CXB / BJJ strength and conditioning
12-week program · gi and no-gi
BJJ Strength and Conditioning
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rewards technique first — but technique is easier to use when your grip lasts, your hips are strong and you can still think in the last minute of a hard roll. That is the job of strength and conditioning for BJJ.
CXB 01 — BASE is a 12-week program of three gym sessions a week, written to sit next to your BJJ classes, gi or no-gi.
What BJJ demands from your body
Grip endurance
In the gi, you hold sleeves and collars for minutes at a time. In no-gi, you hand-fight, hold wrists and lock up two-on-ones. Forearms that give out early take your guard with them.
Pulling strength
Breaking posture, pulling into closed guard, finishing a back take: much of BJJ is pulling. Strong lats and upper back also protect your shoulders.
Hip strength and drive
Bridges, shrimps, passing pressure and takedowns all come from the hips. Strong glutes and hamstrings make each of them more effective and less tiring.
A strong neck
Guillotines, getting stacked, defending chokes, being driven onto the mat. A stronger neck helps you keep posture and handle the positions BJJ puts you in.
Conditioning for long matches
Matches typically run five to ten minutes depending on the ruleset and belt. You need a big aerobic base to recover inside a roll, plus the ability to explode during a scramble or a submission attempt.
How CXB trains it
- Grip: dead hangs, towel hangs that mimic gripping a gi, suitcase carries and heavy farmer carries.
- Pulling: chin-ups in weeks 1–4, then weighted pull-ups, chest-supported rows and Pendlay rows.
- Hips: trap-bar deadlifts, hip thrusts, split squats and leg curls, then trap-bar jumps and kettlebell swings for power.
- Neck: four-direction isometrics from week 1, then progressive harness or plate work.
- Conditioning: a steady aerobic base and short sprints in weeks 1–4, lactic and threshold intervals in weeks 5–8, and repeat-sprint and round-simulation work in weeks 9–12.
Every exercise has a coaching cue and at least two swaps — the towel hang, for example, can be done as a gi sleeve hang or a fat-grip hold.
Fitting it around BJJ training
Three sessions a week on non-consecutive days. The plan is written for people already training four to six times a week, so the gym work supports your rolling instead of competing with it. In a week of hard rolling or competition prep, drop one set from each main lift rather than adding load. If you have a competition coming, line the plan up so week 12, the taper, is the week before it.
What week 1 looks like
Day 2 of week 1 is the upper-body strength session — chin-ups, rows, anti-rotation core work and grip. All three week 1 sessions are free to read in full.
Day 2
Upper strength + aerobic baseFull hang at the bottom. Same pull as breaking grips.
SwapBand-assisted chin-up · Lat pulldown
Elbows at 45 degrees, not flared. Control the lowering.
SwapLandmine press · Push-up variation
Pull to the bottom rib, pause one second. Posture for clinch work.
SwapSeal row · Single-arm DB row
Resist the rotation. This is how you stop being turned.
SwapHalf-kneeling landmine rotation · Side plank
Straight-arm hang from a bar. Stop 5 seconds before failure, every time.
SwapTowel hang · Gi sleeve hang
One continuous easy effort. Nasal breathing the whole way — if you cannot hold a conversation, slow down. Bike and row are kindest on the legs if you are running elsewhere in your week.
SwapIncline walk · Light shadow boxing
Questions
Does it work for both gi and no-gi?
Yes. The strength, power and conditioning work is the same for both. The grip work covers gi-style holds with towel hangs and no-gi hand-fighting with dead hangs and carries.
Will lifting make me stiff or slow for BJJ?
Not when it is programmed around your mat time. Mobility work is built into every warm-up, and the final block is about speed rather than load.
Can I start as a white belt?
Yes. Block 1 keeps loads submaximal and sets them by effort (RPE), so it scales to where you are. If you have never lifted, have a coach check your technique on the main lifts first.
How many days a week do I lift?
Three, on non-consecutive days, for twelve weeks — 36 sessions in total.
Keep reading
General training information, not medical advice. Train within your limits, stop if something hurts, and clear any new program with a qualified physician — especially if you are returning from injury.