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Strength? Endurance? How Are You Combining?

StrongFirst

StrongFirst

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From the most recent StrongFirst newsletter:

"Should I train for strength or endurance? The answer is yes."

"How do we do it? By keeping it simple ..."

... and goes on to give a few examples of combining the two, then asks, "How are you combining?" and suggests posting your answer on the forum.

Here's your chance to tell us.

(Don't get the newsletter? Links to two articles, one about strength and the other about endurance and the common thing both offer, are contained therein. Don't miss the next one, sign up here: Newsletter | StrongFirst)
 
I guess I'll go first. Simply, I combine strength and endurance with a lot of reps.

The standard is to train six days a week, though sometimes I will take a second day off. Sometimes one of the workouts will be a RowErg time trial, but the remaining four to six workouts have the same format: I start with either just Turkish Get-ups, or a sequence/complex of Turkish Get-ups, Tame the Arc, Clean and Press, and Snatches with the same kettlebell. Then I do a few dozen mace swings with a few lunges. Then I do the high-rep kettlebell High-Pulls. Today was lighter (in both weight and volume) because I felt I did a bit too much yesterday, so I did 3 sets of 190 reps with a 20kg kettlebell, letting my heart rate get below 120 before starting the next set. Yesterday, it was 16 sets of 32 reps with a 28kg kettlebell, again letting my heart rate get below 120 before starting the next set. I regularly use 24kg and 32kg as well. I expect to resume using the 40kg StrongFirst kettlebell when I am more comfortable with 20-24 rep sets with 32kg. Afterwards I make sure to stretch my hamstrings, but that's about it. These workouts generally take me almost an hour altogether.
 
My plan is to run AXE 2 days a week all year long. Alongside that will be 2 days of strength/hypertrophy.
Recently I finished an 8-week BuiltStrong Minimalist plan, but doing 2 days a week instead of the program's 3 days a week. Alternating between the BuiltStrong program and AXE 1-hand swings was fun and engaging. I play hockey in the evenings, this type of programming has been very beneficial to skating acceleration and overall conditioning.
 
5/3/1 volume block 3x a week (basically working up to a top 5/5, 3/5, 1/5), LISS jogging 3x a week for 30-45 minutes for another couple weeks (6 week block of LISS). cutting down some jogging days on the "1's" weeks around squat and deadlift days.

Already seeing great improvements with intraset recovery.

Here is the basic layout:
Week 1 (5's week)
Squat
jog
bench
jog
deadlift
jog
press

Week 2 (3's week)
Squat
jog +5-10min
bench
jog +5-10min
deadlift
jog +5-10min
press

Week 3 (1's week)
Squat
jog
bench
rest
deadlift
jog
press

Run LISS for 6 weeks. After Replace 2-3x days of LISS with high intensity intervals (eg, hill sprints driven by HR recovery) Half rounds on 1's week.

Blatantly stolen from Tactical Barbell 2: Conditioning.
 
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Strength
LISS
off
Strength
Strength
LISS
off

Strength currently is S&S, but I am playing around with the thought of exchanging that eventually…Iron Cardio, the Giant, KSK and others are viable options from my perspective.
LISS is mostly C2 Erg for 45-60 minutes. Sometimes rucking or cycling.
 
Great Question. Looking forward to the responses.
For myself i try to keep it simple combining strength and endurance.

Focus: BJJ/Wrestling (3-4x/week) and staying prepared for life's challenges.

Strength+Endurance: Alternating blocks of AXE and Q&D with (Snatches 32/24 kg and Swings 40/32 kg). Additionally, I perform get-ups (1+1/5 with 40 kg) approximately every other week, completing each session in around 15 minutes. Could this be considered "Strength Aerobics"?

Endurance (Zone 2): On most Sundays, I enjoy hiking or cycling purely for the fun of it.

Filling the gaps (strength, endurance, mobility, fun): I include crawling, carries, clubbell exercises, jump rope, pull-ups, and knee prehab (focusing on squats, calves, and tibialis) to address any weaknesses and maintain overall fitness.

At the moment, I'm quite satisfied with my strength and endurance levels. However, in the future, I'd like to explore the effects of incorporating double kettlebells, particularly through programs like Iron Cardio and BJJ Fanatics (LCCJ). Additionally, I have my sights set on achieving a 1/2 BW Press, which equates to 40 kg.
 
