The Absolute Jiu-Jitsu Debate with Lachlan Giles Lachlan Giles

In Part 6, we look at the main lifting sessions Liv performed prior to the 2019 ADCC European Trials. Her program included three lifting sessions per week from January to March 2019 with the goals for each month changing as she got closer to competition.

The panel includes:

Livia Giles (née Gluchowska) is an Australian grappler and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2019 she qualified for ADCC and has been an IBJJF World Champion (gi and no-gi) at blue, purple and brown belt. Before Jiu-Jitsu, Livia competed at a high level in both gymnastics and track cycling. She is also a physiotherapist specialising in jiu-jitsu injuries and sits on the Australian Professional Boxing & Combat Sports Board.

Ben King is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. He works with international elite athletes across a range of sports focused on achieving success at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level for Australia. In 2019, he helped Livia prepare for ADCC. As well as a big focus on combat sports such as BJJ, Wrestling, Judo and Karate, Ben also works with athletes in gymnastics, golf, racquet sports, basketball and shooting.

You can follow Ben on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B_kingsc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.king_sc/

Tom Crick is the Head of Track and Field Athletics at Aspire Academy in Qatar and a BJJ brown belt. He was previously the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development in Northern Ireland and worked for British Athletics in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics.

In Part 5, we look at the S&C program Liv used to prepare for the 2019 ADCC European Trials. Topics include:


Requirements and challenges of building muscle mass for grapplers
ACL rehabilitation protocols without surgery
The role of warm-up prior to lifting sessions.

The panel includes:

Livia Giles (née Gluchowska) is an Australian grappler and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2019 she qualified for ADCC and has been an IBJJF World Champion (gi and no-gi) at blue, purple and brown belt. Before Jiu-Jitsu, Livia competed at a high level in both gymnastics and track cycling. She is also a physiotherapist specialising in jiu-jitsu injuries and sits on the Australian Professional Boxing & Combat Sports Board.

Ben King is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. He works with international elite athletes across a range of sports focused on achieving success at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level for Australia. In 2019, he helped Livia prepare for ADCC. As well as a big focus on combat sports such as BJJ, Wrestling, Judo and Karate, Ben also works with athletes in gymnastics, golf, racquet sports, basketball and shooting.

You can follow Ben on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B_kingsc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.king_sc/

Tom Crick is the Head of Track and Field Athletics at Aspire Academy in Qatar and a BJJ brown belt. He was previously the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development in Northern Ireland and worked for British Athletics in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics.

In Part 4 we turn our attention to S&C for competitive grapplers. 

Topics include:


The importance of planning for the competitive grappler
Recommendations for those with and without experience in S&C
How to undertake a needs analysis
The simple S&C planning process all competitors should know.

The panel includes:

Livia Giles (née Gluchowska) is an Australian grappler and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2019 she qualified for ADCC and has been an IBJJF World Champion (gi and no-gi) at blue, purple and brown belt. Before Jiu Jitsu, Livia competed at a high level in both gymnastics and track cycling. She is also a physiotherapist specialising in jiu-jitsu injuries and sits on the Australian Professional Boxing & Combat Sports Board.

Ben King is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. He works with international elite athletes across a range of sports focused on achieving success at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level for Australia. In 2019, he helped Livia prepare for ADCC. As well as a big focus on combat sports such as BJJ, Wrestling, Judo and Karate, Ben also works with athletes in gymnastics, golf, racquet sports, basketball and shooting.

Tom Crick is the Head of Track and Field Athletics at Aspire Academy in Qatar and a BJJ brown belt. He was previously the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development in Northern Ireland and worked for British Athletics in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics.

In Part 3 we continue to answer questions from Instagram with a focus on S&C for the recreational grappler. Topics include:


How specific does my S&C program need to be?
How often should I change my program?
What are some of the biggest S&C mistakes to avoid?

The episode finishes with some S&C training recommendations for the recreational grappler.

The panel includes:

Livia Giles (née Gluchowska) is an Australian grappler and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2019 she qualified for ADCC and has been an IBJJF World Champion (gi and no-gi) at blue, purple and brown belt. Before Jiu Jitsu, Livia competed at a high level in both gymnastics and track cycling. She is also a physiotherapist specialising in jiu-jitsu injuries and sits on the Australian Professional Boxing & Combat Sports Board.

Ben King is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. He works with international elite athletes across a range of sports focused on achieving success at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level for Australia. In 2019, he helped Livia prepare for ADCC. As well as a big focus on combat sports such as BJJ, Wrestling, Judo and Karate, Ben also works with athletes in gymnastics, golf, racquet sports, basketball and shooting.

Tom Crick is the Head of Track and Field Athletics at Aspire Academy in Qatar and a BJJ brown belt. He was previously the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development in Northern Ireland and worked for British Athletics in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics.

In Part 2 we answer questions from Instagram with a focus on S&C for the recreational grappler. Topics include:

· Which body parts should I focus on?

· When and how often should I do S&C?

· Is cardio training useful for BJJ?

· Barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells, which are best for BJJ?

The panel is made up of:

Livia Giles (née Gluchowska) is an Australian grappler and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2019 she qualified for ADCC and has been an IBJJF World Champion (gi and no-gi) at blue, purple and brown belt. Before Jiu-Jitsu, Livia competed at a high level in both gymnastics and track cycling. She is also a physiotherapist specialising in jiu-jitsu injuries and sits on the Australian Professional Boxing & Combat Sports Board.

Ben King is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. He works with international elite athletes across a range of sports focused on achieving success at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level for Australia. In 2019, he helped Livia prepare for ADCC. As well as a big focus on combat sports such as BJJ, Wrestling, Judo and Karate, Ben also works with athletes in gymnastics, golf, racquet sports, basketball and shooting.

Tom Crick is the Head of Track and Field Athletics at Aspire Academy in Qatar and a BJJ brown belt. He was previously the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development in Northern Ireland and worked for British Athletics in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics.

In this chapter, we focus on the role of Strength and Conditioning in Jiu-Jitsu and how it differs for recreational versus competitive grapplers. 

Part 1 introduces the wider concept of physical preparation, whether S&C is essential for success in BJJ and who can benefit most from training away from the mats.

The panel includes:

Livia Giles (née Gluchowska) is an Australian grappler and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2019 she qualified for ADCC and has been an IBJJF World Champion (gi and no-gi) at blue, purple and brown belt. Before Jiu-Jitsu, Livia competed at a high level in both gymnastics and track cycling. She is also a physiotherapist specialising in jiu-jitsu injuries and sits on the Australian Professional Boxing & Combat Sports Board.

Ben King is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. He works with international elite athletes across a range of sports focused on achieving success at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level for Australia. In 2019, he helped Livia prepare for ADCC. As well as a big focus on combat sports such as BJJ, Wrestling, Judo and Karate, Ben also works with athletes in gymnastics, golf, racquet sports, basketball and shooting.

Tom Crick is the Head of Track and Field Athletics at Aspire Academy in Qatar and a BJJ brown belt. He was previously the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development in Northern Ireland and worked for British Athletics in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics.