by Sophia Cassella

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), a combat sport that specializes in ground fighting with the goal of controlling and submitting a resisting opponent, is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. With endless benefits to training such as learning self-defense skills, gaining self-confidence, and making new friends, jiu-jitsu is as addicting as it is fun. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely “caught the bug” as we jiu-jitsu enthusiasts say.

One of the most addicting facets of BJJ is that it serves as a method and motivator for people to work towards personal growth and self-improvement. Whether you’re a competitor or a hobbyist, you’re likely in a constant search for ways that you can improve your performance on the mats. One of the best ways, in my opinion, is strength training.  

There are many physical qualities that jiu-jitsu practitioners must embody in order to safely and effectively perform, and strength training can be used to develop them all. Strength training for BJJ should focus on improving an athlete’s strength, strength endurance, aerobic endurance, speed, power output, body composition, mobility, stability, and ability to recover, while also serving as a tool for injury prevention.

How will developing these qualities improve your jiu-jitsu?

1. Strength

There’s no denying the fact that the stronger you are, the better you will be able to perform in any sport. BJJ is a high-contact, physical sport, and the greatest athletes not only have excellent technique but also the strength and power necessary to apply that technique onto equally-skilled opponents. When all else is equal—technical prowess, weight, age, skill level—strength and conditioning may be the deciding factor for who will win a given match. This is why nearly all of the highest level Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors, as well as their up-and-coming and hobbyist counterparts, choose to implement strength training into their weekly training regimen.

2. Strength Endurance

Strength endurance is a specific type of strength that requires you to maintain a longer duration of muscular tension without a decrease in efficiency. In simpler terms, strength endurance means you can use the same amount of strength to perform a task over a period of time without getting tired. If that doesn’t sound like a quality that would greatly improve your BJJ, I don’t know what does.

Think about all of the positions in jiu-jitsu that require you to have a great amount of body tension to succeed: controlling the back for extended periods of time, squeezing a triangle choke, framing against an opponent who has very heavy forward pressure, maintaining a grip; the list is endless! Improving strength endurance will help to minimize that burning sensation in your muscles while performing these activities.

3. Aerobic Endurance

This is where the conditioning aspect of strength and conditioning training comes in. Strength training alone does offer some aerobic benefits, some of which are enough to sustain athletes of other sports. However, in a fast-paced and vigorous sport like BJJ, you will definitely want to incorporate some variation of conditioning into your training regimen.

Interestingly, one of the most common concerns and insecurities amongst BJJ practitioners involves getting tired in a match. As a result, they do not allow themselves to fully “get after it,” for fear of gassing out and losing due to exhaustion. Conditioning training allows an athlete to improve their endurance, ability to control their breathing, and ability to recover between rounds.

4. Speed and Power Output

Being able to work your game with greater levels of speed and power behind it can only be a good thing, especially when all else is equal between two athletes. The more physical attributes you can develop and bring to the table, the better off you’ll be. Timing is essential to having effective and efficient BJJ.

5. Body Composition

The physical demands of Brazilian jiu-jitsu are much more manageable when athletes are able to reach and maintain a certain ratio of lean mass to nonessential body fat. Having sufficient levels of lean mass contributes to all aspects of athletic performance, namely the ones mentioned above. Nonessential body fat provides additional weight which leads to greater resistance of an athlete’s movement. This forces the athlete’s muscles to work harder than they would if the athlete were operating at a lower body fat percentage, leading to exhaustion. Excess body fat may also impede an athlete’s mobility and balance, both of which are essential to performance on the mats. Weight class is also an important factor to consider for jiu-jitsu practitioners who choose to participate in competitions, so it is preferred to be lean with a high strength-to-mass ratio (being really strong for your size).

6. Mobility and Stability

The nature of BJJ training will often have athletes finding themselves in a wide array of awkward and contorted body positions, many of which push their joints to their limits. As a result, the greater flexibility and mobility an athlete has, the safer and more effective their jiu-jitsu will be. There are many skills in the sport that require baseline levels of flexibility and mobility that a lot of people starting out have not yet developed, including inverting, the ability to lock a triangle choke, and leg pummeling. The nature of strength training allows an athlete to reach their endpoint range of motion or point of maximal discomfort under an external load, which leads to greater mobility and increased strength in flexible positions (important for injury prevention as well)!

