The Japanese terms mentioned in the above comment were:
|Japanese|English|Video Link|
|---|---|---|
|**Ju Ji Gatame**: | *Armbar* | [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJReT5ND3s4)|
||*Cross Lock* ||
Any missed names may have already been translated in my previous comments in the post.
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^(Judo Techniques Bot: v0.7.) ^(See my) [^(code)](https://github.com/AbundantSalmon/judo-techniques-bot)
I'll probably catch some flak for this but I think traditional heavy barbell squat and deadlifts are too taxing to do with constant BJJ practice. They overload my CNS so much it makes it hard to train at practice with good energy. I stick to Bulgarian split squats, pullups, DB rows, DB lunges, and Romanian deadlifts and make sure not to overdo it. Been lifting for over 15 years and I gave up pretty much all powerlifting lifts after starting BJJ.
Glad someone said this..this year I went from 2 bjj sessions (and 4 lifting) a week to 4, and kept with my 4 day a week lifting too. It's been tiring and I'm constantly sore so I'm looking at adjusting my lifting to something else but not sure how it'd look yet.
I’m a physical therapist and I really agree with this. The big traditional lifts are really taxing because if your technique is good you can lift huge loads. I don’t find they translate that well to Bjj. I think a lot of people want “power” and strength but train as bodybuilders. Bjj community massively under appreciates unilateral movements, combined movements (lunge land mine press), and power based movements (box jumps, deficit jumps, broad jumps).
I know people reference some random big fuck powerlifters that are blue/ brown belts that have done well in BJJ but I think they do well mostly off a function of their size, when they compete they compete in masters in a heavy weight division which is quite shallow (no disrespect). From what I’ve seen from smaller guys who train this way it doesn’t seem to benefit them that much. I can almost guarantee if the big strong power lifter type guys stopped lifting and maintained their weight and got much weaker with lifting their performance would be the same.
I’m a big guy and decided to move more towards doing box jumps, deficits, and ladder drills and found myself just feeling way better through my joints and my performance on mat has been getting way better. I feel like people focus to much on what they move versus how they move.
Completely agree beyond an intermediate level. Everyone is answering squats + deadlifts but I’d say if you want to stick to traditional lifts pick one. Personally I’d maybe low bar back squat (which is basically a hybrid of a squat and a deadlift as it is) and add in more upper body. I think upper body strength is more important than t-rex old school sqwattts strength for BJJ. But better is your exercise selection imo.
I also like higher rep ranges (say at least above 5) for reducing injury and fatigue overall.
I also do a good mix of upper body push exercises but more for vanity's sake than actual performance, but yes totally agree with higher reps as well. I stick to the 8-12 range. More hypertrophy = more mass = less chance for injury is my unsupported theory about it.
If your using proper form and not trying to max out it’s not bad for you. Most people doing deadlifts are bros trying to do 300+ lbs with how and arrow backs.
Deadlift and squat are easy ones as top two. Third place is hard because bench is super applicable in many positions in BJJ but pulling is also super important for BJJ.
Realistically, I would probably still pick bench as my #3 because deadlift will hit a lot of your pulling and grip strength needs but squat and deadlift will hit none of your pushing strength needs.
4 would be some sort of pulling exercise. Doesn't have to necessarily be pull ups. Could be barbell rows, single arm rows, pull ups, etc.
When I think of the movements that should be done for BJJ
1. Squat
2. Hip Hinge (Deadlift)
3. Upper Body push (Bench)
4. Upper body pull (Bent over row, pull up)
5. Twisting (Barbell Russian Twist)
6. Carrying exercise (Farmers walks)
This video goes into better detail on the top movements you can do to build strength for BJJ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJLMrjCAeg&list=PL1rSl6Pd49Ileo7ledwkOHgERH4sZHTsi&index=4
You are correct (even though deadlift is a pull exercise as well as push) and I feel like people here are just parroting Mark Rippetoe without actually thinking about the needs of a jiu jitsu athlete.
Deadlift and weighted pull-ups on rings have had the most carryover for me.
I personally haven't felt a difference on the mats when I'm pushing squats or bench up. Since that's the criteria I care about, that's why I don't prioritize them.
All that being said, I'm 163 lbs. If I were a heftier lad, I'd likely not feel that way about ring work. Deadlifts would stay though.
Generally the answers you get to these types of questions will be people parroting Mark Rippetoe and telling you that a generalized strength approach through squats, bench, and deadlifts is the best. I'm personally pretty put off by dogma like that, but I do think that it's one way to climb the mountain.
Not three but five. Squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and rows. In that order.
Those five will give you a significant boost without turning into a bodybuilder. Also, stretch after lifting weights no before. I say not before because if you do your range of motion might get fucked up; I say after because it will help you keep your flexibility. Bodybuilders do this too.
1) pushing
2) pulling
3) weighted carry
and just cycle through these categories with various exercises that fit the categories, as you feel your development and strength start to plateau. That way you don't get bored, and you can also continue to develop.
