Training the Lactic Energy System for MMA
You hear a lot about the lactic energy system for MMA.
It’s important for being able to endure tough wrestling or grappling exchanges and get out of those types of situations and still be able to throw your hands.
Some trainers will tell you that it’s the most important system to develop if you want top fight conditioning.
But this one-sided stance is wrong and could set you up to gas faster than you should.
So we’re going to take an in-depth look at the lactic system and see how and when to train it for optimal results.
First of all let’s make sure you understand the 3 main energy systems:
- Aerobic - this is the system relied on by distance runners… it uses oxygen for energy and as long as you stay within the aerobic zone, this system supplies you with pretty much an unlimited amount of energy
- Anaerobic Lactic – this is the system responsible for the ‘burning’ sensation in the muscles… Glycogen, which is the stored form of carbohydrates in the muscles and liver, is the main source of energy… It has a limited capacity (max 2 minutes) until fatigue sets in and you have to drop your energy output for recovery
- Anaerobic Alactic – this is the high power system that gives you maximal strength and power, but it only lasts about 10 seconds until it needs to recover
A big misconception to break through is that while there are 3 energy systems, they don’t work separately – at any given point they’re usually all working at some level, especially in an MMA fight.
Within each energy system there are also 2 components that you can train – the maximum output or power of the system and the capacity or endurance of the system.
Today, we’re going to talk about the Lactic system and how to train both components for optimal development.
By looking at the graph, you can see that the Lactic system starts to really kick in at around 30 seconds and dies off at about 2 minutes.
With this info in mind, how would you go about training the maximal output or power of the Lactic system?
If you said, "30 seconds of high intensity work" then you’d be right!
I generally use 2 different methods to tap into the Lactic energy system: lactic tempo training and high velocity training.
An example of Lactic tempo training is performing a set of 8 reps of Squats with a controlled (1-2 seconds) tempo down and slow tempo on the way up, say 3-4 seconds on the way up.
Concentric muscular work engages the Lactic system heavily and with 8 reps, the set will last between 30-40 seconds, working on the power component.
The key is selecting a weight that makes it very tough to finish the 8 reps at the prescribed tempo.
The other benefit, especially for MMA fighters, is that this will minimize soreness, since the eccentric isn’t too long and that’s when most damage (and soreness) occurs.
High velocity training would be an exercise like Squat jumps, where the resistance is low and you can move quickly and explode. I’d do a timed set here of 30 seconds to get the Lactic system working hard.
Both methods are useful and I generally use the Lactic tempo method farther from a fight and the high velocity method closer to the fight.
Because we’re working on the power of the system, we want to take a good amount of rest in between sets so that each set you do is at full power and isn’t limited by fatigue.
So I’d go for a rest time of 1.5-2 minutes here.
My preferred method of progression is to increase the weight of each exercise since we’re focused on Lactic power. But you can also keep the weight the same and decrease the rest time between sets.
Now I want to challenge your brain a little bit and see if you’ve been paying attention!
Answer these 3 questions in the comments section below.
1. How would you train the capacity of the Lactic energy system?
2. What exercises would you use?
3. How would you progress?
Leave your answers below and I’ll be back with my comments and how I train this ability.
I have no idea how the purity...
you would train the lactic system, by doing 30 seconds of work
exercises i would do, compound movements like squats, bench press and deadlifts but do lactic tempo training 1 sec down 3-4 on the way up,
the way to progress increase the weight of the exercise
what he said
you would train the lactic system, by doing 30 seconds of work
exercises i would do, compound movements like squats, bench press and deadlifts but do lactic tempo training 1 sec down 3-4 on the way up,
the way to progress increase the weight of the exercise
Compound exercises like squats,presses, deadlifts. Increase the 30 seconds of work. Then increase the weight and the tempo on the concentric phase of the rep.
performing a set of 8 reps of Squats with a controlled (1-2 seconds) tempo down and slow tempo on the way up, say 3-4 seconds on the way up.
