People take up training grappling for a whole host of reasons. One that often gets people through the door is getting in shape. I have had countless people ask me if they can get in shape just by training BJJ. The answer is, that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. It is not just a different way of challenging your body, but also a way to cover just about every aspect of fitness. from bodyweight training to managing external existence to lung burning conditioning, grappling has it all. that makes getting BJJ Fit your best bet for that summer body you’ve always wanted.
Between regular weight lifting and stuff like CrossFit, there’s no shortage of ways to get fit nowadays. Yet, there’s one common issue with them all – people get bored very fast. This is where BJJ comes in. Even if you’re not looking to become the next world champion, or win an MMA fight, BJJ can help you reach your goals. Any academy you walk into around the world has people that are just looking to get BJJ Fit. What does this mean exactly? Just take a look at the shape some most grapplers, female or male, are in, and you’ll know precisely what everyone is looking for. The truth is if you’re looking for the ultimate way to get that six-pack, BJJ is arguably your best bet.
The Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do
So how exactly can BJJ make you jacked? After all, you do spend most of your time lying on the ground right? Well, yeah, but at the same time, you’re trying to do complex bodyweight movements while lifting weights and all fo that at quite the pace. Well, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers not just a full body workout that’s second to none but is also the best possible functional way to workout.
The thing that happens very often in BJJ gyms is that people that are in crazy shape walk in. Even before sparring time comes, you know what happens to each and every one of them? They gas out. Marathon runners, powerlifters, CrossFit coaches I’ve seen them all gasp for air during some basic warm-up drills. The reason for this is that being BJJ Fit is a much different thing than simply being in shape. During grappling you’re going to activate pretty much every possible muscle in your body. That means not just all the visible muscles people try to pump up in gyms, but also underlying muscle layers that actually make a huge difference.
Jiu-Jitsu training does have one downfall though. The more you train, the more efficient you get at movements. That means that you spend less energy during rolling, However, you don’t have to worry about this until you reach a high level, most often brown belt. Moreover, there’s a way to include fitness training in your BBJJ classes even if you’re a high-level black belt. In short, BJJ is the best way to stay fit for life by doing just one thing. And the best part is, it is extremely fun and does not get boring!
Training To Be BJJ Fit
So how do you get BJJ Fit? Well, first of all, you get to the nearest BJJ academy and you sign up. then, you go fro “hell week” or that crazy period when everything hurts and nothing makes sense. Whether you roll at the end of class or not is down to you, but class in itself is going to be more than enough. Let’s go through a typical class play-by-play.
First up, warm-ups. What you gain from BJJ warm-ups is first and foremost mobility and flexibility. This is integral to actually be able to train at a high level and get that shredded body. It also gets your heart rate up as it often includes running, jumping drills, etc, plus some basic bodyweight strength exercises. moreover, some schools like to use Ginastica Natural to warm up which is a fitness discipline of its own.
The first round of drills usually comes next. Here you go through BJ specific movements like sit outs, hip escapes, partner drills, tumbling, etc. This is pretty much gymnastics on steroids and it is going to put demands on your body like o other means of fitness.
Next, it is time for technical work. This is where you learn moves and techniques which actually helps you learn how to move your body through space. Coordination, proprioception, and cardio all play a huge part here. Plus, you have to turn your brain on.
Finally, it’s time for the second round of drills, this time specific to the techniques you just did. And that;’s not the end of it. SPecific sparring, where you get to try the moves against a resisting partner is what usually wraps a class up. And that’s before we even think about live rolling,
A Healthy Lifestyle
So, the question is, how can you stay BJJ fit if you do the same type of training every time? Ok, techniques do change as well as specific sparring. Well, drills are also so numerous and different that they never get boring or repetitive. Moreover, there are different types of classes you can join. Gracie Barra, for example, have a Barra Fit class that focuses solely on BJJ as a fitness tool. There are also specific drilling classes where you get to do intervals of different drills for an hour or more. or, you could sign up for competition preparation class, where intensity is always through the roof with lots of added conditioning work.
A huge benefit of training Jiu-jitsu is that becoming BJJ fit just becomes a lifestyle. Everyone in the academy is talking about weight cutting, healthy food, and training. Before you know it, you’re going to develop some awesome habits that’ll make your daily life much better. Not to mention make you look s close to a Greek god as possible. After all, everyone in Greece used to wrestle, right?
Finally, most BJJ academies have a couple of kettlebells, pull-up bars and climbing rope at the very least, and often much more training equipment than that. That means you can pretty much combine anything you want with BJJ training and turn into the best version of yourself in next to no time!
Conclusion
It may sound unbelievable buy getting BJJ Fit is about as fit as you’ll get without the help of certain chemicals. The most impressive thing is that you’ll get fit regardless of age. Healthy habits, lots of nutrition knowledge, a great community, the body you’ve always wanted and a method of training that never gets boring. What more could you want?
