One of the most important, but least understood, parts of the body is the core. The core can be broken down into four main functions. These functions will often overlap, but this is okay for the sake of training economy.
- Stabilization: Important for transferring force created in one part of the body to other parts of the body. For example, in judo, the push generated by your legs gets transferred up your core and into your arms so you can push against your opponent. If your core is weak, that force goes absolutely nowhere.
- Straight Line Flexion: Think crunches. Useful in ground work, contraction brings your rib cage closer to your hips.
- Straight Line Extension: Think of it as standing up straight against a force trying to pull you downward.
- Rotation: Also known as twisting.
While you can also create a fifth category of “anti-” movements (anti-rotation, anti-flexion, etc.), you are really talking about a flexion of the antagonist muscles that resist the undesired movement. If you want to “anti-rotate” against a force on your right side, you flex the rotational muscles of the left. If you want to “anti-contract” the body, you flex the extension muscles. While it sounds complicated, the reality is that “anti-” training has been as natural to the body as walking, ever since you were about two years old and stopped waddling around in diapers.
So, let’s look at the four main functions:
Stabilization
Your training should mostly consist of heavy lifting to improve stabilization. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, rows, and bench presses will help with stabilization. If you want to try something different, farmer's walks, suitcase deadlifts, one arm presses, and others will also help improve rotational stabilization. For most judo players, normal lifting and practice will be enough to improve stabilization, unless there is a weakness or prior injury to deal with.
Straight Line Flexion
Assuming the debate among coaches about how much contraction training is needed is still ongoing, I have found that a decent amount of contraction training can be beneficial for players, especially if their club doesn't emphasize ground work very much. Additionally, since extension is such an important part of other movements, I find that the balancing effect of doing some contraction training can be helpful in alleviating low back pain caused by overly tight extensors.
Straight Line Extension
A lot of training for extension should be interlaced with your low back training, including movements such as hyperextensions, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and other movements that form the basis of programs for the glutes, hamstrings, and low back. If you haven't covered extension enough in your training, you may have serious problems.
Crunches, reverse crunches, and variations of sit ups are all great exercises for contracting the abs. I personally love doing a variation of V-ups while using a suspension training rig on my ankles. To do this, start in the position pictured to the right, then push your butt up in the air while pulling your knees to your chest. If you want a real challenge, try doing this without bending the knees, and just “v-ing” the body.
Rotation
In conclusion, there are many exercises that can be done for rotation. These include regular exercises that are twisted to one side, as well as more specific rotational exercises. Rotational exercises are important for motions in judo.
The Program and Scheduling
Since the core is integral to so many other movements and is used constantly in daily life, the muscles composing the core are mostly slow-twitch. This doesn't mean, however, that the only way to train the core is through high-repetition exercises. We're not trying to build Abs of Steel. We're trying to develop blocks of muscle that generate and transfer force, so heavy training will be a part of this program's core training regimen. The key factors here are heavy weight and training frequency.
I recommend splitting the core into its main functions and focusing on only one of those each training session. Stabilization and extension are key components of other workouts, so you only need to focus on contraction and rotation as targeted training.
Match Demands Of Judo
Judo matches can be broken down into actions that can be classified.
- In-activity or Break – pause in the match [3].
- Preparation – phase of preparation for grip disputes [3].
- Grip dispute – this involves fighting to secure grips in order to execute a throwing technique. In fact, approximately 50% of active match time is spent in grip dispute [1].
- Technique (nage-waza) – the execution of a throwing technique [2].
- Groundwork (ne-waza) – technical actions on the ground [2].
Judo matches typically last for 5 minutes, unless there is a draw in which case the athletes will continue playing until one of them scores a point.
The majority of scoring techniques are achieved through throwing an opponent off-balance and then onto their back [5]. Judo matches last an average of 3 minutes, with active periods of 10-63 seconds followed by inactive periods of 1-22 seconds. The majority of points are scored by throwing an opponent off balance and then onto their back.
The amount of activity versus inactivity changes throughout the match, with more activity in the beginning and less as the match goes on, and more inactivity in the beginning and less as the match goes on.
The average activity-to-pause ratio is generally 2:1 or 3:1. This can be further broken down into how the activity period is spent during a match.
The average amount of time it takes to prepare for an attack is 4 seconds, grip disputes last an average of 16-18 seconds, throw attacks last an average of 1-1.7 seconds, and groundwork lasts an average of 9-17 seconds.
Judo success is partly determined by grip strength and endurance, which make up about half the time spent in competition.
I provide the time ranges alongside the average activity periods because averages don't give the full picture. If you only used averages to plan your training, you wouldn't optimize your Judo preparation because you wouldn't be prepared for activity periods that are longer than average or for break periods that are shorter than average.
The main difference is the ability to win the small battles that take place during the course of a match. The difference between an elite and non-elite Judoka is the ability to win the small battles that take place during the course of a match.
Elite vs. Non Elite Judokas
Elite Judokas who have competed in the Olympics or Asian Games have significantly larger upper arms and forearms than those who don't compete at a university or those who have only competed within their university and placed in the top 8.
There were no significant differences in muscle thickness around the body between elite and non-elite Judokas, though the former tended to have more fat-free mass (muscle, bone).
A separate study found that elite Brazilian judokas tended to have thicker upper arms, forearms, wrists, and calves than non-elite judokas, even though there was no difference in skin fold thickness between the two groups.
