I'm a big believer that weightlifting makes everything you do better. Granted you gotta lift in a way that complements what activity you're actually doing.
@@fights4real100 Yep. This is why Judokas use Resistance Band Training. It really builds up the explosive ability to yank an opponent off-balance and into a throw.
At this point, that's not even a belief or opinion, we now have an overwhelming amount of interdisciplinary scientific data that shows that lack of physical activity and obesity are major risk factors in a multitude of medical conditions
Never lifted my entire Jiu-Jitsu career. Started last year and am kicking myself for the last 12years. My muscle endurance and strength while rolling is a game changer.
I train 4 times a week . 2x Jits/boxing drilling , 1x rolling/sparring. 1x weights/yoga. Best weight training program for me is 3x10(warmup),8,6 ( push , pull, squat, hinge , carry) . I always warmup and stretch after each workout. I’m over 40 I show up and do my best. consistency over intensity. 🙏
I was into powerlifting for about 2 years all over 6 years of gym, I started bjj 6months ago as 26years young. Lets be honest, strength matters (strength is never a weakness) as 95kg I never have great numbers but 200kg squat 135kg bench and 220 deadlift help me a lot with transition to bjj. I still lift but not as heavy as befor. I lost 10kg bw focus more on cardio and explosive movements (box jump, claping push ups etc.). From my experience is better to lift than not to lift Strength training helps prevent injury, your muscle are stronger as well as tendons and ligaments. Strength on mat is also helpfull. So yeah, You should lift 😅
And just to add, by lifting I dont mean You go to gym do 3sets of 10 on pull ups, 20kb swings, bw dips and do the same routine over and over again. You need progresive overload so adding weight/reps/sets and going heavier is necessary. Just remember about deloading 🫡
The idea is not to have to use strength, but good technique. I’m guessing you pin and just crush people as a white belt? Weights to help muscle damage and ligaments I agree with you. Don’t muscle people though.
I am a 50 year old Brown belt. I don’t lift weights. I do calisthenics, rings, kettle bells, and bands. Most of what I would do would be considered PT types of movements. I do bjj 6 days a week. 5 days light and Sunday I go hard. I focus on mobility and dexterity and Bo bjj solo drills as well. Mix in a little stationary bike for active recovery. I don’t want to lift heavy ever. I get broken down enough.
I’m a 48 year old Bjj black belt and I completely agree with you. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on diet and nutrition and how you structure meals around your training.
Im a 46 year old Bjj white belt and I agree all the same. Reducing the load on the barbell has helped me immensely at my age and has allowed me to not feel beat up before getting on the mat. Good stuff!
At 56 and 15+ years on the mat, I made the same move away from powerlifting and a focus on getting stronger in the Big Three, and toward hypertrophy style weightlifting - for all the reasons Chewy mentions.
I started lifting before my BJJ journey but I have to say it has gave me a head start and quick progression. My strength has made me dominant on the mats. I agree 100% on the stupid specificity workouts. Just do compound lifts and basic iso workouts aka bodybuilding/powerlifter workouts. Its good to be strong.
40-year-old black belt here. I appreciate you sharing your experience Chewy. I can relate. I'm a naturally strong guy, but wear and tear and tendons and ligaments is problem. I do "heavy" barbell training, but I plan limiting how heavy very soon and just maintaining for injury prevention. Being stronger for me translates to being able to execute better technically against bigger people, but the biggest benefit outside looking and feeling better is being less prone to injury. The #1 detriment to Jiu Jitsu progress, or any progress, is injury.
I have about the same approach. I’m a 38-year-old black belt (39 in a few months) and my weightlifting these days is all kettlebell, which is lighter weight. Heaviest I go is either a 70lb bell or a pair of 50s. I feel better lifting this way than heavy barbell training like I did when I was younger and I’m not sore the way I was with barbells.
As i tell all my athletes....strength is never a weakness. Most of the time a stronger athlete is a better athlete. Especially with a grappling sport its crazy how scared people are to lift lol. Full ROM strength training will work wonders
The way I think about my weight lifting to compliment my Jiu-Jitsu "I'm not big into body building, but I love looking like a superhero." As long as I'm lifting in a way, whether it be a little heavier for less reps or lighter weight for more reps, it all equals out. I do more traditional weight lifting for my upper body, but I do mostly kettlebell workouts for my legs to help with strength and general movement.
65 year old BB here. I'm just grateful to wake up and not have any bad pain. There is always something. Neck, back, knee groin, just today I turned and felt a stabbing pain in my MCL area. It has been grumbling for years. Is today the day it turns on me? Who knows. I haven't even been training BJJ for a few weeks. I think kettlebells are the answer. The only thing is... weight, just keep the weight down and the reps up. We are like old cars, we need to be run around the block everyday but if you rev that engine too much and drive it hard, well then your going to have a problem.
51 year old (white belt/training 1.5 years). For me, it's important to do some additional strength training (especially legs to reinforce knees) a couple of times per week. Mostly light weight, more reps. This works for my body. I think most people have to tweak strength training based on their own body.
40 year old here: I recommend Easy Strength by Dan John coupled with Pavel Tsatsouline’s Simple & Sinister kettlebell program. For the Easy Strength lifts, I use resistance bands to mitigate weight lifting wear and tear and injury.
I've been having some troubles with my back, and this got a little worse with jiu-jitsu, and then I discovered in some rabbit hole traveling that dead lifting can help with back pain(?!), so I started doing it, not a crazy amount of weight, using a belt, just moderate weight and I have to say it worked! so those are my two cents, dead lifting is not my favorite exercise but my back feels great and can do move people in jiu-jitsu without problem
learning the older I'm getting the heavy stuff isn't where it's at for me either...especially with the 14 years on the mats and the injuries i've gotten since those years. i now lift for more functional strength and things applicable to the mats. mixture of body weight stuff, kettlebells, and some weights here and there. I read some where someone wrote at this age I rather focus on being harder to kill or keep down...not so beach body focused.
