Every jiu-jitsu practitioner is different. Some are or strive to be high level competitors, some train for a fun hobby outside of their daily routine, some are instructors, and some just love to train for fun and enjoy the workout!
No matter the reason you train, here are a few exercises that you can do along with a regular workout or just try something new! They can be used to increase strength and coordination for specific jiu-jitsu techniques or concepts, or just help you achieve a personal goal.
However, keep in mind that there are hundreds of ways to use exercise to enhance your jiu-jitsu, and these are only a few!
1. The Deadlift How to do it: Start with your toes under a barbell (or inside a hex bar), and then, keeping your back straight, slightly bend your knees until you can grip the bar with both hands as you push through your heels to lift the bar up off of the ground until your legs are straight again. Benefits: Helps strengthen grips, strengthens lower back, glutes, and hamstrings as well as mimics standing up from the closed guard position; Deadlifts also help you maintain better posture!
2. Farmers Carry How to do it: Hold a weight in each hand while you walk. Remember to engage your core and keep your shoulder blades down and back with your head up as you walk for your desired time or distance.
Benefits: This is a mixture of grip strength and balance! You also get to test your cardio, which are all also some key components of jiu-jitsu.
3. Pull Ups/Chin Ups How to do it: Start in a dead hang with an overhand/underhand grip on the bar, engage the muscles in your arms and back, bend your elbows and raise your body up until your chest meets the bar.
Benefits: This will make your pull strong! Jiu-jitsu athletes often find themselves pull on the gi during takedowns or a bottom guard position. Pull ups also help with grip and posture strength.