Lifting Weights for BJJ 101
Authored by Diana Wang, a DPT degree holder in physical therapy, this blog post highlights the importance of weight lifting, especially for jiu-jitsu enthusiasts aiming to prevent injuries and enhance recovery. Numerous studies underline the diverse health benefits of consistent weight lifting.
We recognize that beginning a weight lifting journey might seem complex, but it doesn't have to be. For those curious about exercise names, a quick YouTube search will yield plenty of instructional videos. Feel free to explore these resources to kickstart your journey into weight lifting. We hope you enjoy and find this post helpful.
-Professor Thomaz and the Caique Jiu-Jitsu staff
You want to start lifting weights but have no idea where to start? This blog post is for you.
Step 1: GET YOUR HEART RATE UP
Find something that can get your heart rate up. That could be a bike, treadmill or a short HIIT circuit.
An example of a HIIT circuit is 3 rounds of:
- 20 jumping jacks
- 20 high knees
- 20 pogos in place
Step 2: PREP YOUR CORE & MUSCLES
The body moves more efficiently when your nervous system fires properly. The way you do this is to stimulate your muscles before lifting heavy.
An example of a core/warm-up prep is 1-2 rounds of:
- 30 second beast crawl in different directions
- 30 second side plank variations
- 5x hamstring bridges
- 10x half kneeling halos
- 10x single leg romanian deadlifts
Step 3: PICK 1 LOWER BODY COMPOUND / 1 UPPER BODY COMPOUND
The simpler the better. Every month pick 1 big lower body compound & 1 upper body compound to work on & get strong at. Start with 3-4 sets of 5-6 reps. If the weight you choose allows you to struggle at rep 5-6, you’re likely in a pretty good weight range.
Examples of combinations include:
- Goblet squat w/ bench press
- Reverse lunge w/ overhead press
- Deadlifts w/ rows
- Single leg deadlifts w/ pull ups
Step 4: PICK 2 UPPER BODY & 2 LOWER BODY ACCESSORIES
Accessories are more of the fun bodybuilding style exercises. Pick your favorites & enjoy! Start with 2 sets of 10-15 reps. Enjoy the burn with these rep ranges.
Examples of accessories would be:
- Upper body
- Bicep curls
- Tricep push downs
- Bench dips
- Multidirectional shoulder raises
- Pec fly
- Lower body
- Knee extension
- Hamstring curls
- Calf raises
- Adductor/abductor machine
Step 5: COOL DOWN
The goal with a cool down is to get the nervous system back to a relaxed state.
Easy cool down options are 3-5 minutes of:
- Slow, controlled breathing
- Stretching
- Sauna/steam room
There you have it! A simple breakdown of how to build a workout. Of course there are millions of other exercises you can choose from, so find the ones you like & let’s get strong!!
A couple things to remember:
- Keep it simple. You don’t need to overcomplicate a program to get the benefits!
- Listen to your body when it comes to intensity. You don’t need to go hard every day.
- Sometimes a lighter, mindful day will help your progress more than you know.
- Strength training is a great way to keep your body durable for BJJ
- Make sure your off the mats/gym recovery routine is on point too! Diet, hydration, sleep are key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Have fun! Lifting should be fun. That’ll make it easier to be consistent for the long term.
One-month beginner’s program
Recommended frequency: twice a week.
| Workout section | Week 1 Day 1 | Week 1 Day 2 | Week 2 Day 1 | Week 2 Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Heart Rate | (2 rounds) 20x - jumping jacks 20x - jump rope 20x - high knees | (2 rounds) 20x - jumping jacks 20x - jump rope 20x - high knees | (2 rounds) 20x - high knees 20x - jump squats 20x - side shuffles | (2 rounds) 20x - high knees 20x - jump squats 20x - side shuffles |
Movement Prep | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - copenhagen plank 15x - single leg bridges 15x - standing clamshells | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - side plank 10x - kneeling halos 15x - downward dogs | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - copenhagen plank 15x - single leg bridges 15x - standing clamshells | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - side plank 10x - kneeling halos 15x - downward dogs |
Compounds | (3 rounds) 8x - goblet squats - 7 RPE 10x - bulgarian split squats - 6 RPE 15x - calf raises | (3 rounds) 8x - dumbbell bench - 7 RPE 10x - single arm lat pulldown - 6 RPE 10x - plank walk out | (3 rounds) 8x - goblet squats - 7 RPE 10x - bulgarian split squats - 6 RPE 15x - calf raises | (3 rounds) 8x - dumbbell bench - 7 RPE 10x - single arm lat pulldown - 6 RPE 10x - plank walk out |
Accessories | (2 rounds) 10x - hip airplanes 10x - ant tib raises | (2 rounds) 10x - bicep curls 10x - bench dips 10x - lateral raises | (2 rounds) 10x - hip airplanes 10x - ant tib raises | (2 rounds) 10x - bicep curls 10x - bench dips 10x - lateral raises |
Cool Down | 3-min breathing or stretching | 3-min breathing or stretching | 3-min breathing or stretching | 3-min breathing or stretching |
| Workout section | Week 3 Day 1 | Week 3 Day 2 | Week 4 Day 1 | Week 4 Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Heart Rate | (5 min) Bike circuit 20 sec sprint 40 sec rest | (5 min) Bike circuit 20 sec sprint 40 sec rest | (5 min) Treadmill circuit 20 sec jog 40 sec rest | (5 min) Treadmill circuit 20 sec jog 40 sec rest |
Movement Prep | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - copenhagen plank 15x - single leg bridges 15x - standing clamshells | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - side plank 10x - kneeling halos 15x - downward dogs | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - Copenhagen plank 15x - single leg bridges 15x - standing clamshells | (2 rounds) 30 sec - beast crawl 30 sec - side plank 10x - kneeling halos 15x - downward dogs |
Compounds | (3 rounds) 8x - neutral grip DB RDL - 7 RPE 10x - reverse lunges - 6 RPE 20 sec - narrow lunge isometric | (3 rounds) 8x - overhead press - 7 RPE 10x - single arm row - 6 RPE 10x - shoulder CARs | (3 rounds) 8x - neutral grip DB RDL - 7 RPE 10x - reverse lunges - 6 RPE 20 sec - narrow lunge isometric | (3 rounds) 8x - overhead press - 7 RPE 10x - single arm row - 6 RPE 10x - shoulder CARs |
Accessories | (2 rounds) 10x - single leg calf raises 10x - lateral adductor sliders | (2 rounds) 10x - hammer curls 10x - shrugs 10x - face pulls | (2 rounds) 10x - single leg calf raises 10x - lateral adductor sliders | (2 rounds) 10x - hammer curls 10x - shrugs 10x - face pulls |
Cool Down | 3-min breathing or stretching | 3-min breathing or stretching | 3-min breathing or stretching | 3-min breathing or stretching |