I come across this discussion almost every week, either in the gym or in the BJJ forums. How hard should you go in practice? All out or nice and slow; train like you’re competing at the Mundials or roll without attributes (strength, explosiveness, speed)?
Generally, I would say there’s a place for both, and I like Cane Provost’s 70% approach, but today I want to come out in defense of hard-nosed, throttle to the floor, killer practices. Red flag days is what they’re called in the Iowa Hawkeye’s wrestling room.
Push yourself today, to be prepared for tomorrow.
Iowa Wrestling, especially under Dan Gable, is famous for its intense practices. Gable as a competitor was known for his uncanny intensity and toughness. In a 1973 Esquire article, John Irving wrote about “Gorgeous Dan, The almost undefeated life of the world’s best wrestler”:
Dan brought this level of toughness to the Iowa wrestling room after he became coach in 1976. He led the Hawkeyes through wrestling’s most incredible dynasty. From 1978 to 1986, the Hawkeyes won the NCAA title each year, a record nine in succession. His total record in dual meets was 355-21-5 which included 15 NCAA titles and 21 straight Big Ten titles.
Iowa Practices Today
Today, Tom Brands, a Gable disciple, leads Iowa and the practices haven’t lost their nose to the grindstone attitude.
What happens when you get tired?
The best athletes practice and compete in a state of calm and focus, a mental state called flow. This is never more important than when you’re tired, but at the same time, it’s most difficult to maintain flow once fatigue sets in, once your muscles ache and your breath gets short.
Fatigue in sports is a very complicated discussion. The doctors at The Science of Sport did an extensive series on fatigue. Highly recommended reading. For years it was believed that the limits of the body were the driving factors of fatigue. Known as the “Homeostatic Limitation” model, below is an image of the model put together by Dr. Tucker and Dr. Dugas.
However, the current research suggests (based on evidence of athletes slowing down at sub-maximal body temperatures) an “Anticipatory Regulation” model.
In short, Dr. Tucker and Dr. Dugas argue that the mind is at the fore-front of how our body reacts to being tired. So if the mind is our feedback system, it makes perfect sense that we need to train our mind and get it used to being tired. You can control the mind, but only in a familiar situation. It’s kind of like the navy seals training in cold water, you have to get used to the feeling, so you don’t panic. So you can control your reaction, instead of letting the reaction control you.
Does this kind of intensity have a place in the practices of a grappler with flow? Absolutely!
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Lungs burning
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Arms and legs hurting
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Slowing down
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Shutting down
Sound familiar? If you’re a competitive grappler chances are you’ve experienced this pain. How can anyone maintain focus when everything hurts so much?
Instead of being “fully immersed in the activity at hand” (the principle definition of flow), you start panicking and you start thinking about how tired you are. You lose concentration. You lose flow. If you’re not used to being tired, and by tired I mean really and truly exhausted, the panic is overbearing.
So it may seem like Red Flag Days are anything but calm and focused. It looks like these guys are going nuts. But it’s not that simple. They are actually getting themselves used to the state of fatigue. They are practicing being tired. Because the first time you get tired, you panic.
But the thousands time you get tired…no big deal.
What I’m getting at is simple: intense, grueling practices are important because they actually help you stay calm! Next time you are in a match and you feel your lungs burning, you won’t panic, you’ll think “I’ve been here before, I’ve survived” and you’re back to being fully immersed, calm and focused.
What’s the most grueling practice you’ve ever been a part of? Tell your story in the comments below.
Gene Kobilansky
Founder of Flow Athletics, NYU Wrestling Coach, business advisor and IBJJF Pan-Ams Silver Medalist
The post “Red Flag Days” – Dan Gable and the Philosophy of KILLER Training appeared first on Science Of Skill.