A reader recently asked an interesting question... Hi Stephan, I'm super-busy with my job and my kids. In a good week I only get to go to BJJ class once, maybe twice, so I want to add some conditioning to the mix. If I only have one additional hour per week to devote to physical fitness what would you suggest? Thanks, Jim I feel his pain! Everybody's busy these days, and … [Read more...]
11 Short MMA Conditioning Workouts by Chuck Liddell’s Coach John Hackleman
John Hackleman is a friend of Grapplearts and a very successful MMA coach. He runs The Pit Gym and guided Chuck Liddell to UFC Lightweight Champion status and has coached many other MMA fighters. As an MMA trainer he is keenly aware of the importance of conditioning for fighters, but also for 'regular' people training martial arts for self defense. Hackleman is also a very direct … [Read more...]
10 Tips on Running for BJJ
I blame Bruce Lee, for it was he who first brought the fact that martial artists should run to my attention. It was in the eighties and I came across a photo of Bruce Lee running down the road in the book Bruce Lee's Fighting Method Vol 2. The text talked about how important he thought running was, and mentioned that, "Even when he was sent to India to find suitable locations for filming, he … [Read more...]
Bodybuilding, Jiu-Jitsu, and My Quest to Make 240 lbs with Abs…
In my late twenties I went through a phase that most young men go through - I wanted to get big. Maybe not as big as Dorian Yates and the other professional bodybuilders active at the time, but certainly bigger than most other men in my peer group. Yes, I admit that there was a certain element of vanity at work, but I also told myself that it would be good for my jiu-jitsu. The trouble was … [Read more...]
Podcast EP28: How Bernardo Faria Won Double Gold at the BJJ Mundials
In this in-depth interview I talk with Bernardo Faria, the 99kg BJJ fighter who recently took gold in not only his own weight class but also in the absolute division of the 2015 BJJ Mundials. Some of the highlights of my talk with Bernardo Faria included... His mindset going into big tournaments How he developed and refined his highly individual BJJ gameplan What he's learned … [Read more...]
The Three Most Important Pull-Up Variations for BJJ (Plus 16 Additional Variations)
There’s a ton of pulling in BJJ. Regardless of whether you’re finishing an X choke, pulling your arm out of an almost-applied armbar, or breaking someone’s posture from guard, it’s all made a lot easier if you have a decent grip and good pulling power Which makes pull-ups one of the most important exercises you can do for your jiu-jitsu. But there are a lot of variations of the pull-up, … [Read more...]
The Combat Challenge Sprint Workout
Here’s a great workout for you: the Combat Challenge Sprint workout. This is the same sprint training protocol used by many of the best competitors in the Firefighter Combat Challenge, a sport that focuses on a viciously difficult obstacle course in which firefighters push themselves to their limits simulating foreground activities. This worker was a key component of my friend Jamie McGarva's … [Read more...]
What’s the Best Conditioning for BJJ?
I often get asked about the best kind of conditioning for BJJ and MMA. People want to know what’s better: running vs swimming, circuit training vs powerlifting, crossfit vs bodybuilding, sprints vs extended cardio, kettlebells vs dumbbells, bodyweight exercises vs barbells.. Having done quite a bit of strength and conditioning over the last 20 years I actually do have some definite opinions … [Read more...]
Should I Do Extra Conditioning for BJJ?
To condition or not to condition, that is the question… Whether ’tis smarter for your body to strain under barbells and long distance runs, or ignore all that stuff and just focus on getting more mat time. This is NOT an article about general fitness, or about achieving a goal in another sport. If you want to run a half-marathon for the challenge, the endorphins, or the sense of achievement … [Read more...]
Home Drilling for BJJ Skill Development
I often get questions from BJJ and submission grappling practitioners about whether they can benefit from doing additional drills at home. Often the people asking these questions are either extremely time-constrained and can't make it to the class as often as they would like. Or they are just very serious students of the art and want to improve as fast as humanly possible. My answer is that … [Read more...]
How Hard Should You Go During Sparring?
Serious training requires focus and intent when you're on the mat. Those precious few hours of training every week deserve your complete attention so you can get good faster; life is too short for half-ass mediocrity. Ask any black belt you like: they'll agree that making an effort, staying focused, and paying attention is critical to your training. But this is MENTAL effort. MENTAL focus. … [Read more...]
Why Martial Artist (and Grapplers in Particular) Should Do Yoga
There are a lot of reasons why martial artists should do Yoga. And that goes DOUBLE for the grappling kind of martial artists, including BJJ'ers, submission grapplers, Judoka, Sambo practioners, and people training in MMA. Yoga brings a lot to the table. … [Read more...]
My Digital Reading List, May 23, 2013
I always say that this jiu-jitsu stuff is a marathon, not a sprint. Partially this is because it takes time to remodel your body so that it can do the things you want it to do. It's also because you need to find and incorporate hundreds of little tricks, tweaks and techniques that work with your body and your ever-evolving style on the mats. … [Read more...]
How to Improve Your Hip and Leg Flexibility
Hip and leg flexibility is a huge asset in grappling, especially when it comes to not letting your opponent pass your guard, for launching sneaky sweeps and submissions from the guard position, and for weaseling your way out of tight pins. Plus if you're training in MMA, Muay Thai, Karate, Kickboxing, or any other martial art that involves kicking then flexibility will obviously help you out … [Read more...]
Inflexible, Stiff Back? Try This Workout…
There's almost nothing worse than a painful back. Unlike other body parts, an injury to your back comes to define your entire life. If your arm is strained, or you've twisted your knee, or if you've tweaked your shoulder, then usually you can find a way to get through your day without aggravating your injury too much. But a sore back finds a way to haunt you every second of every day. … [Read more...]
20,000 lbs of snow and the true meaning of self defense…
This is a rather rambling post; in the words of Mark Twain, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." First, and most importantly, I really hope that you had a great Christmas (or alternate celebration of your choice). And that you got to spend time with friends, family and loved ones. Next, congratulations on surviving the Mayan Calendar Apocalypse! … [Read more...]
What Champion Bodybuilder Kai Greene Can Teach You About BJJ
An old training partner sent me a short email yesterday. Here's what it said: "I know you have a paucity of spare time - but this video of pro bodybuilder Kai Greene is GREAT! His plain speaking talk about self discipline and mastering fundamentals to achieve excellence is probably the best I have heard. I think you will enjoy this." … [Read more...]
Preventing Achy Elbows (and Getting a Killer Grip)
A lot of grapplers have creaky joints, and tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are just two of the most common overtraining injuries you're likely to encounter at the club. Here's one grappler's solution to his grappling-induced elbow problems. … [Read more...]
‘Cardio’ For the Martial Arts
Cardiovascular training can be a confusing topic and there are many different and divergent views on the subject. Different reputable sources inform us that you don't need to do cardio - just spar really long rounds (for grappling), or that you should spar twice as many rounds as you are going to fight (boxing), or that you should do sprints, or do long runs, or lift weights for muscular … [Read more...]
Yoga for BJJ: A Personal Challenge
An individual seeking to become a complete martial athlete cannot afford to leave the ancient practice of yoga out of his/her training regimen. No other exercise addresses and develops as many physical AND mental attributes as yoga does. … [Read more...]