Will getting stronger actually improve your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game?
The video covers the same information as the post:
In my opinion strength training is great for: correcting imbalances, preventing injuries, and allowing you to perform moves in an explosive manner.
Some coaches overplay the importance of strength training. There have been BJJ world champions who did not regularly strength train. Marcelo Garcia is the most famous example of this.
In BJJ, boxing, MMA, etc.. skills pay the bills.
Skill training (drilling and sparring) is the most important piece of the puzzle if you want to get better.
My personal experience with this: There is a guy in my gym named Kieran Kichuk who happens to be a beast. He weighs around 170 I think. Maybe less. I weigh 200-210lbs. He is a brown belt and I am a purple belt. In a 5 minute roll he can submit me up to 5 times.
It’s not a strength issue. I am 30lbs heavier and definitely stronger than him. However he is better at the skill of Jiu-Jitsu and he kicks my ass. He is strong enough to perform his moves correctly.
Lifting more weights is not going to help me tap Kieran. I have to improve my bjj skills. So skills are obviously more important than strength.
If you have a limited amount of time to train and you want to get as good as possible I would recommend to do as much BJJ skill work (go to as many classes) as possible. Don’t beat yourself up by lifting weights and then come into class super tired and sore. That will negatively impact your skill work.
Adding in 2-3 days of strength training into your routine can help with injury prevention.
In BJJ we usually use one side more often than the other. Plus due to the chaotic nature of fighting over time there will be lots of muscular imbalances in our bodies.
Lifting dumbbells and barbells are good at correcting those imbalances because you train both sides with an even amount of resistance.
Strength training has also been proven to increase bone density and how strong your connective tissues are. This means if you are strong you are less likely to get injured and more likely to have a fast recovery if you do get injured.
Bringing it all together
Strength training is great for injury prevention. It shouldn’t make you so sore that it messes with your skill training. 1-2 days per week of strength training has been best for me. I like 2 days.
Remember that the most important thing is to get better at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu by improving your skills. That means going to class is priority #1. If you don’t have time for both then you should go to class if you want to get better.
In conclusion, do a little bit of strength training, but not so much that it gets in the way of your skill training.