Training over 40

@@RKDSensei, for me I make sure I listen to my body very closely. That especially includes during training. If something feels "off" then I back off. I am always assessing injury risk, which I feel has fortunately actually made me better at BJJ. It has made me more technical and aware.

As for managing it with everything else you do. That I don't have any advice. I only do BJJ, a little striking to maintain what I know, and I workout. I don't really stack them to much onto each other. One week I may do one more over the other and then adjust to another aspect another week.

For reference I'm 42.

I select my rolling partners.

I'm 35 and feel like I'm always getting hurt. I too have other hobbies so it is hard to keep up. This week for example I have done 3 bjj sessions. But the middle one I sat out the rolling at the end of class to rest my arm that had tendinitis. I love bjj but dam its harsh on my old bones just take it easy man.

I reckon that you just have to listen to your body. If you’re tired, take a rest. It’s not a competition and life carries on. The activities will always be there but if you push it and injure yourself you have to take a longer break. I’m 44, 5ft and regularly roll with massive guys. I’m quick to tap as I know things can break in an instance.

This is something I have struggled with more and more lately. I’m 53 and the gym I am at has mainly 40’s and lower. I can’t go hard every class and find the open mats are were I try to reserve some energy to roll as many rounds in 2 hours. I got a whoop strap to help me out with recognizing when I need more recovery…more sleep (7 hours) and more water.

Choosing your rolling partners cannot be emphasised enough IMO.
Also communicate with them. If you need a light round, say so. If you're injured, say so. If someone doesn't respect you, ripping on subs for example, don't roll with them any more.
This sport is a marathon for even young people, there's nothing to be gained by burning out.

I turned 40 this year and I've noticed little injuries and soreness lingers much longer than it used to. Its really like my body flipped a switch the day I turned 40. I've been incorporating more yoga and strength training to help. I've also started taking an extra day off of bjj during the week.
I've also been a little more selective of who I roll with. I want to be training the rest of my life, so I don't want to risk some spazzy dude shredding my knee.

Being smarter about who you roll with makes a huge difference. I used to roll with everyone because I didn't want to offend anyone or hurt their feelings, but my injuries made me regret it. Listen to your body, and if it's saying you can't handle certain rolls then you avoid them.

Over 40 here. I do yoga and gardening/landscaping for recovery. But like others have said, the most impactful thing you can do is pick good (controlled) partners for rolling.

Hey all, new on the site... 53 and didn't start BJJ until 51. Though I've done other MA my whole life. My gym is strictly no-gi and mostly 20/30 yr Olds. Like everyone else has said picking your training partners is huge. I also have to constantly remind myself to focus on technique. The younger guys can use strength and speed, and there's nothing wrong with that they have time to tighten up their game. But what little str and spd I have left will be gone soon and technique is all that will be left. Getting beat up and missing training doesn't benefit technical development.

For me it has be important to figure out why I am training. Also knowing that getting back to gym after an injury takes two or three times longer compared to 30 years ago. I am turning 65 next March.

crossover, post: 63472, member: 10990

I select my rolling partners.

Ouraboros, post: 63847, member: 36664

Hey all, new on the site... 53 and didn't start BJJ until 51. Though I've done other MA my whole life. My gym is strictly no-gi and mostly 20/30 yr Olds. Like everyone else has said picking your training partners is huge. I also have to constantly remind myself to focus on technique. The younger guys can use strength and speed, and there's nothing wrong with that they have time to tighten up their game. But what little str and spd I have left will be gone soon and technique is all that will be left. Getting beat up and missing training doesn't benefit technical development.

RKDSensei, post: 63427, member: 18416

So I'm 45, and must admit bjj is not my major martial art, it's only a part of what I do. I am very fit, but I find it harder and harder to commit to training bjj as I'm getting older because, of all the things I do (muay thai, gym, field hockey, parkour), I find bjj the most stressful on the body in terms of recovery. How do you guys over 40 handle your bjj and any bjj specific training advice and recovery tips?

"Alleged training partners"

Some one just defined taping as ”a signal that I don’t feel safe” not so much as…you win, I loose!
So tap to be safe and you can train more.

Sauna helps a lot with recovery and sleep. Ice does wonders for soreness.

Who are the best training partners? blue belts?

Jsdg86, post: 64018, member: 29164

Sauna helps a lot with recovery and sleep. Ice does wonders for soreness.

Who are the best training partners? blue belts?

I think having really solid defence and being willing to tap when you’re caught goes a long way. Rarely does anyone get the chance to crank a submission on me because I recognise when I’m caught and I tap. I don’t care at all what belt my partner is.

I’m 43 and 11 years in. Thankfully, apart from sore fingers and wearing a knee brace for a bit of support I’m pretty injury free.

Benny_the_jet, post: 64045, member: 22463

I think having really solid defence and being willing to tap when you’re caught goes a long way. Rarely does anyone get the chance to crank a submission on me because I recognise when I’m caught and I tap. I don’t care at all what belt my partner is.

I’m 43 and 11 years in. Thankfully, apart from sore fingers and wearing a knee brace for a bit of support I’m pretty injury free.

crossover, post: 63988, member: 10990

Some one just defined taping as ”a signal that I don’t feel safe” not so much as…you win, I loose!
So tap to be safe and you can train more.

I am really enjoying recent demographics in my gym; some older guys who are roughly the same size are training with me.
They are lower belts lesser experienced but they have not shown signs of ego or frustration. I will tap if they don't get a submission quite right, an explanation/demonstration provided and then go back to their submission and let them apply correctly.

