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Other/Mixed How Many Movements Can You GTG at The Same Time?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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awito

awito

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Hey all,

Quick question. How many movements can you do GTG with at the same time?

For example, if I did a "push" movement, "pull" movement, and "leg" movement at the same time, would that be too much volume and overall stress on the body?

Should GTG be only done with one movement at a time? And if so, for how long can it be done for?
 
Hello,

Usually, that's 1 or 2. Indeed, GTG is made for improving technique (and so gaining strength).

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Like everyone else has said, the recommended limit is two.

That being said, look at it this way:

GtG works by giving you microdoses of the movement. The more movements you add, the more dosage ("load") you are adding to your body. The more dosage you add per "GtG session" the less of a microdose it becomes and the more recovery your system will need to reap the intended effects.

For example:

This is a very generalized look at load on the body. Obviously different exercises have different challenges, load, recovery, etc. But let's pretend you found a pushup, pullup, and pistol variation that made each feel about equally hard.

You could GtG pushups and pistols for say, 6-8 sets per day. Let's say you do 3 reps of each per GtG session. So your total volume (combining reps from each exercise) is 36-48 reps. That's 6-8 sets of 3 reps times 2 exercises.

If you added a pull (pushup, pullup, pistol) also at three reps, the same number of sets brings that total rep count to 54-72 reps; 6-8 sets of 3 reps times 3 exercises.

See the difference?

You could do three moves, but you would have to reduce the number of sets per day to keep yourself from essentially doing multiple full training sessions per day. It may be workable IF you manage to stay feeling fresh at all times. That last point would have to be non-negotiable.
 
If you are serious about GtG you owe it to yourself to buy Naked Warrior and read it cover to cover -- even if you have no intention of using the one-arm pushup and pistol. From the FAQs in the back:

"It’s best not to GTG with more than two unrelated exercises, but you may add other exercises that don’t overlap much with the pistol and the one-arm pushup. For instance, deadlifts or pullups are good and bench presses are not. Handstand pushups are marginal; they “smoke” many of the muscles heavily involved in the one-arm pushup but in a very different plane. You might try them and see what happens. To keep it simple, do your other strength exercises, with bodyweight or with iron, two to three times a week for 5x5. Just realize that the more you add to your daily training, the more likely you are to overtrain."
 
Slight sidetrack- but if multiple short sessions per day suit your schedule there are many ways to make progress even if it doesn’t quite match GTG a la Pavel T. Strength Shortcuts springs to mind as do “exercise snacks” - a term I first heard from a guy who called himself Zen Kahuna on YouTube. On days I have to work, I have been doing some mobility and McGill big 3 in the morning, and then a short 20 minute or less session (including warmup) in the evening. Sometime in between I sneak in one or two sets of 10 pull-ups wearing my duty gear. It keeps me fresh enough to work, and makes me feel like I’m at least maintaining on those days.
 
tomstranger said:
Slight sidetrack- but if multiple short sessions per day suit your schedule there are many ways to make progress even if it doesn’t quite match GTG a la Pavel T. Strength Shortcuts springs to mind as do “exercise snacks” - a term I first heard from a guy who called himself Zen Kahuna on YouTube. On days I have to work, I have been doing some mobility and McGill big 3 in the morning, and then a short 20 minute or less session (including warmup) in the evening. Sometime in between I sneak in one or two sets of 10 pull-ups wearing my duty gear. It keeps me fresh enough to work, and makes me feel like I’m at least maintaining on those days.
Click to expand...
I love this style of training and need to get back to it. It keeps me feeling fresher throughout the day, as opposed to one longer session which usually needs a little down time right after.
 
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