BJJ Workout Routines You Can Count On

The right exercises and cardio to improve your game

To be honest, I think there is a lack of good workout routines available for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu guys. Being involved in the sport, I know how critically important conditioning is. From the first time I walked into the gym, I was slapped in the face with the fact that my body wasn’t as physically in-shape as I previously thought.

While BJJ is one of the truly most enjoyable sports I’ve ever participated in, it’s also the one that I feel tests you the most. Mentally, physically and even in a weird way spiritually. Even beyond competing, many people who participate in BJJ (and other combat sports as well) do so because it makes them feel good and gives them a way to get in shape, regardless of age.

Just training in BJJ is great for staying active and is an incredible workout. But it’s really not enough to maximize your conditioning on the mat. You need specific grappling workouts. Once you get on the mat and it’s just you one-and-one with the other guy, your physical conditioning really comes into play.

So, whether you’re seriously competing or just doing it for fun, you probably want to know what routines can specifically improve your game. That way, the next time you’re on the mat, you won’t be afraid of getting tired. And the next time you’re in a tournament, you can grapple balls to the wall, competing as hard as you can to win each and every match, not by decision or points, but by submission. You cannot utilize your technique to it’s fullest unless you’re in great shape.

Let’s be honest, submission attempts take a lot of energy and many of the moves and escapes, especially when your technique isn’t as perfect as say Rickson Gracie’s, do require stamina, endurance and explosiveness. And with the time limits now becoming more of a factor in competitions, it’s even more important to have the physical attributes on your side, not your opponents.

So now I’d like to share with you how to get started with, or how to improve, an exercising program for Jiu Jitsu (and other grappling sports).

First of all, any physical attribute you have, be it strength, explosiveness, cardio, balance, body control, etc, needs to last continuously. A BJJ match is a seamless flow of continuous moves and counter moves. Submission attempts and defenses. Sweeps and counters. Takedowns and escapes.

You’re constantly and continuously changing positions without stopping to rest. Thus, you’ll benefit greatly from a workout routine that mimics the nonstop grappling battle.

You’ll want full body exercises because nearly all Brazilian Jiu Jitsu moves use your entire body in some form or another. To achieve that continuous flow, you can use what most pro fighters use - circuit workouts.

Circuit training is as close as you can get to a grappling match in the sense that you move directly from one exercise to the next without stopping. This is great because the exercises can combine everything from speed to explosiveness to endurance and stamina.

But the most overlooked movements are probably static exercises. Grappling consists of a lot of moves where you have to hold a static position.

Think for example a standing guard pass where you might have to hold a squat position - while supporting some, if not all, of your your opponents weight - for a given period of time.

So you’ll want to mimic those types of movements by things like a wall sit, holding a push-up position halfway to the floor, holding yourself at the top of a pull-up bar and holding a superman position. The great thing is these exercises will fit right into your circuit workouts.

Especially if your workouts consist of other bodyweight exercises, which of course work great for all grapplers. Many people want to argue about body weight exercise versus lifting weights, but really it’s not about that. You can do circuit training with ANY exercises.

Of course some exercises are better than others. Here’s what it really comes down to. I’ll take drills that closely resemble either the positions or movements of a fight over generic approaches like bench pressing or running on a treadmill any day of the week.

Fitness and conditioning for grapplers, especially BJJ guys, is so much fun to dive into. That’s why I’m constantly testing and putting together new and better ways to train for Jiu Jitsu. If you’d like to stay updated on this and receive daily training tips and motivation, the best thing you can do is sign up for my free conditioning for fighters email newsletter. You’ll be joining thousands of grapplers, BJJ guys, and other martial artists from all different backgrounds who are loving it.

Look around the site as well and check out some of the other training articles. If you have specific questions, feel free to send them in. There’s a contact button somewhere around here.

Here’s another great article on the conditioning many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters use.