The Best Core Training For BJJ

This Bobby! I love lifting and BJJ. I want to do it for as long as I can. Training the core is a vital part of that. Today I’m going to teach you all about core training for BJJ

Knock on wood but, I have not a serious rib injury, where many guys who do BJJ get them often.

I think because I have built armor around my ribs with core training for BJJ

Not just any type of core training for bjj, but functional core training.

Today I’m going to go over how to build a strong core, so you don’t get hurt and perform at a high level on the mat.

You have the outer core, that you’ll see if your body fat is lower enough.

But, then you have the inner core , which helps create tension to protect your spine.

If all you do is hip flexion exercises aka outer core, like crunches and sit out you might build the outter abs but your inner core will be weak.

You’ll be more prone to injuries.

We want to develop your whole core for BJJ , so you are strong on the mat and can resist pressure more easily.

As well, as decreasing the chances of getting hurt, because your lack of strength and/muscle around your most vulnerable area.

I’m going to teach you how to do that today.

Core Training For BJJ

To build a core that performs and protects, their are 4 categories we are going to go over, that we want to train.

• Anti-extension
• Anti-rotation
• Anti-lateial flexion
• Anti-flexion

When developed and worked together, you’ll have less lower back pain, better performance and a stronger core for BJJ.

No more pressure tapping from knee on belly

Anit-Extension

This is when we fight extension of the lower back, these would categories as anti-extension core exercises.

This will challenge our inner core and anterior core to a very high degree.

Exercise that would be under this category would

• Planks
• Deadbugs
• jacknife
• Ab fall outs
• Hollow holds
• GHR isolation

We want to resist the extension of the lower back as we do these. We do this by tucking our rib cage in and breathing into our core, and bracing.

Bracing is when you breathe into your core and think about pushing your core/abs out 3 dimensionally. This can be a little hard to grasp at first. But, this is essential to what a lifting belt does.

A good drill to try this, is to tie and band around your mid section. Take a breathe into your belly and try to stretch the band using your gut. Push out in the front, sides and back.

Anti-Rotation

These will target your inner core, anterior core and side core(olbiques)

The idea is to resist the rotation of your torso.

Things like

• Hip taps
• superman
• mountain climbers
• pallof holds or presses

Really anything where forces are trying to get you to twist and you have to resist that.

Anti Lareial Flexion

This involves resisting bending to the side, which is going to challenge your lateral core like obliques the most

Things like

• Side planks
• pallof press with pole
• single arm farmer walks

Anti-Flexion

This is going to be the one move, that is not super core related but hips and glutes, which can be considered part of your core

This is going to be extending your hip and resist the hips from bending . Things like

• Backe extension hold
• bridges
• hip thruster
• Rever see hypers

A strong glute is going to protect your core and lower back, so be sure to train this one.

Levels of Core Training For BJJ

There are different levels to core training for BJJ

Level 1 static holds, holding these for time, being sure you resist the movements

2-4 sets 20-60s are some parameters to start with

Level 2 Would be added dynamic movements and resisting , while we move another part of our body.

• This would ab fall out, moving the arms out, while not letting your lower back go into extension.
• Single-arm farmer walks, walking, while not letting the DB/KB flex you to the side.
• Pallof press with band, moving the arm, while not rotating the body.

The one movments that are different would the flexion, in which you would flex at the hip and go into extension.

This would bridges, instead of bridges hold or back extensions, instead of the iso hold at the tops

How to add core training for BJJ until your workouts

There are a ton different ways you can add core training for BJJ into your current routine, I want to give you 3 ways I do this for myself and my online clients. If you want more strength tips for BJJ go here

#1 Do 1-2 core exercises at the end of most strength workouts. The idea behind this, is doing the hardest exercise first in the workout and more isolation exercises towards the end. You can think of core work as isolation exercises. I do this version the most often.

#2 Core work can be done first , before you lift. This is backwards, then what is typically done. But, the idea is sometimes, people might skip the core at the end because they don’t want to or they run out of time. This ensures you always get the core work in .

Doing some core work can even help you move better. At times working the muscle of the core can unclick hip mobitly. If you are doing squats, starting that workout with 1-3 sets of core, can help the squats feel better

#3 This another one I do often is to add core after cardio. If you are someone who hasd cardio days. After you are done with cardio piece for the day . Add 1-3 sets of core work.

When you do core, I would pick 1 core exercise from 2 of the 4 categories and work them 1-3 sets 8-12 rep or for 20-60s.

Each time you hit core, do a different combination of the categories.

Day 1

Anti-exntesion/anti-laterial flexion

Day 2

Anti-rotation/anti flexion