Strength training and Bjj

[Hanzou]

So, I've decided that I want to balance out my body, and do some heavy strength training. Not body-builder level, but large enough so that the rest of my body match the size of my chest and shoulder areas. Also my uneven body proportions are causing issues with my legs and back, so I'm going to build that up as well. So yeah, I definitely plan on packing some muscles, and with my frame (I'm being told) that it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm already linked up with a personal trainer, and a close friend who body builds, and this is going to be an ongoing thing for the foreseeable future.

My main worry though is how heavy strength training and large muscles will effect my Bjj training. I've often wanted to be a bit smaller so that I could be more technical, but due to my larger size (6'2, 225-230 lbs), I've always been more about getting the top position and holding it. The guard has always been my weak point, and now I'm afraid with additional strength training and muscle mass, I may start to rely more on strength than technique, negatively effecting my skill set IMO.

I've talked about this with my instructor and he's brushed my concerns aside, (mainly I think he's excited because he gets to test his technique against a larger grappler) and he's telling me not to worry about it. However, I wanted to discuss this with some grapplers who aren't going to roll with me, and may have experienced this themselves.

What are some negative and positive effects of heavy strength training? What are some major pitfalls that I should avoid moving forward (I'm currently purple belt)?

 

[jezr74]

You can get stronger without the mass. Just don't diet to bulk. I do a basic 5x5 that has improved my strength over all, muscle, ligaments, joints etc.

I'd worry about putting on extra mass if it becomes an issue. And it shouldn't unless your diet changes to make it happen. Keep away from the BS supplements and just lift.

Balance it out with some burst exercise, tabata, sprints etc.

I can't think of any real world problems caused by getting your body in shape. Maybe if your were a golfer it would change your swing at a high level.

Good question is how old are you and how active are you now?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Strength training is absolutely great for your martial training. Just make sure you stretch as well and you will be fine!

 

[jezr74]

Rest is very important too. You can do alot of damage and loose the advantages if you overtrain.

 

[Shai Hulud]

Heavy strength training, whether with K-bells, sandbags, barbells or dumbbells, is always recommendable, so long as you know what you are doing. Naturally it will increase your workload capacity and prime you more for physical activity, but it is best to follow a program, or at the very least set goals for your strength training. You can tone your body, get very strong, but not necessarily pack on too much muscle mass.

You may do this by increasing the number of sets per exercise, but lowering the number of repetitions (8 sets of 5-6 reps is the winning formula for the glorious Russian national weightlifting team) - repetitions that you will grind through ever so slowly, generating as much tension on your muscles and joints that you overload your nerves and push your muscular, skeletal and nervous systems past their limit. Strength training must also be balanced - if you plan to press a lot, allot a few exercises for your core and lower body as well. Do not forget your cardio work. Weight training can burn calories and fat also, but it does not have the same metabolic "kick" of steady-state cardio and HIIT. This will speed up the process of converting your fat to previous muscle.

The most notable cons I see to strength training, particularly when done improperly, are imbalanced distribution of muscle mass throughout the body, and possible injury from improper technique, or even overuse. Take care of your core and lower body (cardio or more weight training targeting that area), and train SAFE (Simple, achievable, functional exercise). Bench-pressing 300 or up may give you an impressive chest, but will it translate to your BJJ performance (bench-pressing also isolates the muscle groups of your upper body, making you more susceptible to injury)? These are questions that must be asked in lieu of a proper inquiry into strength training for martial art. I must also stress the importance of rest: 3x weekly is good, with 24-48hr breaks in between sessions. During this time you may seek viable active recovery exercises to further your progress.

I personally do not bench-press. I don't even use cables, weight plates or dumbbells, curl bars or barbells. I only really use kettlebells, sandbags, sledgehammers, large tires, and pull-up bars. I swim, jump rope and free-run for cardio. Active recovery consists of tending to the mini-vegetable garden on my porch.

 

[kuniggety]

I am just a little bit smaller than you... 6' 1" and 200 lbs. I do resistance based strength training twice a week on top of my cardio. By doing strength training, you may actually find yourself get leaner and not larger if you're not eating for gains. One of the biggest factors in what the additional strength training will do to you/affect your game is what your diet is. Make sure you stretch... A lot. It is very easy to let your muscles tighten up because of the strength training which will result in you losing flexibility which will certainly affect your game.

 

[Shai Hulud]

Make sure you stretch... A lot.

Can't be stressed enough. The stretching after sessions keeps one supple, and the joint mobility exercises before sessions keeps one's hinges well-oiled for tension.

 

[drop bear]

Go find out for yourself. Find a wrestler or a competitive submission guy and see if a strong explosive style has advantages.

 

[Buka]

I think the most common pitfall with sudden (a year or so) muscle mass gain, is overall attitude. Oh, sure, we all know and recognize that - but when you suddenly have that new added strength that increased muscle mass gives you - technique (not the technique you have now, but the better/learned technique you'll have five years from now) sometimes takes a back seat physcologically.) Might be best to recognize the pitfalls we're all subject to.