Strength Training for BJJ – Introduction
BJJ Strength Training Exercises for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu + Workout
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling martial art that revolves around throws, joint locks, and choke holds.
It’s been around since the 1920s, but interest in BJJ peaked when Royce Gracie beat bigger and stronger opponents in the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship – often in just a few seconds.
BJJ has since become an integral part of the mixed martial arts scene.
MMA fighters use kicks and punches, but if the fight goes to the mat, it’s BJJ that usually determines the winner.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a very technical fighting style where skill can trump brute strength.
That said, getting stronger will make you a more formidable fighter, make it easier to dominate your opponents, and may also protect you from injury.
Any strength training program will be beneficial for BJJ fighters, but there are a handful of exercises that are especially useful.
This article reveals the best strength exercises for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and provides you with a sample strength and conditioning workout to try.
BJJ Strength Training Exercises
Want to build strength and power for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Include these awesome exercises in your workouts!
- Deadlifts
- Hip bridge floor presses
- Towel grip pull-ups
- Off-balance dumbbell squats
- Zercher farmer carries
- Barbell rollouts
- Alternating dumbbell curl and press
Strength Training for BJJ – Exercise Descriptions
#1. Deadlift
Target muscles: Gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, forearms.
The deadlift is arguably the most critical exercise for BJJ fighters.
This common barbell exercise develops strength throughout your entire body, especially the all-important posterior chain.
A stronger deadlift will make your lifts and throws much faster and more devastating.
How to do it:
- Place your loaded barbell on the floor.
- Stand behind it, so your toes are just under the bar.
- Squat down and grip the bar with an overhand grip.
- Your hands should be around shoulder-width apart.
- Straighten your arms, drop your hips, brace your abs, and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Drive your feet into the floor and stand up straight.
- Do not bend your arms or round your lower back.
- Return the barbell to the floor and repeat.
Deadlifts for BJJ
#2. Hip bridge floor press
Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.
The barbell bench press is THE classic upper body pressing exercise, but it’s not very BJJ-specific.
This variation is kinder to your shoulders and replicates being on your back on the mat, which is a position BJJ fighters often have to work from.
How to do it:
- Set your barbell in a waist-high squat rack and then lie beneath it so your eyes are under the bar.
- Bend your legs to around 90 degrees, and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
- Reach up and grip the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
- Drive your feet into the floor so your hips are extended and your body is at a declined angle.
- Unrack the barbell and hold it over your chest.
- Bend your arms and lower the bar down until your elbows touch the floor.
- Keep your hips up!
- Extend your arms and repeat.
Floor Press with Glute Bridge Demonstration – T-Nation
#3. Towel grip pull-ups
Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, forearms, core.
Throws, joint locks, and chokes require a strong grip and powerful arm and back muscles.
This exercise delivers all three!
Towel grip pull-ups are a lot harder than regular pull-ups, but your strength will quickly improve if you persevere.
How to do it:
- Loop two gym towels over your pull-up bar, so they’re about shoulder-width apart.
- Grip the ends tightly and then hang from the towels to your feet are off the floor, and your arms are straight.
- Bend your arms and pull your chin up until it’s level with your hands.
- Drive your elbows down and back and lift your chest, allowing your hands to rotate naturally as you ascend.
- Lower yourself down under control and repeat.
- Use a resistance band for assistance if necessary, or wear a weighted vest to make this exercise harder.
#4. Off-balance dumbbell squat
Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
Strong legs are critical in all martial arts, including BJJ.
Lower body strength will make you faster and more powerful, so you can kick harder.
Also, stronger legs give you a more solid base, which will help make it harder to push you off balance.
Finally, strong legs are more resilient, and the extra muscle acts as padding against low kicks.
In short, do your squats!
This squat variation works your legs and also your core.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward.
- Rack and hold a single dumbbell or kettlebell on one shoulder.
- Brace your core.
- Without leaning sideways, hip hinge, bend your legs, and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Try not to round your lower back.
- Stand back up and repeat.
- Rest a moment, swap sides, and do the same number of reps.
