Last week while filming this video, my cameraman—a fellow grappler—saw a heavy club for the first time.
Curious, he attempted to pick up the 35lb lever.
He could barely get it off the ground, let alone bring it to order position.
Then he said, “Wow, this is heavy, you’re strong! How much can you bench?”
I laughed. “I have no idea,” I told him. “I don’t really bench.”
It struck me how quickly most people associate strength with the bench press—as if that's the gold standard.
But I value, and train for, a different kind of strength.
The kind of strength that isn’t measured by numbers on a bar.
It the kind of strength you need to manipulate bodies — your own or someone else’s.
Integrated Strength
“Functional” is a controversial word, so let’s skip that debate.
I call it integrated strength.
It’s not the kind of strength you get from moving weights in straight lines.
Have you ever seen a powerlifter with a 500 lb squat do a human flag or a strict one-arm push-up? Me neither.
Integrated strength is about the coordinated effort of multiple muscle groups working together—driven by the nervous system—to produce and manage force through complex movement.
Wrestlers develop this from clinching, throwing, and moving other humans.
Farm boys build this bailing hay, chopping wood, and moving animals and equipment.
Gymnasts build it by manipulating their bodies through space — calisthenics experts do the same.
If you’ve ever dug a hole or shoveled snow, you’ve felt it—grip, arms, core, legs, and spine all working in unison, twisting and driving through to move a load.
That’s total-body, integrated strength.
And that’s exactly the kind of strength you need for jiu-jitsu.
How to Build It
You can absolutely squat, bench, and deadlift—they're great for building raw strength.
But if you want integrated, grappling-ready strength, you have to train differently.
Here are the methods I use:
Rotational Strength Training
Landmine training, heavy club swinging, and rotational lifts challenge the total body across multiple planes—mimicking the asymmetrical, dynamic positions of grappling and wrestling.
Isometric Training
Isometrics recruit more motor units while reinforcing motor control, joint integrity, and neuromuscular coordination. Long holds at weak positions teach your brain how to recruit the right muscles at the right time—which is vital for nearly every movement on the mat.
Heavy Club Training
Clubs create an offset load, forcing you to stabilize a moving lever through space. The center of mass is outside your grip, just like an opponent’s limb. It demands total-body control and develops grip, shoulders, core, and rotational strength all at once.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with chasing big numbers on the barbell.
But for grapplers, fighters, and anyone who needs integrated strength, it’s worth training in ways that build it.
Rotational strength, isometrics, heavy club training—these are the tools that bridge the gap between the gym and the mat.
Train the body to work as a unit.
And you’ll be harder to move, control, or submit.
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