Know Your Percentages
You want to do whatever it takes to become a better fighter or martial artist. You have awesome coaches (especially if you train at Pure,) you make sure you get enough sleep, and you have a diet of real food with enough protein and fruits and vegetables. But when it comes to lifting, you might be a little lost. You might hear that you’re supposed to do lots of reps at light weight so you don’t get too big, but you’ve also heard that you need to go heavy to get strong. What exactly is “light” and “heavy” anyway? It all comes down to using the right percentage of your one rep max (1RM.) Your 1RM is simply the heaviest weight you can lift for one rep. If you added any more weight, you wouldn’t be able to finish the lift. This is an incredibly important number to know. If you know it, you know how much weight to use for whatever quality you’re looking to build (strength, size, power, speed, etc.) Below, you’ll find all the percentages I use and which qualities they develop along with a quick “how to” for them.
80-95%. This is where maximal strength is built. While you might use it very rarely on the mat or in the cage (such as pulling somebody down to break their posture or grinding through a submission,) it’s still vital that you have enough of it. The reason is that everything else is based on max strength. If you can’t move 200 pounds once, then you won’t be able to move it fast or multiple times either. Maximal strength being high enough means you can be more powerful, more explosive, and go at a given power output for longer.
How to train it. You want to do three to six reps for three to five sets with about two to five minutes in between sets. The focus is on moving the weight as forcefully and efficiently as possible. This is not the time to hunt for the mind-muscle connection or feel the pump. Get the weight up with great form. Barbell lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press variations) are your friends here.
50-85%. While maximal strength is in the high percentages, maximal power lives in the 50-85% range. Power is strength with time involved. If it takes me one second to lift 200 pounds, but it takes you half a second, then you’re twice as powerful as me. You need this for things like take-downs, going for the submission, clinch work, and throws.
How to train it. You want to do two to five reps for six to ten sets with about 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Like training for maximal strength, the barbell is our friend and focus is on quality movement and being forceful, not mind-muscle and the pump. I tell my athletes I want each rep to feel snappy. As soon as the bar speed starts going down, you’re done. I don’t care whether it’s the ninth set or the third. If you’re going slow while you’re doing power work, you’re just wasting time and energy.
30-85%. Most people spend way too much time here. This is the hypertrophy (muscle growth) range. While you might think that you should avoid this range, you’d be mistaken. This is where you work to target specific muscles to prevent injury and bring up weak points. That nagging pain in the front of your shoulder? One of the best fixes is to make the muscles that support the joint bigger and stronger. Don’t worry about being to big and having to go up a weight class. The amount of growth needed to do those things is small enough that it won’t affect your overall bodyweight.
How to train it. While the above two have very specific ranges and requirements, hypertrophy is extremely flexible. Anywhere from six to thirty reps for two to four sets will do. Just make sure you’re taking the sets very close to failure. Rest about one to two minutes between sets. Also, remember how with strength and power you’re focusing on moving the weight efficiently and avoiding the pump? Throw that in the trash for hypertrophy. This is all about feeling the muscle squeeze and getting a pump. This is why the percent and rep range is so big for hypertrophy. As for lifts/equipment, anything and everything is on the table: barbells, dumbbells, machines, kettlebells, bodyweight, etc.
5-30%. You’re leaving Pump and Burn Land and going back to focusing on movement. This is where you become more explosive. Your kicks, punches, knees, elbows, sweeps, scrambles, and positional transitions in grappling all live here.
How to train it. Just like with building max power, you’ll do two to five reps for six to ten sets with 45 to 60 seconds rest. You’ll also stop if speed starts dropping. You’re not chasing the pump. You’re not feeling the muscles contract. You’re doing everything to be as quick and explosive as you can. Speed is king here. Your main tools will be kettlebells, medicine balls, and maybe a little barbell work.
0%. Also known as bodyweight. This is all of the jumps and bounding for lower and upper body (upper body “jumps” and “bounds” are things like clap push-ups.) Here you’re working on your ability to absorb force and change direction quickly. Cutting to the side, feinting, and slipping and countering fall into this box.
How to train it. You won’t be using any additional weight for this kind of training. This family of exercises is called plyometrics. An example would be depth jumps. Stand on a box that’s between six and twelve inches high. For reference, twelve is considered to be high for depth jumps. I know you think that more is better, but after a certain point, you’re just hurting your joints. Also, let’s be honest, when you cut to the side, it’s never a 24 inch distance anyway. So ditch your ego and use the lower heights. Step off the box and as soon as you touch the ground, jump as high as you can. I tell my athletes that their feet should spend as little time on the ground as possible. Do this for two to four reps. Do no more than twenty total reps because, while it doesn’t seem like much, it’s extremely stressful on the nervous system.
Setting all of this up into an actual program is a whole other article that I’ll write later on. For now, you’ve got a better idea of how to lift for your goal. Doing three sets of ten for a bunch of exercises is better than doing nothing, but if you’re reading these articles then you want to be better than that. If you’re not already hitting the gym, then this will help you. While hitting the weight room won’t make up for a lack of great technique, it will multiply the technique you have. Your moves will be faster, more powerful, and you’ll be able to outlast your opponent.
