Bjj and weight lifting

veganrun

Do any of you lift weights as well as do bjj?

I'd like to build my upper body including chest and I know bjj will maybe help a bit but it's not going to put on size or strength is it? I'm not currently a member of a gym so I can't really do weights as I don't have access to any.

Chairman Meow

I do a bit of light lifting alongside BJJ (tho i havent trained BJJ for a couple months now). If youre looking to build upper body strength and you dont have a gym membership or access to weights you can do:

Pushups
Dips
Pull ups/Chin Ups.

All of these can be done in your home (dips between two chairs or counter tops, pushups anywhere, pull ups on a door frame or buy a pull up bar) and target the chest, traps and back. They will get you great upper body strength. BJJ on its own will get you stronger definitely but you wont build muscle, youll lose weight, burn fat and probably look leaner and more defined, but building muscle comes from lifting weights. And the best strength gains will come from lifting. So ideally, id recommend joining a gym if you can.

Chris89

Specific training for specific goals for specific results.

Depends on your bjj schedule, your age, your diet, your sex, your sleep, your commitments outside BJJ.

I'd be careful of just joining a gym and tipping away at a few exercises, I personally knocked the S & C on the head for a time last year as I was having a hard time balancing it all.

Similair to Jiu jitsu, maybe you train where you do now because you researched who was the best for you, do the same with the weights, find someone who can help your specific goals.

Are you a vegan? Youll probably need someone with experience there aswell, obviously theres some - but you dont see too many hench vegans going around.

veganrun

I've had a break from bjj but I'm starting back today. I'm still quite new to bjj so I'm going to aim for 2 classes a week as I ended up quite sore after my first few classes and the body needed a few days to recover.

I'd like to build my upper body strength and add some size too which is why I'm thinking of going back to weight training.

I'd also like to do some striking classes but I need to work out a sensible way to fit it all in eventually. To begin with the priority is bjj and striking.

Chris89

Hi I saw your other post where you said youve done 3 bjj classes.

Id just attend the classes with enthusiasm, and make sure you enjoy it and can stick with it for the first while.

The rest will come after

Mini850

I do two classes a week.

Mostly because of work and family commitments.

Its means my progression may not be as quick as others.....thats ok by me. Everyone takes their own path with BJJ, as long as you're learning, thats the main thing. With my two classes a week, I make sure and absorb as much as I can in the 2 classes.

Remember, one class a week is better than none