Settlage Strength

Isometric Strength is one of the most important athletic qualities you need as a grappler! In this episode, Coach J breaks down the steps to developing brutal isometric strength, so you can dominate your opponents on the mat, control all positions, and lock up submissions.📲 Start Training Smarter:Unlock the full training system I use with my grappling athletes. Build strength. Pack on muscle. Never gas out.  👉🏽 www.thestrengthmatrix.com🎁 Grab the Free Program:Get the Grappler Accelerator—a 4-week strength & conditioning program built to kickstart your gains on the mat!0:00 Introduction to Isometric Strength1:11 Why Isometrics Matter in BJJ3:11 Tension and Control in Grappling6:06 Mikey Musumichi’s Isometric Techniques8:05 Boosting Muscle Recruitment with Isometrics12:13 Yielding Isometrics for Stability14:25 Building Stronger Tendons18:14 Isometric Training for Rehab20:10 Strength Gains with Isometric Work23:52 Overcoming Sticking Points in Lifts25:51 The Power of Box Squats29:31 Dynamic Movements and Isometrics31:27 Isometrics for Explosive Strength35:18 Endurance Building with Holds37:12 Benefits of Extreme Isometrics40:53 Boosting Strength Through Ballistic Isometrics43:00 Enhancing Resilience in BJJ46:40 Transform Your Performance with Isometrics48:37 Low-Volume Strength Training Explained52:17 Injury Risk Reduction with Isometrics54:10 Maximizing Strength with Minimal Fatigue58:08 Isometrics for Injury Rehab1:00:02 Incorporating Yielding Isometrics1:03:44 Training Smart: Isometric Techniques1:05:40 Testing New Isometric Programs1:09:33 Progressive Isometric Training1:11:18 New Techniques for Effective Training1:15:02 Mastering Yielding Isometrics1:16:46 Combining Isometric and Ballistic Exercises1:20:17 Importance of Perfect Form1:22:04 Tailoring Isometrics for Strength Goals1:25:50 Gradual Integration of Isometrics1:27:38 Isometric Training for Strength and Recovery

Still running a random bodybuilding split you found on Reddit? You’re leaving strength and athleticism on the table. In this episode, I break down how to use the Conjugate Method to get brutally strong, explosive, and well-conditioned for Jiu Jitsu.You’ll learn how to organize your training week, rotate exercises strategically, and avoid the most common mistakes grapplers make when trying to lift for performance.📲 Start Training Smarter:Unlock the full training system I use with my grappling athletes. Build strength. Pack on muscle. Never gas out.  👉🏽 www.thestrengthmatrix.com🎁 Grab the Free Program:Get the Grappler Accelerator—a 4-week strength & conditioning program built to kickstart your gains on the mat 👉🏽 https://www.thestrengthmatrix.com/grappler0:00 - Introduction to Conjugate Training6:00 - How Conjugate Training Boosts Your Athletic Skills8:00 - The Importance of Balancing Strength and Explosiveness12:00 - Max Effort Method: Lift Heavy to Get Stronger14:00 - Why Heavy Lifting Builds Muscle Coordination18:00 - Dynamic Effort Method: Train for Speed and Power20:00 - Using Explosive Movements to Improve Your BJJ23:00 - Repetition Effort Method: Building Your Endurance31:00 - Creating a Balanced BJJ Strength Training Plan36:00 - When to Do Max Effort Lower Body Workouts41:00 - Tips for Choosing Secondary Movements45:00 - Building Upper Body Strength with Compound Lifts52:00 - Starting Your 4-Day Conjugate Training Split55:00 - How to Do a 3-Day Condensed Conjugate Workout1:01:00 - Beginner's Guide to Max and Dynamic Effort Days1:06:00 - How Conjugate Training Fits BJJ Training Phases1:12:00 - Why You Should Rotate Your Exercises1:13:00 - Using Kettlebells and Sandbags in Training1:17:00 - Recovery Tips to Maximize Your Progress1:19:00 - How Sleep Can Improve Your Training Results1:22:00 - Are Olympic Lifts Right for Grapplers?1:24:00 - Benefits of Olympic Lifts for Explosiveness1:28:00 - Balancing Heavy Lifting and Recovery1:32:00 - Listen to Your Body: The Key to Avoiding Injury1:34:00 - Final Thoughts on Strength Training for Grapplers

Most grapplers waste money on useless supplements.In this episode, I break down my exact weekly supplement stack—what I take, why I take it, and how it helps me lift heavy, recover faster, and roll harder.No fluff. No hype. Just the real stuff that’s worked for me and the athletes I coach.🧠 Inside This Episode:My full pre-training, intra-workout, and post-training stackWhy I use injectable carnitine, ATP, and citicolineHow to time your supplements around lifting & rollingThis isn’t a “copy my stack” episode. It’s a guide to thinking smarter about what you put in your body—and getting more out of your training.📥 Grab my free grappling training program HERE:👇 Questions? Drop them in the comments. I reply to as many as I can.

