Strength
is important in BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) and any martial art or contact sport. However, extra weight and bulk may be more of a hindrance
than an advantage.
Extra muscle mass may mean you fatigue faster and your guard
may suffer. If you would like to remain in your current weight division, yet
increase your strength, incorporate some of these exercises in your
strength routine.
A
key difference in strength training for BJJ and regular hypertrophy training
(muscle building) is the rep range. For BJJ, keep the rep range low and lift
heavy, for example, 2-3 sets, maximum 6 repetitions and lift at 90% of your 1RM (1 rep
maximum). This results in the greatest strength gains without the bulk, as
oppose to 8-12 reps which encourages muscle-building.
There
are of course many great anaerobic exercises to build strength (not mass) for
BJJ athletes. In my brief article, I share just a few.
Please note, I
make reference to bodybuilding.com, purely for you to understand safe
lifting techniques.
Take-down strength, core & balance
Exercises
1 to 3 strengthen your lower half, particularly the legs and core which are
critical for: improving balance and impact for throws and takedowns.
1) Overhead
barbell lunges
2) Deadlifts
3) Squats
Push your opponent away!
The bench press is great for building strength in the chest, triceps and core,
which are crucial for controlling and pushing opponents away. These exercise are
perfect for improving your gripping and grappling. They strengthen your chest
muscles, improve your posture and importantly- ideal for throwing power.
4) Benchpress
5) Chin
ups
6) Pull-ups
7) Pullovers
Grapple and protect
Now
for some more specialised and lesser-known exercises, to strengthen other parts
of the body, used in a BJJ fight.
8) Reverse bicep curls
Increase your forearm
and wrist strength, which is important for grappling.Use a loaded barbell or cable.
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| Image: pixgood.com |
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| Image: bodybuilding-wizard.com |
9) Shoulder
shrugs (with DB, KB or BB)
Strengthens your
trapezius muscle, which consequently protects your neck and spine for BJJ (and
all contact sports).
10) Sprints
Lastly,
to improve your strength, power and speed on the mat, hill sprints or sprint
intervals can be incorporated into your weekly routine (particularly helpful if
speed and coordination are not your friend).
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