Beyond stabilization of the weak points, our energy system management is the next weakest link. Looking at various training protocols, let's start with power lifting. Power is defined as rapidly producing max tension in a muscle. When people power lift they usually use extremely low rep ranges and lift very close to their one rep max but they also take extended rest periods between reps lasting 3-5 minutes. This means that they really don't have time to go into anaerobic glycolysis meaning that have to rely almost entirely on the PC system which recharges 75% in the first minute and can take 3-5 minutes to fully recharge. Since we don't use ATP (energy) to use this system it doesn't put stress on our muscle cells and mitochondria so we don't really adapt to lengthen this system. The only way to lengthen it is through the supplementation of creatine which adds a couple seconds, enough to get 1-2 more reps in when lifting for hypertrophy (muscle size gains). What's cool about the PC cycle is we can actually produce a lot of force really fast but what sucks is that we really can't maintain it and it takes forever to recharge after each exertion. If blood is occluded (flow is reduced) the PC system does not recharge meaning that if you go full strength early on and you hold after the PC system is burnt out the muscle contraction would actually prevent the PC system from replenishing. If someone is doing BFR (blood flow restriction) training they are preventing themselves from using the PC system and going straight into glycolysis.
So the next system we can use is (anaerobic) glycolysis which is the system you predominantly use for exercise lasting 40-60 seconds, normal lifting in the 8-12 rep range. This produces almost comparable amounts of force the the PC system did but since anaerobic metabolism is being used the muscle PH drops leading to muscle burning. This system also takes time to recover from so for longer sessions it is less than ideal.
That leaves aerobic metabolism which has the drawback of having significantly less force production but the trade off is that you can do it for very long periods of time. This may actually be ideal as whatever force you are able to produce can be maintained for a rather long time. This may be hard for people to wrap their minds around but it really comes down to intention. If you are going for the fast tap, then obviously the other two systems are ideal but I'm talking about real torture here. Your muscles and lungs will tell you which system you are using. The PC system produces no waste, it's explosive but burns out fast. Muscles burning and feeling like you have to breathe harder means you are using glycolysis as the waste products produced are so much higher. Aerobic metabolism still produces waste products but you won't get the same burn and for scissors you shouldn't get too winded either.
How much power you can generate in the various systems is dependent on how you train outside of the scissor session. If I'm always lifting heavy in relatively low rep ranges my muscles are going to adapt predominantly by absorbing satellite cells to obtain more nuclei which processes proteins for the development of and repairs of your sarcomeres (the contractile unit of a muscle) but the cell may not be stimulated to produce more mitochondria, which is where carbs and fats are metabolized into ATP. This is why really big muscle guys are often really quick to fatigue, their bodies have adapted to produce force but not to fuel the system. Now I know some influencers knock circuit training but keep in mind, most influencers are body builders and the bubble that they live in doesn't see anything but size and overall strength gains which isn't athleticism. If you want your body to adapt to produce higher force for longer periods of time you need to train in a way that stimulates nuclei acquisition and mitochondrial development. If you just run on level ground you may develop more mitochondria but you won't get the nuclei. Well, what about lower resistance sled pushes and pulls? Running stairs or up hills? Biking on hills? By adding resistance to sustained exercise we are telling our muscles they need to produce more force for longer periods of time thus increasing applicable endurance.
Now, setting the science aside and looking at what can be done now I suggest avoiding maximal strength or even 50% if you are planning on a longer squeeze period. Now, I didn't discuss aerobic metabolism in detail but simply put we start anaerobic no matter what but when we switch we use a higher percentage of fat for metabolism until we hit a different training intensity or duration where fat metabolism can no longer maintain the exercise so the body starts to use more carbs. Keep in mind, all 3 macros are used at all times and if, as in the attachment, you go into higher intensities or duration with fats staying between 200-300cal per hour regardless of intensity, it accounts for a lower percentage of energy used because the total calories used continues to climb and carbs account for more of those calories because they are easier to burn so enough of this fat burning zone bs.
