There’s a basic routine I follow which has massively helped. I’ve generally found that most workout routines don’t account for the significant recovery needed for BJJ. the volume is generally too high. Theres a decent blog post here that shows the basics for someone starting out Strength Training for BJJ
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Seems nobody factors in recovery… it’s likely the most important aspect of progression
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New research shows reps of ten and up accumulate more fatigue than previously thought. Consider 5 to 7 reps for a while.
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I’ll definitely going to factor this in 6 or 7 weeks. A big purpose of my training log is to see how suitable WS4SB3 is for bjj athletes. So after I report my findings, I will change my program to something more suitable after my learnings from an 18week cycle of WS4SB. 5-7 rep range will be one such learning. Also I have a left shoulder and right adductor tweaks that are affecting my bench and squat plus some accessories, so will have to factor around that too.
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Week 11 8th July 2024
Still recovering from flu. Bench press plateauing. After my shoulders feeling great in Croatia, now they’re feeling stiff and sore. Maybe their struggling with the weighted Dips. I felt very little shoulder pain in my Croatia session on 28th of June, only thing that changed was I was getting a lift off from spotter before starting my sets.
Bench Press
20kg x 10
40 kg x 5
50 kg x 5
62.5kg x 3
72.5kg x 3
Dips 2 sets of max reps
1 x 10 reps, 1 x 8 reps with 10kg Plates
Improvement. Hopefully 2 x 10-14 next week.
DB rows supersetted with Face Pulls
55kg - 4 x 12,
Face Pulls
90lbs 4 x 12
Feeling my upper back swell.
Kelso Shrugs
30kg DB’s 4 x 12
Just starting to get bored of these now. Need a better exercise for my traps. BB shrugs with straps in week 13 I think.
Hammer curls
25kg on 2 x 12 with Fat Gripz
30kg 1 x 12
Forearm pump from the hammer curls with the fat gripz but feeling a twinge in left shoulder when doing the last few reps.
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Week 11 July 11th ME Lower
Back Squat
20kg x 8
40kg x 5
60kg x 4
70 kg x 3
80 kg x 1
Not feeling myself again this session, hopefully just affects of the cold. Did an easy single and called it quits. Target was 87.5 kg x 5 reps. Taking this week as a deload week which will be no harm as my body could be better.
Snatch Grip RDL’s
1 x 60kg x 12
1 x 90kg x 10
Lacking the energy to complete two more sets.
Leg Press
66kg 1 x 20
73kg 1 x 20
80kg 1 x 20
Felt stronger on leg press this week at least, an improvement.
Ab circuit x 1
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Week 11
Fri 12th July Rep Upper
Pullups x 6, 5, 4
Abandoned doing bench press movements due to tight, stiff shoulders on my warm up set. So did a three sets of pullups instead.
Straight Arm Pull Downs
90lbs 4 x 12,
These pulldowns are my favorite exercise right now, really feeling my lats squeezing.
Face pulls
1 x 90lbs 1x 12
100lbs 1 x 12
110lbs 2 x 12
Machine Shoulder Press
70lbs x 12, 80lbs x 12, 90lbs x 12, 100lbs x 12
Trying to destress my shoulders with machine movement instead of free weight shoulder press
DB Shrugs
30kg x 20, 20, 19
Zottman Curls
10kg with fat gripz x 6 reps, 2 x12 reps
Slight left shoulder pain on these
Wrist Roller with 2.5kg plate, 2 sets x 3 reps
Really seeing some forearm development from these
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How’d the injuries occur? I’m approaching 20 years in Bjj soon… after much trial and error I believe a protocol similar to this is likely optimal for most of us.
Bjj drilling / flow drills/ technique level sparring - 3 to 5 times a week
Hard sparring - 2 x weekly tops
Strength / Conditioning - twice weekly
Recovery is so overlooked. once I backed off all my lifts and Bjj skills advanced considerably
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Interesting, I may cut down to 2 weight lifting sessions per week after this WS4SB cycle.
My left shoulder I hurt getting savagely kimura’d in 2017. Ever since there’s been a clicking in it, feels like somethings out of place. Not sure if a chiropractor can help with that. As I benched slightly heaver it started to pain a bit more in last 2 weeks, and also when I do bicep curl variations at the top of the movements. If it hurts today, then I’ll subsititute for machine chest press. I hurt my leg adductor on last set of reverse lunges in week 6. Doesn’t hurt too much squatting but really hurts when doing unilateral exercises on my right leg. Hurts a little in bjj sparring but after a few rounds, I wouldn’t notice it.
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Ahhh… the shoulder destroyer!
Given your posts, injuries, and training protocols…I’d wager you’re simply training too frequently, too hard, and under recovered. Bjj is tough enough then add free weights (more peripheral fatigue and CNS fatigue)
That said… I’m always impressed by people putting in the work! Keep at it buddy.
The hardest thing for me was forcing myself to back off the intensity… but it paid dividends in recovery and performance.