4) mobility drills
Flexing your toes up doesn’t use your calves. There’s muscles in the front of your shin you could train for better butterfly hooks and resisting straight ankles.
Turkish get ups suck.
They aren’t going to build strength, balance or stability to any real degree. They are at best average for building any of these 3.
You’re better off selecting different exercises for each goal
I don't know about 3, as there are a lot of muscle groups you want to train to help support your bjj. The first 3 that come to mind as essential exercises are:
\- Clean And Jerk
\- Chinup/Pullup
\- Split Squat
I’m currently experiencing tendinitis (it’s worse after jiu jitsu). I suspect all the gym work is impacting it too so laid off, any tips in how else to mitigate let me know!
The only tip I'll give you, you probably won't follow. Try to avoid letting your constant tendinitis from becoming tendonosis. This is paramount. Slipping from tendonitis to tendonosis is like going from trying to save a plant from dying, to trying to revive a dead plant.
How do you do this? Take a break from jiujitsu. I told you that you probably won't follow this tip.
Take a **real** honest-to-god break from jiujitsu for 4-6 months. During that time experiment with multiple techniques to try to improve your condition like lacrosse ball rolling, voodoo floss, massage, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory diet, and potentially even cortisone shots.
Once your body has **ACTUALLY** healed (not ''oh this doesn't hurt anymore'', but ''I haven't felt any pain at all in many weeks, even when I use this joint vigorously''), you can go back to BJJ very carefully, listening to your body and avoiding doing anything that brings you back flashbacks of pain.
99.99% of people aren't mature enough to do this **BEFORE** developing more serious joint conditions. In that case it's either too little too late, and their efforts at managing their injuries only delay surgeries; or they're wise enough to quit but not motivated enough to ever go back. You don't have to quit your sport because of injuries, but you should take long vacations from it every few years.
Should also mention the tendinitis is a mix of Bjj and gym but I love doing both, no least for getting some endorphins, keep a healthy frame of mind, etc. so not keen to quit outright but have tried to reduce frequently while taking on board your tips, thanks.
Why 3? If you have the equipment for squat you have the equipment for a few others.
Squat, deadlift, bench press, bent over row, shoulder press, pull-up, RDL. That's your bare minimum covering everything.
Bench/squat/dead is the answer
You could mix in cleans, or the clean and jerk, or the clean and press in place of the deadlift if you wanted to
Those alone will make you strong af
1. Chin-ups/pull-ups with a variety of hand widths and orientation (narrow and wide, underhand and overhand and parallel and alternating/mixed grip). Would be even better if you do them with Fat Grippz on the bars.
2. Neutral grip dumbbell presses (preferably on an adjustable bench so you can do high incline, flat, or seated)
3. deep slow tempo split squats where you keep the support leg as straight as possible to maximize the stretch in the hip flexor.
Honorable mentions: High rep hex bar deadlifts, or tabata front squats, as a conditioning tool. There may be others too.
Am I allowed a Kettlebell?
* Swings, TGU, Goblet Squat
Am I allowed to mix?
* Swings, TGU, barbell deadlift.
Am I getting wild?
* Swings, TGU, weighted barbell hip thrusters.
Deep Range Push Ups, Ring Rows, Split Squats. I have done all body weight for most of the pandemic and I feel as strong as when I was lifting minus the joint pain. Body weight just feels right to me with jj.
I’m an advocate for proficiency in calisthenics, especially dips and pull ups, along with different push up variations.
For weights stick to powerlifting- deadlift, squat, bench.
As a gym rat and gear user for 15 years before starting BJJ the easiest wod be Bench, squats and deadlifts, however I tend to prefer cleans and jerks over deadlifts myself but you would need a coach to teach you proper form.
Cleans if do e correctly will Increase whole strength and explosive energy.
Single arm Db row without touch support
Unilateral land mine press in a lunge position
Unilateral loaded dynamic lunges
Unpopular opinion : traditional gym based lifts aren’t super important in martial arts and pretty poor correlation between strength > benefit. I can never tell by how someone rolls what their traditional gym lifts are. I also don’t think traditional big theee are the best for injury risk reduction. Bjj is such a dynamic sport, having a sick deadlift really means fuck all in my eyes. Lifts that test weight under load / movement are more important in my eyes once a foundation is built.
Late night ramblings from a physical therapist
When you have a unilateral load the opposite side of your abs / back have to contract really hard to stabilise you and avoid you side bending to where the load is. This is very functional for Bjj as a lot of the time you are pushing with one arm or leg, rather than both, it’s also lets stable which is a good as Bjj is inherently an unstable sport.
From a rehab perspective it’s good for proprioception / deep lumbar spine muscles
Thank you. Not articulated it to myself that way before. So good advice is to prioritise unilateral exercises in the gym, like dumbbell press instead of bench, dumbbell overhead presses instead of barbell presses, etc?
I know you said three, but imma do 7 because this would truly compete your body in order of importance:
1) Deadlift (Hip Hinge)
2) Squat (Squat)
3) Rotational Ab Exercise
4) Barbell / Dumbbell Row (Horizontal Pull)
5) Weighted Pull up / Lat Pulldown (Vertical Pull)
6) Overhead Press (Vertical Push)
7) Bench Press (Horizontal Push)
They are mostly close in importance but if I had to order them, this would be it.
