February 26, 2024
How To Improve Your BJJ Cardio?
So, you want improve your BJJ Cardio .This is one the most desired physical attributes in BJJ. It seems to elude many guys.
What is good BJJ cardio?
- It’s having the stamina to pull off and use great technique for all your rounds.
- It’s also having a tough rounds and in 60s or less your recovered and ready to go.
- It’s the ability to win the scrambles, each time because you can be explosive for the longest and repeat that as many times as you need to.
I have written 2 articles on BJJ Cardio
5 Ways To Improve your gas tank for BJJ
Check them out.
Today I want to cover , how do you know, your conditioning workouts are effective?
There are two major reason why your cardio on the mats sucks.
You may have good conditioning but your technical skills are leaving you exhausted. This is where you want your BJJ coach, to help you out.
But, Maybe you are skilled but your fitness and conditioning needs some work.
This is where, I can help you as BJJ strength and conditioning coach.
Are You Actually Improving Your BJJ Cardio!
How do you know your progressing?
With weight training, progress can be straight forward. Your able to add more weight and reps.
Then you know you’re getting stronger .
With conditioning it isn’t always so obvious. Today, I’m going to discuss 3 test you can do to see if your cardio is improving, staying the same or getting worse.
These all require a heart rate monitor. Most people have them nowadays. If you don’t, you can usually test your heart rate with phone using app as well.
Let’s get started
Morning Test To Assessment Your BJJ Cardio
One of the easiest ways to get a read, on your current conditioning state. Is your morning heart rate test.
This gives a broad base of our conditioning.
I would do this for 3-5 days and take the average, because our heart rate will be a little higher or lower, based on the amount of stress we are under day by day.
If your average HR is
High 60s or 70s, that is poor.
Mid 50s-mid 60s that is Good.
Mid 45s-mid 55s that is Great
If you have good to poor cardio, I would add 1-2 aerobic sessions per week, to improve this. Refer back to my article, I linked above on how to improve that base.
If you have a lower resting heart rate but are struggling with your gas tank on the mats. I would look into your technique and how tense you are, when you roll.
60s Recovery test
This test is a great one that, shows you how fast ,you can recover after a hard round on the mats.
We are going to test , how fast you can bring your heart rate down after an intense bout of exercise. If you can do this fast and over and over again. You’ll be unstoppable.
Go hard on conditioning exercise for 2-3 minutes.
Use a heart rate monitor to measure, how fast your heart rate drop in 60s.
But, don’t hold back, really push hard and jack your heart rate up.
I would then recover fully (3-5 minutes) and do this for 3 rounds. Take your average drop of your heart rate through 3 rounds.
That will be your score.
As far as what you want to see. If you can drop your heart rate into the aerobic zone(usually 120-140 BPM) in that 60 seconds. You are in a great place.
Here is an example. Say you go all out, for 2 minutes on the air bike and your heart rate jumps up to 170 BPM. Then your heart rate drops to 140 in 60s.
Your 60s recovery test is 30 BPM.
Again being able to get into the aerobic zone in 60s, is great. Especially if you can get in the mid and low end of the zone.
If you can do that in 60s, you’ll never sit out a round again.
For BJJ, guys I prefer joint friendly cardio exercise here are few exercise , I might use for this.
- The rower
- The air bike
- KB Swings or Snatches
- Rope Slams
- MB Slams
If you struggled with this. I would do some intervals.
Go hard for 15-20 sec and then go easy until your HR drops to around 130 and repeat for 10-20 minutes.
Do this 1-2x a week for 4-8 weeks.
Repeat this test every 4 weeks to see, if your improving.
Heart Rate lower At Intensity
Now, this is going to require, you do the same conditioning workouts for 3-6 weeks, while wearing a heart rate monitor.
Whatever the work out you use, pay attention to your pace and your heart rate. This is best done on the workouts that are done on machines such as a rower or air bike.
What we are looking for is, are we operating at a lower heart rate, for the same power outputs.
If you are, your conditioning systems is becoming more efficient.
Remember, if we can do the same work, but at a lower heart rate we are going to go longer without getting tired.
The higher the heart rate the more we are using systems, that we can’t sustain and recover well from.
Here is an example of what might this looks like:
You’re doing the air bike for 15-30 minutes and your working at pace of 55-65 RPMS for that time range.
Week one you have an average heart rate of 145 , while doing this.
But, then say in 3-6 weeks your doing the same power output but your average heart rate is now down at 130 BPM.
This is a great sign your conditioning is improving.
So, these are three test to ensure your conditioning methods are actually working. Let me know if you have any questions?
If you want me to do this for you.
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