If ever you’ve trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’ll know that there’s nothing more embarrassing than committing a cardio tap. Whilst having no cardio in BJJ is typically associated with newcomers, there’s also more seasoned practitioners who also lack cardio too. Regardless of your technique, BJJ is definitely a cardio workout and with that in mind, it’s a really important tool to develop.
Much like improving your strength for BJJ, cardio will help you succeed when rolling or competing. Not only this, if you have great cardio it means you can roll far more than others. This means good cardio will actually improve your learning as it means you can get more rounds in. Below is an analysis of how to get better cardio through various workouts and training methods.
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Stationary Circuit bike for BJJ
This method of improving your cardio has been used by many top athletes and continues to get results. Stationary circuit bikes enhance cardio by hitting various parts of your body at the same time. In brief, this is similar to sparring BJJ. BJJ hits multiple muscle groups and unlike other workouts doesn’t just isolate a few. Similarly, a good circuit bike will do the same.
Particularly, bikes that also allow the handles to be moved to train your arms will further burn more calories and improve your cardio. The good thing about stationary circuit bikes is that you can make the incline harder to push your leg muscles harder. However, if you just want to improve your gas tank then a tough incline isn’t needed and you can just blast through the regular settings and build an intense cardio burning session.
However, if you enjoy the outdoors then you can buy a mobile circuit bike. If steep inclines are your thing, then you may have to seek out hills and rough terrain but if you live near a park then this shouldn’t be too difficult. Whilst this may be off-putting in a colder climate, it also has practical uses such as relieving boredom which may be more common in a regular gym or at home with a stationary bike. A lot of people think that circuit bikes are expensive, however, as this one shows – they’re actually quite cheap.
Swimming for BJJ
Swimming is another really good form of improving your BJJ cardio. If you think about it, a lot of swimmers share similar, athletic body types to BJJ players. This is because both share a similar form of cardio which involves a full-body workout. Like BJJ, when swimming you use a lot of muscles throughout your body. Similar to the biking example, you can also go as fast as you like. If you want an easy swimming session then you can opt for slow breaststrokes. However, if you really want to test your gas tank then intense front crawls and butterfly strokes can also tire you out very quickly.
Like using a bike, it’s also wise to replicate the intensity of a typical BJJ role. For instance, if you’re rolling for 5 minutes then 4 minutes may be slow, but the final minute may be intense and chaotic. You can apply this to swimming and cycling by doing intense bursts followed by periods of calm. For those seeking a more exciting environment compared to a regular swimming pool, you can also seek out wild swimming which is in a more natural setting.
Burpees for BJJ
Burpees are an incredibly tough workout which is possibly the best route to improving your cardio for BJJ. In short, the burpee is a military exercise that is designed to test your cardio. Like a hard BJJ roll, it also replicates the intensity of explosiveness and can be unforgiving. Because of this, burpees are only suggested for those in very good shape to begin with. Unlike swimming or cycling, you can’t really change the intensity of burpees as they are tough by their very design.
Perhaps the best part of burpees is that they can be done literally anywhere and require no space or designated workout area. Having said this, they can be hard on your knees so they may not be a long-term solution to building your cardio. In some wrestling schools, burpees are used to build cardio in the short-term when competition is near. However, it’s quite unusual for someone to practice burpees for many years due to their intensity on the joints.
Wrestling for BJJ
If there’s one thing BJJ players hate, it’s good wrestling. Wrestling instills a solid work ethic and never-quit mentality. Because of this, wrestlers develop both mental and physical toughness. Sometimes people will sit out rolling due to being tired, but this simply doesn’t happen when sparring wrestling as it’s more culturally frowned upon.
Not only this, but wrestling is great for your stand up cardio. Generally speaking, cardio from stand-up grappling is quite different from cardio from grappling on the floor. This is because different body movements are being made and both people are moving much quicker when standing. With this said, wrestling is a good option to consider, just don’t expect much sympathy if you decide to sit one out!