I'm 34 and a purple belt. I just started crossfit about 3 months ago and has been amazing for my BJJ. Your strength and conditioning in rolls just sky rockets once you crossfit. However though crossfit is tough on the body so I do it 1-2 days a week max and do BJJ 4-5 days a week max. Highly recommend
Interesting, have you ever been seriously injured doing crossfit? My concern with crossfit is that it is based on speed and reps vs. having good form in movements.
@@todd2324 Try it first. The reason why I like crossfit so much is because you really feel like your going to die after a class. Jiu jitsu for me now doesn't really feel like it bangs up my body or makes me feel like I'm going to die like crossfit does.
@cb4354 Hah, that's interesting because I usually feel like I'm going to die after almost every bjj session, especially when we're doing "king of the hill" or if I stay longer for open mat. I don't know if I'll ever do crossfit because I constantly have hard sessions at my academy, but I'll definitely start adding in some strength training to prevent injuries.
100% agreed! Been lifting since I was a kid, my dad, uncles and cousins were always lifting and squatting some HEAVY damn weights so I feel right in. Now that I'm in my 40's (no trt yet) I lift very differently and at 6'3" 250lb I find any reason to walk around without a shirt, winter or summer I ain't got a shirt on. I also have a home gym in my garage, Echo bike, KB's, X-over machine. Home HIIT workouts are the worse but it keeps my body healthy and mobile for JJ... knock on wood.
I've been doing BJJ for 1.5 years now, but I have been lifting for 8 years now. What I found is that I can no longer set PRs anymore. Just purely because if I go for them, I'll be extremely fatigued and injuries happen. But lucky for me, you only really need to do 25% of what you were doing to get to a strength level to maintain your strength, so I've been able to keep my strength level. I still make a bit of progress here and there, but it's no longer my focus.
Are you fatigued and injuries happen because you do strength training and bjj and both together are too demanding, or is there another reason why you only do 25% of your previous PRs?
@Raik Laub no injuries currently, but I still do what I used to do, I just don't push as hard. Instead of 3 days lifting to one rest day, I lift more like every other day or 2 days to 1 rest day. I still can do my previous PRs and sometimes do them, my point was that to maintain strength, you only need 25% of the volume you used to get to that strength. So, while I can't train lifting to get stronger while doing BJJ, I can maintain all my previous strength, but with less intensity. Thereby leaving more in the tank to not get injured
I only lift weights on Monday and Thursday for physical therapy. I do 3 sets of pull ups and a 30 second bar hang in the morning. Later on I do lateral raises, squats, dumbbell presses, hammer curls and bicep curls. I'm 195lbs and I do walk ever every day for 50 minutes. Bar hangs help the shoulders a lot and lateral raises helps build up the muscle on the side of the shoulder which helps to avoid injury if you sleep on your side. Pull ups help lengthen the spine too so as you age it'll help your back.
I lift three days per week at higher intensities (~80% 1RM) with lower volumes (~15 reps across ~3 sets). I purposefully keep myself away from technical failure and especially muscular failure. I emphasize heavy compounds with supplemental unilateral work like Bulgarian split squats to improve athletic stance balancing. Because I’ve accustomed my body to it, I can lift right before a Jiu-Jitsu session and still feel very fresh, but it’s taken years to build that endurance. I would normally recommend lifting on the days you aren’t rolling.
Thanks for the video. And another good reason for strength training: many hormones are released, including growth hormones. They not only make you look younger, but are also responsible for the fact that the body ages more slowly. HGH and testosterone, which are released through training, allow injuries to heal faster, improve regeneration and the general physical/mental condition. That's why you feel better after training.
I lift once a week now and it’s the best decision I ever made. 4-5x BJJ, 1x lifting a week. One power movement, one gymnastics upper body/unilateral lower body superset, one unilateral upper body/plyometric lower body superset, one Pilates movement for core. Best workouts ever!
I’m going to be 34 soon, and no, no I wouldn’t. Successful physical training comes down to recovery. Athletes should spend the majority of their available “training energy” towards practice of their actual sport. When one tries to be 100% in a sport and 100% lifting they become 100% worse at both. Focused cyclical approaches are best. If I feel like I want to get stronger, I’d do less Jiu Jitsu. If I want to work on increasing my success from the bottom of side mount, I’m going to do less lifting and more mat time. You can’t chase two rabbits. Focus on one thing at a time 🤙🏾 hope this helps Edit: misspelled “mat” bc my phone sux
I lift a standard PPL split MWF, and training BJJ on M. I stay in the 6-8 rep range and just work everything 🤷🏻♂️. Keeps you going. I’m 35 so I need the days off between lifting
Short answer yes, my cardio and strength started to be easier to sustain on the mat after I started adding strength training into my conditioning vs just straight cardio. But find how you work best into it and yes build some muscle and eat right and sleep and rest
@BeachSamuraiStudios If I was gay, what would it matter. U use the word gay as if it was an insult, then retract by asking if I was gay as if that would somehow make me less!What does it matter to u? Soyboy or snowflake would be a snazzier insult? Or, by u commenting like this, are u trying to say that, "My (as in yours) martial art is better... I could beat u up because... the Gracies..."?
Even outside of weightlifting we talk about some different easy to do exercises to supplement bjj training in our how to survive blue belts smashing you vid.
