People get into MMA sports and BJJ in particular for various reasons. Some do it to gain self-confidence and learn indispensable life skills while others just love the raw and primordial emotions that come with combat and competition. But one question that you invariably ask yourself is: will BJJ get you ripped?
Because of the rigorous regimen that is exactly what BJJ is all about, you’re guaranteed to shed the pounds fast. As you work on your grappling muscles and enhance your groundwork techniques, you’ll also develop those core muscles that give you that ripped look.
It’s hard work, no doubt about it. But the outcome is usually satisfying and makes all the hours you spend on the mat and all the effort well worth it. So how do you go about getting that shredded body that BJJ players hide under their gi? Read on to find out the answer to this and other questions on your mind as you start your BJJ journey.
BJJ for the Body and Mind
While getting to the top ranks is the goal and unspoken desire of many BJJ practitioners, there’s more to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu than just learning essential self-defense skills and wearing a black belt. BJJ is a way of life. It works equally on your body as it does on your mind.
One of the first things you’ll notice once you’ve started your BJJ training is that you’ll lose all that extra weight pretty fast. Day after day as you continue your practice, your body starts evolving. It might be the intensity of the training. Or it could be the discipline that is an indispensable part of being a BJJ student. But one thing is for sure, you will start to like the image reflected in the mirror every morning.
The reason behind this physical transformation has to do with the way BJJ treats the body. Your whole body is one unit not just limbs and groups of muscles. Your lifestyle changes as well. You’re no longer stuck in the daily rut of sitting, driving, and sleeping. You become more active and with this increased activity comes a heightened awareness of your body. You learn to take notice of which muscle groups are being activated with every action you take.
The more you practice, the easier the drills and routines get. The techniques that were hard to execute at the beginning become manageable. Your mobility overall improves and your body becomes more responsive not just on the mat but in your daily life as well.
Add to that the mental benefits that come with the training. If you have issues with managing stress and dealing with frustration, BJJ teaches you how to deal with them. With practice, you get to know there are safer ways to let out pent up anger without hurting yourself or those around you.
Shedding the Pounds
Before you achieve that bodybuilder figure you so passionately dream of, first, you’ll need to get rid of all the excess weight. You can’t have a six-pack if you have tires around your waist. And to become athletic and fit, you’ll need to shed the unwanted pounds weighing you down. So how does BJJ help you lose weight?
The keywords here are training and discipline. BJJ is not about cramming theories and piling up on the knowledge you get from reading and watching videos. As a student, you’ll be spending hours on the mat learning the techniques the hard way. You’ll be spending more time rolling, grappling, and putting your muscles to good use than watching from the sidelines.
Nothing burns calories, and fat for that matter, faster than using your whole body to overcome an adversary and force them into submission. It’s not just the spirit of competition that propels you, it’s also your inner desire to come up on top. And for that, you’ll push yourself harder, call on every muscle in your body, and strive to get better every day. This is how you lose weight faster than any diet. BJJ sets a goal for you and one of the obstacles that stand in your way is your excessive weight. This is why losing weight is not just a side effect of training, it’s an integral part of progressing in BJJ.
Compare that to diets and new year resolutions to lose weight. With BJJ you have a goal and motivation to propel you forward. And unlike diets, the weight you lose with your training will not come back. As long as you keep your practice, you will not go back to the sedentary life of old, fat will not come back, and your body will stay tuned and fit.
Working the Grappling Muscle
So you’ve been practicing with passion for weeks and you’ve lost weight and your body is becoming leaner and fitter. But you’re not as jacked as your favorite MMA fighters. What gives? For starters, you’re still developing your muscle groups. And secondly, you haven’t started yet on what is known in BJJ as the grappling muscle. So what is the grappling muscle?
Strength and well-developed muscle sets are paramount in BJJ. Remember, your goal is to dominate your opponent and control their movement. For that, you’ll need every ounce of muscle and strength in your body. And since grappling is at the heart and center of BJJ techniques, the majority of the muscle groups in your body come together to make up the grappling muscle.
This means that your shoulders, back, arms, and legs all have a lot to contribute to your overall strength. Ripped shoulders with a weak back will not help you get your rival on the mat to submit. You might have endurance and flexibility, but your hamstrings and gluteus maximus are not up to snuff so you’ll be dominated by your opponent more often than you like.
As you come to the realization that your muscle mass is vital to your progress in BJJ, you’ll pay more attention to the exercises that give you more strength and help you bulk up. And without a doubt, you’ll be needing that jacked body to get those isometric positions and keep your opponent pinned. And when you find yourself being dominated, it’s your lithe and strong body that will get you out of that spot with ease.
Getting that BJJ Shredded Body
That is all fine and dandy, you say, but how do you actually get there? How do you turn your body in its current state, shaped as it is to the contours of a La-Z-boy, to one sculpted like a Greek god? The answer is two-pronged. You need to exercise and know your body limits.
Let’s unpack that. To develop your muscles you’ll need to exercise them – duh. The eternal law of nature is: use it or lose it. If you use your muscles they’ll grow. If you leave them in a state of disuse, they’ll simply vanish. So how will you develop your muscles at the same time you’re training for BJJ? It’s simple. Use a simple and uncomplicated tool like dumbbells or kettlebells.
The other part of the equation has to do with listening to your body and understanding your limits. You’re not trying to become a bodybuilder with an arm thicker than the average person’s waist. Your goal is to build the big muscle groups in your shoulders, back, arms, and legs to give you strength. And the key is to respect your limits. If you push yourself too hard, you might get injured. So keep your focus on building muscles for strength rather than for show.
How much Training do you Need?
Injury isn’t the only hazard of excessive exercising. There’s also the risk of burning out. What many BJJ practitioners fail to notice is that balance is the key. The sport is all about doing things in moderation. You build a body, not for vanity but to become strong. You rank up not to flaunt your belt, but to acquire more skills that you’ll be teaching to others later.
And in that spirit of moderation, you’ll need to approach your training with judicious calculations. In the beginning, you might need to scale down your training and limit it to twice or three times a week. Your body needs the rest periods as much as it needs the intense training. They both work in tandem to help you get fitter and more athletic.
As you build stamina and endurance on the mat, you can increase your practice gradually. You’ll know when you’re ready to go training every day. It all depends on your commitment and dedication to the sport. And thanks to the full-body workout you’ll be getting on the mat, your physique and mentality both will go through a wholesome transformation.