Yoga or Weight Lifting?

[J-mo]

I'm debating whether to supplement BJJ training with weight lifting or yoga. I'm 5'8" 145 pounds.

I'm typically the smallest adult in my classes. Even against guys that are my weight and shorter, I feel a lot weaker. I also wouldn't consider myself very flexible. I do have an edge in that over the stockier guys, but nothing that I think that will give me a big advantage

With that said, what would you guys recommend?

 

[Stephan Kesting]

As someone who has done both a lot of yoga and weight training I would suggest that most people would benefit the most from weight training as long as they also consistently stretch after lifting and at other times as well

That being said, the exercise you like more is the exercise you're most likely to stick with. So try both. Do one for a month then the other. See how your body feels and how it affects your jiujitsu.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

I'm debating whether to supplement BJJ training with weight lifting or yoga. I'm 5'8" 145 pounds.

I'm typically the smallest adult in my classes. Even against guys that are my weight and shorter, I feel a lot weaker. I also wouldn't consider myself very flexible. I do have an edge in that over the stockier guys, but nothing that I think that will give me a big advantage

With that said, what would you guys recommend?

you are waaaay too skinny for you height, you have to put some muscle, and then add some flexibility.

 

[TehGwarch]

You can lift weights in your spare time and stretch out after class and lifting. You don't need to do "yoga".

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

As someone who does neither - weightlifting. Not even close.

 

[DiscipleOfPog]

Both are super important for different reasons. Weight lifting will obviously strengthen your body for the sake of being stronger on the mats, but it also keeps you strong for the sake of injury prevention. It prepares the body for the stresses encountered while rolling. I also think it's important for recovery. I look at a squat or deadlift with good form and moderate weight as almost a "reset" for your body, or as a sort of demonstration to your body of what the proper way to align itself is, and therefore, helps your body to heal properly.

I don't necessarily do proper "Yoga," but I do have a full body stretch routine that I do probably 15-30 mins. a day, more after extensive rolling sessions. The stretches are important for not only flexibility, relaxing of the muscles, and improved recovery, but stretching also gets you in tune with your body. If you stretch everything every day, you'll know exactly when something is a bit tighter or a bit more sore, so you can use your knowledge of your own body to decide when it's time for rest days.

Obviously if you can fit both, they are both important. If you must only pick one, I'd go with weight lifting.

 

[BVG]

Theirs benefits to taking yoga...

I just don't know what they are.

 

[Hotora86]

Ten years ago when I was still a newby in martial arts one of the bigger guys in the dojo was talking about his gym routine to another guy after training. I said "why do you need weightlifting if you already do Karate"? He said half-jokingly "there is no Karate without weightlifting!"

Some months later I understood how right he was. General body training is essential if you want to progress in martial arts - be it weightlifting, calisthenics or even crossfit. And this applies to both grappling and standup in my opinion.

In Okinawan Karate supplemental weight training was called Hojo Undo and it was obligatory. Nowadays nobody does anything more than a few dozen pushups in Karate class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hojo_undō

 

[Uchi Mata]

Weights. Eat like a bear and do compound lifts. It will help.

 

[j123]

Lifting.

Benefits:
-strength
-Improved explosive strength (it is a subset of maximal strength)
-injury prevention
-increased metabolism

Last year I was 156lbs and struggled to hit 6 pullups. I've dedicated this year (well starting from last Nov) to building strength and a solid foundation. I'm now 180lbs, and can do 10 pullups, and with 20lbs suspended for 5-6 reps. I would've never hit that PR without lifting. My metabolism has shot through the roof from the increase in activity level, and also lean muscle mass that I've put on. My TDEE back then was 2800, now its 3600. Rarely do I get injured anymore, if I do, its from random occurrences where I slept in an odd position the night prior without knowing.

The only con is that when you're in a bulking cycle, you're not at your optimal competition weight and will be over your weight class. So if you're the type who always takes 3-4+ fights/events a year, you may have to drop it down to 1-2 based on the bulk/cut cycle.

 

[Turtlepawah]

Well, I'm gonna go against the grain and say yoga. Being a guy with a really small frame, I can say that no matter how muscular I get, I still wouldn't come close even to bigger guys with just average strength. Aside from that, more muscle mass means less cardio, less mobility and less speed due to the extra weight.

The benefits of yoga is not simply flexibility. It is learning how to align your body to make it is stable and balanced as possible. It is about developing stability in seemingly awkward, off balanced positions, as opposed to the very linear approch of weight lifting. As a small guy, your best bet is to be able to find those positions where your muscles can work as efficiently as possible (framing, leverage, all that bjj is about really), not about being as explosive as possible as this the efficiacy of this type of strength quickly deteriorates as the size advantage of your opponent increases.

