Conditioning for Grappling
A friend of mine used to be an Iron Man. One of those guys who would run 15 miles, Bike
30 more and then swim two miles; and he was good at it. However after two minute on the
mat he was seeing spots, had his tongue hanging out and simply did not have the strength
to carry on. The point is that you can be in shape - but grappling shape is a whole
different animal. It is a different type of conditioning then what you need for any other
sport. Nothing is more exhausting then grappling; especially on the ground. Grappling
demands complete body movement. Because of the totality of energy expended the body
quickly goes into oxygen debt and reaches muscle failure. There is only one way to get
into "grappling" shape; and that is on the mat. Certain exercises such as
swimming, wind sprints and heavy bag work outs help; but on the mat is the only way to get
use to being on the mat.
There is one supplemental exercise I would
advice whole heartily however and that is weight lifting. Although often rejected by
martial artists who do not value raw strength as much as most other athletes do, weight
training offers a wealth of benefits to the grappler. In my opinion weight training should
be part of every grapplers training regiment. The strength gains form weight training not
only improves your power, strength, speed and timing; it also helps the body absorb the
pounding. Grappling is very physically demanding pursuit. The constant falls, torque and
strain put on the body are tremendous. Weight training helps protect the body from the
banging. Additionally the weight room is a good place to get to know your body. Where your
strong, where you weak. The gym is self quality time.
Another added benefit is that it reduces the amount of recovery time needed. In the first
month or two of weight training it will not seem like it; but after you become accustomed
to the rigors of weight training you will notice a huge improvement in your body's
strength, ruggedness and recovery rate. A simple fact: a body with more muscle; stronger
muscle, is a more efficient machine.
A body that has stronger muscle is also more responsive. As your body gets into better
shape you will find it follows your commands quicker, becoming more responsive. Muscle
does what it is told to do for as long as it can do it. Fat just hangs on you body like a
dead albatross. That is not to say some fat isn't good. We're not trying to be
bodybuilders here. Having a little extra padding is not a bad thing; but it is not helpful
to be your own personal, semi-portable crash pad. |
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Simply remember that the goal of lifting for grappling is to become stronger. Sometimes
when I talk about weightlifting people summon of visions of bulging roid boys who cannot
put their arms together. I love when people say; "I don't want to lift weights and
end up looking like Arnold, all veining and freaky big." As though their going to
accidentally puff up like Bill Bixby in the Incredible Hulk. Getting freaky big is the
product of years of dedicated work, strict diet and often some self abusive habits. So if
your worried about waking up one morning looking like Lou Farigno - don't worry, you
won't.
There are a lot of theories about weight training strategies. How to lift, when, how
often, what body parts should be worked together, etc. Personally I change my
routine frequently. Altering both my exercises, when I do them and the frequency. The only
hard and fast rule is that there are no hard and fast rules. Weight training, much like
grappling skills, needs to be tailored to the individual by the individual. Thus what I
offer here is only a guide line and is not meant to be an all inclusive study on weight
training. I would strongly suggest you supplement the information offered here with your
own research to devise a weight training strategy that makes sense for you. What I will
offer in this section is an outline of the physiology of muscle growth, common approaches
and some of lifts that I feel are vital to weight training.
Human Physiology
Target of the Month
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concerning stregth training, Lifts, or other conditioning areas