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Bodyweight Taking a Break and Re-Grouping, Need Some Ideas

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Nathan

Nathan

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Hello again,

While I spend this week letting the joints and muscles heal, I wanted to rethink my strategy. I'm still in progress trying to get in shape for law enforcement, but want to drop my daily commitment to 60 - 90 minutes 3 days a week versus 6 days a week. I am going to continue to follow the cardio base-building plan that Tactical Barbell's Law Enforcement book outlines, but obviously want to continue with my calisthenics for strength and strength endurance.

I'm considering a template that would alternate maximum strength with strength endurance similar to the Starting Strength idea:

Workout A: Max Strength
Workout B: Strength Endurance

Week 1: A, B, A
Week 2: B, A, B

The question here is...
1. WHAT programs should I plug in here? Or should I maybe come up with something more tailored to my goals?

I have myriad of calisthenics manuals but most of them seem to be aimed towards maximum strength. Some of these include...
1. Convict Conditioning (all 3 books)
2. Get Strong (and essentially all other Al & Danny Kavadlo books)
3. You Are Your Own Gym
4. Complete Calisthenics
5. The Naked Warrior
6. C-Mass
7. Get Started with Calisthenics (Jeff Cowan)
8. Building the Gymnastic Body (Coach Sommers)
9. Rings of Power (Mike Gillette)
10. Lots of Stew Smith books

I've also gathered some mini programs such as...
1. The Armstrong Pull-Up Program
2. The Fighter Pull-Up Program
3. Strongfirst's Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight-Only Strength Program

Seems as if I am in information overload, and I need help to get some clarity.
 
Just a question, where are you in terms of strength, what is required for the law enforcement job and when is the test?

I don't know the TB law enforcement book, but have read the others. In TB2 the base buildung protocal calls for strength endurance sessions using just bodyweight, KBs, barbells or a mix of either 2 or all 3 implements.
Maybe you can just do that.
 
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Combat Rok by Tom Furman (I promise i'll stop plugging Tom Furman soon) is a program of basic ladders of pushups and pullups, plus hanging raises, hip bridges, and squats with a lot rope and running.

That program is designed to increase volume and work capacity as opposed to max strength. It has a big focus on building your aerobic base. There is still strength work, but only about 4 days per week.

even if you don't get that book try this program template, which he uses for combat rok.

might be nice while you continue to heal up for a while as well, since it is pretty scalable. a much different stuff from the books you listed...

The Isaac Hayes Template - Tom Furman Fitness
 
@Nathan, what is the test you will take? Perhaps it's good to work backwards from that and have some specific practice as well.

-S-
 
Hi Nathan-

I have experience (meaning ran each program for at least 8 weeks each) with:
1) Strongfirst's Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight-Only Strength Program
2) Karen's Surprise Yourself With Strength on this BW Training Plan
3) The Recommended Routine (free routine on Reddit put together by Overcoming Gravity author- Steven Low)

I'm more than happy to provide my perceptions of each. Feel free to PM if you'd like!

BTW, I'm a 42 yo mom of 2 small children with a full-time job, so get the wanting to get the training done in a 60-90 min window!

Kristen
 
@Steve Freides - I can and have passed the fitness test for the Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBPO) position. My concern here is surviving and passing the academy. I have tried to find out what the final fitness test is but they are fairly closed lipped about that. I am imagining Marine Corps boot camp, and am a little concerned about surviving another boot camp.

@Kettlebelephant - I have all 3 TB books. I also considered this. I have mainly been doing Stew Smith stuff to work on my volume, which seems to work (but is insanely taxing). I've detailed them before but I can do a full pyramid now without any assistance, and do a rep goal workout of 50 pullups in 5 - 10 rep sets.

Maybe I should continue as I was, but instead also cycle in a day of max strength work. I am wondering which I should choose.
 
Hello,

@Nathan
Considered independently, most of these books are good ones. Depending on the goal, mixing them will "reduce" their efficiency, as we then look for a "compromise".

To a certain extent, strength-endurance will improve maximal strength (even if this is not the "most optimal and traditional way). Here is an example:
Strength in Numbers: A Case for Push-up Endurance Training
This is true for all other moves, such as pull ups, abs, squats, etc...

Increasing maximal strength can be not precise enough. Do you want to max your legs (thanks to any squat variation for instance) or arms (via pull ups) or something else like the core ?

Regarding strength-endurance, I would keep things simple: 3 to 5 sets of max rep (but avoiding failure) of push ups, pull ups, squats, with low rest (20 - 25s). Push ups can be done differently from a session to another (feet elevated, rings, etc...)

Regarding max strength, "Building the Gymnastic Body" or "Rings of Power" are very solid. To a certain extent, Convict Conditioning is good too (for pistol and pull up progression)

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@offwidth - yes, I am following the Tactical Barbell Law Enforcement plan for aerobic training. It has two days of slow runs and one day of sprinting or high intensity cardio.

@pet' - I want my strength and strength-endurance to be all encompassing. I have done 500 - 1,000 rep full-body calisthenics workouts, but I'm guessing this borders on more overall endurance.

I have daydreamed something that may work. I personally enjoy a workout that encorporates a slow circuit. So my thoughts are:

Pullup: 10 sets of 3-5
(move to harder progressions if able to perform full 10x5)

Pressing movement: 10 sets of 6
(i.e. straight bar dips, pike pushups... anything that will be somewhat difficult to perform 6 reps)

Abs / Lower Back: 10 sets of 9
(alternate choice abs and lower back each set)

Legs / Hamstrings: 10 sets of 12
(alternate choice legs and hamstrings each set, single leg work would be 10x12 per leg)

Overall, I would maybe choose progressions based on my current level of fitness.

My other option would be to alternate Stew Smith's rep goal workout with maybe the Strongfirst Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight-Only Strength Program.

I do like maybe simply performing max effort sets for 3-5 rounds for my strength endurance.

I guess I am looking to alternate high volume, low intensity with low volume high intensity. I realize this may be difficult with calisthenics.
 
@pet' - This program looks perfect for the strength portion. Puts me in mind of this program Russian Strength-Skill: The Workouts | T Nation but with calisthenics. My question, is what type of pull-up is being referred to in this program.
  • Pull-up with the palms facing and the fists touching each other, emphasizing the left x 1 rep
  • Pull-up with the palms facing and the fists touching each other, emphasizing the right x 1 rep
Is their any type of video available that can show the type of pull-up this is referring to?

Otherwise this looks like a really good strength circuit.
 
Hello,

@Nathan
I do not know the "emphasizing". However, to be sure doing the things correctly, you can use a towel. One hand is on the bar, the other is holding a towel. This means the arm directly on the bar works more.



Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Hello,

@Nathan
I know this may not be what you were after, however, maintaining a circuit like the following one, during 20 or 30 minutes, without rest (or minimal rest), will ensure you brutal strength and endurance.
> OAP right, OAP left
> Pistol right, pistol left
> Pull up right, pull up left

If I can not go for pull up, I often use such a frame with excellent results. This can be exhausting pretty fast actually.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Nathan said:
Hello again,

While I spend this week letting the joints and muscles heal, I wanted to rethink my strategy. I'm still in progress trying to get in shape for law enforcement, but want to drop my daily commitment to 60 - 90 minutes 3 days a week versus 6 days a week. I am going to continue to follow the cardio base-building plan that Tactical Barbell's Law Enforcement book outlines, but obviously want to continue with my calisthenics for strength and strength endurance.

I'm considering a template that would alternate maximum strength with strength endurance similar to the Starting Strength idea:

Workout A: Max Strength
Workout B: Strength Endurance

Week 1: A, B, A
Week 2: B, A, B

The question here is...
1. WHAT programs should I plug in here? Or should I maybe come up with something more tailored to my goals?

I have myriad of calisthenics manuals but most of them seem to be aimed towards maximum strength. Some of these include...
1. Convict Conditioning (all 3 books)
2. Get Strong (and essentially all other Al & Danny Kavadlo books)
3. You Are Your Own Gym
4. Complete Calisthenics
5. The Naked Warrior
6. C-Mass
7. Get Started with Calisthenics (Jeff Cowan)
8. Building the Gymnastic Body (Coach Sommers)
9. Rings of Power (Mike Gillette)
10. Lots of Stew Smith books

I've also gathered some mini programs such as...
1. The Armstrong Pull-Up Program
2. The Fighter Pull-Up Program
3. Strongfirst's Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight-Only Strength Program

Seems as if I am in information overload, and I need help to get some clarity.
Click to expand...


I like the skeleton of your plan. Currently I train push/hinge/pull/squat/compound. On alternating days I use a grind/low rep or higher rep/ballistic version for alternating movements. I do them in mini circuits/super sets of three with a short rest (90seconds) between each move and set, and a longer rest (3-4 minutes) before the next pair.

It might look like this:
Day 1
pushup (high rep)
single leg deadlift (low rep)
rest
snatches (high rep)
double front squat (low rep)
rest
Slashers (high rep)

Day2
inverted grip pushup (low rep)
one hand swings (high rep)
rest
rows (low rep)
skater squat (high rep)
rest
decksquat (low rep)

Doing this with calisthenics will require some thought, but as a strategy I feel great and am making modest but steady gains on my weights and rep counts as well. This strategy spares me doing full body grinds or strength moves or all higher endurance on the same day.
 
@pet' - The program you linked outlined a ladder style similar to the ETK ROP program. Or are you saying to just do continual singles in a circuit? I like both options... lol.

@North Coast Miller - I spent the last 4 weeks doing heavy volume, high-ish intensity. Been thinking that I may need a few weeks of much lower volume but higher intensity. I am about resolved that having both at the same time will not work well. Hoping the lowered volume will make the joints feel better after a few weeks.
 
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