Optimal Progress Is Slower Than You Think

The pursuit of strength and health have taught me that consistent and sustainable efforts beat inconsistent heroic efforts every time.  The last 2 years especially have been a game of progressing by inches instead of miles, but I have covered many miles none the less.

It has taken me 18 months to fully recover from donating a kidney, concurrently with 13 months to recover from major knee surgery.  I have found the following to be the safest and most consistent way to build durability, strength, work capacity, and mobility.

Principles of Optimal Progress

  • Durability:
    • You need repeated exposure to a specific load to build up your connective tissue.  Your tendons, ligaments, and cartilage strength more slowly than your muscles
    • Work on stabilization: targeted core exercises help some. Controlling the rep speed and movement quality helps most

  • Strength:
    • Double progression is all you need to avoid plateauing for many years.  My favorite approach is Volume Accumulation.  The example below seems slow, but for me it has proven to be the fastest I can go and sustain injury free progress for months and months at a time:
      • week 1: squat 5x5 @ 225lbs
      • week 2: squat 5x6 @ 225lbs
      • week 3: squat 5x7 @225lbs
      • ....
      • week6: squat 5x10 @ 225lbs
      • week 7: squat 5x5 @ 245lbs
      • ....
      • week 12: squat 5x10 @ 245lbs

  • Work Capacity:
    • A little Metabolic Conditioning goes a long way.  My previous post shares some ideas on MetCon training.  I have found one session per week to be ideal. Including a 5 minute warmup, I can grind out a soul-rattling MetCon day in as little as 40 minutes.

    • Power Circuits: All of my strength work is in 3-movement circuits (legs, push, pull).  When using rep ranges of 3-8, you are simultaneously building strength and developing work capacity because the circuits keep your heart rate up the whole time.  5 rounds of 3 movements, kept to 90 seconds per station is a killer 22.5 minute strength and conditioning circuit!!!

  • Mobility:
    • I don't spend a lot of time doing dedicated mobility work.  Rather, I use mobility enhancing movements for my MetCon sessions.
    • 25 minutes of 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest of a handful of mobility drills makes a fat scorching MetCon that simultaneously improves your flexibility and mobility.

Putting It All Together

Here is a 2 week sample that adheres to the principles above.  I hope it is kickstarts some ideas of your own.

Week 1
Monday:
  1. Warm-up:
    a. Down Dog to Cobra: 1min
    b. Mountain Climber stretch: 1 min
    c. Floor Scorpion: 1 min
    d. Table Top: 1 min
    e. Jumping Jacks: 1 min

  2. Power Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Squat: 5 x 5
    b. Hang Clean & Press: 5 x 5
    c. Pullup:  5 x 5

  3. Medium Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Cossack squat: 5 x 10 each
    b. Incline dumbbell curl: 5 x 10
    c. Skull crusher: 5 x 15

Wednesday:
  1. Warm-up:
    a. Down Dog to Cobra: 1min
    b. Mountain Climber stretch: 1 min
    c. Floor Scorpion: 1 min
    d. Table Top: 1 min
    e. Jumping Jacks: 1 min

  2. MetCon: 20 min AMRAP
    a. Kettlebell swing x 15
    b. Hindu pushup x 15
    c. Ab wheel x 15
    d. Beast to Kick through bridge x 10 each

  3. Finisher: 15 mins on treadmill or stationary bike

Friday:
  1. Warm-up:
    a. Down Dog to Cobra: 1min
    b. Mountain Climber stretch: 1 min
    c. Floor Scorpion: 1 min
    d. Table Top: 1 min
    e. Jumping Jacks: 1 min

  2. Power Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Deadlift: 5 x 5
    b. Incline bench press: 5 x 5
    c. Pendlay Row:  5 x 5

  3. Medium Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Reverse lunge: 5 x 10 each
    b. EZ-bar curl: 5 x 10
    c. French press: 5 x 15

Week 2
Monday:
  1. Warm-up:
    a. Down Dog to Cobra: 1min
    b. Mountain Climber stretch: 1 min
    c. Floor Scorpion: 1 min
    d. Table Top: 1 min
    e. Jumping Jacks: 1 min

  2. Power Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Squat: 5 x 6
    b. Hang Clean & Press: 5 x 6
    c. Pullup:  5 x 6

  3. Medium Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Cossack squat: 5 x 11 each
    b. Incline dumbbell curl: 5 x 11
    c. Skull crusher: 5 x 16

Wednesday:
  1. Warm-up:
    a. Down Dog to Cobra: 1min
    b. Mountain Climber stretch: 1 min
    c. Floor Scorpion: 1 min
    d. Table Top: 1 min
    e. Jumping Jacks: 1 min

  2. MetCon: 5 rounds of  (40 sec work / 20 sec rest)
    a. Alternating glute bridge
    b. Beast toe taps
    c. L-sit to table top
    d. Kettlebell windmills
    e. Burpees

  3. Finisher: 15 mins on treadmill or stationary bike

Friday:
  1. Warm-up:
    a. Down Dog to Cobra: 1min
    b. Mountain Climber stretch: 1 min
    c. Floor Scorpion: 1 min
    d. Table Top: 1 min
    e. Jumping Jacks: 1 min

  2. Power Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Deadlift: 5 x 6
    b. Incline bench press: 5 x 6
    c. Pendlay Row:  5 x 6

  3. Medium Circuit: 5 rounds, 90 seconds per movement
    a. Reverse lunge: 5 x 11 each
    b. EZ-bar curl: 5 x 11
    c. French press: 5 x 16

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