I hit 40k subscribers on YouTube! To celebrate, I answered questions from the Lift Heavy Roll Hard Grappling Club!📥 Grab your FREE training program — Grappler Accelerator!0:00 40k Subscriber Q&A Kickoff  1:18 Should You Do Feeder Workouts or Extra Recovery Workouts?  9:24 Dune Messiah Movie Hype – Am I Excited for Dune 3?  11:03 Is Science-Based Hypertrophy Really Best for BJJ?  14:08 Should “Run Far” Be Added to LIFT HEAVY ROLL HARD?  15:31 Mike Mentzer Training – Is 1 Set to Failure Good for Grapplers?  21:29 Can You Just Train for Aesthetics and Still Be Good at Jiu Jitsu?  23:32 How to Safely Return After an MCL Sprain  27:36 Nervous About Competing for the First Time? Here’s My Advice  33:26 Training Week Breakdown for BJJ Competition Week  43:01 What I Eat Before and On the Day of a BJJ Competition  49:08 Thoughts on Mark Bell’s Sugar Diet – Insane or Genius?  52:18 Elbow Pain in the Gym? Here’s How to Fix It  54:54 When Should You Add More Weight in Lifting?  57:15 Should You Train More Than 2-3x/Week or Just Lift Heavier?  59:27 Should You Bulk or Cut First If You Want to Get Lean & Jacked?  60:36 How to Start Strength & Conditioning for Jiu Jitsu  61:25 How to Heal Elbow Tendonitis from Lifting & Jiu Jitsu

In this episode of the Settlage Strength Podcast, I break down exactly what to eat before, during, and after training so you can build strength, recover faster, and feel your best on the mats.Most grapplers are either skipping meals, slamming energy drinks, or trying the latest YouTube diet trend—and it's wrecking their recovery.This episode gives you a simple, proven nutrition framework I use with all my 1-on-1 athletes to fuel hard training, reduce soreness, and build serious muscle.Whether you're training 2x/day or just trying to avoid gassing out at open mat, this episode gives you the exact protocols to dial in your food, timing, and supplements for real results.🔑 What You'll Learn:– The most common nutrition mistakes grapplers make– How to structure meals for energy, strength & endurance– The 3-phase framework for building high-performance nutrition habits– Pre-training meals that boost performance (without slowing digestion)– Intra-training shake formulas for 75+ minute sessions– Post-training meals to supercharge recovery– My top 3 supplements every grappler should take📥 Grab your FREE training program — Grappler Accelerator!This includes a complete 4-week S&C program, clean diet guide, recovery protocols, and more. Join 1,000+ grapplers who are already lifting heavy & rolling hard!

In this episode, I break down EXACTLY how I structured my last 6-month bulk to build slabs of muscle, get brutally strong, and still stay conditioned enough to roll without gassing out. I cover the full training split I followed, how I balanced lifting and Jiu Jitsu, why I’m switching into a triphasic training block now, and what’s changing in this next phase of my training.🧠 This is a training chat episode — meant to be played while you're driving to the gym, commuting to class, or getting in your zone before training.🔥 FREE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR GRAPPLERSWant to get stronger, build more muscle, and improve your conditioning in 30 days? Download the Grappler Accelerator — my FREE training program built specifically for grappling athletes:👉 https://thestrengthmatrix.com/grappler

How strong is strong enough for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?In this episode of the Settlage Strength Podcast, Coach J breaks down the exact strength standards every serious grappler should aim for. Whether you're new to the gym or smashing big numbers on the barbell, this episode will help you find your weak points—and fix them.You’ll learn:✔︎ The 3 bodyweight strength tests every grappler must pass✔︎ The barbell standards for squat, deadlift, bench, and overhead press✔︎ Why strength is the foundation of durability and performance in BJJ✔︎ Proven methods to build your pull-ups, dips, and Nordic curls✔︎ How to program your strength work if you actually want it to transfer to the mat💪 If you train hard but still feel like you're getting tossed around on the mat, this episode is for you.🔥 Download the FREE Grappler Accelerator ProgramA complete 4-week training plan to kickstart your grappling athleticism:👉 https://www.thestrengthmatrix.com/grappler

I (Coach J) answer YOUR QUESTIONS in this bonus episode of the Settlage Strength Podcast!👇 Get the FREE Grappler Accelerator program:https://thestrengthmatrix.com/grappler

Most grapplers train hard—but still feel weak, tired, or injured. Why?In this episode, I break down the 6 principles of strength training every grappler needs to follow to get brutally strong, pack on slabs of muscle, and feel great on the mats.You’ll learn:✔︎ How to train for grappling (not just random workouts)✔︎ How to get stronger without burning out✔︎ Why most BJJ strength programs don’t work✔︎ How to fix your training and start making real gainsThis is the exact system I use to help athletes LIFT HEAVY & ROLL HARD!👇 Get the FREE Grappler Accelerator program:https://thestrengthmatrix.com/grappler

If you train BJJ but still feel weak, slow, or always sore… THIS episode is for you. Coach J breaks down 5 common mistakes grapplers make in the gym that destroy your progress and make you more likely to get hurt.You’ll learn:⚠️ Why chasing soreness is slowing you down⚠️ What happens when you train like a bodybuilder instead of a grappler⚠️ How skipping warm-ups is wrecking your body⚠️ Why Reddit rehab advice is trash⚠️ The real cost of following random workouts with no plan👉 Fix these mistakes = feel stronger, faster, and more dangerous on the mat.💪 Want to train smarter? Download the FREE Grappler Accelerator program here:https://thestrengthmatrix.com/grappler