The preferred method of progression is to increase the weight of each exercise. But you can also keep the weight the same and decrease the rest time between sets.
I would emphasize carrying the body, (the way animals “train”). Say, for example, explosive repeated stadium running (and similar style for the upper body – challenging, to say the least, BTW). Ideally, these intervals would vary in intensity, and duration, as to create a cross-section of ability that cannot ever be realistically challenged within the competitive event itself, a goal that is attainable within MMA. In other words, at that point, it becomes a technical exercise at all times, rather than a conditioning limitation. If this approach is used in a consistent manner, it will eventually lead to uphill sprints with (small) amounts of weight, sled-pushing, one-arm pushups, full body planks, and other forms of activity that others cannot realistically compete with, the vast majority of the time. If they are choosing to look for some shortcut, and not training in that way, 2 times per week (to start), you will defeat them all the easier, despite their gifts of whatever kind. Does that mean injure yourself ? No, but you must pay your dues to achieve the top level in this sport. It is 2010. Do you really want to face the man that has built up to regularly training in this way ?????? Take the joint formula, get good rest, and make it happen. If you want lies, talk to somebody else. If you do have stubborn joint problems, intense swimming works well for some people. Hardcore use of ice, is usually a good thing, in 10-15 minute whacks, with equal breaks, for an hour (?) or so, after workouts. Extremely serious runners (in the anaerobic range) often submerge their entire lower body in ice baths. Do what it takes ! This ain’t no fantasy, kids.
same answer…..
I remember our conversation from before, Malai… In short, competitors in MMA, by and large, do not yet train at professional/Olympic/Div I standards of intensity. Looking for some kind of shortcut that avoids the severe pain of hardcore anaerobic intervals is a big joke. It sounds like you overdid it in your day, got injured as a result, and yeah, it sucks. Personally, my dreams ended on a basketball court, playing pickup without proper footware, sad but true. Anyway, I appreciate the value of periodization, and not overtraining, but the truth of extremely painful, focused intervals remains. The body simply cannot become accustomed to this reality in any way, other than by experiencing it regularly. Train in this manner, in a systematic way, build up to your true potential, or be left behind. It is that simple.
I would use the NRG system training program, and progress by adding an extra set with say 30 seconds rest, closer to competition keep the sets to 3 and back up to 1 min rest period!
do longer sets maybe ?
progression,decrease rest time increase weight?
oh and circuits mixing interval training (running) sprinting and other body weight exercises such as burpees clap P-ups etc,,,
After reading this I am curious what your thoughts are regarding g Tabata intervals. It seems like they would they could be used with high velocity training, but with a 20/10 sec work rest cycle they don’t quite fit the list 30 sec work with longer rest cycle.
@ EVERYBODY,
I’m going to give a little hint before I chime in with my answer…
The question is…
How would you train the CAPACITY of the Lactic System?
The answer is not in the article, so any cut & paste responses aren’t correct. You’ve gotta think!
I would train the lactic system, by doing 30 seconds of work with
exercises like squats, bench press and deadlifts, etc but decrease the rest time between sets from the 1.5-2 mins to 30 sec – 1 min to help increase lactic acid capacity.
Built by alternating periods of work and rest not always the same
some indications of capacity effort are difficulty breathing, or difficulty sustaining the effort
It needs to be build on the aerobic base, and need to challenge the upper level of lung capacity with a cobination of anaerobic activities like weight training, sprints, jumping, interval training, training at various speeds or training at a defined pace
Since the lactic capacity as you state usually dies out in 2 minutes, I’m guessing we want to work 2 minutes or more in order to increase it. I’m a little unsure about the rest though, but I’m gonna guess less rest…since we aren’t so concerned with power at this point. The exercises will be anything that burns-so a longer tempo comes to mind. Spin bike also but sounds painful!
