In this article, you will discover the best BJJ strength and conditioning workouts and exercises. Each section also includes a free workout plan that you can add to your BJJ training regimen to boost your strength and conditioning in a short period of time.
Without further ado, let’s dive right into it.
BJJ Strength Training
Strength in BJJ is crucial for controlling opponents, executing techniques with power and precision, and resisting opponent pressure effectively. Adding strength training to your regimen can enhance your overall performance and improve your technique.
The following six strength exercises are the most beneficial. We split them into two separate groups:
- Functional Strength — Deadlifts, Squats, Pull-ups
- Isolation exercises — Farmer’s walks, Bulgarian Split Squats, Renegade Rows
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a fundamental exercise that engages multiple muscle groups. This primarily includes the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and core. Performing deadlifts with proper form helps improve overall strength and power, which are essential for executing explosive movements in BJJ.
The hip hinge motion involved in deadlifts mimics many movements used in BJJ, such as bridging, lifting opponents, and maintaining posture during grappling exchanges.
Squats
Squats are versatile exercises that target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles. Variations like back squats, front squats, and overhead squats offer unique benefits for strength development and mobility.
Strong legs and hips are crucial for generating power in BJJ techniques like takedowns, guard passing, and maintaining a stable base while defending or attacking.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are great for building upper body strength, particularly in the back, arms, and grip. BJJ practitioners rely heavily on grip strength to control their opponent’s movements and execute submissions. Additionally, a strong back and arms help with pulling movements essential for manoeuvres like clinching, controlling grips, and executing throws or sweeps.
Farmer’s Walks
Farmer’s walks involve walking while holding heavy weights, typically dumbbells or kettlebells, in each hand. This exercise primarily targets grip strength, forearm muscles, and shoulder stability. Grip strength is invaluable in BJJ for controlling opponents, maintaining grips on the gi, and preventing submissions. Strong forearms also contribute to overall arm endurance during prolonged grappling exchanges.
Bulgarian Split Squats
Bulgarian split squats is a leg exercise that challenges stability and strength in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. By isolating each leg, this exercise helps address muscle imbalances and improves overall lower body stability. In BJJ, unilateral leg strength is essential for maintaining balance and stability while executing techniques from various positions, especially when one leg is supporting the body’s weight.
Renegade Rows
Renegade rows combine a push-up motion with a rowing motion using dumbbells or kettlebells. This exercise targets the core, upper back, shoulders, and arms, promoting functional strength and stability. A strong core and upper body are crucial for maintaining posture, resisting opponent pressure, and executing effective movements in BJJ, such as bridging, twisting, and maintaining guard control.
Free Strength and Conditioning Workout for BJJ:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Notes |
| Deadlifts | 3 x 5 | Use challenging weight with proper form |
| Squats (Back Squat) | 3 x 8 | Focus on full range of motion |
| Pull-ups | 3 x 8-10 | Use assistance if needed for proper form |
| Farmer’s Walks | 3 x 50 ft | Hold heavy dumbbells or kettlebells |
| Bulgarian Split Squats | 3 x 10 each leg | Maintain stability and control |
| Renegade Rows | 3 x 8 each arm | Keep core engaged throughout the movement |
Notes:
- Warm up with dynamic stretches and activation drills before starting the workout.
- Rest for 60–90 seconds between sets to optimize strength and muscle recovery.
- Focus on proper form and technique for each exercise to minimize the risk of injury.
- Adjust weights and repetitions based on your fitness levels and goals.
- Cool down with static stretches and foam rolling to aid in muscle recovery and flexibility.
BJJ Conditioning Workouts
Conditioning is essential for BJJ practitioners to maintain endurance throughout matches, recover quickly between intense exchanges, and prevent injuries by strengthening muscles and improving joint stability. It also fosters mental toughness, enhancing resilience and performance under pressure, ultimately contributing to success on the mat.
The following 5 exercises will boost your cardiovascular endurance in a record-breaking time. The exercises are split into two separate groups:
- High-Intensity Interval Training — HIIT Intervals and Shuttle Sprints
- Circuit Training — Bear Crawls, Medicine Ball Slams, Battle Ropes
- Low-impact cardio workouts – light jogging, cycling or swimming to improve overall fitness and recovery.
HIIT Intervals
HIIT intervals involve performing an exercise at maximum intensity for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for a total of 4 minutes. This format boosts cardiovascular endurance, enhances anaerobic capacity, and improves recovery time, all of which are vital for sustaining high intensity during BJJ matches.
Shuttle Sprints
Shuttle sprints replicate the stop-and-go nature of BJJ matches, requiring rapid changes in direction and bursts of speed. By simulating the intermittent bursts of energy expenditure in grappling, shuttle sprints improve agility, speed, and conditioning specific to BJJ scenarios, ultimately enhancing performance on the mat.
Bear Crawls
Bear crawls engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, including the core, shoulders, and legs, while enhancing coordination and cardiovascular endurance. Mimicking the movement patterns and intensity of grappling exchanges, bear crawls improve overall functional strength and endurance, preparing BJJ practitioners for the demands of intense matches.
Medicine Ball Slams
Medicine ball slams are explosive movements that develop power, speed, and core strength. By incorporating full-body movements and dynamic power generation, medicine ball slams replicate the explosive actions required in BJJ techniques like takedowns, sweeps, and transitions, while also enhancing overall athletic performance and resilience.
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are a versatile tool for improving grip strength, endurance, and upper body conditioning. The rhythmic waves produced by battling ropes engage the muscles of the arms, shoulders, and core, while also challenging grip strength under fatigue. Strong grip endurance is crucial in BJJ for maintaining control over opponents, executing submissions, and defending against attacks, making battle ropes an invaluable conditioning exercise for grapplers.