Stabilizing muscles are located around joints and help to support the joint when it is in a compromising position, a very common finding in BJJ. Strengthening the stability muscles will result in a greater ability to transmit force throughout the joint, greater coordination, balance, and bodily control, and reduce the risk of injury in a sport full of compromising positions.

7. Injury Prevention

Another positive to adding strength training to your weekly schedule is for injury prevention. A typical Brazilian jiu-jitsu practice consists of a warm-up, technical instruction followed by some drilling, and then live training at the end of class. Most practitioners, as I’ve noticed through my years of experience, only drill techniques on their “good side” while ignoring or fearing the dreaded “bad side.” As a result, most BJJ athletes favor performing certain moves on one side over the other in live training. It is perfectly normal and natural for everyone to be better at things on one side than the other, especially in a sport like BJJ which requires performing highly complex skills against resistance. However, what most people probably don’t think about is how this is affecting their body. By favoring one side over the other, you are effectively creating muscle imbalances which can lead to overuse injuries over time. Strength training allows you to balance everything back out by giving equal attention to every muscle group.

8. Recovery Time

One of the benefits that I’ve noticed in myself from strength training is my body’s ability to handle a greater volume of BJJ training per week. Since developing a stronger body through consistent strength training, I am less prone to becoming overtrained, as I am more equipped to handle the physical demands of my sport. This means I am able to put more time into my jiu-jitsu training while taking less breaks due to injuries, illnesses, or any of the other negative side effects of overtraining that would have kept me off the mats previously.

You might think that adding extra training to your schedule will only contribute to the possibility of overtraining; however, the right strength and conditioning program should serve to add to your BJJ practice, not burn you out.

Things to Consider Before Getting Started…

1. Basic S&C Principles

All strength and conditioning programs should cover three principles: specificity, overload, and progression.

Specificity refers to choosing exercises that utilize the muscles involved in your sport, as well as mimic the movement patterns and muscle actions required for said sport. The sport of BJJ encompasses the use of all major muscle groups, but especially the hips, back, chest, and core. Common movement patterns include shooting for a takedown, bringing knees to chest to protect your guard from getting passed, bridging, lifting someone, pulling your elbows to your ribs or hips (think arm-drags, 2-on-1 grips, etc.), and framing.

Overload refers to working out at a higher intensity than you are used to. Training this way will ensure you are always making gains in strength, power, or whatever you’re trying to develop at the moment. You can apply to principle of overload to your workouts by increasing the number of times you strength train per week, adding exercises or sets to your workouts, shortening rest periods, or emphasizing more difficult exercises over simpler ones.

Progression promotes long-term training benefits by increasing resistance used, the number of training sessions, the number of drills or exercises, or the training stimulus in general.

2. Common Injury Sites

It’s important to take injury prevention into consideration when designing your own strength and conditioning program. BJJ is a high-contact sport, and the objective of the sport is to submit your opponent by compromising the safety of their limbs or consciousness, so it’s safe to say that this matter should not be handled lightly.

Some common injuries in BJJ include bulging or herniated discs in the lumbar and cervical regions, sprains, strains, and tears of the ligaments and tendons in the knee, elbow, shoulder, and ankle areas, and the pulling or spasming of muscles. An effective strength training program can help minimize the risk of injury while also decreasing the severity of injuries when they do occur and reducing the time to make a full recovery.

3. Metabolic Specificity

There are three primary energy systems that your body uses to provide energy for physical activity, and BJJ encompasses all three of them.

The Phosphagen System provides energy in the form of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) for short-term, high-intensity activities and is highly active at the start of all activities regardless of intensity level. This is the energy system you would be using in jiu-jitsu when you are trying to blast through your opponent with a double leg takedown, blitz past their guard, or finish a submission in a match.

The Glycolytic System provides energy in the form of ATP for activities ranging from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. This energy system would be used in positions where “strength endurance” is involved, like the ones I suggested earlier in this article.

