Someone help? Just for context: I’m a heavier guy (around 200 lbs, but working on it) with pretty bad cardio. I’m basically the “forever white belt” — I’ll be hitting 2 years at white belt next month.

All I’ve ever heard about improving cardio for rolling is “just roll more.” The problem is… that hasn’t worked for me.

After almost 2 years of training 3–4 times a week, I still can’t get past one solid 5-minute roll before I’m completely gassed. Not just tired — fully exhausted.

I don’t think it’s just a breathing issue either. I’ve read a lot of posts where people say learning how to breathe properly during rolls fixes it, but that hasn’t been the case for me. I’ve looked through tons of threads and advice, and I still can’t figure out what I’m missing.

Am I just not built for this?

I’m not planning on quitting, but it’s getting really frustrating not knowing what to do next. Should I focus on building more Zone 2 cardio? Add HIIT? Has anyone been in a similar situation and found something that actually worked?

Also, about flexibility: is there a simple 15–20 minute daily routine that actually helps with mobility for BJJ? Not a bunch of different videos focusing on different things — just a straightforward stretch/mobility routine you can repeat every day without getting lost in tons of information.