all posts post new thread

Other/Mixed GTG vs. Easy Strength volume

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

Oscar

Level 7 Valued Member
Hi all,

I'm curious about the comparison of recommended volume between Naked Warrior and Easy Strength. As far as I recall from the books, both programs are daily training. Easy Strength suggests a volume of about 10 reps per day. About NW, there are no specific volume guidelines as far as I remember, only as frequent as possible as fresh as possible.

If I understood NW correctly, that could be as much as 10 sets of 5 throughout the day, which is a lot more than the 10 reps recommended in Easy Strength. However, ES is of 5 exercises, and NW only two.

I have been doing NW with Lego squats and archer push ups. Volume has been of about 4-5 sets of 3-5 reps, so a total of 12 to 25 reps per day. So far I'm progressing slowly but steadily, I'm close to achieving a pistol with my left leg and I have reduced the elevation I need for one arm push up. I haven't been doing more volume due to recovery, mostly. With the volume I do I'm managing to train every day needing a day off once per week more or less.

So I guess the question is: if the programs are similar in many aspects, why is NW volume so much higher? And is NW volume actually as high as 50 reps per day? Or 5x5 would be more reasonable?
 
Last edited:
NW = less intensity and more volume

ES = more intensity and less volume.

-S-
 
@Oscar

Check out Dan John's podcast, he answers questions about Easy Strength programming all the time. A sample of how he is currently thinking about it is as follows:

5 days on / 2 days off

Sample day -

* AB Wheel - 10 reps
* Barbell DL - 2 sets of 5
* KB Press - 2 sets of 5 ea side
* KB Farmer Walk 2 sets
* 2H KB Swing 5 sets of 15
 
I haven't done ES but a lot of GTG.

The GTG volume can be much higher. I don't like prescribed numbers at all with it. Sometimes it's a set a day, sometimes ten. And often there are off days.

I disagree with @Steve Freides ; in my experience the GTG intensity can be very high. Not "easy".
 
@Antti, I agree with you. For some lifts, the intensity needs to be high, particularly lifts where our goal is a larger 1RM. For other lifts, not so much. I think the barbell deadlift is an example where the intensity needs to be high.

But this is a relatively unusual use of GTG - but still a valid one. We usually talk about GTG as doing half as many reps as you could. I suppose, although I haven't thought about it in these terms before, that doing singles with a 2RM would be following the same principle. The potential problem is that, for many people, such a high intensity, done with high overall volume via GTG, would burn out their CNS.

-S-
 
@natewhite39 thanks, I haven't watched Dan John's podcast, I'll check it out.

@Steve Freides @Antti thanks for your thoughts. The question I have is that apparently I'm not being able to do that much volume even though the intensity I'm using is rather low.

For Lego squats, I just tested it and can do 8 reps to a comfortable stop. I have been doing 4-5 sets of 3 or 4 reps.

For archer push ups, I just tested and I can do 10 reps, grinding the last one. I have been doing 5 sets of 5.

So I seem to be following the GTG guideline of doing half the reps I could in each set. However, I can't do that many sets as I interpreted from NW book. I have been doing about 5 sets per day, I my understanding is that I should be able to do more. Maybe I can do more... my body is telling me I shouldn't though: some soreness in the quads, pecs and deltoids, slight soreness in patellar tendon, etc.
 
@Oscar, just be patient with increasing the volume. You might try a higher volume week followed by a purposefully lower volume week for a while.

-S-
 
@Antti, I agree with you. For some lifts, the intensity needs to be high, particularly lifts where our goal is a larger 1RM. For other lifts, not so much. I think the barbell deadlift is an example where the intensity needs to be high.

But this is a relatively unusual use of GTG - but still a valid one. We usually talk about GTG as doing half as many reps as you could. I suppose, although I haven't thought about it in these terms before, that doing singles with a 2RM would be following the same principle. The potential problem is that, for many people, such a high intensity, done with high overall volume via GTG, would burn out their CNS.

-S-

@natewhite39 thanks, I haven't watched Dan John's podcast, I'll check it out.

@Steve Freides @Antti thanks for your thoughts. The question I have is that apparently I'm not being able to do that much volume even though the intensity I'm using is rather low.

For Lego squats, I just tested it and can do 8 reps to a comfortable stop. I have been doing 4-5 sets of 3 or 4 reps.

For archer push ups, I just tested and I can do 10 reps, grinding the last one. I have been doing 5 sets of 5.

So I seem to be following the GTG guideline of doing half the reps I could in each set. However, I can't do that many sets as I interpreted from NW book. I have been doing about 5 sets per day, I my understanding is that I should be able to do more. Maybe I can do more... my body is telling me I shouldn't though: some soreness in the quads, pecs and deltoids, slight soreness in patellar tendon, etc.

I think the magic happens during the long rest periods.

In some manner the intensity may be dependent on the exercise. The KB press is something I have found very comfortable to do with relatively very heavy weights without warm-up. Squats may be different.

May be worth a while to do a third of possible reps instead of half.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom