I've put together a free Nutrition eBook called "The 5 Pillars of BJJ Nutrition" check out the link to have the eBook emailed straight to your inbox 😁kierenlefevrebjj.com/email-newsletter/
I’m doing jiu jitsu on keto diet while intermittent fasting plus training about 3/4 Xs a week struggling a lil trying to balance everything , happy I came across this page.
Great vid! Love your approach to laying out all the facts and basic theory before getting into the practicalities of it all. Also, thanks for doing this vid due to subscriber requests, really shows your dedication. Good luck this Sunday!
Hey Maxi! Thank you so much for the support, I'm glad you got something out of the video! If you want to see anything nutrition-related for sport/bjj let me know and I'll add it to my video topics to cover
Thanks so much I've been searching for a channel like this. I got my 3rd white belt stripe tonight and keep thinking I need to start looking at my diet properly now. Really appreciate it! I've liked and subscribed, look forward to your future content!
This is good info. This area is a struggle for me because of past surgeries. I have small bowel obstructions when i eat any fiber (fruits, veg, grains, etc). I am in pretty good shape but i have no idea what my body can and cannot use without the large intestine. The main part of my diet is protein but most carb intake is junk.
thanks, I was just on my way to get my old nutrition book out to recap the general guideline as I just started jiujitsu a few months ago. I saw that I wasn't that far from the facts, so i saved precious time. let,s go back to training now...peace.
You're as old as I am, Kieren?! It makes me think "what have I done with my life?" I'm planning on starting BJJ & kickboxing or MMA, with no experience except for being a white belt in TKD when I was 12 or so. Amazing content, btw. It's truly inspiring!
Good thought. Now start. It's a good thought when it leads to good action. You can do it. You will enjoy it. I hope to hear you are doing well in it one day.
Thank you so much for your support Airel!! I appreciate it 😁 I only started BJJ last year so there's plenty of time haha, I highly recommend starting, you won't regret it!
This was a great video sir. I have a similar setup jitz and weight training and it's been tricky...esp cuz I do IF. So appreciated and you have a new subscriber now
For someone in your position my guy, I'd recommend lower carbohydrate intake. Still go through the same process but when you calculate your macros make sure you're taking your lean mass not your total mass and for inducing the calorie deficit, subtract 250-500kcal from that out of carbs 😊 Feel free to hit me up on Instagram if you have any specific questions
Hey Kieren, I've been doing ok with my weight loss I started at over 125 kgs 2 years ago but currently stuck at ~105 kgs im around 30% body fat, 178cm and im 27 years old. I try to do jiu-jitsu as much as possible (usually 3-4 times a week) , have had to take a break due to stomach acidity issues. going back today though! hopefully my stomach problem is solved with the meds I'm going to start taking Iso protein and I have been advised to take ashwaganda, zma, and creatine, what are your thoughts?
Great video I stopped traing grappling for a bit as I eat around 1800 to 2000 calories a day don’t feel the need to eat more but when I did some wieght traing I felt good but when I did bjj I felt drained and lost muscle mass also would get really hungry at nights and help I still wanna get back to traing bjj but still wanna keep a low bodyfat percentage while slowly gaing a bit of muscle back im 122 pound 5 8 at the moment thanks I’m advanced
Yeah absolutely would! The rest of your bulking calories should primarily come from fats and carbohydrates. When we're bulking (depending on the timeframe) you want to have a calorie surplus but that surplus should primarily come from carb/fats at around that 250-500kcal surplus per day. Anymore than that and you may put on a bit too much fat for your liking, unless you don't mind then go for it 😁
Sorry another question. So I had a bad army accident, I ended up at 188kg, I’m now 117kg and training jits everyday and gym 3 times per week. But I’m fat still, so lost with how I should eat. Should I just keep eating low calories, ie 500 under maintenance and train, or up cals considering I’m now training loads?
It would all depend on your current diet and how long you've been in a deficit. Without knowing the specifics of your situation it's hard to give impactful advice. What I would say is that if you've been eating in a calorie deficit, with that must training volume already, and your weight loss progression has stalled, something else might be going on there. Feel free to reach out and DM me on insta
Hi Kieren I am a simialr height and weight to you, but my fat % is closer to 25%. What non-meat protein source would you recommend to get 30-40 grams at one sitting? Thanks for you great videos and advice.
In regard to optimal protein intake: I currently weigh 91kg at 183cm with ca. 29% body fat. Do I still need to take 1.4-2kg per kg of body weight, or can use lean body mass as a measure? 182g/day is extremely hard for me to sustainably maintain.
Great video man, just stumbled on your channel and today i searched up bjj nutrition and gave this one a shot! This has been the most informative video on bjj nutrition so far so thanks so much. Would you apply this same nutrition when training muay thai? Thanks a ton!
I have major muscle cramps after training, is it from too much sweating. The cramping is throughout the entire body not just one specific muscle. Basically any muscle I flex hard enough begins to cramp ! Please some advice would be much appreciated!
Really good question Luke, I recommend doing strength and conditioning work focusing on compound movements and strength movements that translate to Jiu-Jitsu work, so we’re looking at kettlebell work and some mobility work as well. I’ve got a video coming soon with my go-to workouts for Jits
Hi Kieren, how to calculate the Makros for a woman, with real high body fat? (Low to none Metabolism left). Me the Video helped sooo much for my BJJ and overall fitness, but i was wondering how to "translate" it to woman with very little sport enthusiasm, Cheers
Nice! I am 31, about 185 lbs with ~15% body fat. I train bjj 4x per week and lift 2x per week (using Juggernaut Training Systems BJJ app). I would describe my training as 'moderate intensity'. I would like to recomp to a lower body fat percentage. Any specific recs for caloric intake and macro distribution?
@@KierenLefevre heyo! Overall, I like the app and I have been using it for over a year. It functions well and I think the programming is effective (I have a lot strength training experience and some education and work experience in the S/C field). That being said, I have almost exclusively used the "Lifestyle" program, the purpose of which is general preparedness, moderate intensity, and flexibility. Works well for me at this point in my life since I'm not competing or have specific S/C goals. I can't speak to the targeted programs or competition prep program. The only criticism I have for the program I run is that the exercise selection can maybe feel a little too random for an already highly varied program. I think the app is worth checking out!
