HOW MANY CALORIES DOES JIU JITSU BURN?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an extremely intense Martial Art, and athletes need to be extremely fit, and have a good level of functional strength. The nature of BJJ has a high impact of takedown maneuvers, the grinding pressure of positional control, a high element of speedy, and dexterous transitions, and brutal components involved with many of the submission maneuvers. Starting a Jiu Jitsu journey as an athlete can have some serious advantages when it comes to being functional in the sport. Beginners that have no sporting backgrounds find it harder to adapt to the rigorous training regime that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies instill within their class schedules.

What this article covers:

• Does BJJ Help Students Lose Weight
• How Does Bjj Stack up Against Other Workout Methods
• The Right Nutrition for BJJ
• The Calorie Burning Process
• The Importance of Maintaining Health

Athletes will soon learn that being physically prepared, and mentally prepared also means they need to think about their nutrition, especially when they are training in such a highly intense combat sport. Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can take a lot of energy, and the body needs the proper intake to have sufficient levels of energy to keep up with the exercise. Eating the right nutrition, and having a good bjj meal plan is crucial for an athlete to feel good, and move well, compared to eating the wrong foods, which can leave a student feeling drained, lethargic, and unable to train at the levels needed to be competitive. The human body needs to take in a certain amount of calories per day in order to keep up with the amount of energy they need to use, and calories they need to burn. This is even higher for combat sports athletes, as they will need more calories than an everyday person, and this is due to the intense nature of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. 

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DOES BJJ HELP STUDENTS LOSE WEIGHT

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a highly energetic form of Martial Arts training, and all students that come into a BJJ academy will benefit from the process. Losing weight is all about reducing the fat, and reducing the body mass in a person, and this can be done by reducing their calorie intake, and increasing their output for physical activity. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a demanding regime of training, which allows students to create their own weight loss goals. There are many different forms of exercise that can help a person lose weight, and many of these forms are easily sourced, and researched. When a potential student looks into grappling they will question is brazilian jiu jitsu good for weight loss, and the answer is a comprehensive yes. Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is great for fitness, and the great aspect is that it is functional. Learning a self defense system in a caring environment, and actually enjoying the strategic properties of the exercise is unheard of in most forms of exercise. BJJ offers an extensive range of attributes that will help an overweight person cut back their body mass, and at the same time instill healthier habits they can take further into their life. 

There have been many people who come into BJJ with a skeptical mindset, and after a short period of time training, they have seen some amazing results. Like all forms of exercise it takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance, because nobody will do the work for someone. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a student will only get out what they put in, so if they are training once or twice a week without putting in their maximum effort, then it will take a long time to see any definitive results. Students that give their all into their training sessions will reap the rewards, and if they train regularly then losing weight will happen without even planning it. During training sessions students will use muscles that don't usually activate, so along with improving fitness, cutting down fat and body mass, they will also gain flexibility and dexterity, which can contribute to their overall performance for functional fitness.

HOW DOES BJJ STACK UP AGAINST OTHER WORKOUT METHODS 

There are many different forms of exercise that can help an athlete stay fit, and healthy. Running is always a great way to build up a person's cardiovascular ability, and it will also help to build some core strength throughout the legs, and the abdomen. There are many athletes that use interval sprinting, or long distance endurance running, to stay fit, get strong, and lose weight. Swimming is another great way to boost a person's cardiovascular capacity, and this will also help a person build a lot of muscles in their legs, and their upper body. The best part about swimming is that there is no impact on the person's bones, ligaments, tendons, or muscles, which means this is great for someone to get fit without risking many injuries. Cycling is another great form of exercise, because it will push a person's cardio, and build significant strength in their legs. It can also be fun to cycle, as a person will be able to travel about, and feel like they are building up their fitness, and having a mental break from their busy life, all at the same time.

Lifting weights is great for building strength, and a person can use different methods of training to achieve their specific goals. There are different kinds of weights like bar weights, machine weights, kettlebell weights, plyometric and isometric weights. Building up functional strength is not only great to increase an athlete's ability to perform, it is also great for injury prevention. The downside to lifting weights is that a person can overtrain easily, and end up doing more damage to their muscles. It is important to create the right balance between strength workouts, and rest periods, as this will maximise an athlete's ability to train functionally. Workout routines like body fit classes, boxercise classes, zumba, pilates, and yoga can also have an outstanding effect on the physical, and mental health of a person. These types of classes promote good functioning fitness, core strengthening, and flexibility increases, all while staying happy and training in an inspiring atmosphere.

