In most sports, you or your team needs to score the most points, goals, or runs in order to win. The faster, stronger, and better conditioned you and your teammates are, the greater your chances are of defeating your opponents during a fast break, grabbing a rebound, or hauling in a deep pass.
In combat sports, winning oftentimes looks very different.
It is certainly possible to win by accumulating more points than your opponent, but, in many cases, victorious athletes rain countless blow on their opponents, rendering them unable to physically continue or trap them in a submission hold, forcing them to tap out in surrender.
Possessing superior strength, power, endurance, and agility not only enables athletes to succeed in these bouts, it can help them to protect themselves from the types of serious injuries that are common in these high-stakes combative contests.
Kiaya Jackson, a two-time Professional Grappling Federation gold medalist, understands this and is a big proponent of strength training for BJJ and grappling. Let’s look at the exercises she performs to ensure that she is always inflicting damage rather than taking damage!
Top Strength Training for BJJ and Grappling Exercises
Grappling requires extensive contact with opponents. Because of this, grip strength is one of the most important attributes fighters need to develop. However, traditional strength and power development exercises are also extremely important. Combining these into a well-rounded strength training for BJJ regimen is extremely effective and optimizes efficiency, which is important for fighters who must also spend long hours on the mats.
Kettlebell Swings
source from: https://sportscienceinsider.com/basics-of-kettlebell-swings/
An effective, all-in-one exercise that develops lower body power and endurance via constant hip hinging while developing an ironclad grip. Fighters who want to develop greater strength and power can opt for lower rep schemes with a heavier kettlebell while those seeking to primarily bolster their stamina can use a lighter kettlebell for bigger sets.
Whichever modality the fighter opts for, the constant grasping of the kettlebell’s handle keeps the forearms engaged throughout the duration of the exercise. When Jackson gets ahold of her opponent, her lock-jawed grip is so developed that it is impossible for them to free themselves. If they somehow do manage to escape, the hinging strength she has developed makes it easy for her to execute a powerful throw and quickly overwhelm her opponent.
Farmer Carries
source from: https://www.ifastfitness.com/blogs/blog/farmers-carry
Farmer carries do not have the same power development properties that kettlebell swings do, but they are another one of the best grip strength training for BJJ exercises out there.
Unlike kettlebell swings where the complexity of the movement often limits the amount of weight used, fighters are able to haul a couple of very heavy dumbbells with them during each lap around the gym. Fighters can also prioritize a weaker arm, whether to rehab it or to better strengthen it, by using higher or lower weights in each hand.
In addition to strengthening the grip, farmer carries work the biceps and triceps, as well as the upper back and rear shoulder muscles. Growing these muscles has helped Jackson develop a classic, imposing “fighter’s physique” that is so intimidating, she often “wins” her matches before they have even begun.
Squats
source from: https://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/squat/lb
No performance training program would be complete without the inclusion of the standard barbell back squat. No exercise engages more muscles nor is any exercise better for overall lower body strength development. The hormone-inducing effects of squats, particularly of GH, C, and IGF-1, are noted for their tissue regenerating and muscle growth stimulating effects (Wilk, Petr, Krzysztofik, Zajac, Stastny, 2018).
Besides simply developing greater strength, which can be converted into all-important torque, developing the lower body can greatly enhance grapplers’ abilities to execute suffocating leg entanglements.
Although barbell back squats require more equipment to perform than kettlebell swings or dumbbell farmers carries, their requisite power rack, barbell, and weight plates are excellent additions to any home gym setup. Jackson knows that investing in the most effective equipment for strength training for BJJ and grappling exercises has oversized returns.
Power Clean
source from: https://www.semisportmed.com/clean-up-your-power-clean-form/
Many athletes, fighters, and grapplers alike neglect more complex Olympic lifting movements. In many cases, they opt for less complicated exercises that work more strength than power (like the squat) or that have power-inducing benefits, but use neither the requisite weight nor the appropriate rep schemes to significantly develop high-level power (like the kettlebell swing).
Just because the power clean isn’t the most popular strength training for BJJ exercise doesn’t mean it’s not an extremely important movement to master.
Being able to “explode” with the hips, generating force development with fast and powerful extension, is paramount to success in any combat sport. While being strong enough to throw an opponent is certainly important, developing the power to successfully execute a throw is much more conducive to the extremely fast-paced nature of combat sports.
High power levels are also more effective than pure strength at keeping fighters out of harm’s way. When Jackson’s opponents attempt to execute a forceful takedown, her fast and powerful hips are able to quickly redirect her base so she can either completely evade the attack or position herself better to parry.
For grapplers who already have their squat setup in place, adding a platform to the mix can help to facilitate power cleans as well as any other Olympic lifts and even movements like deadlifts more safely and effectively.
Train like a Grappler…without being a Grappler…?
You don’t have to be an aspiring Professional Grappling Federation champion to incorporate power, strength, and grip-enhancing exercises into your workout routine.
You don’t even need to be interested in hitting anyone or rolling around on the mats to enjoy the immense benefits of this style of training!
The positive health outcomes associated with overall bone density (which is improved with heavy strength training) are undeniable, while more current research has repeatedly shown a correlation between grip strength and overall longevity (Bohannon, 2019).
Whether this longevity comes in the form of living a longer and healthier life or simply surviving your next match, strength training for BJJ and grappling, for fighters and non-fighters alike, is probably not the worst training style you could try out!
References
Bohannon, R. (2019). Grip strength: An indispensable biomarker for older adults. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 14: 1681-1691.
Wilk, M., Petr, M., Krzysztofik, M., Zajac, A., Stastny, P. (2018). Endocrine response to high intensity barbell squats performed with constant movement tempo and variable training volume. Neuro Endocrinology Letters, 39 (4): 342-348.