Lastly, the Oxidative (Aerobic) System provides energy in the form of ATP when the body is at rest and during submaximal, steady-state work. This energy system would be used once you have passed the 3-minute mark of a roll in which you have found your “flow state,” or a steady, consistent pace where you are moving efficiently and not expending maximal amounts of energy to perform techniques. A good strength and conditioning program for BJJ should improve the body’s efficiency in utilizing ATP in all three energy systems.

Designing Your Program

1. Self-Assessment

The next thing you’ll want to consider when designing your own training program is your training status (AKA your current physical condition) and your training background (AKA your current level of strength training experience). Below is a table you can use to assess where your current level of training is. Be sure to check with a sports medicine professional if you have any current or previous injuries that you suspect might hinder your ability to strength train safely.

Resistance Training Background
Resistance Training Status	Current Program	Training Age (How long you have been strength training)	Frequency (days per week)	Training Stress	Technique Experience and Skill Level
Beginner	Not training or just started	< 2 months	0-2X per week	None or low	None or minimal
Intermediate)	Currently training	2-6 months	1-3X per week	Medium	Basic
Advanced	Currently training	1 year or longer	3 or more days per week	High	Extensive

2. How Often Should You Strength Train?

This is going to be based on a multitude of factors, including your training status, your schedule, how many times per week you train BJJ, how many times per week you WANT to strength train, and whether you are in or out of “camp” (for a competition). BJJ is one of the few sports that is not divided up by “seasons,” meaning that we can train and compete as frequently as we’d like year-round.

Personally, as a highly active competitor who trains 6 days per week, my preference is to strength train two days per week and do conditioning one day per week. This allows me to train every muscle group twice per week (the minimum recommendation for improving strength) and get my conditioning in without taking energy away from my skill training, which will always be my first priority. My general recommendation is that BJJ athletes should strength train three-to-four days per week, conditioning included, so as to not take away from their skill training. BJJ is a very complex, high-skill sport that takes decades to master, so emphasis should always be placed on technical development, with strength training as a catalyst for making your BJJ more efficient and effective.

3. The Split

There are many different ways that you can divide up your workouts for an effective strength training program. This is something that is going to vary for every athlete. A general guideline is to hit every muscle group at least twice per week with at least one day of rest in between when stressing the same muscle groups.

My current split for when I don’t have a big competition coming up is two full-body resistance training days (Tuesday and Thursday) and one day of full-body conditioning (Friday). With my current BJJ training schedule and my strength and conditioning coach’s current availability, these are the most optimal times for me to get my strength and conditioning training in. However, when I do have a big competition coming up (4 weeks out), we change the split to two days per week: one full-body resistance training session (Tuesday) and one full-body conditioning session (Thursday), in order to balance out the increase in intensity in my BJJ training and prevent overtraining.

I think the two best splits to strength train for BJJ are going to be either a three-day split with two full-body resistance training workouts and one day of conditioning, or a three-day split with one full-body resistance training workout, one lower body day, one upper body day, and one conditioning day, with at least one rest day in between workouts that stress the same muscle groups. I would not recommend resistance training any more than this because it may start to take away from your skill training and lead to overtraining and burnout. Again, skill training and technical development should be the first priority.

4. When to Strength Train

This is something that you are going to have to figure out based on your schedule and personal preferences. For me, since I train BJJ 6 days per week, I have to schedule my lifts on the same days that I train so I prefer to lift before my BJJ training. I want to have enough energy to be able to push as much weight as possible in the gym, and I can’t do that if I’m already tired from BJJ. Additionally, I don’t go as hard as possible in 90% of my BJJ training. I like to focus on building my current skillset and that is not possible without some level of conscious decision-making, which is difficult to maintain when you are training as hard as you possibly can.

In general, if you are doing strength training and some form of cardio (BJJ) in the same session (back to back), you would want to do the strength training first so as to not completely deplete your muscles of their glycogen stores by starting with cardio. Proper strength training should not exhaust you to your very core; you should leave the gym feeling relatively good, with enough gas in the tank to carry on with the rest of your day. Regardless of when you decide to strength train, it is always going to be most optimal to perform each type of training in separate sessions with time to refuel and recover in between.

