Core strength and function is the most important component of effective BJJ.
A strong core is not only vital for performance, but also resilience of the lower back, spine, and hips.
Your core needs to have strength, power, and endurance in all planes of motion.
And a weak core equals slower, less forceful movements and higher chances of injury.
But effective core training builds all functions of the core, including flexion, anti-extension, stabilization, rotation, and lateral flexion.
A Smarter APPROACH TO Core Training
Now, you could spend time isolating your separate core muscles with different exercises and working each of these functions independently.
But the body never works in isolation.
You’ll save a ton of time and get a more effective and integrated core workout, meaning chains of muscle working together, with a smarter approach – by training the Turkish Get Up.
Let’s look at how to build a fully functional core for BJJ performance and resilience.
How The Get Up Improves Flexion
Spinal flexion is a primary function of the core muscles and essential for any type of sit up guard, sweep, heist, or transition up from bottom.
The primary muscles involved in flexion are the recutus abdominis, and they’re trained in the very first movement of the Get Up.
I call the first step the Turkish Sit Up, which varies from a regular sit up due to its rotational component and asymmetrical starting position.
This is relevant to BJJ because rarely do you sit up symmetrically on the mat. There is usually a twist or turn.
With the Turkish Sit Up you’re training flexion with a rotation, making your core stronger and your spine more resilient in the process.
How The Get Up Improves Anti-Extension
Many overlook the importance of resisting spinal extension, meaning the ability to prevent the spine from extending backward.
Think of when your opponent wants to separate your knees from your torso to pass your guard. We’re taught from white belt to keep compact and don’t allow your limbs away from you. The ability to resist extension is key for defensive positions and also pinning.
You resist extension in the Get Up when lunging up while stabilizing the weight over head, and again while in standing.
The weight wants to pull your torso backward, but your rectus and obliques fire to resist this to retain spinal alignment.
Don’t neglect your anti-extension work.
How The Get Up IMPROVES Stabilization
Preventing your hips, core and spine from moving is crucial for injury prevention. The deep core muscles and spinal stabilizers must work to prevent the bones of your pelvis, spine, and ribs from shifting, turning, flexing, and extending.
Essentially, you want to create stability by training the core to resist all of the movements it’s capable of producing.
But core stability is also required for preventing sweeps, creating frames, and enforcing your game with authority.
Every step of full Get Up requires some form of dynamic stability, as you are demanding some areas to move and others to stay put.
Specifically, the lunge upward with the weight over head while standing really challenges the stability of the core.
Overall, the entire Get Up will make your core more stable, leading to better BJJ performance and resilience.
How The Get Up Improves Rotation
Rotation is the most neglected quality in most training routines, and very few consider it when training their core. There are two steps in the Get Up that work rotation in a very useful way for BJJ.
The first is the Turkish Sit Up, as mentioned. The “crunch and roll” demands spinal flexion and rotation, exactly like you need to come up from Half Guard or to escape side control.
When you drive through the foot in this action you are training total core integration from the lat, which stabilizes the weight, down through the obliques, and into the hips and glutes.
This is functional core training that will make you a stronger grappler.
The second rotational move is during the hinge up. This move works more lateral flexion, but the hip must rotate to effectively come to an upright position.
So, we are getting spinal and hip rotation in the Get Up, two hugely beneficial movements for durability and optimal movement.
How The Get Up Improves Lateral Flexion
Finally, lateral flexion, or side bending, is worked on the lateral hinge up while kneeling. The oblique must contract powerfully to upright your torso while holding a load over head.
Again, most would train this in isolation with some silly side bending exercise, but you’ll actually build total body integration with the Get Up because the hip and glute must stabilize along with the lat and shoulder while the obliques flex.
You are building total body strength and resilience here, not just in one muscle or plane of motion.
The Windmill also builds this integration, but from a standing position, while also improving hip mobility.
Final Thoughts
I no longer have the time to waste on isolation core exercises that may lead to inferior results specific to my goals. Instead, I get more from my workouts in less time with smart exercises like the Turkish Get Up.
You can hit every function of the core and build multiple qualities like strength, power, and endurance simply by doing a few sets of the Get Up each week.
Plus, the Get Up can be done anywhere and as a warmup, workout, or mobility move.
I hit a few reps before BJJ to activate the important core muscles I’ll need on the mat, and load the Get Up heavier in my workouts to build strength and power.
There are simply too many benefits from the Get Up to leave it out of your routine.
There is a free Get Up program below to get started.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
1. Start improving your BJJ durability and performance with the new Foundations of Rotational Strength.
2. Fortify your body for BJJ with this free course on the Grappler’s Get Up.
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