I'm 57. I too have been lifting since I was 12! A great resistance training method with very low injury risk is outlined in Dr. Doug McGuff's book entitled, "Body by Science." I lift once a week. 5 exercises. One set to failure with moderate weight. Works great. Been doing it for about 10 years now.
@@pygmyzombie Yes, the exercises are in the book. They're very basic: One push horizontal (Bench/chest press). One vertical push (Military press). One horizontal pull (Cable row or bent over row). Vertical pull (Chin up, lat pull). And a leg press or squat. Again, one set to failure. Moderate weight. Slow reps (4 count up, 4 count down). Don't lock out between reps. 40-120 seconds time under tension.
Great comment. I think that High Intensity Training/slow methods like those in Dr McGuff's book and videos are the only way to go. Especially when above age 40ish and also training jiu-jitsu or other demanding sports. I'm amazed at how many athletes are unaware of the benefits of that training philosophy.
I've switched from traditional body building to more body weight type of lifts, and definitely do more reps for insurance strength. Pull ups and chin ups with body weight and then I'll add weight. Deadlifts for reps, but usually try to just rep out 135 and 185 for really good form to build my lower back. I also do lots of lunges, dips etc. I wanna do boxing with a weight vest at some point to help with the core strength. I also do bench press, military press with time under tension. It seems to make a difference and I feel so much better lol
I've recently started BJJ at 35 after lifting in various ways for years. My honest opinion so far is do the big 3 for power and do the mobility work for you ankles, hips and shoulders.
A cool follow up chewy would be nutrient timing for two a days. I know intermittent fasting is super popular these days. But I feel it would be really hard with two a days, especially with Jiujitsu, and the late nights of training. But just training so hard late causes issues with eating late and winding down for sleep, etc.
I do one meal a day so fasting 23 hours a day. I am not doing 2 a days most of the time but i lift tues/thurs/sat and then BJJ mon/wed/fri/sat. i try and eat around 11am so that im not super full before lifting or rolling
Once I learned not to train to failure in my 30s It was like a magic power. You’d life more tonnage and recover better. The same with BJJ. Now in my 40s, it’s better to keep frequency high and moderate intensity as I don’t learn as quick as well as recover slower. Getting injured is double whammy. A month injury sets you back 2 months. As not only do you go backwards you miss out on a month of your peers getting ahead
The “Them” getting ahead is a really good motivation for me personally. As much as I love, treasure and cherish my training partners, I don’t want to be left in the dust.
Hey Chewy! The functional fitness stuff is totally overblown and doesn't train either group of muscles better but as I understand it those kind of exercises train the connective tissue and muscles between your squat muscle groups and core muscle groups.
if it wasn't for the last 6 years of Crossfit, I think starting BJJ at age 54 would have been really difficult. Still doing 4-5 days a week of Crossfit, but some days not as intense and on top of that 2-3 hours of BJJ!
It really depends… everyone is different, and everyone’s capacity for training is different. I’ve heard from a friend (Carlson Gracie black belt) that lifting can hinder how quickly you learn techniques (due to stiffness, flexibility etc) and generally the smaller guys in his classes pick up things a lot faster than the bigger muscular guys. You then have to factor in recovery, proneness to injury etc. Personally, if a session is lighter and focussed on technique with limited sparring, I’ll do a push / pull / legs post BJJ class if I’ve got the capacity. But I listen to my body a lot more now that I’m over 30. Stretching, massage, rest, and recovery. I look and feel better than I did in my twenties… but at the same time I’ve always got a small injury due to BJJ 😂
How do you get stronger using solely light or moderate weights? Your body has no reason to adapt to it since it's easy to do. As you get older you become more sensitive to volume and more dependent on intensity to get and/or stay strong. Meaning yes you need to lift heavy but with much less volume. Everyone seems to want to do the exact opposite and start lifting lighter with more reps. Maybe good for a cardio effect but again, why would your body get stronger if the weights aren't challenging? I'm 46 and lift 4x per week but only use a few heavy work sets. For deadlifts I work up to one heavy set of 3 reps and that's it. My deadlift has gone from the mid 300s to 460 for 3 reps in about 6 months. Back and other joints are fine. To contrast it though, if I started doing Crossfit I would feel destroyed everyday.
Do you think that working alone like installing doors is enough for lift training plus jiu jitsu? Thanks for the video you always leave something to think about 👍
I m 50 very lean and 200lbs , I think weight lifting helps , but I concentrate on kettle bell swings, lunges , chin-ups and T bar rows. I always battle myself if should lift weights more or go to jujitsu class more frequently.
Injury prevention is my number one reason and looking good is my second 😅. This helps a lot. Coincidently, i was thinking of this question yesterday and this pops up 😮 .... google doing its thing
Question I have - I started BJJ last week . I’ve done 4 classes. I’ve always found it incredibly difficult to learn something as someone shows it done (like in the class - instructor demonstrates a new technique). I can watch it a thousand times and have no idea what to do. I have to do it 10-20-30 times to full grasp how to do the move. However, we only have a few tries at it before we move on to the next move. Any tips?
I'm just a white belt 12 months in but I can relate. I would say first: don't freeze, either you're actually asking a question / looking at someone demonstrate or you're drilling fast, and focus on what feels right or wrong, don't stay there confused hoping for the info to be downloaded magically to your brain, try stuff out, get those reps in. 2nd: it will sort itself out, 1 week is nothing, trust your body. 3rd visualise the move in real time once at home, remembering the details and feeling the problems. Also never trust too much a white belt's advice.
Be 100% focused on the details your teacher is trying to show you. Repeat in your mind the steps as he goes (1. Step: put the hand in that place. 2. Step: knee facing that direction. 3 and so on). And do everything slowly, dont try to rush and show how fast you are. This works for me, but Im nowhere near to be a master or something.
