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Bodyweight Naked Warrior on PTTP protocol

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Luke n Strong

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Hey friends, I'm on a search for a simple long-time workout routine which is extremely effective on time and has a potential of keeping me generally fit. I also have one serious limitation which is a low ceiling (10 cm above my head) in an apartment from which I work and where I have some time to exercise during the day. I've been impressed by the simplicity of the Naked Warrior bodyweight program comprising of only 2 exercises which progressively evolve. However, GTD method is not really my cup of coffee. It doesn't work well with my lifestyle. What I would prefer more is a short daily dedicated time for a quick exercise before the lunch time. As I was searching internet, I found this thread where our @Steve Freides suggested a guy to try the NW routine in a PTTP protocol: Naked Warrior Training Routine??? If I got it right, this should be 2x5 Push Up variation followed by 2x5 single leg squat variation done on a daily basis. Honestly, I really like it. It seems like really matching what I'm looking for. Quick, straightforward, easy to keep discipline. Do you think guys, this could work in a long run ? If yes and if I got it right, I still struggle with the idea of progression. Should I do 5 reps in a row of an exercise and then occasionally test if I can make 10 in one go ? And if yes, progress to a higher level of the exercise and continue with 5 again ? Or can I alternatively involve higher number of reps, for example keep growing from 3 reps to 12 reps over the time and then switch to a higher level of exercise? I'm trying to figure it out, since PTTP suggest increasing load exercise by exercise by a little bit. But with BW moves like in NW, one can't increase load, only reps and then the level of the exercise alone. So to summarize it, I'd be thankful guys to hear your opinion if

1) This is a good solution
2) How to progress

And if @Steve Freides wants to join this conversation and help another struggling guy, I'd be happy :)
 
If I got it right, this should be 2x5 Push Up variation followed by 2x5 single leg squat variation done on a daily basis.
Yes, I think that could work. You'd want to do everything for both sides, so it would be PU x L x 5, PU x R x 5, then repeat that, then the same idea with pistols. There's a lot of stabilizer work for the unilateral exercises, so be sure to pick a variation of each that's not challenging, and if that still seems too much, you can try making it 3 sets of 5 done 3 days a week instead and see if that helps with recover.

-S-
 
Hey friends, I'm on a search for a simple long-time workout routine which is extremely effective on time and has a potential of keeping me generally fit. I also have one serious limitation which is a low ceiling (10 cm above my head) in an apartment from which I work and where I have some time to exercise during the day. I've been impressed by the simplicity of the Naked Warrior bodyweight program comprising of only 2 exercises which progressively evolve. However, GTD method is not really my cup of coffee. It doesn't work well with my lifestyle. What I would prefer more is a short daily dedicated time for a quick exercise before the lunch time. As I was searching internet, I found this thread where our @Steve Freides suggested a guy to try the NW routine in a PTTP protocol: Naked Warrior Training Routine??? If I got it right, this should be 2x5 Push Up variation followed by 2x5 single leg squat variation done on a daily basis. Honestly, I really like it. It seems like really matching what I'm looking for. Quick, straightforward, easy to keep discipline. Do you think guys, this could work in a long run ? If yes and if I got it right, I still struggle with the idea of progression. Should I do 5 reps in a row of an exercise and then occasionally test if I can make 10 in one go ? And if yes, progress to a higher level of the exercise and continue with 5 again ? Or can I alternatively involve higher number of reps, for example keep growing from 3 reps to 12 reps over the time and then switch to a higher level of exercise? I'm trying to figure it out, since PTTP suggest increasing load exercise by exercise by a little bit. But with BW moves like in NW, one can't increase load, only reps and then the level of the exercise alone. So to summarize it, I'd be thankful guys to hear your opinion if

1) This is a good solution
2) How to progress

And if @Steve Freides wants to join this conversation and help another struggling guy, I'd be happy :)

I would add a pull (row, pull-up) because in NW Pavel recommends adding a pull if doing it over the long run.

You might want to look up Easy Strength (book) or Dan John's Even Easier Strength (article) for some insight on how NW-on-PTTP-protocol might be structured.

Also, NW doesn't get enough love. It's description of tension mastery is so good and not really found in any other calisthenics book.
 
I would add a pull (row, pull-up) because in NW Pavel recommends adding a pull if doing it over the long run.

You might want to look up Easy Strength (book) or Dan John's Even Easier Strength (article) for some insight on how NW-on-PTTP-protocol might be structured.

Also, NW doesn't get enough love. It's description of tension mastery is so good and not really found in any other calisthenics book.
Thank you @3letterslong , yes, adding a pull is a good idea. I have a chinup bar in the door and a couple of times a week I do some random chin ups. Although I think Pavel was talking about the hip hinge pull... nevertheless, pull up/chin up complements it well, too
 
I would add a pull (row, pull-up) because in NW Pavel recommends adding a pull if doing it over the long run.

You might want to look up Easy Strength (book) or Dan John's Even Easier Strength (article) for some insight on how NW-on-PTTP-protocol might be structured.

