TheBorg
Level 4 Valued Member
Looking for some programming advice... I will try to include all the (rather intelligently) required information in the welcome forum. I am 35 years old with ten years of active duty (Army) and 17 years total of active+guard/reserve, with multiple combat deployments as either infantry or a combat medic. I currently work as a civilian instructor in a SOF environment. I am currently trying to fix my PT programming because A, I like being in shape, and B, in the next 3 years I will probably go back to an operational role either in SOF or as an LEO.
Data:
Male, 35 y/o
205LB, 6'1
Injuries: some mild over-use injuries that I'm pretty good at recognizing before I cause them to flair up.
Training background: I've tried all kinds of stuff. I drank the crossfit cool-aid briefly, then my 2-mile run time elongated, and I stopped that. I did a combination of olympic lifting, high instensity circuits, running, and rucking, for about the next five years. When I got off active duty I could clean and jerk 205 at a body weight of about 195-200, and could run a 2-mile in about 13:30, and a five mile in around 40, and do around 22-26 (not strict) pull-ups. I then went to college and got out of shape.
After that I slowly got back in ok shape. I recently ran the UBRR with the guys at work, and came in with 70 pushups in 1 minute, 30-something dips, 50 something situps in 1 min, 12 each of strict pullups and kip-ups, a 16 sec. 100m shuttle run, 15 reps of bench press at 160LB, and a somewhat glacial 43 minute 5 mile. In the spring I ran a half marathon in "civilian heavy" category (35LB ruck sack) over VERY mountainous terrain and averaged a 13:30 mile.
Goals: Ideally I'd like to run 2 miles in under 13:00 and 5 in under 35, and carry a 55 LB ruck at a 12 minute mile for somewhere around 18 miles. I'd like a dead-lift around 400, and a bench around 300, and do 200+ 24kg KB snatches in 10 minutes.
The Problem: I am struggling to find a balance where I can work on both strength and endurance without making backward progress in one or the other. I was at about a 13:30 two mile time, then I started with the Tactical Barbell program (similar to P2P) of squats and bench 5X5 twice a week. My run times slowed a LOT and I went up to 210 pounds. I then switched to dead-lifting and benching, or doing the Naked Warrior program, and started with a high intensity 3X per week running program. After several months of that program I ran the aforementioned 43-minute 5-mile. I thought I could run and still have time to lift on that regimen, but that running program didn't produce, so out it went. I then tried a lower intensity running program coupled with an easy strength lifting program doing two workouts per day. That didn't work because I can't consistently work out twice per day.
The current plan: What I'm about to try is Pavel's suggestion from Easy Strength to work in two week blocks over a 12-16 week cycle, then vary the routine, and restart the cycle as needed. SO:
Block 1 (first two weeks): Matt Fitzgerald's 80/20 running program and Pavel's Program Minimus.
Block 2: Heavy 5X5 format strength training (Tactical Barbell) 3X per wk, high intensity circuit training 2X/wk.
Continue for 3-4 months, then tweak running or switch to a rucking program as needed in block 1, and change barbell excercises or switch to Rite of Passage KB program in block 2. The idea would be to switch from an endurance focus to a strength focus, but to maintain some strength/strength endurance in block one with the program minimus, and train some anaerobic endurance in block 2 with high intensity circuits, so one block compliments the other.
So what is the input? Good idea/bad idea? Suggestions to make it better? Better alternatives? Thanks in advance.
Data:
Male, 35 y/o
205LB, 6'1
Injuries: some mild over-use injuries that I'm pretty good at recognizing before I cause them to flair up.
Training background: I've tried all kinds of stuff. I drank the crossfit cool-aid briefly, then my 2-mile run time elongated, and I stopped that. I did a combination of olympic lifting, high instensity circuits, running, and rucking, for about the next five years. When I got off active duty I could clean and jerk 205 at a body weight of about 195-200, and could run a 2-mile in about 13:30, and a five mile in around 40, and do around 22-26 (not strict) pull-ups. I then went to college and got out of shape.
After that I slowly got back in ok shape. I recently ran the UBRR with the guys at work, and came in with 70 pushups in 1 minute, 30-something dips, 50 something situps in 1 min, 12 each of strict pullups and kip-ups, a 16 sec. 100m shuttle run, 15 reps of bench press at 160LB, and a somewhat glacial 43 minute 5 mile. In the spring I ran a half marathon in "civilian heavy" category (35LB ruck sack) over VERY mountainous terrain and averaged a 13:30 mile.
Goals: Ideally I'd like to run 2 miles in under 13:00 and 5 in under 35, and carry a 55 LB ruck at a 12 minute mile for somewhere around 18 miles. I'd like a dead-lift around 400, and a bench around 300, and do 200+ 24kg KB snatches in 10 minutes.
The Problem: I am struggling to find a balance where I can work on both strength and endurance without making backward progress in one or the other. I was at about a 13:30 two mile time, then I started with the Tactical Barbell program (similar to P2P) of squats and bench 5X5 twice a week. My run times slowed a LOT and I went up to 210 pounds. I then switched to dead-lifting and benching, or doing the Naked Warrior program, and started with a high intensity 3X per week running program. After several months of that program I ran the aforementioned 43-minute 5-mile. I thought I could run and still have time to lift on that regimen, but that running program didn't produce, so out it went. I then tried a lower intensity running program coupled with an easy strength lifting program doing two workouts per day. That didn't work because I can't consistently work out twice per day.
The current plan: What I'm about to try is Pavel's suggestion from Easy Strength to work in two week blocks over a 12-16 week cycle, then vary the routine, and restart the cycle as needed. SO:
Block 1 (first two weeks): Matt Fitzgerald's 80/20 running program and Pavel's Program Minimus.
Block 2: Heavy 5X5 format strength training (Tactical Barbell) 3X per wk, high intensity circuit training 2X/wk.
Continue for 3-4 months, then tweak running or switch to a rucking program as needed in block 1, and change barbell excercises or switch to Rite of Passage KB program in block 2. The idea would be to switch from an endurance focus to a strength focus, but to maintain some strength/strength endurance in block one with the program minimus, and train some anaerobic endurance in block 2 with high intensity circuits, so one block compliments the other.
So what is the input? Good idea/bad idea? Suggestions to make it better? Better alternatives? Thanks in advance.