This is a two part series of articles one of my students wrote about his experience with lifting and training BJJ:
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: The Secret Strength Coach?
BJJ: The Secret Strength Coach: Mark II
BJJ just like wrestling builds muscles you don't normally hit with weights and, in turn, your lifts go up because the surrounding muscles are now being supported by equally strong muscles. 
Grappling training basically is HITT work or (High Intensity Interval Training) which has been proven to improve muscle strength and tone due to its high fat burning capabilities. Its the short burst of explosive stress on the body.
sebastard - we installed pull up bar in the office kitchen door frame today ... every time you pass it (getting water, bathroom trip, whatever) ... you owe it 3 pull ups. Good way to rack up some quick and easy strength training outside of the gym.
That is awesome. I'm going to have one in my house really soon.
Wrestling and BJJ will build mass/strength to a point, but these two activities are not themselves substitutes for weighttraining. Also strength training specifically is not always beneficial to sports. I love rippetoe, for instance, but having muscle with high tonus hurts your explosiveness. Your muscles have to fire and relax very quickly, and while I love heavy squats, thick squatting muscles are not going to relax very quickly and this could really fuck you in the ring.
valetudosuperfight - Wrestling and BJJ will build mass/strength to a point, but these two activities are not themselves substitutes for weighttraining. Also strength training specifically is not always beneficial to sports. I love rippetoe, for instance, but having muscle with high tonus hurts your explosiveness. Your muscles have to fire and relax very quickly, and while I love heavy squats, thick squatting muscles are not going to relax very quickly and this could really fuck you in the ring.
I agree with all of this. What did you think of the articles?
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Pretty good. The second article cleared up a lot of questions I had about the first; his weight training experience, his numbers, the lifts he was doing ect.
In regards SPECIFICALLY to strength training, BJJ is a very poor way to gain strength compared to say, powerlifting.
It took a year of rolling almost 4x per week to get this increase in strength whereas a typical powerlifting routine would would easily doubled his results in that time assuming like dedication to lifting as to BJJ.
If someone is lifting properly for a year, and I mean technique, sleep, moderate nutrition picking the right exercises and such, then BJJ/Wrestling will not make you SIGNIFICANTLY stronger than someone who is weightlifting for strength. Rolling around against a resisting opponent hits the tendons, the CNS, the ligaments, and the muscles in a far different way than stable movement with a barbell over a basically straight line. This may be enough to add 20~ lbs to your various maxes IF you trained those maxes right beforehand.
If you are asking me, "Well, will I get as strong doing BJJ/Wrestling as I would doing powerlifting?" Then no. clearly not. Strength is the only goal of lifting for strength. BJJ/Wrestling on the other hand trains a different kind of mental toughness - overcoming ANOTHER person. BJJ/Wrestling will make you better at fighting, at balancing yourself in an unstable environment, will improve all aspects of your coordination, will make you an ideal of conditioning, and will also bring your BF% WAYYYYYY down. Most people who train for strength... do not look very good. Most of the time - see John Grimek.
Rolling around is also a very social activity, whereas it's only you under the bar.
If you want big muscles then BJJ will not help you. If you want to be as strong as possible BJJ will not help you. But if you want everything else that BJJ and wrestling offer as far as skills while also gaining a good amount of strength, then there is no competition: hit that fucking mat.
kid chaos - In
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Great post vtsf will vote up when at home
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Ashilles - Great post vtsf will vote up when at home
Indeed, great post. Voting up right now.
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Very relevant to my interests. Tnx
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You want to get stronger? Do judo instead of BJJ.
not as strong as a weight lifter, but pretty damn strong nontheless.
SlapUsilly - You want to get stronger? Do judo instead of BJJ.
not as strong as a weight lifter, but pretty damn strong nontheless.
Or in addition to. :)
If you train Judo 'right' then you're not supposed to use any strength :P