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I did something similar when I was training. 2x/BJJ a week (including Live Training), 2x/ strength sessions a week, and 2x/conditioning (mostly Zone 2). Sometimes I’d swap out a conditioning session for another BJJ class. But on average 2x2x2 was how I spent most of my time.
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Week 12
July 16th ME Lower
Back Squat
20kg x 10
40kg x 5
60kg x 4
70 kg x 3
80 kg x 3
87.5kg (193 lbs) x 3
Last week of Back Squats, was hoping to reach 90kg x 5 but fell short.
Snatch Grip RDL’s
1 x 60kg x 12
1 x 90kg x 12
1 x 90kg x 11
1 x 90kg x 7
Tired on my last set. Strong upper back DOMS the next day…
Leg Press
73kg 3 x 13
Felt harder than this time last week were I banged out 20 reps with a higher weight. Interesting decrease in performance.
Ab circuit x 1
Back Squat Progress Wk 7 - W12
75kg x 5 → 87.5kg x 3
Snatch Grip RDL Progress Wk 7 -12
80kg x 12 → 90kg x 12
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Funny my conditioning needs work from my added mass and muscle gains. I feel much stronger and my wrestling has improved immensely from added strength. But I’m tiring far quicker now. So might have to add in a conditioning session weekly soon.
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It’ll need more than once a week… scale back on weights too. We try to juggle too many things
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Week 12 ME Upper
17th July 2024
Bench Press
20kg x 10
40 kg x 5
50 kg x 5
60kg x 5
Stopped benching due to left shoulder pain. Dips were also a no go. Dropping pressing movements for machine press movements to save my shoulder from extra punishment.
Pull Ups
1 x5, 1 x 4, 1 x 5, 1 x 4
Felt weaker today. My performance feels very inconsistent on Pull ups. No shoulder pain.
DB rows supersetted with Face Pulls
60kg - 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 2 x12 (with straps)
Face Pulls
100lbs 4 x 12
Feeling my upper back swell. And no shoulder pain
Skipped Kelso shrugs to reduce training volume. Also skipped hammer curls as it hurts my left shoulder.
Tricep Pushdowns
100 lbs 2 x 15
No shoulder pain. Bicep movements will be sacrificed for triceps. My new upper body routine will be basically all Upper Back and Triceps without any free weight Chest, delt or bicep work.
So tonight my first week 13 Upper Body Day will be:
- Max set of Weighted Pull Ups
- Supplemental Pull Up sets without weight
- Machine Chest Press
4a) Barbell Rows and 4b) Scarecrows - BB Shrugs with straps
- EZ bar skullcrusher
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Yeah haha Bench and Dips destroyed my left shoulder, already the weak point from a pre-existing injury from a kimura in 2017. Although doesn’t hurt that much when training bjj. Felt so much stronger wrestling last week. I’m listening, I’m thinking of cutting down to 2 x weight training, 1-2 aerobic base conditioning, 3-5 bjj sessions per week. Thanks for all the feedback, very helpful and appreciated.
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@marine77 makes a good point. Significant conditioning improvements tend to take a lot of volume compared to strength and hypertrophy, for example.
One thing to consider is to approach the conditioning challenge from both ends: (1) work to improve your cardio with an extra session or two (I used to do Zone 2 work after my evening BJJ class. My wife would be asleep by the time I got home anyway, so I’d use the time to get in some extra conditioning, think about the night’s class, or do video review while on the treadmill).
And (2) also think about your training pace and how well you breathe while training. Are you more aggressive than you need to be in certain circumstances? Are you able to control your breathing to bring your HR down a bit during breaks or even moments of positional dominance?
In one of his many interviews with Joe Rogan, Eddie Bravo has a great monologue on how he improved his conditioning ahead of his great Metamoris rematch with Royler Gracie. Its JRE Episode #478 (avail on YT) and that conversation starts around 1:20:00 (though the whole episode is a lot of fun).
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Finding that balance is difficult but you’re on the right path. Strength is definitely an underutilized aspect of BJJ… all the old heads swear you don’t need it.
Flow drills and technique level grappling are great conditioners already… maybe program in hill sprints occasionally
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Ty… we lose those adaptations just as quickly, too, if we don’t train them consistently
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Honestly, I share a similar perspective. I found slow jogging for 30 - 50 mins the best thing for my cardio for grappling in my no gi sessions. That’s how I trained for Master Worlds in Vegas last year. Is that what you mean by Zone 2 work? I did some interval training and circuits but didn’t find them as good.
Also on your second point I think your absolutely correct breathing is massively overlooked in grappling. I’m a big fan of Patrick McKeowns book The Oxygen Advantage which really promotes nasal breathing in sports. I got septoplasty to improve my nasal breathing after damge from Mma sparring and focused on jogging using only nasal breathing and on keeping my mouth closed as much as possible during sparring. Really made a big difference. I think know though I’m just struggling with my increased mass and change of style because I have more strength to wrestle and fight more. Yes Im familiar with that episode of JRE, Eddie talks about swimming if I’m not mistaken?
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