Strength Training for Jiu-Jitsu Part 3: The Dynamic Effort Method

The Dynamic Effort (DE) Method is often overlooked but is essential for all athletes. The DE Method is the lifting of submaximal weights with maximal force. For instance if you can squat 400lbs and were training with 200lbs, the goal is to move the 200lbs as if it's 400lbs. By training this way you will improve the rate of force production, i.e. how fast the muscle fibers produce force, for the muscles being trained. This will result in the athlete being more explosive.

Why does this matter for the jiu-jitsu athlete? While jiu-jitsu tends to emphasize aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and static strength, improving power and speed strength will carry over to explosive shots, takedowns, throws, and hip activation during certain pin escapes.

While any lift can be trained with the DE Method, we typically use the squat, deadlift, and bench press.

For intensity we use a three week wave of 75, 80, and 85%. The load is made up of 50, 55, and 60% bar weight and 25% accommodating resistance, usually in the form of bands and/or chains attached to the bar. This is one of the many benefits of the Conjugate Method developed by the late Louie Simmons, owner of the Westside Barbell Club.

A note on accommodating resistance with chains and bands.

A deep dive into the use of chains and bands is beyond the scope of this article and I will address it more deeply in a future post. There is more information than you would ever need on this topic on the Westside Barbell blog as well as in the numerous books, videos, podcasts, and interviews they've produced over the years. 

In a nutshell, adding bands and chains to the bar prevents deceleration by making the lift lighter at the hardest point and heavier at the easiest point, thus allowing the athlete to produce more force. This is accomplished through the contrast in the load when using bands and chains.

With chains they are attached to the bar with a strap or lighter loading chain so that the entire chain de-loads at the bottom of the lift, where the athlete is in the most mechanically disadvantageous position. The chains gradually re-load as the athlete moves to a more mechanically advantageous position as they lock out the movement. When using straight weight the athlete naturally slows down as they improve mechanical leverage as the weight begins to "feel lighter". The contrast in the load is what forces the athlete to continue accelerating through the top of the lift as it gets progressively heavier. For example, if an athlete has a 400lb squat they will train at 200lbs (50%) in week 1, 220lbs (55%) in week 2, and 240lbs (60%) in week 3. 100lbs of chain (25% of their max) will be added to the bar each week. So in week 1 the athlete will start with a total of 300lbs on the bar in bar weight and added chain weight. As they descend in the squat, the chain will start piling up on the floor so that when they are in the bottom of the lift the weight is 200lbs, then as they ascend to the lockout the 100lb of chain gradually re-loads making the weight 300lbs at lockout.

With bands there is a similar contrast as chains, but bands perform a little differently. Bands are active while chains are passive. Bands must be attached so there is tension in both the bottom and top of the lift. As the athlete lowers the bar the band tension reduces due to band shrinkage. Then as the athlete lifts the bar the band tension gradually increases as the band stretches to the lockout of the lift. Where bands differ from chains is they actively pull the bar down which causes they athlete to lower the bar faster. This is referred to as overspeed eccentrics. Eccentric refers to the lowering phase of a lift while concentric refers to the lifting phase of a lift. Overspeed eccentrics will create more kinetic energy on the way down, which will allow the athlete to produce more force on the way up. This will make the athlete more explosive. I always see a big improvement in my athlete's vertical jumps after training this way. Percentages will be the same as when using chains, but can be a little difficult to calculate since band tension is more variable than the chain weight. Don't overthink it. Just make sure you have tension in the bottom and top of the lift, and that it is close to 25% give or take, and you will be fine. 

In the squat, bands should be single choked around a 4x4 base at a minimum. On our Monolift, with a 4x4 base, we found the following band tension ranges at a lockout around 4'-5': light bands (purple) - 75 to 95lbs, average bands (green) - 115 to 145lbs, and strong bands (blue) - 165 to 215lbs. In the deadlift we attach bands to the band pegs of our 4'x8' deadlift platform. Most athletes will use a single single stretched band or a combination of bands. We found the following tensions on our platform at lockout for pairs of bands: mini bands (red) - 70lbs, monster minis (black) - 90lbs, light bands (purple) - 150lbs, average bands (green) - 210lbs, and strong bands (blue) - 290lbs. For benching, we double minis under our power rack base which gives us roughly 70-80lbs of tension at lockout. For a weaker bench micro-mini bands, which give about 30-40lbs of tension at lockout, can be used.

We typically decrease the training volume each week as the intensity goes up. Here are the common 3-week waves we use at my gym:

Dynamic Effort Squat / Deadlift Cycle

Squat (we use either the box squat or free squat as well as various specialty bars)

• Week 1: 50% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 2 reps / 12 sets
• Week 2: 55% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 2 reps / 10 sets
• Week 3: 60% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 2 reps / 8 sets

Deadlift (conventional or sumo)

• Week 1: 50% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 1-2 reps / 8 sets
• Week 2: 55% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 1-2 reps / 6 sets
• Week 3: 60% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 1-2 reps / 4 sets

Dynamic Effort Bench Press Cycle

• Week 1: 40% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 3 reps / 8-9 sets
• Week 2: 45% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 3 reps / 8-9 sets
• Week 3: 50% bar weight plus 25% accommodating resistance x 3 reps / 8-9 sets

These cycles are pretty standard from the information that I've learned from Louie Simmons, both in person and through his educational materials. If you follow Westside than you've seen over the years they've pushed their dynamic effort work to 5 sets x 5 reps in the squat and deadlift and increased the number of sets on dynamic effort bench work dramatically as well. Speaking of bench, I've found better results in lowering the training percentages some. Ultimately you have to experiment and find what works for you and as a general rule of the thumb, if the bar speed is not fast and explosive on every rep of every set, you may need to lower the weight some.

For DE squats we use box squats most of the time as pausing on the box makes the list a static overcome by dynamic movement by eliminating the stretch reflex that occurs during a free squat. That being said free squats can be used as well. In addition we use a variety of specialty bars such as the cambered bar, safety squat bar, and buffalo bar. Belt squats are used for variety or when the athlete is dealing with shoulder or back pain that makes loading a bar on the upper back difficult.

DE deadlifts can be done with either a conventional or sumo stance. In addition, deficit deadlifts and rack pulls can be used as well for variety and addressing weak points.

DE bench work is usually done with a regular power bar with three different grips, close, medium, and wide. Additionally specialty bars such as the swiss bar and football bar can be used. We use variations such as the floor press and pin press as well.

If you are just beginning a conjugate training program keep it simple and stick to the basic box squat, bench press, and deadlift for a while before incorporating variations into the training plan. I feel this is one of the biggest reasons people fail with the conjugate method, they overlook the basics and start using too many variations too early.

Regardless of the exercise variation you choose to use, make sure you are basing the training percentages off of a 1 rep max, or estimated max, in that specific variation. Basing training percentages for a safety squat bar box squat off a free squat with a power bar will result in inaccurate training loads that will likely be too heavy, and using a safety bar box squat max to calculate training loads for a free squat will result in training loads that will likely be too light.

In conclusion the dynamic effort method is about improving an athlete's ability to produce force. The bar speed must be fast on every rep of every set. Stick with the basic movements for a few training cycles before incorporating variation into your training program. Training percentages are just a guideline, when in doubt decrease the training load and move faster!

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.