Great video. I started jiu-jitsu almost two moths ago and you just made me realize that I really eat shit and probably not even enough of it. Thanks for the info. I'll be trying to apply some of this stuff.
Great content ! I've been on this journey for over 6 months. After retiring from the armed forces, my cardio and weight are out of proportion heavy breathing and trying to understand what to eat and when is definitely important. What would be the best way to contact you ? Again thank you so much for the great content this was an eye opening.
awesome general guideline, can you make a video on your routine specific to IF? I train 6AM, and do not feel like I will be catabolic by waiting until 12, please tell me otherwise. Also, training fasted, what are your thoughts here?
Absolutely agree, IF is a very useful tool. I often train fasted, particularly when cutting. I can absolutely create a video on IF protocols, I'll add it to the list, thank you for your support! 😁
@Kieren Lefevre Hey Kieren I too was curious how this type of nutrition advice would carry over for those of us that use BJJ as a primary source of exercise while losing weight. You say we should eat 2g of protein per kg of bodyweight but for someone like me that is currently 260 (might of screwed up conversions apologies in advance), that would call for 236g of protein. How would you adjust for someone like me who has a goal weight in the 180-190 range? Should I calculate my macros based on that goal weight? I think a certain lack of energy is to be expected when it comes to cutting but I would like to make the best choices that will help me the most on the mat, especially down the road when I am in that 180-190 range.
When you have a fair bit of bodyfat to lose it is better to use your Fat Free Mass to calculate your protein. So say for example your bodyweight is 80kg but your Fat Free Mass is 70kg then you'd be eating 140kg of protein. Alternatively when it comes to lbs to kg conversion if it's too difficult to keep going back a forth go with 1g per pound of bodyweight. And yeah if you're on a heavy calorie restriction calculate your protein and maybe take a conservative approach just be aware not to go under 1.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight. I hope that helps! If you need specific guidance hit me up on instagram DM and I'll go into it in more detail there 😁
Terrific! I’ve been looking for information like this for years! I’ve got a burning question, I’ve recently switched to morning 0530 Bjj classes twice a week and do intermittent fasting about 3-4 times a week. But have now started to feel kinda week. I eat plenty of protein post workout, but probably not eating enough carbs. Any help would be appreciated. Also I’d be happy to pay you for a long format question and answer on a email maybe???
Hey man, that's a good question! First of all, I'd like to ask what time you're eating at night? Most of the time, our "energy" from a high glycolytically demanding working in the morning is gained from the carbs we eat the night before. Also, on that, are you eating carbohydrates of an evening at all? General energy depletion or feelings of being "weak" could be caused by low glycogen stores, poor sleep the night before, or low calories in general. When my clients are on a calorie deficit, I monitor their energy levels and perceived level of "exhaustion" quite closely and it is common. So, to summarise: 1. Are you eating carbohydrates of an evening? 2. Are you eating a low calorie diet (i.e. are you in a calorie deficit?) 3. Are you supplementing with anything? 4. Is your sleep good? If you don't want to answer these questions in the comment section, feel free to shoot me a DM on insta @kieren_lefevre
I don’t know much about nutrition because I’ve have eaten crap my whole life. But being in jujitsu for nearly 3 years I now see the importance of a solid diet . I weigh roughly 148 pounds 5’7” tall and am 18 years old. I did the tdde calculation with these stats and it says I should eat 2,846 calories a day for my exercise which is hard to track due to fluctuation, but I would say I do heavy exercise because of jujitsu and hard labor. I don’t fully understand macronutrients so I don’t know if I’m doing this right but I chose moderate carbs and it gave me these stats. Protein 213 grams, carbs 249 grams, and fats 119 grams. That’s a summary of what my calculations were. If you have happen to see this or have any recommendations your input would be much appreciated. Thank you
I’ve been eating a lot of brown rice and eggs and veggies. No red meat. Turkey and chicken and greens sweet potatoes etc and protein shake. I like being at 170lbs but I started lots of jiu jitsu on top of striking classes on top of I’m doing a 365 day exercise challenge as well as work and every day life, I need to start eating diff or more cuz some days I’m super drained haha
Hey man! Thanks for your comment. If you're exercising every day and that includes Jiu Jitsu and Striking that's a LOT of calorie expenditure. Estimating your TDEE based on your weight and an "average" sort of heigh you'd be burning around 2700-3500kcal per day. If you want to maintain your weight I'd start off with eating around 3000kcal per day and see how your body responds. Being super drained is a classic symptom of being in a calorie deficit, it's actually one of the major things I am monitoring when I have my clients go on a calorie deficit :)
Excellent question! For carbohydrates, there is no "maximum" not to exceed, so it's really a personal preference. As long as you're pairing the "right" carbohydrate for the right meal of the day, including your taste / carb of choice preference you can't go wrong.
@@KierenLefevre thanks brother. One more question. What are you doing with carbs on rest days? I’m a purple belt who trains 4 times a week and strength train 3 so I’m curious if I should maintain 50% carb macros on rest days too.
@@OdinsForgeEnt It depends on how far you want to go down the rabbit hole. Ideally, you would be carb cycling as an athlete i.e. you're eating more carbs on your active days and less on your rest days. But if you're not really counting your total macros / intake for a week maybe go a bit lighter on rest days in the mornings and save your carbs for midday / evenings.
@@KierenLefevre I’m neurotic with counting macros and weighting the food so I’m pretty far down the hole. If my set up daily is protein 160g carbs 287 and fat 85 where would you tweak this for rest days?
@@OdinsForgeEnt I'd recommend starting with reducing your rest day carbs by about 20-25% and adding it to your active day carbs and see how you feel. OR if you're in the game for performance and you're not trying to cut weight at all just increase your carbs by 20% on training days and see how your body responds weight wise.
