Cardio for a BJJ Athlete

If you are an athlete then no matter which sport you practice, cardio is always going to be one of the most important components for building your body’s endurance and conditioning. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is no different as endurance and good conditioning leads to better performance. If you have good conditioning then you will not get tired or feel fatigued during a fight. When you’re fatigued, you make mistakes, which leads to you losing the fight.

There are a lot of people who spend hours in the gym on treadmills and bikes, thinking that the more they do the better they will get. This is not true when it comes to cardio, there was a time when people thought more is better but nowadays as physical science has advanced, it is better to train smart rather than train hard.

Aerobic and Anaerobic Cardio

Cardio exercises, also known as aerobic exercises, are an activity that utilizes your body’s oxygen as a source of fuel to perform exercises at a moderate intensity over long periods of time. Examples include jogging and moderate stationary cycling. Doing these exercises for prolonged periods of time at a constant intensity builds endurance and stamina, something that is crucial for all martial artists, especially BJJ fighters. A typical BJJ fight can last from five to ten minutes. This may not seem a lot at first but most combatants start to pant within minutes into the fight.

Beast Mode

Another form of cardio that has become popular in recent years is interval training. Even though it is considered to be anaerobic training, its benefits to build an athlete’s stamina and endurance have gained it much popularity. This form of training is usually performed after the normal intensity cardio (aerobic) workout. You will only do these if you are considered by your trainer as an intermediate or an advanced BJJ practitioner.  Doing this two to three times a week is more than sufficient as such a high intensity workout should not be overdone. The workout period is between 30-40 seconds with 2 to 3 minutes of recovery time. Total repetitions depend on your level of stamina, as this is a higher level workout, 3 to 5 sets are a good starting point.

Doing these cardio exercises for conditioning and endurance will help you achieve a fitness level that is considered in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu ‘combat ready’. If you want to be competition ready then you need to prepare your body by getting it into shape. The best way to get your body up to speed is by working out. There is no way around it.

If you want to learn the right way to do cardio for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu then do visit us at Arashi Do Martial Arts in Edmonton. We will walk you through the basics of cardio training and teach you which aerobic and anaerobic cardio workouts are best for a BJJ practitioner.

Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.

All those and you get a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL!

About myackulic

Arashi Do North has been open since Jan 2004 (since 1985 in Alberta). We offer Karate, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai classes to Children 4-7, 8-12, 14-16 and adults (16+). Come try out a class with use and check out our other social media for neat videos and photos.