Bodyweight Ideal Set/Rep Scheme for 2 Day a Week Strength Training

[JohnDoeman]

I've settled on my movements I want to improve / maintain while I train for the US Marshals but cannot decide or come up with a good set/rep & progression scheme for a 2 day a week program. Any thoughts?

I am doing Mon/Thurs and my movements are as follows:
Pull-Ups
Band Assist Pistol R
Hanging Leg Raise
Handstand Push-Up
Band Assist Pistol L
Head Bridge

I really like the Fighter Pull-Up Program but it is based on training 6 days a week. I wonder if that Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight Strength Program can be adapted to 2 days a week instead of 3? Anyhow, look forward to your suggestions.

 

[Deleted member 5559]

I also train strength 2 day/wk. Depending on the exact phase I'm in, it's roughly 10 sets of something. Strength I'll do 3 ladders of 2-3-5 or 1-2-3 for a total of 9 sets. More endurance will be 3 ladders of increasing reps like 5-10-15, then 10-15-20, then 15-20-25. A more power based phase is 10 rounds on the minute of 1-5x reps depending on the movement. For higher volume power endurance like what I consider the FPP to be, I break it up into a few small sessions throughout both days. That might look like doing the FPP twice each of the two days. Using the first half of the day to do 5,4,3,2,1 and the second half of the day to do it again.

 

[Stefano]

I totally agree with ladders...when I switched to Bodyweight training (from barbells) Ladders were the most effective template I tried...

Also a double progression model is very useful: for example, starting from 5x3 and working to 5x5, then find an harder variation of the exercise and start again with 5x3

 

[JohnDoeman]

@Bro Mo - I certainly forgot to consider the ladders. How would you perform them then? Would you do a full ladder for each movement before moving on? Or would you do each ladder in a circuit (i.e. 2 pull-ups, 2 pistol, 2 presses then 3 pull-ups, pistols...etc and so on)? I also want to ensure I keep it under an hour, and training twice a day is def not an option currently (wish it were!). I appreciate the great feedback!

 

[Steve Freides]

I've settled on my movements I want to improve / maintain while I train for the US Marshals but cannot decide or come up with a good set/rep & progression scheme for a 2 day a week program. Any thoughts?

I am doing Mon/Thurs and my movements are as follows:
Pull-Ups
Band Assist Pistol R
Hanging Leg Raise
Handstand Push-Up
Band Assist Pistol L
Head Bridge

I really like the Fighter Pull-Up Program but it is based on training 6 days a week. I wonder if that Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight Strength Program can be adapted to 2 days a week instead of 3? Anyhow, look forward to your suggestions.

@JohnDoeman, I might consider changing the order. It's been my experience, and that of a lot of other strength athletes as well, that if you're going to really use your abs in your training, training them separately ought to be kept separate, and ab exercises are often the last thing someone will do. I think I'd put your HLR at the end of your workout.

The other thing I'd recommend considering is planning to vary the workouts, e.g., for each movement you're doing, have day of something like triples with a 5RM and 5's with an 8-10RM, then make Day #1 the heavy day for half the movement and Day #2 the heavy day for the other half.

Last but not least, Fighter Pull-ups is a peaking program so far as I know, so I wouldn't plan on doing it on an ongoing basis. I think the idea is to get your ready for a test, and otherwise you might do it a few times a year at most.

-S-

 

[JohnDoeman]

@Steve Freides - What you said there with the leg raises makes sense. I will look to do exactly that and make it a cool-down style finisher. I do also like doing 1/2 and 1/2 each day for the heavy days. Seems it would keep me from burning out too quickly with my heavier endurance / conditioning that I am doing.

 

[Deleted member 5559]

How would you perform them then? Would you do a full ladder for each movement before moving on? Or would you do each ladder in a circuit (i.e. 2 pull-ups, 2 pistol, 2 presses then 3 pull-ups, pistols...etc and so on)?

Both. For strength with a barbell I do one big exercise at a time with some accessories between. For bodyweight endurance I will do it in a circuit or timed intervals of one movement before moving on to another. My training log has what I've been doing and each session is about an hour. The barbell days can run a little longer depending on how tight my rest intervals are.