Balancing Job + Gym + MMA Training?

[Symbolistic]

I am 22 and want to go far in MMA, so I need to work harder and much more than everyone else, but at the same time I need money to pay off college funds, pay bills, pay for the gym, and MMA,

Then I need to keep going to the gym, because I don't want to be super skinny with like no muscle on me at all. I'll be doing the gym work 2-3 times a week. 2 hours each of those days.

But of course, my MAIN focus will be MMA, I want to do MMA everyday (except weekends)
I'll be doing MMA 1-2 times a day.

Then the job becomes the huge issue....

Right now I am not in college, waiting to transfer next semester.




How do you guys balance all your life priorities and how do you think I should approach my situation to get the fastest results in MMA while maintaining decent income?

 

[Symbolistic]

It is easier than you think. It is not like you need to train 8 hours a day.
But you need to sacrifice personal time.
So you still work 40 hours per week and train 14 times per week.
But that means you train at 6 am. Go study or work at 8 to 5 pm.
Then back training at 6 pm until 8 pm. Monday to Friday.
Then on weekend do the same thing, but the hours are usually better.
This is the reason why most of fighters train at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday while everyone is having a social life.
To be honest, just go and flat and live with fighters.

Seems good but it will be hard finding a job to work with that schedule, I want to work in the hospital as a patient transporter, I just hope they let me do those hours.

Plus, you're forgetting travel time, between each place.

 

[My2Cents]

find a job in the gym?

 

[mataleaos]

Well just don't get married and have kids. You will relish all the free time you currently have.

reality right here

 

[Symbolistic]

find a job in the gym?

I've been thinking of doing that as my gym offers it, but I keep thinking it would get in the way of my training...

Like, I would have to skip some classes to help clean the bathrooms or wipe the floors...
If it didn't get in the way of my training and didn't mean me having to get home late every night, I'd do it, no problem

Its a great idea, but I worry about it for the reasons I stated above.

 

[Symbolistic]

reality right here

Obvious reality is obvious, I didn't ask about his situation though. I already understand that I won't have time when I have kids, I don't need to be reminded.

Right now I am 22 and still have some time, so I need to know how to balance everything and get the most out of my time.

 

[Mike Piekarski]

Work + school + training + lifting = no social life and no sleep. Use lifting as a tool to prep you more training, you should cut out all the crap that is unnecessary. You should cut out cardio and only do 4 core lifts. In and out in 45 minutes. Quality over quantity when it comes to training - don't just go 2x/day to say you did. I honestly can get much more out of 1x/ day joe aide the quality of the session is better.

Being a successful MMA fighter is extremely difficult. I'm so glad I had a college degree/ back up plan to go back on when I realized fighting was not a realistic life plan.

 

[Toothless King]

all of the amateur/pro MMA guys and pro BJJ (yes, there is such thing as pro BJJ)guys I know train full time and teach at their gyms.

no school, no outside employment, no gf/wife, no life

 

[Unipres]

Well just don't get married and have kids. You will relish all the free time you currently have.

 

[Pierced7681]

Step 1. Get a job

Step 2. Figure out how many classes you can take inbetween work hours

Step 3. Lift weights in your spare time

Step 4. Say goodbye to getting laid and partying for the foreseeable future

Step 5. Once you finally make it to the UFC girls will be begging to sleep with you

 

[1PBCE1]

One of he best decisions I ever made was to invest in some weights at home.

Now instead of having to set aside another evening to travel to the gym, wait for equipment etc... I can grab 30 mins here and there and get my lifts in. Not perfect, but it means I never miss a lifting session, ever.

 

[lechien]

Seems good but it will be hard finding a job to work with that schedule, I want to work in the hospital as a patient transporter, I just hope they let me do those hours.

Plus, you're forgetting travel time, between each place.

Dude you already making excuse.
Most guys I know that fight have to work.
They work 8 hours a day and then train before and after work. Twice a day and weekend as well .
Nothing worst than smelling a gym on your second training of the day. You are tired and your smelling senses are tripled.

 

[lechien]

It is easier than you think. It is not like you need to train 8 hours a day.
But you need to sacrifice personal time.
So you still work 40 hours per week and train 14 times per week.
But that means you train at 6 am. Go study or work at 8 to 5 pm.
Then back training at 6 pm until 8 pm. Monday to Friday.
Then on weekend do the same thing, but the hours are usually better.
This is the reason why most of fighters train at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday while everyone is having a social life.
To be honest, just go and flat and live with fighters.

 

[lechien]

And then on Saturday they train on Saturday morning really early so they can teach their client later in the morning.


Then they gather to help put another fighter and spar at 9 pm on a Saturday night.

Why so late on Saturday night?

Because they are trying to recreate the demand on your body clock.

Having a fight on main card at 9 pm on a Saturday night.

Welcome to the fight world.

 

[rmorris003]

So umm what is your question about grappling technique?

 

[Kalma]

write out a schedule in here of everything you can think of in a day (travel etc) and add it up, also others will be able to chime in and have some input.

eg I can't train at the moment so my days look like this.

