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The Obstacle is the Way (was S&S and PTTP)

Thursday practice

3.0 mile ruck
3 warmup rds with 5 12kg goblet squats, 3/3 12kg halos and 5 tables.
8 rds of 10 36kg 2h swings, 2 rds of 40kg 2h swings
5 rds of 1/1 12kg kb getups
10 minutes of movement skills, include brachiation

Don’t know what I was thinking with less focus - did 2-hand swings today. I was full focused and the two hand swings are a hoot. Loads of power. Fun day.

64 years old today. Appreciate my blessings, wife and family in particular.
 
Yesterday was Canada Day - 3 mile walk with wife and then biked downtown to enjoy the festivities.

Today was another 3 mile walk and then S&S lite on my deck.

3 warmup rds with 5 15 lb goblet squats, 3/3 15 lb halos and 5 tables.
6 rds of 10 20kg 1h banded swings (band broke on swing 57), then 4 rds of 10 20kg snatches
5 rds of 1/1 15 lb kb getups
2 rds of 90/90, ql and hang
 
Today’s practice:

3 warmup rds with 5 12kg goblet squats, 3/3 12kg halos and 5 tables.

8 rds of 10 36kg 2h swings, 2 rds of 40kg 2h swings

5 rds of 1/1 12kg kb getups

2 rds of about 40 seconds a side: 90/90stretch, QL stretch, one arm hangs
 
Today’s practice:

3 mile ruck in the am

Press reset - 10 minutes as a movement break

3.2 mile bike to and from gym

3 warmup rds with 5 12kg goblet squats, 3/3 12kg halos and 5 tables.

8 rds of 10 36kg 1h swings, 2 rds of 40kg 1h swings

5 rds of 1/1 12kg kb getups

About 15 minutes moving from 30-40 seconds each of: side to side swings from bar, beast crawl, crab crawl, lateral apes. How long depends on my day and what my injured shoulders can take.

That is a typical day during the S&S bloc. This afternoon I will likely do ape reaches, crab reaches and scorpion reaches as a movement break from work. Tonight I will do 90/90, QL stretches and stick dislocates prior to going to bed. That is a typical week day of practice for me.

Weekends are unstructured - typically I avoid the gym.
 
So I’ve been watching the thread “is S&S all you really need”. It got me thinking about this program I’m following.

My best lifting was done following the Sheiko MSIC program. I’d map the program out for 4-6 week blocs and never missed a rep. My focus was on fitting the volume in - workouts were fast paced and often rest between sets was limited to adding plates.

Using that, as a master lifter who converted from distance running I hit lifts of 280.0 kg squat, 182.5 kg bench and 280.0 kg deadlift in the 100 kg class.

I thrived on volume. I planned out every workout and did them as planned.

Now honestly the only lift it’s fair to evaluate my current program on is the deadlift. I don’t have a force plate for swings and my shoulder injuries don’t allow a comparison for getups or side presses. Under a Sheiko program you could be doing 300-450 reps over 60% in a 4 week bloc in deadlifts, supplemented by an even higher number in the squat. Under my current plan - 100 total reps.

What I like is the self-regulation. Typically I would be unable to get 5 reps out when I hit 80 to 85% of my 1RM. It may be a little higher now due to lower adaptation. So when I reach a point where im uncertain I can get 5 in I assume im at 82.5% and drop down to 60% and start waving up again.

What is similar to Sheiko is walking into the gym knowing exactly what im going to do.

What is different is I’m in my 60s, not 40s and I rest more with much less volume. But I still expect if I have laser-like focus on each rep to get a max similar to my 2.8x bw best.

What is critical is my focus. To me that is what this program is all about. 2 week blocs are manageable and then you change gears. So it accommodates focus.

Of course - the proof will be done months down the way. But I love knowing exactly what I’m doing any given day in the gym. Suits my personality.
 
Today’s practice:

3 mile ruck in the am

3.2 mile bike to and from gym

3 warmup rds with 5 16kg goblet squats, 3/3 16kg halos and 5 tables.

8 rds of 10 36kg 1h swings, 2 rds of 40kg 1h swings

5 rds of 1/1 16kg kb getups

5-3-2 deadlift with 355

2 rds of 90/90, ql & side to side swings from the bar

Fairly ambitious. I know I’m going to miss 3 and maybe 4 days a next week. A minimum cycle is 8 workouts, so I want to get in 2 or 3 dl workouts this week. I didn’t think 355 would be taxing - of course I have never done 5s at over 60% and rarely in the last decade do anything other than singles. So the 4 and 5th rep of the set slowed down a bit. I do every rep like a single - but was surprised 355 felt heavy after 100 swings. None the less - I’ll probably do the same tomorrow and Friday.

