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Other/Mixed Programming

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

Level 6 Valued Member
Hello StrongFirst Family,

I need some help with programming a training plan. Right now I have the GPP cycle figured out, but I'm struggling with the SPP portion of my plan. This is mostly due to A) my tendency to go 110%, and B) I don't know when to stop adding things. I think the other side of this is that I DO have certain physical aspects that I need to achieve.

Just for your awareness my GPP is the following:

M/W/F/S - S&S
Saturday - Long Slow Distance Run

building up to:

M/W/F S&S (Swings for 60 minutes using the A+A method)
M-Sunday: Long Slow Distance Run 60 minutes

---------------------
--------------------

My SPP needs to meet the following goals:

100 pushups in 2 minutes
100 full situps in 2 minutes
23 strict pullups (no weight) with no time limit
Run 3.2 miles in 19 minutes or less

Sprint 800m in 3 minutes with a 30lb load
Press 30lbs 100 times in 2 minutes
Carry 180-200lbs and run 100m
Farmers Carry 50lbs each hand and run 100m

I also would need to be able to Cover 12 or so miles wearing a pack weighing 50-80lbs

My recovery days are Long Slow Distance and Original Strength mobility/stretching

I've thought about doing the Fighter Pullup Program for Pushups, Situps, and Pullups. Would this work? Can I do this 3x a week?

What about the weighted movements?

Thoughts?
 
Hello StrongFirst Family,

I need some help with programming a training plan. Right now I have the GPP cycle figured out, but I'm struggling with the SPP portion of my plan. This is mostly due to A) my tendency to go 110%, and B) I don't know when to stop adding things. I think the other side of this is that I DO have certain physical aspects that I need to achieve.

Just for your awareness my GPP is the following:

M/W/F/S - S&S
Saturday - Long Slow Distance Run

building up to:

M/W/F S&S (Swings for 60 minutes using the A+A method)
M-Sunday: Long Slow Distance Run 60 minutes

---------------------
--------------------

My SPP needs to meet the following goals:

100 pushups in 2 minutes
100 full situps in 2 minutes
23 strict pullups (no weight) with no time limit
Run 3.2 miles in 19 minutes or less

Sprint 800m in 3 minutes with a 30lb load
Press 30lbs 100 times in 2 minutes
Carry 180-200lbs and run 100m
Farmers Carry 50lbs each hand and run 100m

I also would need to be able to Cover 12 or so miles wearing a pack weighing 50-80lbs

My recovery days are Long Slow Distance and Original Strength mobility/stretching

I've thought about doing the Fighter Pullup Program for Pushups, Situps, and Pullups. Would this work? Can I do this 3x a week?

What about the weighted movements?

Thoughts?
Those goals look familiar to me.
 
Thanks @Bauer . that’s a good start to what I’m looking for.

What protocol is Al using for the pushups? It doesn’t look like the FPP
 
So I have 4 ideas.
-hire a coach who's smart and can help you get there. I think @Al Ciampa does Military strength training, don't know if he's taking on clients.

-GTG on Sit-ups and Pushups (check out Beyond Bodybuilding "Hit the Deck") + Fighter Pull up if a coach isn't an option.

-Conversely the Classic Heavy day Volume day could work (heavy weighted pull ups Monday, easy practice Wednesday and of Friday Ask the questions "how many sets does it take to get to 25-50 reps")

-just get a stronger press and make there 30lbs feel like a peanut.

this is the PT test for the military correct? if so Good luck and thanks for your future service!
 
I only use FPP for 3-5 weeks peaking for a PFT. Other than that, working the bench, rows, and press in the 3-6 rep range and squats and deadlifts in the 1-4 rep range has been the ticket for me.

Good conditioning has been similar to @mprevost guide with peaking at the end with solely interval repeats with various rest periods.

I was working with concurrent or daily undulating periodization with high intensity strength days mixed with lower intensity strength endurance days and it wasn't as good as more traditional block periodization of strength followed by strength endurance for 3-5 weeks prior to a test.

Best tests ever were using 6-day press,pull,squat split doing 2-3 sessions per day, each followed by short conditioning sessions after ranging anywhere from 20min LSD to 5x 2:1min intervals.
 
@Steve Rogers
Have you read this article by @Al Ciampa ?

I think it will help you a lot and is in line with your ideas.


Great article! Thanks @Bauer! Yes, this fits in with my ideas. I should also add that I have been in correspondence with @Al Ciampa and he has helped me develop my GPP building a good base to launch into my SPP or Peaking season.

I think the problem I'm running into here is I have a very tight window in which to develop a solid Base (GPP) with which to Peak (SPP). I think the recommendation is 6 months to 1 year of building a good Base, and peaking with 2-4 weeks before the test or event (according to that article).

My problem is I have maybe 3-6 months to Base AND Peak. This is due to A) not knowing when my "event" will be and B) not knowing if I will even have an "event". I am joining the military. My age is pushing the maximum to enlist and my cutoff birthday is coming up fast - so I need to beat time in more than one aspect.

With these handicaps I am still trying to make the best of it. I will need to do another peaking season for another testing event but that will have to sit on the back burner until I can clear this first obstacle.

