Strength Training for Jiu-Jitsu Part 2: The Max Effort Method

The Max Effort (ME) Method is the most effective method for increasing strength. The ME Method consists of lifting very heavy weights, 90% of a 1RM or greater, for low repetitions, 1-3 reps typically. This is true high intensity training as intensity refers to the weight used in relation to a 1RM. The greater the percentage of the 1RM the higher the intensity.

The ME Method increases strength by improving both intermuscular coordination, the coordination within different muscles and groups of muscles, and intramuscular coordination, the interaction between the nervous system and the muscles which defines the number of muscle fibers that can be controlled by the nervous system within a muscle.

The major drawback to using the ME Method is that it can be extremely stressful to the nervous system. The downside for jiu-jitsu athletes would be if you are constantly frying the nervous system in the weight-room, it will begin to have a negative performance on your martial arts training by negatively affecting your recovery. Thus, I believe the ME Method should be used less frequently and should be substituted with the Submaximal Effort (SE) Method. The SE Method is the lifting of submaximal weights without going to failure. While the ME Method exposes the athlete to loads at 90% or greater, the SE Method allows the athlete to make progressive strength gains by lifting loads in the 75-85% range. 

For the jiu-jitsu athlete I recommend using the ME method mostly on the compound lower body lifts, such as squat and deadlift variations, and only occasionally on the upper lifts. The shoulder and elbow joints already take on a huge amount of stress for most grapplers, so I've found that heavy pressing movements done frequently further exacerbate those joint issues.

While it is common to work up to a 1RM on ME lifts, I've found that 3RM and 5RM loads are often better for jiu-jitsu athletes. Often we only perform 1RMs once monthly and use 3RM and 5RM loads the other workouts. 

Another factor to consider when using the ME Method is accommodation. If you continually attempt to lift heavier and heavier loads in the same movement, your progress will stall and eventually regress. You can avoid this by switching exercises on a weekly basis. This is one of the unique points of the Conjugate Method. Instead of sticking to a classical squat, deadlift, and bench press, variations of these movements that are close to the classical lift are introduced and rotated through the training plan. At different levels of preparedness certain exercises will be beneficial and certain ones will not. You must experiment and find which work best for you.

For ME lower body exercises I've always favored variations of the deadlift, good morning, and squat for the jiu-jitsu athletes and fighters I've trained over the years. Some of the favorites include:

• sumo deadlift
• conventional deadlifts in the power rack off pins where the weights are 2.5", 4.5", and 6.5" off the floor
• sumo and conventional deficit deadlift standing on 2" or 4" mats
• block deadlifts pulling from 2", 5", or 8" blocks
• good mornings with the safety squat bar or buffalo bar
• good mornings suspended from straps and starting at the bottom of the movement
• low box squats with the safety squat bar
• Zercher squats
• belt squats

Here is what a typical 4-week max effort lower body cycle looks like:

• Week 1: deficit deadlift standing on 2" mats work up to a 5RM
• Week 2: low box squat with the safety squat bar working up to a 3RM
• Week 3: good morning with the buffalo bar working up to a 5 rep set keeping 1-2 reps in the tank
• Week 4: sumo deadlift working up to a 1RM

After the main lift we will move on to accessory work as needed by the individual for the lower body muscles such as the hamstrings, quads, calves / shins, lower back, and abs.

As I mentioned previously we tend to stay away from the ME Method for upper body lifts in favor of the SE Method. Our favorite upper body lifts for the ME / SE workout are:

• standing overhead press
• close grip bench press
• Z-press (pressing overhead from the power rack pins while sitting on the floor)
• floor presses
• close grip incline bench press
• pin press

Here is what a typical 4-week submaximal effort / maximal effort upper body cycle looks like:

• Week 1: floor press work up to a 3 sets x 3 reps keeping a rep or two in the tank on each set
• Week 2: standing overhead press work up to 2 sets x 5 reps keeping a rep or two in the tank on each set
• Week 3: close grip bench press work up to a 1, 3, or 5RM
• Week 4: Z-press work up to 2 sets x 6-8 reps keeping a rep or two in the tank on each set 

After the main lift we will move on to accessory work as needed by the individual for the upper body muscles such as the triceps, shoulders, lats / upper body, biceps, neck, and grip.

It is extremely important to keep track of the weights and reps you do on the ME and SE exercises you perform in your training cycle and try to break them by 5lbs every time they come back around in your subsequent training cycles to ensure continued strength gains. 5lbs does not seem like a lot, but to quote Louie Simmons, "What's 5lbs? 5lbs a month is 60lbs in a year and you'll pay me for that kind of progress!"