No matter what you do for lifting, as an older athlete you need to live the cleanest life possible. At 48, I don’t drink, eat as healthy as possible, and I sleep 8 hours a night.
Everyone should. If you're just using bands etc you're just maintaining what you have instead of actually building strength. That's fine, but strength is a big advantage. In all aspects of life.
Should I cross train yoga, calisthenics, wrestling, Judo and weightlifting for BJJ? Probably. There are probably ten more things. This isn't really the question. To the 99% of practitioners and viewers who are not professional competitors, the real question is, say I can fit 2, 3, 4 or 5 sessions of 90 minutes each into my week. Is there any other thing that's going to help my competitive Jiu-Jitsu more than that 3rd or 5th Jiu-Jitsu session if I actually swapped them?
Chew could you touch on the optimal time to train relative to when you're rolling? Weight lifting before or after class? Or do you take a day off jits just to lift?
Thanks, what is your current weight programme Nick? More into deadlifting and bent over rows atm. An older 50+ . Strength is always useful so I feel barbell training is the best overall for my needs
Hey chewy I'm doing naga in a few months. I havnt compete in BJJ since I first got my blue belt. (I'm brown belt now) I have had a few MMA fights throughout my BJJ journey. How can I prepare for a BJJ match when in my class I don't have any guys to compete with (mostly blue and white belts and I'm one of the bigger guys)
One advice would be whatever lift you do. Make sure you do the full motion. A buddy of mine would always cut a lift short because he always said he would get a bigger peak. Now he struggles to have a full range of motion. Especially in his shoulders, and elbows
Hello professor. I started jiu jitzu about 2 months ago and I am extremely exhausted and sore/pain headache the next day. And also bruised up all over my chest and arms Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong ?
I am a white belt who is looking for a strength training program that will help me tone up and get stronger. I have moobs and a muffin top that I would like to get rid of because I get bullied, is there a specific training program you would be able to provide me with? Thank you in advance, you are the best Chewjitsu! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I keep begging guys to lift 😆..but they just want to roll and drill... I lift 7 days a week...10 sets of 10....6-10 different stations. My entire work out is push/pull/ grips I super set every push with a pull and vice versa... I end each round with 5 pull-ups. On Sunday I do a full body work out...before open mat.
Agree, when I tried to maximize for heavy weights I just got fat and had bad rolling cardio (although I probably just poorly programmed) But one great thing about lighter weights higher reps is if you're traveling then even rinky dink hotel gyms usually have 50lb dumbbells and you might think that's not a lot but do like 4-5 sets of 25x and it'll be a good workout, and feels better for my muscle endurance during rolls since I'm used to going to that failure point
What sort of volume do you like? Personally I shoot for 20 reps per set, 3-4 sets. 5-6 exercises. I’m in and out in 30ish minutes depending on how fast I work.
I'm a big believer that weightlifting makes everything you do better. Granted you gotta lift in a way that complements what activity you're actually doing.
Well said
@@fights4real100 Yep. This is why Judokas use Resistance Band Training. It really builds up the explosive ability to yank an opponent off-balance and into a throw.
Keeps your brain sharp too.
At this point, that's not even a belief or opinion, we now have an overwhelming amount of interdisciplinary scientific data that shows that lack of physical activity and obesity are major risk factors in a multitude of medical conditions
Unhealthy people aren’t in this comment section
Never lifted my entire Jiu-Jitsu career. Started last year and am kicking myself for the last 12years. My muscle endurance and strength while rolling is a game changer.
I train 4 times a week . 2x Jits/boxing drilling , 1x rolling/sparring. 1x weights/yoga. Best weight training program for me is 3x10(warmup),8,6 ( push , pull, squat, hinge , carry) . I always warmup and stretch after each workout. I’m over 40 I show up and do my best. consistency over intensity. 🙏
You sound fat af, roll more
I was into powerlifting for about 2 years all over 6 years of gym, I started bjj 6months ago as 26years young. Lets be honest, strength matters (strength is never a weakness) as 95kg I never have great numbers but 200kg squat 135kg bench and 220 deadlift help me a lot with transition to bjj. I still lift but not as heavy as befor. I lost 10kg bw focus more on cardio and explosive movements (box jump, claping push ups etc.).
From my experience is better to lift than not to lift
Strength training helps prevent injury, your muscle are stronger as well as tendons and ligaments.
Strength on mat is also helpfull.
So yeah, You should lift 😅
And just to add, by lifting I dont mean You go to gym do 3sets of 10 on pull ups, 20kb swings, bw dips and do the same routine over and over again. You need progresive overload so adding weight/reps/sets and going heavier is necessary. Just remember about deloading 🫡
@Disgruntled Simp Mod
Gordon Ryan looks like a monster.
It’s solely because of gym (and PEDs but don’t tell anyone).
The idea is not to have to use strength, but good technique. I’m guessing you pin and just crush people as a white belt? Weights to help muscle damage and ligaments I agree with you. Don’t muscle people though.
I am a 50 year old Brown belt. I don’t lift weights. I do calisthenics, rings, kettle bells, and bands. Most of what I would do would be considered PT types of movements. I do bjj 6 days a week. 5 days light and Sunday I go hard. I focus on mobility and dexterity and Bo bjj solo drills as well. Mix in a little stationary bike for active recovery. I don’t want to lift heavy ever. I get broken down enough.
You’re on the Warrior’s Path brother 👌🏾🙏🏽🥋
Smart man
Kettlebells are weights bro!
Sounds solid. May I ask what you do for work?
Not picking just seeing how it puzzles.