I digress... anyway, if I want to torture someone I want my endurance to outpace theirs. My legs, in most cases, can produce more force than their core can withstand and it is my objective for them to run out of fuel before I do. Once their energy stores are depleted I just need to prevent them from resetting, so by varying my pressure I can get them to try to tense up only to keep burning out. By avoiding maximal tension from my legs I am ensuring that I still have fuel when they don't. I also don't really want them to freak out. This is like a knee cut pass from guard, if I staple their leg down they may block the pass but they remain calm but if I put my knee on their thigh and put my weight on it the pain response will make them spaz out leading to a scramble. I want to ride the edge of the tap. I want them stressed but telling themselves, I can hold out just a little while longer... this is a trap. Remember, I am draining their core resistance. Their core musculature is getting tired and sore. Over time people get less tolerant of scissors, not more. The intercostals fatigue. The ribs get more sore. If I can hold out long enough I'm going to be playing with putty, not stone.
So, I don't go full force, I focus on my breathing. I might even make a point that I am breathing so much easier than my poor jobber...
Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiments, experiences and whatever you are doing to improve your scissor endurance.
One of the biggest challenges with bodyscissors, and it is certainly something I think most guys get wrong, isn't total force output but endurance. Most times when I see it applied, and I'll try to be more mindful of this next time I play, it comes in short bursts lasting a few seconds and part of this is that a lot of guys are looking for that fast tap which burns out your muscles fast. It's short enough that I feel like they are using the phosphocreatine (PC) cycle (the rebuilding of ATP from ADP by stealing phosphorus from phosphocreating lasting about 3-10 seconds) entirely without going into anaerobic glycolysis (the breakdown of carbohydrates for ATP production without oxygen which can last 40-60 seconds). Sure, we can use aerobic metabolism as well but the ATP output is significantly lower reducing force production. This is why you can sprint 100 meters but not a mile or two, as the body switches energy systems speed and force output become reduced.
But it isn't just an issue of energy systems. Doing 100 squats on the ground is less exhausting than 100 squats on a bosu ball on the back of a truck going down a cobblestone road. The body burns through energy much faster when it has to stabilize and there is a major stabilization component to it.
Let's break down what is happening in the legs: The ankles must be tightly dorsi-flexed (if you are standing this would be pointing your feet toward your head rather than the ground), your legs have to be abducted (moved away from your center line) and laterally (externally) rotated (knees pointed out like an oompa loompa). When the squeeze begins the ankles need to brace to remain locked which requires tension in the anterior tibialis and fibularis (peroneal) muscles (on the front and lateral sides of your shins) which dorsi flex your foot and your fibularis needs to work a little harder to prevent foot inversion which would weaken the grip (though I see plenty of guys doing this). From here your quads straighten your legs. This is like an accordion lift, two fixed points with a hinge in the middle, the straightening of the hinge lengthens the legs and closes up space in the middle. Many guys emphasize the adductors here but I must emphasize that these are predominantly stabilizing muscles and aren't designed for major force production like the quads are so groin strains, cramps, and fatigue will happen much faster if these are relied on. In order to produce force inward at the knees, force outwards on the hips and ankles must be present (Newton's first law of physics, every action must have an equal opposite reaction) which can produce significant strain at the ankles though I have never noticed it at the hips because I have great glutes (nom nom nom). The tension at the ankles seems to translate back up the knees causing some medial knee strain.
Despite certainly wanting to do a scissor scene with oil the oil at the ankles presents a serious complication where the force production used to maintain the ankle grip would be significantly reduced as now we have the bosu ball in the truck issue added into the mix. If you were able to maintain the ankle grip so much energy would be going into stabilizing it that force production into your victim's body would be severely reduced. Experimentation is needed to resolve this issue though I think I am going to try various grip creams or chalks to see if they help to counteract oil. BTW, what oils are you guys wrestling with? I feel like everyone uses baby oil but I could see massage oil or coconut oils as being other good options (then someone speaks up and says they roll in J-Lube powder, lol). Some research has suggested KT tape or cohesive tape may be resistant to oil and I have used various athletic tapes (zinc oxide) for rolling in BJJ without them coming off.
For oil free applications I do think foot and ankle taping or the wearing of boots is probably the best way to address the ankle lock stability issue. While I mentioned that I sometimes feel strain on the medial side of my knee I also feel it sometimes inferior and lateral to it suggesting some strain along the origin of the fibularis muscles so possible taping of that area may reduce strain to the tendon but keep in mind that there are exposed nerves and blood pathways in the popliteal fossa (the space behind the knee) that we don't want to compress.
