The hours spent at the gym per week doing droning rounds of cardio are something none of us enjoy. In their avoidance, we’ve all sought after the high intensity, low rest training methods to help boost the metabolism. HIIT has become a staple of many training programs for fat loss and an increased metabolic demand but this type of training can fall under a different method the high lactate training.
Here’s what we know:
Training with compound movements will burn more calories
Training with lowered rest intervals—à la HIT—will increase metabolic demand, so more calories are burned while resting.
Knowing this, we can add another key player into effect and use it wisely: lactate.
Benefits of High Lactate Training
Just so we’re clear, lactic acid is a by-product of anaerobic exercise. When the muscles have no oxygen to work with (normally in the first 10 to 15 seconds of intense exercise, like a high-rep bench press, or a fast sprint), they have to rely on chemical compounds without oxygen present. The waste product that occurs as a result of this all is lactate. That’s the “burn” you feel as you start getting fatigued.
But the burn can do you well where fat loss and a lean body are concerned. Strength guru Charles Poliquin noted that increases in lactate through small rest intervals and proper training methods can stimulate the pituitary gland to release multiple times more growth hormone than at rest. That means the potential for more fat loss, all the while building muscle. Not to mention, the metabolism will be going berserk through the protocols like the following.
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4 Killer High Lactate Training Protocols
With these ideas, we have to play it smart. Firstly, the trick is to still reap muscle building requirements (proper amounts of volume and weight lifted) while lowering the rest. It’s tough to do both at the same time – so we have to have our thinking caps on.
Ladder Set Training
These can become a staple to any cutting program. They help you maintain your strength, and improve muscular endurance, but they don’t sacrifice your weight lifted! To do them, choose a movement (compound movements like squats, standing presses, or bentover rows work best). After warming up, load it to approximately your 10 to 12 rep max. Take it out of the rack and perform 2 reps. Rack it, and rest for ten seconds. Take it back out and do 3 reps. Rest for ten, then do 5 reps. Rest again for ten seconds, and then do 10 reps.
By giving your ATP only 10 seconds of rest in between these progressively larger sets, the demands on the lactate system get stronger and stronger. By the time you’re finished the set of 5 reps, you should be dreading what’s to come. If not, the weight you lifted was too light.
Another benefit of this system is that by using these “mini breaks” within your sets, you’ve just sidled your way into performing 20 reps with your 10 rep max – a great tip for improving general strength and muscular endurance!
Just to give a rundown, here’s a list of exercises that make ladder sets work like a charm when used:
Barbell Bench Press
Barbell Standing Press
Barbell Bentover Rows
Barbell Back Squats
Dumbbell Seated Press
Pullups / Chinups
Under-The-Bar-Rows
Barbell Push Press
Leg Press
Barbell Biceps Curls
Seated/Wide-grip Rows
Lat Pulldowns
Below is one example using the squat pattern.
TUT Training
Applying time under tension (TUT) can be employed in a variety of ways. You can have sets that last 20 reps–just like the above system uses. But if you want to be able to save your ego and train with weight somewhat higher on your submaximal effort scale, this protocol may be for you. This works especially well with exercises that involve pushing muscles (although you’ll do just fine using them on the big pulling movements too). Use a 41×1 tempo. 4 seconds to lower the weight, 1 second pause at the bottom, explode through the rep itself, and pause for one more second at the top.
The ultra-slow negative reps using this method make the body produce one hellish lot of lactate. 5 seconds doesn’t seem like a long time, but don’t be fooled—in the crux of fatigue, it feels like an eternity. Work for sets of up to 8 reps.
Before we continue, Let’s run through some quick facts.
The thing that makes lactate build up in the first place is the lack of ATP – due to the exhaustion of fast twitch muscle fibres. Many articles out there preach that the fast twitch muscle fiber are the ones we need to exclusively target by doing quick, short, intense and explosive sets of exercise with decently heavy weight.
As much as I agree with this protocol to light up the type II fibers, it’s good to remember that there are many muscle groups that respond very well to high volume, high-rep, and high TUT training, due to their large percentage of slow twitch fibres. Good examples would be the quadriceps, biceps and the lats. The late and renowned Dr. Janda gives many examples of his theory of tonic vs. phasic muscles, and their fibre type distribution.
Poliquin’s GBC Method
As mentioned earlier, Poliquin appreciated the benefits that could be reaped from stimulating the pituitary to release more HGH. To exploit them, he came up with his advanced German Body Composition, which has proven useful.
It’s a very simple method. On a given isolation day, you choose 3 movements—normally ranging from most compound to least compound. And perform them as a triset using a 6-rep, 12-rep, and 25-rep approach. Here’s an example of a leg triset.
Leg Triset Sample Workout
Squat: 6 reps
Lunge: 12 reps
Leg Extension: 25 reps
Here’s another example for the back:
However, remember this: Choose your weights wisely. The key is to ensure that each set is utilizing weight that asks the MOST of your muscles for said rep range. Your sixth, 12th, and 25th reps respectively should be ball-busting. If you really want to kick things up a notch, then use a tempo for the six-rep set like the TUT example in the last section provides.
Burnout Sets
Even if the whole high-lactate training method isn’t your thing, you can still employ them in your top end strength training days.
We all like the “big bang” exercises to lead off our isolation workouts – some form of the bench press for the chest, squats for legs, standing presses for the shoulders, weighted pullups or deadlifts for the back – you get the idea. In order to snag the profits of hormonal release, tack on a “burnout” set at the end of your last heavy work set. After a shortened rest, lower your training weight to about 60 percent of the weight you lifted in your work sets, and perform as many reps as possible.
And be sure to lift fast. Tempos need not apply in the burnout. Use a spotter and extend your set for as long as possible, trying to maintain proper form. Get as many quality reps in before the anaerobic window shuts, then squeeze out whatever you’ve got left in the tank.
Burn Your Way to Lean Muscle
Most of us reading this aren’t competing sports athletes—rather, just lifting enthusiasts in pursuit of muscle, functionality, and a solid imposing presence. That means the programming doesn’t have to be elaborate. The search for the absolute “best method” to train can prove to be a futile one, and sometimes simple variety within programming can be your best friend.
The truth is, this stuff is just a game with science. If we learn the rules, we’ll be able to play the game with the best of ‘em. Take the time to put these tricks of the trade into practice and you’ll be glad you did.