There are many different training methods to participate in, as these days people are spoilt for choice. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of those training methods that has all aspects covered, unlike other forms of workouts. Potential students will raise questions like is bjj good cardio, does BJJ increase strength, and flexibility, will BJJ improve mobility, and agility. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gives athletes a larger range of functionality within their training, as they will comprehensively improve all of their attributes. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has the added bonus of real life conflict scenarios, as the athlete can reap all of the rewards of physical activity, but also gain valuable skills in the art of self defense, conflict resolution, mental strategy, and self preservation. BJJ is the complete package, as it has the right balance of core strengthening exercises, technical learning processes, functional fitness, and real life competitive aspects.

THE RIGHT NUTRITION FOR BJJ

Applying the right eating habits to a person's life can prove extremely challenging. People are fundamentally creatures of habit, and all suffer from the rigorous grind of convenience. Sometimes trying to build a good eating habit can be impossible due to the nature of an individual's lifestyle. Too often the worker will eat takeaway foods, the mother will nibble on unhealthy snacks during their responsibilities, and families will eat the wrong foods out of poor time management, and not enough funds to buy healthy food. This is why training in BJJ is not just learning how to fight, it is embodying the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle, and this means eating healthy among other things. Students will wonder how to get in shape for jiu jitsu, and this is highly impacted by the habits of a person. Even though training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will ultimately get someone in shape, there has to be the right balance of nutrition. Setting up healthy eating habits is essential for a better output in training Jiu Jitsu, but more importantly for the betterment of a person's life.

Eating processed foods is not good for BJJ, as they will leave a student feeling lethargic, and can severely deplete their energy levels. The less sugar a BJJ athlete intakes, the better, as this can cause inflammation, and inflammation requires rest, and this is a leading cause of laziness within people that eat sugary foods. It is also important to limit dairy intake, as it can be acid forming within the body, and someone who is overly acidic is more prone to muscle fatigue, which is detrimental to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete. It is important for athletes to also limit their meat consumption, and eat smaller portions. Eating large meals takes longer to digest, which can be problematic, especially before Jiu Jitsu training. Eating foods like chicken, fish, and turkey is better for an athlete than heavier red meats like lamb, beef or pork. Eating fruit and vegetables are a great source of energy, and can be digested easily. Athletes should have a high intake of many different vegetables especially, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.

THE CALORIE BURNING PROCESS

The human metabolism is the process of how the body will convert food and drink into energy. The body needs calories from many different foods, along with oxygen to be able to fuel up in order to work. Even when the body is resting it still needs energy for healing cells, digesting food, blood distribution, keeping a stable hormone balance, breathing, and even simple motor functions. The body still uses calories even while it rests, and this is known as the basal metabolic rate. This factor depends upon the muscle mass of a person, which is also their size, and composition. The average body will need anywhere from 100 to 800 calories per day just to cover these simple calorie rates. Men usually have more muscle mass, and less body fat than women, so it is even more important to eat enough calories for men.

Training in a high intensity combat sport like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can take a lot of energy out of the human body. Some athletes will burn between 1000 and 2000 calories in one single two hour training session. This can translate into anywhere from 3000 to 5000 calories per day for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athletes, especially if they are in the middle of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. This is an extremely high number, meaning if an athlete does not eat the appropriate amount of calories, then they will often become fatigued during their matches, or their training sessions. This is where it becomes extremely important to eat well, and eat healthy, so the body can take good amounts of stored energy from wholesome foods. Athletes need a balanced diet, and this means the accumulation of the appropriate levels of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, electrolytes, and minerals to help the body run at its peak performance. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING HEALTH

It is extremely important for combat athletes to maintain their health. Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is extremely demanding both physically, and mentally, and this means that an athlete should be considering all aspects of their health. Being healthy is about eating the right foods, having a balanced workout routine, sustaining the right recovery periods, and allowing their mental health to thrive. Researching nutrition is essential for an athlete to maximise their output on the mats, and putting into practise the appropriate eating habits will encompass that. Athletes can also think about fasting, as this is the best way for the body to divert its resources from digesting food, to important aspects like healing from workouts. There is a science to maintaining maximum health and fitness, and the more successful athletes, will put significant time into these processes.

Get in the best shape of your life with the simple, effective program from grappling legend Tom DeBlass and BJJFanatics.com!

Hydration is an extremely important factor in maintaining health, especially for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete. Drinking enough water will help an athlete regulate their body temperature, and will have a significant impact of lubricating their joints. Running at an optimal performance means that an athlete is hydrated, because dehydration can lead to problems like muscle fatigue, cramping, dizziness, slower reaction times, and a lack of concentration. There can also be a problem with drinking too much water, as this can result in hyponatremia, which is when excess water builds up in the body, and dilutes the content of sodium in the bloodstream. This can lead to a variety of problems like nausea, headaches, poor concentration, and an affected ability to stay balanced. An athlete can lose up to two kilograms of sweat while they train, so it is even more important to stay hydrated not just for optimal performance but for a general overall safety of health.

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