Lactic Acid Training is essentially what it sounds like... training for the purpose of cranking up as much Lactic Acid production in your body as possible.
And WHY you want to do it is simple...when the body produces a lot of Lactic Acid (more properly known as "lacate" but we'll stick with lactic acid since that's what most people know it by), this signals the body to secrete Growth Hormone in response.
And Growth Hormone is one of the most potent fat-burning hormones you've got...it's actually a key hormone for unlocking stubborn fat that your body normally has a hard time accessing.
So yes, when you want to lose stubborn fat, you want to do everything you can to increase GH production.
This style of training is best done on an empty stomach.
You want to ideally be in a fasted state when you use this and especially have not had any carbs for quite a few hours. In fact, this style of training works absolutely best when on a low-carb diet.
When you eat carbs, your blood sugar goes up and your insulin levels rise to deal with it. GH and insulin don't get along well with each other. When insulin is present, GH secretion is blunted and you won't get the same benefits out of this training.
How To Do Big Three Lactic Acid Training For Stubborn Fat Loss
Pick three exercises...a deadlift (any variation), a press (any variation) and a squat (any variation).
I used a conventional straight bar deadlift (225 lbs - basically a hip and lower-back dominant movement is what we're looking for), a dumbbell bench press (65 lb dumbbells) and a one-arm gripping dumbbell squat (where you hold onto the dumbbell with one hand and hold something solid with the other to allow you stay more upright and shift focus to the quads instead of the glutes - 65 lb dumbbell).
These three movement patterns are going to hit the big "hot spots" of the body...we want to work the most muscle mass here to generate maximum lactic acid.
Have all three of your exercises set up and ready to go right next to each other because you're going to get ZERO rest on each round through. This is HIGH REP Lactic Acid Circuit Training.
Step up to the deadlift and crank out as many reps as you can until Lactic Acid shuts you down. Aim for at least 20+ reps on each set of this first round (you're going to do multiple rounds). The first round is what really sets the stage so push it hard to build up as much lactic acid as possible.
(I'm training barefoot here, but that's not necessary...that's just what I happened to be doing that day.)
When you can't do any more deadlifts, set the bar down and IMMEDIATELY go straight to the press. Do as many reps as you can with the press.
Because you're using a completely different set of muscles, you'll be able to get a good number of reps here, even though you just crushed your posterior chain on deadlifts.
Push the press to the point where lactic acid shuts you down again.
Then go STRAIGHT to the squat variation. In my case, One-Arm Gripping Dumbbell Squats. I think it's the perfect exercise for this circuit because there's no tension on the back...it's all legs, which saves you for the deadlifts. And you can push until you basically fall on the ground.
Switch the side you're holding the dumbbell every 5 reps, to keep the loads balanced.
At this point, you should feel like you're about to lose control of several major bodily functions. Your limbs should be Jello.
Take 1 minute rest and do it again.
Yeah, seriously.
Repeat the three exercise cycle...deadlift, press, squat with NO rest in between those exercises (and yes, exercise order is VERY important here - they're in that order for a reason).
Now, you're not going to get as many reps on subsequent rounds because you will have incomplete Lactic Acid clearance (probably about half the reps). Just fight for as many reps as you can until lactic acid shuts you down again.
When you're done with the second round, take TWO minutes rest and do it again. Same weight, same exercises, same order.
After the next round, take THREE minutes rest.
Then the next round, FOUR minutes rest.
Then before the final round, you get FIVE minutes rest.
And yeah, it sounds like a long time, but believe me, when you start the final set, it will feel like you had no rest at all.
This workout format does what's called "front loading" the training volume. This means you do more work towards the beginning, when you're fresher and stronger, then as you fatigue, you extend the rest periods so you can keep working at a reasonable volume.
And let me tell you, it's BRUTAL.
It's very simple training (which is what I like about it) and extremely effective! This will crank up Lactic Acid production in your body, which will crank up GH secretion, which help you get LEAN without losing muscle mass.
I've got an upper body-focused lactic acid dumbbell complex that you can try here as well!
---
And if you like this workout, you'll LOVE these ones...
- The Single Dumbbell Attack
- Total-Body Countdown Murder
- The Inside Out Core Crusher
- Lactate Tolerance Training for Chest
- Dueling Banjo Hell
- The Good Morning Burger
Share This Page...
Want More Training and Nutrition for Fat Loss?
You'll find it here...
Support