Developing supporting strength and endurance off the mats is a valuable way to enhance students’ Jiu Jitsu, and it is crucial to guide your students and their parents to approach this with careful consideration for age (both for juniors and older participants), current fitness level, and individual physical abilities.

The following recommendations are intended for students to undertake independently, outside of regular Jiu Jitsu training sessions. While these exercises can complement and enhance on-mat performance, they require careful attention to safety, correct technique, and appropriate equipment. Some exercises (in particular weight-training and plyometrics) discussed, involve technical execution and equipment use that are beyond the scope of this course, and you should recommend they are only attempted with proper guidance and supervision where necessary.

Strength Training – Building a Resilient Foundation for All Stages

Strength training is fundamental for building muscle, improving power, and increasing the resilience of joints and tendons, all critical for Jiu Jitsu. However, the specific exercises, intensity, and volume must be adapted:

• Compound Movements:  Focusing on exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously is a good idea. Compound movements mimic the full-body engagement required in Jiu Jitsu.
  • Juniors:  Should focus on bodyweight variations (squats, push-ups, assisted pull-ups), emphasising proper form and controlled movements. 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Can benefit from progressing from bodyweight to appropriately weighted squats, deadlifts (with meticulous form instruction and potentially lighter variations like Romanian deadlifts), bench presses (consider dumbbell variations initially), and pull-ups (assisted versions or lat pulldowns are excellent starting points) . Beginners should prioritise mastering technique over heavy loads. 
  • Older Participants:  Focus on maintaining functional strength with lighter weights, higher repetitions, and exercises that minimise joint stress (e.g., box squats, incline presses, rows). Emphasis should be placed on controlled movements and longer warm-ups. 
• Functional Training:
  • Juniors:  Incorporating playful, bodyweight-based movements mimicking Jiu Jitsu (e.g., animal walks, crawling variations, light medicine ball tosses) can increase functional strength. 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Greater progressive overload and potential development can be achieved by progressing from bodyweight to incorporating kettlebell swings (focus on hip hinge), medicine ball throws (various weights and angles), and bodyweight exercises (modified push-ups, burpee variations, planks with progressions). 
  • Older Participants:  Can gain from focusing on functional movements that improve stability and balance (e.g., modified kettlebell deadlifts, lighter medicine ball work, chair-assisted squats, wall push-ups, plank variations on knees or against a wall). 
• Core Strength:  A strong core is essential for stability, balance, and power generation.
  • Juniors:  Prioritising engaging the core through play and controlled bodyweight movements (e.g., planks, cat-cow stretches, gentle twists) is best. 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Progressing from planks (various durations), Russian twists (with or without weight), hanging knee/leg raises (modified to bent knees or lying versions), and bicycle crunches (controlled) can increase gains. 
  • Older Participants:  Prioritising low-impact core exercises that support posture and stability (e.g., planks on knees or against a wall, bird-dog, pelvic tilts, gentle side bends and yoga holds) is recommended. 
• Plyometrics:  Approach with caution, especially for juniors and older participants due to potential joint stress.
  • Juniors:  Should focus on low-impact variations like step jumps on soft surfaces, emphasising landing mechanics. 
  • Adults (Good Fitness):  Progressing to jump squats, low box jumps, and modified clap push-ups can improve power and speed, and you should always advise students to ensure proper form and adequate warm-up. 
  • Older Participants:  Generally not recommended unless under expert guidance. 
• Periodisation:  Guide students to tailor cycles to their individual training goals, experience, and recovery capacity.
  • Juniors may benefit from less intense periodisation, focusing on consistent development. 
  • Older participants may require longer recovery periods and less aggressive progression. 
• Recovery:  Emphasise the importance of rest, proper nutrition, and hydration for all age groups and fitness levels. Active recovery (light movement) and gentle stretching can be particularly beneficial for older participants. 

