Developing Your Judo #30

#30: The Forgotten Exercise

Remember that it's important to have good basic strength in order to develop powerful judo.  This is based on the power formula:

Power = Force x Distance/ by Time.

Where Force equals Strength, or the ability to apply a maximum amount of force.

So along with the Bench Press and Front Squat, you can now add the following two exercises as great strength builders for judo.

Whole Body - Deadlift

Sometimes called the 'forgotten lift,' the deadlift recruits many muscle groups including the back, shoulders, hips, legs, arms and core muscles. However, for someone with back problems, it should be done carefully and definitely only under the supervision of a trained medical professional.  Deadlifts come in two styles - conventional and sumo.   Basically, sumo-style involves a wider foot stance and an

inside-the-legs grip.  The sumo version seems to be favoured by more longer torsoed athletes and because it's done in a more upright position, it reduces the pressure on the lower back.

Pulling - Bent-Over Rowing

Although rowing and lat pulls on machines are helpful, bent-over rowing with a barbell (or dumbells), works the whole body, especially the lats and biceps.   However, because your body is not being supported when it is bent over, you need to be sure that your back is

straight. Keep your knees bent and concentrate on keeping your lower back strong and tensed during the movement.   The advantage of dumbells is that your stronger side cannot

help out the weaker side which then must work harder to match the stronger side.  Now that you have some good, basic strength, let's move onto some explosive power movements.

By: Rainer Fischer (Canadian Olympian)