I had commented yesterday about low volume. 100 deadlifts over a 4 week bloc. But I remember Nassim Taleb discussing a ‘barbell’ strategy - avoid the middle ground. If you think of hinges in this context I’m doing 1100 hinges in a 4 week bloc with a barbell (either light or heavy - no middle ground) strategy. Food for thought.

Another idea - I went up to 16 kg in my getups and had no problem. Why? I was reading another thread and @Steve Freides made the comment they used to teach the snatch as a swing that ended overhead but now teach it as a clean that ends up overhead.

Hmmm. Gotta look into that. I went through the YouTube page to explore that. Ended up reviewing a getup and went back to ETK to read on snatch technique as well as getup technique and realized - I’m doing my getup wrong.

I was leading with the kb pushing towards my foot on the same side. I started taking it across my body to roll onto my elbow instead of ‘sitting up’ onto my hand. More stable and shoulder felt just fine as it didn’t have to stabilize the bell as much.

Key takeaway - go back to basics with a beginners mindset.
 
I have never done 5s at over 60% and rarely in the last decade do anything other than singles. So the 4 and 5th rep of the set slowed down a bit. I do every rep like a single - but was surprised 355 felt heavy after 100 swings. None the less - I’ll probably do the same tomorrow and Friday.

Sounds good.

FWIW, I've been doing 5 x 5 once a week as 3 weeks of adding a little each week (2.5 or 5 kg), and the fourth week off or easy. One or two other DL days, usually light sumo. So far for me, it's good. Did 125/130/135 kg (275, 286, 297 lb) for the first 3 weeks of my 5 x 5. Just started the 2nd cycle with 127.5 kg. I figured if I can add 2.5 kg (6 lb) a month to my DL, I'm doing OK. :) Faleev says multiple your 5 x 5 weight by 1.2 as an estimated 1RM, so 5 x 5 @ 140 kg equals my current 1RM and the plan is to hit that and then scale back the volume as I increase the weights leading up to a November 19 meet.

I'm doing all mine with a very light touch on the ground between reps - seems good for me for hypertrophy and also for getting a good groove for the movement. The weakest thing is my grip - for my 135 kg a couple of weeks ago, I had to do a double and a triple instead of a 5.

-S-
 
Sounds good.

FWIW, I've been doing 5 x 5 once a week as 3 weeks of adding a little each week (2.5 or 5 kg), and the fourth week off or easy. One or two other DL days, usually light sumo. So far for me, it's good. Did 125/130/135 kg (275, 286, 297 lb) for the first 3 weeks of my 5 x 5. Just started the 2nd cycle with 127.5 kg. I figured if I can add 2.5 kg (6 lb) a month to my DL, I'm doing OK. :) Faleev says multiple your 5 x 5 weight by 1.2 as an estimated 1RM, so 5 x 5 @ 140 kg equals my current 1RM and the plan is to hit that and then scale back the volume as I increase the weights leading up to a November 19 meet.

I'm doing all mine with a very light touch on the ground between reps - seems good for me for hypertrophy and also for getting a good groove for the movement. The weakest thing is my grip - for my 135 kg a couple of weeks ago, I had to do a double and a triple instead of a 5.

-S-
Are you doing Faleev as suggested by Pavel? As in using it for squat and bench as well?

I trained a few lifters and tried Faleev. It is a gruelling program when you start getting near your maxes. I like the idea of a back off week and waving as you are suggesting.
 
Are you doing Faleev as suggested by Pavel? As in using it for squat and bench as well?
Yes, rather loosely now as I'm still a ways out from competition mode, but I've done it before. I agree it can be grueling and the key can be to dial down the reps as you get closer to your max. I did use it for all three lifts.

But Pavel has talked about this program more than once - what he said in the Tim Ferriss article is what I've used as my model. I will probably do it as specified or at least more like it's specified beginning 3 months out from the competition and then start dialing back the volume as the competition approaches. My other change is that I try to do all three lifts on all three lifting days and in competition order, basically breaking up Faleev's second day into two, something like this:

Tuesday: SQ heavy, BP 5 reps x 2 sets or 10 reps x 1 set, DL sumo

Thursday: SQ 5 reps x 2 sets, heavy BP, DL sumo

Saturday: SQ 5 x 2 or 10 x 1, BP 5 x 2 or 10 x 1, DL heavy conventional

I'm pretty flexibile with the lighter stuff, e.g., this week is was heavy SQ on Tuesday, DL sumo Wednesday.

It's off-cycle time for me now, so my squats are barbell front squats in Oly shoes with a quick down and up, hoping to build some leg strength for my conventional DL start (and maybe looking at barbell cleans down the road a bit), but because it's a new lift for me, the weights are silly light and I'm doing something like 8 reps x 3 sets just to get used to the movement.

