Two things that have dramatically improved my BJJ resilience as I approach 40 is isometric training and swinging clubbells.
The strengthening and protective benefits of isometrics for any human, and especially grapplers, are profound and can be viewed here.
They are a safe way to continually add strength and reduce joint paint as you age.
Clubbells offer unique benefits that no other tool can, particularly rotational training. Rotation is the main movement of human beings, and swinging weights in arcs, which is what club swinging is, builds resilience in odd angles at 360 degrees.
Combining the two into heavy club isometrics provides significant benefits for combat athletes.
Here are three exercises to try.
Iso Squat With Front Press
This heavy club Iso Squat with Front Press is an easy first exercise to try if you’re new to clubbell isometrics.
Simply squat to rock bottom and extend your arms straight out so your hands are level with your nose.
You will quickly notice your entire anterior chain light up, including your core, chest, and shoulders.
Your legs, lower back, and spinal erectors are also working to stabilize and maintain your posture.
You’ll also sink deeper into your hips for better mobility as you counter balance the weight in front.
Overall, this will improve strength endurance in your entire body, specifically building resilience in the shoulders, spine, and lower back.
Iso Kickstand Hinge With Flag Press
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The next exercises moves to a unilateral stance, as opposed to bilateral, which will strengthen each side of your body individually.
The Kickstand Hinge puts you into a gait pattern, building hip, core, shoulder, and lat strength endurance.
Assume a hinge position on the front leg with the back leg supporting in a kickstand. Extend the club straight out off your nose over your front foot.
This will again hit your core, but in a unique way that’s very relevant for standing BJJ or wrestling.
You are strengthening your entire spine for more resilient takedowns and better mat posture.
You should feel this one from the foot all the way up the leg into the core, back, shoulders, and arms.
It’s total body strength endurance.
Iso Order Hold
The Order position is an essential club swinging position to learn, and is equivalent to the rack position in barbell or kettlebell lifting.
When you assume a one-arm Order position with the club, your entire shoulder, arm, lat and core must work to stabilize the weight in the correct position.
This simple but highly effective exercise will forge shoulder resilience by integrating the lat and stabilizer muscles of the shoulder.
Your grip with strengthen, as will the muscles around the elbow, as you squeeze as hard as possible for the designated time.
Aim to push the lat out into the biceps for complete activation.
Overall this makes your wrists, elbows, and shoulders more resilient for durability in frames, posts, and shoulder locks.
Final Thoughts
You can attempt these exercises with other tools like dumbbells or kettlebells, but the unique design of the club provides special benefits because you are holding a lever at the bottom, not the middle near the center of gravity.
Start with a light club like 15lbs and try to hold each position for 20 seconds. Work up to a minute for each, then progress to a heavier club.
Do three sets, contracting at 50% on the first, 75% on the second, and 100% on the last.
If you notice the wrong muscles trying to overtake the primary working muscles, like the traps instead of the lats in any of the Flag Press Isos, stop the exercise, reduce the weight or cut the duration.
Remember, isometrics pattern your nervous system to strengthen the connection between the brain and the muscles, so you want to the tension maintained on the right areas.
You can add these as a finisher, standalone workout, or warmup before BJJ.
Overall, your entire body will become more resilient for it.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 4 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
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