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Other/Mixed What is GPP? Does it really exist?

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Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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william bad butt said:
HANSENATOR, Starting Strength is not a powerlifting program, but it uses the 3 power lifts (and other exercises). It is a barbell-based program focusing on increasing absolute strength, very quickly, in lifters who are novices with the barbell. So I would say it has a very specific goal for a very specific population (although I would agree it is a very large population). If you had 5 or 10 years of serious barbell training under your belt, would you switch from an intermediate program (like 5 3 1 or whatever is a popular program nowadays) for a beginner program like Starting Strength as GPP? I assume the answer is "no". Starting Strength would be great GPP for a new person just starting into fitness and lifting, but though, not an experienced lifter. Whereas S&S could provide GPP for everyone. That was my point, I hope I am making sense.
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Building strength is good GPP for many sports and activities. I understand what you're saying about Starting Strength being narrowly focused but it's still a strength program and strength training is still considered GPP for most activities that benefit from increased strength. The fact that a beginner is using a beginner strength program doesn't really change that. As usual though, context is everything and it depends on what you'e preparing for.
 
I think it's interesting to see a lot of points regarding GPP being things that won't hurt anyone's specific performance needs. Example being S&S doesn't make a strongman weaker and it doesn't make a marathon runner slower. However, does that time (minimal as it is) take away from time spent on something more applicable to either of those athletes?

Regarding the Louie Simmons GPP work, isn't all that accessory work specific to keep those athletes competitive year round and build the accessory strength that increases the competitive lifts which seems specific to their needs.

For the DAD athlete, is SPP carrying groceries and kids or would sandbag and farmer carries be considered SPP?

I feel like there is a scale of skill/technique and physiological adaptation very much like Dan Johns quadrants but less definitive with potentially an opposing side of things that take away from performance. Something like a scale of -10 to +10. Ten being those skills/techniques of a chosen sport whatever that may be. Negative ten being the things that actually hurt sport performance (I.e., long distance running for the power lifter). I would think GPP would be at zero or close to it? Anything more positive becomes SPP and I don't know what to call the things less than zero. Could GPP be things that equate to zero? Long distance running and powerlifting combined for example? Does GPP have to essentially net you zero toward anything?

I appreciate all this critical thinking being supplied by everyone, I hope we are all growing at least as much as I feel I am.
 
Bro Mo said:
In theory, I've thought a GPP program should be a jumping off point for any sport specific endeavor.
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Perhaps calling it a jumping off point for sport-specific training might be better.

-S-
 
@william bad butt
Ok, got it! So we could say in that case GPP would be a tool to maintain (and somewhat advance) traits or domains that are not maintained or trained by the other specific training (wherever it may lie on the specificity spectrum), so as not to become purely a specialist...
I can live with that definition (sort of along the same lines of the cost of adaptation article on the blog)

The lines are somewhat blurred between GPP and SPP for anybody who is not purely a specialist, which is probably what makes this discussion a lively one :)

Edit, added this to my post instead of writing an additional reply, for sake of clarity

Thinking further...
The upshot would then be that all training is specific to some degree. The closer you move to a very specialist plan the more you’d have a need for GPP and the more they can be clearly defined/identified.
On the other hand the less you need specialised training the more GPP and SPP move together, to the point where they could actually be the same routine (like S&S for many people)
 
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Bro Mo said:
Regarding the Louie Simmons GPP work, isn't all that accessory work specific to keep those athletes competitive year round and build the accessory strength that increases the competitive lifts which seems specific to their needs.
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My understanding is the powerlifts would be the SPP for a power lifter. Accessory lifts meant to maintain health or bring up a weak area would be GPP. And if something doesn't somehow contribute to the competition lifts, you might want to ask yourself if you should even be doing it.

Bro Mo said:
For the DAD athlete, is SPP carrying groceries and kids or would sandbag and farmer carries be considered SPP?
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To be doing GPP kind of implies you will progress to SPP as a way of preparing for a specific event or competition. If you'e not an athlete or have a specific task you're training for, I think the whole concept of GPP kind of loses its meaning. Unless you define it in the most general sense - "Trim and tone" or "general fitness" etc.

For the DAD athlete example, carrying groceries would be the event but most people have no need for a specific program going from general to specific to peaking on a certain date so they can go grocery shopping.
 
the hansenator said:
Accessory lifts meant to maintain health or bring up a weak area would be GPP.
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Accessory lifts to maintain health would qualify as GPP, but accessory lifts to bring up a weak area would be SPP, because they are specificly chosen to bring up the weak area and therefore bring up the main competition lift. You choose them for the sole purpose of increasing the competition lift. That makes them SPP.
For example doing some cardio to maintain a healthy heart would qualify as GPP, because you don't do it with the intent of increasing your bench/squat/DL.
On the other hand you could also do cardio to increase your work capacity, so you could train your competition lifts with higher volume without going into overtraining. Now the cardio qualifies as SPP, because you do it to increase the main lifts.
The same exercises can be either GPP or SPP. What matters is why you choose to do it (the intent).

Of course again that's my interpretation :)
Funny how we can have a 3 pages (and growing) discussion about semantics :D
 
Just so that I understand. For me who is not training any sport or plan to. I do S&S beacause it appeals to me and hopfully keeps me healthy as I´m getting old(er).

What is that? Can gpp exist if there is no spp?
 
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