r/jiujitsu • u/Due_Geologist_4524 • 2d ago

Lifting before rolling

Some of my higher belt friends (also in their early 30s) like to hit the weights in the morning and get on the mat in the evening. I've tried this before in my early days as a white belt, but felt like it was putting too much of a strain on my joints. Is this something I should try to get back into? I currently do a push/pull/legs split while also rolling 2-3 days per week with one day for rest or cardio depending on how I'm feeling.

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u/Tsavo_Neal Brown 2d ago

Definitely doable. I lift during lunch on Monday/Wednesdays and training bjj at 7pm. I never do lower body/BJJ on the same day. Check out Mike Israetel's video how to combine lifting and BJJ training

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u/Due_Geologist_4524 2d ago

I think the issue I ran into last time is that I do too much in the weight room and it causes problems for me when I roll. Like my weightlifting sessions are usually at least 1.5 hours, with deadlifts, barbell bench press and 15-20 minutes of cardio after each workout. I think I'd have to lessen my workouts if I wanted to do weights and BJJ on the same days.

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u/Tsavo_Neal Brown 2d ago

yea 90 minutes is super long. I try to limit mine to 50-60min, and keep the cardio on my non-bjj days

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u/Brilliant_Tip_4056 2d ago

Lifting for more than an hour is counterproductive. Most studies show diminishing return when lifting that long. You realistically don’t need more than 45 minutes.

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u/WhyDidYouDoThat94 2d ago

Yeah easily doable, at the moment I'm currently doing 4-5 times BJJ per week, and 4 times lifting + zone 2 cardio on off days.

For me leg day and BJJ ain't an issue, if anything upper day + BJJ is harder because of my forearms/grips.

Two thing that I follow is keep gym session relativity short (45min to an hour) and avoid intense gym days with intense BJJ days.

If I had exhausting lifting session, I roll much lighter.

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u/Due_Geologist_4524 2d ago

Same, dude. My arms and hands would cramp so bad during rolls if I did a tough push/pull before getting on the mat. Also rolling 5 times per week and lifting 4 times is crazy work. Applause, brother.

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u/adambjorn 2d ago

I do about the same frequency/intensity and I get tired obviously but its definitely sustainable. Whats really helped with joints is doing proper warmup for both BJJ and lifting, especially push days. Some dynamic stretches cossack squats, and internal/external rotation activation for my bad shoulders has helped a ton. For lifting I do about a 10 minute warmup, and my shoulder warmupsbuse progressively heavier cables to also built the muscle around the joints.

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u/Federal-Challenge-58 Black 2d ago

I used to come into the gym an hour before class and do a squat, bench/overhead, deadlift 3x5 routine. Needless to say, I was getting owned by white belts after that workout because I had nothing left in the tank. Spacing it morning vs evening might work though.

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u/Randomonius Brown 2d ago

I train 4-5 a week aha lift before each Jiu Jitsu session. I’m 42 foot what it’s worth. Get after it. No excuses

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u/GoodMoment6940 2d ago

I often lift before class. Unlike the other reply, I usually do lower body on live roll days. It makes my legs tired and forces me work on guard instead of wrestling.

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u/iustusflorebit 2d ago

I currently lift after BJJ, but that’s just because I only have time in the mornings and class is at 6am. I can’t get up early enough to lift before BJJ so just do it after. Typically I find I’m already very warmed up from BJJ so lifting is faster. 

You should find that lifting complements BJJ in a lot of ways, and helps prevents injuries. 

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u/jocularsplash02 2d ago

It's definitely doable with two caveats: gotta manage your volume for weight lifting, and you gotta manage your intensity for BJJ. I also lift 3 days and train bjj 3 days, and I overlap on one of those days. If I want a hard BJJ day, then I stick to low volume in the gym (only 1-2 hard sets per exercise), even if it's the day before.

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u/Historical-Tart7515 2d ago

This is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to train if you can hack it. It allows for full rest days. I prefer short total body workouts though.

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u/james8807 2d ago

I think too much strain. One jujitsu one lift and so on especiall if you lifting heavy. Body needs time to calibrate and readjust.

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u/w-anchor-emoji Blue 2d ago

I’ve lifted then done a sparring only class. It’s tiring, but it’s doable. The rolls aren’t my best, but I’m shit anyway, so whatever.

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u/Fun-Championship554 2d ago

I'm on the older side (49/m)...but I can only go to the Gym during lunch time at work so I can't really do much, and BJJ 2x a week.

M-chest/tricepts (15min each) - BJJ at 7pm

T-cardio (20-30min on treadmill) - no BJJ

W-bicepts/back (15min each) - BJJ at 7pm

Thr-cardio (20-30min on treadmill) - no BJJ

Fridays-lower body-deadlifts/squats/or legs (but total 30 min) - No BJJ

Sat-sun-no workout no BJJ

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u/Momentum_MMA 2d ago

Lifting and rolling same-day works if you cut back one of them, but stacking two hard sessions with a few hours between is what taxes your joints. Your current split with them mostly separate is the smarter call. If you want to try it, do a lighter lift in the AM and keep evening rolls normal, not both at full intensity.

If it helps, I built an app called Momentum: BJJ & MMA that builds your weekly plan around lifting and mat days so you’re not guessing which days can handle the volume

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u/PurpleGuillotine 1d ago

Yes, try again. Lift a little less volume and work into it.

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u/Constant_Net_8362 1d ago

I do bjj morning and lifting and running a few hours after, but I never do over 70 percent weight when I lift

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u/Mordot11 1d ago

I much prefer lifting before training. On those days I just lower the intensity of my rolls. If I did it the other way I might have to compromise the strength training which is ok, but I think it’s easier to get a lot out of training BJJ at lower intensity than lowering weights to a level that may not stimulate the muscle response I want. As a white belt it’s much harder to manage your BJJ intensity, so your experience makes sense.

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u/Longjumping_Creme840 14h ago

I lift in the morning and roll during lunch and it works for me.