What is the best way to supplement strength training to improve grappling? This is a very common question and there is a myriad of information out there which do not provide definitive answers and lead to even more confusion. Most are overcomplicated and hard to balance with a demanding grappling schedule. If your main goal is to have your strength training aid and not detract from your grappling training, the answer is simple… and sinister.
After years of trial and error with training programs, I have come to the conclusion that the Simple and Sinister program by Pavel Tsatsouline is the perfect companion to grappling. It takes the two biggest bang for you buck exercises and programs them in an extremely efficient way to teach you not only how to be strong and build an impressive gas tank but also how to move well and use your entire body to generate maximal force in ways which apply directly to the grappling arts.
Simple and Sinister is comprised of two of the best compound exercises; the one armed kettle bell swing and the turkish get up. Each of these exercises have unique aspects which transfer over to grappling in surprising ways.
The one armed kettlebell swing will build you a powerful posterior chain which translates to a powerful bridge and hip escape, the grip strength of a gorilla, the ability resist rotation (no more getting arm dragged!) and most importantly it will build you posture that wont be broken.
The turkish get up will build you strong frames, a base which won’t be compromised, leg drive that will aid in your doubles and it teaches you how to breathe comfortably under crushing pressure.
Few exercises transfer directly over to grappling in as many ways as the one armed kettlebell swing and the turkish get up but i’m also yet to get to the best part; the programming. It is a very delicate balancing act to structure your strength and conditioning program to not detract from your chosen sport. The recovery demands from grappling are already high due to the inevitable hard rolling that will happen at training. Adding a demanding strength and conditioning program is not a winning combination with hard grappling training. You also do not want your grappling skill training to diminish due to DOMS (delayed onset muscular soreness) or fatigue. If grappling is your number one pursuit, it only makes sense to put your grappling as your number one priority.
This is where simple and sinister shines; it does not detract from the gas tank. After the workout, you actually feel stronger and more refreshed rather than fatigued and tired. The programming is incredibly simple, 100 kettlebell swings (50 each side) and 10 turkish get ups (5 each side) performed daily. The workouts are short (20-25 minutes) and are actually really enjoyable.
Now you may think that swings and get ups may be limited and easily mastered. I have been lifting kettle bells for 7 years and am still learning little tweaks and ways to improve my technique. Your goal should be to become a black belt at these two movements (which to be clear would be mastering the sinister goal of 100 one armed swings in 5 minutes, rest one minute then complete 10 turkish get ups in 10 minutes with a 48kg kettle bell).
Much like Jiu Jitsu, mastery takes a LONG time however this does not mean that you won’t get extraordinary results, very quickly. Since starting this program, I have noticed incredible strength gains. My frames feel unbreakable, I am able to throw around larger opponents with relative ease and I feel much more explosive.
The Simple and Sinister program is an intelligent way to approach strength and conditioning if you are pursuing other athletic endeavours. It is based on the principle of adding small amounts of stress to the body over a long period of time to create a solid foundation of strength rather than going into the gym and completely blowing out your body to breaking point. If you can’t walk for a few days after your workout, what good is it really doing? Are you sacrificing important skill training in the pursuit of supplementary strength gains? The human body is not designed to have massive blowouts of stress, leaving you with serious DOMS and a cowboy walk for days. If you blow out your legs in training, you would be terrible at hunting or escaping from predators.
Simple and Sinister builds your mountain of strength, one daily shovel of dirt at a time. After just a few short months, you will have a reasonable base of strength that you didn’t have to sacrifice days of training grappling to build. It will teach you more about your body, how to move well and most importantly how to be strong. Strength is a skill and needs to be practiced like a skill. With patience and consistency, you will build incredible strength which will have a noticeable impact in your ability to grapple.
If you intend on following my advice and trying this program, I would highly recommend purchasing the Simple and Sinister book by Pavel Tsatsouline and if further help is required, seek instruction from a Strongfirst qualified instructor. These are the best of the best and to achieve a Strongfirst SFG qualification is no easy task. If you feel confident that you can figure out how to do it yourself, I have linked two basic instructional videos on the swing and get up below.
Now go get after it!
