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Bodyweight Mixing GTG and high rep body weight?

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Hello,

@Bunn
Considering your pretty active life, how did you notice you got beaten up ? What were the "symptoms" ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Hello,

@Bunn
Considering your pretty active life, how did you notice you got beaten up ? What were the "symptoms" ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
Short answer, I got older and the years caught up. My biggest issues are worn out elbows, tendonitis in both, both knees, and both hips. A lot of high mileage in my youth. Some of the hip issues would have been solved if I knew then what I know now about proper technique and form while running.

Unfortunately for me I did not learn about Pavel, kettlebells, and proper training until 2001 or 202. That had a great impact on my training and saved me a few more years of wear before my retirement. I am now considerably stronger than 15 years ago, but the damage to the joints is done.

For the most part in American SOF units the days of run faster, farther and do more calisthenics are over. The exception being some selection programs, and that is more about testing mental resolve, not physical ability.
 
Hello @Pavel Macek

I get your point. I guess this is a matter of purpose, as you just stated.

Nonetheless, as a more general question, why the does military (including elite forces then) keep using this kind of methodology for ages to select and train the soldiers ? Indeed, if they are not healthy they can not perform. It remains - at least for me - difficult to consider that the best soliders we have are not healthy.

Kind regards,

Pet'

The US military completely changed it's approach to physical testing. Army Combat Fitness Test because the previous system was not effective. It now contains deadlifts and loaded carries and power movements.

The reason for high rep bodyweight was the convenience probably. If you have a whole platoon to work out, that is a lot of equipment you need otherwise. One reason the kettlebell is so popular in the military.

No expert here, but as far as I understand it, selection is meant to break a potential soldier down physically to see what mental fitness is left, so they can rebuild them physically and mentally with the confidence from having survived such a short-term ordeal. The opposite of GPP training for general populations.
 
I personally prefer.

- relatively low reps (up to 5) for strength
- relatively high reps (dozens - usually matching my age, well, every year one damned rep more... ) as "weighted mobility" for movement variety and healthy joints. Very easy exercises of course, such as Hindu pushups, back bridges, Hack squats, and so on.

Staying in the middle means not many strength gains, and getting quite sore.

What about GTG sets of 50% rep max on the hour for pushups for example. You don't think this is a good way to train?
 
Nonetheless, as a more general question, why the does military (including elite forces then) keep using this kind of methodology for ages to select and train the soldiers ? Indeed, if they are not healthy they can not perform. It remains - at least for me - difficult to consider that the best soliders we have are not healthy.
Hello @pet'
Have you been in the army? I am asking , because if you are young enough, you probably did not have to (we both are French, so we can relate on this topic).
I did the officer's training back in 2000 in the Air Force. Let's keep in mind that most of us were going to serve in administration for a few months, so even if we had to demonstrate a minimum level of physical fitness to pass, it was nothing super high.
There were three tests:
- one "kind of endurance" 3 Km run (if I recall properly, not really sure, but it was more than 1,5 and less than 5);
- one "sprint": swim 100m, then immediately swim 10 m underwater;
- one "strength" test: climb a 5m rope, go down, then climb it again. With the time constraints, you basically had to do it with arms only to do it fast enough and score well.
Except for the run, it was not really endurance-oriented. And we were mostly destined to an administrative role! The commandos I knew (even in the Air force, so not special forces) were not training just endurance.
 
Hello @jef

I am not part of the military and I have never been.

I was just asking because in the boxing session, there is a successful guy who trains that way (massive amount of running, swimming, abs, push ups and pull ups). This is pretty much the only things he does. He only plays with weights when he goes for rucking.

His method of training makes me thing about the "Lafay's method". As a French, do you know it ? What do you think about it ?

Most of the time, I really like to get some inspiration from "tried and true" methods who works. In addition to that I was especially interested because he is the first guy of this "category" I have ever met. So it gives some kind of "reality" to the training. He is kind enough to answer my questions.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@pet'
I am aware of the Lafay method, but not in details. I just had a quick glance at one of the books, but no more, so I cannot comment.

I would be cautious with one guy having success with a particular approach. We rarely know everything, and we don't know if another approach would not have been more effective (and more efficient, which is what many of the people I teach to are after). It is only anecdotal evidence. A collection of those gives a hint, but one does not mean much.
 
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