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Operation Unicorn

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I don't believe in motivation. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is the key to success, and you are disciplined, thus success is inevitable. Just paddle and your boat will reach the shore.
 
I've seemed to have lost my guiding light a little this week.

I suspect this may be symptom of rehabbing an injury, particularly one that takes a long time to heal. I'm currently dealing with a lingering wrist strain. Doesn't completely stop me from doing things, but it's randomly uncomfortable, and has lasted for a month or two now - feels like it will continue for a while as well. I feel like it's doing very bad things to my motivation lately. It's a bit like driving with the emergency brake on - most of the flesh is willing, but at the same time, there's this instinctive (and very reasonable) voice in my head whispering "why are you making yourself uncomfortable? Heal, stupid."

Wouldn't surprise me if you're feeling something similar with the appendectomy. Hard to get excited about a long, slow recovery.
 
As it is I'm coming back from an injury and I'm forced to use lighter weights. If it's not exercise specific I can do longer sets and tougher variations. Like if my back or side doesn't like heavy triples on the bench press, I do long sets of close grip. I think in my case the longer sets may turn out to be a welcome novelty that actually accelerates progress.
 
Tried some sprints on the skierg yesterday with success. Still able to hit 680 watts after a few week hiatus. I did them A+A style alternating with snatches with the 32kg which also felt fine. I normally don't like snatches because I have kind of small hands and they really tear them up. However, because I alternated them with the skierg, my hands got enough a rest between sets that they were fine and it was more enjoyable. Rogue also got their 40kg bell back in stock so that is on the way and I'm looking forward to using it. Mostly for TGUs, my 32 is just getting too light to capture my focus during the TGU. The swings and snatches just move faster with the lighter bells. I can still use my 24kg for snatches, the RPMs are just a bit faster. I can't really use the 24kg for swings though and the 32kg is almost too light for swings but the float is just a bit more.

Did a Q&D session this morning with sprints and push-ups. I did an A+A session of sprints and push-ups last weekend which went fine. The Q&D session was on 5/4 timing. I started to slow down a little on the 4th set of the 4th sprint cluster. For A+A and Q&D sprints, using same side foot strikes works phenomenal for the reps compared to using time.

Another two weeks of dipping my toes into overloading levels. I plan to reduce my training frequency a little lower still. For a long time, I was training 6 days per week, then a few months ago, I shifted to 4 days per week due to my work schedule. I like 4 days per week, but I many even do some weeks of only 3 sessions. I am not as concerned with the technical proficiency of higher frequency and light days and those days are probably just better as off days or used to mow the lawn or something. I feel like my sessions are hard enough that lower frequency manages fatigue a little better and optimizes the SRA curve more toward greater stimulation and associated adaptation. I'm looking at 3 and 4 day per week schedules to look like:
3 Day 4 Day
D1HardMedium
D2OffHard
D3HardOff
D4OffMedium
D5HardHard
D6OffOff
D7OffOff

Hard (48-72h Rest): Barbell or Sprints
Medium (24h Rest): KB or Ski

I also want to shift to having my weekend clear to either makeup a missed session or be able to go camping or something else that would take me away from the home gym along with letting that weekly fatigue dissipate a little more with two consecutive off days.

I've been brainstorming a barbell progression using what I liked about using set replacement but changing what I didn't like about it. What I liked was the logistic ease of only having 3 working weights for an extended period and by not changing those weights, being able to always complete all scheduled reps regardless of stress, diet, recovery, etc. What I did not like was that it always felt like I was on the threshold. Perhaps simply doing a 3:1 deload week would have been enough but I wouldn't mind seeing new weight and rep records a little more frequently to stay motivated. The progression I'm considering looks like:
Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4
Week 180/580/580/5-
Week 280/585/380/575/8-10
Week 380/585/385/3-
Week 485/385/385/380/6+

I will either deload at the end only or do two deloads with one being in the middle after week 2. After that, I will use the 80/6+ set to calculate a new estimated max and work off those percentages the next cycle.

I haven't quite thought enough about the overload strategy I want to use for the A+A and Q&D work yet. I think the deload for those will just be some LISS skiing or short jogs though. They are a little more autoregulated by nature of being max output so I don't know if I need much progression planning. If anything, just increasing the number of repeats in a waved manner might be the best.

Just getting some thought organized and getting some harder efforts in this week has helped my motivation a bit. It also helped that my wife and I did both the ski/snatch and the sprint/push-up session together. ?
 
I haven't quite thought enough about the overload strategy I want to use for the A+A and Q&D work yet. I think the deload for those will just be some LISS skiing or short jogs though. They are a little more autoregulated by nature of being max output so I don't know if I need much progression planning. If anything, just increasing the number of repeats in a waved manner might be the best.
Ughh! Strained my hamstring a little yesterday on some 10/2 Q&D sprints. It was on the second set of the first cluster before any energy fatigue set in to slow me down. After this, I think the 10/2 timing for sprints might be too intense for me. Not hitting glycolosis preventing lactic acid from putting on the natural brakes and the ability to be at 100% output with any amount of muscle fatigue is apparently a recipe for disaster. The 5/4 timing keeps me leaned over more like a hill and is a little less risky I think.

I want to continue sprinting to strengthen it so this doesn't perpetually happen but it's such a nagging injury. I've had a few knee surgeries ~15 years ago and after all these years the atrophy is still such that I strain my hamstring at least once per year, sometimes more, almost exclusively sprinting, during training, playing or work testing

This morning, my thoughts are that I will recover this and then religiously do nordics as part of my strength accessory work to try and fix it. Swings, deadlifts, RDLs, and everything else just hasn't provided that armor to the hamstrings. The physical therapy of hamstring curl machine and band curls isn't enough either apparently.

As far as big picture training is concerned, I'm starting to feel like it's pointless to try and improve my performance. Something happens whether it's an injury, an illness, or something else that interrupts everything and it feels like I'm just spinning my wheels starting from scratch every few months. I don't want to have the mentality that my prime is behind me but it sure feels like it is.
 
That sucks, @Bro Mo . I've heard it said before that speed is the first thing to decline as we get older, I wonder if the mechanism is just what you describe here - the recovery cost of increasing, or even maintaining, top speed is just higher than most of us can afford, so people fall into a cycle of injury.

I wonder if sprinting might actually not be a good movement for Q&D-style training? In my mind, a full-bore sprint is like "maxing out", whereas my read of Q&D is that you'd be using a bell light enough that you can swing it pretty fast. I wonder if full speed sprints might be analogous to trying to do Q&D by doing repeated one-rep maxes. I've never been trained as a sprinter myself, but I would guess that it might be best to vary intensity - some days no faster than 75%, that sort of thing.

If I recall correctly, @Denny Phillips and @ali are guys who are still out there pounding the track from time to time, maybe they've got some ideas...
 
@WhatWouldHulkDo

Rule of thumb is 1min rest for every 1sec or 10m of sprint. Q&D timing is a little abbreviated compared and every other time I've done it, the session ends up behaving more like a single 200m effort but the volume of a 400m if that makes sense. Similar to any cluster or rest-pause allowing a person to train a little more volume with higher intensity than if doing a single effort.

I think it's still a good protocol for sprinting but maybe not at my age, injury history, and conditioning levels for the 10/2 timing. Perhaps it's simply best to work on 30m with full rest and 300m with compressed rest instead of trying to be more physiologically fancy killing two birds with one stone.
 
Sprinting has become relative for me. I train explosive movements to the extent that I can maintain a measure of pop in my legs. I recall Pavel saying that Type II fibers can be developed by heavy load or by explosive movements, there is no third way. More than one sprint coach that I had discussions with stated that injury doesn't occur during the first step "at speed" but at the second. I think that age and biology (along with life's demands) require us to modify our thinking over time. While I still train for "speed" it is nothing of the sort that we usually associate with sprinting. Mostly strides at 75% or some "hollow sprints" (75%-float-75%), floating is attempting to get as close to total relaxation as one can get without losing speed. I seldom cut loose unless it's on hill "sprints" and even then it's not full speed, occasionally what I call "7/8ths Hickory." Typically I keep Dan John's words in mind where sprints are concerned, start off slow then taper.

You younger guys can get away with more, but I have and will maintain that the warm-up has to be thorough and longer than the target workout. If I can find them I will try to include a couple of our dynamic warm-up routines. I NEVER had an athlete go through them and not feel completely warmed and supple. I even adapted them to our college football players.

IMO you've got to include gradual speed progressions into the warm-up, to do some stretching and light running followed by intense speed work is an injury waiting to happen. Jim Wendler talks about establishing your max then setting your training percentages based on 90% of that max, you know the drill, 65%, 75%, 85% of the 90% for sets of five. There's gold in that advice.

If you want to stick to 30's with full rest that seems sound. Make haste slowly when compressing your 300m rest times. If your form breaks down scrub the mission for the day with either workout. If you start feeling like you can't pick your feet up effectively during 300's you have likely passed into lactic acid. It's okay to get to the point of lactic acid but once you reach that point, stop.
 