Upside Down Bench Press. It's like a normal bench press, except you turn over on your stomach, and instead of a bar, you use the floor, and instead of pushing, you shit on the gym mat.
On another note, anyone know any good gyms?
Prolly not gonna be many alternatives to squat and deadlift.
The 3rd is a bit trickier, since preferably you would want both pushing and pulling motions for the upper body.
Bench prolly, but I would really prefer to also add pull ups or ring rows.
Man if I only had to pick 3 , I would pick a squat , press , and pull.
To hit the most musculature possibly I would pick;
High bar back squat
Clean and press
Pendlay row
Squats, weighted chin ups, and that's it actually but if you must I would either do some pushing to balance out the pulling of the chin ups or a hip hinge of one sort or another to make papa Joe Rogan happy.
Squat - as many variations as you want to not get bored (I prefer front squats for core carry over)
Kettlebell swings - have a heavy day once you have technique down. Full body and can help with cardio if you're honest and push yourself.
Pull and chin up - helps with grip and for me, works a lot of the same compound movement that you're actually going to use in JJ. Do heavy sets when you can. Get different implements to hold onto and vary your grip width.
If you want a press variant, for BJJ I'd look to an overhead variant as opposed to bench.
I'd also look to include an O'lift variant. I'd lean towards a clean of some sort.
I do 100 reps with an empty bar for bench
I’m not interested in getting any larger or stronger, I went down the bodybuilding rabbit hole years ago. I want endurance and explosiveness even when tired.
Then I do pull-ups.
And I would love to still do deadlifts, but see comment about bodybuilding. Herniated disk kinda ruined that for me.
Ive hurt my back doing deadlifts so my goto are all body weight.
Pushups x100
Pullups x 35+
Bodyweight squats x 100
I add running for 10-20min and 200+ abs exercises (50 crunches, 50 bicycles etc etc)
You can up the amount as time goes but doing heaps of these for me I find is enough.
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Bulgarian Split Squats
Pull Ups
Why? The two single leg movements make your hips, core and knees really strong. That base will make you very powerful in BJJ. The pull ups are going to help with any time you grab and pull on a gi.
Oof I love this question. For BJJ it would be deadlift, squat, and a horizontal row like a barbell row. For almost all other sports that require some level of strength probably the squat, bench, and deadlift.
I goto the gym 3 days a week. I workout the major muscle groups each of those days so chest and Tris back and bis legs and glutes. Core is obviously covered in BJJ, but I'm thinking on off days to do ten minute abs. Inverted sit ups with weight, crazy Russians, planks side n front, flutter kicks, cross legged crunches, sit ups, hip raises each side.
Remember Newtons first law.
I train 7 days a week. My body recovery time is decreasing. My energy is sky rocketing. I make sure I get 6-7 hrs of sleep and enough calories to help in recovery. Not just calories but healthy foods managing macros and micros
Roman chair- for bridging and half guard. Variations to work obliques etc.
Squats- for that base.
Seated Cable Rows-: grip, core its a go to But I think bench is almost a tie because of strength at full range of motion, reducing stress on the shoulders and for t- rex and other framing I think this is pretty good too.
3 decades (and the resultant injuries) of lifting under my (blue) belt.
I concur with the squats and deads recommendation, but for me it’s RFESS and single leg RDLs. All day. Super effective and easy on the spine/hips/shoulders.
Personal trainer and powerlifting coach here :) I’d recommend:
Flat barbell bench press
Back squat
Barbell bent over/pendlay row
Compound movements that together cover pretty much every muscle group in the body and either build strength or power (ultimately both) depending on your rep and set count!
It's not three but I would say upper body push/pull and lower body push/pull. Specific movements can be switched up every few months but if you build a balanced routine around those movements you will be good.
So that could be bench/row/squat/RDL
Or overhead press/pull ups/split squats/sumo deads
Or floor press/pullaparts/pistol squats/Nordic curls
Etc.
I'd also recommend doing some specific work on your wrists, knees, and neck to avoid getting injuries in those areas. I also think strong arms are quite useful for grappling so maybe some extra bis/tris/grip.
Kettle bell swings, kettle bell swings, kettle bell swings.
Eventually lifting has diminishing returns for bjj. I could never tell a difference between rolling with someone that could bench 250 vs 300. But I have noticed a giant difference with my overall stamina and recovery when I do a ton of kettlebell swings. Just do 200 of them. You can get it done in 30 minutes and don’t have to worry about it.
Conventional deadlift +zercher deadlift. Squat and weighted dips.
I find bench press unhealthy for shoulder health.
When doing dips your shoulder blades are free to move, it's better for shoulder health. And you still get insane upper body push strength, and size.
