Car Workout for BJJ and Martial Arts

If you’ve seen my video, Towel Workout for Martial Artists, you know there is always a way to fit martial arts training into your day. If you need another example, check out this car workout!

If the video doesn’t play, you’ll find a short summary below. Either way, check it out!

Car Workout for BJJ and Martial Arts

I live in Los Angeles, which means I spend a lot of time driving. But it’s not wasted time.

Instead of showing up to martial arts class all cramped up, I keep my blood flowing and mind sharp by practicing a few simple exercises on the road. I think of them as my warmup before the warmup!

Since each art makes different demands on the body, I have a different car workout specifically suited for each class I take. Today, I’d like to share a few of the moves I practice on the way to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

A WORD OF CAUTION

√ Driving a car is akin to operating a guided missile. Do not do anything that would endanger your life or the lives of others.

√ The following exercises are merely suggestions for times when you are stopped at red lights, waiting in parking lots, pulled to the side of the road, or in situations you deem to be safe.

√ All practice is at your own risk.

Got that?

Okay. Then starting from the top down…

NECK. I believe most traditional martial artists neglect their neck muscles. I even made a video to help my fellow martial artists get a heads up on neck training: Neck Exercises for Martial Arts.

In BJJ, strengthening your neck is a must! And here’s an easy way to do it..

Raise the head rest on your car seat until it touches the back of your head. Now arch back and press into it, just like you’re bridging. The head rest will usually “give” a little, making this great for an isometric workout.

To balance your neck muscles, place your elbow on the window or door frame. Now rest the back of your wrist against your forehead.

Press head against your arm in short bursts or long, steady isometric pushes.

It doesn’t take long to get tired on that one!

SHOULDERS. If you saw my video, Shoulder Flexibility and Strength for Martial Artists, you know I believe in balanced training when it comes to the shoulders. Here’s a variation of the exercise I showed in that video.

Grip the steering wheel firmly at ten and two. PUSH your body back into your seat as far as you can. Go for a fully locked out arm shoulders rounded a bit forward.

Now PULL yourself away from your chair, squeezing your back muscles, and rolling your shoulders back.

As you move back and forth, you should alternatively feel a stretch across your chest, then across your back.

This simple push-pull is a great way to wake up your whole upper body: shoulders, chest, and back.

GRIP. My favorite grip exercise came from a Judo class 25 years ago. I’ve never found anything better.

The best thing about it? You don’t need any equipment. You can do it anywhere, anytime. Here it is…

1) Squeeze your hand as HARD as you can.

2) Open your hand as WIDE as you can.

3) Do this over and over as FAST as you can.

4) Keep going for as LONG as you can.

That’s it! But don’t kid yourself—this is h-a-r-d! The trick is keep repeating HARDER WIDER FASTER. Otherwise, your body will start giving up almost immediately. So, be tough on yourself!

Start off with a set on top of the steering wheel, palms down. Shake that off, then do another set under the wheel or along the sides with palms up.

I promise—do this right and it will only take three or four sets before your forearms are burned out and you’re reaching for a tissue to wipe away your tears!

You’re welcome!

SUBMISSION ESCAPES. To be more effective on the mats, part of your warmup routine should include visualization. But don’t just visualize dominating your dojo, imagine staying cool under pressure.

For example, when you get caught in a submission, do you tense up more than you should? That won’t help! Here’s what you can do about that…

Look at your hand on the steering wheel. You see how that pinky is facing down just like when you get caught in an arm bar? Perfect!

Use your other hand to press up on your elbow, simulating an arm bar. Now just breathe. Get used to it.

Give yourself time to relax your neck and your shoulder. Slowly, but surely, you can freeze less and flow more.

Instead of getting stuck, you can stay loose to find that extra wiggle room to help you escape. But don’t stop there!

When your car is stopped, stick your arm behind your seat as if you got caught in an omoplata or Kimura. Reach behind your head rest as if you got caught in an Americana…

In short, put yourself in bad positions willingly, so you can keep your cool when you get put in bad positions unwillingly!

CHOKE PRACTICE. I saw Eddie Bravo practicing this exercise in a YouTube video. He wasn’t demonstrating it in a car, but his drill fits perfectly when you’re stopped at a red light or sitting around in a parking lot.

What is it?

Just put one foot up on your seat. That’s it!

You now have the perfect piece of equipment for practicing your rear naked choke—your knee! Wrap your arm around your knee and squeeze away!

It’s amazing how much better you can get at something as simple as a squeeze. It’s actually pretty complex. Try squeezing your knee on the couch or at your desk, too.

Thank you, Eddie Bravo, for sharing that one!

CORE/ABS. Tilt your seat back a little and force yourself to sit up straight. That alone will engage different muscles.

Kick it up a notch by leaning back into the space and tensing your core. Now you can perform mini-crunches. Make it harder by twisting left and right.

But wait—there’s more!

If you have cruise control, try lifting your heels off the floor. Even if you don’t have cruise control, raise one leg. That’s still a challenge.

Ideally, you can make a “V” with your body and crunch your way down the highway.

LEGS. Again if you have cruise control, this is a great exercise. Simply sit up straight and dig your heels into the floor. Press down with all your power. That’s a good start.

Let’s make it harder.

Imagine that you’re sitting in a leg press machine. Press down on the floor and try to raise your butt off the seat.

Seriously—even raising your body a quarter inch off the seat will give you an incredible pump!

Go for three sets of 10 and you’ll arrive to BJJ class ready to turn around and go home!

That’s it! If you can drill a few of these movements the next time you’re driving to class or stuck in the car, great! Even one move is better than nothing. But please, remember…

SAFETY FIRST… ALWAYS!

No practice is worth dying for… or killing for!

In life and in a car workout, keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.