What Is Best For Judo Strength Training?
It is a common belief that the bigger your muscles the stronger you are but nothing could be further from the truth. There is a whole range of things that contribute to your strength, including tendon stiffness; the amount of lateral force transmission inside the muscle; the activation of the muscles and coordination. So the question then becomes what is the best form of Judo strength training?
In his article, Chris Beardsley from Sand C Research shows that "heavy weights or light weights... produce similar amounts of muscle growth (so long as we train to failure with light weights). In contrast, heavy weights cause greater gains in maximum strength."
Of course, for a Judo player, given that increase strength works on tendons, lateral movement and coordination, there may be limitations on how much strength you should build. I don't think that argument can ever be resolved as there are just too many variables.
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Strength Can Be An Advantage
However, it has always been argued that someone with greater skill will always overcome someone with greater strength. However, when it comes to a Judo contest you are talking about two opponents that are potentially equally or even unequally skilled and in such a case strength, can be an advantage. So long as said strength hasn't compromised speed, agility and flexibility to the degree that it gives away advantage.
We do know that the best way to improve your physical capacity for any sport is to do that sport. Judo is no exception, the best way to improve your physical capacity for Judo is to do Judo.
Using that as your premise and combining it with what we now know about building strength, does it not stands to reason that if you train to the point of failure, so long as it is not to the point of risk to the Judoka, then you should be developing the amount of strength that you require for competition without the need for weights?
Strength By The Use Of Weights Or By Just Training Hard
The above article in no way resolves the difficulties associated with strength and Judo but it does give a clear path to anybody who wants to build strength for your Judo. You may choose to develop your strength by the use of weights or by just training hard but you do need to develop strength.
Let me share one more thought, the development of strength is subjective, in that not everybody wants to compete on an International, National, state or even local level. The beauty of safely training to the point of failure with practice alone is that you can control your level of strength training. Using Weights, it is difficult to measure the amount of strength you require for the choice of your level of development.