Also, NW doesn't get enough love. It's description of tension mastery is so good and not really found in any other calisthenics book.
Thank you @Steve Freides , so 5times a week 2x5+2x5 L+R or alternatively 3times a week 3x5+3x5 L+R seems a good solution. But I still wonder how to progress. What is a good moment to go for a more difficult push up/pistol variation ? When it seems easy or when I can do a certain number of reps ?
 
But I still wonder how to progress.
One thing you might try is staying with the variation you already "own" for some time and progressing it by either pausing one or more times (the dynamic-isometric technique described in Naked Warrior) or going "two steps forward, one step back" as Pavel has suggested in the Russian Kettlebell Challenge.

So assuming you are doing box pistols and gradually working your way down to the full one-legged squats you may train like this:
Week 1: 2x5 regular box pistols.
Week 2: 2x5 box pistols with two-second pauses on the bottom, in the middle and in the lockout.
Week 3: 2x5 box pistols done like: down 2/3 of the way, up 1/3, down to the box, up 2/3, down 1/3, up to the lockout.
Week 4: 2x3 regular box pistols (deload).
Week 5: 2x5 full pistols (or box pistols with a smaller box than in week 1).

I started training grinds this way some months ago and I only regret not getting the idea sooner.

These techniques are a great way to quickly improve the skill of tension and to optimize your form, and using them seems to compensate somehow for the relatively low volume. You can regress and progress them both; the dynamic-isometric by either adding more stops or pausing for a longer time; the 2-1 by adding more reversals (in fact in the original RKC book Pavel suggests going up two inches, going back one and continuing this until you finish the lift - needless to say you might not be able to go this hard initially).

One more thing: as Steve notes, the volume may be too much and this goes double if you decide to use the aforementioned techniques. In my own practice I noticed 2x5 daily is hard to recover from and a single five (five left, five right on an unilateral exercise) is enough to progress. However, I do several exercises this way and have some recovery problems unrelated to training, so my insights may not apply to you - just keep the possibility in mind.

If you decide to try this I'd appreciate if you shared later how it went.
 
Thank you @Steve Freides , so 5times a week 2x5+2x5 L+R or alternatively 3times a week 3x5+3x5 L+R seems a good solution. But I still wonder how to progress. What is a good moment to go for a more difficult push up/pistol variation ? When it seems easy or when I can do a certain number of reps ?
Let's remember that @Karen Smith is our resident expert on bodyweight programming. I am responding because I've found 2 sets of 5 with a lot of things, a la PTTP, seems to work for many things so it seems worth a try to me. The tricky thing is figuring out a suitable variation you can do daily.

-S-
 
One thing you might try is staying with the variation you already "own" for some time and progressing it by either pausing one or more times (the dynamic-isometric technique described in Naked Warrior) or going "two steps forward, one step back" as Pavel has suggested in the Russian Kettlebell Challenge.

So assuming you are doing box pistols and gradually working your way down to the full one-legged squats you may train like this:
Week 1: 2x5 regular box pistols.
Week 2: 2x5 box pistols with two-second pauses on the bottom, in the middle and in the lockout.
Week 3: 2x5 box pistols done like: down 2/3 of the way, up 1/3, down to the box, up 2/3, down 1/3, up to the lockout.
Week 4: 2x3 regular box pistols (deload).
Week 5: 2x5 full pistols (or box pistols with a smaller box than in week 1).

I started training grinds this way some months ago and I only regret not getting the idea sooner.

These techniques are a great way to quickly improve the skill of tension and to optimize your form, and using them seems to compensate somehow for the relatively low volume. You can regress and progress them both; the dynamic-isometric by either adding more stops or pausing for a longer time; the 2-1 by adding more reversals (in fact in the original RKC book Pavel suggests going up two inches, going back one and continuing this until you finish the lift - needless to say you might not be able to go this hard initially).

One more thing: as Steve notes, the volume may be too much and this goes double if you decide to use the aforementioned techniques. In my own practice I noticed 2x5 daily is hard to recover from and a single five (five left, five right on an unilateral exercise) is enough to progress. However, I do several exercises this way and have some recovery problems unrelated to training, so my insights may not apply to you - just keep the possibility in mind.

If you decide to try this I'd appreciate if you shared later how it went.
Thank you Timothy, something like that I was looking for ;) Concerning the workload, however, there's still one thing I don't get. We're talking about 1x5 or 2x5 with regard to healthy recovery... but in the book, the concept of GTD is 5x5 or more every day. Of course, with larger time gaps in between. But does it make that much difference if you do 2 sets after esch other versus doing 5+ stretched throughout the day ?
 
Thank you Timothy, something like that I was looking for ;) Concerning the workload, however, there's still one thing I don't get. We're talking about 1x5 or 2x5 with regard to healthy recovery... but in the book, the concept of GTD is 5x5 or more every day. Of course, with larger time gaps in between. But does it make that much difference if you do 2 sets after esch other versus doing 5+ stretched throughout the day ?
Recovery is the key. The biggest challenge with straight GTG is hitting the exact sweet spot between overtraining and not doing enough. If you can reliably do that, you may see better results than with the solution I suggest - but it's quite hard to consistently do. Having a prescribed, manageable set/rep scheme takes that problem off your shoulders. Pavel has called his 40-day Challenge program (that prescribes up to 10 daily reps in each lift) "organized approach to grease-the-groove".
 
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