In the next article we will look at the dynamic effort method.

Strength Training for Jiu-Jitsu Part 1: An Overview of the Conjugate Method

Strength training and conditioning for jiu-jitsu needs to cover many different physical abilities as the sport requires many different physical abilities. A jiu-jitsu athlete must have high levels of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, excellent mobility and flexibility, and have access to all velocities of strength from extremely fast velocities (explosive power and speed strength), to slow velocities (strength speed and absolute strength), to extremely slow and zero velocity (quasi-isometric and isometric strength).

What is the best way for a jiu-jitsu athlete to develop these abilities? The conjugate method as developed and popularized by the late Louie Simmons. Essentially, the conjugate method is a system of rotating special strengths exercises to keep an athlete at an extremely high level of preparedness year-round. It allows for the concurrent development of multiple physical abilities on a weekly basis, avoiding the need to implement linear training blocks where an athlete focuses on one specific physical ability for a certain period of weeks before moving on to another ultimately leading up to peaking for a competition.

In a linear training system an athlete will likely focus on muscle hypertrophy for a period of 2-4 weeks, then move on to a strength block for a period of 4-6 weeks, then move on to a power block for 2-4 weeks then move into a peaking phase before the competition.

In the conjugate method and athlete works multiple physical abilities in a weekly training cycle and constantly works to raise those abilities. This allows them to always be at or above 90% so that they are always at a 3-4 week peak and taper phase from a competition. This is great for jiu-jitsu athletes as they typically compete multiple times per year.

Conjugate periodization utilizes three methods. The maximal effort method, the dynamic effort method, and the repeated effort method. There is a fourth method we utilize as well called the submaximal effort method.

The maximal effort (ME) method is the lifting of very heavy weights at or above 90% of a 1-rep max. This method improves absolute strength by training the nervous system to recruit the most motor units in the muscles doing the work. This method makes the athlete very strong, but is very stressful on the nervous system.

The dynamic effort (DE) method is the lifting of submaximal weights with maximal speed. Essentially we are lifting lighter weights as fast as possible while maintaining good form and technique. Jumps and throws are sometimes incorporated as well and the dynamic effort method improves the muscles rate of force production, or how fast the athlete can recruit the motor units of the muscles doing the work. This method makes the athlete fast and powerful. Accommodating resistance (AR), usually in the form of attaching bands to the barbell for various lifts, is typically used as well. We will look at the specifics in a future article, but AR dramatically enhances an athlete's ability to produce force.

The repeated effort (RE) method is the lifting of submaximal weights so that the last repetitions of the set bring the athlete to, or very close to, failure. This method is great for muscle hypertrophy (making the muscles bigger) as well as isolating and strengthening weak muscles.

The submaximal effort (SE) method is lifting of submaximal weights without approaching failure. This is a good option for building strength without stressing the nervous system to the same degree as the ME method.

In addition to these methods for developing strength, aerobic and anaerobic conditioning and flexibility and mobility drills are implemented weekly as well.

We will break down the specifics of each method in their own future articles and talk about developing the training plan as well. This is where individualization is absolutely necessary as different individuals are at different levels of preparedness. A high level competitor in their mid-20s will have far different training needs than a recreational competitor in their mid-40s.

To help you visualize what a weekly training schedule utilizing the conjugate method looks like, I will close this article with my current training plan.

Sunday

11:00am - maximal or submaximal effort lower body, repeated effort accessory exercises for the lower body

Monday

6:30am - jiu-jitsu class

8:00am - aerobic or anaerobic conditioning

Tuesday

9:00am - maximal or submaximal effort upper body, repeated effort accessory exercises for the upper body

Wednesday

6:30am - jiu-jitsu class

8:00am - aerobic or anaerobic conditioning

Thursday

10am - dynamic effort lower and upper body, repeated effort exercises for lower and upper body 

Friday

2:30pm - aerobic or anaerobic conditioning

6pm - jiu-jitsu class

Saturday 

Off

I usually perform specific exercises for the neck, grip and core on my three main lifting days, or as extra workouts on non-lifting days as those exercises are easy to recover from. In addition I do some sort of mobility and/or flexibility almost daily. I find that planning my strength training on days I don't train jiu-jitsu is best for recovery purposes. 

Keep in mind, this is my current training program which reflects my level of preparedness and ability to recovery, and your individual needs may be much different from mine.

We will get into the specifics of conjugate training for jiu-jitsu in upcoming articles and until then train hard, but train smart!