Normally I would just throw in 5 workouts a week lasting 1 hour with tons of sprinting, running, rucking, pushups, pull-ups, situps, squats, burpees, mountain climbers, etc, etc....Until I either passed out from exhaustion or something broke (which thankfully it never has). Then push to 3-a-day workouts 3x a week and 2-a-day workouts a week. Oh yea, and then a long Ruck on Saturdays. Sooooo this GPP/SPP program is much more efficient and much better and prepping me for this. I am just running into a time crunch.
 
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So I have 4 ideas.
-hire a coach who's smart and can help you get there. I think @Al Ciampa does Military strength training, don't know if he's taking on clients.

-GTG on Sit-ups and Pushups (check out Beyond Bodybuilding "Hit the Deck") + Fighter Pull up if a coach isn't an option.

-Conversely the Classic Heavy day Volume day could work (heavy weighted pull ups Monday, easy practice Wednesday and of Friday Ask the questions "how many sets does it take to get to 25-50 reps")

-just get a stronger press and make there 30lbs feel like a peanut.

this is the PT test for the military correct? if so Good luck and thanks for your future service!


Good thoughts. Al has helped me develop a GPP program, but he told me he doesn't do "shock and awe" - which I completely understand and agree with this. Again, the biggest obstacle is the extremely tight window to prepare.

I 100% agree that I'm going to have to GTG for the sit-ups and pushup. I'll check out that site you mentioned

In reference to the Classic Heavy day, is this a program? I'm not following.

Any ideas on how to program that stronger press to move it 100 times within 2 minutes? Maybe GTG? Does that work with weight though?

Yes, it is. Thank you sir.
 
I only use FPP for 3-5 weeks peaking for a PFT. Other than that, working the bench, rows, and press in the 3-6 rep range and squats and deadlifts in the 1-4 rep range has been the ticket for me.

Good conditioning has been similar to @mprevost guide with peaking at the end with solely interval repeats with various rest periods.

I was working with concurrent or daily undulating periodization with high intensity strength days mixed with lower intensity strength endurance days and it wasn't as good as more traditional block periodization of strength followed by strength endurance for 3-5 weeks prior to a test.

Best tests ever were using 6-day press,pull,squat split doing 2-3 sessions per day, each followed by short conditioning sessions after ranging anywhere from 20min LSD to 5x 2:1min intervals.

I think you're on the right track @Bro Mo . PM sent your way.
 
@Bro Mo - Somehow I can't send you a PM since the update on this site. Here is what I sent you.

Everyone else, sorry to blow up your feeds with a ton of posting!

Hey Bro,


What benefits do you see your lifting bring for your job?

I'm thinking I'll need to do a hybrid of StrongFirst programming and regular Military training to get to my goals in the time frame I need it.

What does your GPP look like?

What does your SPP look like and how many weeks before you peak? I'm not in good shape right now (unfortunately). My plan is to beat the clock safely. Al said I could barely make a dent in 6 months using GPP and SPP - and I agree with him. So it will need to be some combination of the two.


Plan for me as of now:
Week 1 GPP
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
S&S S&S S&S. Run 10 minutes walk 20

Week 2 GPP
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
S&S S&S S&S Run 20 minutes walk 10

Week 3 GPP
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
S&S S&S S&S S&S S&S Run 30 minutes

Week 4 GPP
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
S&S S&S S&S S&S S&S Run 30 minutes

Week 5 GPP
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
S&S Run S&S Run S&S Run S&S

Week 6 SPP
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Pushups S&S Pushups S&S PFT LSD LSD
Pullups Run Pullups Run
Situps Situps

KB Press Dead GobletSquat Bench
LandMines LandMines


Week 7 SPP
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Pushups. S&S Pushups S&S PFT LSD LSD
Pullups Run Pullups Run
Situps Situps

KB Press Dead GobletSquat Bench
LandMines LandMines

Week 8 SPP
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Pushups. S&S Pushups S&S PFT LSD LSD
Pullups Run Pullups Run
Situps Situps

KB Press Dead GobletSquat Bench


Thanks Brother.
 
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@Steve Rogers
So the Heavy +Volume day generally breaks down like this. (this isn't new. I have defiantly stolen this from smarter people)
Day 1 3-5 sets 1-3 reps at around 90% of your 1 rep max (in this case weighted pull-ups)
Day 2 easy practice. 2-3 sets bodyweight and no notion of failure
Day 3 Volume. there are 2 ways to do this. option one multiple sets (up to 20) of 5 at round 65- 70% of your one rep max, this would be more EMOM type work. option 2 set a total rep goal and accomplish it in as few sets as possible, For example goal is 50 reps, you do 20, 16, 14

For the stronger press you could GTG if that an option, and if it is I suggest this article Chinese Food for Rapid Pressing Gains | StrongFirst
Or you can use the same heavy+volume day option above. though I would cut day 2 when considering all the pushups you'll likely be doing.
 
PM sent @Steve Rogers

Regarding the light, medium, heavy undulation; I think undulation works well when the reps and intensity are not too opposing. Something like the Texas Method working within 10% of a 5RM still using 5s or other DUP using 6,4,2RM still stay in the general goal rep range.

Going one goal in any direction on that continuum (endurance, hypertrophy, strength) seems to work but a range too far apart just seems to keep everything at baseline. Hence, "keep the goal the goal" being good wisdom.
repcontinuumtable.jpg
 
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