Jiu Jitsu is a Japanese word that means ‘Gentle Art’. It is a form of martial art and a fitness activity. Unlike other exercises, Jiu Jitsu involves a full-body workout that improves strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.
This form of exercise also trains your mental strength and makes you more resilient. It will prepare you for real-life situations so you can self-defense. One popular variation, no gi Jiu Jitsu, eliminates the traditional uniform (gi) and relies more on grips, positioning, and speed—making it especially effective for calorie burn and overall fitness. However, the question may arise: being such an intensive physical activity, how many calories does Jiu Jitsu burn?
This may depend on your weight, intensity, and duration of exercise. The amount of energy you expend during each session can vary. Let’s find out how to track your energy expenditure and weight loss while training Jiu Jitsu.
Will Jiu Jitsu Help With Weight Loss?
Yes, Jiu Jitsu can help you get fit and lose weight. It triggers calorie burn in various ways. The best part? You might not even need to follow a strict diet to see results. The high intensity nature of Jiu Jitsu burns more calories than you consume, leading to weight loss.
But it’s not just about calories. If you spend less time on the couch and more time on the mats, you’ll notice improvement in your health.
Seeing results is the best motivation for continuing any activity. If you start Jiu Jitsu, you’ll start to lose weight within the first few months. This combat sport also increases muscle mass if you maintain a healthy diet. The high intensity nature of Jiu Jitsu can maximize calorie burn and increase basal metabolic rate (BMR).
We tend to be influenced by the people we surround ourselves with. So, start going to Jiu Jitsu classes. You’ll be surrounded by people who value their health and live an active, healthy lifestyle. These people will motivate you to make better life choices.
How Many Calories Does Jiu Jitsu Burn?
So, how many calories do you burn during a Jiu Jitsu session? The answer depends on factors like your weight, the intensity of your training, and your fitness level. To point it out, the average Jiu Jitsu class includes stretching, warm-ups, drills, and rounds of sparring.
For example, a 150-pound person might burn between 700-800 calories per hour. But, someone weighing 200 pounds could burn over 1,000 calories.
Here is a breakdown of the approximate number of calories burned per hour based on your weight. This ranges like:
- 150 lbs (68 kg) = 700-800 calories per hour
- 180 lbs (82 kg) = 850-950 calories per hour
- 200 lbs (90 kg) = 1000+ calories per hour
You can use a calorie calculator like the ‘My fitness pal’ app or ‘Fitbit’ to monitor your calorie burn rate.
How Does Jiu Jitsu Compare to Other Workouts?
If you’ve ever found yourself confused about whether to jump into Jiu Jitsu or stick with more traditional workouts, you’re not alone. It’s normal to wonder how this combat sport compares to running, weightlifting, or even high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Each form of exercise has its strengths. But Jiu Jitsu stands out as it engages both your body and mind. So, how does Jiu Jitsu stack up against some of the most popular fitness routines? Let’s find out.
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Jiu Jitsu vs. Running:
Running is the go-to choice for calorie burning. A moderate run, depending on your speed and weight, burns around 600–700 calories per hour. Jiu Jitsu burns roughly the same, around 600–800 calories per hour for an average student. But the similarity ends there.
Running is great for cardiovascular endurance. It focuses on your lower body, legs, glutes, and core muscles. But, Jiu Jitsu involves your entire body. Every roll, submission attempt, and escape engages multiple muscle groups. Your arms, back, core, and legs are all active participants.
Plus, there’s the mental factor. Running can turn into a repetitive grind. Jiu Jitsu, on the other hand, keeps your brain engaged. It’s not just physical endurance; it’s mental endurance, too.
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Jiu Jitsu vs. Weightlifting:
Weightlifting is king when it comes to building raw strength. It targets specific muscles, helping you increase muscle mass and improve your strength. A normal training session can burn around 200–300 calories per hour, depending on your intensity and routine.
On the other hand, Jiu Jitsu may not bulk you up the same way, but it provides functional strength and overall performance improvements. When you are grappling, holding your training partner, and defending, your body develops functional strength.
Jiu Jitsu is also a cardio workout. During a sparring session, your heart rate spikes and stays elevated. This gives you a cardiovascular boost that weightlifting doesn’t. So, you’re not just building strength; you’re also improving your stamina.
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Jiu Jitsu vs. HIIT:
HIIT has exploded in popularity and for good reasons. It’s intense, time-efficient, and burns body fat. In a single HIIT session, you may burn between 500–700 calories, depending on the exercises involved. Both Jiu Jitsu and HIIT demand quick bursts of energy and explosive movements and leave you breathless.