00:00 - 06:30 = sleep
06:30 - 7:15 am = get up and get lunch ready etc for the day and travel to gym
7:15 - 9:00 = rehab , shower get ready for work and travel to work
9am - 6pm = work
6:00 - 7:30 is travel home, make dinner, do other chores , maybe 30 mins of just chill time
7:30 - 11:00 pm college work
11- 11:30 get stuff ready for next day, foam roll and final rehab exercises for the day.

the reality is 24hrs is not long, but over time the small bits you do in it will add up.

the amount of ACTUAL time you spend training (even at the top level from what I have researched) is not as much as some would believe, but you must account for recovery and other RELATED activities

 

[KingDeathMetal]

Forget the gym, focus strictly on training. Those extra biceps curls and bench press aren't going to do anything for you. Strength training is important, but that's often very different from the type of weight training you will encounter in your average gym. Invest in kettle bells or some other strength training tools you can utilize at home.

 

[560ti]

I'm currently training for mma bouts. During the week I train 11am to 2pm at the mma gym, from 2 to 4pm I workout at my job (my jobs is a fitness center so I do light workouts in the gym, swim, relax in the sauna), and then work from 4pm to 10pm. Saturday's I train at the mma gym for 3 hours and relax Sunday.

Alot of the fighters ive trained with or know from other gyms really don't train that much (they train a few nights a week at the most). One guy is 5-1 as an amateur and he comes in two hours a night for 3 nights a week (he does what I consider a low level BJJ class for an hour and a cardio kickboxing class for the other hour).

Another thing I see that drives me crazy (in regards to guys that compete in MMA) is for example at my gym there's boxing at 5pm, wrestling at 6pm, no gi BJJ at 7pm, and an invite only MMA practice at 8pm. Alot of the MMA guys will only show up for the 8pm slot...... (and they wonder why they lose to the guy who trains all the classes !)

Training full time (15 to 25 hours a week) puts you so much farther ahead than most fighters (most of the guys I know or have meet that have solid records train either 3 to 4 hours in either the morning or night or do two a days for 1.5 to 2 hours each session).

It's very rare to see someone train over 20 hours a week at a consistent basis (it's too physical of a sport to consistently train that much). The guys I do know that are able to do that are only able to because they do everything by the book (10 hours of sleep a night, nutritionist, two massages a week, acupuncture every week, yoga 3x a week...ect) and there body's have adapted over time

 

[Aprentice]

I am not a pro, but try to train and compete BJJ like a pro. my schedule:

WEEKDAYS:
6:30 AM wake up and walk my dog
7AM to 8:30 AM training (eat just a banana on the way)
8:30 to 8:45 AM shower, go to work
8:45 AM to 12 work (have a blender in the kitchen there, with whey protein, fruits and oats, for breakfast and snacks)
12:10 to 1:00PM quick intense training session, only warm up and rolls. shower and dress for work at the academy
1:15PM to 1:50PM unfreeze and lunch watching TV with my dog, maybe a nap on the couch
2 PM to 6:45 PM work
7PM to 8:30 PM jiu jitsu training with warm-ups, drilling and rolls
8:45PM to 9:30 PM small jog with my dog, usually with my girlfriend or a buddy
10 PM to 11 PM relax

repeat

SATURDAY:

train once in the morning and once in the afternoon, also go jogging with my dog

SUNDAYS: off

My work is 1 block away form my academy and my house is 10 blocks away from both, thats what makes all this feasible.

Maybe its because im lucky, but i can train like this (and somedays i randomly take a day off because i feel my body asking for it) without sacrificing my social life and leisure times. The only things i had to give up were surfing (no space for two sports if one of them is serious), more free time during lunch time (for sleeping, watching tv, or whatever) , some sleep int he morning and going out at night during the week...

 

[Deleted member 53472]

I am 22 and want to go far in MMA, so I need to work harder and much more than everyone else, but at the same time I need money to pay off college funds, pay bills, pay for the gym, and MMA,

Then I need to keep going to the gym, because I don't want to be super skinny with like no muscle on me at all. I'll be doing the gym work 2-3 times a week. 2 hours each of those days.

But of course, my MAIN focus will be MMA, I want to do MMA everyday (except weekends)
I'll be doing MMA 1-2 times a day.

Then the job becomes the huge issue....

Right now I am not in college, waiting to transfer next semester.




How do you guys balance all your life priorities and how do you think I should approach my situation to get the fastest results in MMA while maintaining decent income?

I hope you don't believe that you'll be a pro fighter who makes good money... chances of that are very slim purely statistically, so focus on jobs/school/career first. MMA is just a hobby for you at this point.

Also, you can't do MMA every day and 1-2 times a day lol, it will take a big toll on your body in a few years. Body needs time to recover, you'll be exhausted and injured going too often. And, what in the world is "training MMA"? Focus on a specific martial art (or arts if you're very talented) to establish your base, so to say, be it grappling or striking.

 

[Allan san]

Anything worthwhile is worth the sacrifice. I have a *somewhat* similar situation, however I found what works for me.

Stats: 29 years old, Military, Wife, pursuing Master's Degree

I work from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm 5 days a week

I train 4-5 days a week from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Work on my schoolwork from 9:30 pm to between midnight-2:00 am.

Sleep around 6 hours plus a 20 minute nap at lunch and a 20 minute nap before training.

My social life isn't the most exciting as I have to make up for so much missed time at home on the weekends for my wife. But hey, I'm happier training all the time vs. drinking and partying.

Be stronger than your stronger excuse. If you truly want that schedule, you'll make the sacrifices.