Does weight training make you better at BJJ

[Mako Victim]

I've wondered this for a while now. Weight lifting would make you stronger but yet wouldn't it also slow you down too, and make you less flexible????

[LoneHusky]

Renzo Gracie recommends bodyweight exercises such as calisthentics rather that weight training.

[aseepish]

Weight training will improve your BJJ, but remember that strength is just one of many attributes. Doing BJJ will keep you flexible.

[OmaPlata]

Originally Posted by Mako Victim

I've wondered this for a while now. Weight lifting would make you stronger but yet wouldn't it also slow you down too, and make you less flexible????

better to get a good foundation in one, then start the other, so you can accomidate and make changes to the weight training schedule. i say weight train once a week, maybe twice, and bjj 3 times at least

[Bjjexpertise@be]

Strength plays an important role when you and your opponent's skill is pretty equal. Strength can even help you win some matches against those who are better than you.

[EmptyneSs]

nah man, u dont wanna lift weights. i mean, if u lift weights, your going to turn into arnold overnight, and its going to make u so big and bulky that u will for sure be too slow to move around. i thought everyone knew this.

[TUF]

Originally Posted by EmptyneSs

nah man, u dont wanna lift weights. i mean, if u lift weights, your going to turn into arnold overnight, and its going to make u so big and bulky that u will for sure be too slow to move around. i thought everyone knew this.

idon't believe it, lift all you want just lift light. the guys at track lift weights and it doesn't make them slow. just lift light wieghts

[LoneHusky]

I personally think weight training would help. Though do it right, I know way to many athletes who start lifting and lose their coordination.

[EmptyneSs]

Originally Posted by TUF

idon't believe it, lift all you want just lift light. the guys at track lift weights and it doesn't make them slow. just lift light wieghts

i see u didnt catch my extreme sarcasm at all.

this question is asked on this forum all the time. and everytime someone posts asking if lifting weights will " make them to big and slow" it makes me want to squat over the person asking this and take a big dump in their mouths. if anything, lifting weights will make u perform better than u could before.

"too big and slow" my ass. u aint gonna turn into mr universe over night.


and why would u lift light? lifting light is for people in physical therapy, women who want toned feminine bodies, and old out of shape people. they point of lifting is to lift hard and put enough stress on your body to make it grow and burn fat. u can lift hard for years, and u probobly still wont get "big" at all unless u take roids or are naturally very big to begin with.

pro wrestlers are fucknig huge, and take roids and they are in the ring doing backflips, moonsaults, and acrobatics. go tell them they are too slow. look at football players, those guys are huge too and can run faster and farther that most people can. look at many mma fighters like orlavski, silva, rampage, tito....all muscular and lift weights. go ask these people if lifting weights will slow em down.

[zhorner]

you need to do exercises that dont put on size. such as tree-choppers, one handed clean and jerk, and turkish getups...a.k.a. pure strength exercises.

i made the mistake of coming into mma from weightlifting, and it has a disadvantage or 2. my legs are way too big to put anyone in a triangle...plus my hip movement is not up to par.

for BJJ, just stick to the basic strength movements.

for MMA, whatever. at least in the upper weight classes...when you get on top of someone and your throwing down big blows...i dont think it really matters if your legs are too big to do a triangle from the mount.

[vadrip]

I would focus on muscular endurance as opposed to just strength it's not a bodybuilding contest, you have to train right for what you do and doing high reps and not trying to lift as heavy as possible because that is just asking for injury.

[47MartialMan]

Originally Posted by Mako Victim

I've wondered this for a while now. Weight lifting would make you stronger but yet wouldn't it also slow you down too, and make you less flexible????

This has been the "old wives tale" on weight training.
One of my instructors was into "bodybuilding".
He is very muscular and/or "built".
Yet he does full splits and bodt contortions.
And he is very fast with both hands and feet.

The conception is that the look of "bulk", equals less movement. Not so.

To give another example-football players (not rugby or soccer)

Those big players can move their 300+ sizes down the playing field quick.
I had worked out with some college players, linebackers and full backers.
They wanted to learn martial arts. Most of these guys ran backward as fast as I ran forward. And most of them can lift their legs/kicks, well above the mid section, into each others chest level. And doing so, very powerful and quick.

I have pics of these "big" guys". (not in football gear-of course).

So, dont be fooled into thinking that; large size=slow/non-agility.

[SamuraiGuy]

I lifted weights for tons before getting any formal grappling instruction, and belive me it helps immensely, I may not have the best Jiu Jitsu but the strength usually evens it out.

Strength plays a big factor and opens up alot of opportunities for technique. Such as one time just pushing the opponent with brute force and gaining the mount right away, which eventually led me to ggetting a triangle after they squirmed out of it (somehow ended up almost perfectly for it).

It will definetly help you, it wont make you slow, or big, or unflexible, you may put on some size, but for the past year I've been lifting I may have gained 5 pounds while I keep getting stronger, this is the way I want it, keep the body weight down and the strength up.



Definetly lift weights, definetly definetly definetly, it will really help you lol.


Long post about lifting weights.

[Tom Yum]

If you substitute weight training for BJJ training, your fighting will not improve unless you bring a barbell and use it.

Weight training in conjunction with BJJ training will make you a better athlete and therefore improve your ability to be strong and quick.

[Sensei Saki]

I think I do.
Try saying that with more or less context.