No need to lift like labour work or landscaping round the house?
@Disgruntled Simp Mod
They are massive 💯%
Galvao and Gordon Ryan rolling at 99kg is super scary.
I’m a 48 year old Bjj black belt and I completely agree with you. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on diet and nutrition and how you structure meals around your training.
I hope he creates a video on this. As a white belt of six months I have a lot to learn and everything is still new to me.
Im a 46 year old Bjj white belt and I agree all the same. Reducing the load on the barbell has helped me immensely at my age and has allowed me to not feel beat up before getting on the mat. Good stuff!
All you need
-chest press
-pullups
-squats
-deadlifts
-overhead press
At 56 and 15+ years on the mat, I made the same move away from powerlifting and a focus on getting stronger in the Big Three, and toward hypertrophy style weightlifting - for all the reasons Chewy mentions.
I started lifting before my BJJ journey but I have to say it has gave me a head start and quick progression. My strength has made me dominant on the mats. I agree 100% on the stupid specificity workouts. Just do compound lifts and basic iso workouts aka bodybuilding/powerlifter workouts. Its good to be strong.
40-year-old black belt here. I appreciate you sharing your experience Chewy. I can relate. I'm a naturally strong guy, but wear and tear and tendons and ligaments is problem. I do "heavy" barbell training, but I plan limiting how heavy very soon and just maintaining for injury prevention. Being stronger for me translates to being able to execute better technically against bigger people, but the biggest benefit outside looking and feeling better is being less prone to injury. The #1 detriment to Jiu Jitsu progress, or any progress, is injury.
I have about the same approach. I’m a 38-year-old black belt (39 in a few months) and my weightlifting these days is all kettlebell, which is lighter weight. Heaviest I go is either a 70lb bell or a pair of 50s. I feel better lifting this way than heavy barbell training like I did when I was younger and I’m not sore the way I was with barbells.
As i tell all my athletes....strength is never a weakness. Most of the time a stronger athlete is a better athlete. Especially with a grappling sport its crazy how scared people are to lift lol. Full ROM strength training will work wonders
The way I think about my weight lifting to compliment my Jiu-Jitsu "I'm not big into body building, but I love looking like a superhero." As long as I'm lifting in a way, whether it be a little heavier for less reps or lighter weight for more reps, it all equals out. I do more traditional weight lifting for my upper body, but I do mostly kettlebell workouts for my legs to help with strength and general movement.
man you shouldn't say things like you love looking like a superhero. I had to bite my tongue.. so many jokes.. so many...
65 year old BB here. I'm just grateful to wake up and not have any bad pain. There is always something. Neck, back, knee groin, just today I turned and felt a stabbing pain in my MCL area. It has been grumbling for years. Is today the day it turns on me? Who knows. I haven't even been training BJJ for a few weeks. I think kettlebells are the answer. The only thing is... weight, just keep the weight down and the reps up. We are like old cars, we need to be run around the block everyday but if you rev that engine too much and drive it hard, well then your going to have a problem.
@Freki Bodgaedir I don't lift heavy at all, if I need anything for BJJ it is better endurance and that is not going to happen
51 year old (white belt/training 1.5 years). For me, it's important to do some additional strength training (especially legs to reinforce knees) a couple of times per week. Mostly light weight, more reps. This works for my body. I think most people have to tweak strength training based on their own body.
Such a great video! Been weight lifting 30 years and been training Jiujitsu for 2. I think this video is spot on! Thanks!!
Yeah I was already a powerlifter before BJJ and I still do both and it gives me a bit of an edge...... It helps
You have been dangerous spazz my brother. XD Just kiding,sounds like a great combo.
40 year old here: I recommend Easy Strength by Dan John coupled with Pavel Tsatsouline’s Simple & Sinister kettlebell program. For the Easy Strength lifts, I use resistance bands to mitigate weight lifting wear and tear and injury.
I've been having some troubles with my back, and this got a little worse with jiu-jitsu, and then I discovered in some rabbit hole traveling that dead lifting can help with back pain(?!), so I started doing it, not a crazy amount of weight, using a belt, just moderate weight and I have to say it worked! so those are my two cents, dead lifting is not my favorite exercise but my back feels great and can do move people in jiu-jitsu without problem
I second this, deadlifts have sorted out my lower back issues.
I started lifting along with my training and it's definitely helping me. My grip strength and pulls are way stronger now.
learning the older I'm getting the heavy stuff isn't where it's at for me either...especially with the 14 years on the mats and the injuries i've gotten since those years. i now lift for more functional strength and things applicable to the mats. mixture of body weight stuff, kettlebells, and some weights here and there. I read some where someone wrote at this age I rather focus on being harder to kill or keep down...not so beach body focused.
I'm 34 and a purple belt. I just started crossfit about 3 months ago and has been amazing for my BJJ. Your strength and conditioning in rolls just sky rockets once you crossfit. However though crossfit is tough on the body so I do it 1-2 days a week max and do BJJ 4-5 days a week max. Highly recommend
Interesting, have you ever been seriously injured doing crossfit? My concern with crossfit is that it is based on speed and reps vs. having good form in movements.
@@todd2324 Have you done crossfit before?
@@cb4354 No, I've just heard guys like Steve Maxwell talk about it and generally not recommend it.
@@todd2324 Try it first. The reason why I like crossfit so much is because you really feel like your going to die after a class. Jiu jitsu for me now doesn't really feel like it bangs up my body or makes me feel like I'm going to die like crossfit does.
@cb4354 Hah, that's interesting because I usually feel like I'm going to die after almost every bjj session, especially when we're doing "king of the hill" or if I stay longer for open mat. I don't know if I'll ever do crossfit because I constantly have hard sessions at my academy, but I'll definitely start adding in some strength training to prevent injuries.