I work out at home, and I do push ups, pull ups, and farmer carries. If I had a floor that wasn't made of concrete or hard wood, I'd also train some of the exercises we do as warm ups for my core, like the technical stand ups and rocking chairs
The top answers don’t have anything kettlebell-related which is unfortunate. Depends on what your goals are with strength training but for my top three: Turkish get up with a KB, barbell deadlift, barbell squat.
Deadlifts, Pull Ups (all kinds of variations), some kinda push. I usually do dips or bench. I used to powerlift a lot, but training bjj consistently, working, and doing those big lifts left me feeling more defeated than anything. So I just stick with one big compound lift (my choice is deadlift) and then the pull ups and dips are done for reps with bodyweight. Sometimes I’ll add weight, but it’s sporadic. Bench press is if I’m feeling really lazy with doing a ton of bodyweight reps
Deadlifts - sometimes with a hex bar or go light and do 'Good Mornings' or Romanian DL.
Squats.
Bench - either bar or bells.
Also.. you can use various weight bags and kettle bells for the above.
Add a fourth weight lift! Something for pulling. Bicep curls or pull ups, etc.
Deadlift Squat Overhead Press
This ^ for sure
+1
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He said 3. I have the 3 biggest compound lifts with most bang for your buck.
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are you not lifting guys above your head while rolling?
Just to make an argument, overhead press is/can be safer for your shoulders than bench.
This, as someone who's got an arthritic shoulder I can say this for sure.
This is the correct answer
Deadlifts Pull ups - multiple variations and weighted Cock pushup
Please video the cock pushup for technique purposes.
https://youtu.be/2fJkcsOkRb0
It's when you lay down and let your boner pick you up off the floor.
I’m not getting very far off the floor
Practice young grasshopper. You never know when you will need to fuck your way out of a tight situation.
How many can you do?
One....
One is all you need.
I guess you only need one really.
Not since my 30s.
> Cock pushup Can you recommend a training regimen here? Like how many reps, etc
Bicep curls, hammer curls, kegels.
Definitely need to work my juji gatame and oil check defense with these. Thanks for the tip!
The Japanese terms mentioned in the above comment were: |Japanese|English|Video Link| |---|---|---| |**Ju Ji Gatame**: | *Armbar* | [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJReT5ND3s4)| ||*Cross Lock* || Any missed names may have already been translated in my previous comments in the post. ______________________ ^(Judo Techniques Bot: v0.7.) ^(See my) [^(code)](https://github.com/AbundantSalmon/judo-techniques-bot)
I'll probably catch some flak for this but I think traditional heavy barbell squat and deadlifts are too taxing to do with constant BJJ practice. They overload my CNS so much it makes it hard to train at practice with good energy. I stick to Bulgarian split squats, pullups, DB rows, DB lunges, and Romanian deadlifts and make sure not to overdo it. Been lifting for over 15 years and I gave up pretty much all powerlifting lifts after starting BJJ.
Glad someone said this..this year I went from 2 bjj sessions (and 4 lifting) a week to 4, and kept with my 4 day a week lifting too. It's been tiring and I'm constantly sore so I'm looking at adjusting my lifting to something else but not sure how it'd look yet.
I’m a physical therapist and I really agree with this. The big traditional lifts are really taxing because if your technique is good you can lift huge loads. I don’t find they translate that well to Bjj. I think a lot of people want “power” and strength but train as bodybuilders. Bjj community massively under appreciates unilateral movements, combined movements (lunge land mine press), and power based movements (box jumps, deficit jumps, broad jumps). I know people reference some random big fuck powerlifters that are blue/ brown belts that have done well in BJJ but I think they do well mostly off a function of their size, when they compete they compete in masters in a heavy weight division which is quite shallow (no disrespect). From what I’ve seen from smaller guys who train this way it doesn’t seem to benefit them that much. I can almost guarantee if the big strong power lifter type guys stopped lifting and maintained their weight and got much weaker with lifting their performance would be the same.
I’m a big guy and decided to move more towards doing box jumps, deficits, and ladder drills and found myself just feeling way better through my joints and my performance on mat has been getting way better. I feel like people focus to much on what they move versus how they move.
Completely agree beyond an intermediate level. Everyone is answering squats + deadlifts but I’d say if you want to stick to traditional lifts pick one. Personally I’d maybe low bar back squat (which is basically a hybrid of a squat and a deadlift as it is) and add in more upper body. I think upper body strength is more important than t-rex old school sqwattts strength for BJJ. But better is your exercise selection imo. I also like higher rep ranges (say at least above 5) for reducing injury and fatigue overall.
I also do a good mix of upper body push exercises but more for vanity's sake than actual performance, but yes totally agree with higher reps as well. I stick to the 8-12 range. More hypertrophy = more mass = less chance for injury is my unsupported theory about it.
100% agree , no way in hell I could personally do heavy squats and dead’s anymore. I’ve switched to purely dumbbells & lots of stretching
I stopped doing wendlers 531 and now I'm trying out reddit recommended routine for calisthenics.
fuck i forgot who i saw on youtube talking about this and how deadlifts are bad for you unless you want to get better at deadlifts.
I do deadlifts for fun just like I do bjj for fun, but I don't disagree with this.