ChrisWrestling (60 )
4/03/2026 6:09 AMBeyond stabilization of the weak points, our energy system management is the next weakest link. Looking at various training protocols, let's start with power lifting. Power is defined as rapidly producing max tension in a muscle. When people power lift they usually use extremely low rep ranges and lift very close to their one rep max but they also take extended rest periods between reps lasting 3-5 minutes. This means that they really don't have time to go into anaerobic glycolysis meaning that have to rely almost entirely on the PC system which recharges 75% in the first minute and can take 3-5 minutes to fully recharge. Since we don't use ATP (energy) to use this system it doesn't put stress on our muscle cells and mitochondria so we don't really adapt to lengthen this system. The only way to lengthen it is through the supplementation of creatine which adds a couple seconds, enough to get 1-2 more reps in when lifting for hypertrophy (muscle size gains). What's cool about the PC cycle is we can actually produce a lot of force really fast but what sucks is that we really can't maintain it and it takes forever to recharge after each exertion. If blood is occluded (flow is reduced) the PC system does not recharge meaning that if you go full strength early on and you hold after the PC system is burnt out the muscle contraction would actually prevent the PC system from replenishing. If someone is doing BFR (blood flow restriction) training they are preventing themselves from using the PC system and going straight into glycolysis.
So the next system we can use is (anaerobic) glycolysis which is the system you predominantly use for exercise lasting 40-60 seconds, normal lifting in the 8-12 rep range. This produces almost comparable amounts of force the the PC system did but since anaerobic metabolism is being used the muscle PH drops leading to muscle burning. This system also takes time to recover from so for longer sessions it is less than ideal.
That leaves aerobic metabolism which has the drawback of having significantly less force production but the trade off is that you can do it for very long periods of time. This may actually be ideal as whatever force you are able to produce can be maintained for a rather long time. This may be hard for people to wrap their minds around but it really comes down to intention. If you are going for the fast tap, then obviously the other two systems are ideal but I'm talking about real torture here. Your muscles and lungs will tell you which system you are using. The PC system produces no waste, it's explosive but burns out fast. Muscles burning and feeling like you have to breathe harder means you are using glycolysis as the waste products produced are so much higher. Aerobic metabolism still produces waste products but you won't get the same burn and for scissors you shouldn't get too winded either.
How much power you can generate in the various systems is dependent on how you train outside of the scissor session. If I'm always lifting heavy in relatively low rep ranges my muscles are going to adapt predominantly by absorbing satellite cells to obtain more nuclei which processes proteins for the development of and repairs of your sarcomeres (the contractile unit of a muscle) but the cell may not be stimulated to produce more mitochondria, which is where carbs and fats are metabolized into ATP. This is why really big muscle guys are often really quick to fatigue, their bodies have adapted to produce force but not to fuel the system. Now I know some influencers knock circuit training but keep in mind, most influencers are body builders and the bubble that they live in doesn't see anything but size and overall strength gains which isn't athleticism. If you want your body to adapt to produce higher force for longer periods of time you need to train in a way that stimulates nuclei acquisition and mitochondrial development. If you just run on level ground you may develop more mitochondria but you won't get the nuclei. Well, what about lower resistance sled pushes and pulls? Running stairs or up hills? Biking on hills? By adding resistance to sustained exercise we are telling our muscles they need to produce more force for longer periods of time thus increasing applicable endurance.
Now, setting the science aside and looking at what can be done now I suggest avoiding maximal strength or even 50% if you are planning on a longer squeeze period. Now, I didn't discuss aerobic metabolism in detail but simply put we start anaerobic no matter what but when we switch we use a higher percentage of fat for metabolism until we hit a different training intensity or duration where fat metabolism can no longer maintain the exercise so the body starts to use more carbs. Keep in mind, all 3 macros are used at all times and if, as in the attachment, you go into higher intensities or duration with fats staying between 200-300cal per hour regardless of intensity, it accounts for a lower percentage of energy used because the total calories used continues to climb and carbs account for more of those calories because they are easier to burn so enough of this fat burning zone bs.