100% agreed! Been lifting since I was a kid, my dad, uncles and cousins were always lifting and squatting some HEAVY damn weights so I feel right in. Now that I'm in my 40's (no trt yet) I lift very differently and at 6'3" 250lb I find any reason to walk around without a shirt, winter or summer I ain't got a shirt on. I also have a home gym in my garage, Echo bike, KB's, X-over machine. Home HIIT workouts are the worse but it keeps my body healthy and mobile for JJ... knock on wood.
I completely agree with this chewy!
Thanks for the great videos as usual 👍🏻
I've been doing BJJ for 1.5 years now, but I have been lifting for 8 years now. What I found is that I can no longer set PRs anymore. Just purely because if I go for them, I'll be extremely fatigued and injuries happen. But lucky for me, you only really need to do 25% of what you were doing to get to a strength level to maintain your strength, so I've been able to keep my strength level. I still make a bit of progress here and there, but it's no longer my focus.
Are you fatigued and injuries happen because you do strength training and bjj and both together are too demanding, or is there another reason why you only do 25% of your previous PRs?
@Raik Laub no injuries currently, but I still do what I used to do, I just don't push as hard. Instead of 3 days lifting to one rest day, I lift more like every other day or 2 days to 1 rest day.
I still can do my previous PRs and sometimes do them, my point was that to maintain strength, you only need 25% of the volume you used to get to that strength. So, while I can't train lifting to get stronger while doing BJJ, I can maintain all my previous strength, but with less intensity. Thereby leaving more in the tank to not get injured
I only lift weights on Monday and Thursday for physical therapy. I do 3 sets of pull ups and a 30 second bar hang in the morning. Later on I do lateral raises, squats, dumbbell presses, hammer curls and bicep curls. I'm 195lbs and I do walk ever every day for 50 minutes. Bar hangs help the shoulders a lot and lateral raises helps build up the muscle on the side of the shoulder which helps to avoid injury if you sleep on your side. Pull ups help lengthen the spine too so as you age it'll help your back.
Kettlebells. Swings, get ups, rows, goblet squats, clean and press/jerk.
I lift three days per week at higher intensities (~80% 1RM) with lower volumes (~15 reps across ~3 sets). I purposefully keep myself away from technical failure and especially muscular failure. I emphasize heavy compounds with supplemental unilateral work like Bulgarian split squats to improve athletic stance balancing. Because I’ve accustomed my body to it, I can lift right before a Jiu-Jitsu session and still feel very fresh, but it’s taken years to build that endurance. I would normally recommend lifting on the days you aren’t rolling.
Thanks for the video. And another good reason for strength training: many hormones are released, including growth hormones. They not only make you look younger, but are also responsible for the fact that the body ages more slowly. HGH and testosterone, which are released through training, allow injuries to heal faster, improve regeneration and the general physical/mental condition. That's why you feel better after training.
I lift once a week now and it’s the best decision I ever made. 4-5x BJJ, 1x lifting a week. One power movement, one gymnastics upper body/unilateral lower body superset, one unilateral upper body/plyometric lower body superset, one Pilates movement for core. Best workouts ever!
How old are you? Would you lift more if you were much younger?
I’m going to be 34 soon, and no, no I wouldn’t. Successful physical training comes down to recovery. Athletes should spend the majority of their available “training energy” towards practice of their actual sport. When one tries to be 100% in a sport and 100% lifting they become 100% worse at both. Focused cyclical approaches are best.
If I feel like I want to get stronger, I’d do less Jiu Jitsu. If I want to work on increasing my success from the bottom of side mount, I’m going to do less lifting and more mat time. You can’t chase two rabbits. Focus on one thing at a time 🤙🏾 hope this helps
Edit: misspelled “mat” bc my phone sux
I'm 37 too, lifted since I was a child.
I use cod liver oil.
Don't feel a day over 63😬😄😄
I lift a standard PPL split MWF, and training BJJ on M. I stay in the 6-8 rep range and just work everything 🤷🏻♂️. Keeps you going. I’m 35 so I need the days off between lifting
Short answer yes, my cardio and strength started to be easier to sustain on the mat after I started adding strength training into my conditioning vs just straight cardio. But find how you work best into it and yes build some muscle and eat right and sleep and rest
6 months in to GJJ, 5 hours a week, over a year in weight lifting, 5 hours a week. I wouldn't give up either. Its my life.
GJJ = Gay Jiujitsu? Youre on wrong channnel bro
@BeachSamuraiStudios Gracie Jiu-jitsu. U say gay like it's some type of insult. What r u inferring?
@@THE_Secular_Conservative i was joking…why you triggered you gay?
@BeachSamuraiStudios If I was gay, what would it matter. U use the word gay as if it was an insult, then retract by asking if I was gay as if that would somehow make me less!What does it matter to u?
Soyboy or snowflake would be a snazzier insult?
Or, by u commenting like this, are u trying to say that, "My (as in yours) martial art is better... I could beat u up because... the Gracies..."?
@@THE_Secular_Conservative i really didnt know GJJ was gracie jiujitsu. But your comment is still gay bro.
Zercher squats, pull-ups, and dips. Usually higher reps and max range of motion.
Even outside of weightlifting we talk about some different easy to do exercises to supplement bjj training in our how to survive blue belts smashing you vid.
Damn,I signed in for a gym today and I was thinking what kind of training to do. I'm 35 blue. Thanks for the video chewie
I'm 57. I too have been lifting since I was 12! A great resistance training method with very low injury risk is outlined in Dr. Doug McGuff's book entitled, "Body by Science." I lift once a week. 5 exercises. One set to failure with moderate weight. Works great. Been doing it for about 10 years now.
