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Other/Mixed Program Ideas for Upcoming New Father

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

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Greetings all. I have viewed this forum for a few years and loved getting tips and tricks from the wealth of knowledge our members have. My wife and I are expecting our first child this fall. I know sleep will be limited and energy will not be as steady or high for me as it currently is. I am in late 20s and have been on a barbell/dumbbell program for a couple of years focusing on strength and hypertrophy, with some history of S&S and Q&D kettlebells interspersed throughout. Goals for me are to maintain/improve athleticism (strength/explosiveness), aesthetics (sub 15% bf and solid base of muscle), and cardio, with long term focus of longevity and vitality. Any program recommendations for this soon to be father? KBs, barbell, BW, or a mix of any are welcome!
 
Congratulations on the news of becoming a father. Having worked with many first-time parents, the best guidance I have is to find something that is flexible. For example, you could stick to mandatory swings and get-ups three times a week schedule for the first month after your child is born. If you have the time and energy to do a 4th session, jump rope or do sprints. I would keep the intensity and volume in the medium range for your skill and strength level. This manageable workload will do the job for the first month while you get a handle on your new duties as a father.
Reassess what you can and can't commit to after thirty days. Maybe you can do more. Or, perhaps you need to dial it down. Either way, having a flexible approach to what is a totally new experience is probably the wise choice.
 
Greetings all. I have viewed this forum for a few years and loved getting tips and tricks from the wealth of knowledge our members have. My wife and I are expecting our first child this fall. I know sleep will be limited and energy will not be as steady or high for me as it currently is. I am in late 20s and have been on a barbell/dumbbell program for a couple of years focusing on strength and hypertrophy, with some history of S&S and Q&D kettlebells interspersed throughout. Goals for me are to maintain/improve athleticism (strength/explosiveness), aesthetics (sub 15% bf and solid base of muscle), and cardio, with long term focus of longevity and vitality. Any program recommendations for this soon to be father? KBs, barbell, BW, or a mix of any are welcome!
Equipment ? Home gym?
 
Firstly, congratulations! The two ‘programs’ that have worked best for me when life happens are Easy Strength and Strength Aerobics/Iron Cardio particularly the latter. Can be done with KBs, DBs, BW, or sandbags. Auto regulate depending on how you feel, how much sleep the night before etc. Good luck with everything.
 
The PTTP suggestion has merit as it is based on shortish workouts but there is little aerobic conditioning in it.

Minimum Q&D would also fit the bill as would minimum S&S. In case of S&S you can split the TGUs and Swings into separate session during the day if needed based on time and recovery considerations. Or, you can do them on different days.

Also, look up tactical periodization which Pavel T has written about at various points eg if things get too busy or lack of sleep has wiped you out then you reduce training load (ie easier days, less frequent) or even have a back off week. If you have more time and feel good then you train a bit more.

@Adachi and others have written, in the last year or two, about some of the issues you raise

As soon as kids are mobile put a barrier (eg playpen, gated door, etc) between where you are training and them. Small children in proximity to kettlebells in use are a formula for disaster. Actually, same goes for pets ie dogs, cats etc.
 
This is relevant to my interests. My wife and I are expecting our first child in about two weeks. I have no insight for you, but I recently started the Novocaine template precisely because it is flexible. My main concern is in having the gas to do the S&S sessions. Training sessions generally take 45 minutes or less (way less on Q&D days). If you want to see how my plan meets new fatherhood, watch my training log. I update it weekly.
 
I do agree with the lack of aerobic conditioning with PTTP, I k ow when we had our first, I spent a lot of time walking around the neighbourhood with her in the pram, if you wanted to buy a jogging one, slow steady running with that is an easy way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, plus can give mum some time away from the baby.
 
The first thing you'll need to prepare is your mind..

Many times you'll approach training tired, stressed, sleep deprived

Given that, a punch the clock approach would be your best bet..

Some recommendations
A conservative rite of passage
PTTP
Easy strength
The giant single bell

The objective for the next 3-4 months is to be able to hold onto as much muscle and strength as possible then only start building back up once you're starting to get better sleep
 
I've got a friend that worked up to a 64kg bent press. I asked him how and he basically just did EDT for years. "I just set a timer for 30 minutes and then bent press until it is light, then add weight".

Coincidentally I'm fairly certain he started it because he was a new dad and just stuck with it through both of his kids.
 
I've got a friend that worked up to a 64kg bent press. I asked him how and he basically just did EDT for years. "I just set a timer for 30 minutes and then bent press until it is light, then add weight".

Coincidentally I'm fairly certain he started it because he was a new dad and just stuck with it through both of his kids.
EDT going left and right for a lot of KB exercises is a great way to get training in. Pavel and Charles Staley did a seminar (and sold a DVD) together once upon a time - I can't remember what specifically it covered, but I'm guessing EDT was part of the contents.
 
Congrats, man! I have a three month old now and had to make changes. After looking at Strong! over the years, I finally started it. Something about the prescribed sets and reps with a pair of kettlebells really works for me, and I can get a lot of work done in about 30 -35 minutes.
 
Congratulations! With the attitude you already have, I’m sure you’ll already find a way to make it happen.

Flexibility between modalities and routines, structured around basic consistency worked well for me (we are on kid two, 4 months). Just show up and keep showing up.
 
When I have a newborn in the house walking became king. It was a way for me to move but also give my wife a break from the baby. I even read an article once (cant remember where) that talked about actually loading the stroller for walks. Slip a weight in the bottom and now you have a loaded walk/baby time!

For strength stuff there are so many programs and ways to get the work done in 20 minutes. Tactical Barbell, Easy Strength, S&S, Original Strength etc. Good luck man and enjoy it as it goes fast. The training will always be there but the littles get big.
 
When I'm in this situation (schedule is unpredictable, I'm super stressed, exhausted and not sleeping), I simply do Convict Conditioning + swings. So it's basically this + swings:

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If I want a full session of swings, I'll drop the HSPU/bridges and hit swings hard. Generally it's 10-20 minutes each training day, with the swing day being 20-30 minutes.

However, I've recently been playing around with 1 lift a day programs and think they'd work just as well (as long as I can manage the regularity):


 
Kettlebell WOD by Geoffrey Neupert. 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Lots of variety plus lots of fundamentals. Starts with single bells and works its way up to doubles. It builds up over the course of each month. I'm a busy dad with 4 kids and I love it.

(It's not crossfit style WODs. Every workout is part of a month long block that builds on itself).
 
My $0.02.

GTG was the most helpful for me during the early stages of baby time.

I ran Strong! GTG and was very happy with my results.

Even at maximum volume I was easily able to complete 10 sets by the end of the day.

Congratulations and good luck!
 
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