5 Strength Exercises Every BJJ Athlete Should Be Doing
Walk into any BJJ gym and ask ten purple belts what they do for strength training. You'll get ten different answers — and most of them won't be particularly well thought out.
The reality is that BJJ places very specific demands on the body. Pulling strength, hip extension power, rotational force, isometric endurance under load, and grip strength that holds up in round five of a tournament bracket. A good strength program for BJJ addresses all of those — specifically.
Here are the five exercises I prescribe most to BJJ athletes, and why each one directly transfers to the mats.
1. The Deadlift
If you could only do one exercise for BJJ, this is it.
The deadlift develops the posterior chain — glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and lats — which is the primary force-producing system in almost everything you do in BJJ. Standing up in base, driving through a takedown, maintaining posture in someone's guard, hip escaping from bad positions — all of it runs through the posterior chain.
Heavy deadlifts also build the kind of full-body tension that makes you feel impossible to move. When you're squeezing a deadlift at 150kg, you're developing the same neurological pattern that makes your base feel like concrete to your opponent.
How to programme it: 4 sets of 3 to 5 reps at heavy load. Train it first in your session when you're fresh.
2. The Barbell Row
BJJ is a pulling sport. Grips, underhooks, clinch control, breaking posture in guard — all pulling. And yet most gym programs spend far more time on pressing movements than pulling ones.
The barbell row builds the lats, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and biceps — the entire pulling chain. A stronger back means stronger grips, stronger underhooks, and the ability to break posture on demand without fatiguing early.
The bent-over position also trains spinal erector endurance — the ability to maintain a braced, neutral spine under load — which directly transfers to posture maintenance during scrambles.
How to programme it: 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps. Control the eccentric — lower the bar slowly. Don't just heave and drop.
3. The Front Squat
The front squat is more specific to BJJ than the back squat for one key reason — it demands an upright torso position. In BJJ, especially when working in someone's guard or in the top position of a scramble, maintaining a strong upright posture under load is critical.
The front squat also develops quad dominance more than the back squat, which is useful for guard retention — the ability to maintain leg positioning while someone is actively trying to pass.
It's a technically demanding lift, which means most people avoid it. That's exactly why the people who do it gain an edge.
How to programme it: 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 7 reps. Prioritise technique over load — a clean front squat at moderate weight beats a collapsed mess at heavy weight every time.
4. The Farmers Carry
The farmers carry is criminally underused in BJJ strength programs.
Loading heavy dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand and walking for distance or time develops full-body tension, grip strength, core stability, and the ability to stay rigid and controlled while in motion — all of which directly transfer to the chaos of a live round.
Grip endurance specifically is a massive differentiator at competition level. The athlete who can maintain grip strength in the fourth round while their opponent's hands are opening has a significant advantage. Loaded carries are one of the most effective tools for building it.
How to programme it: 3 to 4 sets of 30 to 40 metres with heavy dumbbells. If you can talk comfortably during a set, go heavier.
5. The Hip Thrust
Explosive hip extension is at the heart of almost every powerful movement in BJJ. Takedowns, guard passing, bridging from bottom, shrimping — all driven by the hips.
The hip thrust isolates glute development more effectively than any other exercise. Research consistently shows it produces greater glute activation than squats and deadlifts — and strong, explosive glutes mean faster, more powerful hip movement on the mats.
For BJJ athletes specifically, the hip thrust also trains the bridge — the fundamental defensive movement from bottom side control and mount.
How to programme it: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps. Add a pause at the top of each rep for two seconds to maximise glute activation.
Putting It Together
These five exercises cover the major physical demands of BJJ — posterior chain power, pulling strength, upright posture under load, grip endurance, and hip explosiveness. Programme them consistently, progress the weight over time, and you'll feel the difference on the mats within four to six weeks.
If you want a complete BJJ strength and conditioning program built around your mat schedule and competition calendar, visit the BJJ coaching page here.