It’s not that big of a deal to be honest. Maybe try out bringing a small post workout snack with you something like a protein shake and a piece of fruit will work and have it on the way home
Great video! Any tips on increasing hunger? Should I just be setting timers and forcing myself to eat? I always had a tendency to under eat. Every time when I try to gain weight I will up my calories gain 5-10 lbs but then get sick:/
@james arnold Really great question James! My recommendation is to select really CALORIE DENSE foods, so you're looking at things like nut butters, avocados and easy to eat carbohydrates that aren't too filling (so stay away from potatoes). Also, and this is probably my number 1 recommendation, is to focus on LIQUID CALOIRES. What I mean by this is eat your planned meal and then after it slowly drink a shake over an hour or more. For example one of the shake recipies I give my clients is: Super Peanut Butter Choc-Banan Monster Shake (don't worry too much about the amounts - they can be tailored to your macros) Skim Milk - 400mLBanana - 180g (~1.5 bananas) Avocado - 50g (recommend frozen avocado chunks) WPI - 30g Cacao Powder - 20g Natural Peanutbutter - 20g My next tip is to slowly increase your calories over time, as in slowly increase your meal sizes so that you can adjust to the new volume. Also, it may seem obvious and you've probably already tried it, but you could also try breaking up your meals into 5-7 meals instead of 3 big ones. I hope this helps James! 😁
@@itsjimmytimeee296 I've had the same thing and dealed with it the way Kieren is explaining here! You can also try to make granola bars yourself: butter, honey, mix of nuts, oatmeal and some cinnamon. All togheter in the oven for 15/20 minutes, its tastes amazing and you can take it everywhere. Besides that it's decently healthy, contains all of the macro's and some micro's and has alot of calories!
@@KierenLefevre I did! I’ve always eaten at a slight deficit, mainly thinking it was better to “eat to live”. I guess I developed this thinking early on in high school wrestling when weight was such a huge priority. I started training bjj pretty consistently about 4 months ago, and have had a growing suspicion that I wasn’t eating enough. This really helped show me how much I should be eating daily. Definitely going to give macro tracking a try!
@@QWEEKEN73 Awesome man. Yeah, I find a lot of my jiujitsu clients are under-eating carbohydrates. It definitely helps to ensure you're replenishing those glycogen stores between sessions. Also helps with fatigue!
Thanks for the video! How can I use this but lose weight at the same time? I train but any time I am at a calorie defecit my energy takes such a huge hit it is hard to keep aroound my tdee while training.
Thank you so much for your comment 😁 With this specific issue it could be many different factors. The most common issue here is probably that your calorie deficit is too large, I recommend going with a smaller deficit of around 200-300kcal and see how you feel there. Next issue could be your macro compositions. For example, you may be in a calorie deficit however out of your allocated calories for the day you're not having enough carbohydrates. This is a very common "issue" because sometimes it's easiest to just remove carbs. The last issue that it could be is your meal timing, perhaps if you shuffle around your meals or implement some intermittent fasting, you'll feel much better on a calorie deficit. Depending on how large of a calorie deficit we're going for, I often have my clients use strategic intermittent fasting to help with that "low energy" feeling you've described. Sorry that I couldn't give you a really clear response but this can be very individualized. 😊
@@KierenLefevre thanks for you reply! This is a good starting point. I will give it a try. Is it good to keep a majority of the carbs for that meal 1-2 hours before training? Im curious how much is enough for a hard training session. I tend to gas out before the end of the class when its finally time to roll
@@DOSEightyEight Yeah 1-2 hours before training is a good bet, if it's a larger meals 2 hours is good. It'll help with overall energy levels for sure, but to a certain extent you'll always be limited by cardio haha but it'll certaintly get you to the rolling
@@KierenLefevre tried it yesterday. 2 bananas and greek yogurt 1 hr before training. Much better energy levels and felt good till the end of class. Thanks for you fast responses man. I have about the same number of subscribers as you so I know how much hard work it takes. Keep it up man. Subscribing for sure.
I have a question on the TDEE calculator. What counts as an exercise day in that calculator? Context: I swing the kettlebell everyday for 30-60 minutes. Nothing major, some swings, some Turkish get ups. Slightly elevated heart rate, hardly any sweat. Does that even count? When you said exercise, there was a very sweaty you after a heavy session. It's definitely not that for me... Thanks
Excellent question you're raising and this just highlights the limitation of these calculators. Someone could be technically "exercising" every single day, but so conditioned to that specific exercise OR maybe they're barely breaking a sweat, so does this really count? The answer is that it comes down to a subjective call on your behalf / your coach. I like to be conservative with the calculations and work our way up, particuarly if you're in a cutting phase. Let me know if you want to discuss your situation in more detail :)
Hey man, I’ve started my journey a few years back but have just recently been able to settle down and sit under a patch. However I am a mess with my eating, and I feel like I am not preforming as I should because I’m not consuming the right Mount of calories. Will you help me please?
I found this really interesting but struggled with the advice towards the end, especially with having to eat post workout. What if, like in my situation, I dont finish jj until 8.30pm, home at 9pm, then I'm up at 7am to do my own workout at home before work?
That's a really tough one man, I'm in a similar situation. If you do decide to exercise pre work in the mornings you may be "burning the candle at both ends" and you'll be very fatigued and won't be recovering from either jiu jitsu or your own workouts. If you can manage it, try and work in a lunch time gym session or an early afternoon session maybe 2-3 times per week. In terms of eating after class if you're finishing really late and not getting home until 9pm it may not be right for you in your situation to have a huge dinner after training, maybe move your meal to 2 hours before dinner and just go with a decent snack after training like a slow release protein powder and some carbohydrates like a piece of fruit or a few rice cakes.
@@KierenLefevre @Kieren Lefevre thanks for the advice! I'll definitely take that forward as I am feeling the "burning the candle at both ends" a lot. So I think working out early afternoon may benefit me. I also try and eat my main "evening" meal around 4.30, 2 hours before jj so eating a light snack afterwards sounds about right (and hopefully stop me from going to chocolate!)
Would it not been better to have the post workout and preworkout switched? If you eat fats after your workout it would take longer time for you to digest the meal. And if you are having protein, fast carbs and no fats before training your body would burn trough that pretty fast in a 1.5 - 2 hour training session. If you eat a preworkout meal containing protein, fats and carbs you would last longer i belive. Protein and carbs after for fast adsorption.
I try and eat around 1-2 hours before and I personally find it easier to digest liquid calories right before a hard session. So I generally go with something like oats, frozen berries, a little bit of honey with protein powder. For immediately after I just have my "standard" dinner some form of chicken or fish meal. If you'd like you can also have a piece of fruit and a protein shake immediately afterwards if you're not planning to eat a full meal for a little while.
