Strength Training for Battered BJJ Bodies

Today’s post is about Strength Training for Battered BJJ Bodies

Years of getting your neck stacked, shoulder tugged and elbows cranked.

Can leave you hurting.

Take this with a grain of Salt, I’m 36 but I’ve been lifting for 20 years and doing BJJ for 7-9 hours a week for the past four years.

My opinion are based on my experience with those two things and my formal education as personal trainer.

The best way to preserve the physical body is by being fit.

BJJ guys will push back on me for this, saying BJJ is the only thing you need to do. But….

We know strength training can preserve muscles, and bone density.

Preserve physical abilities like strength, power and fitness.

Even if strength and conditioning won’t help you perform better. The benefits of preserving some physical ability as we get older.

Makes it worth the effort.

I’m going over a 3x day week strength and conditioning workouts, for older beat up BJJ guys. By the way if your looking to improve your cardio for BJJ, check this out

Here are some big take ways, I like you to think about

• Always warm up to address mobility and keep your joints healthy.
• Train the muscles hard but be easy on the joints.
• A little Volume goes a long way for our population.
• Don’t forget the basics recovery nutrition and sleep

The Workout For Beat Up BJJ Guys

Strength Training for Battered BJJ Bodies

Don’t skip the warm up

I think to many people, underestimate the power of the warm up.

How much it can, get you moving better and out of some pain.

If your warm up consist of walking on a tread mill for 5 minutes and some arm circles.

This can potentially have a huge, upside for you.

I like to follow this basic system

• Roll out what is tight with a foam roller.
• Stretch what is tight.
• Open up your spine, acivate your core, glutes and upper back.
• Do some light movements.
• Do some power stuff.

Here is a warm up I’ve been utilizing for myself and my online clients.

• Roll out with foam roller or lax cross ball-pecs/lats/T-spine/glutes/hamstrings/quads/inner thighs

• Pec stretch 30-60s
• Lat stretch 30-60s
• Lying hamstring mobility 10/ side
• windmill 3 reps/ side
• Front planks/side plank combo 20s each
• Bridges 15 reps
• Banded pull aparts and banded tricep push downs 15-20 each
• KB good morning 5 reps
• Push ups 5 reps
• Side lunges 5 reps
• MB Slams 3×5 or box jumps 3×5 30-60 sec of rest(alternate each workout)

This might, seem like a lot. But, it flows very well once you know it and will only take 12-15 minutes.

You could use on off days as extra mobility session

The workouts for Strength Training for Battered BJJ Bodies

This program is going to consist of 3 days, 2 strength and 1 conditioning session, which optional.

Workout 1

1 Banded Viking Press 4x 5 90 s rest

2A Goblet Box Squat 3x 10 rest 60s

2B 1 arm row 3x 12 rest 60s

3A Trap bar RDL 3x 6 rest 60s

3B Push ups 1.5 reps 3x 8-10 reps rest 60s

4B Deadbug Alt. legs 4x 8/ rest 30s

Workout 2

Trap Bar deadlift 4x 5 2min rest

2A Reverse lunge 3x 10

2B Seated Rows 4x 12

3A Slight incline DB Press 3x 8

3B Banded pull aparts 3x 12 rest 90s

4B side planks 4x 20s

4A Banded leg curls 4x 25 0 rest

Conditioning Workouts (optional)

Conditioning Circuit , 5 rounds. focus on keeping your Heart Rate between 120-150.

• Backwards Sled Drag 100 feet
• KB or trap bar Farmers Walk 100 feet
• Forward Sled Push 100 Feet
• MB Slam 20
• Rest 90 sec

5 Rounds

Super set 1

Banded Tricep push down 4x 25

Shoulder taps 2 sec pause 4x 10/

Hope you like this workout, let me know if you have any questions .