A complete Guide for the Judo Exercises [2021]

There are many people who are interested in Judo and want to learn Judo. We get a lot of questions about what exercises we can do to get the fitness that is needed for Judo. We were doing research to know what were the training methods adopted by the people who are going to learn Judo.

For this purpose, we meet many judo experts and former trainers and spend a lot of time with them.

After spending a lot of time we have compiled research which we’ll share in this article. In this time we came to know about the mistakes which many beginners make when they are starting to learn Judo.

This would be the first complete guide on the internet that will take you step-by-step exercise and takes you to that fitness level that you need for judo. In this time of the pandemic, most of the people are stuck in their home or they don’t want to get any kind of public interaction, so we have also compiled some exercises on how to train in your home.

So, let’s began the article.

Purpose

If you are going to start the training You should know the purpose of the training because every sport needs different kinds of fitness and you can’t add them under one heading for example if you are starting swimming then why would you work on your upper body.

Judo Exercises Purpose

Swimming is the game of speed, focus, and stamina, so if your fitness training goes in the wrong direction you are on the wrong path my love. The same goes for the Judo training because most of the people make the same mistake they are going to learn the Judo but work on their body, so that results in a complete mess.

If you are starting to learn Judo or want to improve your Judo, these are the factors on which you can work in your fitness training sessions and improve it.

The first thing you should focus on is speed because speed plays a very important role in grappling and locking techniques. The next thing you should focus on is improving your power because when you are into the matching power plays a really important role to overcome your competitor.

You also need to focus on the exercises that would help you to gain stamina.

The next is a very important thing which most of the people miss preparing for the Judo is mental conditioning but that plays a very important role in the overall Judo but some of the former players said if you focus on this thing more than any other thing on the list then there are more chances of improving your Judo.

You should do the training to improve all these things but don’t focus on anything single because if you do that it would be a great mess and you won’t be able to compete in Judo, so do exercises to improve everything equally.

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Training and Conditioning for Judo

If you are going to compete with the Judo player in a match then you need the combination of the power and weight that will be best for you. You have to do exercises that focus on both power and weight.

Training and Conditioning for Judo

Because if you only focus on the power which most of the athletes do then it would be not good because after power training your muscles need time to repair which is not good if you have to fight in some months.

The best practice which most of the Judo trainers recommend is to go for the power with the lightweights that would be a very good combination and it will improve your performance.

The most important part of the human body that plays a very important role in Judo is the hand and feet. Most people ignore the importance of these and then result in bad fights because Judo is all about grappling and movement which is directly related to the feet and hands.

Most of the trainers who train the athletes for the international events suggest that training with belts is a great way to improve your hand and feet movements and there are also low chances of injury.

The belts used in the Judo training are specially designed for the players and it is one of the best investments you can make on yourself if you want to go further in Judo. The most traditional training ways increase the chances of injury and also not that effective so the modern trainers use this belt as the replacement. It is very portable and when you are going to train you will see these belts in most gyms due to their durability and user-friendly features.

The training is very important for Judo especially if you have to fight after some months that’s why we have compiled the other exercises that you have to do if you are a beginner or a person who wants to improve the Judo.

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Exercise with Elastic Bands

In the past decade, the use of elastic bands in the training of Judo has become very popular. We have talked to many experts of Judo and they all were united on the statement that the belt is more effective than the other traditional methods which they have used in the past.

But the thing is that there are many brands in the market that are selling these bands nowadays and some are very cheap. People who are on the budget go for the cheap ones but the selection of a good Elastic brand is more important in the Judo training because it can be very harmful to you if you select some cheap quality brand.

If you are going to train at the home then you should go for the Uchikomi bands because they are the best and former Judo athlete and trainer have developed these bands, so you can understand that these would be made according to the requirements of the Judo players.

There are two types of these bands one is called junior and the other is called a pro. The people who want to buy the pro version of the band want to increase their throw power because they think by increasing throwing power they’ll be able to win the fights but that’s not the case then judo is all about the combination of power and techniques.

You have to train your muscles according to the use of them in the real contest and these bands will train you the same as you are throwing the real person in the contest by using the quality band your techniques will become more enhanced and sharp.

There are many simple bands in the market but you always have to select the band which has Gi style grip because that will give you the feeling that you are doing a real fight with the opponent and will enhance your techniques in the real contest.

There are many brands that are specially designed for people who are new to judo and want to improve their techniques. There is a band called Uchikomi and this one is very great for your judo training and they also gave a DVD, so you can see how to use it in case you are stuck in your home and training in your home gym.

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Body Weight Exercises for Judo

It is one of the low-cost exercises in the whole training process of Judo because there are tools and equipment in almost every park on which you can do the body exercises. And if you want to do these exercises in your home you can easily do it with some pipes or with the help of other equipment.

