How can I limit growing muscle mass during training in martial arts?

In martial arts, weight management is crucial, and traditional approaches to strength and conditioning may not be suitable.

To limit muscle mass growth during martial arts training, consider the following strategies:

Emphasize strength and explosive training:

Instead of focusing on bodybuilding exercises that promote muscle hypertrophy, prioritize exercises that enhance strength with low repetitions and heavy weights. Concentrate on power and speed of movement to optimize your neural system and improve performance while minimizing excessive muscle growth.

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Factors that promote hypertrophy include:

• Increasing insulin production, primarily through diet and high glycemic index (GI) foods.
• High overall training volume, exceeding 40 to 50 repetitions per muscle group per session, regardless of repetitions per set.
• Avoiding excessively short recovery periods between sets (less than 2 minutes).
• Creating high metabolic stress during training with short rest periods and high intensity.
• Consistent training for over 6 weeks with volumes exceeding 50 repetitions per muscle group per session (initial 6 weeks focusing on neural adaptations for new movements).
• Incorporating eccentric training, which induces additional muscle damage compared to concentric training.

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Factors that hinder hypertrophy include:

• Increasing glucagon production (e.g., fasting, interval training).
• Contradicting the aforementioned factors.
• Engaging in prolonged endurance exercise after strength training, which reduces insulin levels, increases glucagon production, and inhibits mTOR (a key regulator of muscle protein synthesis).

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It is crucial to acknowledge that each individual's body responds uniquely to training.

By incorporating these strategies, you can personalize your training to improve skill development, agility, and overall conditioning while avoiding excessive muscle mass gain. As a martial artist, your primary focus should be on your performance in combat. If increasing your squat weight results in slower kicks, it is a trade-off that may lead to a loss in effectiveness.

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Bibliographic references:

Pasiakos SM, McLellanTM, Lieberman HR. The effects of protein supplements on muscle mass, strength, and aerobic and anaerobic power in healthy adults: a systematic review. SportsMed. 2015 Jan

Grgic J, SchoenfeldBJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022 Mar

Moesgaard L, Beck MM,Christiansen L, Aagaard P, Lundbye-Jensen J. Effects of Periodization onStrength and Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Equated Resistance Training Programs:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022 Jul

Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing MuscleHypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques andMethods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4

Hall MN. mTOR-what does it do? Transplant Proc. 2008 Dec

Bauer P, UebellackerF, Mitter B, Aigner AJ, Hasenoehrl T, Ristl R, Tschan H, Seitz LB. Combining higher-load and lower-load resistance training exercises: A systematic review and meta-analysis of findings from complex training studies. J Sci Med Sport.2019 Jul

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