BJJ conditioning workout:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps/Time | Notes |
| Shuttle Sprints | 5 rounds | 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest |
| Bear Crawls | 3 rounds | 50 feet (or 30 seconds) per round |
| Medicine Ball Slams | 3 x 15 reps | Use a challenging weight and explosive movement |
| Battle Ropes | 3 rounds | 30 seconds waves, 30 seconds rest |
| Box Jumps | 3 x 10 reps | Focus on explosive power and landing softly |
| Plank Variations | 3 rounds | 30 seconds each variation, 30 seconds rest |
Notes: Perform each exercise with maximum effort while maintaining proper form. Rest for 1–2 minutes between rounds to allow for recovery.
HIIT workout for BJJ practitioners
| Exercise | Sets x Reps/Time | Notes |
| Jump Squats | 5 rounds | 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest |
| Burpees | 5 rounds | 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest |
| Mountain Climbers | 5 rounds | 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest |
| Sled Push (or Alternating Forward Lunges) | 5 rounds | 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest |
| Kettlebell Swings | 5 rounds | 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest |
| Rowing Machine | 5 rounds | 1 minute work, 1 minute rest |
For a low-impact cardio, do:
| Exercise | Duration | Notes |
| Jogging at Conversational Pace | 30 minutes | Maintain a steady, comfortable pace, focus on breathing and form |
| Swimming (Any Style) | 30 minutes | Choose a stroke comfortable for you, focus on rhythmic breathing |
| Maintain a consistent pace, and adjust resistance as needed for challenge | 1 hour | Maintain a consistent pace, adjust resistance as needed for challenge |
BJJ Strength and Conditioning For Beginners (Weekly)
Following is a BJJ strength and conditioning weekly workout for beginners that consists of two separate workouts. The first one focuses on strength training while the second one is for building cardio and endurance. Feel free to adapt this workout to your individual fitness level.
Strength Training (Day 1):
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Rest Between Sets | Notes |
| Squats | 3 x 8-10 | 60-90 seconds | Focus on form and full range of motion. |
| Push-ups | 3 x 8-12 | 60-90 seconds | Maintain proper form throughout. |
| Plank | 3 x 30 sec | 60-90 seconds | Keep core engaged and back straight. |
| Deadlifts | 3 x 6-8 | 2 minutes | Start with light weight to focus on form. |
| Pull-ups or Lat Pulldowns | 3 x 6-8 | 2 minutes | Use the assisted pull-up machine if needed. |
| Russian Twists | 3 x 12-15 | 60-90 seconds | Use light weight or medicine ball. |
Cardio and endurance (Day 2)
The following are three separate workouts you can choose between that include HIIT and low-impact cardio.
| Exercise | Duration/Reps | Rest Between Sets | Rounds |
| Dumbbell Thrusters | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 3 rounds |
| Jump Squats | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 3 rounds |
| Dumbbell Renegade Rows | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 3 rounds |
| Burpees | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 3 rounds |
| Dumbbell Lunges | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 3 rounds |
| Time | Intensity/Activity | Description |
| 0:00-5:00 | Easy Jog | Begin with a gentle jog at a comfortable pace. |
| 5:00-10:00 | Steady Jog | Maintain a steady pace, slightly faster than warm-up. |
| 10:00-15:00 | Interval Jog | Alternate between 1 minute of faster-paced jogging and 1 minute of recovery pace. |
| 15:00-20:00 | Increase Pace | Increase the jogging intensity for the next 5 minutes. |
| 20:00-25:00 | Interval Jog | Repeat the 1-minute fast-paced jogging followed by 1-minute recovery pace. |
| 25:00-30:00 | Sprint Finish | Finish with a 5-minute sprint, gradually increasing the pace every minute. |
Recovery and Injury Prevention
Recovery and injury prevention are crucial in BJJ to maintain optimal physical condition, sustain performance levels, and prolong longevity in the sport.
Prioritizing these aspects ensures practitioners can train consistently, minimize setbacks, and enjoy the benefits of continued progress and success on the mat.
Post-Workout Stretching and Foam Rolling
Stretching and foam rolling help alleviate muscle tension, reduce soreness, and enhance flexibility, which are crucial for maintaining optimal performance and preventing injuries in BJJ.
Stretching improves the range of motion in joints and muscles, while foam rolling targets tight areas, releasing knots and adhesions that can lead to imbalances and discomfort.
Yoga or Mobility to Maintain Flexibility and Prevent Injuries
Yoga and mobility exercises focus on improving joint mobility, flexibility, and balance, key components for injury prevention and longevity in BJJ. These practices enhance body awareness, correct imbalances, and promote recovery by stretching and strengthening muscles in a controlled manner, reducing the risk of strains, sprains, and overuse injuries common in grappling sports.
Listening to Your Body and Give It Enough Rest
Rest and recovery are essential for BJJ practitioners to recharge both physically and mentally, allowing muscles to repair and adapt to training stress. Ignoring signs of fatigue or overtraining can lead to burnout, decreased performance, and increased susceptibility to injuries. By listening to their bodies and incorporating sufficient rest periods into their training schedules, practitioners can maintain peak performance levels and sustain their long-term progress in BJJ.
Final Thoughts on BJJ Strength and Conditioning
Strength and conditioning play a pivotal role in the success of grapplers, especially BJJ beginners enhancing performance, endurance, and resilience on the mat. By prioritizing these aspects of training, practitioners can improve their overall physical capabilities and excel in grappling exchanges.
By committing to regular training, proper recovery, and a balanced approach to strength and conditioning, athletes can elevate their skills, overcome challenges, and thrive in the dynamic world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