So I'm just about to turn 56. 10 years of training, brown belt and I run thegrandadgrappler.com blog. I talk about some of this there. One thing is to be aware of newbies as they often are a danger to themselves as much as to you. Strong athletic newbies are usually the worst as they do what I did and try and muscle out of stuff in complete ignorance. I have just got back to training after my longest-ever layoff of 7 months due to post-viral chronic fatigue. I chose partners I knew so good blue, purple browns and blacks the first few weeks and then have gradually rolled with less experienced folk some of whom I don't know. I also made the decision to focus on my top game at this point as I was coming back into things. So far so good. Incidentally, this site helped during the layoff.

Choosing partners and picking a day per week thats your go harder day help. So you feel that you "got it in" already and can go lighter on other days. Also,gi tends to be harder on the body than NoGi in my experience even though NoGi is more scrambly. I alsways do a few yoga flows right after practice then either hit sauna for 15-20 min after training or a cold shower. I'm 52 and have trained Judo since age 32 and BJJ since 44. Avoid certain positions like inversions,spider guard,DeLa Riva and anything that takes you out of alignment or loads your spine.

crossover, post: 63472, member: 10990

I select my rolling partners.

Avoid playing half guard when you are over 40. You can always do better than half guard! Skip your other hobbies if you want to be better at bjj it will take everything you got.

I am seventy eight and train six days per week. Picking who you roll with is essential as you age. Any decisions you make out of pride or ego is usually wrong. You have to accept that you are on the down side of the bell curve when it comes to physical improvement but you can continue to improve your technique and knowledge base. Like the song says,” I’m not as good as I once was but I’m as good once as I ever was.”

RKDSensei, post: 63427, member: 18416

So I'm 45, and must admit bjj is not my major martial art, it's only a part of what I do. I am very fit, but I find it harder and harder to commit to training bjj as I'm getting older because, of all the things I do (muay thai, gym, field hockey, parkour), I find bjj the most stressful on the body in terms of recovery. How do you guys over 40 handle your bjj and any bjj specific training advice and recovery tips?

First off, it’s awesome that you’re maintaining such a high level of fitness and engaging in multiple sports. However, BJJ is notorious for its toll on the body, and as we age, recovery becomes just as important as training itself. It sounds like you might be overloading your system by juggling so many physically demanding activities without prioritizing recovery.
To make BJJ more sustainable in the long run, consider adjusting your overall training approach:

• Prioritize Recovery: Actively schedule rest days and ensure your body gets downtime rather than waiting for exhaustion to force a break.
• Modify Training Frequency: Instead of pushing hard in multiple disciplines daily, try rotating intensity levels throughout the week to avoid overstressing your body.
• Be Selective With Rolling Partners: Train with controlled, technical partners who focus on skill over brute force—this will help avoid unnecessary injuries.
• Tap Early & Often: Avoid pushing through positions that put excess strain on joints—tapping before things get dangerous is key to longevity.
• Focus on Technical Growth Over Athleticism: As we age, strength and speed naturally decrease. Prioritizing technique ensures you remain effective without relying on sheer physicality.
• Implement Recovery Methods: Yoga, sauna, ice baths, and even light activities like gardening can help relieve soreness and improve mobility.
• Avoid Stressful Positions: Minimize techniques that load the spine, such as deep inversions or spider guard, to reduce excessive strain.
• Track Your Recovery: Tools like wearables (e.g., Whoop straps) can help monitor sleep, hydration, and overall readiness to train.

A few things I've done, is weight training twice a week, it may sound counter intuitive but it helps heal my body faster. 20 mins of Yoga every morning, not just for grappling but also general flexibility. Also I only train twice a week in my academy and have 2 days in between training days/ rolling with other people. I also spend time training on a rolling dummy more, it helps with techniques but without the strain on my body. I want to train more but in the past when I've gone 4 times a week, i just end up in constant fatigue which can lead to even more potential injuries and soreness and then you're not learning as much or enjoying it. At this point in my life i'm doing things because I find them enjoyable and fun and I also see it as I have a much greater responsibility to be healthy and happy with/to my family. And if my body is telling me I'm not going to have fun that day, I just don't go.

42 here and an extension of selecting rolling partners: i don't roll with new people if if they are very clearly athletic and have done some sort of combat sport in the past (or hope to step into a cage). brand new people just looking to do some kind of movement for fun, i'll usually roll with but only after observing them with other people first (or maybe drilling with them).

i stretch daily: once before bed and once as soon after i wake up as i can. i use the test of standing up unassisted from sitting cross-legged to see how my whole body feels and if i need to skip rolling or take a light day. if i have trouble or pain standing up that way, i take it easy that day on the mats and with the weights.

competition training is difficult for me because i tend to increase my pace since i've only got three days of jiujitsu per week open to me. i just do my best to push through for the six weeks before a tournament.

i'm not doing as many activities as OP, though. my schedule is lift+cardio MWF, one hour of kickboxing + one hour of no gi on TR, and then on saturday i do one or two hours of no gi at open mat (and sometimes MMA rounds).

RKDSensei, post: 63427, member: 18416

So I'm 45, and must admit bjj is not my major martial art, it's only a part of what I do. I am very fit, but I find it harder and harder to commit to training bjj as I'm getting older because, of all the things I do (muay thai, gym, field hockey, parkour), I find bjj the most stressful on the body in terms of recovery. How do you guys over 40 handle your bjj and any bjj specific training advice and recovery tips?

After a 10 year break from BJJ and now im in my 40s, I pretty much follow what everyone else has said.

If something feels off I dont roll or I tap super early and Im careful who I roll with.

Hello, I'm 54 now and started bjj with 40.
- listen your body
- select partners
- no many combats in a row
- rest, rest, rest
- stretching
- No Open Mats
- flow, flow, and flow
- focus on technique
- don't worry about your young partners progress . Enjoy your trip and focus in you