Other/Mixed Why not vary exercises day to day?

[pet']

Hello

My experience - if you stick with a basic push/ pull/ hing/ squat format, you could probably rotate through a very wide menu of exercises and make great progress. As an example your press could be barbell OHP, next session dumbell OHP, next session sandbag OHP and so on.

Lots of ways to get variety that build on each other but isn't going to happen by accident.

This ^+1

A while ago, I trained a very few number of lifts: bent press, get ups, swings. Then came the day when I had to move pieces of furniture all day long from a house to another. I was broken by the end of the day. To me, it was a game changer.

Then I added moves, patterns, energy systems, rep & set variations, as you mention. When I had to move stuff again for a friend, it went like a breeze even if this time, there was way more stair climbing to deal with.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[North Coast Miller]

If staving off sarcopenia and having fun were the only criteria to be met, switching exercises every single day might be a good idea.

You would be in WAY better shape than 90% of gen-pop out there.

Also if you are already in good shape/have a fair amount of muscle mass. Is a different approach to stimulating what's there opposed to making more or even trying to improve neural strength.

 

[Nate]

Bodybuilding uses a ton of variety if hypertrophy is the goal. Even in the Built Strong initial programs, Fabio had 18 different exercises a week to cover push, pull, squat, hinge; not counting core work, TGU, warmup etc.
There is a limit when too much will become counterproductive but there can be an appropriate time and place for most approaches.

 

[North Coast Miller]

I was broken by the end of the day. To me, it was a game changer.

Carry-over to daily work has guided a lot of my training approaches. It doesn't matter how much you move in the gym unless your goal is to compete. When an untrained exertion pattern that you think should be doable instead humbles you, it is indeed a game changer.

 

[bluejeff]

I agree with @North Coast Miller and @pet' . My training used to consist almost solely of exercises meant to get me to higher level calisthenics skills. Now I just want to be overall stronger and more “functional” in the sense that day to day stuff and surprises are easier to deal with. I love calisthenics and it’ll stay a part of my training, but things like front levers aren’t going to translate that well to moving furniture or manual labor.

I recall one of Jocko Willinck’s earlier podcasts. He was talking about types of fitness. He said there are people who are built like Ferraris and there are people who are built like 4x4s. Ferraris are high performance, high maintenance and need specific maintenance. 4x4s are more suited to a variety of tasks, can haul more weight, tackle a wider variety of terrain, and generally speaking are easier to maintain. If I recall right, he was saying that in special forces you wanted to be built like a 4x4. He said that the guys built like Ferraris were the ones to gas out quicker. They could do really well in short bursts but couldn’t hang as well over longer periods. At least that’s what my memory tells me

That’s kind of the direction I’m heading these days. I don’t want to feel like a badd@$$ when I’m training, only to not be able to carry something heavy up a staircase, or lose my breath easily if I have to run for a bit. To that end I have pondered whether some kind of “strongman light” training would be nice. Don’t go all out like a strongman competitor but basically train the same kinds of stuff “for health”; carries, lifting overhead, pushing/pulling/dragging…. Add in a little more endurance work and that’s the ultimate “4x4 workout.”

So that’s a personal two cents. As usual, the amount of variety you choose to employ depends on your goals.

 

[John K]

If I recall right, he was saying that in special forces you wanted to be built like a 4x4. He said that the guys built like Ferraris were the ones to gas out quicker.

He also talked about working super hard to hit 250lbs (if I recall correctly) and then having to do a run and realizing he needed to lose that weight quick. Not saying this to contradict you, just something I thought was funny and semi-related.

 

[Adachi]

He also talked about working super hard to hit 250lbs (if I recall correctly) and then having to do a run and realizing he needed to lose that weight quick. Not saying this to contradict you, just something I thought was funny and semi-related.

I went from 225 to 240 increased my press squat and deadlift, and went from 3 chins to 1, wiping out my progress from less than 1 to 3, which is related to one of my tested events, for the army. There's a lot of tradeoffs to be made.

 

[pet']

Hello,

As @North Coast Miller mentioned, working on the basics, but changing the variation on a daily basis can go long way.

Beyond the 'high rep' man, this is what Herschel Walker did. Some day regular push ups, some other one arm, etc..

Bobby Maximus also has a weekly training template which makes the routine change on a daily basis (conditioning, strength, etc...). Each training has a specific focus but uses variation of a move: high rep split squat for stamina and endurance, but jumping lunge for power.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Jeff Roark]

I've read through this thread and I find my training approach at odds with most of everything stated here. Everyone is so regimented in their approach and mine is sort of "meh, I'll train when I can get it in" approach. I've been plagued by injuries and aches over the past several years and it finally occurred to me that they were all stemming from using the same exercises and grinding myself to death with them over and over and over. I've literally had to learn to crawl again and have clawed my way back to several all time PRs doing the exact things that goes completely against how the majority on here train. Rotating lifts has eased much of my aches and pains and has allowed my to work around injuries and to slowly but surely start gaining strength again.

