The Christmas and New Years period is always quite busy and it is important to maintain your strength and fitness or else your first return training session is going to hurt. I recently spent 4 weeks in Nepal and as soon as I got home on Christmas Eve I was plunged into the madness of visiting family, friends and grabbing some last minute gifts, all while suffering from food poisoning.
A few days after I got home I had 2 hours off, so I ran to the gym and did a basic strength program that I usually do on vacation or if my training has been inconsistent as it has been for the past two months.
My training session included 5 of the best exercises that I think you can do that will strengthen you physically and in doing so will greatly benefit your Judo game.
Why Strength Training?
If you and your opponent are technically the same and have the same level of experience and tactics, the player who is fittest and strongest will win, plain and simple.
The first exercise you should do is squats. Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for judo because they strengthen your lower body and core and also send your heart rate through the roof. If you suffer a lower body injury, keep the weight light but use the full range of motion.
In the offseason, do three sets of seven to fifteen reps.
The second exercise I do out of season is pull-ups. Although it takes me twelve to fifteen sets, I’m aiming for a hundred pull-ups. Pull-ups are a classic judo exercise because they not only develop the back and “pull” muscles, but also strengthen the grip and forearm strength needed for competitive judo.
In the offseason, do a hundred pull-ups.
I think the bench press is one of the best upper body ‘push’ moves you can do for judo and that’s why I always include this move in my off-season strength training. The bench press incorporates shoulders, chest, triceps, core and lats and develops a great deal of upper body strength and power.
In the offseason, do three sets of seven to fifteen reps.
Another basic exercise in your strength training should be the deadlift. The deadlift is one of those exercises that if you do it wrong you will hurt yourself; therefore, it is important to have a solid technique. In saying that, Deadlifts are great because they exercise your legs, back, and grip strength, all on the move. You can lift a fairly large weight if you do it consistently enough. I also usually prescribe 2 ‘pulling exercises’ for every 1 ‘pushing’ exercise. So in this case I did the bench press and also included chin-ups and deadlifts.
In the offseason, do three sets of seven to fifteen reps.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have noticed that I always include some kind of hanging leg lift variation in my weight training regimens. This is because doing leg raises on a bar will increase your grip strength much more than doing crunches on the floor or on a Swiss ball. Every Judoka should perform some type of hanging leg raise variation in their strength training regimens.
In the offseason, perform four sets of fifteen reps of hanging leg raises.
The program:
Squats: 3 x 8 reps
Pull-ups: 100 reps (may require 15 sets)
Bench press: 12.10.8
Deadlift: 12.10.8
Hanging Leg Raises: 4 x 15 reps
This program is designed to be performed two to three times a week in the off-season and then once you return to your normal routine, return to your normal ‘Judo specific’ strength program.
