Is Jiu-Jitsu Good Exercise: What You Do and Why You Will Be Drenched Afterwards

So, you’re trying to figure out if Jiu-Jitsu is a good exercise or not.  Or maybe you’ve done it and just wanted to read someone else’s opinion on it?  Either way is fine with me.  You’re here now so on we go!

I’ll officially go on record saying that Jiu-Jitsu is an incredibly tough exercise.  Probably one of the toughest there is.  Maybe doesn’t mean a ton when you are on a Jiu-Jitsu website, but allow me to jump in and clarify further.

 

What Do You Do in Jiu-Jitsu

This is probably a good place to start in understanding if Jiu-Jitsu is a good workout.  Ultimately, Jiu-Jitsu requires you to grapple (hold and wrestle) standing and grounded opponents to control, advance position on, and ultimately submit them (aka make them tap).  Think of it as the more technical adult version of wrestling with your sibling or cousin.

If you would like to read a bit more about the basics of Jiu-Jitsu first, check out my other article!

 

What’s So Hard About That?

Let’s assume you haven’t done any kind of wrestling or grappling before.  I want you to lay all the way down on the floor, belly down or up, doesn’t matter.  Now get up to standing, then lay all the way back down again a handful of times.  If that wasn’t too bad, then good!  If that was harder than you expected, you are in for a world of hurt.

Now, do exactly the same thing but add weight, either in your hand or on your body, and lay down and get back up any number of ways with that weight.  Still too easy?  Let’s keep it going!

Next, get a friend, spouse, or other person who is willing to try to hold you down for as long as possible.  If you can get up, go ahead and lie back down and do it again for a full 5 minutes.

Congrats!  You have started some of the most basic aspects of Jiu-Jitsu!  Turns out that’s a lot harder than one would expect.  Once you add in skilled partners, gripping clothing and/or other body parts, and takedowns, you are 100% sure to work up to a good sweat.

 

What Am I Actually Working in Jiu-Jitsu?

Well, it turns out there is a lot.  And you don’t realize how much it actually is until you start doing it yourself.  Until then though, here are some of what gets worked in Jiu-Jitsu.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, the 2022 ADCC Championship contenders look like this.  Not exactly the bodies of unfit people.

Forearms/Grip Strength

This holds true in both gi and no-gi (i.e. with traditional clothing that you can use to grip or with normal “street clothes”). Jiu-Jitsu in a gi though is especially tough on your grips and forearms.  Almost every position, counter, and attack requires you to grip your opponent.  And with those grips, you then are supposed to push, pull, and generally move your opponent in one direction or another.

After spending a few rounds gripping everything with all your strength then adjusting and doing it again, your forearms will 100% be burning.

Lats/Chest/Back

A huge portion of Jiu-Jitsu is pushing and pulling your opponent.  Pushing them off when they’re on top, pulling them close if you are trying to pressure and hold them down.  A lot of this action also takes place on the ground while one of you is on top and the other is on bottom.

To relieve or intensify pressure, you are going to have to squeeze and press the entire upper half of your body.  Again, imagine doing that for a full 5 minutes at a time.  Over and over again.  With about 30 seconds of break in between.

It’s a lot.  And because your opponents will move differently, it’s not like a static bench press or lat pull.  Your arms and body is going to have to adjust while using your strength, so it’s almost never exactly the same movement.  Once you start doing Jiu-Jitsu consistently, you will notice that your entire back and chest area will be far stronger than it was before.

Abs

I don’t think this one needs too much explanation.  You are getting up, getting pushed down, and getting back up again.  Over and over again.  You are basically doing crunches for the entire round.  So yes, your abs will be worked.

Flexibility/Dexterity

This is one of my personal favorite aspects of performing Jiu-Jitsu.  In grappling and moving around your opponents, you will find yourself in odd positions that you haven’t been in before.  Your legs will get tangled up, you will have to squat low, you will have to be heavy on your knees with toes curled up, and many many others.

Because of this, you will learn to move and stretch in ways that you likely haven’t before.  You will find that you can bend down and squat more comfortably.  And you will find that every day tasks will become easier.  So enjoy getting a workout while gaining some additional flexibility!

Cardio

If you’ve noticed the trend of some of these other comments, it’s regarding you doing a tough activity for 5 minutes+ with a 30 second break in between going again for another 5 minutes.  That sounds almost like the definition of cardio to me.

I was a long time cross country runner and basketball player.  I am very familiar with cardio.  And I’ve always been known as someone who has good cardio. Jiu-Jitsu makes you feel like you just sprinted a 5k.  Except you’re now using your entire body to do it.  Now, you can push yourself as hard or as lightly as you would like, but regardless, you will find yourself incredibly winded.

Will I Gain Muscle Doing Jiu-Jitsu?

Short answer, yes.  While you don’t want to “muscle” your way through every position, they certainly require strength to complete.  And after performing the moves and techniques against bigger and stronger opponents over and over again, you will get stronger and gain more muscle.

If you’re trying to maximize your muscle gain, I recommend adding in a protein powder to your practice before or after.  My personal favorite is MusclePharm Combat Protein Powder, but any should do.

 

Conclusion

To summarize, Jiu-Jitsu is an excellent workout that will help you improve your strength, cardio, and flexibility.  There isn’t anything like it that I have found and you are sure to be drenched in sweat by the time you are done.

If you’ve never tried it before and are interested, find a gym near you and give it a shot!

If I missed anything, leave me a comment below!