I eat a bowl of quinoa + 2 eggs + fruit (usually strawberries/blueberries/raspberries) 2-2:30hrs prior to training then afterwards I have a snickers on the drive home before more training
Learn about a whole food plant based alkaline diet. I’m a blackbelt who’s turning 60 in February. I went vegan over 5 years ago and completely restored my health, I routinely roll with the crowd and still dominate. The diet I ate during my professional football 🏈 days was similar to what you’re suggesting. Mucus is the problem. Cheers
@@KierenLefevre Thanks to you too man, i’m a white belt as well and i went to the store and changed my whole diet this morning just based off of the information in this video and i’m excited to see how my energy levels change! keep up the good work!
I wish we could eat crap and perform the same. I cant brubg myself to eat helathy no matter what. I recently competed and surprised everyone including myself that I made it to semi finals in bracket of 16. I'm 35, started bjj 4 months ago, have 3 kids, full time job and eat junk 9/10 times. I also dont go to gym as I dont have time for it... I will forever wonder what it would be like to go to gym, eat helathy, take supplements and have more time in general to train. I will never be able to drop junk food and I guess I'll never know.
I actually reshot this semi last minute because of a lighting issue and forgot to iron the shirt. You have no idea how much it annoys me in this video now bahaha good pick up 🧐🤣🤣
I've put together a free Nutrition eBook called "The 5 Pillars of BJJ Nutrition" check out the link to have the eBook emailed straight to your inbox 😁kierenlefevrebjj.com/email-newsletter/
Great video man. Very informative and great production value!
Thank you so much Jordan! I'm glad you got some value from it 😁
I’m doing jiu jitsu on keto diet while intermittent fasting plus training about 3/4 Xs a week struggling a lil trying to balance everything , happy I came across this page.
why are you doing keto with an athlete load of training? get off the keto and eat some clean carbs
Came here from Jordan Teaches JiuJitsu. Pleased to hear another fellow Aussie. Thanks from the good content - Brisbane
Man this is like the holy grail of nutrition for bjj. Thank you for such essential information!
Thank you so much for your kind words man! I’m glad you got something out of it! 😁
@@KierenLefevre Already waiting for the next one!
You sir, have helped me get in the direction that I’ve struggled in for the last year. You have a new sub 👍
Thank you so much for your kind words! And thanks for the sub! I'm glad the video helped 😁
Great vid! Love your approach to laying out all the facts and basic theory before getting into the practicalities of it all. Also, thanks for doing this vid due to subscriber requests, really shows your dedication. Good luck this Sunday!
Thank you so much for the support Jake! I’m glasses you enjoyed it my man 🤙🏼
Let me know if there’s anything you want to see
Yoo thats the best nutrition video I've watched so far, so much USEFUL informations!
Kev, you’re knowledgeable and I enjoy your content. Thank you for this video. Keep doing YOU. Osss!!
Absolutely fantastic quality you honestly deserve way more recognition.
Underrated channel
thank you so much for such kind words! This comment made my day, boss haha 😁😁
Great video, informative as hell and the production keeps you engaged
Thank you so much for your comment 😄
Man, what a video! Really well produced and so informative. Keep smashing it lad. Your subs will be huge one day.
Hey Maxi! Thank you so much for the support, I'm glad you got something out of the video! If you want to see anything nutrition-related for sport/bjj let me know and I'll add it to my video topics to cover
Thanks so much I've been searching for a channel like this. I got my 3rd white belt stripe tonight and keep thinking I need to start looking at my diet properly now. Really appreciate it! I've liked and subscribed, look forward to your future content!
Hell yeah man! Thanks for jumping on board! How long have you been training for? And congrats on the stripe 💪🏼
@@KierenLefevre The honour is mine i enjoy learning and you explain it really well so thank you. My official start date was on the 4th January 2021.
This is good info. This area is a struggle for me because of past surgeries. I have small bowel obstructions when i eat any fiber (fruits, veg, grains, etc). I am in pretty good shape but i have no idea what my body can and cannot use without the large intestine. The main part of my diet is protein but most carb intake is junk.
Wow thanks for sharing this video, this is very helpful. I’m 2 months in the making of Jiu Jitsu and wondering a lot of things.
Absolutely! Let me know if you have any questions or if there's anything I can help with
thanks, I was just on my way to get my old nutrition book out to recap the general guideline as I just started jiujitsu a few months ago. I saw that I wasn't that far from the facts, so i saved precious time. let,s go back to training now...peace.
good content, good animation, and excellent information. One more follower!
Thank you so much for your comment Ricardo! I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😊
There you go, grab some Polish love man
You're as old as I am, Kieren?! It makes me think "what have I done with my life?" I'm planning on starting BJJ & kickboxing or MMA, with no experience except for being a white belt in TKD when I was 12 or so. Amazing content, btw. It's truly inspiring!
Good thought. Now start. It's a good thought when it leads to good action. You can do it. You will enjoy it. I hope to hear you are doing well in it one day.
@@dravennevermore8191 Thanks! I'll get started as soon as possible.
Thank you so much for your support Airel!! I appreciate it 😁
I only started BJJ last year so there's plenty of time haha, I highly recommend starting, you won't regret it!
@@KierenLefevre Great! Best of luck in your journey, sir. Do not give up!
This was a great video sir. I have a similar setup jitz and weight training and it's been tricky...esp cuz I do IF. So appreciated and you have a new subscriber now
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed and got something out of it 😁
Damn bro, productions gone through the roof, nice work. Great content as well.
Thank you so much for the compliment! 😁
I'm glad you enjoyed the video
Great video - simple to follow and great production value. Thank you
Really good video my dude! Very informative and put it in a very simple way to fully understand. Very well edited as well!
Thank you so much!
Keep it up dude. Very well formatted video.
Thank you so much!
Great break down, thanks for the education!
Thanks for the comment Dustin! 😁
the amazing acting as well when your other self is just meant to sit there and look like their in a conversation. gold star ahah
I really appreciate the help... Would you still recommend that many carbs for someone like myself that is training and overweight?
For someone in your position my guy, I'd recommend lower carbohydrate intake.