Is the routine in the book? Would be interested to know what the 5 exercises are
@@pygmyzombie Yes, the exercises are in the book. They're very basic: One push horizontal (Bench/chest press). One vertical push (Military press). One horizontal pull (Cable row or bent over row). Vertical pull (Chin up, lat pull). And a leg press or squat. Again, one set to failure. Moderate weight. Slow reps (4 count up, 4 count down). Don't lock out between reps. 40-120 seconds time under tension.
Great comment. I think that High Intensity Training/slow methods like those in Dr McGuff's book and videos are the only way to go. Especially when above age 40ish and also training jiu-jitsu or other demanding sports.
I'm amazed at how many athletes are unaware of the benefits of that training philosophy.
Thank you, Professor.
Always appreciate your advice.
I like the “sore” feeling. I feel so much stronger when I feel slightly sore. Weird. 😂
Completely agree with this.
Lift 3 times a week and BJJ 3 times a week. 38 year old white belt here
Brilliant, thanks Chewie 🤙
Great content!!!! Love the personal stories and your advice. Subscribed!
I literally just started jujitsu and I’m getting back into weights
Perfect timing for the video
Love the content bro!!! Keep it up please
Super helpful as an older (40) blue belt. Thanks.
I've switched from traditional body building to more body weight type of lifts, and definitely do more reps for insurance strength.
Pull ups and chin ups with body weight and then I'll add weight. Deadlifts for reps, but usually try to just rep out 135 and 185 for really good form to build my lower back.
I also do lots of lunges, dips etc. I wanna do boxing with a weight vest at some point to help with the core strength. I also do bench press, military press with time under tension. It seems to make a difference and I feel so much better lol
The way you said you "really liked it" really caught me off guard there 😂😂
Intense out of no where hahahaa
I've recently started BJJ at 35 after lifting in various ways for years. My honest opinion so far is do the big 3 for power and do the mobility work for you ankles, hips and shoulders.
A cool follow up chewy would be nutrient timing for two a days.
I know intermittent fasting is super popular these days. But I feel it would be really hard with two a days, especially with Jiujitsu, and the late nights of training.
But just training so hard late causes issues with eating late and winding down for sleep, etc.
I do one meal a day so fasting 23 hours a day. I am not doing 2 a days most of the time but i lift tues/thurs/sat and then BJJ mon/wed/fri/sat. i try and eat around 11am so that im not super full before lifting or rolling
Great advice always, thank you!!!
Once I learned not to train to failure in my 30s It was like a magic power.
You’d life more tonnage and recover better.
The same with BJJ. Now in my 40s, it’s better to keep frequency high and moderate intensity as I don’t learn as quick as well as recover slower.
Getting injured is double whammy. A month injury sets you back 2 months. As not only do you go backwards you miss out on a month of your peers getting ahead
The “Them” getting ahead is a really good motivation for me personally. As much as I love, treasure and cherish my training partners, I don’t want to be left in the dust.
Hey Chewy! The functional fitness stuff is totally overblown and doesn't train either group of muscles better but as I understand it those kind of exercises train the connective tissue and muscles between your squat muscle groups and core muscle groups.
Deadlifts,squats,overhead press
if it wasn't for the last 6 years of Crossfit, I think starting BJJ at age 54 would have been really difficult. Still doing 4-5 days a week of Crossfit, but some days not as intense and on top of that 2-3 hours of BJJ!
It really depends… everyone is different, and everyone’s capacity for training is different. I’ve heard from a friend (Carlson Gracie black belt) that lifting can hinder how quickly you learn techniques (due to stiffness, flexibility etc) and generally the smaller guys in his classes pick up things a lot faster than the bigger muscular guys. You then have to factor in recovery, proneness to injury etc.
Personally, if a session is lighter and focussed on technique with limited sparring, I’ll do a push / pull / legs post BJJ class if I’ve got the capacity. But I listen to my body a lot more now that I’m over 30. Stretching, massage, rest, and recovery. I look and feel better than I did in my twenties… but at the same time I’ve always got a small injury due to BJJ 😂
How do you get stronger using solely light or moderate weights? Your body has no reason to adapt to it since it's easy to do. As you get older you become more sensitive to volume and more dependent on intensity to get and/or stay strong. Meaning yes you need to lift heavy but with much less volume. Everyone seems to want to do the exact opposite and start lifting lighter with more reps. Maybe good for a cardio effect but again, why would your body get stronger if the weights aren't challenging? I'm 46 and lift 4x per week but only use a few heavy work sets. For deadlifts I work up to one heavy set of 3 reps and that's it. My deadlift has gone from the mid 300s to 460 for 3 reps in about 6 months. Back and other joints are fine. To contrast it though, if I started doing Crossfit I would feel destroyed everyday.
Do you think that working alone like installing doors is enough for lift training plus jiu jitsu? Thanks for the video you always leave something to think about 👍
I m 50 very lean and 200lbs , I think weight lifting helps , but I concentrate on kettle bell swings, lunges , chin-ups and T bar rows. I always battle myself if should lift weights more or go to jujitsu class more frequently.
Weighted squats on a ball seems like a high risk low return to me.
YOU LOOK AMAZING FOR 37!!!🙌🏿
Thanks! . . . I think. 😂
Great advice. 👍
You're never wrong being strong
Thanks Chewy
Injury prevention is my number one reason and looking good is my second 😅. This helps a lot. Coincidently, i was thinking of this question yesterday and this pops up 😮 .... google doing its thing
Question I have - I started BJJ last week . I’ve done 4 classes. I’ve always found it incredibly difficult to learn something as someone shows it done (like in the class - instructor demonstrates a new technique). I can watch it a thousand times and have no idea what to do. I have to do it 10-20-30 times to full grasp how to do the move. However, we only have a few tries at it before we move on to the next move.
