How to finally solve your conditioning problem

Apparently everybody on this forum seems to have conditioning all figured out.

You obviously have never read the uber challenge thread or the monthly ones.
 
how is the average person is supposed to find that weak link
 
I'll give an example of one of the principles I'm talking about and then you can feel free to decide for yourself if I know my shit or if I'm wasting your time with such posts or not.

The MMA Conditioning example I'll use to give a better idea of what I'm talking about and give you practical advice is the principle of eccentric vs. concentric cardiac hypertrophy. While it's obvious that the cardiovascular system (your heart and peripheral vascular network) is responsible for the delivery of oxygenated blood to your working muscles, most athletes and coaches aren't aware of exactly how your training methods cause distinct and specific changes to your heart itself.

How you train (heart rates, volume, loading, etc.) determines exactly which type of cardiac adaptation takes place and is one of the most important factors that determines your conditioning levels.

First, it's important to understand that there are many properties of the heart that determine how well it functions and how well it's able to do its job.

The volume of your heart chambers (most importantly the size of the left ventricle), thickness of the cardiac walls, the specific isozymes of myocytes (types of cardiac muscle cells) the sympathetic vs. parasympathetic tone, etc. are all important regulatory factors that determine how much blood your heart is able to deliver.

Obviously the more blood your heart and vascular network is able to supply to your working muscles (cardiac output) the better your conditioning will be - up to the point that cardiac supply is no longer the limiting factor at least.

There are two categories of structural changes, known as concentric and eccentric hypertrophy, that take place in your heart as a result of how you train. Which category of hypertrophy you have plays a large role in your cardiac output and thus how well conditioned you are.

Eccentric hypertrophy is largely the result of high volume, low intensity, and low pressure training that typically takes place in endurance training programs. This kind of hypertrophy results in greater left ventricular volume and increased blood volume per stroke. This means that every time your heart beats it
 
is eccentric hypertrophy a product of aerobic conditoning, and concentric hypertrophy due to anaerobic conditoning?

perhaps you could give us samples of what you think would make a good routine, because i'm still not sure what you're talking about. Most people here incorporate both anaerobic conditoning and aerobic conditoning into their workouts, which at least to me seems to be the gist of the above argument.

and you also say that

"The key is knowing when and how to use the right methods at the right times. Conditioning and training in general is a science, not a guessing game or a crapshoot."

could you elaborate on that? when is the right time to do tabata sprints or lsd sessions?

And please drop some names of the ufc and pride people you've been working with. I'm a nosy guy...
 
Eccentric hypertrophy is the result of aerobic training that takes place for long periods of time (high volume) under low intensities and lower pressures within the heart itself. Generally this means in heart rate zones of about 120-150 where the stroke volumes are the highest. In simplest terms, think about filling a balloon full of water, if you keep it full of water for long enough it stretches.

Concentric hypertrophy takes place under higher intensities (generally the upper end of aerobic heart rates and into the anaerobic rates, although this is not always the case because pressure is the primary stimulus rather than heart rate). Higher pressures mostly come from higher resistance, holding your breath, isometric tension, etc. Strength training generally causes concentric hypertrophy as well as any sport that includes intense efforts under high loading. This type of work raises blood pressure and thus pressure within the heart and over time leads to a thickening of the cardiac walls.

Concentric hypertrophy is more or less the result of pressure overload while eccentric stems from volume overload.

For someone with poor cardiac output a good program would include a lot of low intensity high volume work at the heart rates I mentioned. Low intensity GPP work for long periods of time (at least 60 minutes or more) is ideal for this. For someone with good cardiac output but lower power, higher intensity intervals up to VO2 max are the most effective - keeping in mind how this affects lactate accumulation and the resulting changes in cellular energetic within skeletal muscles however.

I'm not a big fan of tabata sprints or any protocol that uses exact work:rest ratios because they will be different for everybody.

Using tabata's protocols might cause one person's heart rate to go from 130 to 160 while someone else's might go from 110-180 and the results each person would see would be totally different. This is why all conditioning training needs to be heart rate specific to the individual.

Exactly when to use the right methods at the right time is a much more complicated answer than I could provide here because there are so many factors to take into account, but I'll have more specific training info on my methods within the next few months for people to read. If you have more specific questions I can give you more specific answers.

As far as a few of the guys I've worked with: Rich Franklin, Mach Sakurai, Maurice Smith, KJ Noons, Niko Vitale, Chris Leben, Jorge Gurgel, Akira Shoji, Yoon Dong Sik, Ed Herman, Nick Ring, Tyrone Glover, etc.
 