5. Time Restraints

If you don’t have hours of free time to spend in the gym conditioning and lifting weights, as most people don’t, there are plenty of ways to condense your strength training session so it can be completed in a timely manner.

One method of condensing your lifting session is to superset your exercises. Supersets involve performing two exercises back to back that work opposing muscle groups. Performing supersets allows you to save time by performing multiple exercises at a time with no rest in between. Likewise, they don’t take away from the amount of weight you will be able to lift in each exercise because they work opposing muscle groups.

Another method of condensing your workouts is to choose exercises that take less time to set up. For example, you may decide to do the machine leg press over a Bulgarian split squat because it is much faster to simply add weight to each end, climb into the machine, and perform your reps, as opposed to with the Bulgarian split squat, having to grab a pair of dumbbells (which you might have to wait for someone else to finish using), get fixated with your leg position, establish a stable starting position, perform repetitions on each leg, then put the dumbbells back and grab a heavier pair with each set. Yes, the Bulgarian split squat is more sport-specific, but choosing the machine leg press may allow you to complete more sets or finish your workout quicker if you are short for time.

You can also alternate between upper body and lower body exercises, which will allow you to minimize rest periods between exercises while maximizing the rest between body areas. This is a common pattern for circuit training, which involves doing multiple exercises back to back with 20-30 seconds of rest in between.

Your schedule and time restraints will affect the split you choose as well. For instance, if you do not have 75 minutes to complete a full-body resistance training session 2x per week, maybe you have 30-40 minutes to complete 2 upper body and 2 lower body strength training sessions per week. Whatever training schedule you are able to be consistent with over a period of time is going to be your best bet. Any amount of strength training is going to be better than nothing.

6. The Best Primary Strength Exercises for BJJ

Any one of these primary strength exercises, which are typically weight-bearing, multi-joint exercises that work large muscle groups, is going to serve as the main lift in your workout. These primary lifts are the most physically taxing of the entire workout and should always be performed first in order to reduce the risk of injury. For these exercises, perform 3 warmup and 3 working sets within a 1-6 rep range.

• Trap-bar Deadlifts:
  • Great for the development of the strength and power of the posterior chain
  • Mimics sport specific movements such as lifting someone for a mat return and  standing up to open the closed guard
• Barbell Hip Thrusts:
  • Great for the development of the strength and power of the glutes and hamstrings
  • Mimics the sport specific movement of bridging that is seen in pin escapes and when applying submission holds
• Weighted Chin-Ups:
  • Great for the development of the strength of the lats, biceps, and grips
  • Trains the musculature that is most important in hand-fighting and pulling an opponent around on the mat
• Neutral Grip Bench Press:
  • Great for the development of the strength and power of the chest, anterior shoulders, and triceps
  • Trains the musculature that is used in framing and pushing an opponent around on the mat

7. The Best Secondary Strength Exercises for BJJ

Secondary strength exercises are exercises that are performed after the primary exercises in the session. For these exercises, perform 3 sets with an 8-12 rep range.

• Bulgarian Split Squats:
  • Great for developing strength in the quadriceps and glutes
  • Will translate to being stronger in your stance when on your feet or guard passing
  • Added benefit of being a single leg exercise, which will improve the strength, balance, and stability of each leg.
• Single Arm Bench Press:
  • Great for developing the strength of the chest, anterior shoulder, and triceps
  • Will translate to having stronger frames and improved ability to follow your opponent’s movement with them
  • Added benefit of being a single arm exercise, which will improve the strength and stability of the shoulder joint
• Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts:
  • Great for developing strength in the glutes and hamstrings, as well as stability in the hip joint
  • Translates to sport-specific movements in BJJ such as those we use when trying to pass guard (think “X pass”)
• Romanian Deadlifts:
  • Great for the development of strength in the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back
  • Will develop strength that will improve performance of other lifts, such as the deadlift, and contribute to a foundational level of strength
• Cable Half-Kneeling Pulldowns:
  • Great for developing strength in the lats, biceps, and grips
  • Translates to sport-specific BJJ movements such as pulling on someone’s gi collar, arm drags, collar drags, and snap downs.
• Seated Cable Row:
  • Great for the development of the upper back muscles and posterior shoulders
  • Translates to sport-specific BJJ movements such as going for cross-collar chokes and maintaining a seatbelt grip on the back
  • Helps to improve our posture, which is compromised due to the constant rounding of our shoulders in BJJ
  • Stabilizes and strengthens the upper back muscles, reducing the likelihood of back pain, neck injuries, and shoulder injuries.
• Goblet Squats:
  • Great for development of the quadriceps, glutes, and core
  • Will help develop a foundational level of strength
• Sled Push:
  • Great for developing the strength and power of the quadriceps, glutes, and calves
  • Translates to BJJ when we are taking a shot and driving through our opponent

