INTRODUCTION

This case study examines the progress of a 20-year-old jujitsu fighter who used Peak Strength to get stronger, more athletic, and put on lean muscle mass. This athlete’s primary goal was to improve his placings at various international jujitsu fighting tournaments such as the European Championships, Junior World Championships, and Senior World Championships. The program, consisting of 4-5 days a week of training, was designed to improve overall strength, explosiveness, and endurance.

Key results from the program include:

Strength

• Back Squat: Increased from 135 kg to 163 kg (+28 kg)

• Pull Ups: Increased from 5 reps to 16 reps (+11 reps)

• Bench Press: Increased from 80 kg to 110 kg (+30 kg)

Explosiveness

• Clean: Increased from 90 kg to 110 kg (+20 kg)

Over 3 years of using the various training plans in Peak Strength, the athlete improved in all three primary physical focuses. This case study provides a detailed analysis of the athlete’s training program, methodology, and outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of following a structured training plan for a high level combat athlete approaching the senior level. 

ATHLETE PROFILE

Name: Toni Sebastian Beljo

Sport: Jujitsu Fighting

Training Duration: 3 Years

Frequency: 4-5 days per week

Total Tonnage: 3,340,000+ lbs

“In Sweden, we don’t have the resources to have our own strength coach during university. But to have people at Peak Strength who know what they’re doing, even as a third party, really helps.” - Toni Beljo

TRAINING FOCUS

Toni’s primary goals were to:

• Increase explosiveness to out perform competitors in his current age bracket of u21.

• Improve absolute strength to become physically competitive with senior athletes.

• Improve overall athleticism to meet the physical demands of the sport. 

METHODOLOGY

Toni has used multiple training plans in Peak Strength to meet specific goals in his athletic development, including judo, MMA, and wrestling. However, the training plan he used the most was the judo-specific path. The program integrated key elements of strength training, Olympic weightlifting, hypertrophy, and conditioning training. Each training week included the following components:

Strength Training: Emphasis on squat variations, upper body explosiveness, and pulling power.

Technical Coordination: Dynamic movements such as cleans and jerks to develop power and train fast twitch muscle fibers. 

Accessory Work: Core strengthening exercises, mobility drills, and hypertrophy specific to combat sports.

Undulating Volume: A method of varying training volume based around specific competition dates.

TRAINING PROGRESS AND RESULTS

Absolute Strength

Back Squat:

• Starting Point: 135 kg

• End Point: 163 kg

• Improvement:+28kg (20% increase)

Analysis: Toni’s 28 kg increase in the back squat shows a clear improvement in lower body strength and force production. This came from consistent progressive overload and changes in training volume, which helped build both muscle and neural efficiency. Stronger legs and hips improve his ability to produce force quickly, which connects directly to his 20 kg increase in the clean. In jujitsu, this strength helps with takedowns, controlling opponents, and staying stable in tough positions. It also improves his ability to absorb and redirect force during scrambles, making him more durable and effective against high-level competition.

Pull Ups (AMRAP):

• Starting Point: 5 reps

• End Point: 16 reps

• Improvement: +11 reps (68.7% increase)

Analysis: The increase from 5 to 16 pull ups shows a major improvement in upper body strength and muscular endurance. This progress came from consistent pulling work, added volume, and improved technique. Stronger lats, upper back, and grip strength are critical for jujitsu, especially in controlling opponents and maintaining dominant positions. This improvement also supports better performance in movements like the clean by helping stabilize the upper body during the pull. In competition, stronger pulling ability helps with gripping, clinching, and resisting an opponent’s attacks, giving him better control and endurance during long matches.

Bench Press:

• Starting Point: 80 kg

• End Point: 110 kg

• Improvement:+30kg (37.5 % increase)

Analysis: Toni’s increase from 80 kg to 110 kg in the bench press shows a strong improvement in upper body pushing strength. While jujitsu is more pulling-dominant, pushing strength is still important for framing, creating space, and controlling opponents. A stronger bench press also helps balance the upper body, reducing injury risk by supporting joint stability in the shoulders.