But if you are in the gym then you have many opportunities to do weight training. If you just add some variations into the press up you can get the desired results that you need for the Judo.  There are also some trainers that use the swiss balls in the dojo to get the desired result and by adding these exercises in the regular press-ups you can get the desired weight of the body for Judo.

Judo Fitness Training

There are many ways to achieve the fitness goals for Judo but most of the trainers emphasize circuit training and they say that to achieve the fitness goals for Judo there is nothing better than circuit training.

Judo Fitness Training

There is a misconception that by doing the deep squats you’ll be able to throw your opponents more but this is not right because the deep squats put more pressure on your knee joints upward but for fighting you have to put the effort in the front direction.

The expert trainer teaches their trainee to go for the half squats because that would have the same amount of impact as the deep squats have but it would cause less damage to your knee joints. If you are doing circuit training for judo, the focus would be on your movements and other pulling actions because that’s what helps you to defeat your opponent in the fight.

The other problem which the Judo athletes go through is that they go for lifting the heavyweights because that will give them power but in the process of gaining power they forget about endurance which is also equally important in the Judo.

They need to lower the weight and increase the repetitions and when they get used to it then increase the weight and repetitions equally because doing that the power and endurance will be balanced.

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How to do the Circuit Training for Judo

If you are not doing the circuit training properly then it would not be beneficial for you, so there is the method of pyramid circuit which is followed by the expert Judo athletes. In this method, you would lower the amounts of reps which you are doing and increase the weight in every exercise you do.

If you do the 40 reps with the weight of 50kg then you should do 35 reps with 55kg and then 30 reps with 60kg. By doing this method you’ll gain the endurance which is needed for the judo with a good amount of weight but never forget your main goal is to get the endurance not to make your body attractive.

The main purpose of the circuit training is to follow the exact same method or environment which you will face in the fight because the training of 5 minutes will give your body the same time for rest which you’ll get after the five-minute round in the match.

These are the exercises that you can add to your circuit

  • Bench press
  • Upright rows
  • Triceps
  • Crunches
  • Sit-ups
  • Versa pulls
  • Versa climber
  • Uchikomi bands

These are the exercises that are making the great circuit that will affect every muscle of your body.

Most of the exercises which we have mentioned are common but two are very different and if you are someone newbie in the field then you might be confused that what these are these but don’t be confused we’ll explain both forms.

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What is Versa climber?

It is the most common part of the gyms which are training Judo or any other kind of martial arts. It is for the flexibility of your legs and gives you the fitness level which you need for Judo. It is a climbing machine on which you can train for 5 to 7 minutes. This machine was developed for the scientist of NASA and after that, some experts find it very useful for Judo athletes, so it becomes a permanent part of Judo gyms.

What is a Versa puller?

It is a very new kind of machine which is compulsory for the training of the Judo. The machine is very lightweight but it conditions the athlete’s body. The athlete pulls this machine with its full power and the machine in response resists it gives the athlete training for the pulling actions which he can get from the opponent.

You can do the pulling drills with it from any angle and direction and it will reply to you with the great strength as your opponent would in a real-life match. These two machines are a must for the more enhanced training of the judo.

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Cardio training

The first thing which comes to our mind when we listen about cardio is running but according to the experts of Judo running is not a very popular form of cardio in Judo athletes. Cycling is more preferred as compared to running.

Cardio training

If the Judo player wants to run then only 4 miles daily would be enough because running increases the chances of injury that’s why the Judo athletes are advised to avoid running especially on the concrete floor.

The judo players usually use the versa climber for the cardio session and it is more suitable because it involves more intense training of the hands and feet which is a must for the judo player. A Judo player has to do cardio at least for 45 minutes daily because that will increase endurance and stamina.

If we go with the experts they rank the Concept 2 Rower first for the cardio then they go for the versa climber and the last thing is running which is also not on the concrete and with a good pair of shoes, so the chances of the injury will be reduced.

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Strength Exercises

If you are reading the article from the start then you might know that strength is also a very important part of Judo training but what are the exercises that make you strong enough that you can fight the Judo fight.

If you are a Judo athlete then you should add these exercises to your daily routine for the maximum strength squats, bench press, triceps, fly crossovers, upright pulls and bent over pulls. There are many other exercises that you can do but these are the most common ones, so we included these exercises.

The equipment which is also very common among the Judo players for strength training is a medicine ball. It is not so expensive and almost everybody can buy it and it is also very good for strength training.

There are also some bags used for strength training but we talk to many experts and one of two of them might recommend the bags for strength, so, we’ll not say that you should use these but if you have done your research then you can go with it.

There is a misconception that strength is all about lifting heavy-weight plates and dumbbells but that is not the case there are many other things that are included in the strength when it comes to Judo.

