When Alex asked me to write an article for the Masterskya website to commemorate the opening of my new gym, I appreciated the gesture greatly. I thought it was important I don’t use it as a blind plug, but rather to use it as an opportunity to share something useful for everyone. 

It’s a reasonable assumption that anyone reading this loves jiu jitsu and enjoys participating in it in some capacity. Jiu Jitsu gives people a great deal: skills, mental strength, confidence, community, and something to organize their physical life around.

I think people often make the mistake of thinking jiu jitsu alone can be their health/exercise system. This approach may work for you for some time, but it always ends at some point. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that “ending” either: jiu jitsu has a lot of moving parts and it has some movements you repeat quite often. That can easily lead to overuse injuries when not managed. It can also just lead to long-term aches and pains because while you use some things, you unintentionally neglect others. You don’t train your back muscles very much, for instance, and that leads to that all-too-common “jits posture” you see from people who are on the mat a lot. I also say that there’s nothing “wrong” with this either, because there really isn’t any sport, martial art, or anything in life that’s truly balanced. You have to work for that kind of balance. Just like your belts or technique on the mats.

This is where strength training comes into the picture. It’s the great equalizer that keeps your body tuned up, strong and ready for what happens on the mats.

If you didn’t need convincing of this fact, the other objection you’ll often hear (and maybe you’ve used the excuse once yourself) is that you don’t have time to exercise outside jiu jitsu. Maybe that’s true if you treat your strength and conditioning regimen like a year-round jiu jitsu tournament prep or an MMA fighter getting ready for a title fight– but that’s missing the point entirely. Most things that would keep you on the mat (and enhance your experience doing so) can be done in 35 minutes or less, twice per week.

What to actually do is going to be more personal to you, but there are some common themes (all of which I address in my Jiu Jitsu Strength program), namely, it doesn’t have to be an all-out assault on your body. In general, keep your hips mobile, shoulders & upper back strong, and make sure you work your posterior muscles almost twice as much as your anterior ones. 

When you’re assembling these workouts for yourself, the following simple guidelines go a long way in crafting that perfect balance:

Simple is better. 

• We can do simple things. When we make things complex, we usually don’t do them. Keep your exercise concise, simple and things you can wrap your head around. If you have movements or exercises that gave you benefit in the past, lean into those and do them.

Train with a Partner

• This shouldn’t be a foreign concept to anyone in jiu jitsu, but the benefits of training in the gym with a partner are apparent the moment your partner skips a day and you’re alone for the session. Athletes work well together because they tend to rise to the level of our training partners. You’ll find ways of doing things you didn’t think you could, because you saw your partner doing it. If you’re competitive, it will come out here too.  

Modify, Don’t Miss

• That “time thing,” will definitely get in the way at some point. It’s inevitable, but don’t let it destroy you. If you’re short on time, ask yourself what must get done. Do that, and be okay with it. You still put up points on the scoreboard for the day and that’s a good thing. Doing nothing = no points. You can’t win without scoring. (Do you like analogies?)

Consistency over intensity

• I have seen more people quit because they went too hard and burned out like a supernova than I’ve ever seen people quit because they weren’t doing enough. I’m getting to an age where statements like that mean something too 🙂 

If you are unsure of where to start, come see me at the new DiSalvo Performance Training location on 29th St in Manhattan. Starting in August, on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 1PM, we’ll be running a Jiu Jitsu Strength & Conditioning Semi-Private every week. This is a small group training, capped at 4-6 people where we’ll cover all concepts relevant to jiu jitsu and grappling: from strength, mobility and flexibility to conditioning and recovery. For more info, check out disalvotraining.com or follow me on Instagram @markdisalvo for more updates. 

If your schedule doesn’t allow it, but you’re interested in training, feel free to contact me and we’ll figure out the right training program for you.

— Mark DiSalvo