As time seems to be speeding up as I get older, Im forced to find new ways to get more from my workouts in less time.
Some days, I only have 5 or 10 minutes to get some movement in between work calls, managing clients, and handling responsibilities.
For times like that I like to strip away the excess and focus on only the most high-value exercises that deliver the most return in the least time.
With my priorities now set on resilience and longevity, the following exercises provide exactly what I need without a ton of time.
And there is no better combination than bodyweight, heavy clubs, and kettlebells to deliver results anywhere, anytime.
Bare Minimum Bodyweight Training For BJJ
Bodyweight training is the ultimate minimalist method because it’s free and can be done anywhere. And just because it doest require expensive equipment or external loads doesn’t mean it isn’t wildly effective.
Isometric training, Super Slow training, and advanced calisthenics are all ways to make bodyweight training one of the most challenging methods you’ve ever done.
Here are the moves I would do if I could only do three:
Hindu Push Up
- Develops upper body pushing strength while improving mobility at the same time.
- Builds shoulder, chest, triceps, lat, and core strength.
- Mobilizes shoulders, elbows, thoracic and lumbar spine.
Chin Up
- Develops upper body pulling strength and endurance.
- Builds lat, upper back, arm, grip, and core strength.
- Can be programmed to improve relative strength, isometric strength, strength endurance, and hypertrophy.
Cossack Squat
- Develops lower body strength while improving mobility at the same time.
- Builds single leg quad, glute, hamstring and adductor strength.
- Mobilizes hips, lower back, groin and spine.
Bonus: Crawling
If I was really strapped for time, I would set a timer and try to crawl nonstop for 5 minutes. Crawling is a total body exercise that hits the shoulders, arms, core, and legs. Plus, it ramps up your heart and lungs, burns fat, and is an excellent mobility and warmup move.
Bare Minimum Kettlebell Training For BJJ
The versatility of the kettlebell is what sets it apart. With the right programming you can build excellent strength and/or endurance in every movement plane for exceptional performance and longevity benefits.
Plus, kettlebells can be done anywhere and pair well with bodyweight training.
Here are the moves I would do if I could only do three:
Coiling Clean To Rotational Press
- Develops total body strength and power.
- Builds single leg quad and glute strength and power.
- Builds rotational core strength, power, and resilience.
- Builds shoulder, lat, and triceps strength and power.
- Also improves hip, spine, and ribcage mobility.
- Can be programmed to improve strength, power, strength endurance, or hypertrophy.
Rotational Row
- Develops upper body pulling strength, rotational strength, and hip stability.
- Builds lat, arm, and upper back strength.
- Builds leg and hip stability and endurance.
- Improves hip, spine, and ribcage mobility.
- Can be programmed to improve strength, strength endurance, or hypertrophy.
Bonus: Turkish Get Up
If I had to pick only one KB exercise it would be the Turkish Get Up. This one sequence of moves hits nearly every major joint and muscle in your body while providing a list of benefits for the grappler, including strength, mobility, endurance and resilience.
Bare Minimum Clubbell Training For BJJ
Heavy clubs offer benefits that no other training tool can. Specifically, swinging weights in arcs, which builds rotational strength and resilience at odd angles, like you experience on the mat.
Clubs are not the best for building pure strength, but they are excellent at improving multiple qualities at once like strength endurance, mobility, and durability.
Here are the moves I would do if I could only do three:
Shield Cast
- Develops upper body rotational strength and mobility
- Builds shoulder, lat, and core strength.
- Improves ribcage, thoracic, and shoulder mobility.
Pendulum
- Develops lower body and rotational strength.
- Builds glute, hip, and core strength.
- Improves hip mobility and lower back resilience.
Squat with Flag Press
- Develops lower body and core strength.
- Builds quad, glute, core, shoulder, and pec strength and endurance.
- Improves hip mobility and lower back resilience.
Bonus: The Mill
The Mill is the pinnacle of club swinging and combines the Shield Cast and Circle to form one total body sequence that improves rotational strength, hip and shoulder mobility, and total body strength and resilience.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes you’re so strapped for time that you can only squeeze in a few exercises. In times like those, or, if you’re a minimalist simply looking get the biggest return from the smallest investment, the exercises above are your best options.
You can work any of these exercises in a circuit with minimal rest between, or set a timer and just do one of the bonus moves for the set time.
I chose the moves in the groups of three because they hit all major body parts – upper, lower, and core. The bonus move hits everything.
You can also mix and match bodyweight, kettlebell, and club moves if you have time. For example, Hindu Push Ups, Rotational KB Rows, and Club Squats with Flag Press. (Clubs and KBs are an incredible combo for BJJ performance and resilience.)
In fact, you could design a complete program from the exercises above that would deliver nearly everything you need for resilient BJJ.
What are your go-to bare minimum moves?
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