Feb 4, 2022
Today’s guest is Josh Settlage, CSCS! 
Josh (or Coach J) has spent over a decade studying grappling sports and human performance, working with and learning from the best minds in physical therapy, biomechanics, strength, and conditioning. He studied kinesiology with a concentration in exercises science at William Jessup University and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist within the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Coach J has studied under and worked alongside world record holders in powerlifting, professional bodybuilders, NCAA wrestling All-Americans & national champions, and IBJJF Worlds & Pan-Am champions.
Coach J has worked with high school & college wrestlers across the country, and many more Jiu-Jitsu athletes across the world. His unique blend of knowledge in strength & conditioning and experience on the mat, provide him with the tools necessary to help all of his athletes, win more matches & get injured less.
In this interview, we discuss:
- How to setup a training programme to build strength for BJJ.
- Recovery protocols you need to implement in your training.
- Why you need to enter the Strength Matrix!
- Mindset hacks to win more matches and get injured less
- And so much more!
Here are some key points that I would advise you to concentrate on
- You need to switch your mindset from hobbyist to athlete, and build the BJJ body. Technique is great to have but the stronger, fitter athlete with more endurance will win the match when two competitors are at the same technique level.
- Strength training will help all BJJ athletes. However a standard power lifting programme may not be your best bet.
- You need to build a foundation of strength and dedicate time to strengthening the parts of the body that deal with
- the most damage, such as the neck, the knees etc.
- An increase in your overall strength, will allow for easier takedowns, better base control, stronger grip strength and so much more.
- Strength training should be an accompaniment to your training, not a replacement.
- You need to work on your mobility, rotational movement, flexibility etc along with your strength and skills.
- Josh likes to ensure his athletes can complete the general human movement patterns effectively before he starts to add weight to the movement.
- Josh recommends you lift as much as you can, as often as you can, without it affecting your overall BJJ training.
- You don't need to live in the gym to make suitable gains for your BJJ game.
- Bodyweight exercises can be useful when you can't get to the gym. You can be creative with equipment when you can't access a normal gym, a fancy gym in't essential but better tools in a gym help you develop faster.
- Your training should be different if you are building towards a competition compared to when you are training generally.
- Your training should be based on your individual goals, not someone else's or worse, because it came free in a magazine!
- Mix up your rep schemes to focus on different kinds of strength and movement. Mix up your training methods as well. Avoid becoming too dependent on one method, and build a multi-layered version of strength and athleticism.
- You should aim to promote blood flow to injured areas like shoulders, knees etc, using higher rep exercises.
- If you know your why as why you train, then the how becomes a lot more simple. Write out your goals, your true goals and you will start avoiding today's temptation, to chase tomorrows goals and avoid regret.
- You should pick training partners that motivate, inspire and challenge you. Friends should build you up, not cut you down.
- You need to be disciplined to meet your goals in life, but discipline can be built in your life. Be a man of your word to yourself, this is the most important part.
- Stack the small wins, to build your confidence and discipline, even if its getting up straight away when your alarm goes off. Build a strong discipline habit too.
- Older athletes should adapt their training to suit their body mechanics, recovery methods needed etc compared to younger athletes.
- It's not what you do in the gym that changes you, it is what you do in the gym AND what you can recover from. The majority of athletes who struggle are under recovered.
- Aim for a minimum of seven hours of sleep where possible.
- Hack your lifestyle to build in the recovery and nutrition that you will need to level up.
- You need to use your brain when you train, not your ego. Be disciplined on when you feel you should stop, or feel under-recovered and not let your ego lead you into big trouble on the mats when recovery is a better option.
- Building true strength means working on your weaknesses to improve your overall skill rather than your preferred A game moves!
- Go into each training session with a clear goal and vision for each session, don't half ass sessions, plan it out and follow the plan.
- Take advantage of technology to monitor, review, and analyse your training and monitoring your consistency and progression, just don't be controlled by it!
- What gets measured gets managed and improved.