Weight lifting - how necessary?

check out Randy Coutures grappling circuit workout, I hear ya about lifting being boring but stuff like this is fun.
 
I do weight lifting because I like doing it. I do feel that it translates well into BJJ. However I don't do too many excercises since I feel like jiu jitsu acts as a substitue to my "assistance" lifts.

Day 1: Weighted Pull Ups, Squats, Bench Press
Day 2: Weighted Pull Ups, Dead Lifts, Bench Press

I just alternate those lifts every other day MWF and use the 5x5 work out.

I run 5-8 minutes on the treadmill prior to lifting to get a light sweat. All my cardio is done through bjj. That's pretty much it.
 
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Man I fucking hate lifting weights. Hate it more than anyone Ive ever met. I feel like Im gonna shit myself and throw up at the same time. Words cant express how terrible it is in my mind.

That being said you absolutely will not be a champion if you dont.
And competitiveness aside, it is critical for injury prevention and your general well being if you train consistently and train hard. Ive had multiple knee and back injuries that were cured or otherwise vastly improved from strengthening my body so the injured area was taking less stress. Suck it up.
 
there's no reason not to lift unless you've got brittle bones, but then if you don't probably shouldn't be grappling.

when technique is matched with technique, strength tips the balance
 
I personally don't lift because I am a lazy bastard. However, it can only help. BUT, just because it can help doesn't mean you HAVE to do it.

The only non-grappling exercise I do is some weekend hiking and swimming during the days.
 
I LOVE lifting....I enjoy every minute of it, in fact I wish I loved training bjj as much as lifting weights seriously, then I feel like Id be close to having Marcelo dedication. I kinda wish I didnt want to have strength or size, Im still having issues with cardio being at/near 200lbs at 5'8 now whereas I didnt before at a lighter weight. If you want to just be a little stronger, just focus on a couple main compound movements ie deadlifts, squats, barbell rows/pullups and improve flexibility.
 
Kenny from MD said:
Man I fucking hate lifting weights. Hate it more than anyone Ive ever met. I feel like Im gonna shit myself and throw up at the same time. Words cant express how terrible it is in my mind.

That being said you absolutely will not be a champion if you dont.
And competitiveness aside, it is critical for injury prevention and your general well being if you train consistently and train hard. Ive had multiple knee and back injuries that were cured or otherwise vastly improved from strengthening my body so the injured area was taking less stress. Suck it up.
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I'm in this boat. I hate running equally however. My horrible knees hate running and squats/lunges of any kind. All I did in HS was lift and after I graduated I barely touched a weight again....my dad lifted his whole like and his joints are wrecked and he is super-cautious form guy who always lifts with technique. He was of decent size in his time....I'm interested in core excercises, however. Deadlifting and kettles interest me a bit...

Did I mention I hate weights and running?
 
TalkShowOnMute said:
I'm in this boat. I hate running equally however. My horrible knees hate running and squats/lunges of any kind. All I did in HS was lift and after I graduated I barely touched a weight again....my dad lifted his whole like and his joints are wrecked and he is super-cautious form guy who always lifts with technique. He was of decent size in his time....I'm interested in core excercises, however. Deadlifting and kettles interest me a bit...

Did I mention I hate weights and running?
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So I hear you somewhat dislike jogging rather quickly and picking up bars with plates on them?
 
My coach thinks its necessary, especially if you want to be a world class competitor. So I am starting to lift now, not getting to crazy yet.
 
CyberFreq said:
So I hear you somewhat dislike jogging rather quickly and picking up bars with plates on them?
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Indeed old chap. Dislike it thoroughly.

My last round of weight training looked something like this...

10rqpue.jpg
 
I agree with wOg. I don't think weight lifting is that important. Do what you find fun. I enjoy cardio workouts. I find that my running and cycling makes it so I can keep rolling when the muscle guys who outweigh me by 50+ lbs are sucking wind.

In my opinion too many people focus on pushing type movements. How often does someone succeed in bench pressing their opponent off of them. I would suggest, if you are going to do weight training, focusing on pull-ups, dead lifts, physio ball exercises would be most helpful. Work your pulling muscles, grip strength and balance.
 
Goat Meal said:
. To counter-act the effects of push dominant workouts (like shoulder bursitis, rounded shoulders, etc)




Man..just want to say..I have developed elbow bursitis...and...it..fucking BLOOOOOWS. It is sooo ridiculous. I can move my elbow in any direction..you can arm bar me...nothing..but if a finger GRAZES..and I mean grazes my elbow with the slightest pressure...it burns as if there is a lighter being held to it.

If someone pulls my sleeve tight..it causes it to burn. If I post up on my elbow....HELLO...fire elbow. It sucks.
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Movement and exercise of any kind are important. Lifting weights, of any appreciable load, is a pivotal tool in the movement and exercise universe. Lifting heavy stuff makes your body produce lots of hormones that help muscular growth. As well, lifting heavy stuff while moving, such as farmer's walks or sled pushes, is a cardio barn burner.

