If you’re looking at starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then be warned – it can be notoriously tough at times and is an extreme way to exercise! This article shows the amount of calories that can be burned in a particularly tough session and it may be eye opening for some. With this in mind, what a commonly asked question is what type of exercise is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Read on for more information.
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BJJ is mostly cardio
Even if you think you have good cardio, BJJ will definitely test it. This is because grappling is a unique form of cardio that is unlike no other. For example, you could be great at sprints or long distance running. This may help a little, but when it comes to BJJ, it really is a unique form of cardio that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.
After say 30 minutes of sparring, you will most likely feel very tired and your heart will be beating rapidly. Because of this, you can also expect to sweat a lot which is also normal. Obviously, more experienced BJJ practitioners will have good cardio when training.
Even still, after a tough session everyone’s cardio will be tested. This means that if you’re looking to get in good shape and test your cardiovascular health, then BJJ is a great option. In other words, BJJ is an intense form of aerobic exercise for the most part.
If you’re really desperate in seeing these numbers for yourself, then feel free to train whilst wearing a calorie monitor. After a tough session of sparring, you may be surprised at just how many calories you’d burn. Alternatively, you could even test yourself with a heart rate tracker which again may throw up some startling results!
BJJ is also good for conditioning your body and muscles
Whilst we’ve established BJJ is mostly a cardio activity, it’s also good for toning and conditioning your muscles. This is because you will use muscles to move and roll around. You may not even notice this after a month or so of training, but after a year – everything will be better conditioned.
If ever you’ve sparred a top competitor or MMA fighter, you will feel that their muscles feel like concrete. This may not happen to the average practitioner but you will still see strength gains and get conditioned. It’s also important to get conditioned in BJJ as it will prevent you from getting injured, as will strength.
Combined with the cardio that it brings as well as some strength gains, after six months or so you may be able to see a physical progression. Internally as well, your organs should be healthier due to being trained and tested on a weekly basis.
BJJ is a full body workout
Lastly, BJJ is also good in workout out all of your muscles, literally. Like the previous cardio example, there’s nothing like this that you’ll have previously experienced. For example, an experienced runner may workout their legs and part of their core. However, their upper body may not be effected as much as it’s simply not tested by running. Even if it is, the benefits will be relatively minimal.
Having said this, in BJJ your entire body is used. From your upper body, to your core, to your lower body and more…everything is exercised. It’s common for newcomers to feel sore in places they didn’t even know existed after starting training. Even places like your hips will get worked as well as your forearms, neck and even fingers. As mentioned, this is all beneficial though, and will whip you in shape quickly.
What is the most comparable exercise to BJJ?
This is a good question and generally there’s not much out there that can be compared to BJJ. Having said this, perhaps the most comparable form of exercise would be swimming. By this, we don’t mean a couple of light laps either. Imagine a good 30-45 minutes of hard swimming where the focus is on speed and intensity.
Even when you’re tired, you can’t quit except for a 1 minute breather every 5-10 minutes. After this session, you would have worked your cardio as well as your muscles. Whilst the levels of strength and cardio are different, if you look at a swimmer’s body, it’s actually quite similar to a BJJ practitioner’s body.
Conclusion
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a combination of various forms of exercise. For the most part, BJJ can be described as a form of cardio. However, that’s also missing out elements of strength and conditioning that it also encompasses.
Overall, this means that if you’re looking to start BJJ to get in good shape and improve your cardiovascular health then it’s the perfect activity to do so. For people that train regularly, it’s also viewed as a genuinely fun activity. At the same time, for a lot of people BJJ is seen as too difficult and tough, which is probably why it has a high drop out rate.