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Hello,

@Bro Mo
I hope you will recover fast.

When I practice sprints, I mostly listen to my body, instead of following a specific work to rest ratio. It probably is way less efficient than a properly designed protocol such as Q&D. Nonetheless, I am always afraid to get injured while performing these kind of power moves.

Basically, what I do, no matter it is a hill sprint or track sprint:
- I decide a starting point
- I decide an ending point (most of the time, I know I will not be able to reach it before I start slowing down, but this is voluntary)
- I sprint BUT stop as soon as I slow down (which may be roughly about 6-8s)

Then, I rest until I am 100% fresh (which may be roughly 60s later). Then, I repeat 8-10 times. Nonetheless, if I feel I am done before the 8th, then I stop, because I think less is better and prefer quality training. These long rests also permit me to recover faster afterwards.

Doing so, I have avoided injury until now, even if this is not the guarantee I will not be injured later no matter what. Of course, someone who follow the guidelines by the the book may progress more, but I deliberately choose to reduce efficacy to a certain extent, in favour of injury prevention.

Take care of you,

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I have not experienced any injuries that prevent me using the skierg. That piece of equipment has allowed me to train regardless. It's low impact enough that there is a way to use it to get the heart rate up whether I have a sore hamstring, cut abdominal muscle, meniscus tear, etc. It's just a fantastic piece of equipment. Got some time yesterday on the skierg and bench presses with a HIRT for hypertrophy session. Instead of swings because of my hamstring, I did 25x ski pulls which is about 30sec at about 450 watts (~65% max power). I thought it was interesting that the first bench set at 65% didn't really effect my heart rate but the other two at 65% did.
1594471171871.png

A few weeks ago, I did a similar effort of 30sec at about 450 watts but with only 4:30 active rest instead of 9:30. The heart zones are different for these two sessions but the heart rate came down much further with the HIRT for hypertrophy session and the spikes from the bench press were as high as the active recovery of the 30:430.
1594471629560.png

Yesterday I was provided a date for a fitness test for work in late September. I figure I have two options:
  1. Train for my daily needs (which will limit the scores on the test)
  2. Train specifically for the test (which isn't the best representation of my daily needs)
If I do option 2, I have 10 weeks to do 4 weeks of hypertrophy, 3 weeks of strength and 3 weeks of strength endurance. I tried the HIRT for hypertrophy session to see if it's an avenue I want to take for the first 4 weeks starting next week. I liked it but it makes for a long session for only one hypertrophy movement. I still need to get some upper pulling hypertrophy in addition to the upper pressing. I could probably alternate days of pulling and pressing and get all the aerobic base work from the ski/swing (depending on the hamstring). Alternatively, I could just do some OTM sets of 5 to get the density high and follow it with some short LISS which I've done in the past with good results.

For the strength block being so short, I think something like easy strength would be the right approach to get as many fresh fast reps as possible. I think I would probably do these as cluster sets to keep the power output even higher for the reps and the intensity up. This block is more about transitioning into running. By this point, my hamstring should be good to go as the strain this week was really mild. I need to train my lactate threshold during this block.

For the peaking block, FPP works and why mess with a good thing. It's adaptable to all the test movements and gets so much volume of training pace that I haven't found anything I like better than high frequency down ladders. The running works well doing 500-400-300-200-100 just the same and short rest (1:1) between intervals will work my VO2 max well.
 
I'm not the right person to ask, currently injured too, hehe!
Strange as it is, a calf strain on a very easy run and then something popped in the old knee doing a goblet squat. Sure there is a connection.

Hamstring strengthening....read up on JB Morin, a sports scientist and sprint researcher. Some interesting insights, may help your thinking into bullet proofing them as you get back into doing what you want to do.
Good luck!
 
Last week was decent except I only managed to get 4 of the 5 scheduled sessions in due to work. I was experimenting with a couple different rep schemes while keeping the session volume/density similar to see if I had a logistic preference. I tried 5x8, 8x5, and 7x1-2-3. I liked the ladders the best. Using the Impetus timer app, I can make the rest between rungs escalate which is a nice way to keep the session on pace.

I find myself migrating to ladders pretty regularly. There are a few aspects about them that I like. There are also so many different ways to use them that they seem to be versatile enough to fit any constraint. I've used them with high weights, low weights, up, down, various rep schemes, etc. They all have a few things in common: significant volume, built in warm-up, high quantity of first reps, built in fatigue management, etc. I think I am going to use them for the next few weeks of this hypertrophy cycle.

