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Most high-level grappling competitors follow a strength and conditioning program to build lean muscle, increase speed and power, and prevent injuries. Anyone who doesn't is leaving behind significant performance gains.
Although strength is secondary to fluid movement and technical training, even recreational players would benefit from stronger muscles, joint stabilization, and better overall athleticism. With that said, here are five exercises that would benefit even the most recreational grapplers - and my reasoning for including them.
This list is by no means all inclusive. There are thousands of variations of every exercise - and some are more beneficial than others. However, the exercises I've listed below provide a huge carry-over effect from the weight room onto the mats.
This means you can spend less time lifting, and more time training your sport.
Five Strength Exercises Every Grappler Should Do
(Exercises demonstrated by my barefoot friend and BJJ black belt Josh Bishop @jewjitsu7)
1. Trap Bar Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the best exercises for total body strength and conditioning. It challenges every muscle in the body, builds explosive strength from the ground-up, improves posture and even grip strength. It's perfect for grapplers.
I recommend using the trap bar (or hex bar) variation as an alternative to the traditional bar, as this removes some of the technical learning curve and lower back stress, while still preserving the benefits of the exercise. This means you can jump in, do your exercises, stay pain free, and get back on the mat to train.
If you don't have access to a trap bar, you can substitute kettlebells or dumbbells.
Here are some coaching cues:
1 - Stand with your feet directly under your shoulders. Don't stand too wide.
2 - With your knees slightly bent, push your hips back until you can touch the bar.
3 - Keep your chest proud as you stand up. Show off your gym's logo with pride.
4 - Think about pulling the floor apart under your feet. This keeps your glutes active.
5 - Reverse the process by pushing your hips back, not down.
I recommend 3-4 sets of 8 for a blend of strength and hypertrophy for beginners. Experienced lifters should consider 5 sets of 5 reps for strength.
2. Suitecase Pickup
This deadlift variation is one I like to do at the end of my workout, or as an accessory lift after my main sets of deadlifts. Like the name suggests, it replicates picking up a suite case. This can be done with a kettlebell, dumbbell, or a long bar to challenge your grip.
The coaching cues are very similar to the deadlift above. A few additional cues:
1 - Imagine you're holding weight in both hands. Don't tilt or contort.
2 - Keep your feet directly under your shoulders. Otherwise you'll shift your weight around.
3 - Hold in the middle of the bar, but you may need to make micro-adjustments as you go.
4 - Use collars to hold the weights in place.
As this is an accessory exercise, I recommend 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps. I don't go too heavy with this exercise, but I want to challenge grip and core strength.
3 - Landmine Press
I don't recommend overhead pressing for most of my clients or athletes. It's harsh on the shoulder joint, causes too much lumbar compression, and just overall a mess. Plus, grapplers usually have shoulder pain anyway. Why add to that?
I much prefer this version of pressing. At this angle, the shoulder can move comfortably and still get all the strength benefits. There's less compression on the lower back, PLUS you get a ton of abdominal work trying to stabilize the thing. You can do this exercise standing or kneeling.
Coaching cues:
1 - Use a heavy weight plate (20kg / 45lbs) on the floor as an anchor, bar angled in the hole.
2 - Brace your abs! No twisting or turning. Stay tight.
3 - Don't arch your back.
4 - If you have to twist, arch, or contort, the weight is too heavy.
I recommend 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps on each side.
4 - Three-Point Row
Most people have done some variation of this row - but I find this version has the best carry-over. It incorporates a ton of ab and shoulder stability while your back and biceps are working.
Think of holding a plank while rowing. Only without the risk and haphazardness of the renegade row.
Cues:
1 - Place one hand on the edge of a bench with your shoulder directly over your hand.
2 - Keep your legs long and hips extended forward. This should feel like an ab exercise.
3 - Feet wide.
4 - With the free hand, row the weight up to your ribs.
5 - No twisting or turning.
Like the landmine press, I recommend 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
5 - The Turkish Get-Up
I'm hesitant to include this exercise, as it requires a lot of time to learn. However, most grapplers can pick this up pretty quickly as this move is basically grappling while holding a weight. It's a tough exercise but incorporates nearly every muscle in the body, requires balance and coordination, stability, strength, and so on.
There are a ton of coaching cues for this one. And it can take some time to learn.
In short, here are some cues:
1 - Balance the weight by framing your arm and shoulder. If your elbow bends, it's all over.
2 - Do each move slowly and controlled. Don't rush it.
3 - You should be facing the same direction (forward) for the entire move.
4 - Don't go too heavy yet. The movement is more important than the weight.
Once you've learned the move correctly, I recommend 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps per side.
Benefits Of Strength Training
I can't over-emphasize the importance of strength training for athletes. Even if you're not a "competitor", you'll see massive improvements to your athleticism, body weight, health, and resilience. There's no reason to miss out.
It's also important to recognize that this list only includes 5 exercises. This is by no means a comprehensive library of exercises to choose from. These exercises will give you a ton of benefits with minimal time investment.
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