Explosiveness

Clean:

• Starting Point: 90 kg

• End Point: 110 kg

• Improvement: +20kg (22.2% increase)

Analysis: The increase from 90 kg to 110 kg in the clean shows a strong improvement in full body explosiveness. This lift trains the legs, hips, and upper body to work together to produce force quickly. The improvement came from better technique, increased strength, and faster rate of force development. In jujitsu, this translates to quicker and more powerful movements during takedowns, scrambles, and transitions. The clean also improves coordination and timing, which are key for reacting to an opponent. Overall, this progress helps the athlete move faster, hit positions with more force, and stay explosive throughout a match.

TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

• Absolute Strength: Toni’s strength development shows how compound movements such as squat and cleans work together to improve performance. His improvements in the back squat and bench press indicate effective increases in lower and upper body force production, while his pull-up progress highlights gains in relative strength and muscular endurance. This combination shows that the program successfully improved both maximal strength and control of bodyweight, which is critical for a jujitsu athlete. The use of undulating volume and varied training plans helped prevent plateaus while supporting long-term adaptation over multiple years. Overall, Toni’s absolute strength progress reflects a system that builds total-body strength in a way that directly supports grappling performance, positional control, and resilience during high-intensity matches.

• Explosiveness: Toni’s explosiveness progress is highlighted by his 20 kg improvement in the clean, showing a clear increase in his ability to produce force quickly. This reflects strong gains in rate of force development, coordination, and timing between the lower and upper body. The inclusion of Olympic lifting and dynamic movements in his program played a key role by training fast twitch muscle fibers and improving movement efficiency. This progress shows that Toni is not only stronger, but able to apply that strength at high speeds. The explosiveness training built on his strength base and allowed him to become a faster, more dynamic athlete in competition.

• Muscular Endurance: The program used higher training volume and consistent pulling work to build endurance in the lats, arms, and grip. The physical adaptations developed show an improvement in oxygen use and delay fatigue in key muscle groups. In jujitsu, this is critical for maintaining strong grips, controlling opponents, and staying active during long matches. Better endurance also supports repeated explosive efforts without a drop in performance.

• Body Composition: During Toni’s time using Peak Strength, he mentioned that he fluctuated weight classes to prepare facing senior opponents. By building lean muscle mass with high volume phases, Toni was able to cut weight easier when coming back down from heavier weight classes. The higher intensity periods later in the training cycles helped retain muscle and strength as he continued to lose weight.

CONCLUSION

Toni Beljo’s development over the course of the three years of training demonstrates the effectiveness of a structured, long-term strength and conditioning system for high level combat athletes. Across all key performance areas, he showed clear and measurable progress. These improvements built a strong foundation for his explosiveness, as seen in his 20 kg increase in the clean, allowing him to apply force more quickly and efficiently in competition. Together, these adaptations have positioned Toni to successfully compete at higher levels.

As he prepares for international jujitsu competitions in 2026, including European and World Championship events, this foundation of strength, explosiveness, and endurance will be critical in helping him perform against elite senior-level opponents.

FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS

• Maintain Elasticity: Toni should maintain elasticity by pairing strength work with consistent mobility and dynamic movement training. As strength increases, muscles can become stiff if mobility is ignored. Including dynamic warm ups, full range lifts, and proper warm cool downs work will help maintain joint mobility and tissue elasticity. Recovery methods like stretching and soft tissue work should also be used regularly. This approach will help Toni stay explosive, reduce injury risk, and continue moving efficiently while building strength for high level jujitsu performance.

• Upper Body Impulse: Toni mentioned during his interview that he specifically enjoyed doing jerks as part of his training. Continuing to develop upper body power and explosiveness will help with manipulating opponents and finishing throws.