If you're training for fat loss, one of THE most powerful techniques you can use is Lactic Acid Training.

The idea behind Lactic Acid Training is, shockingly enough, to produce as much Lactic Acid (more accurately "lactate") as you can and KEEP it there for long periods. The drop in pH (aciditiy) causes an emergency situation in your body, which secretes Growth Hormone in response.

GH is one of THE key fat loss hormones...it helps your body burn fat and preserve muscle mass...the more of it you can produce naturally, the easier it'll be to burn fat (even the stubborn stuff) and the easier it'll be to hold onto your muscle mass, even on a low-calorie diet.

Now, one of the key things to note first is that you should do this style of training FASTED. Don't eat anything (especially carbs) before you train. Insulin and GH don't get along well with each other, and if your insulin levels are up, your GH response will be blunted.

Even better is doing this style of training while on a low-carb diet where insulin levels are very low and stable.

Let's get to it...

How it works:

You're going to be using two different weights for this technique...both on the same exercise.

The first weight is going to be something you could get at least 15 to 20 reps on...a moderate weight. The idea is going to be to crank out as many reps as you possibly can with that weight, building up as much Lactic Acid as you can in the first set.

And when I say crank, I mean CRANK. We're not looking for picture perfect form...we're looking for POWER.

That doesn't mean BAD form...it just means we're not trying to control the weight perfectly on every rep (and no slow negatives either). We're just trying to get as many as we can with reasonably good form, focusing on the "up" phase, with no slow negative.

That's where Trap Bar Deadlifts come in...it's the perfect exercise for this style of training. If you don't have access to a Trap Bar, you can either do regular straight bar deadlifts or dumbbell deadlifts, too.

The Trap Bar allows you to just focus on lifting the weight. There's not nearly as much technique involved with a Trap Bar Deadlifts as there is with a straight bar deadlift.

In the demo, I've got 325 lbs on the bar, which for me is a pretty moderate weight.

Perform as many reps as you can until Lactic Acid burn shuts you down. You likely will get to a "pace break" point where you have to stop momentarily...at this point, just grind out a few more single reps until you really can't do anymore.

Now here's an important tip...I don't have the bar loaded in the "normal" fashion.

If you look in the picture below, I've got it loaded with a 45 lb plate on the inside, then two 25 lb plates then another 45 lb plate.

This is important because once I finish that first set and burn out (and yes, it WILL burn), I'm going to remove about half the weight and CONTINUE performing sets with that reduced weight.

I'm going to remove the outside 45 lb plate and the next 25 lb plate, leaving me with 185 lbs on the bar...it's not exactly half, but it's close enough.

When you're gauging what weights to use with this technique, use the same type of loading strategy...start by loading the weight you're going to drop down to...THEN load the rest of the weight to get to your full load.

This really saves time when you're changing the weight because all you then have to do is unload...no reloading.

Do this unloading as quickly as you can and immediately start your next set. Perform as many more reps as you can. This will likely be about 6 to 8 reps, even though the weight is dramatically reduced. We're going to stick with this weight for the rest of the sets here, too, just fyi.

When you finish the set (because the burn stops you again), rest 20 seconds.

Then do another set. Then rest 20 seconds.

Continue this pattern until you've completed 10 sets TOTAL on the deadlift (this includes the first set, so that means 1 "power" set then 9 half-weight sets).

On the very last set, give it everything you've got. Push to maximize that burn.

All done!

...with Trap Bar Deadlifts...

You can work the rest of your body with this style of training as well (use 10 sets for larger parts like back, chest and legs and 8 sets for smaller parts). I like to split the body in half and hit no more than 4 bodyparts per session.

Power-Start Lactic Acid Training is incredibly effective for burning fat while maintaining muscle mass. It's a great challenge and will really push you to the limit.

Watch the video of this technique in action here...

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Want More Killer Training Like This? You Need Metabolic Monsters...

This book is all about strength and conditioning, using workouts just like what you saw above...stuff that will push you HARD and get you lean and strong.

Enjoy!

Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"