Additional comment on weights- obviously you wouldn’t do 2 mins of bench for example – so I’m thinking a set of slow tempo bench, immediately jump to another set of something else, then another – until you hit 2 minutes. Short rest then repeat. Did I win the UFC tickets??
i go along with sam 5-13 0150;24 aproach i would make sure my glycogen level is stoked take in good carbohydrates before and after training
You get it Louis. As far as the carb thing goes, I agree, near (?) training time, and especially after, because glycogen whipeout is almost a certainty if training with enough intensity. The rest of the time, though, it’s important to keep the starch and sugar contained, going instead for the protein, vegetables, and small amounts of fruit, with high quality fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil, fish oil, etc) in small, frequent meals. It’s important to avoid the trap of a carb-addicted metabolism, which causes a state of inflammation in the body, blood sugar bouncing, and other negative effects.
I WILL WORK ON CONSTRUCTION AND THEN I WILL TRAIN FOR 2 HOURS!!!!TRY THIS AND THEN TELL ME ABOUT TRAINING METHOD´S!
If I’m not wrong the lactic system works with the fast twitch fiber type II I believe… With this system you work the resistance of your muscles: maximum capacity of working the muscles with a prolonged time. After the alactic system runs down, the lactic system strats to work so that means that you need to work with your resistance training. Example;
Circuit training of squat with a weight that you can do more than 20 reps, scarecrow drill for grappling… with a 3 min. round something like that. The lactic system runs down at 2 minutes. The starts the aerobic training full cardio capacity. So resistance training helps you drain the lactic acid in your muscles. maybe training the super pump system and the exhaustion-set system helps you, because you keep putting the bloood to flow in the muscles and new oxigenated blood helps you drain the lactic acid… Bodybuilders use this concept..
Well guys I hope I’m close with my answer.
@ Sam,
Some good advice for guys indeed. Thanks!
@ Larry,
For sure, longer sets is it… You’re on the right track.
@ Nick,
Tabata’s are a different animal – because the work segment is short (20s) that would indicate they work on Anaerobic Power… But because the rest intervals are short (10s), power cannot develop since recovery is incomplete, so they end up working on Anaerobic capacity…
@ Greg,
You’ve pretty much got it dude! You win the UFC tickets. I’ll mail over 2 UFC 113 tickets immediately – just send me your address!
@ Philip,
Kinda close, here’s my answer…
OK LET ME GIVE THIS A GO AND EXPLAIN MY REASONING…
First of all, there is a bit of a curveball here and I didn’t expect anybody to get this from the question, but there are 2 separate concepts, there’s systemic and local lactic training…
Systemic is WHOLE BODY, while local focuses on one area, such as the legs.
But let’s just focus on Local Lactic training for now…
To access the capacity of the system, you need to perform around 90 seconds of work…
But, I wouldn’t do 1 exercise for the whole 90 seconds, because it can get boring and you can miss out on some muscle fibers.
So I would do 3 exercises at 30 seconds each, mixing different types of training and different exercises.
An example would be this:
A1) Lunge jumps for 30 seconds (low resistance/high velocity training to ensure the high threshold fast twitch fibers get worked)
A2) Heavy forward sled drag where you’re almost stuck at the end of the 30 seconds (an example of high resistance/low velocity training to ensure slow and fast twitch fibers are getting worked)
A3) Bodyweight squats for 30 seconds (Now that you’re bagged, these will allow you to do 30 seconds more work to max out the anaerobic lactic system)
I would start of with 2 or 3 rounds of this, building up to 4 or 5, but the focus would be on decreasing the rest time down from 2-2.5 minutes to 1 minute.
If you don’t have a sled, try a Back squat at the lactic training tempo of 1-2 seconds eccentric (control) and 3-4 seconds concentric (slow).
Now with that being said, there is no right or wrong way to do things, this is just the way that makes the most sense physiologically and that’s worked for me.
Thanks to everyone who joined in on this little discussion – we’ll have another one soon!
