optimal work:rest ratio for sprints

[itsallwrestling]

i currently sprint 2x a week for part of my mma conditioning
i'm really confused as it seems to me the best work to rest ratio would be 1:1 or even lower for the rest, however ive heard many people saying 1:4 and 1:3 ratios are the best, however this doesnt really mimic an mma fight very well as you dont have that long to rest
i dont really want to start getting into circuits as i love sprints, however im really confused about the best ways to go about sprints

FYI, i dont fight, i just train to be fitter in sparring classes etc.
help would be appreciated, cheers :icon_chee

 

[sleeve_choker]

i currently sprint 2x a week for part of my mma conditioning
i'm really confused as it seems to me the best work to rest ratio would be 1:1 or even lower for the rest, however ive heard many people saying 1:4 and 1:3 ratios are the best, however this doesnt really mimic an mma fight very well as you dont have that long to rest
i dont really want to start getting into circuits as i love sprints, however im really confused about the best ways to go about sprints

FYI, i dont fight, i just train to be fitter in sparring classes etc.
help would be appreciated, cheers :icon_chee

Try 1:2 work/rest ratio. I am not a pro MMA fighter but I do train and that works well for my gas tank.

One of my favorite drills, although it is not a sprint, is to have the class pair up into partners and grapple for 1-3 minutes then rotate. I find this the best way to improve my conditioning.

 

[TeddyRoosevelt]

i currently sprint 2x a week for part of my mma conditioning
i'm really confused as it seems to me the best work to rest ratio would be 1:1 or even lower for the rest, however ive heard many people saying 1:4 and 1:3 ratios are the best, however this doesnt really mimic an mma fight very well as you dont have that long to rest
i dont really want to start getting into circuits as i love sprints, however im really confused about the best ways to go about sprints

FYI, i dont fight, i just train to be fitter in sparring classes etc.
help would be appreciated, cheers :icon_chee

Training does not necessarily need to mimic an activity in order to increase your performance in said activity.

Try actually sprinting at a 1:1 work/rest ratio. I doubt you have the cardiac capacity to maintain that type of output for long. And that's not to sugges that you are out of shape...but few people can actually sprint for a prolonged period of time at a 1:1 ratio.

 

[miaou]

Sprints don't mimic an mma fight regardless of the work:rest ratio, simply because mma rounds don't involve continuous efforts of 100% intensity.

Simply put, there is no optimal work:rest ratio for sprints. Different work:rest ratios work different energy systems to different degrees and what kind of programming you are going to choose depends on your current fitness and work capacity, fighting style and particular goals.

As a very general blueprint, first of all make sure you have your aerobic base in place, then work short sprints (40-100m) with long rests (3 minutes or more) to target your power production, then gradually increase the sprint times and decrease the rest times to target your power endurance.

Once at a good level of specific endurance (or once you reach a plateau), work on power again. If you care to do that, then you should be periodizing your strength training accordingly, to facilitate the process.

 

[YourSaviorRND2]

Well are you sprinting to get more explosive or are you sprinting for cardio? If you are doing it to stay explosive a work/rest of 1/4 or more is good because you want to keep it explosive(what this means is that you want to have the lungs and legs ready for all out effort every sprint) so you take a longer break. If you are looking for sport specific cardio you should sprint more like you would in your given sport. I would say this mean more of a 1/2 or 1/1 work/ rest ratio. The best possible result being that you could sprint for a whole round take the break you would normally have between rounds and repeat, although I would be amazed if anyone could come close to this.

 

[YourSaviorRND2]

Sprints don't mimic an mma fight regardless of the work:rest ratio, simply because mma rounds don't involve continuous efforts of 100% intensity..

You dont see sprints in MMA? I see them all the time, for instance when a wrestler shoots a takedown explosively.

 

[miaou]

You dont see sprints in MMA? I see them all the time, for instance when a wrestler shoots a takedown explosively.

Shooting a takedown literally takes less than a second. It is a single effort movement requiring the display of explosive force.

In simple words, it is an effort like a single jump, or a snatch, or a shot put throw, all of which are significantly different from, say, a 60m sprint.


Not to mention that shooting takedown is not followed by a break from action, like when training sprints in a 1:1 work:rest ratio.

 

[TeddyRoosevelt]

You dont see sprints in MMA? I see them all the time, for instance when a wrestler shoots a takedown explosively.

No, that's a shot, not a sprint. They differ in the energy systems and musculature involved.

 

[PowerHungry]

miaou already has this covered so I'll just piggy back.

If the rest periods are too long, you would see improvements in sprint speed without corresponding improvements in maximal aerobic power.