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Flexibility for Judo

If you are going to start Judo then you should know that flexibility plays a very important part in Judo and it reduces the chances of injuries and gives your body more space to improve its weak points. The Judo player must include the stretching sessions in its daily workout sessions.

Flexibility is not only important for Judo but also in every other type of Mix Martial Arts. It also gives your body that flexible movement and speed which player is needed against his component in the Judo contest. So, never ignore the flexibility.

Psychology for judo

As we described before, the mental health of the student is very important in every kind of sport most of the trainers don’t understand these things and we are happy that some trainers we talk to realize the importance of mental aspect on judo training.

There may be a boy who looks elder than his age and maybe e have a beard but he won’t have the mental toughness to handle the pressure of the match so, a trainer needs to look at all aspects of training when a young teenage boy comes to him and he has to make him mentally tough so, he can handle the bigger challenges inside the ring and also outside of the ring.

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Judo weekly training plan

If you are a judo athlete then you should follow this training plan that is compiled and approved by many international trainers who have trained many international athletes.

Monday

  • Your Monday morning should start at 7 am with the lifting and you should do that for 1.5 hours.
  • Rest for half-hour
  • Do Judo drills for 1.5 hours till 9 am
  • Half hour rest
  • Sprints for 1.5 hours till 11: 30 am
  • Then from 2 to 3, you have to do the cross-training like other types of martial arts
  • Then again 6:30 to 8:00 half an hour for Jodu Drills
  • Then 10 to 11 at night you should do cardio

Tuesday

  • Your day should start at 7 am with the 1.5 hours of Judo training
  • Then at 10:30, you should lift for 1.5 hour
  • Rest for 5 hours
  • Go for the Judo for 1 hour
  • Then for two hours wrestling till 8:00 pm
  • Cardio for 10 to 11:00 pm

Wednesday

  • Your Wednesday morning should start at 7 am with the lifting and you should do that for 1.5 hours.
  • Rest for half-hour
  • Do Judo drills for 1.5 hours till 9 am
  • Half hour rest
  • Sprints for 1.5 hours till 11: 30 am
  • Then from 2 to 3, you have to do the cross-training like other types of martial arts
  • Again 6:30 to 8:00 half an hour for Judo Drills
  • Then 10 to 11 at night you should do cardio

Thursday

  • Your day should start at 7 am with the 1.5 hours of Judo training
  • Then at 10:30, you should lift for 1.5 hour
  • Rest for 5 hours
  • Go for the Judo for 1 hour
  • Then for two hours wrestling till 8:00 pm
  • Cardio for 10 to 11:00 pm

Friday

  • Your day starts at 6:00 with 1.5 hours of lifting
  • Rest for 30 minutes
  • Judo for 1.5 hours
  • Sprints for 30 minutes
  • Rest
  • Then at night one hour for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Saturday

  • Your workout session starts at 11:00 with 3 hours of grappling
  • Then three hours for Jiu-Jitsu till 5:00 pm

Sunday

  • The day starts at 10:00 am with 2 hours of lifting
  • Then from 4:00 pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for three hours

These are the training weekly plans which every Judo athlete should follow.

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Judo training online

This is the time of fear the whole world is in lockdown and nobody is allowed to go outside their house due to a deadly pandemic. At this time everyone wants to be fit and wants to be fit, so his body can have a good immune system.

There are many people who are stuck at home but want to learn Judo but they are not able to travel because of coronavirus. For that, there are many institutes that have realized that the future is online.

They have launched their online courses, so the people can learn Judo within their home. They will charge you some reasonable amount and you are enrolled in the course.

There are two types of courses in the market one is like they record the videos and after enrollment gives access to the people. But the other ones are those who have live sessions for hours. They have trainers who teach you to live according to us. These live ones are the best because you have someone to judge that you are doing wrong.

So, if you want to enroll then choose the one which has the live classes.

Judo exercises at home

As we said earlier that everything is closed and gone online due to the deadly coronavirus. That’s why everyone is locked in their home and wants to do exercises at home. The Judo players also want to do some exercises at home.

Judo exercises at home

The first way which we can do exercise in the home is the youtube tutorials that are free and easily available. You just need a smartphone and internet connection. This is for the people who have already been to Judo but want to exercise at home.

But if you are a beginner and want to do exercise then you should go for the online training programs that are teaching Judo. They might charge some fee to you but money is nothing as compared to your fitness.

We have told you both options for beginners and for the person who is already doing Judo but both can also go for youtube if they are on a budget and don’t want to spend some money on their health.

Summary

These are some exercises that you can do if you want to improve the judo or even if you are a newbie and want to learn Judo. We have tried to cover everything about the Judo exercise in this article but there would be many things that can’t be covered in this article but for the learners who want to improve their judo or beginners who want to learn we have written many things that would be beneficial for you.

If you have any questions regarding this topic let us know in the comments and we’ll make sure to reply to every query.

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