8. The Best Accessory Exercises for BJJ

These exercises are great for targeting specific muscles and developing their stability to prevent injuries and contribute to an overall foundational level of strength. For these exercises, perform 3 sets of 10 reps each. I like to pick 3-4 exercises and perform them back to back as a circuit with minimal rest between rounds.

• Iron-Neck:
  • Great for developing rotational strength of the neck muscles and for preventing neck injuries.
• Sandbell 4-Direction Neck Flexion:
  • Great for developing strength in all 4 ways that the neck flexes and for preventing neck injuries
• TRX Row:
  • Great for developing strength and stability in the upper back and posterior shoulder muscles
  • Contributes to better posture and overall less back and neck pain
• TRX Hamstring Curl:
  • Great for developing strength and stability of the hamstrings, glutes, and core
  • Contributes to a better “back-heel” motion which is used in so many BJJ positions such as the back, triangle chokes, and various leg entanglement positions
• TRX Y’s:
  • Great for developing strength and stability in the upper back and posterior shoulder muscles
  • Contributes to better posture and overall less back and neck pain
  • Reduces the likelihood of rotator cuff injuries.
• Stability Ball Hamstring Curls:
  • Great for developing strength and stability of the hamstrings, glutes, and core
  • Contributes to a stronger “backheel” motion.
• Stability Ball Roll-Outs:
  • Great for developing strength and stability in the core muscles, which is essential to maintaining proper body alignment and posture during practice and preventing lower back injuries
• Banded Alphabets:
  • Great for developing strength and stability of the core muscles on one side of the body
  • Contributes to your ability to maintain good posture and body alignment during practice, thus preventing lower back injuries
  • Perform this exercise on both sides.
• Hanging Knee Raise:
  • Great for developing strength in the abdominal and hip muscles that assist you in maintaining the knee-to-chest connection that is foundational to your guard
  • Do these with straight legs for an added challenge.
• Dead Bugs with Stability Ball:
  • Great for developing core stability and strength in the abdominal and hip muscles that assist you with maintaining the knee-to-chest connection that is foundational to your guard
• Suitcase Carries:
  • Great for developing core strength and stability
  • Contributes to having good posture
  • Strengthens grips
  • Perform this exercise on both sides.
• Single Leg Hip Raise 4-Direction:
  • Contributes to having strong and healthy hips and knees
  • Reduces lower back pain
  • Perform this exercise on both legs.
• 4-Way Ankle Flexion:
  • Contributes to having strong and healthy ankles
  • Reduces the risk of injury in the ankles
  • Perform this exercise on both ankles.
• Grip Exercises:
  • Ergonomic hand grip
  • Finger strength extensor bands
  • Fat grip squeezes
  • Weighted isometric holds with towel-grip
  • Elbow supination and pronation with a dumbbell
  • Plate Pinches
  • The exercises listed above are all great for strengthening the muscles of the forearms and hands.

Select one primary strength exercise, 2 secondary strength exercises, and 3-4 accessory exercises, and you’ve got yourself a solid strength training workout!

9. Conditioning

My conditioning training can be subdivided into two categories: alactic capacity training and lactic capacity training.

Alactic capacity training involves performing explosive exercises repeatedly for approximately 10 seconds at a time in a circuit format. The purpose is to increase the ability to repeatedly produce maximal amounts of power. These exercises should be performed with maximal speed and strength. The goal is to release all of your stored energy in every 10-second interval; you are trying to make yourself tired.