Still go through the same process but when you calculate your macros make sure you're taking your lean mass not your total mass and for inducing the calorie deficit, subtract 250-500kcal from that out of carbs 😊
Feel free to hit me up on Instagram if you have any specific questions
Hey Kieren,
I've been doing ok with my weight loss I started at over 125 kgs 2 years ago but currently stuck at ~105 kgs im around 30% body fat, 178cm and im 27 years old. I try to do jiu-jitsu as much as possible (usually 3-4 times a week) , have had to take a break due to stomach acidity issues. going back today though! hopefully my stomach problem is solved with the meds I'm going to start taking Iso protein and I have been advised to take ashwaganda, zma, and creatine, what are your thoughts?
Shot you a DM bro
Great stuff. What sort of benefits do you get from intermittent fasting?
Great video I stopped traing grappling for a bit as I eat around 1800 to 2000 calories a day don’t feel the need to eat more but when I did some wieght traing I felt good but when I did bjj I felt drained and lost muscle mass also would get really hungry at nights and help I still wanna get back to traing bjj but still wanna keep a low bodyfat percentage while slowly gaing a bit of muscle back im 122 pound 5 8 at the moment thanks I’m advanced
Thanks a lot, it really helped me to understand how nutrition works in BJJ context
Absolutely man! Thank you for your comment, I’m glad you got something out of the video 😁
Thanks man, really good advice
Brilliant video, proper helpful.. thank you 🤙🏻
Thanks so much for your comment, William! I'm glad you liked it.
Hey Kieren, would you suggest to still stick to the 2g of protein per kg of bodyweight, when bulking for bjj?
Yeah absolutely would! The rest of your bulking calories should primarily come from fats and carbohydrates.
When we're bulking (depending on the timeframe) you want to have a calorie surplus but that surplus should primarily come from carb/fats at around that 250-500kcal surplus per day. Anymore than that and you may put on a bit too much fat for your liking, unless you don't mind then go for it 😁
awesome work on this
Thanks man! I'm glad you enjoyed 😁
Sorry another question. So I had a bad army accident, I ended up at 188kg, I’m now 117kg and training jits everyday and gym 3 times per week. But I’m fat still, so lost with how I should eat. Should I just keep eating low calories, ie 500 under maintenance and train, or up cals considering I’m now training loads?
It would all depend on your current diet and how long you've been in a deficit. Without knowing the specifics of your situation it's hard to give impactful advice. What I would say is that if you've been eating in a calorie deficit, with that must training volume already, and your weight loss progression has stalled, something else might be going on there. Feel free to reach out and DM me on insta
I definitely under eat and when I do it’s awful food most of the time. Figured out my numbers and Gonna give it a try!
This was remarkably well done.
Wow thank you so much for your kind words! I'm relaly glad you enjoyed it. 😁
I wonder how many people clicked away after he said he was a white belt :p
hahahaha according to my analytics at least 60% 🤣🤣
@@KierenLefevre haters
Sad because without the ego, you can learn from anyone. Thank you Kieren for these tips!
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I almost did, then I said "wait, I'm a white belt, let's hear him out" 🤪🤣🤣
I could careless if he did Jiu jitsu or not. He is ripped. He got to know something.
Hi Kieren I am a simialr height and weight to you, but my fat % is closer to 25%. What non-meat protein source would you recommend to get 30-40 grams at one sitting? Thanks for you great videos and advice.
Non meat protein? Split pea protein, soy based protein, tofu, lentils, beans
In regard to optimal protein intake: I currently weigh 91kg at 183cm with ca. 29% body fat. Do I still need to take 1.4-2kg per kg of body weight, or can use lean body mass as a measure? 182g/day is extremely hard for me to sustainably maintain.
I’d take your lean measurement in this case for sure
@@KierenLefevre This is really helpful. Thank you for the response!
@@Cosmosbrainer Absolutely! 💪 if you want to go through it in more detail hit me up on Instagram 😁
Subscribed! Thank you! 💪
Thank you! 😁
Really nice video, appreciate the work! Keep it up! +1 Subscriber 💪
Thank you so much!
Great video man, just stumbled on your channel and today i searched up bjj nutrition and gave this one a shot! This has been the most informative video on bjj nutrition so far so thanks so much. Would you apply this same nutrition when training muay thai? Thanks a ton!
Thank you so much! Yeah I'd apply the same principles to multiple sports domains including muay thai, mma, wrestling and more 😁
@@KierenLefevre 💪🏽 much appreciated man!
Real content at 15:34
I have major muscle cramps after training, is it from too much sweating. The cramping is throughout the entire body not just one specific muscle. Basically any muscle I flex hard enough begins to cramp ! Please some advice would be much appreciated!
Any tips on increasing Muscle? Like what workouts to do so I don’t gain t much weight
Really good question Luke,
I recommend doing strength and conditioning work focusing on compound movements and strength movements that translate to Jiu-Jitsu work, so we’re looking at kettlebell work and some mobility work as well.
I’ve got a video coming soon with my go-to workouts for Jits
@@KierenLefevre sweet
Laughts in 100% pizza diet - Mikey Musumeci
hahaha bloody Musumeci and his crazy eating habits
Solid vid man
Thank you so much for your comment Ivan! I'm really glad you enjoyed it 😁
Excellent content man! always giving out some great and valuable info!
Thanks so much Taylor!
Glad you enjoyed this one 🤙🏼 and the Canadian Head 😂
Hi Kieren, how to calculate the Makros for a woman, with real high body fat? (Low to none Metabolism left). Me the Video helped sooo much for my BJJ and overall fitness, but i was wondering how to "translate" it to woman with very little sport enthusiasm, Cheers
With the name, I was expecting this to be in French, or at the least with a thick French accent :D But, solid video.
Hahaha yeah my name is French good pick up
Nice! I am 31, about 185 lbs with ~15% body fat. I train bjj 4x per week and lift 2x per week (using Juggernaut Training Systems BJJ app). I would describe my training as 'moderate intensity'. I would like to recomp to a lower body fat percentage. Any specific recs for caloric intake and macro distribution?
How do you find the juggernaut app? I've heard mixed reviews.
