How to finally solve your conditioning problem

you are teh sexy eza.

And I thought Mach looked to be in great shape for the LW grand prix.

The torn acl wasnt the problem for the gomi fight.

It was the fucked up throw and gomi's power gnp there after.

Mach got fucked.


He couldn't escape Gomi's mount because his knee was ruined.
 
excellent reading this, printed all this offf last night and stating to build up a folder with decent training advice on it.
 
Wow! First really fresh and interesting thread in a long while, thanks!
 
I can't wait for more of this thread. I'm hopeful that EZA could(and would have the time, inclination, etc...) put something together for us along the lines of a "Layman's Guide to Conditioning". Things such as:

"Do the following test. Result X means Y, and result A means B. In case Y you need to improve your _____ capacity. A good way to do so would be exercise ______ in format ______."

The more involved explanations I think should always be there for those who can understand and use them. However, I think for those who can't, it's hard to extract something they can use. I try my best to understand it all. :D

Either way, thanks a ton for everything you do share.
 
I can't wait for more of this thread. I'm hopeful that EZA could(and would have the time, inclination, etc...) put something together for us along the lines of a "Layman's Guide to Conditioning". Things such as:

"Do the following test. Result X means Y, and result A means B. In case Y you need to improve your _____ capacity. A good way to do so would be exercise ______ in format ______."

The more involved explanations I think should always be there for those who can understand and use them. However, I think for those who can't, it's hard to extract something they can use. I try my best to understand it all. :D

Either way, thanks a ton for everything you do share.

Agreed. A lot of this stuff is over my head. If there's a way to make it more or less idiot-proof, it would be much appreciated! :icon_chee
 
I will do my best to provide some general training advice and more of a layment's guide, but the reality is that conditioning is the result of many different factors and the specific development of multiple systems within the body. Because of this, there is not just one test or a couple of simple tests that you can to figure out all the answers and create the perfect conditioning program. I can't just say do this one test and if the result is x you do this and if it's y you do this instead. Well I suppose I could do that, but then my programs wouldn't be any better than most of what's already out there.

What I do with my athletes is evaluate multiple systems with multiple tests to create the most accurate picture of where their physiological attributes are. I look at resting heart rate, autonomic regulation, aerobic power and capacity, explosive strength and endurance, fight specific heart rate variability, and a few other tests and then I compare their results with where I think the optimal ranges are based on my experience training a lot of fighters.

From there I can figure out exactly what they need to improve (i.e what are their limiting factors) and what they are already good at, and I go about creating a specific plan to address whatever their needs may be in the proper order of development. Different factors of conditioning and fitness have to be developed in the proper order for them to be the most effective. For example, you don't just throw someone into a HIIT program if they lack general cardiac output because it would be counterproductive in many ways.


You also have to keep in mind that conditioning always has to be in the context of a specific fight or the time frame you're working with because conditioning has to be specific to the fight you are preparing for.

In other words, I'll provide as much information as I can on here and am happy to answer any specific questions anyone has but it will take more than I can write out in a few posts to provide everything you'd need to know to put together the most effective conditioning program possible. If you're serious about conditioning and becoming a well rounded fighter my suggestion is to start looking more into the ideas I've offered and research the different conditioning principles I've discussed for yourself, start trying out different methods, and ask questions along the way. This is the best way to learn and will help improve your training the most in the long run.
 
EZA, I have a question regarding overtraining. Most of the articles/discussions I see seem to be focused on overtraining inhibiting muscle growth and strength gains.

But what about overtraining and fat loss. Based on my remedial knowledge of the hormonal system, I imagine that overtraining would actually cause a person to lose more fat because of cortisol's lipolytic properties. But again, that seems like too simplistic an explanation.
 
Thanks EZA, Im learning alot from your posts!

What do you think of long (10km~) runs? Do you think they have a place in conditioning training or do you think its just a stupid fighters tradition to do them and there are better ways to train.
 
For example, you don't just throw someone into a HIIT program if they lack general cardiac output because it would be counterproductive in many ways.

God, where was this a week ago?

At any rate, EZA, thanks for taking the time to help everyone out. Even your first few posts here are helping to open peoples minds to new ways of doing things, and that's really half the battle.
 
Sonny,

First, there are two basic categories of overtraining syndrome: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The hormonal profiles and resulting conditions depend on which type of overtraining is taking place. In sympathetic overtraining there is reduced parasympathetic drive and increased sympathetic tone which means yes you could very well lose some weight, but it's likely to be muscle tissue as well as bodyfat.

This is mainly because a lot of hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone will be lower and thus overall protein synthesis will be reduced. Higher levels of glucocorticoids and reduced androgenic hormones is not exactly an environment you want if your goal is to preserve or build muscle tissue and lose fat. Glucocorticoids also suppress appetite so you'll probably eat less as well.

An example of this is when people go through tramatic mental stress such a family member dying or a divorce and they often lose weight, but they don't exactly look lean and healthy they often lose lean muscle and look terrible. Physiologically speaking this is almost identical to sympathetic overtraining except the excessive stressor is mental rather than physical but the end result is the same because the same fundamental mechanics of the stress response are in place.

Parasympathetic overtraining mostly occurs as a result of excessive aerobic training and it is much more rare than sympathetic overtraining. You probably won't drop a whole lot of fat but you'll probably feel very tired and lethargic and thyroid is reduced.

