What Competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Taught Me About Strength

Hint: It’s not just about lifting more weight.

When most people think about strength, they just picture a barbell.

Squats. Deadlifts. Bench press.

But after competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) for years — while also coaching adults in the gym — I’ve realized that strength isn’t just about how much you can lift.

It’s also about control. Awareness. Timing.
And more than anything, it’s about resilience.

In this post, I want to share a few lessons BJJ taught me that reshaped how I train, coach, and think about strength — especially for those of us in our 30s and beyond.

1. Strength Without Control Doesn’t Work

The first time I rolled with a higher belt, I tried to muscle everything.
Big mistake.

They stayed calm. I burned out in 30 seconds.

That’s when I learned: being strong doesn’t matter if you can’t use it under pressure.
You need control, stability, and efficiency — all qualities strength training should support.

In the gym, that means training with:

• Intentional tempo
• Unilateral movements
• Carries, holds, and pauses

Not just max effort sets that leave you smoked.

If your strength can’t carry over to the mat, the field, or real life — what’s it for?

2. Stability Is the Hidden Foundation

In jiu-jitsu, everything comes from your base — your ability to resist force, shift your weight, and stay grounded while moving.

That’s stability.

And as we get older, stability is one of the most underrated qualities to train. Not just for sport, but for everyday life.

Here’s what that looks like in training:

• Split stance and single-leg exercises
• Crawling patterns (like in Animal Flow)
• Anti-rotational core work
• Unilateral loading and carries

It’s not flashy — but it works. And the carryover to grappling (or just feeling more confident on your feet) is massive.

3. Conditioning Is More Than Just Sweat

BJJ is an endurance sport — but it’s not about running miles or doing endless circuits.

It’s about repeatable power. Exploding, recovering, then going again.

That taught me to reframe conditioning for my own training — and for the adults I coach:

✅ Can you recover between efforts?
✅ Can you move well under fatigue?
✅ Are you building capacity — or just chasing exhaustion?

Smart conditioning doesn’t just burn calories. It supports:

• Nervous system resilience
• Mental sharpness
• Athletic longevity

Especially important in your 30s, 40s, and beyond.

4. Your Mindset Is Half the Game

BJJ will humble you fast. You lose. You get tapped. You get stuck. (By someone half your size or age even)
You learn to show up anyway.

That mindset of consistent effort, ego management, and long-term development — mirrors strength training at its best.

If you’re an adult trying to stay strong while juggling life, work, and stress, this matters:

• Show up when you don’t feel 100%
• Train with intent, not ego
• Focus on getting better, not just more tired
• Consistency beats intensity over time

That’s the BJJ mindset. And honestly, it’s The Second Rep mindset, too.

Final Takeaways

You don’t need to train like a competitive grappler.
But you can train with the lessons martial arts teaches us:

• Prioritize movement quality
• Build strength that transfers
• Focus on control, not chaos
• Stay consistent — even when it’s hard

That’s real strength.
That’s how you stay in the game long-term.

Welcome to The Second Rep.
We’re built to last.

Talk soon,

- Christian Clarke

P.S.

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