Ask any BJJ practitioner, and they will tell you how it changed their body and mind. There are stories everywhere, but you won’t know it until you have practiced BJJ yourself. If you are looking to tone the body, lose fat, get powerful, know self-defense or get physically fit and increase your agility than BJJ is a great workout.
In every class you get to learn some things, techniques, exercise and sparring is just the best. This way your motivation never falls and you get to learn a lot of new things. It is true, the workout is intense but don’t worry you can do it. This is not like cardio in terms of boredom and slow results. With BJJ you can lose thousands of calories in just one class, so losing fat is no more a problem. Ready? Get your BJJ rash guards and shorts here and get going.
Losing fat
Choosing it for weight loss purposes does not mean that you should keep focusing on weight. When in class just do and focus on what is being taught and asked of. You will have fun and learn a lot, while the fat burning will happen alongside. Without pushing yourself too hard and over the limit you can easily lose about 10kgs in a week.
Start where you feel comfortable, then gradually improve. For instance, if you don’t feel like sparring at the time, train and practice more to get ready instead of jumping into it. BJJ is much more enjoyable and effective than cardio workouts like cycling, running etc.
BJJ training
Warm up
Just like any other workout and martial art training, it begins with a warm up. Usually here it is an intense form of cardio like running. Which is followed by simple body weight exercises like jumping jacks. The reason to do warm up is the same, i.e. get the body warmed up and blood pumping. Don’t give all you have yet, the main workout is yet to begin.
Moves and techniques
After warm-up, you will see the trainer showing how to perform certain techniques properly. Pay attention there and ask questions if you have any when it’s time. Now you have to execute those techniques, usually you’ll pair up and practice the moves. This isn’t over yet because this training session goes on for quite a long time.
Sparring
Sparring is the most fun and tiring. After practicing the techniques now is your turn to master those techniques. In sparring, both practitioners perform the techniques on turns. While in sparring, both are trying to make their move while avoiding and preventing the opponent. Now you know, sparring is not just rolling around on mats. BJJ training combined in one is an efficient weight loss and strengthening workout.
Additional benefits
Like said above, BJJ is not only physical but also a mental workout. You might not feel like it, but with time your life and lifestyle is improved. If you pay attention you’ll feel the physical and mental change within two weeks. It could take more or less time, but that is nothing to worry about.
It teaches the importance of diet, healthy food, time management, patience, consistency, will, and many other things. With training, you have to follow the rules like being on time, eating right, wearing GIs, spats, rash guards etc. It also teaches how to protect yourself, but before that it teaches how to avoid and control such situations without getting physical.
Enhanced coordination
With regular practice you would learn how to help the mind coordinate with the body. And how to work the body in harmony. We spend almost all of our day sitting because our lives are surrounded with sedentary tasks. Because of this we naturally develop bad coordination. With time, we lose track of how the mind and body can work as one which leads to our clumsiness.
But with BJJ training you don’t have to worry about that anymore because here you will overcome these problems. The training teaches you how to do all those things, i.e. get back the different body parts and mind to body coordination. Not just get it back but also enhance it. This will help you improve your lifestyle, increase your flexibility, make the daily chores easier, get back body strength as well.
Bottom line
If going for a run is what you like, don’t stop, but BJJ is a much more enjoyable way to get a strong and lean body. The bonus is that you get to learn a lot of new and important things that help us on and off BJJ mats. Being a part of a huge community which later on becomes like a family just makes you feel great. Training BJJ will improve you mentally and physically, as a martial artist and as a person.
Remember, it’s completely good to choose BJJ just for weight loss but that should not be your focus in the class. You can talk to your trainer about that though. Focus on your technique, form, practice, and learning because weight loss is not a problem. Doing everything wrong because you are in it for weight loss is disrespectful towards others and to yourself. Do it right so you can enjoy, learn, and better. After several months if you still feel like BJJ is not your thing switch to whatever form of physical workout you like and enjoy.