I digress... anyway, if I want to torture someone I want my endurance to outpace theirs. My legs, in most cases, can produce more force than their core can withstand and it is my objective for them to run out of fuel before I do. Once their energy stores are depleted I just need to prevent them from resetting, so by varying my pressure I can get them to try to tense up only to keep burning out. By avoiding maximal tension from my legs I am ensuring that I still have fuel when they don't. I also don't really want them to freak out. This is like a knee cut pass from guard, if I staple their leg down they may block the pass but they remain calm but if I put my knee on their thigh and put my weight on it the pain response will make them spaz out leading to a scramble. I want to ride the edge of the tap. I want them stressed but telling themselves, I can hold out just a little while longer... this is a trap. Remember, I am draining their core resistance. Their core musculature is getting tired and sore. Over time people get less tolerant of scissors, not more. The intercostals fatigue. The ribs get more sore. If I can hold out long enough I'm going to be playing with putty, not stone.
So, I don't go full force, I focus on my breathing. I might even make a point that I am breathing so much easier than my poor jobber...
Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiments, experiences and whatever you are doing to improve your scissor endurance.
synxiec (90)
4/16/2026 10:34 PM(In reply to this)
As always, this is really cool stuff to read and consider. You're a delight.
ChrisWrestling (60 )
4/03/2026 6:08 AMOne of the biggest challenges with bodyscissors, and it is certainly something I think most guys get wrong, isn't total force output but endurance. Most times when I see it applied, and I'll try to be more mindful of this next time I play, it comes in short bursts lasting a few seconds and part of this is that a lot of guys are looking for that fast tap which burns out your muscles fast. It's short enough that I feel like they are using the phosphocreatine (PC) cycle (the rebuilding of ATP from ADP by stealing phosphorus from phosphocreating lasting about 3-10 seconds) entirely without going into anaerobic glycolysis (the breakdown of carbohydrates for ATP production without oxygen which can last 40-60 seconds). Sure, we can use aerobic metabolism as well but the ATP output is significantly lower reducing force production. This is why you can sprint 100 meters but not a mile or two, as the body switches energy systems speed and force output become reduced.
But it isn't just an issue of energy systems. Doing 100 squats on the ground is less exhausting than 100 squats on a bosu ball on the back of a truck going down a cobblestone road. The body burns through energy much faster when it has to stabilize and there is a major stabilization component to it.
Let's break down what is happening in the legs: The ankles must be tightly dorsi-flexed (if you are standing this would be pointing your feet toward your head rather than the ground), your legs have to be abducted (moved away from your center line) and laterally (externally) rotated (knees pointed out like an oompa loompa). When the squeeze begins the ankles need to brace to remain locked which requires tension in the anterior tibialis and fibularis (peroneal) muscles (on the front and lateral sides of your shins) which dorsi flex your foot and your fibularis needs to work a little harder to prevent foot inversion which would weaken the grip (though I see plenty of guys doing this). From here your quads straighten your legs. This is like an accordion lift, two fixed points with a hinge in the middle, the straightening of the hinge lengthens the legs and closes up space in the middle. Many guys emphasize the adductors here but I must emphasize that these are predominantly stabilizing muscles and aren't designed for major force production like the quads are so groin strains, cramps, and fatigue will happen much faster if these are relied on. In order to produce force inward at the knees, force outwards on the hips and ankles must be present (Newton's first law of physics, every action must have an equal opposite reaction) which can produce significant strain at the ankles though I have never noticed it at the hips because I have great glutes (nom nom nom). The tension at the ankles seems to translate back up the knees causing some medial knee strain.
Despite certainly wanting to do a scissor scene with oil the oil at the ankles presents a serious complication where the force production used to maintain the ankle grip would be significantly reduced as now we have the bosu ball in the truck issue added into the mix. If you were able to maintain the ankle grip so much energy would be going into stabilizing it that force production into your victim's body would be severely reduced. Experimentation is needed to resolve this issue though I think I am going to try various grip creams or chalks to see if they help to counteract oil. BTW, what oils are you guys wrestling with? I feel like everyone uses baby oil but I could see massage oil or coconut oils as being other good options (then someone speaks up and says they roll in J-Lube powder, lol). Some research has suggested KT tape or cohesive tape may be resistant to oil and I have used various athletic tapes (zinc oxide) for rolling in BJJ without them coming off.
For oil free applications I do think foot and ankle taping or the wearing of boots is probably the best way to address the ankle lock stability issue. While I mentioned that I sometimes feel strain on the medial side of my knee I also feel it sometimes inferior and lateral to it suggesting some strain along the origin of the fibularis muscles so possible taping of that area may reduce strain to the tendon but keep in mind that there are exposed nerves and blood pathways in the popliteal fossa (the space behind the knee) that we don't want to compress.