Thanks for the info TS

From what you've said it sounds like I've been doing too much high intenity conditioning and not enough long steady state work, ie improved my heart muscle concentricly with out the corresponding eccentric hypertrophy.

I have a fight in a months time and I'm wondering if I have enough time to make the nescesarry changes and make a significant improvement in the next 4 weeks.

Generally I'd say my conditioning is good, but I still want it to be better, is it too late to make a big change to my programme and shift towards eccentric hypertrophy this close to a fight?
 
In order to receive anything one must first empty one's cup.

It seems that the TS's cup is full, however. Of balls.

you make me laugh sometimes revok
 
LongCatTacgnol.jpg
 
Your client list is impressive, have you worked with other fighters or just MMA guys?

Also, what methods do you use for the longer training? I think I fit perfectly what you described as someone with more concentric hypertrophy, I can go at a 70-80% intensity for a good amount of time but when I get on the padwork and I kick as hard as I can I gas pretty quickly. Ive also been doing lots of shorter intense conditioning as opposed to endurance so I need to mix it up really.
 
I'm curious here, what other tests would your perform to optimize a clients conditioning, specifically what would people here be able to perform and measure themselves with what the normal guy would have on hand?

I've actually been looking at a heart rate monitor to help base interval work around, is that a tool you normally use?
 
In defense of my FAQ.

1. I am not a CSCS and admittedly lack the knowledge that the TS has.

2. I have no experience training any fighters, professional or amateur.

3. I had to take into account that alot of the people who come here looking for advice aren't fighters themselves. Alot of them are just everyday folk looking to get into better shape. I wanted to provide some general advice to get them going in the right direction.
 
Sonny i don't think there is anything wrong with your FAQ or any of the challenges, a forum is no way a replacment for hands on specific training, it can't be. The forum is a help yourself place and obviously the FAQ is to help people get started and not to train professional athletes. There is info on LSD as well as HIIT training, if it's lacking how to address when is the proper time to do either then that can always be added. The challenges are a fun way to push yourself and are in no way a complete system for condtitioning and i think it would be foolish to assume them to be, not saying anyone has.
 
3. I had to take into account that alot of the people who come here looking for advice aren't fighters themselves. Alot of them are just everyday folk looking to get into better shape. I wanted to provide some general advice to get them going in the right direction.

That is obvious. So is the fact that the challenges here are nothing but nice little motivators for us everyday guys. Plus the 100 burpee challenge is a great demonstration of combat conditioning.
 
lol i read mach sakurai on his list.
 
Sonny i don't think there is anything wrong with your FAQ or any of the challenges, a forum is no way a replacment for hands on specific training, it can't be. The forum is a help yourself place and obviously the FAQ is to help people get started and not to train professional athletes. There is info on LSD as well as HIIT training, if it's lacking how to address when is the proper time to do either then that can always be added. The challenges are a fun way to push yourself and are in no way a complete system for condtitioning and i think it would be foolish to assume them to be, not saying anyone has.

Well you know I agree with you.
 
Sonny gives good helmet :icon_chee
 
Sonny gives good helmet :icon_chee

LoL

I agree as well (not about the good helmet :icon_chee), there's absolutely no need to defend the FAQ and I think those reasons are obvious. Both Sonny and Standard have done a great job here.

That's not to say that more specific information is unwanted, but if I were a professional athlete I wouldn't be relying on a public internet forum for all of my training information anyway.
 
I disagree...there are some great conditioning programs being done in by people in this forum. I think that many of these "generic" programs would benefit the vast majority of athletes here.
 
You don't need a PhD to know the most important part of communicating your message is in the delivery otherwise no one hears what is actually being communicated and credibility suffers. The TS can always add to the stickies and win people over by not saying what's wrong with everyone else but saying what's right about his way.
 
I disagree...there are some great conditioning programs being done in by people in this forum. I think that many of these "generic" programs would benefit the vast majority of athletes here.

That is the general point i was trying to get across but there is alot of credit behind weakpoint training. This is basically the similar approach that most powerlifters use, there are alot of gains to be made with a bread and butter workout routine consisting of the big 3 lifts but there comes a time when you should stop busting your ass on bench to improve it and work on closegrip to bring up your lagging triceps.

Although his delivery was far from great and based on assumptions about the people who frequent this board i still think that the TS raises a good point of another way too look at conditioning for sports even though most people here won't immediately benefit from it.


JRT6 do you remember what that old expression is? something like it's better to have a great reader tell a bad story then have a bad reader tell a good one.
 
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