Off season Strength Training

The Christmas and New Year period is always pretty busy and it is important keep up your strength and fitness or else your first training session back is going to hurt A LOT!

A few days after getting home from my holidays I had a quick 90 minutes spare. So I rushed to the gym and did a basic strength program that I usually do over holidays or if my training has been inconsistent, like it has been for the last two months.�My training session included 5 of the best exercises I think you can do that will strengthen your physically and in doing so will greatly benefit your Judo game.

“Why strength train?” you ask

If you and your opponent are technically the same, and have the same experience level and tactics then the player who is fitter and stronger will win – it’s that simple.

The first exercise I chose to do (after a warm up of course) was squats. Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for Judo because they strengthen your lower body and core and as well as get your heart rate through the roof. I have been putting up with a groin injury for the last 5 months so I only lifted some light weight but went through the full range of movement.

=>Squats: 3 sets of 8 reps

Next were chin-ups. I performed 100 all up although it took me 12 sets to get 100. Chins are another classic exercise for Judo because they not only develop your back and ‘pulling’ muscles but they also develop the grip and forearm strength needed for competition Judo.

=>Chins: 100 reps

The third exercise I did was Bench press. I believe that the Bench press is one of the best ‘pushing’ upper body movement you can do in the gym. The Bench press incorporates your shoulders, chest, triceps, core and lats all in one go and is a must do – especially if you are like me and didn’t have time to perform overhead press.

=>Bench press: 3 sets 12,10,8

Deadlifts was next on my list and I was not looking forward to it. Deadlifts are one of those exercises that if you do wrong you will hurt yourself – and in a big way. In saying that though Deadlifts are great because they work your legs, back and grip strength all in one go. Not to mention you can lift some pretty big weight if you do it consistently enough.

I also usually prescribe 2 ‘pulling exercises’ for every 1 ‘pushing’ exercise. So in this case I didn’t Bench press and so I also did Chinups and Deadlifts.

=>Deadlifts: 3 sets 12,10,8

Hanging Leg raises was last on my list. If you have been following me for a while you will have noticed that I always included some sort of hanging leg raise variation into my weight training regimes. This is because doing leg raises off a bar will increase your grip strength a lot more than doing crunches on the floor or on a Swiss ball. All Judoka should perform some sort of hanging leg raise variation into their strength training regimes.

=>Hanging leg raises: 4 sets 15 reps

The Program:

Squats: 3 X 8 reps

Chinups: 100 reps (may take 15 sets)

Bench press: 12,10,8

Deadlifts: 12,10,8

Hanging Leg raises: 4 X 15 reps

All in all it was a good training session and I aim to be doing this session twice a week over the busy season and so when I get back to Judo I will not be in agony and pain after the first training session of 2012.

If you have been following me for a while then you would know that I am big on teaching and educating people on what I did to help me become an Olympian. This includes Judo techniques and Judo tactics as well as ‘Judo specific’ strength and conditioning programs.

I have written a Strength training handbook titled Strength Training for Judo and it is in this book that I explain the problems faced by Judo players all over the world as well as the 3 reasons why you are probably following the wrong gym program FOR Judo.