If the rest periods are too short, you could potentially overreach off the bat due to insufficient work capacity and you'd have no progression because of starting too intense.

NSCA recommends a correspondence to the interval duration due to the different energy systems used.

If the exercise time is 5-10 seconds, work/rest ratio should be 1:12-1:20.
If the exercise time is 15-30 seconds, work/rest ratio should be 1:3-1:5.
If the exercise time is 1-3 minutes, work/rest ratio should be 1:3-1:4.
If the exercise time is >3 minutes, work/rest ratio should be 1:1-1:3.

But even that range is very approximate.

 

[Revok]

They'd be useful if you're scheduled to fight Kalib Starnes.

Other than that, what miaou said. Context is everything.

 

[YourSaviorRND2]

No, that's a shot, not a sprint. They differ in the energy systems and musculature involved.

I think sprints help with shots for the simple fact that sprints mimic what your body goes through, a large burst of energy and oxygen consumption. It is not using the exact same movement but it helps your body deal with the consequences of performing such a powerful move.

 

[Deleted member 256494]

this is a really good question to me. I don't even know where to begin.

Can someone tell me what an MMA fighter should be doing?

15 second sprints and resting for 45 seconds? Should he do 5 reps for a set and then wait to do another set? If any of the muscle experts could shed some light on this I'd really appreciate it.

nevermind, I re-read miaou's post. I'll start there. kinda sucks though; I'll have to buy a stopwatch and find some way to measure distances.

actually no not really. I just need my cell phone. it's not necessary to know arbitrary distances.

 

[PowerHungry]

this is a really good question to me. I don't even know where to begin.

Can someone tell me what an MMA fighter should be doing?

15 second sprints and resting for 45 seconds? Should he do 5 reps for a set and then wait to do another set? If any of the muscle experts could shed some light on this I'd really appreciate it.

nevermind, I re-read miaou's post. I'll start there. kinda sucks though; I'll have to buy a stopwatch and find some way to measure distances.

Run on a track OR use USATF - America's Running Routes - Map It

 

[TeddyRoosevelt]

I think sprints help with shots for the simple fact that sprints mimic what your body goes through, a large burst of energy and oxygen consumption. It is not using the exact same movement but it helps your body deal with the consequences of performing such a powerful move.

A shot is a shot. A sprint is a sprint. Sprinting is not specifically training your shot. However, it is training similar energy systems and musculature that are common to both activities.

Strength training and most cardio does not directly mimic, nor should it directly mimic, sport-specific movements in MMA. But when both activities require the use of common energy systems and musculature, when you train for one, you can increase your proficiency in both.

However, nothing trains your shot quite like shooting.

 

[PussyPants]

Shooting resembles coming out of the blocks. If you miss, it would resemble falling on your face more than a sprint.

I think longer sprints are best for mma and hockey (no longer than 400m). You can mix in very short sprints (no more than 25yds.) if you want to work some explosiveness in.

 

[itsallwrestling]

miaou already has this covered so I'll just piggy back.

If the rest periods are too long, you would see improvements in sprint speed without corresponding improvements in maximal aerobic power.

If the rest periods are too short, you could potentially overreach off the bat due to insufficient work capacity and you'd have no progression because of starting too intense.

NSCA recommends a correspondence to the interval duration due to the different energy systems used.

If the exercise time is 5-10 seconds, work/rest ratio should be 1:12-1:20.
If the exercise time is 15-30 seconds, work/rest ratio should be 1:3-1:5.
If the exercise time is 1-3 minutes, work/rest ratio should be 1:3-1:4.
If the exercise time is >3 minutes, work/rest ratio should be 1:1-1:3.

But even that range is very approximate.

doesnt it make more sense to go for a 1:1 ratio if trying to get more "gas in the tank"
im not trying to increase explosiveness, i have separate workouts for that.
i simply want more "gas in the tank" ?
wouldnt this closer mimic the demands of rolling for instance?

 

[grrthetree]

doesnt it make more sense to go for a 1:1 ratio if trying to get more "gas in the tank"
im not trying to increase explosiveness, i have separate workouts for that.
i simply want more "gas in the tank" ?
wouldnt this closer mimic the demands of rolling for instance?

Get the notion of mimicking a sport out of your head. Sprinting increases aerobic and anaerobic energy system efficiency, and the only way to make it more effective is to find out which energy systems are your weakest and go from there. Do you want a 1:1 ratio where you'll be running much more and resting much less, at the expense of increasing your anaerobic threshold? I'd start by reading EZA's thread.