Turning up in class as often as you can, paying attention, drilling as perfectly as possible, and rolling with the aim of learning (not winning)… These will get you far in your pursuit of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu excellence. But, if you truly want to reach your potential and stay injury-free – then you’ll have to start going to the gym and lifting weights.
What’s more, you’ll have to put in the extra work into your back training. The reason? Well, most of your time during training will be spent with a hunched back… Which can lead to acute and chronic back issues, as well as injuries.

Chad Wesley Smith, the mastermind behind the JuggernautBJJ app, shares his top back training exercises for BJJ below.

BEST BACK TRAINING EXERCISES FOR BJJ

The first exercise you should go for are the pull-ups or chin-ups. It doesn’t really matter which of the two variations you do (the difference is in the grip); but it’s crucial that you actually do them.
But here’s the catch: as you do pull-ups, try doing the clapping variation of them. This will improve your explosiveness… And if you want to improve your strength even further, then consider adding some additional weight to your pull-ups (after you can do more than 10-12 reps with your bodyweight).

Then, there is the single arm rope pull. You’ll use the rope to pull yourself up by alternating the use of your arms in an explosive fashion. This, too, will work on your explosiveness.
The bent over barbell row is yet another fantastic exercise, though you’d be better off using it for strength development. Make sure to keep your posture neutral and your core braced as you do it… Same thing with the one arm dumbbell row variation; even though you’ll be propping yourself up against the weight rack, keep that posture proper.

And finally, the last exercise you really need to do are the ITY’s. They’ll not just build back strength, but also shoulder stability and mobility.
Watch how to do these and other back training exercises on the video below:

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