Strength Training For BJJ

The short answer is yes, absolutely! Following a sport specific strength program that’s aligns with your BJJ schedule and goals is incredibly beneficial. Not only will you increase performance, power and mobility on the mats but you will also reduce your risk of injury and allow you to train optimally for longer periods of time.

However, with that said, picking a random gym program unrelated to your sports demands and aimlessly spending hours in the gym, whilst also frequently training jujitsu, then I would say it could have an adverse effect (especially for natural athletes) as this will equate to an increased risk of overtraining and injury potential.

I can tell you confidently from my own experience, finding the right program, implementing it around your BJJ and training in accordance to how you feel is the key to success.

It matters. As many of you know the “you’re really strong” comment has often been seen as some kind of subtle insult in BJJ, the reality is, complementing technique with strength can only make you a better player.

With that said finding the right balance of strength training vs rolling comes down to the individual. I.e a brand new jiu jitsu player might not want to spend 5 days in the gym and only 1 day at class, id their training specifically to improve their BJJ performance its only makes logical sense for them to spend more time on the mats, this is entirely up to you and dependent on where you are at in your BJJ journey, you know your body and goals better than anyone else does.

Another factor to consider is whether you’re training gi or no gi BJJ, they both share a lot of similarities but also have their own specific strength and energy system demands respectively, be sure to pick the program most suited to you!

Yes! As mentioned on the previous sections, strength training for BJJ (when done right) has a whole heap of benefits, from increasing overall performance, explosive power, your gas tank and longevity to injury prevention plus a tonne more.

As many and as little as you can! There is a common misconception around strength training within BJJ that states if you’re not doing 3+ sessions per week then its not worth it.

This is strictly not true, with the right program and training approach you will make great strength gains that will have a positive impact on your BJJ game, even with just 1 session per week you can make great progress in the gym.

This is a common question but a difficult one to answer. Big compound exercises like the squat, deadlift and bench press are a good place to start, then we have more targeted exercises like the Zurcher squat, isometric holds like the pin press and explosive power exercises like the medicine ball slam, strength has many layers and aspects to it, especially in relation to your BJJ performance.

With so many different aspects of BJJ and variables with Gi and No-Gi consisting of different styles and techniques, it becomes individual and goal dependent.

Yes, BJJ builds a decent amount of functional strength. However, you will reach a point where you are no longer building any significant strength, the ceiling is fairly low and you definitely won’t build strength in a way that’s comparable to actual strength training.

I would also make a case for the better you get at jiu jitsu the less you rely on your strength, so you could argue that technique progress leads to lesser strength gains over time.

Both, the two are closely intertwined in BJJ, strength and cardio systems are complex in nature and one may be more prominently used than the other depending on the scenario and many other variables, finding a balance of training both will improve your overall BJJ performance.

There aren't any official strength standards for BJJ. As Discussed in previous segments, strength has many complexities and variables, my advice would be to focus on your overall performance in BJJ, addressing any weak points and building a well-rounded athletic base for you to hone your skills with.