Eric
You did not mention anything about “local” lactic training. Obviously, with smaller muscle masses, approaches change. I answered the questions as posed, in the only reasonable way, if the reader wishes to succeed as a professional athlete, in this particular sport. I didn’t realize there was a competition involving UFC tickets at stake (time is short, after all), but my answers were … umm … the most accurate, regardless. I will graciously accept my tickets in another life. It is my hope that a team of athletes trained by myself, faces another team of equally gifted athletes coached by anyone else in this forum, be it in another life, or in heaven. The results are a foregone conclusion. Face the reality of hardcore anaerobic intervals, across multiple spans of times, recovery times, involving both the upper and lower body, with very high wattages involved, or get your ass handed to you on a platter. It’s called bringing the realities of modern anaerobic training into this sport, ala Michael Phelps, gravity bound. Mark my words. The unbearable physical discomfort “phase” of this type of training doesn’t last. Your body gets used to it, and you learn to embrace it, and reach the REAL levels of performance. Hear me now, believe me later. Or not – whatever, Tinkerbells. Thanks for the tix.
Ummmm… the UFC tickets were a joke dude… UFC 113 happened the week before this post…
But yes I didn’t mention local vs. systemic and neither did anyone else…
Your answer was good yet incomplete as it didn’t specificaly state time of work, time of rest, as asked for in the question…
It does change when working systemic lactic, which I might talk about in another article.
Eric that reminds me of a vid ya did on anaerobic power inmcluding a variety of exercises such as ,front back squat lunges etc,,,is it sort of the same or different?
Same, assuming you’re referring to a vid in the Advanced MMA power program…
anyway keep sending those brain teasers they re kool
txs
Seems like my response didn’t go through. The jist of the comment was, I didn’t even know there was a contest involved (time is short), but my response was the most accurate, regardless. Face the reality of hardcore, high wattage, intervals, across times, and recovery times, with both lower and upper body, or be left behind. There was no mention made of lactic capacity within small muscle masses when the question was posed. I will graciously accept my tix in another life, BTW.
I think I get it but I guess my question is are you just looking for optimal performance when doing this or strength I am unsure.
1. 30 seconds of hi intensity work
2. Controlled tempo work
3. Increasing weight or decreasing rest
Warm up jogging, then 2 x 10 sec sprints to get heart rate up, jog a little more, do the reps as below, then warm down jogging.
All reps at 70% intensity.
Running on flat terrain so can focus on the session.
Work to increase reps, decrease recovery, increase time of reps. (Eg, something similar to below)
Do session once a week.
Week 1 – - 1 1/2 min reps running, with 3 mins recovery. (4 reps).
Week 2 – - 1 1/2 min reps running, with 3 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 3 – - 1 1/2 min reps running, with 2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 4 – - 1 3/4 min reps running, with 3 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 5 – - 1 3/4 min reps running, with 2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 6 – - 2 min reps running, with 2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 7 – - 2 min reps running, with 1 1/2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 8 – - 2 min reps running, with 1 1/2 mins recovery. (6 reps).
Warm up jogging, then 2 x 10 sec sprints to get heart rate up, jog a little more, do the reps as below, then warm down jogging.
All reps at 70% intensity.
Running on flat terrain so can focus on the session.
Work to increase reps, decrease recovery, increase time of reps. (Eg, something similar to below)
Do session once a week.
Week 1 – - 1 1/2 min reps running, with 3 mins recovery. (4 reps).
Week 2 – - 1 1/2 min reps running, with 3 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 3 – - 1 1/2 min reps running, with 2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 4 – - 1 3/4 min reps running, with 3 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 5 – - 1 3/4 min reps running, with 2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 6 – - 2 min reps running, with 2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 7 – - 2 min reps running, with 1 1/2 mins recovery. (5 reps).
Week 8 – - 2 min reps running, with 1 1/2 mins recovery. (6 reps).