In the end, of course you should do whatever makes you feel better. I have never liked the way weight lifting makes me feel; stiff and heavy (I rather do calisthetics for strength). On the other hand, most people seems to enjoy lifting, so maybe it's just me. Lastly, don't listen to people that tell you you're too skinny or too small. The beauty of bjj is that there is a style for literally every body type out there. I have gotten my ass kicked by every body type imaginable from short and stubby to tall and lanky, and I have kicked the ass of people of every body type. Accept your body as it is, and try to play to it's strengths rather than trying to change it into something it's not.

 

[sha]

you are waaaay too skinny for you height, you have to put some muscle, and then add some flexibility.

Those are perfectly normal weight and height.

Now regarding the original question, it's really hard to answer. I'm pretty sure both would help a lot, and that you should ultimately do both. So the question is which one you start with… I think weight lifting will probably require less time and be less painful, so it would probably make sense.

 

[jack36767]

Well, I'm gonna go against the grain and say yoga. Being a guy with a really small frame, I can say that no matter how muscular I get, I still wouldn't come close even to bigger guys with just average strength. Aside from that, more muscle mass means less cardio, less mobility and less speed due to the extra weight.

The benefits of yoga is not simply flexibility. It is learning how to align your body to make it is stable and balanced as possible. It is about developing stability in seemingly awkward, off balanced positions, as opposed to the very linear approch of weight lifting. As a small guy, your best bet is to be able to find those positions where your muscles can work as efficiently as possible (framing, leverage, all that bjj is about really), not about being as explosive as possible as this the efficiacy of this type of strength quickly deteriorates as the size advantage of your opponent increases.

In the end, of course you should do whatever makes you feel better. I have never liked the way weight lifting makes me feel; stiff and heavy (I rather do calisthetics for strength). On the other hand, most people seems to enjoy lifting, so maybe it's just me. Lastly, don't listen to people that tell you you're too skinny or too small. The beauty of bjj is that there is a style for literally every body type out there. I have gotten my ass kicked by every body type imaginable from short and stubby to tall and lanky, and I have kicked the ass of people of every body type. Accept your body as it is, and try to play to it's strengths rather than trying to change it into something it's not.

I understand all your points.. but you've also nor done the right type of lifting then if it makes you "stiff" and reduces your cardio

 

[lts5025]

There's no reason you can't do both.

 

[J-mo]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm not as skinny as some may think. I am lean, but not food deprived. I'm definitely not skipping meals or anything like that.

I would definitely like to do both, but finding the time for both along with bjj is impossible so I have to start somewhere with one and then switch.

 

[Marfa]

Theirs benefits to taking yoga...

I just don't know what they are.

Stop this.

I started doing yoga and I'm surrounded by old women and bald men. The hottest chick I have seen so far was a 20yo with a leg quite shorter than the other. The second hottest chick is like 36 yo with fake tatas and the face of someone that sucks lemons for a living. From there is all women in their 40s. And let's not kid ourselves, most women will look bangable in yoga pants while doing the sexy yoga poses unless their BMI is higher than my age.

Stop lying to me, Sherdog.

PS: I'd go with weightlifting.

 

[shaffmeister]

Weightlifting hands down

 

[SummerStriker]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm not as skinny as some may think. I am lean, but not food deprived. I'm definitely not skipping meals or anything like that.

I would definitely like to do both, but finding the time for both along with bjj is impossible so I have to start somewhere with one and then switch.

Yoga works pretty well as a warm up. Do you ever warm up for BJJ on your own? The sun salutations they taught us at a martial arts school I used to go to, along with some of the balance poses and stretches basically amount to an active warm-up with static poses to activate your muscles, followed by gentle, repetitive dynamic stretching.

A lot of it is largely just doing a wall sit for thirty seconds, followed by touching your toes ten times.

Saying, "Yoga," is almost as broad as saying, "grappling." There are all kinds of things people just call, "Yoga."

For me, it has been the best warmup for other activities.

 

[feelinCrisp]

Both are super important for different reasons. Weight lifting will obviously strengthen your body for the sake of being stronger on the mats, but it also keeps you strong for the sake of injury prevention. It prepares the body for the stresses encountered while rolling. I also think it's important for recovery. I look at a squat or deadlift with good form and moderate weight as almost a "reset" for your body, or as a sort of demonstration to your body of what the proper way to align itself is, and therefore, helps your body to heal properly.

I don't necessarily do proper "Yoga," but I do have a full body stretch routine that I do probably 15-30 mins. a day, more after extensive rolling sessions. The stretches are important for not only flexibility, relaxing of the muscles, and improved recovery, but stretching also gets you in tune with your body. If you stretch everything every day, you'll know exactly when something is a bit tighter or a bit more sore, so you can use your knowledge of your own body to decide when it's time for rest days.

Obviously if you can fit both, they are both important. If you must only pick one, I'd go with weight lifting.

I came here to say this.

Also smoke a little Sativa before either.

 

[IndyCovaHart]

Ballet imo