I'm doing the K1 Program from Hardstyle Method. I really like the approach of being 'strong enough' and using the strength to build more (power) endurance. So last week I did 20 Get up's, 12 sets low-pull snatches and some abwork, with a peak heartrate of 151 in ~ an hour.

Furthermore, I'm a Dutchie, we live with our bicycles. So besides the strength aspect, I cycle a lot and nearly every day, bringing the kids to school, picking, them up for lunch, bringing them to school again, picking them up again, to work, from work, small groceries, etc.

So, my endurance wouldn't turn a marathons runners head, and my strength wouldn't turn a powerlifters head, I do think I have enough from both to be healthy.
 
My plan this year is to work on my strength 2- 3 days a week, Endurance 1-2 days a week and BJJ class 1-2 days a week and a dedicated rest day each week. I try to keep the prescribed number for each session each week flexible because life requires me to be flexible with my time. At a total minimum I try to hit 2 strength sessions and 1 BJJ class per week.

For strength, I have begun using alternating blocks of DC&P and snatches by alternating the Giant series and King Sized Killer as described in various threads here on the forum.

For my endurance sessions I have been using the HRST Plan 2301-A from the SF article by Kenneth Bolyard. On nice weekend days I will try to get out and replace one of those HRST sessions with a hike/ruck in the woods or go for a LISS bike ride.

Last year, I used a similar breakdown as far as the number of sessions per week. I ran various strength protocols including but not limited to the Giant, Dry Fighting Weight, and Built Strong Minimalist and my endurance training consisted of LISS rowing and stationary cycling.
 
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Main goal currently is an endurance run.

3x slow jog for 1 hour
1x slow jog for 2 hours
1x A&A snatch session
1x A&A one arm swing

3x getups as part of the warmup on the kettlebell days.

Sometimes: A&A pistol squats from the plan in the newsletter.
 
Very generally speaking as my training can be impacted by work and travel (essentially I am moving days around to fit everything in over the course of a week):

- Strength
  • 5/3/1 5's Pro & 5x5 FSL Standing OHP
  • 5/3/1 5x5 FSL Deficit Deadlift
  • Accessory Work (mix of pull-ups, push-ups, ab wheel roll outs, walking lunges w/ a weight vest)

- Endurance; "Threshold" Intervals (C2 erg)
  • 3k warm up
  • 6 - 10x 1k (1:00 rest)
  • 3k cool down

- Endurance; Steady State (C2 erg)
  • 15k steady

- Strength
  • 5/3/1 5x5 FSL Standing OHP
  • 5/3/1 5's Pro & 5x5 FSL Deficit Deadlift
  • Accessory Work (mix of pull-ups, push-ups, ab wheel roll outs, walking lunges w/ a weight vest)

- Endurance; "Speed" Intervals (C2 erg)
  • 3k warm up
  • 6 - 10x 500m (2:00 rest)
  • 3k cool down

- Endurance; Steady State (C2 erg)
  • 15k - 18k steady or
  • 10k - 12k steady into 5k - 6k run (row/run brick)
 
It's been a while since I last followed a seven-day training week.

My current schedule comprises four-day training weeks, iterating themselves ad nauseam.
  • Day one: strength training (Easy RPEing).
  • Day two: martial arts (BJJ mostly).
  • Day three: low effort cardio (Niko-Niko or Maffetone).
  • Day four: rest.
 
Novocaine by @Justin_M

Block 1- S&S
Block 2- LISS
Block 3- Q&D 033
Block 4- LISS
Block 5- S&S
Block 6- A+A Snatches (SF Endurance)
Block 7- LISS

At least 3 blocks per week

Add in each week:

sets of weighted pullups (3x per week)
Jiujitsu sparring rounds
barbell bench & deadlift 1 day per week
handstand progressions (just for fun)

Repeat.
 
I’ve tried a lot of different combos but my favorite one so far has been cycling and calisthenics. also what I'm currently doing. As a busy dad I find that I can get this training done almost anywhere (calisthenics) and commute to work on the bike. Leaves little room for excuses but extreme flexibility. I always feel like I look great when doing this as well.
 
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