking it easy on your body.
You don’t need to go live all the time in order to get better. Oh and don’t feel weird about asking your fellow teammates to drill. Believe me they’ll be more than happy to drill with you.
I’ll talk more about this topic later but you get the idea. Be smart with your training.
Be realistic with yourself and understand what you did at 22 you can’t get away with at 42.
Adjust your training to fit this “old person” lifestyle and you’ll be more successful, have less injures and be happier too.
Below I’ve included a video of me teaching a good low energy guard pass that’s perfect for my old timer students. Check it out.