In general you have to think of overtraining simply as when the body is unable to adapt appropriately to the stressors it is faced with and as a result it starts to be unable to regulate itself properly. This leads to all sorts of hormones being too high or too low so you can't just look at one thing such as cortisol, it is more complicated than that.

Anyway, that was kind of a random question but there is your answer.

Vince89,

Yes there is a time and a place for longer distance work in the overall training scheme because it helps improve how much blood your heart can pump with each beat and it improves oxygen delivery because when done at the right heart rates it causes proliferation of capillaries and the development of peripheral oxygen transport system (this means more oxygen is able to get to the working muscles)

HIIT has different effects and there is a reason that research shows that intervals are more effective when performed after a period of aerobic training. Generally, I do think that a lot of running can be hard on the joints so there are probably better ways of doing endurance type work that are have less impact and are safer on your joints, but yes there is a time and place for endurance training in a fighter's program.
 
Christ that was a great explanation of sympathetic and parasympathetic overtraining, EZA.
 
Based on another thread EZA commented in I purchased a HRM to start analyzing what's going on when train. Read all the post so far in this thread and I have a couple of questions.

First, I don't know if it was mentioned directly so I need to ask... is the anyway of testing to see what type of cardiac muscle growth (concentric or eccentric) that we have developed? Some standardized fitness test that might shed some light on that?

Second, when using a HRM is it ok to use standard methods to determine your training zones (such as 220 minus your age for HRmax) or should you develop your zones with another method?

My third question kinda loops into my second. When you bashed tabata intervals because you said the timings would elicit different cardiac ranges thus causing different responses in individuals it has me thinking how can we adapt interval training (which has been proven effective in different sports medicine articles) to be more targeted for our individual cardiac responses. I guess this in essence is zone training with HRM which is why I think it would be answered by my second question.

Fourth question (sorry to hog the mic :icon_chee), this one is OT. I'm studying PT and taking the ACE course. Being a CSCS you probably would recommend I take the NCSA-PT course but I want your honest impression on ACE and what certification you would recommend. I have a background in health being an RMT (here in Ontario it's a 2-year, 2200 hour college program with a good chunk of anatomy and pathophysiology study) but I lack the kinesiology or physical education university degree to get the heftier certifications.

Thanks for your time so far, I find all information regarding optimal human performance fascinating.
 
Without any equipment the best gauge for cardiac hypertrophy is your resting heart rate and how low your heart rate stays during low to moderate activities. If your resting HR is in the mid to low 50s or below you're generally in the right range for cardiac output and hypertrophy. If you're substantially below that down into the low 40s you're probably too much the other direction and if you're up in the mid 60s or above you're probably too high.

If you have no acces to any testing methods then estimating your working zones is probably about all you can do but it's not particularly accurate. Try to find somewhere in your area that does testing to more accurate determine your individual HR zones. Yes the essence of using a HR monitor is to make sure you are training at the right heart rates to ellicit the particular aspect of energy system development that you are trying to. In other words to maximally develop aerobically you have to train at the highest rate of aerobic energy production, to improve anaerobically you train at the limits of anaerobic energy production. etc. If you know what these heart rates are, you can train accordingly.

As far as certifications I recommend whichever ones are required to get you whatever job it is that you want to get. I don't think any of them really provide a whole lot of useful information or mean that much to have and I let mine all lapse years ago, but unless you work for yourself like me you generally will need to have one or two or whatever. In general, the ACE is supposed to be pretty easy and the NSCA-CPT is more difficult but I don't believe having one or the other has much to do with what kind of trainer or professional you will be.
 
As far as certifications I recommend whichever ones are required to get you whatever job it is that you want to get. I don't think any of them really provide a whole lot of useful information or mean that much to have and I let mine all lapse years ago, but unless you work for yourself like me you generally will need to have one or two or whatever. In general, the ACE is supposed to be pretty easy and the NSCA-CPT is more difficult but I don't believe having one or the other has much to do with what kind of trainer or professional you will be.



I started a thread a few months ago regardin certification in sports conditioning etc. By the end we came to the conclusion, that

A)It's good to have something, so that clients know your legit
B) Having it is kinda like a nice paint job on a car. What's under the hood is what counts. Ross Enamait was kinda the reference point, as he doesn't have any certs (that I'm aware of) but is very knowledgeable, and knows how to apply it.
 
Without any equipment the best gauge for cardiac hypertrophy is your resting heart rate and how low your heart rate stays during low to moderate activities. If your resting HR is in the mid to low 50s or below you're generally in the right range for cardiac output and hypertrophy. If you're substantially below that down into the low 40s you're probably too much the other direction and if you're up in the mid 60s or above you're probably too high.

Hey EZA,

Regarding the above, noted regarding resting heart rate and that it should be somewhere in the mid to low 50's. For heart rate during low to moderate activities, would doing a slow jog for 800-1600 meters qualify? If yes, I assume I would perform that action, then immediately test my heart rate. What range is appropriate for where your heart rate should be after the low to moderate activity?
 
Any particular brand of heart rate mointor you would reccomend?

I had my heart rate taken in the hospital the other day and it was 55bpm, I am 27 years old.
 
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