This type of training should not be performed if you are not an advanced lifter (see table from the Designing Your Program: Self-Assessment portion of this article.) There is a baseline level of strength necessary to be able to receive the necessary benefits and adaptations from this type of training. How do you know if you are ready for this type of training? If you can perform 10 seconds of maximum intensity assault bike sprints, rest a few seconds, and go again, you are not strong enough to complete this type of training yet.

A sample alactic capacity circuit might look like this:

Round One: (20 seconds of rest between each exercise)

10 seconds of jump squats with a kettlebell in each hand

10 seconds of a medicine ball chest pass against a wall

10 seconds of pushing the sled

10 seconds of medicine ball slams

10 seconds of sandbag cleans

90 seconds of rest. Perform 5-9 rounds. I recommend starting at 5 rounds and increasing by one round per week.

You can choose any exercises that are explosive and require maximal power output. Other exercise examples include plyometric pushups, assault bike sprints, battle ropes, kettlebell swings, shadow wrestling, jumping, and sprinting. Alactic capacity circuits should be performed once per week up until you are 4 weeks out from a competition, then replace the alactic capacity circuits with lactic capacity circuits.

Lactic capacity training is meant to mimic what you have to do in competition and involves performing exercises as hard and as fast as you can for 20-40 seconds, then resting for a similar period of time before moving on to the next exercise. The purpose of this type of exercise is to improve your lactate threshold so that blood lactate accumulation occurs later at a higher intensity of exercise AKA your muscles don’t start to burn as early on in each exercise performed in the circuit, therefore you can work harder for longer periods of time without getting as tired.

The number of exercises you do and how long your circuit is will depend on the duration of the event you are training for. For example, if I have an event coming up where I will potentially have 4 8-minute matches with 8 minutes minimum of rest in between, I will perform 4 8-minute circuits with 8 minutes of rest maximum in between. I recommend starting at 20 seconds of work and 40 seconds of rest per exercise for your first circuit (if it is your first time doing this type of workout), and then increasing the work time by 5 seconds and decreasing the rest time by 5 seconds every week until the competition, and starting these workouts 4 weeks out from the competition.

A sample lactic capacity circuit might look like this:

For 4 8-minute matches:

Week One:

20s: Box jumps on a 12” box, 40s rest

20s: Neutral grip 90 degree chin up isometric hold, 40s rest

20s: Sled sprints (keep the weight light), 40s rest

20s: AMRAP pushups

Repeat all 4 exercises (to make it an 8 minute circuit)

Rest for 8 minutes

Repeat entire circuit 3 more times

Week Two: Keep all of the exercises the same, but make it 25s of work and 35s of rest. Follow the exact same format otherwise.

Week Three: Keep all of the exercises the same, but make it 30s of work and 30s of rest.

Week Four: Keep all of the exercises the same, but make it 35s of work and 25s of rest.

You can choose any strength endurance exercise that you can do repeatedly for the allotted time interval that allows you to perform with maximal strength and speed safely (nothing weight-bearing or that loads the spine).

Some other good exercises for this type of circuit include: Stability ball hamstring curls, medicine ball chest pass, assault bike sprints, landmine overhead press, sandbag carries, farmer’s carries, battle ropes, jumping rope, neutral grip chin ups, jumping lunges, and any core stability exercise.

Summary:

There you have it! All the whats, whens, hows, and whys of strength training for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu! Please feel free to comment or reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sources:

Alizadeh, S., Daneshjoo, A., Zahiri, A., Anvar, S. H., Goudini, R., Hicks, J. P., Konrad, A., & Behm, D. G. (2023). Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 53(3), 707–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01804-x  

Breese, J. (2022, October 18). The Ultimate Guide to the anaerobic Alactic Energy System. Strength Matters. https://strengthmatters.com/anaerobic-alactic-energy-system/

Haff, G. G., & Triplett, N. T. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Human Kinetics.

NSCA. (2017, June 1). Sport performance and body composition. National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/kinetic-select/sport-performance-and-body-composition/