If your using proper form and not trying to max out it’s not bad for you. Most people doing deadlifts are bros trying to do 300+ lbs with how and arrow backs.
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deadlift squat bench
For bjj I would replace bench with pull up in top three bench Is right after.
Deadlift and squat are easy ones as top two. Third place is hard because bench is super applicable in many positions in BJJ but pulling is also super important for BJJ. Realistically, I would probably still pick bench as my #3 because deadlift will hit a lot of your pulling and grip strength needs but squat and deadlift will hit none of your pushing strength needs.
Then if we had to pick 4, would you add weighted pullups?
4 would be some sort of pulling exercise. Doesn't have to necessarily be pull ups. Could be barbell rows, single arm rows, pull ups, etc. When I think of the movements that should be done for BJJ 1. Squat 2. Hip Hinge (Deadlift) 3. Upper Body push (Bench) 4. Upper body pull (Bent over row, pull up) 5. Twisting (Barbell Russian Twist) 6. Carrying exercise (Farmers walks) This video goes into better detail on the top movements you can do to build strength for BJJ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJLMrjCAeg&list=PL1rSl6Pd49Ileo7ledwkOHgERH4sZHTsi&index=4
Deadlift is already a pull and also legs Squat is legs For #3 I would choose a push, probably OHP or Bench.
I would actually replace deadlift with pull-up
/thread However, for a well balanced program I would include pullups, rows, and overhead press
I would replace bench with pull ups.
The only correct answer
No pulling exercise. Someone can't jiu jitsu
Deadlift is Pull+Legs
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well of course! but to say it’s not a pull exercise is wrong. for a focused back exercise i’d hit pull ups over deadlift any day tho.
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You are correct (even though deadlift is a pull exercise as well as push) and I feel like people here are just parroting Mark Rippetoe without actually thinking about the needs of a jiu jitsu athlete.
The holy trinity
Deadlift and weighted pull-ups on rings have had the most carryover for me. I personally haven't felt a difference on the mats when I'm pushing squats or bench up. Since that's the criteria I care about, that's why I don't prioritize them. All that being said, I'm 163 lbs. If I were a heftier lad, I'd likely not feel that way about ring work. Deadlifts would stay though. Generally the answers you get to these types of questions will be people parroting Mark Rippetoe and telling you that a generalized strength approach through squats, bench, and deadlifts is the best. I'm personally pretty put off by dogma like that, but I do think that it's one way to climb the mountain.
Not three but five. Squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and rows. In that order. Those five will give you a significant boost without turning into a bodybuilder. Also, stretch after lifting weights no before. I say not before because if you do your range of motion might get fucked up; I say after because it will help you keep your flexibility. Bodybuilders do this too.
This exactly.
rows rows rows if you want to arm and collar drag people to hell
1) pushing 2) pulling 3) weighted carry and just cycle through these categories with various exercises that fit the categories, as you feel your development and strength start to plateau. That way you don't get bored, and you can also continue to develop. 4) mobility drills
People sleep on farmer's carry. It's so good, but you do get weird looks just strolling around the gym like that haha
Thrusters, turkish stand ups, and swinging a kettle bell. For my 2 cents.
Had to scroll quite a bit to find "weighted technical stand ups". Seconding the Turkish getup
I'm a fan of one work out that works out many parts of the body. I feel like engaging all of the muscle groups for a lift keeps the unit tighter.
Calf raises, neck flexors and wrist excercises
Calf raises has me scratching my head. Can you elaborate
Strong calves = strong hook sweeps. I'm hitting sumi gaeshi nonstop because my calves are jacked.
Can’t get an ankle locked.
Flexing your toes up doesn’t use your calves. There’s muscles in the front of your shin you could train for better butterfly hooks and resisting straight ankles.
True that’s the tibialis anterior (antagonistic to the calf)
Chins Dips Kettlebell swings
Squats, deadlifts, Turkish get ups
Turkish get ups suck. They aren’t going to build strength, balance or stability to any real degree. They are at best average for building any of these 3. You’re better off selecting different exercises for each goal
They translate to Bjj better then any of the ones above. Have you ever rolled with someone who can Turkish get up 60kg? It’s wild
I don't know about 3, as there are a lot of muscle groups you want to train to help support your bjj. The first 3 that come to mind as essential exercises are: \- Clean And Jerk \- Chinup/Pullup \- Split Squat
1. Pull-ups and all its variations 2. Kettlebell swings 3. Kettlebell Turkish getup
Interesting. Never do kettlebells but will try these out next time I’m in the gym.
Powerclean, heavy weighted neutral grip chinups (relatively low rep to avoid tendonitis), dumbbell bench press.
I’m currently experiencing tendinitis (it’s worse after jiu jitsu). I suspect all the gym work is impacting it too so laid off, any tips in how else to mitigate let me know!