Lifting heavy stuff is a great tool for any competitor in seemingly any sport. If you are an athlete, you need to be strong, quick, and agile. You can achieve these things using the tool of lifting heavy stuff. But, as others have said, that shouldn't be your only tool.

However, this doesn't mean you should neglect it.

Lift heavy stuff.
 
Goat Meal said:
Weight lifting can be very important in regard to injury prevention. Athletes of all kinds develop imbalances due to their sport, so abiding by a routine to train the antagonistic muscles would go a long way to help keep you training longer and harder.

We'll take kind of an off-the-wall scenario, but let's consider the life style of a military person. Their PT usually consists of lots of push-ups and long distance running. To counter-act the effects of push dominant workouts (like shoulder bursitis, rounded shoulders, etc) doing a day or two of heavy pulling exercises like pull-ups or pull-ups would be great. Similarly, long distance running tends to put a lot of the load on the quads so doing ass-to-grass squats or deadlifts or SLDL or any other exercise that trained the posterior chain would be of value.
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You seem to understand this stuff pretty well-- if a BJJ practicioner is starting to get tendonitis or bursitis in his elbow joints and surrounding area, just pain in the elbow, what weight lifting regimen would you recommend? Push/pull? Explosive/non-explosive?

Thanks for any advice (obviously, I get sore elbows and was looking for advice).
 
I started grappling in high school. I was fairly skinny then, around 150. By the time I left for college, I was 155 and wasn't able to train at the campus I was at. During the school year, I lifted 5-6 days a week and picked up 10 lbs. When I came back to class, even though I was rusty, I felt like I was controlling people was easier.

In the end technique is always most important, then cardio, then strength training (weights). It really could help your game if you embrace it. Just make sure you are focused on power lifts. Four sets of six reps (or even less reps) with a lot of weight is the way you want to go.
 
bjjmedic said:
I agree with wOg. I don't think weight lifting is that important. Do what you find fun. I enjoy cardio workouts. I find that my running and cycling makes it so I can keep rolling when the muscle guys who outweigh me by 50+ lbs are sucking wind.

In my opinion too many people focus on pushing type movements. How often does someone succeed in bench pressing their opponent off of them. I would suggest, if you are going to do weight training, focusing on pull-ups, dead lifts, physio ball exercises would be most helpful. Work your pulling muscles, grip strength and balance.
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Working strength makes you overall harder to control. There are some guys you can move around and then there are those solid bodied guys who you pull or push and nothing hardly happens. Also, a good example is a kimura or armbar. Not smart to try to muscle out of either but adding in that strength training makes it that much harder for a person which buys you the little time you need to escape.

When I was in high school, I was always the skinny kid at class. I remember getting a kimura on a guy from guard and it came down to me not being able to move his flexed up arm. He even told me after that I did what I needed to, I just needed to try my hardest to torque it. I haven't had a problem like that since adding in lifts.

You could argue it takes from your cardio (which at first, it killed me) but you eventually build it up again and get use to it. Mind is a lot of what cardio is imo for grappling.
 
I go to bjj 3x a week, and I just started lifting again. Haven't seriously lifted since high school (5+ years ago). Now i do bjj 3x and lift 3x a week (opposite days), with 1 day off. With heavy eating and heaving lifting I put on close to 10 lbs. in the last month. I feel a lot stronger, so i think it's a huge benefit. I wouldn't sacrifice training for lifting, though.
 
WitchCraft said:
I'd say lifting is essential to better your BJJ game. To prevent injuries and to be more explosive. If you're getting bored, challenge yourself more and set goals.
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Excellent advice. My game has gotten much better since I got stronger.

If you're bored with lifting, make it a competition. Set goals and shatter them.
 
Oldguy said:
I train 3 days a week. I stretch for 30 minutes each morning. On my non-training days, I run 5 miles or ride an exercise bike for 30 minutes. I force myself to lift weights one day a week. But, to be honest, I HATE it. For me, it is so boring.

How necessary is weight lifting in your opinion for staying fit and not injured? Is it worth the time for you?

P.S. Just trying to get a sanity check. I am not a competitor. My goal is to keep training and gradually get better over time at BJJ.
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Weight lifting has been massively important for me. I took about 6 months off serious training, and hit the weights 4-5 times a week. As (one of) the smallest people in the class, I was just getting dominated by the bigger guys and - since we were all learning at the same rate - my technique was never going to compensate.

When I came back, 1.5-2 stone heavier, I was able to relax more and work my game a bit better, knowing that if they wanted to make it muscle vs. muscle that I would be able to match them. I improved so much since then, and I doubt that would be the case if I was still 10 stone, getting crushed every session.

So, in context, I believe weight lifting can help you get better at BJJ over time.
 
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