Improve Your BJJ Fitness! Using This SIMPLE Kettlebell Complex
#5. Zercher farmer’s walk
Target muscles: Whole body.
Zercher farmer’s walks are a full-body exercise that will also test and develop your mental toughness and determination.
It’s a very challenging exercise that will help you get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Go hard and heavy with this exercise to toughen your body and mind.
How to do it:
- Place a barbell in a waist-high squat rack and load it with the desired weight.
- Stand in front of the bar, squat down, and hook your elbows under it.
- Bend your arms and clasp your hands to your chest.
- Brace your core.
- Stand up and unrack the bar.
- Take a few steps back and turn to face your training area.
- Walk as far as possible while keeping your torso upright and your arms flexed.
- Battle through the pain!
- When you are done, return to the squat rack and replace the barbell.
- Rest a moment and repeat.
Zercher Carry “TOP Secret” Spinal Erector Exercise (MUST TRY)
#6. Barbell rollout
Target muscles: Core, latissimus dorsi.
Your core is critical to your body’s ability to generate power.
It doesn’t matter how strong your arms or legs are; if your core is weak, you won’t be able to direct that force toward your opponent, as your midsection will just collapse.
Barbell rollouts are an effective way to build core strength and also develop your lats, which are the muscles on the sides of your upper back.
How to do it:
- Place a loaded barbell on the floor and kneel behind it.
- Hold the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
- Straighten your arms, brace your abs, and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Keeping your arms straight, roll the barbell away from you and lower your chest down toward the floor.
- Do not extend your lower back.
- Instead, keep your spine slightly flexed.
- Roll the bar back toward your legs and then repeat.
How to: Barbell Ab Rollout – Abs Roller Exercise
#7. Alternating dumbbell curl and press
Target muscles: Deltoids, biceps, triceps.
This combo exercise works several important upper body muscles in double-quick time.
Done in an alternating fashion, it will develop strength endurance which is critical in BJJ.
BJJ fighters don’t need a lot of overhead pressing strength, but it’s still necessary to train the deltoids to maintain strong, stable, healthy shoulders.
How to do it:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides.
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees slightly, brace your abs, and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend one arm and curl the weight up to your shoulder.
- Next, press the dumbbell overhead to arms’ length.
- Lower the weight down to your shoulder and then to your side.
- Repeat this sequence with your other arm.
- Continue alternating arms for the duration of your set.
Alternating Dumbbell Curl to Press
BJJ Strength Training Workout
Do the following program twice a week, e.g., Monday and Thursday.
This will leave plenty of time for rest, recovery, and BJJ training.
Start each workout with 5-10 minutes of easy cardio followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for your main muscles and joints.
Strength Training for BJJ Workout – Copyright HashiMashi.com
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Recovery |
| 1 | Deadlift | 4 | 6-8 | 2 minutes |
| 2 | Off-balance dumbbell squat | 4 | 8-10 per side | 90 seconds |
| 3 | Hip bridge floor press | 3 | 8-10 | 90 seconds |
| 4 | Towel grip pull-up | 3 | AMRAP | 90 seconds |
| 5 | Zercher farmer’s walk | 2 | 15-20 yards | 90 seconds |
| 6 | Alternating dumbbell curl and press | 2 | 12-15 per arm | 60 seconds |
| 7 | Barbell rollout | 3 | 12-15 | 60 seconds |
| 8 | Push-up | 1 | 100* | N/A |
| 9 | Air squat | 1 | 150* | N/A |
*Do 100 push-ups and 150 air squats in as few sets as possible to develop muscular endurance and mental toughness.
BJJ Strength Training Exercises – Wrapping Up
Whether you do BJJ as part of MMA or as a standalone martial art, strength training will make you a more capable fighter.
You don’t need to develop big bodybuilder muscles, and extra muscle mass can actually be an impediment.
After all, that extra weight can slow you down and tire you out.
However, increasing relative strength will make you a tougher opponent.
Combine this workout with your BJJ practices and plenty of calisthenic conditioning training to prepare your muscles and joints for the demands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