The difference between elite and non-elite Judokas in terms of handgrip isometric strength is not that significant. However, when it comes to upper-body anaerobic power and capacity, elite Judokas definitely have the advantage, as they can generate more mean and peak power relative to their body weight. It's interesting to note that there is no difference between the two groups when it comes to the time to reach peak power or fatigue.
The objective is to score as many ippon (perfect throw) as possible in the allotted time. Elite judo athletes performed more throws than non-elites during the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT). If you're not familiar with the SJFT, the video below demonstrates it. The test is conducted with two ‘human dummies' placed six meters apart. The objective is to score as many ippon (perfect throws) as possible in the allotted time.
The objective is to throw the ball as many times as possible within a set time limit. There are three periods. The first period lasts for 15 seconds, and the second and third periods last for 30 seconds each.
There was no difference in aerobic capacity between elite and non-elite Judokas.
So what is it that separates elite Judokas from the rest? We know that they tend to have thicker muscles in their upper limbs, even if their grip isn't necessarily stronger. They're also able to generate more anaerobic power in their upper bodies, and can sustain throwing for longer periods of time.
Even though aerobic capacity is important, it doesn't seem to differ between elite and non-elite Judokas. This is because even non-elite Judokas have well-developed aerobic energy systems at the national level.
However, the aerobic energy systems seem to play the largest role in energy contribution over full 5-minute simulated matches. The aerobic energy contribution rises from 50% to 81% throughout the match.
One study looked at the technical skills of super-elite and elite Judokas. This was calculated by creating a points criteria of:
- 5 points for a Gold medal
- 3 points for a Silver medal
- 1 point for a Bronze medal
Elites who participated in the same competitions and were in the top 7 at least twice but never became champions of any event.
There were two main factors that differentiated the groups of super elites and elites; the super elites performed more throwing techniques and in different directions.
It is important to have data like this so that you can use it to train yourself.
Core Workout 1: Contraction Training
The majority of the exercises here involve contracting in a straight line. If you heavily rely on twisting throws in your judo, you can adapt these exercises by making them twisting versions that better suit your needs.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Crunches | 4 | 10-15 | If you can complete this with no problem, you need to either increase your incline or add some weight in the form of a plate or dumbbell held at throat level. |
| Hanging Leg Raises | 4 | 10-15 | Either do these hanging from a pullup bar, or using a leg raise chair. Make sure to bring the legs to at least straight out in front of you, if not a little higher. If you really want to be a stud and try bringing your ankles to the bar, that’s your prerogative, but please wait until you have done the next exercise before you try it. |
| Suspension Reverse Crunches | 4 | 10-15 | If you do not have access to a suspension trainer, using an ab wheel and doing rollouts is another great exercise. |
Workout 2: Rotational Training
This text is focused on rotational training. The author prefers to use latex bands for the resistance, but that is mainly a personal choice. The author's gym doesn't have a cable stack or Freemotion trainer, so the author is happy with bands because they are cheaper, more transportable, and more flexible. You can choose as you like.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band Chops Hi-Low | 4 | 6-8 | Again, choose a heavy enough band that 8 chops is actually hard. Hold your contraction at the end for a beat before slowly returning to your starting position. |
| Band Rotations (level bands) | 4 | 6-8 | |
| Stick Twists | 4 | 25 | While these are higher rep, you can still increase weight if you wish. Replace a broomstick with an Olympic bar, and you can easily feel it. Make sure not to just swing back and forth, but pause and use your core to initiate the movement each direction. |
FAQ:
A: What about landmines, or slide boards, or Turkish get-ups, etc.? These are all great exercises that can help improve your strength and conditioning. However, they are not essential for every workout. You can choose to add them in as you see fit, or simply focus on other exercises that target your specific goals.
Hey man, whatever works best for you. Just as I prefer to use bands over cables, there are people who feel they get a better flexion and workout out of using landmines instead of chops. I’m not one to say don’t do an exercise you like, as long as it’s not unsafe or just flat out not effective.
Q: What about anti-rotation?
If you feel like you need more stability, try holding your position at the beginning or end of rotational movements for an extra beat before moving the weight.
A: The throwing motion is a good way to train the core. You can do it by holding a weight in one hand and then throwing it in the air. You can also use a medicine ball.
Throws usually require a combination of contraction and rotation. For example, a right handed o-goshi hip throw may require you to rotate your shoulders from right to left (counterclockwise) while bending forward and contracting. If you train the rotation and contraction separately, the muscles will be strong enough to execute the motion in practice.
A: Yes, there are a few exercises that are specific to judo. One is called uchikomi, which involves throwing an imaginary opponent. Another is called nage-komi, which involves throwing a real opponent. Finally, there is Randori, which is a free-style judo sparring match.
The further your grip is from your head, the more resistance you will have. B: According to Liam “Taku” Bauer, author for Breaking Muscle, weight room movements don't hold true to playing the field for a number of reasons- like the laws of physics and physiology. Bauer suggests that instead, you train the muscles to get stronger, separately from training the sport specific movements during practice. However, if you're insistent on trying something, Bauer shares an exercise that he found enjoyable. To do this, take a latex band and loop it over the top bar of a power rack or any other fixed point above your head. Facing away from the anchor, take an over the shoulder grip on the band like you would if you were doing an ippon-seio nage. From there, crunch forward while twisting, as if you were finishing the throw. The further your grip is from your head, the more resistance you will have.