Another element I find myself getting more attached to, even though I had reservations about it, is only using 3 different intensities (S-, S, and S+) and replacing sets for a cycle. I think there were some flaws using one thing for an entire month but the logistic ease of having only 3 different levels is so simple. For ladders, I was thinking of keeping the number of ladders the same, week to week, but replacing the ladders with more rungs. S- = 1-2-3, S = 1-2-3-4, S+ = 1-2-3-4-5. Something like:
Ladder 1Ladder 2Ladder 3Ladder 4
Week 11-2-31-2-31-2-31-2-3
Week 21-2-31-2-3-41-2-31-2-3
etc.

I'm doing more presses than I do normally right now. I have been concentrating on using the barbell for the last long while that I haven't pressed my kettlebells in quite some time. I also finally received my 40kg. TGUs are a little easier than I was hoping but superset with deadlifts feels good. I am a proponent of using a weight as long as I can so I will commit to solely using the 40kg for the next year or two and squeeze as much as I can out of it before I worry about buying a 48kg. I still get use of my 24 and 32 so I know the 40kg will always have its place.

The hamstring feels good as I haven't been really been doing much of anything with it. I plan to start front squatting tomorrow to get some lower body work while minimizing any risk to my hamstring. I will try some light snatch grip deadlifts too as the upper back will limit the intensity to the hamstring I think. We'll see tomorrow.
 
Do you consider there to be a certain intensity range, as in % of 1RM, wherein ladders start to be more or less effective?
 
@Antti
BLUF: multiple escalating ladders ending with 80-90% of max seems to be the best for strength and strength endurance. Lots of volume with 70-80% seems to be decent for hypertrophy.

I have used them up to ~90% with decent success. A few of the methods I've tried have been:
  1. 2-4x 1-2-3 escalating with ~75/82/90% each ladder for squats and deadlifts which went well for my strength
  2. 2-4x 2-3-5 escalating with ~70/75/80% each ladder for bench press which went well for my strength
  3. 2-4x 3-5-8 escalating with ~60/65/70% each ladder for press which didn't seem to do much.
  4. Up ladder from 1-max on the minute with loads ranging from 30-80% for bench press which didn't seem to work as well only going up the ladder once. The DOMS from the ladders in the 70-80% range existed so perhaps they were doing something for hypertrophy that I just didn't notice.
  5. FPP down ladders with pull-ups (~70%) and push-ups (~50%). Tried them both GTG style and single session. Both seem to work just fine because the volume over the course of the weeks is quite high when doing it near every day. Can only do it for about 3 weeks though.
  6. 3x escalating rep ladders for push-ups (~50% 1RM bench press?) with 5-10-15, 10-15-20, 15-20-25 which went well for working on my endurance. I think these are more sustainable than FPP but I was only doing them a few times per week instead of everyday like FPP.
  7. Right now, I'm working with about 70% replacing ladders and it's going well. Getting significant volume with ease of recovery. I haven't measured my lean mass but I seem a little more defined in the mirror and the scale has gone up a little.
Now that I'm reflecting a bit, I think one of the elements that I've had the most success with is making the last rung of the last ladder a set to failure and trying to get the starting rung of the first to be close enough that equal escalation of some sort between ladders aligns to it. For push-ups and pull-ups I think ending with reps in the 80-90% of max range fits similar to % of 1RM for weighted movements.
 
@Antti
BLUF: multiple escalating ladders ending with 80-90% of max seems to be the best for strength and strength endurance. Lots of volume with 70-80% seems to be decent for hypertrophy.

I have used them up to ~90% with decent success. A few of the methods I've tried have been:
  1. 2-4x 1-2-3 escalating with ~75/82/90% each ladder for squats and deadlifts which went well for my strength
  2. 2-4x 2-3-5 escalating with ~70/75/80% each ladder for bench press which went well for my strength
  3. 2-4x 3-5-8 escalating with ~60/65/70% each ladder for press which didn't seem to do much.
  4. Up ladder from 1-max on the minute with loads ranging from 30-80% for bench press which didn't seem to work as well only going up the ladder once. The DOMS from the ladders in the 70-80% range existed so perhaps they were doing something for hypertrophy that I just didn't notice.
  5. FPP down ladders with pull-ups (~70%) and push-ups (~50%). Tried them both GTG style and single session. Both seem to work just fine because the volume over the course of the weeks is quite high when doing it near every day. Can only do it for about 3 weeks though.
  6. 3x escalating rep ladders for push-ups (~50% 1RM bench press?) with 5-10-15, 10-15-20, 15-20-25 which went well for working on my endurance. I think these are more sustainable than FPP but I was only doing them a few times per week instead of everyday like FPP.
  7. Right now, I'm working with about 70% replacing ladders and it's going well. Getting significant volume with ease of recovery. I haven't measured my lean mass but I seem a little more defined in the mirror and the scale has gone up a little.
Now that I'm reflecting a bit, I think one of the elements that I've had the most success with is making the last rung of the last ladder a set to failure and trying to get the starting rung of the first to be close enough that equal escalation of some sort between ladders aligns to it. For push-ups and pull-ups I think ending with reps in the 80-90% of max range fits similar to % of 1RM for weighted movements.