@@KierenLefevre heyo! Overall, I like the app and I have been using it for over a year. It functions well and I think the programming is effective (I have a lot strength training experience and some education and work experience in the S/C field). That being said, I have almost exclusively used the "Lifestyle" program, the purpose of which is general preparedness, moderate intensity, and flexibility. Works well for me at this point in my life since I'm not competing or have
specific S/C goals. I can't speak to the targeted programs or competition prep program. The only criticism I have for the program I run is that the exercise selection can maybe feel a little too random for an already highly varied program. I think the app is worth checking out!
Great video. I started jiu-jitsu almost two moths ago and you just made me realize that I really eat shit and probably not even enough of it. Thanks for the info. I'll be trying to apply some of this stuff.
Hey man! Thank you so much for your comment, I'm really glad you enjoyed the video.
How long have you been training for?
Hey, what would you eat the morning/ day of a competition?
depends if you're cutting weight or not. If you're cutting weight, go with low fibre high carbohydrates the day of and the day before.
Great content ! I've been on this journey for over 6 months. After retiring from the armed forces, my cardio and weight are out of proportion heavy breathing and trying to understand what to eat and when is definitely important. What would be the best way to contact you ? Again thank you so much for the great content this was an eye opening.
Hey sorry I missed your comment and I'm late replying! Def instagram is easiest or you can email me at kieren@kierenlefevrebjj.com
awesome general guideline, can you make a video on your routine specific to IF? I train 6AM, and do not feel like I will be catabolic by waiting until 12, please tell me otherwise. Also, training fasted, what are your thoughts here?
Absolutely agree, IF is a very useful tool. I often train fasted, particularly when cutting.
I can absolutely create a video on IF protocols, I'll add it to the list, thank you for your support! 😁
@@KierenLefevre thanks, brother, for your content.
@Kieren Lefevre Hey Kieren I too was curious how this type of nutrition advice would carry over for those of us that use BJJ as a primary source of exercise while losing weight. You say we should eat 2g of protein per kg of bodyweight but for someone like me that is currently 260 (might of screwed up conversions apologies in advance), that would call for 236g of protein. How would you adjust for someone like me who has a goal weight in the 180-190 range? Should I calculate my macros based on that goal weight?
I think a certain lack of energy is to be expected when it comes to cutting but I would like to make the best choices that will help me the most on the mat, especially down the road when I am in that 180-190 range.
When you have a fair bit of bodyfat to lose it is better to use your Fat Free Mass to calculate your protein. So say for example your bodyweight is 80kg but your Fat Free Mass is 70kg then you'd be eating 140kg of protein.
Alternatively when it comes to lbs to kg conversion if it's too difficult to keep going back a forth go with 1g per pound of bodyweight.
And yeah if you're on a heavy calorie restriction calculate your protein and maybe take a conservative approach just be aware not to go under 1.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight. I hope that helps! If you need specific guidance hit me up on instagram DM and I'll go into it in more detail there 😁
Terrific! I’ve been looking for information like this for years!
I’ve got a burning question, I’ve recently switched to morning 0530 Bjj classes twice a week and do intermittent fasting about 3-4 times a week. But have now started to feel kinda week. I eat plenty of protein post workout, but probably not eating enough carbs. Any help would be appreciated.
Also I’d be happy to pay you for a long format question and answer on a email maybe???
Hey man, that's a good question!
First of all, I'd like to ask what time you're eating at night? Most of the time, our "energy" from a high glycolytically demanding working in the morning is gained from the carbs we eat the night before. Also, on that, are you eating carbohydrates of an evening at all?
General energy depletion or feelings of being "weak" could be caused by low glycogen stores, poor sleep the night before, or low calories in general. When my clients are on a calorie deficit, I monitor their energy levels and perceived level of "exhaustion" quite closely and it is common.
So, to summarise:
1. Are you eating carbohydrates of an evening?
2. Are you eating a low calorie diet (i.e. are you in a calorie deficit?)
3. Are you supplementing with anything?
4. Is your sleep good?
If you don't want to answer these questions in the comment section, feel free to shoot me a DM on insta @kieren_lefevre
I don’t know much about nutrition because I’ve have eaten crap my whole life. But being in jujitsu for nearly 3 years I now see the importance of a solid diet . I weigh roughly 148 pounds 5’7” tall and am 18 years old. I did the tdde calculation with these stats and it says I should eat 2,846 calories a day for my exercise which is hard to track due to fluctuation, but I would say I do heavy exercise because of jujitsu and hard labor. I don’t fully understand macronutrients so I don’t know if I’m doing this right but I chose moderate carbs and it gave me these stats. Protein 213 grams, carbs 249 grams, and fats 119 grams. That’s a summary of what my calculations were. If you have happen to see this or have any recommendations your input would be much appreciated. Thank you
That seems about right. Try and run your macronutrients through the recommendations in the video to refine the macro split
I’ve been eating a lot of brown rice and eggs and veggies. No red meat. Turkey and chicken and greens sweet potatoes etc and protein shake.
I like being at 170lbs but I started lots of jiu jitsu on top of striking classes on top of I’m doing a 365 day exercise challenge as well as work and every day life, I need to start eating diff or more cuz some days I’m super drained haha
Hey man! Thanks for your comment.
If you're exercising every day and that includes Jiu Jitsu and Striking that's a LOT of calorie expenditure. Estimating your TDEE based on your weight and an "average" sort of heigh you'd be burning around 2700-3500kcal per day. If you want to maintain your weight I'd start off with eating around 3000kcal per day and see how your body responds. Being super drained is a classic symptom of being in a calorie deficit, it's actually one of the major things I am monitoring when I have my clients go on a calorie deficit :)
@@KierenLefevre thank you so much. I’ll deff that for sure
@Dan and Lilly Anytime 😊
Great video. You talk about maxing out around 40 grams of protein per meal, is there a max for carb consumption per meal?
Excellent question!
For carbohydrates, there is no "maximum" not to exceed, so it's really a personal preference. As long as you're pairing the "right" carbohydrate for the right meal of the day, including your taste / carb of choice preference you can't go wrong.
@@KierenLefevre thanks brother. One more question. What are you doing with carbs on rest days? I’m a purple belt who trains 4 times a week and strength train 3 so I’m curious if I should maintain 50% carb macros on rest days too.