But there’s one thing HIIT lacks: unpredictability. With HIIT, you know what’s coming. If you’re doing burpees, sprints, or jump squats, you can prepare yourself for the workout ahead.
In Jiu Jitsu, nothing is ever the same. You can train for years and still encounter new challenges with every opponent. Each roll on the mat requires problem-solving, quick thinking, and adapting to the unknown. That unpredictability keeps you on your toes in ways no HIIT circuit can.
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Beyond Calories:
Here’s the kicker: Jiu Jitsu isn’t just about burning calories. It holds itself against running, weightlifting, and HIIT. Again, in terms of calorie burn, it offers so much more.
Jiu Jitsu teaches you valuable self-defense skills and practical tools to deal with real-world scenarios. It builds mental toughness and improves your coordination in ways that exercises simply couldn’t.
You’ll also develop patience, resilience, and discipline. These qualities extend far beyond the gym. Jiu Jitsu challenges you both mentally and physically.
Monitoring Your Progress: Tracking Calories Burned During Jiu Jitsu
Tracking your progress is key to improving your fitness. But monitoring your performance in Jiu Jitsu isn’t just about losing weight. One of the best ways to measure this growth is by keeping track of the amount of calories you burn during each training session. Let’s find out how heart rate monitors and fitness trackers can give you more insights.
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Using a Heart Rate Monitor
A heart rate monitor tracks your body’s response to exercise. This can give you a more personalized and accurate estimate of how many calories you burn.
What makes heart rate monitors so effective? These numbers are directly correlated with calorie burn. The harder your heart works, the more calories you’re burning. They track two critical metrics: your average heart rate and peak heart rate.
The average heart rate shows how hard your heart is working throughout the session. And, peak heart rate shows how high it gets during those intense moments. Like, when you’re scrambling for a position or trying to secure a submission. With the help of your heart rate monitor, you can adjust your training.
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Fitness Trackers & Smartwatches
Fitness trackers and smartwatches have made monitoring your workouts easier. You can wear an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin. These devices can help you stay on top of your progress during Jiu Jitsu training.
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Apple Watch
It is known for its seamless integration with your iPhone. The Apple Watch provides detailed activity tracking, including calories burned, heart rate, and active minutes.
It’s useful for Jiu Jitsu because you can track both your workouts and your overall fitness trends over time. The Workout app even allows you to customize the activity type. This can give you more accurate calorie tracking for martial arts sessions.
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Fitbit
Fitbit offers similar features, including heart rate tracking, calorie burn estimates, and activity levels. However, Fitbit also emphasizes health data, such as sleep tracking and heart rate resting. It gives you a holistic view of your fitness. After a long week of Jiu Jitsu, you can use these insights to understand how well your body is recovering.
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Garmin
Garmin offers robust heart rate tracking and calorie estimates. It also has advanced performance metrics, such as VO2 max, that measure your cardiovascular fitness. For Jiu Jitsu practitioners, it can show how efficiently your body uses oxygen during intense training.
All these devices track your heart rate and provide the basis for accurate calorie estimates. They can also give you long-term data. So, you can review your progress over weeks or months. For example, seeing your resting heart rate drop as you train is a clear sign that your cardiovascular fitness is improving.
Why Tracking Burned Calories
Tracking calories burned during Jiu Jitsu goes beyond weight loss. It’s a way to measure your fitness and see how you’re improving endurance, strength, and stamina.
You can use a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker to help you tailor your training. If you notice that your heart rate isn’t peaking as much during rolls, you may increase the intensity. On the other hand, if your heart rate is consistently high, you’ll know you’re pushing yourself.
It’s not just about tracking numbers. It’s about using those numbers to get better, stronger, and fitter on the mats. A heart rate monitor or fitness tracker will give you valuable insights into your training.
Conclusion
So, if you’re looking for a workout that blends strength, cardio, skill-building, and mental sharpness, Jiu Jitsu might just be the perfect fit.
It’s a fitness experience unlike any other. While you’ll burn calories, you’ll walk away with more than just a sweat. You’ll gain a new perspective on fitness, self-defense, and your own capabilities.
Are you planning on attending gym classes? Try training Jiu Jitsu. It will make you fit both mentally and physically. If you live near CA, USA, you can visit 10th Planet Poway. Our experienced instructors will provide you with the technique and education you need to master Jiu Jitsu. Call Us Today!
