Balancing BJJ and The Program | Nick Delgadillo

[stef]

"Just like in any other sport, there will be times during the year when you prioritize getting strong, and there will be times when you prioritize skill.*"

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[Soule]

100% agree.

I’ve spent years trying to get stronger and train hard on the mats at the same time and it has been a struggle making progress under the bar, but also the injuries were rapidly accumulating.

After 6 years of consistent training I decided to take a layoff from the mats. 5 months of no sparring and I hit PRs every week with the barbell. Injuries that have been nagging me for years have all but gone away completely. I return to the mats after the holidays - about 15lbs heavier, much stronger, injury free and excited to train again.

To be honest I’m a little worried about my cardio and “ring rust” but I’m also looking forward to hearing the friendly complaints about how heavy I feel!

[Nick Rodgers]

Great article. Right now I’m taking a break from BJJ to focus on strength. Being weak and grappling led to multiple cases of tendinitis (Achilles and elbow) and aches and pains from a weak back. Lifting has helped me overcome most of the pains but I still want to get a little stronger before hitting the mat.

I think the advice here is quite good. I also suspect power cleans and barbell rows would help a lot in manipulating the Gi, i.e. for setting up throws or sweeps.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Great article. Right now I’m taking a break from BJJ to focus on strength. Being weak and grappling led to multiple cases of tendinitis (Achilles and elbow) and aches and pains from a weak back. Lifting has helped me overcome most of the pains but I still want to get a little stronger before hitting the mat.

I think the advice here is quite good. I also suspect power cleans and barbell rows would help a lot in manipulating the Gi, i.e. for setting up throws or sweeps.

None of the barbell lifts will have any DIRECT carryover in terms of any technique related thing because timing/practice/correct execution are so important, but I'm very comfortable telling people that heavy deadlifts will make you very hard to deal with because of their effect on grip and back strength.

[Nick Rodgers]

Oh yeah, one guy in particular that I always have trouble dealing with is a firefighter with a long lifting history that I can absolutely never break the posture of. It’s like rolling with a brick wall instead of a human being. Again, coming from a weak guy trying to get stronger now. The deadlift in particular has shown me how weak my back has been.

[Soule]

Having a strong deadlift most definitely makes you a headache for those who like to play closed guard.

[mdb]

"Just like in any other sport, there will be times during the year when you prioritize getting strong, and there will be times when you prioritize skill.*"

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Good article Nick.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Good article Nick.

Thank you.

[maxwell_scot]

I'm a novice lifter and also new to BJJ. The article recommends that I just get started doing both right away.

I'm just curious if there is any advantage to focusing purely on getting strong first? And if so, what would be a good baseline of strength to aim for?

[Nick Delgadillo]

Absolutely. You'll be stronger when you start BJJ, but you'll lose out on a few months of experience on the mat. This is going to be highly dependent on your prior experience with physical things, how big or small you are, and how your school handles new people. If you're going and aren't allowed to roll for a few months, the situation seems perfect.

I personally think that if you want to do JiuJitsu and you're motivated to start, you should just start before trying to achieve some arbitrary strength goal. The downside is that you won't be as strong going in than if you waited and got strong before starting. But the truth is that BJJ and strength training are lifelong endeavors. That's kinda my point. You have to do both, so just start and work out the priorities as you go. Just don't forget that you also need to focus on actually getting strong now or at some point in the near future. It needs to stay more important than buying new gis and practicing berimbolo.