10 Best Core Exercises for Jiu-Jitsu
Stop doing crunches. Build the rotational power, isometric stability, and explosive hips you actually need to dominate on the mats. Science-backed movements from elite grapplers.
If you have been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for any length of time, you already know the truth: Your core is your engine.
Whether you are shrimping out of mount, resisting a guard pass, or bridging to escape side control, your core muscles are functioning nonstop. However, research suggests that how you train your core matters more than how much.
The Science of Stability: A 2024 study on combat athletes found that “anti-rotation” strength—the ability to resist twisting—is the primary factor in preventing lower back injuries during grappling. It’s not about six-pack abs; it’s about armor.
To help you build a bulletproof game, here are the 10 most effective functional core exercises for grappling.
Category 1: Essential Stability & Isometric Strength
1. The Dead Bug – Your Base Movement
Why it works for BJJ: It teaches you to move your limbs independently while keeping your spine glued to the mat—exactly what you do when retaining open guard against someone trying to flatten you.
How to do it: Lie on your back with arms extended straight up and knees at 90 degrees. Lower your opposite arm and leg slowly without letting your lower back arch off the floor. Return to start and alternate sides.
Common Mistake: Your lower back lifts off the ground. If this happens, don’t go as deep with the movement. The goal is spinal stability, not range of motion.
2. Hollow Body Hold – The Defensive Ball
Why it works for BJJ: This is the fundamental position for defense. It mimics the “ball” shape you need to maintain so opponents can’t flatten you out in side control, mount, or back control.
How to do it: Lie on your back. Lift your shoulders and legs 6 inches off the ground. Press your lower back into the floor. Arms should be extended overhead. Hold for 20-60 seconds with perfect tension.
Elite Progression: Rock gently back and forth while holding the position. This is how gymnasts use the hollow body to generate power for advanced skills.
3. Plank with Shoulder Taps – Dynamic Stability
Why it works for BJJ: Standard planks are boring. This variation forces you to stabilize on three points of contact while creating movement, simulating the dynamic balance needed when passing guard or maintaining mount pressure.
How to do it: From a high plank position, lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder. Do not let your hips rock side-to-side. Alternate sides. Your body should remain perfectly level throughout.
Advanced Version: Tap your opposite hip instead of shoulder. This forces even greater anti-rotation strength.
Category 2: Explosive Power & Hip Strength
4. Weighted Glute Bridge – Your Escape Foundation
Why it works for BJJ: The bridge is the most important movement in BJJ. A stronger, more explosive bridge directly translates to a more dominant “Upa” escape from mount—one of the highest-percentage escapes in the sport.
How to do it: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Drive your hips to the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top position. For resistance, add a kettlebell, sandbag, or dumbbell to your hips.
Pro Tip: Pause for 2 seconds at the top and really squeeze. It’s not about speed; it’s about glute activation and power development.
5. Turkish Get-Up (TGU) – The Most BJJ-Relevant Core Move
Why it works for BJJ: The TGU is essentially a weighted “Technical Stand-Up”—the exact position you use to escape side control or bottom positions. It bulletproofs your shoulders and teaches you to generate force from the ground up.
How to do it: Lie on your back holding a kettlebell or dumbbell straight up. Systematically stand up without taking your eyes off the weight or bending your arm. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Why Coaches Recommend It: A 2023 study on combat athletes found that TGU practitioners had 40% fewer shoulder injuries than those doing traditional pressing exercises.
6. Kettlebell Swing – Hip Power Without Joint Stress
Why it works for BJJ: It builds the “posterior chain” endurance needed to maintain posture in closed guard or shoot for explosive takedowns late in a round when fatigue hits.
How to do it: Hold a kettlebell with both hands. Hinge at the hips (do NOT squat). Explosively snap your hips forward to float the bell to chest height. Let gravity bring it down and immediately repeat.
The Data: Research shows that kettlebell swings produce glute activation comparable to heavy deadlifts but with significantly less shear force on the lumbar spine.
Category 3: Rotational Control & Oblique Strength
7. Russian Twists – Oblique Dominance
Why it works for BJJ: Grappling is rarely linear. Your opponent attacks from different angles. This builds the rotational strength needed for hip escapes, arm drags, and explosive throw mechanics.
How to do it: Sit in a V-shape with your feet elevated. Hold a weight (dumbbell, medicine ball, or kettlebell) at chest height. Rotate your torso side-to-side, tapping the weight to the floor. Keep your feet elevated for maximum difficulty.
Elite Progression: Add a pause at each side for 1 second to increase time under tension.
8. Bicycle Crunches – Cross-Body Integration
Why it works for BJJ: The cross-body connection (elbow to opposite knee) mimics the mechanics of the triangle choke, maintaining a high guard, and escaping side control through hip rotation.
How to do it: Lie on your back. Bring opposite elbow to opposite knee while extending the other leg. Move with control, not speed. This is about quality muscular tension, not reps per minute.
Why Control Matters: A rushed bicycle crunch strains your neck and reduces core activation by 50%. Slow is strong.
9. Hanging Leg Raises (Toes-to-Bar) – Lower Ab Fortress
Why it works for BJJ: This builds the specific hip flexor strength needed for “inverting” and recovering guard, while simultaneously training your grip endurance.
How to do it: Hang from a pull-up bar with arms extended. Lift your legs straight up to the bar without swinging. Control the descent. Your goal is a slow, controlled movement where you feel your abs working hard.
Beginner Modification: Bring knees to chest instead of toes to bar. As you get stronger, straighten your legs more.
10. Ab Wheel Rollout – The Advanced Anti-Extension Move
Why it works for BJJ: It trains “anti-extension”—the ability to keep your core tight and prevent your lower back from collapsing when your arms are extended overhead (like when defending a double leg takedown or preventing being flattened in mount).
How to do it: Kneel on the floor holding an ab wheel. Roll the wheel out as far as you can while keeping your back flat. Pull yourself back using your core and hip flexors, not your arms.
Common Mistake: Your back arches excessively. If you can’t control your arch, don’t roll out as far. This is about perfect form, not distance.
How to Use This 10-Exercise Arsenal
🎯 The 3-Day Core Protocol
Day 1 (Stability Focus): Dead Bug, Hollow Body Hold, Plank Taps (3 sets each)
Day 2 (Power Focus): Glute Bridge, Turkish Get-Up, Kettlebell Swings (5 reps, 3 sets)
Day 3 (Rotation Focus): Russian Twists, Bicycle Crunches, Hanging Leg Raises (3 sets)
⚡ The Quick 15-Minute Circuit
Do each exercise for 30 seconds with 15 seconds rest between. Complete 3 rounds with 1 minute rest between rounds: Dead Bug → Plank Taps → Glute Bridge → Russian Twists → Hanging Leg Raises
Pro Rule: Quality over quantity. A single perfect set of each exercise is worth more than sloppy high-rep circuits. Respect the tension in your core and move with intention.
The Bottom Line
A strong core is the difference between getting crushed in side control and escaping with ease. A core that can resist rotation is the difference between getting arm-dragged and maintaining your position.
Add 2-3 of these exercises to the end of your training sessions this week. Focus on quality of movement over quantity. Your back (and your long-term grappling career) will thank you.
Ready to Bulletproof Your Core?
Start with the Dead Bug, Hollow Body Hold, and Glute Bridge. Master these three, and you’ve established the foundation for elite-level core strength.
Your next training session starts now.
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