1. Have a goal
Not having a goal in the weightroom is like going on a road trip with no destination. You’ll be driving around aimlessly with no end in sight. A goal keeps you on track, sets the course of action, and is tangible. You either reach your goal or you don’t. Make your goal specific, measurable, and time sensitive. This will force a sense of urgency, keep you focused, and will determine if you actually reach it or not. A poor goal would be “I want to get stronger.” A better goal is “I want to Back Squat 265 for 3 reps by May 31st. When May 31st comes around you will know if you either reached or missed your goal. Change your goal every three to six months.
2. Keep it simple
There is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to your strength and conditioning routine. There are staple, big-bang exercises that have endured the test of time. Stick to them. Basic exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Presses, and Pulls are enough to build strength, build endurance, and keep you progressing month over month. Don’t worry about complex training splits or mastering the Olympic Snatch. Weight training two or three times a week, working big muscle groups, and focusing on your goal will yield results and leave enough time to focus on Jiu Jitsu.
3. Work your weaknesses
4. Keep your focus on the mat
For a lot of people, time spent in the weightroom can be fun. For these types, it’s easy to get caught up chasing a personal record or overtraining. Your focus should always be on jiu-jitsu. Your time spent in the weightroom is to supplement your BJJ training and to make you a stronger, faster, more able fighter. Don’t get caught skipping mat time due to excess soreness or a date with the squat rack.
5. Train for qualities you can’t get on the mat
We get a ton of cardio, strength-endurance, and conditioning training while on the mat. Unless you really need to develop one of these qualities specifically, focus on other areas that you can’t develop on the mat, like strength, power, and muscle building (if you need it). Your time in the gym should be used wisely to contribute to your efforts on the mat. Spend some time on these areas, as well as injury prevention, and improving posture.
6. Track Something, Anything!
How can you really ever know if you’ve made progress if you don’t know where you started and where you’re now at? This is a huge mistake that is committed far too often in the gym. You go into the weightroom, pick up some weight that feels heavy enough and start cranking out reps. Sure that may get you a pump and even some gains, but long term progress needs to be tracked regularly. If you dont want to track your weights, reps, and sets (which is recommended) then at least track your bodyweight and body fat. You need something to track to tell if what you’re doing in the gym is working. Better numbers to track are some kind of strength metric like your 5, 3, and 1 rep max. An endurance and cardio metric like your mile time. And a strength endurance test like how many pushups you can do in a minute. Whatever it is, just write it down and keep track of it every few weeks!
7. Don’t get hurt!
Injuries on the mat are bound to happen. Injuries in the weightroom shouldn’t. The last thing you want is to be sidelined from jiu-jitsu due to an injury while exercising. We exercise to improve our performance on the mat, not detract from it. Use your head while lifting, don’t train outside of your means, and don’t let your ego get the best of you. If a weight feels too heavy or an exercise doesn’t feel right, move on. Youtube can be a great learning resource, but also the worst. Don’t try to do something you’re not ready for or you saw some pro athlete doing on Instagram. Remember, keep it simple, don’t get hurt!
8. Make recovery a priority
9. Stick to the program
It’s easy to find a fancy new exercise or program that promises insane gains in two weeks or something crazy but don’t get side tracked. If you’re on an 8-week plan see it through until the end, even if you’re not seeing the results you want right away. Often times it takes a few weeks for the body to adapt or change. If you’ve done your research and found a science-based program, like the one below, it will work. Just have the discipline to stick with it.
10. Technique is king
Just like in Jiu Jitsu, technique is king in the weightroom. Learn how to lift properly and maintain good form throughout your entire session. This will keep you away from injury and ensure that you’re getting the most from your workout. Even if it requires a few sessions with a trainer, proper technique will set you on a long path of healthy lifting. Once you know how good form feels, you’ll be better able to tell when a weight is too heavy or something isn’t right. Body awareness is a huge factor when it comes to staying injury-free and out of pain. Much like on the mats, put the time in to learn the movements correctly.