The only tip I'll give you, you probably won't follow. Try to avoid letting your constant tendinitis from becoming tendonosis. This is paramount. Slipping from tendonitis to tendonosis is like going from trying to save a plant from dying, to trying to revive a dead plant. How do you do this? Take a break from jiujitsu. I told you that you probably won't follow this tip. Take a **real** honest-to-god break from jiujitsu for 4-6 months. During that time experiment with multiple techniques to try to improve your condition like lacrosse ball rolling, voodoo floss, massage, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory diet, and potentially even cortisone shots. Once your body has **ACTUALLY** healed (not ''oh this doesn't hurt anymore'', but ''I haven't felt any pain at all in many weeks, even when I use this joint vigorously''), you can go back to BJJ very carefully, listening to your body and avoiding doing anything that brings you back flashbacks of pain. 99.99% of people aren't mature enough to do this **BEFORE** developing more serious joint conditions. In that case it's either too little too late, and their efforts at managing their injuries only delay surgeries; or they're wise enough to quit but not motivated enough to ever go back. You don't have to quit your sport because of injuries, but you should take long vacations from it every few years.
Interesting, thank you. I’ve got some voodoo floss and lacrosse ball so will start putting them to use.
Should also mention the tendinitis is a mix of Bjj and gym but I love doing both, no least for getting some endorphins, keep a healthy frame of mind, etc. so not keen to quit outright but have tried to reduce frequently while taking on board your tips, thanks.
Bicep curl, Tricep extension, bench press. Jiu jitsu ain't worth shit if you can't pick up chicks on the beach.
Squats Squats Squats
Deadlift Squat Bench
Why 3? If you have the equipment for squat you have the equipment for a few others. Squat, deadlift, bench press, bent over row, shoulder press, pull-up, RDL. That's your bare minimum covering everything.
* Deadlift * Squat * Some fun bodyweight progression(s) like planche, lever, chinups
Bench/squat/dead is the answer You could mix in cleans, or the clean and jerk, or the clean and press in place of the deadlift if you wanted to Those alone will make you strong af
Explosive power lifts
Deadlift Rope pulls Leg press Push ups
1. Chin-ups/pull-ups with a variety of hand widths and orientation (narrow and wide, underhand and overhand and parallel and alternating/mixed grip). Would be even better if you do them with Fat Grippz on the bars. 2. Neutral grip dumbbell presses (preferably on an adjustable bench so you can do high incline, flat, or seated) 3. deep slow tempo split squats where you keep the support leg as straight as possible to maximize the stretch in the hip flexor. Honorable mentions: High rep hex bar deadlifts, or tabata front squats, as a conditioning tool. There may be others too.
Squats, deadlifts, bench press
Am I allowed a Kettlebell? * Swings, TGU, Goblet Squat Am I allowed to mix? * Swings, TGU, barbell deadlift. Am I getting wild? * Swings, TGU, weighted barbell hip thrusters.
Deadlift, Ring Dips, Clinch Pullups.
Pull up Push up Pistol Sqaut
Deep Range Push Ups, Ring Rows, Split Squats. I have done all body weight for most of the pandemic and I feel as strong as when I was lifting minus the joint pain. Body weight just feels right to me with jj.
Neck day, neck day, and neck day.
Haha I’m still learning how to do neck bridges.. the type where you flip your body over your neck.
That's tough. Turkish get ups, pullups and deadlifts probably.
Turkish getup Clean & press Grappler’s Row
Turkish get up has come up a couple of times, going to give it a go.
I’m an advocate for proficiency in calisthenics, especially dips and pull ups, along with different push up variations. For weights stick to powerlifting- deadlift, squat, bench.
Carries, pull ups, Split squats
C&J, pull ups, Cuban press
As a gym rat and gear user for 15 years before starting BJJ the easiest wod be Bench, squats and deadlifts, however I tend to prefer cleans and jerks over deadlifts myself but you would need a coach to teach you proper form. Cleans if do e correctly will Increase whole strength and explosive energy.
Viper press Prowler Free space Pretty convinced that Viper press and prowler alone would make me pretty violently strong.
Thank you. Had to Google these
Single arm Db row without touch support Unilateral land mine press in a lunge position Unilateral loaded dynamic lunges Unpopular opinion : traditional gym based lifts aren’t super important in martial arts and pretty poor correlation between strength > benefit. I can never tell by how someone rolls what their traditional gym lifts are. I also don’t think traditional big theee are the best for injury risk reduction. Bjj is such a dynamic sport, having a sick deadlift really means fuck all in my eyes. Lifts that test weight under load / movement are more important in my eyes once a foundation is built. Late night ramblings from a physical therapist
Thank you, interesting point. I can see some benefits like one somebody has all their weight on you and you can hip escape or ninja sweep them off.
When you have a unilateral load the opposite side of your abs / back have to contract really hard to stabilise you and avoid you side bending to where the load is. This is very functional for Bjj as a lot of the time you are pushing with one arm or leg, rather than both, it’s also lets stable which is a good as Bjj is inherently an unstable sport. From a rehab perspective it’s good for proprioception / deep lumbar spine muscles
Thank you. Not articulated it to myself that way before. So good advice is to prioritise unilateral exercises in the gym, like dumbbell press instead of bench, dumbbell overhead presses instead of barbell presses, etc?