Endurance Training – Building Stamina at Your Own Pace

Endurance training improves cardiovascular fitness and the ability to sustain effort. Choose activities and intensities appropriate for each individual:

• Aerobic Conditioning:
  • Juniors:  Encourage participation in various enjoyable activities like running games, cycling with friends, swimming, or playing sports for shorter durations (20-45 minutes). 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Will benefit from progressing from shorter durations and lower intensity to longer sessions (30-60 minutes) at a comfortable pace for activities like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or rowing. 
  • Older Participants:  Can get the benefits while reducing the risk of impact injuries by focusing on lower-impact activities like walking, swimming, cycling on a stationary bike, or using an elliptical trainer for shorter durations (20-30 minutes) at a comfortable intensity. 
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):  Incorporating HIIT sessions is known to boost anaerobic endurance.
  • Juniors:  Active juniors will incorporate short bursts of high-energy activities followed by longer rest periods in game play (e.g., short sprints in a game, followed by walking). 
  • Adults (Good Fitness):  Should gradually introduce shorter bursts of higher intensity (e.g., 30-second sprints, 1-2 minute walks) with appropriate rest periods, adjusting the work-to-rest ratio. 
  • Older Participants:  Unless already experienced they should be considering very low-impact HIIT variations with shorter, less intense bursts and longer recovery periods (e.g., fast walking followed by slow walking). Consult with a healthcare professional if there are any concerns. 
• Jiu Jitsu-Specific Drills:  These will not only build endurance but also improve technique and coordination.
  • Juniors:  Ideally, this would be in shorter, game-based drills that mimic movements – this may be difficult to do outside of the club environment. 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Gradually increasing the intensity and duration of shadowboxing, bag work, and agility drills will complement on mat training. 
  • Older Participants:  Focus should be placed on controlled, lower-impact variations of these drills, emphasising technique and coordination over high intensity. 
• Circuit Training:  Muscular and cardiovascular endurance can be built by creating circuits that combine strength and cardio exercises.
  • Juniors:  This can best be achieved using bodyweight exercises and short activity bursts with adequate rest. 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Combining bodyweight or light resistance exercises with short cardio bursts, adjusting the number of rounds and rest. 
  • Older Participants:  Focus on low-impact exercises with longer rest periods between exercises and rounds. 
• Flexibility and Mobility: Essential for all ages and abilities. Emphasise safe and appropriate techniques.
  • Juniors:  Incorporating playful dynamic stretching and movement games. 
  • Adults (Varying Fitness):  Progress through dynamic stretches, static holds (after a workout or as part of dedicated mobility session), and foam rolling as appropriate. 
  • Older Participants:  Focus on gentle, controlled stretches, yoga modifications, and foam rolling within a comfortable range of motion. 

Integration with Jiu Jitsu Training – A Personalised Approach

• Schedule Balance:  It is necessary to balance Jiu Jitsu training with strength and endurance sessions. Avoiding overloading a training schedule prevents burnout and injury. For example, if a student trains Jiu Jitsu three times a week, they could consider two strength sessions and two endurance sessions on alternate days. Carefully consider the individual’s age, fitness level, and recovery capacity when scheduling off-mat training alongside Jiu Jitsu. Younger individuals may recover faster, while older participants may need more rest. Beginners should start with less frequent and less intense off-mat training. 
• Specificity:  Students should tailor exercises to complement their individual Jiu Jitsu goals and physical capabilities. It is best to focus on developing grip, core strength, leg strength and agility, always within safe and manageable limits. 
• Progression:  Gradual and individualised progression is key to continuous improvement and injury prevention. Individuals should keep a record of progress and how they are adjusting training variables (intensity, duration, resistance) based on how they are adapting to progressive overload in strength and endurance training. 

By adopting a mindful and adaptable approach to strength and endurance training, taking into account the unique needs and limitations of juniors, adults of varying fitness levels, and older participants, you can support the development of Jiu Jitsu-specific fitness, help build a strong foundation for physical well-being, and reduce the risk of injury in a way that complements each student’s personal journey on and off the mat.

This is the end of this module. 

You now need to complete a final set of questions before you move to the next unit. 

Supporting The Development Of Your Students Outside Of Training Questions 

You’ll need to answer correctly at least 6 out of the 8 questions below (at least 75%) to progress to the next unit. Note that unless indicated choose one answer only.