Submission Wrestling Conditioning

[JackW1986]

I'm a big fan of MMA, specifically bigger promotions like the UFC & Bellator. Obviously, grappling is a cornerstone of all MMA and most of us who enjoy the sport know that Royce Gracie proved in the earliest days of the UFC that the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could be used to overcome much bigger and stronger competitors. Now, I have visited a BJJ school in the past but felt that wearing a traditional gi while training would have less applicability in an actual self-defense scenario. Thus why I'm considering pursuing submission grappling without the gi aka "Submission Wrestling". What conditioning approach should I take while practicing this sport? Should I aim for strength with barbells + dumbbells with sprinting drills throughout the week? Should I primarily focus on cardiovascular and muscular endurance instead? Help me out!

[amar654]

Focus on both. You need strength, you need explosiveness and you need the abiliy to last. Look up "Training for Warriors", and start doing roadwork.

[krakkerz]

I'm a big fan of MMA, specifically bigger promotions like the UFC & Bellator. Obviously, grappling is a cornerstone of all MMA and most of us who enjoy the sport know that Royce Gracie proved in the earliest days of the UFC that the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could be used to overcome much bigger and stronger competitors. Now, I have visited a BJJ school in the past but felt that wearing a traditional gi while training would have less applicability in an actual self-defense scenario. Thus why I'm considering pursuing submission grappling without the gi aka "Submission Wrestling". What conditioning approach should I take while practicing this sport? Should I aim for strength with barbells + dumbbells with sprinting drills throughout the week? Should I primarily focus on cardiovascular and muscular endurance instead? Help me out!

Amar is correct. My favourite resource for conditioning for combat sports is Joel Jamieson at 8weeksout.com

The first thing is to get lots of mat time. That way, you're developing your conditioning as well as your skills. For conditioning, a solid aerobic base is very important. Then, weighted GPP work is key. That means barbell/dumbell/kettlebell complexes, sandbags, sledgehammers, wheelbarrows and sleds become your friend.

And the gi isn't as irrelevant as you think. I believe it helps to train both with and without it. But that's not really a conversation for this thread.