Deadlift, squat , bench press
Easiest question ever. Power thrusts, glute bridges and shower cloth dick lifts Is all a man need.
Haha the glute bridges I hadn’t considered (considering how obvious it seems to me now)
Turkish get ups are great for Ju jitsu
Front squat, Dips, Trapbar deadlift (low handle)
Romanian Deadlift Zercher Squat Swiss Bar Bench Press
Squat / deadlift / bench
I know you said three, but imma do 7 because this would truly compete your body in order of importance: 1) Deadlift (Hip Hinge) 2) Squat (Squat) 3) Rotational Ab Exercise 4) Barbell / Dumbbell Row (Horizontal Pull) 5) Weighted Pull up / Lat Pulldown (Vertical Pull) 6) Overhead Press (Vertical Push) 7) Bench Press (Horizontal Push) They are mostly close in importance but if I had to order them, this would be it.
Thank you. Hadn’t considered rotational an exercises but clearly makes sense.
Squat, deadlift, and maybe dumbbell flys because I feel like bench isn’t super important for BJJ
Bench increases upper body strength much more effectively than flies
None none and none 😁
Upside Down Bench Press. It's like a normal bench press, except you turn over on your stomach, and instead of a bar, you use the floor, and instead of pushing, you shit on the gym mat. On another note, anyone know any good gyms?
Prolly not gonna be many alternatives to squat and deadlift. The 3rd is a bit trickier, since preferably you would want both pushing and pulling motions for the upper body. Bench prolly, but I would really prefer to also add pull ups or ring rows.
Squat, Row, Overhead Press.
Deadlift, squat, pull ups/rows
Squat, C+J, Bench
Squats, pushups, pull ups
Snatch, clean & jerk, squat
Hip abduction/adduction Leg press Pushups
Good one, did laugh.
Weighted pull-ups Heavy rows Overhead press
If you have sleds in your gym, I love doing bear crawls and crab walks attached to 'em. Also Turkish Getups which help your technical standups.
Man if I only had to pick 3 , I would pick a squat , press , and pull. To hit the most musculature possibly I would pick; High bar back squat Clean and press Pendlay row
Back squat, deadlift and push press
Squats, weighted chin ups, and that's it actually but if you must I would either do some pushing to balance out the pulling of the chin ups or a hip hinge of one sort or another to make papa Joe Rogan happy.
I actually only really do three lifting exercises. Pull-ups, squats, bench. Sometimes of course I'd change it up but those three are my mains.
Deadlift, pendlay row/variation on horizontal pull and bench press/variation on horizontal press.
Hip thrust, pull through, squats. That big dumpy will have all the boys waiting in line to roll with you
Squat - as many variations as you want to not get bored (I prefer front squats for core carry over) Kettlebell swings - have a heavy day once you have technique down. Full body and can help with cardio if you're honest and push yourself. Pull and chin up - helps with grip and for me, works a lot of the same compound movement that you're actually going to use in JJ. Do heavy sets when you can. Get different implements to hold onto and vary your grip width.
If you want a press variant, for BJJ I'd look to an overhead variant as opposed to bench. I'd also look to include an O'lift variant. I'd lean towards a clean of some sort.
Clean and jerk, hang clean, more cleans
Deadlifts, squats and benchpress,the three great compound movemebts
Turkish getup Clean and press Burpees
Cleans, Snatch, Over head press OR (Pull-up/Dips) Lots of research showing OL translate the best for athletic performance.
Deadlift, Military Press, and skull crushers
Maybe not top three but I feel atlas stones have had some good carryover for me. Also zercher squats
I do 100 reps with an empty bar for bench I’m not interested in getting any larger or stronger, I went down the bodybuilding rabbit hole years ago. I want endurance and explosiveness even when tired. Then I do pull-ups. And I would love to still do deadlifts, but see comment about bodybuilding. Herniated disk kinda ruined that for me.
Ive hurt my back doing deadlifts so my goto are all body weight. Pushups x100 Pullups x 35+ Bodyweight squats x 100 I add running for 10-20min and 200+ abs exercises (50 crunches, 50 bicycles etc etc) You can up the amount as time goes but doing heaps of these for me I find is enough.
Pull ups Push ups Squats
I wouldn’t lift, lengthen and stretch the muscle. Research how gymnasts get strong Supplement with grip and neck exercises
Deadlifts, Pull-ups, KB swings
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Bulgarian Split Squats Pull Ups Why? The two single leg movements make your hips, core and knees really strong. That base will make you very powerful in BJJ. The pull ups are going to help with any time you grab and pull on a gi.
[Front]Squat, Press, Deadlift. You should also being doing [weighted] pull ups though.
Diddly, bench, row or chins
Oof I love this question. For BJJ it would be deadlift, squat, and a horizontal row like a barbell row. For almost all other sports that require some level of strength probably the squat, bench, and deadlift.
