6 Exercises To Improve Your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Skills

Whether you train on your own or enroll in classes in Houston, regular exercise plays a crucial role in improving your jiu jitsu skills. Staying active in general keeps you in good shape, but some exercises do a better job of improving your martial arts skills than others. Here are six workouts that best complement your training.

1. Sparring

Even after an intense day of training, people may turn to exercise routines that keep the focus on fighting to improve their skills. There are several exercises you can consider for this, but nothing beats sparring. This form of exercise helps you to improve your reaction times and practice your techniques.

Many people struggle to find someone to spar with outside of the gym. Making friends in class is a great start. Bringing family and friends with you to enroll in classes is even better. You then have the luxury of sparring in your backyard or at the park with few changes to your regular schedule.

2. Sprints

Grappling requires a great deal of strength, so many people tend to focus only on strength training to improve their skills. This is a mistake. Muscles require a lot of energy to keep them in motion, so cardio is often just as important. Sprints help you to push your limits in short bursts, which is the kind of energy boost you need to win a match or spar session.

When sprinting, use a timer. You can also ask someone else to monitor the time for you so you can focus on running. Start with 15-second sprints and then work your way up to a minute. Do this for up to 20 minutes.

3. Burpees

This is probably one of the least-favorite exercises at any gym or workout session. Still, there’s no doubting its effectiveness, Like sprints, they help you to build cardiovascular strength. Burpees also work the entire body while increasing hip mobility.

Try to start off with just 50 of these. Break them into smaller sets, if necessary. Then, work your way up to 100 over time, with more per set. When doing burpees, try to pace yourself to avoid needing to rest. Resting can cause you to lose your momentum.

4. Squats

Squats are a great way to condition the body to manage its own weight. They’re also a great workout for the lower body. If you struggle to maintain lower-body strength or intend to focus primarily on lower-body techniques while grappling, then this is the exercise for you.

To improve the effects of your squats, it’s not a bad idea to use weights. You can start with one dumbbell and gradually increase the weight over time. Some people move up to Smith Machines and barbells, but these can cause you to bulk up too much.

5. Pull-ups

Also known as chin-ups, this exercise helps you to improve two main aspects needed for training: your grip and your upper-body strength. Learning to lift your own weight helps to prepare you for managing someone else’s weight during a fight. There are some pull-up machines at the gym that can start you off with less resistance to help you make it up to the bar.

Start with these and then practice not using the machine’s help at all. If you become too reliant on the machines, you won’t learn to manage your own weight. The only way to improve your pull-ups is to keep practicing, so consider getting a crossbar to use over a doorway at home.

6. Short Treadmill Run

Nothing says cardio quite like a treadmill. Treadmills help you to build endurance and lung capacity. Just a 10-minute to 20-minute run when you work out also ensures you put on lean muscle instead of bulk.

Students often assume that bulk allows you to better overpower someone, but this is not always the case. You spar within your own weight class anyway. Massive muscle also requires more oxygen and more energy. Lean muscle, on the other hand, gives that explosion of strength and power you need behind your fighting techniques to make them more effective.

The best way to improve your jiu jitsu skills is to enroll in a class where professionals can guide you. You then learn to maintain proper form and improve discipline as well as fighting skills. For more information about the benefits of in-class training, give Elite MMA a call at 713-588-5465.

6 Exercises To Improve Your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Skills / Elite – MMA Houston, TX