@@OdinsForgeEnt It depends on how far you want to go down the rabbit hole. Ideally, you would be carb cycling as an athlete i.e. you're eating more carbs on your active days and less on your rest days.
But if you're not really counting your total macros / intake for a week maybe go a bit lighter on rest days in the mornings and save your carbs for midday / evenings.
@@KierenLefevre I’m neurotic with counting macros and weighting the food so I’m pretty far down the hole. If my set up daily is protein 160g carbs 287 and fat 85 where would you tweak this for rest days?
@@OdinsForgeEnt I'd recommend starting with reducing your rest day carbs by about 20-25% and adding it to your active day carbs and see how you feel.
OR if you're in the game for performance and you're not trying to cut weight at all just increase your carbs by 20% on training days and see how your body responds weight wise.
Thanks 🙏 for all your info…
No problem at all, I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
I can't eat for about an hour after I train due to travel distance. How much will that impact this?
It’s not that big of a deal to be honest. Maybe try out bringing a small post workout snack with you something like a protein shake and a piece of fruit will work and have it on the way home
Great video! Any tips on increasing hunger? Should I just be setting timers and forcing myself to eat? I always had a tendency to under eat. Every time when I try to gain weight I will up my calories gain 5-10 lbs but then get sick:/
And are there any types of goods that boost hunger?
@james arnold Really great question James!
My recommendation is to select really CALORIE DENSE foods, so you're looking at things like nut butters, avocados and easy to eat carbohydrates that aren't too filling (so stay away from potatoes).
Also, and this is probably my number 1 recommendation, is to focus on LIQUID CALOIRES. What I mean by this is eat your planned meal and then after it slowly drink a shake over an hour or more. For example one of the shake recipies I give my clients is:
Super Peanut Butter Choc-Banan Monster Shake (don't worry too much about the amounts - they can be tailored to your macros)
Skim Milk - 400mLBanana - 180g (~1.5 bananas)
Avocado - 50g (recommend frozen avocado chunks)
WPI - 30g
Cacao Powder - 20g
Natural Peanutbutter - 20g
My next tip is to slowly increase your calories over time, as in slowly increase your meal sizes so that you can adjust to the new volume. Also, it may seem obvious and you've probably already tried it, but you could also try breaking up your meals into 5-7 meals instead of 3 big ones.
I hope this helps James! 😁
@@KierenLefevre yes it does! Tried the shake and tastes amazing! Thank you!:)
@james arnold Hell yeah man! It's one of my go-to's 😁
@@itsjimmytimeee296 I've had the same thing and dealed with it the way Kieren is explaining here! You can also try to make granola bars yourself: butter, honey, mix of nuts, oatmeal and some cinnamon. All togheter in the oven for 15/20 minutes, its tastes amazing and you can take it everywhere. Besides that it's decently healthy, contains all of the macro's and some micro's and has alot of calories!
Amazing video!
Thanks so much Ivan! I'm glad you got something out of it 😁
Love the video! But the max sound was so low
Ah, sorry about that! Glad you got something from the video though and thanks for the feedback on the audio
Thank you men!!🔥
thank you!
Is 3 day/ week jiu jitsu considered moderate?
Yeah I'd put that down as moderate unless you have a physically demanding job
Top content !
I'm confused with the carbs part. I got 200g of protein 104 g of fats but I don't get how to calculate the carbs. My tDEE is 3200
Your carbs are 366g
Well made
Thank you! 😁
Thanks man!
Absolutely! Glad you got value form the video
@@KierenLefevre I did! I’ve always eaten at a slight deficit, mainly thinking it was better to “eat to live”. I guess I developed this thinking early on in high school wrestling when weight was such a huge priority. I started training bjj pretty consistently about 4 months ago, and have had a growing suspicion that I wasn’t eating enough. This really helped show me how much I should be eating daily. Definitely going to give macro tracking a try!
@@QWEEKEN73 Awesome man. Yeah, I find a lot of my jiujitsu clients are under-eating carbohydrates. It definitely helps to ensure you're replenishing those glycogen stores between sessions. Also helps with fatigue!
Thanks for the video! How can I use this but lose weight at the same time? I train but any time I am at a calorie defecit my energy takes such a huge hit it is hard to keep aroound my tdee while training.
Thank you so much for your comment 😁
With this specific issue it could be many different factors. The most common issue here is probably that your calorie deficit is too large, I recommend going with a smaller deficit of around 200-300kcal and see how you feel there. Next issue could be your macro compositions. For example, you may be in a calorie deficit however out of your allocated calories for the day you're not having enough carbohydrates. This is a very common "issue" because sometimes it's easiest to just remove carbs.
The last issue that it could be is your meal timing, perhaps if you shuffle around your meals or implement some intermittent fasting, you'll feel much better on a calorie deficit. Depending on how large of a calorie deficit we're going for, I often have my clients use strategic intermittent fasting to help with that "low energy" feeling you've described.
Sorry that I couldn't give you a really clear response but this can be very individualized. 😊
@@KierenLefevre thanks for you reply! This is a good starting point. I will give it a try. Is it good to keep a majority of the carbs for that meal 1-2 hours before training? Im curious how much is enough for a hard training session. I tend to gas out before the end of the class when its finally time to roll
@@DOSEightyEight Yeah 1-2 hours before training is a good bet, if it's a larger meals 2 hours is good.
It'll help with overall energy levels for sure, but to a certain extent you'll always be limited by cardio haha but it'll certaintly get you to the rolling
@@KierenLefevre tried it yesterday. 2 bananas and greek yogurt 1 hr before training. Much better energy levels and felt good till the end of class. Thanks for you fast responses man. I have about the same number of subscribers as you so I know how much hard work it takes. Keep it up man. Subscribing for sure.
I have a question on the TDEE calculator. What counts as an exercise day in that calculator?
Context: I swing the kettlebell everyday for 30-60 minutes. Nothing major, some swings, some Turkish get ups. Slightly elevated heart rate, hardly any sweat.
Does that even count? When you said exercise, there was a very sweaty you after a heavy session. It's definitely not that for me...
Thanks
Excellent question you're raising and this just highlights the limitation of these calculators. Someone could be technically "exercising" every single day, but so conditioned to that specific exercise OR maybe they're barely breaking a sweat, so does this really count?