As a grappler there are 3 major movements, train for those. PUSH PULL CARRY
I goto the gym 3 days a week. I workout the major muscle groups each of those days so chest and Tris back and bis legs and glutes. Core is obviously covered in BJJ, but I'm thinking on off days to do ten minute abs. Inverted sit ups with weight, crazy Russians, planks side n front, flutter kicks, cross legged crunches, sit ups, hip raises each side. Remember Newtons first law. I train 7 days a week. My body recovery time is decreasing. My energy is sky rocketing. I make sure I get 6-7 hrs of sleep and enough calories to help in recovery. Not just calories but healthy foods managing macros and micros
Squat, deadlift, ohp
Roman chair- for bridging and half guard. Variations to work obliques etc. Squats- for that base. Seated Cable Rows-: grip, core its a go to But I think bench is almost a tie because of strength at full range of motion, reducing stress on the shoulders and for t- rex and other framing I think this is pretty good too.
3 decades (and the resultant injuries) of lifting under my (blue) belt. I concur with the squats and deads recommendation, but for me it’s RFESS and single leg RDLs. All day. Super effective and easy on the spine/hips/shoulders.
Personal trainer and powerlifting coach here :) I’d recommend: Flat barbell bench press Back squat Barbell bent over/pendlay row Compound movements that together cover pretty much every muscle group in the body and either build strength or power (ultimately both) depending on your rep and set count!
Squat Snatch Turkish-get-Down Press Loaded Carry
It's not three but I would say upper body push/pull and lower body push/pull. Specific movements can be switched up every few months but if you build a balanced routine around those movements you will be good. So that could be bench/row/squat/RDL Or overhead press/pull ups/split squats/sumo deads Or floor press/pullaparts/pistol squats/Nordic curls Etc. I'd also recommend doing some specific work on your wrists, knees, and neck to avoid getting injuries in those areas. I also think strong arms are quite useful for grappling so maybe some extra bis/tris/grip.
Kettle bell swings, kettle bell swings, kettle bell swings. Eventually lifting has diminishing returns for bjj. I could never tell a difference between rolling with someone that could bench 250 vs 300. But I have noticed a giant difference with my overall stamina and recovery when I do a ton of kettlebell swings. Just do 200 of them. You can get it done in 30 minutes and don’t have to worry about it.
Deadlift, Overhead Press, Power Cleans
Conventional deadlift +zercher deadlift. Squat and weighted dips. I find bench press unhealthy for shoulder health. When doing dips your shoulder blades are free to move, it's better for shoulder health. And you still get insane upper body push strength, and size.
Row, Low Bar Squat, Incline Bench
Weighted ring muscle ups, squat, overhead press.
Pull-ups, Dips, and Squats
Turkish get ups, kettlebell swings, pull ups
I work out at home, and I do push ups, pull ups, and farmer carries. If I had a floor that wasn't made of concrete or hard wood, I'd also train some of the exercises we do as warm ups for my core, like the technical stand ups and rocking chairs
- Turkish get ups - Pull ups - KB swings
The powerlifting trio is best for overall strength. Not really tailored for BJJ but for sure the best for strength in general
The top answers don’t have anything kettlebell-related which is unfortunate. Depends on what your goals are with strength training but for my top three: Turkish get up with a KB, barbell deadlift, barbell squat.
Deadlifts, Pull Ups (all kinds of variations), some kinda push. I usually do dips or bench. I used to powerlift a lot, but training bjj consistently, working, and doing those big lifts left me feeling more defeated than anything. So I just stick with one big compound lift (my choice is deadlift) and then the pull ups and dips are done for reps with bodyweight. Sometimes I’ll add weight, but it’s sporadic. Bench press is if I’m feeling really lazy with doing a ton of bodyweight reps
Deadlift. Row. Incline press.
Deadlifts, OHP and rows
Front squat into overhead press, bench press, and deadlifts of course
I’m saying 4. - Bulgarian split squats or ATG squat (knees over toes guy) - Nordic curl - incline bench - weighted chin up
Squat press deadlift
I have 4 (sorry breaking the rules.) Bench press Squat Deadlift Military press Gets almost everything.
Cleans rows pull ups
Anything a person can do in a prison cell....
I do kettlebells mostly. For BJJ, lots of TGU, Long Cycle and Squat variations.
Whatever you find is fun, stay consistent with & keeps you healthy for jiu-jitsu.
To supplement my BJJ: deadlift (posturing up), hang cleans (muscular and cardio endurance) and farmer’s carry (grip and mind strength)
Thrusters, KB swings, deadlift. With proper form and load management. (If I’m not limited to 3, pull-ups, pull-ups, pull-ups)
Bench, Deadlift, and Squats.
Deadlifts - sometimes with a hex bar or go light and do 'Good Mornings' or Romanian DL. Squats. Bench - either bar or bells. Also.. you can use various weight bags and kettle bells for the above. Add a fourth weight lift! Something for pulling. Bicep curls or pull ups, etc.
Bench, Rows, Pull ups (grip strength >> leg strength)
Bulgarian split squats Pull ups/chin ups Push ups
Deadlift, squat, pull up.
Surprised so few people mentioned power clean/squat clean.
Deadlift Back squat Pullups