The best way to increase your BJJ cardio and stamina on the mats is to roll more.
However when you can not make it to training, how can you increase your mat cardio?
Simple incorporate tabata style training (HIIT).
Tabata Training
Tabata training is a style of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It consists of rounds of 20 second high intensity workouts (think sprinting) with 10 seconds rest periods.
Tabata training is named after Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata. They performed a study on athletes and compared moderate intensity training and HIIT to increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
In a nutshell that found the athletes who did four minute high intensity workouts four days a week outperformed athletes who did moderate intensity for 1 hour 5 days a week. Essentially the athletes who worked hard in less time did better than athletes who workout out longer but at a lower intensity.
It may be tempting to focus strictly on increasing muscular strength when in the gym, to get more mat cardio you should focus on HIIT training instead. Off the mats increasing you VO2 Max will get you better stamina on the mats.
Sample BJJ style Tabata Workouts:
4 Minute Workout 1
Bike (airdyne)
- 1. Round 1 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 2. Round 2 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 3. Round 3 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 4. Round 4 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 5. Round 5 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 6. Round 6 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 7. Round 7 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 8. Round 8 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
Rowing Machine
- 1. Round 1 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 2. Round 2 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 3. Round 3 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 4. Round 4 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 5. Round 5 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 6. Round 6 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 7. Round 7 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
- 8. Round 8 – 20 Seconds on (10 Seconds Rest)
Body Weight Only
- 1. Round 1 – Mountain Climbers 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 2. Round 2 – High Knee Jog 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 3. Round 3 – Burpee 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 4. Round 4 – Sprint 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 5. Round 5 – Mountain Climbers 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 6. Round 6 – High Knee Jog 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 7. Round 7 – Burpee 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
- 8. Round 8 – Sprint 1 set, max reps in 20 seconds (10 seconds rest)
If you can not do the 20 seconds on and 10 seconds rest in the beginning, switch to 10 seconds on and 20 seconds off till you can work you way to 20 seconds on and 10 seconds rest. If 10 seconds sprints and 20 seconds rest is too much when you are starting out, try 10 seconds on and 30 -40 seconds rest.
Some great video resources are: