Several World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champions have competed in combat sports. Many will recall the boxing match dubbed “The Heaviest Boxing Match in History,” which saw 2018 WSM champion Hafthor Björnsson victorious over 2017 WSM champion Eddie Hall.

Following a similar path, the 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis is prepping for his competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) debut on Oct. 12, 2024. On Aug. 20, 2024, Licis shared his BJJ-centric strength training routine:

Martins Licis’ Strength Training For Jiu-Jitsu

Deadlift (with double pause) — 3 x 5-10

T-Bar Row (with pause) — 3 x 8-10

Cable Pulldown (with pause) — 3 x 8-15

Incline Dumbbell Row (with pause) — 3 x 10-12

Incline Dumbbell Curl (with pause) — 3 x 10-12 

[Related: Why Olympic Weightlifting Improves Mixed Martial Arts Athletes]

[Related: The Best Boxing Workouts According to a World Champion Coach]

Deadlift

Licis pauses with the barbell just below his knees during the concentric and eccentric portions of the lift.

Focus on the controlling aspect allows me to build a solid base for when I’m ready to go more explosive and heavy.

The pause at knee level reinforces proper form and prevents the hips from rising too quickly, ensuring the bar stays close to the body. This optimizes power transfer from the lower to the upper body and incentivizes keeping the back braced throughout the movement. Furthermore, the extended time under tension (TUT) leads to greater muscle activation, potentially increasing muscle tissue and strength gains. (1)

Licis emphasizes that the knees should remain extended during the lowering phase until the bar descends past the patella. Initiate the downward movement by pushing the hips back until the bar passes the knees.

Conversely, begin the lift by extending the knees, then drive the hips forward once the bar clears the knees.

A good deadlift should combine a squat and a Romanian deadlift.

[Related: How to Do the Romanian Deadlift: Form, Benefits, and Variations]

T-Bar Row & Cable Pulldown

Licis opted for relatively lighter weight for T-bar rows as he is recovering from a biceps injury. He paused at peak contraction to maximize upper back engagement.

Make light weights feel heavy; that’s the goal.

During cable pulldowns, Licis paused in the fully shortened position, with the close-grip handle touching his upper chest. However, he refrained from fully extending his elbows during the eccentric to avoid excessive biceps strain. 

Incline Dumbbell Row & Incline Dumbbell Biceps Curl

Licis performed dumbbell rows on a 45-degree incline bench but avoided driving his elbows past his midline to prevent shoulder impingement and discomfort. Instead, he initiated each rep by retracting the scapula and pausing at the top of his ROM. 

The Latvian-American strongman incorporates incline dumbbell curls in his training to aid long biceps head rehabilitation. He prioritized slow, controlled reps, pausing in the fully shortened position.

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References

Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200

Featured image: @martinslicis on Instagram

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