Sprints for BJJ
Sprints are a similar cardio intensity to burpees and can also be done on the spot. Similarly, if you live near a hill then this can be included in the workout. However, they can also be hard on your joints especially if performed on a tough surface. Sprints are good for energy bursts for obvious reasons and they are great in opening up your lungs.
However, unlike burpees, sprinting will not really test your other muscles other than the legs. Where burpees test various body parts, sprints are more geared towards your legs. Whilst there’s nothing particularly wrong with this – they may not be as accurate when hitting other areas of the body unlike burpees.
Long-distance running for BJJ
Long-distance running is done by MMA fighters including Michael Bisping who is a big advocate of this method to improve your stamina. Long-distance running is naturally more stable than sprints as it isn’t done in intense bursts and is more of a slow burn. However, there is something quite mentally challenging about continuing a run when you are exhausted. This replicates BJJ rolling differently to sprints as it’s more of a psychological battle rather than a physical one.
For example, if you sprint and get tired then you may want to give up. However, if you push through this period then you may complete the run and feel better afterward. This is the same as pushing through a tough roll. Whilst it may not be pleasant – sometimes seeing it through and surviving can be seen as a victory. If you want to avoid cardio tapping, then long-distance running is a good place to train your mind against weakness. This Fitibit activity tracker helps monitor your heart’s BPM which is very important when running.
Rowing machine for BJJ
The rowing machine is a classic in improving your cardio whilst simultaneously improving your upper body strength. For instance, the body of a long-distance runner will naturally be quite small without much muscle mass. However, rowing improves your cardio, arms, and shoulders at the same time. One benefit of this is that you will also be stronger as well as improving your cardiovascular depth.
Rowing also simulates key movements in BJJ such as pushing and pulling. These movements are typically used throughout BJJ, whether in standing, sweeping, or passing. Because of this, using a rowing machine can be a good option for those in need of improving strength alongside cardio.
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Weight lifting for BJJ
In recent times, BJJ practitioners have started training with weights more and more. Whilst most people typically associate weights with strength, they can also improve your cardio too. For example, blasting kettlebells can improve your explosivity and takes a lot of cardio to pull off. Similarly, Turkish get ups are a good strength workout that will also test your stamina.
In fact, there are a number of weight lifters who use the activity as their sole method of training cardio too. If the weights are that tiresome, then you will start to sweat. Generally, sweating is a good sign that your cardio is being tested whilst working out as it shows your heart is starting to beat faster.
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Rolling is the best way of improving your cardio?
One issue with everything listed above is that for all the benefits, nothing trains you for rolling conditions like rolling. This may sound obvious, but it’s true. For example, whilst sprints help and can simulate certain rolling situations, they aren’t as close to rolling. Because of this, we recommend more rolling to improve your cardio.
For instance, it’s often been said that BJJ and grappling has its own form of cardio which is unique to BJJ and grappling. An example of this is having a good runner start training BJJ. Whilst their cardio may be better than the average newbie, they will still gas out quickly in comparison to a seasoned grappler. This is because rolling has two benefits on your cardio. The first is that it’s naturally tough in its own right which is quite obvious.
The second reason is that as your technique improves, you will be less reliant on your cardio as a result. For instance, if you see a black belt roll, they can often conserve energy by seemingly small, simple movements. Compared to a beginner, this is completely different as the beginner will use bad movements that waste energy.
Because of this, if possible then you should roll as much to improve your BJJ cardio. It may sound simple, but it’s true.
Summary
As outlined, there are many ways to improve your cardio for BJJ. Whether done over hours of running or even 15 minutes of intense burpees, there should be options for everyone. In short, there’s no correct method and it’s up to the individual and how they want to tailor their routine to suit them. It’s one thing practicing something you don’t like for a week, but sticking to it for months is completely different. Because of this, you should pick something you enjoy doing.
In summary, rolling may be the best way to improve your BJJ cardio – but it’s also hard on the body and some people may not have the time to roll that often. With this in mind, the likes of cycling, swimming, running and weight lifting can all be seen as viable ways to improve your cardio and make sure you never cardio tap again.