-S-
 
Today’s practice:

3.2 mile bike to and from gym

3 warmup rds with 5 16kg goblet squats, 3/3 16kg halos and 5 tables.

8 rds of 10 36kg 2h swings, 2 rds of 40kg 2h swings

5-3-2 deadlift with 365

5 rds of 1/1 12kg kb getups

2 rds of 1-arm hangs

I was tired this morning and the deadlift set of 5 ‘got real’. I knew after the swings I wasn’t at my best, so I did the deadlifts before the getup. Reps 4 and 5 were a bit of a grind off the floor.

I went lighter in the getup as I was tired and worried I’d hurt my shoulder through lack of focus. Even with the 12kg I deliberately thought thru each rep. Felt okay, did some hangs and headed home.
 
@Hobbes, for me, 100 swings as a warmup would be too many. I generally do 40-80 swings, and try to do them early enough to take a break before doing other lifting.

-S-
 
@Hobbes, for me, 100 swings as a warmup would be too many. I generally do 40-80 swings, and try to do them early enough to take a break before doing other lifting.

-S-
Good point. I’m trying to make up for not being able to deadlift for 3-4 days next week as I’m out at the lake. Better off to not try to do both S&S and PTTP in their entirety - scale back.

I hate missing workouts.
 
Out at the lake sounds like about the best possible reason to miss a workout!

-S-
 
Today I “flip the crazy switch”.

3 mile ruck in the am

3.2 mile bike to and from gym

3 warmup rds with 5 16kg goblet squats, 3/3 16kg halos and 5 tables.

200 2h 36kg kb swings in 10 minutes

I was planning on 5 rds of 1/1 16kg kb getups - but my injured shoulder was too played out. So I basically did one arm hangs, crawls and supports such as planks for 15 minutes.
 
Today’s practice

Press Reset

3 mile ruck in am

Bike 3.5 miles to and from gym

3 rds of 5 pry goblet squats, 5/5 halos and 5 tables - 16kg kb used

Side press 5,3,2 reps with 16 kg kb

Deadlift 5, 3, 2 reps with 345 lbs

60s of rope turns & SuperJoints between press & dl - long rest

2 rds of: 90/90, ql & hangs

Deadlift felt very easy.
 
Spent 4 days at the lake. Some kayaking, a lot of running around after two 6 year olds and swam. Lifted a few pints too.
 

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Todays practice:

3 mile ruck in am, then Press Reset

Bike to and from the gym

3 rds of 5 prying goblet squats, 3/3 kb halos & 5 tables (16kg kb used)

5-3-2 deadlift with 355 - 5 minutes rest between sets
5-3-2 side press with 16kg kb
(rope turns & SuperJoints as active rest)

3 rds of 90/90 stretch, ql stretch & hangs
 
Todays practice:

3 mile ruck in am, then Press Reset

Bike to and from the gym

3 rds of 5 prying goblet squats, 3/3 kb halos & 5 tables (16kg kb used)

5-3-2 deadlift with 365 - 5 minutes rest between sets
5-3-2 side press with 16kg kb
(rope turns & hangs as active rest)

3 rds of 90/90 stretch, ql stretch & hangs

365 felt heavy today. Really heavy, surprisingly as 355 felt very light yesterday.
 
There are more fluctuations in my strength level as I’ve aged. I used to be able to go into the gym and the ‘feeling’ of how heavy the load was didn’t change a lot. So I was thinking, “Why not do a flexible wave instead of a structured wave?” I decided against it.

For me, having my target every day is important. Doesn’t work for everyone, but for me it does. I kind of like the days the weight feels heavier because I’m forced to focus on technique more. Tightness, shoulders, etc. it doesn’t really weigh on my psyche - just forces me to focus. A good day.
 
Todays practice:

60 minute bike - end up at gym

3 rds of 5 prying goblet squats, 3/3 kb halos & 5 tables (16kg kb used)

5-3-2 deadlift with 375 - 5 minutes rest between sets
5-3-2 side press with 16kg kb
(rope turns & hangs as active rest)

15 minutes of various crawls

I was dreading 375 after yesterday and it went easier than the 355 I did on Monday. I think because I was thinking about it I focused on technique more. One of the reasons I don’t like flexibility in waving load. On off or a bad day I never know if my excuse is valid or I’m just justifying not having enough willpower.

I was thinking maybe I need the long rests and that was why Monday was so much easier than Tuesday. If I had gone lighter on Tuesday and today went so well I would have confirmed the merit of listening to my body. But I might have been wrong. I just needed to get focused.
 
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