Any tips?
I'm just a white belt 12 months in but I can relate. I would say first: don't freeze, either you're actually asking a question / looking at someone demonstrate or you're drilling fast, and focus on what feels right or wrong, don't stay there confused hoping for the info to be downloaded magically to your brain, try stuff out, get those reps in. 2nd: it will sort itself out, 1 week is nothing, trust your body. 3rd visualise the move in real time once at home, remembering the details and feeling the problems. Also never trust too much a white belt's advice.
Be 100% focused on the details your teacher is trying to show you. Repeat in your mind the steps as he goes (1. Step: put the hand in that place. 2. Step: knee facing that direction. 3 and so on). And do everything slowly, dont try to rush and show how fast you are. This works for me, but Im nowhere near to be a master or something.
@@GabrielOliveira-bm3qo putting that into action tomorrow morning! Great advice
Great video man, thanks!
Bit having said that, surely grip strength and deadlifts are more useful than bicep curls?
position before submission, form before weight
Any strength training will improve your bjj and build "armor" if it's not taken to extremes.
Any way we can see your hypertrophy routine?
No matter what you do for lifting, as an older athlete you need to live the cleanest life possible. At 48, I don’t drink, eat as healthy as possible, and I sleep 8 hours a night.
Everyone should. If you're just using bands etc you're just maintaining what you have instead of actually building strength. That's fine, but strength is a big advantage. In all aspects of life.
Should I cross train yoga, calisthenics, wrestling, Judo and weightlifting for BJJ? Probably. There are probably ten more things. This isn't really the question. To the 99% of practitioners and viewers who are not professional competitors, the real question is, say I can fit 2, 3, 4 or 5 sessions of 90 minutes each into my week.
Is there any other thing that's going to help my competitive Jiu-Jitsu more than that 3rd or 5th Jiu-Jitsu session if I actually swapped them?
I just started BJJ and bulked up in my football days. Was always wondering if this was a hindrance or an advantage. Thanks
Chew could you touch on the optimal time to train relative to when you're rolling? Weight lifting before or after class? Or do you take a day off jits just to lift?
Really like this type of content and outro gives me a sense of nostalgia
How do you mean?
Can you specify what rep ranges you typically use in your training?
Thanks, what is your current weight programme Nick? More into deadlifting and bent over rows atm. An older 50+ .
Strength is always useful so I feel barbell training is the best overall for my needs
Hey chewy I'm doing naga in a few months. I havnt compete in BJJ since I first got my blue belt. (I'm brown belt now) I have had a few MMA fights throughout my BJJ journey. How can I prepare for a BJJ match when in my class I don't have any guys to compete with (mostly blue and white belts and I'm one of the bigger guys)
One advice would be whatever lift you do. Make sure you do the full motion. A buddy of mine would always cut a lift short because he always said he would get a bigger peak. Now he struggles to have a full range of motion. Especially in his shoulders, and elbows
Team Full ROM even if it is very humbling
Hello professor. I started jiu jitzu about 2 months ago and I am extremely exhausted and sore/pain headache the next day. And also bruised up all over my chest and arms Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong ?
I would just look at a strength and conditioning program for wrestling. Similar strength and energy needs, and you're not going to go terribly wrong.
Dragging myself to start lifting. Just hit the big 4-0
It’s hard. Unless you do this for a living, it’s hard to lift and train. It can be done. I do it , but I only lift 3 times a week
3 days a week is plenty
are you still getting stronger with your hypertrophy program? are you increasing the weight each month or just keeping it the same?
Some exercises increase a bit. Others not much.
The answer is never not “Get jacked as possible”. The answer to all problems in life 💪
Yes lift
I went from 145 to 170lbs muscle fat and water
It makes jitsu easier
Love it 💪
I am a white belt who is looking for a strength training program that will help me tone up and get stronger. I have moobs and a muffin top that I would like to get rid of because I get bullied, is there a specific training program you would be able to provide me with? Thank you in advance, you are the best Chewjitsu! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Do you mind sharing your coaches information who can help program?
Brother. Can you make an update video of the meniscus tear you had ? Thanks
He has one, go look
Just did. Look on the recent videos. 😊
@@Chewjitsu thanks brother
I keep begging guys to lift 😆..but they just want to roll and drill...
I lift 7 days a week...10 sets of 10....6-10 different stations. My entire work out is push/pull/ grips
I super set every push with a pull and vice versa...
I end each round with 5 pull-ups.
On Sunday I do a full body work out...before open mat.
So what do you do? 3 sets of 10? 5 sets of 5?
high reps still get you strong. Not a popular idea in the age where everyone applies powerlifting to any and all sports.
Think a bodybuilding style of training is really good
Agree, when I tried to maximize for heavy weights I just got fat and had bad rolling cardio (although I probably just poorly programmed)
But one great thing about lighter weights higher reps is if you're traveling then even rinky dink hotel gyms usually have 50lb dumbbells and you might think that's not a lot but do like 4-5 sets of 25x and it'll be a good workout, and feels better for my muscle endurance during rolls since I'm used to going to that failure point
god bless Jesse
I know for a fact you’re Talking about joel seedman LOOL
What sort of volume do you like? Personally I shoot for 20 reps per set, 3-4 sets. 5-6 exercises. I’m in and out in 30ish minutes depending on how fast I work.
Greco Roman wrestlers lift like power lifters. That should do. Bro split and ur good 👍