Muscles?

[stonewall1350]

I am just curious what muscles would be good to lift for while I am in BJJ? I am a fairly strong guy, but not in the write sections to gain any muscle edge. I realize BJJ is a flexibility thing and so too much muscle would get in the way, but I do know that I need to work on my abs. So I am just curious if I should be doing like bicep/forearms/chest press type lifting? As it stands I am a big guy(6'0 230 or so). Any help would be welcome. I keep asking this questions and I just like to get the variety of answers cause I am still very knew.

 

[eagles51593]

Well, first, remember if your muscling through a technique, you are doing it wrong. This is something I preach to my guys. You want to stay relaxed and be able to flow.

But, lifting can help you, and you can use strength to add to your technique. Strength will matter when technique is equal. Now, I'm no expert on lifting weights, but try to hit the big muscle groups. With the help of a friend of mine who is a professional fighter and personal trainer, I've been keeping on a basic power lifting routine and have been seeing great results.

For the first 6 weeks of my program it was just basic Benching, Squats, Deadlifts, Pull Ups, and Military Presses. Mondays would be bench and squat, wednesdays would be bench and dead lifts, and fridays would be military press and pull ups. Then we built varied plans to build off those base exercises. Now my list of exercises goes on and on.

Hope my post was helpful in some way. Good luck!

 

[mcmoon]

i follow a book called the "homeworkout plan" and its pretty good...iv never really been big or anything but iv gained about 6 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks which for me at least is pretty good...i did most of the workout before but i didnt take in the protein requirements and the gains werent as great but if u follow it then it works

wat got me back to doin was my first tournament....i won my first match but in the second match i went against a guy thats arms were like as big as legs and of course he was strong...he was a good bit stronger than me but because i had decent skills he wasnt able to submit me just hold me down and win on points................i dont wont that being a factor again so im workin on it

 

[Steve]

Core strength is way more important than strong arms or legs. Honestly, after that I'd work grip strength. Then move on from there.

 

[Ironcrane]

Core strength is way more important than strong arms or legs. Honestly, after that I'd work grip strength. Then move on from there.

I second this. Core strength will help a lot. And grip strength will come in handy.

 

[kungfu penguin]

also lighter weights lots of reps to help build muscular endurance you dont want your muscles to fatigue no matter how strong you are

 

[Kwan Jang]

For grappling as well as any athletic endeavor, you need to keep the kinetic chain strong. In other words, there is a natural strength curve that should be observed (i.e. -the triceps should be roughly 2/3 of the arm while the bicep is 1/3, ect.) and as long as that is maintained, the stronger the chain, the better. Obviously, any major muscle group that is proportionately underdeveloped would simply be the weakest link that the chain breaks down at.

I am a firm believer that it is a common fallacy that "too much muscle will get in the way" of your flexibility. I have over 30" thighs (at between 6-8% bodyfat depending when you catch me in my training cycle) and have done 3 reps with 865 lbs. in a full squat, yet I can also perform full splits and vertical kicks. I was also this year's silver medalist in the NAGA World Grappling Championships in the Expert Super Heavyweight division. The guy who beat me for the world title also had legs that dwarved mine and he weighed in at 300 lbs.(guestimate of 10-12% bodyfat). Also, guys like Tom Platz (former Mr. Universe and had the most massive leg development in bodybuilding history) and Ronnie Coleman (8X Mr. Olympia and the most massive Bodybuilder to ever hold the title) can also perform full splits. The only restrictions on flexibility I've ever experienced is from surgeries to repair injuries to my shoulder, not from the muscle I carry.

As far as KF Penguin's comments on high rep work, I agree in part with this. I do quite a bit of high rep work to help with endurance, but I still keep the weights fairly high. I will often squat 500 lbs. for 20(+) reps and bench 315 for the same. In fact, I do this much more often than the really heavy low rep work since TOO much of that is a bit hard on my old joints. I would also suggest including a good cardio and stretching program along with solid nutrition to go along with your technical skills to create an ideal combo.

 

[Kwan Jang]

Sorry. Duplicate post.

 

[cooker1]

Being able to react and adapt is very important in this sport. For that a more non-traditional attitude toward developing muscle may be beneficial.

 

[TheArtofDave]

I would do total body work outs. Because all of the muscles you need to work out will be getting worked out. For legs, if you can't run because your knees will lock when you run then you can walk a mile.

Walk a mile for a week, & then walk 2 miles the next week, & so on.

push ups, & a lot of work with a medicine ball will work as well. you can look up these exercises.

jumping jacks, mountain climbs, leg raises, sit ups. All exercise is beneficial. Taking a couple of days off & then finding a routine that works is where it's at. Also muscle milk, protein bars. Something to feed your muscles.

I haven't kept a proper routine but I definitely am going to find one for me that works.