So I gather that so far ladders have worked the best with relatively short sets and heavier intensities?

Have you had a chance or interest to compare ladders without the bottom rungs, like 2-3-5 at 75-80-85 to 2-3-5 with just 80-85 or even just 2-3-5 at 85%?

The way I understand things the low rungs with low intensity are mainly just submaximal method which is good for hypertrophy. But how good they are for the time and effort spent compared to other choices, mainly longer sets, especially to failure?

With a heavy intensity there's no need to go to near failure to recruit all motor units and train the neuromuscular side, so I can see the low rungs work well there.

My viewpoint is heavily skewed towards absolute strength so all is written from that view instead of strength endurance or such.
 
Hello,

@Bro Mo
Below, you can find a D. John's article regarding ladders and intensity. This is quite close to what you are doing. The article provides progression guidelines as well:

There is also this approach, which worked well for me back in the day. Strength can also be triggered fairly well using Escalating Density (promoted by C. Staley).
This article by C. Weller uses HICT (High Intensity Continuous Training), but uses a fixed time frame, so as you progress, you do more reps in the same amount of time. Because the moves you do are very short and explosive, you end up with some kind of A+A.

Hope that helps,

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Have you had a chance or interest to compare ladders without the bottom rungs, like 2-3-5 at 75-80-85 to 2-3-5 with just 80-85 or even just 2-3-5 at 85%?
I do all three rungs of the ladder at the same intensity and increase the intensity for the entire subsequent ladders. Using the bench press example would look like:
  1. 75/2 - 75/3 - 75/5
  2. 80/2 - 80/3 - 80/5
  3. 85/2 - 85/3 - 85/5
If I can only get 2 ladders, I started too heavy, if I can get 4, I started too light. I got the concept from this T-Nation article.
 
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I do all three rungs of the ladder at the same intensity and increase the intensity for the entire subsequent ladders. Using the bench press example would look like:
  1. 75/2 - 75/3 - 75/5
  2. 80/2 - 80/3 - 80/5
  3. 85/2 - 85/3 - 85/5
If I can only get 2 ladders, I started too heavy, if I can get 4, I started too light. I got the concept from this T-Nation article.

Sorry, I wrote wrong, I meant leaving whole ladders away instead of just the bottom rungs.

In essence in your latest example I am asking how much good does the first ladder at 75% do.

The article looks like good. In it, he uses quite heavy intensity, pretty much what I would expect. Though the ability of a heavier set to enhance the neurologist recruitment of a following lighter set is intriguing.
 
In essence in your latest example I am asking how much good does the first ladder at 75% do.
I've found it works well as a dynamic warm-up. The built-in warm-up is one of the features of ladders I appreciate the most. I think the additional volume/practice of the movement probably helps too but I'm not sure. Perhaps only doing the two heavier ladders would be ideal if doing conditioning or other training in concurrence to save recovery capacity. Maybe two ladders followed by some A+A or Q&D conditioning sets. The low reps at the start of the second ladder would probably be an ok warm-up or maybe S&S as a replacement to the first ladder for a warm-up.
 
Decent week of training. Accomplished two upper body hypertrophy sessions, two threshold runs, and and easy ski session. Used all ladders for the hypertrophy sessions settling on overhead press, bent row, and close grip bench press. The threshold runs were all cruise intervals of 5min at T pace with 1min walk for 4 sets.

Re-reading Hybrid Athlete by Alex Viada. Getting some new insights this time through. Specifically, consolidating stressors of intensity and volume between strength and conditioning. Concurrent training placing max efforts lifts with low volume combined with high intensity VO2 max intervals of low volume at the beginning of the microcycle and shift toward hypertrophy for strength and threshold or LISS for conditioning.
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