The answer is that it comes down to a subjective call on your behalf / your coach. I like to be conservative with the calculations and work our way up, particuarly if you're in a cutting phase.
Let me know if you want to discuss your situation in more detail :)
@@KierenLefevre A chat can't hurt for sure. Can you DM your rates and in which timezone you sit? Cheers :)
@@Nebelhom shoot me through an email at kieren@kierenlefevrebjj.com or a DM on insta @kieren_lefevre
Now lets roll
Can you do a keto version please.
Hey man, I’ve started my journey a few years back but have just recently been able to settle down and sit under a patch. However I am a mess with my eating, and I feel like I am not preforming as I should because I’m not consuming the right Mount of calories. Will you help me please?
Absolutely man, hit me up
bro you are fucking legit thank you so fucking much
I found this really interesting but struggled with the advice towards the end, especially with having to eat post workout. What if, like in my situation, I dont finish jj until 8.30pm, home at 9pm, then I'm up at 7am to do my own workout at home before work?
That's a really tough one man, I'm in a similar situation. If you do decide to exercise pre work in the mornings you may be "burning the candle at both ends" and you'll be very fatigued and won't be recovering from either jiu jitsu or your own workouts.
If you can manage it, try and work in a lunch time gym session or an early afternoon session maybe 2-3 times per week.
In terms of eating after class if you're finishing really late and not getting home until 9pm it may not be right for you in your situation to have a huge dinner after training, maybe move your meal to 2 hours before dinner and just go with a decent snack after training like a slow release protein powder and some carbohydrates like a piece of fruit or a few rice cakes.
@@KierenLefevre @Kieren Lefevre thanks for the advice! I'll definitely take that forward as I am feeling the "burning the candle at both ends" a lot. So I think working out early afternoon may benefit me.
I also try and eat my main "evening" meal around 4.30, 2 hours before jj so eating a light snack afterwards sounds about right (and hopefully stop me from going to chocolate!)
@@KierenLefevre Thank you for this.
@@JesusTrombone Thanks man!
@a brown one That sounds like a really strong approach! Let me know how you go 😁
Good Stuff!
Thank you bro!
Dude killer video and yes I feel nutrition is totally overwhelming. I’ll be sure to use this as a guide 🙌
@@Lucythegermanshepherd Thanks so much bro!
thanks
Would it not been better to have the post workout and preworkout switched? If you eat fats after your workout it would take longer time for you to digest the meal. And if you are having protein, fast carbs and no fats before training your body would burn trough that pretty fast in a 1.5 - 2 hour training session. If you eat a preworkout meal containing protein, fats and carbs you would last longer i belive. Protein and carbs after for fast adsorption.
Help me a lot!!💪🔥
Awesome Diego! Glad to hear it 😁
Do you do TRT?
Nah I don't man, definitely interested in it when I reach testosterone decline later in life though
Would love to know what everyone’s go to is to eat/drink before a Jiu Jitsu session?
I try and eat around 1-2 hours before and I personally find it easier to digest liquid calories right before a hard session. So I generally go with something like oats, frozen berries, a little bit of honey with protein powder.
For immediately after I just have my "standard" dinner some form of chicken or fish meal.
If you'd like you can also have a piece of fruit and a protein shake immediately afterwards if you're not planning to eat a full meal for a little while.
Coconut water , or a fruit bar , fruit bowl
I hate food in my stomach before exercise. Really takes your flow away, Quick and easy digestion 2 hourrs before
I eat a bowl of quinoa + 2 eggs + fruit (usually strawberries/blueberries/raspberries) 2-2:30hrs prior to training then afterwards I have a snickers on the drive home before more training
@@weebig sometimes I don’t eat until I’m done exercising I mostly do that so I agree
Learn about a whole food plant based alkaline diet. I’m a blackbelt who’s turning 60 in February. I went vegan over 5 years ago and completely restored my health, I routinely roll with the crowd and still dominate. The diet I ate during my professional football 🏈 days was similar to what you’re suggesting. Mucus is the problem. Cheers
your shirt is pretty dope
Hahaha, thanks Jayce! Yeah I'm a big fan of chess and jits so its perfect 😂
And ironically, I'm terrible at both
@@KierenLefevre Thanks to you too man, i’m a white belt as well and i went to the store and changed my whole diet this morning just based off of the information in this video and i’m excited to see how my energy levels change! keep up the good work!
@Jayce Moore Dude that's so epic! The thousand mile journey begins with a step, and you've taken yours 💪🏽
@@KierenLefevre i got my blue belt promotion today!! i’d like to see it was all thanks to your advice! 😂😂
@@jaycemoorebjj Congrats on the promotion!! Let the blue belt domination begin
I wish we could eat crap and perform the same. I cant brubg myself to eat helathy no matter what. I recently competed and surprised everyone including myself that I made it to semi finals in bracket of 16. I'm 35, started bjj 4 months ago, have 3 kids, full time job and eat junk 9/10 times. I also dont go to gym as I dont have time for it... I will forever wonder what it would be like to go to gym, eat helathy, take supplements and have more time in general to train. I will never be able to drop junk food and I guess I'll never know.
There's an awesome quote I like from Jim Kwik.
"If you fight for your limitations you get to keep them"
Mikey musumeci eats one meal a day pasta and pizza, everyday
He sure does
Couldn’t make it through the video seems to know what he’s talking about tho
Why wouldn't you iron your T shirt?
I actually reshot this semi last minute because of a lighting issue and forgot to iron the shirt. You have no idea how much it annoys me in this video now bahaha good pick up 🧐🤣🤣
@@KierenLefevre 👍😂😂
Oss
Your chess shirt makes no sense. Rooks are the 2nd most powerful pieces after the Queen
never underestimate a tricky knight
Funny. Real how you make boring topic like that funny
When ever someone starts going on about their food like this I just slap em
This doesn’t fit for people that are obese and are training BJJ
this could have been said in 5 minutes dude
arguably, it could have been said in 2 mins
but ironically I'm working on more nutrition content that is 10x longer than this video hahaha 🤷🏽♂️
Literally everything wrong with the fitness industry in one video. Yikes, basic knowledge googled off RUclips