The Christmas and New Year period is always quite busy and it is important to maintain your strength and fitness or else your first back training session will hurt. I recently spent 4 weeks in Nepal and as soon as I got home on Christmas Eve I was thrown into the madness of visiting family, friends and buying some last minute gifts, all while suffering from food poisoning.
A few days after I got home I had a quick 2 hour break so I ran to the gym and did a basic strength program which I usually do while on vacation or if my training has been inconsistent like it has been for the past couple of months.
My training session included 5 of the best exercises that I think you can do that will make you physically stronger and by doing so greatly benefit your Judo game.
Why strength train?
If you and your opponent are technically equal and have the same level of experience and tactics, then the player who is in better shape and stronger will win, it’s that 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 from a lower body injury, keep the weight light but go through the full range of motion.
In the off-season, perform three sets of seven to fifteen repetitions.
The second exercise I do in the off-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 exercise for judo because they not only develop the back and “pull” muscles, but also strengthen the grip and forearm strength necessary for competitive judo.
In the off-season, he performs a hundred pull-ups.
I believe the bench press is one of the best ‘push’ upper body movements you can do for judo and this is why I always include this movement in my off-season strength training. The bench press engages your shoulders, chest, triceps, core and lat muscles and develops a great deal of upper body strength and power.
In the off-season, perform three sets of seven to fifteen repetitions.
Another basic exercise in your strength training should be Deadlifts. The deadlift is one of those exercises that if you do it wrong you will hurt yourself; therefore, it is important to have a technical sound. Saying that though Deadlifts are great because they work your legs, back, and grip strength all while in motion. You can lift quite a heavy weight if you do it consistently enough. I also usually prescribe 2 ‘pull exercises’ for every 1 ‘push’ exercise. So in this case, I did bench press and also included pull-ups and deadlifts.
In the off-season, perform three sets of seven to fifteen repetitions.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve noticed that I always include some type of hanging leg raise variation in my weight training regimens. This is because doing leg raises from a bar will increase your grip strength much more than doing crunches on the floor or on a Swiss ball. All judokas should perform some form of hanging leg raise variation in their strength training regimens.
In the off-season, perform four sets of fifteen repetitions of hanging leg raises.
The program:
Squats: 3 X 8 repetitions
Pull-ups: 100 reps (can take 15 sets)
Bench press: 12,10,8
Deadlift: 12,10,8
Hanging leg raises: 4 x 15 reps
This program is designed to be done 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.