I do an upper/lower split loosely based off the old JP Sanchez Powerlifting routine. I had found on my own that deadlifting weekly along with the everything else would soon find me going backwards in hurry after 3-4 weeks. I decided to only do the deadlift every other week and all of a sudden I was gaining on it again. This was my first sign, but I should have considered it much more than I did at that time. I stumbled onto an article from Stan Efferding talking about his training to break the all time powerlifting total record and he discussed how he alternated weeks on squats and deadlifts, doing each only 2x per month. This reminded me of an article I had read years and years before that from JP Sanchez and his 2x per week program of alternating lifts for both upper and lower workouts. This was the turning point for me.

My training this past year has found me rotating through 4 main lifts for each upper and lower. With these lifts I've used different bars along with chains and bands. I always work up to a heavy single, usually a weight that I could double, or sometimes triple if pushed. If its one of those days that I'm really feeling it, I'll strike when the iron is hot and go for an all time PR lift. I follow the heavy single with 2-3 sets to failure usually using ~70% of the single for that day, but this varies too, all dependent on how I feel. Sometimes I want heavier rep work and will do reverse pyramid style. I've found it doesn't really matter much just as long as I go balls to the wall and create the stimulus. This is the way I was first taught to train from my uncle, working up to a heavy lift for single and then 2-3 back off sets or whatever. I could kick myself for following anything else as it made me stronger and put more size on me than anything else I had ever used.

This coming year will see me rotating through 6 lifts for upper and lower, following the same lose 2x per week style. Why I say lose is due to my schedule with 2 kids active in sports. My only solid day is Sunday evening upper body work. Sometimes I go 10-12 days between lower body and I haven't found myself worse for the wear, but most of the time stronger than before.

These are the lifts that I've decided on for the moment.

Upper
1) Viking Press
2) Low Incline
3) KB Press(OA or DBL, doesn't matter)
4) Medium Incline
5) Power C&P
6) Steep Incline

Lower
1) Hack Lift
2) SSB Box Squat
3) Snatch Grip Rack Pull
4) Zercher Squat
5) Close Stance Sumo Rack Pull
6) Front Squat

Along with this I also rotate my assistance work, but I'm not very regimented with it to be honest. I simply have a few focus points for increasing the lifts(triceps and lower back), but the rest of it is vanity work. My main focus this coming year is building my neck, traps, side/rear delts and forearms, all for the sake of vanity! Apologies for so not SF style!

Before I say this I don't want to sound disagreeable by no means because everyone has their own way and opinion on things. I respect what all do on here and their personal goals. Personally, I'm not interested in the least in being certified in anything or meeting someones standards for the execution of a lift, so the importance of me being an absolute technician in certain lifts is not important. None of that is needed for me to get strong. I'm becoming of the opinion that once your technique becomes so dialed in you somewhat lose the stimulus for strength and mass increase. I'd rather be inefficient and have to muscle the weights rather than technique them, sort of like the great champion John Davis would do. I say strong is strong, and if I ever want to specialize in a lift for a few weeks, it won't take much to dial it in.

So, take my opinion and results with a grain of salt, but I'll keep plugging along doing what I do.

 

[Keep Lifting]

Varying Exercises

This method is one of the keys to increasing Maximum Strength and Increasing Muscle Mass.

Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength.

Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength - PubMed

This study investigated the effects of varying strength exercises and loading scheme on muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and maximum strength after 4 strength training loading schemes: constant intensity and constant exercise (CICE), constant intensity and varied exercise (CIVE), varied...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of varying strength exercises and/or loading scheme on muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and maximum strength after four strength training loading schemes: constant intensity and constant exercise (CICE), constant intensity and varied exercise (CIVE), varied intensity and constant exercise (VICE), varied intensity and varied exercise (VIVE). Forty-nine individuals were allocated into five groups: CICE, CIVE, VICE, VIVE, and control group (C). Experimental groups underwent a twice a week training for 12 weeks. Squat 1RM was assessed at baseline and after the training period. Whole quadriceps muscle and its heads CSA were also obtained pre- and post-training. The whole quadriceps CSA increased significantly (p<0.05) in all of the experimental groups from pre- to post-test in both the right and left legs: CICE: 11.6% and 12.0%; CIVE: 11.6% and 12.2%; VICE: 9.5% e 9.3% and VIVE: 9.9% and 11.6%, respectively. The CIVE and VIVE groups presented hypertrophy in all of the quadriceps muscle heads (p<0.05), while the CICE and VICE groups did not present hypertrophy in the vastus medialis and rectus femoris (RF), and in the RF muscles, respectively (p>0.05). The CIVE group had greater strength increments than the other training groups (Effect size confidence limit of the difference -ESCLdiff CICE: 1.41 - 1.56; VICE: 2.13 - 2.28; VIVE: 0.59 - 0.75). Our findings suggest: a) CIVE is more efficient to produce strength gains for physically active individuals; b) as long as the training intensity reaches an alleged threshold, muscle hypertrophy is similar regardless of the training intensity and exercise variation.

The Downside of Varying Exercises

The downside of Varying Exercises is that Technique is not developed in a movement or lift.

Technique Training

The key to developing Technique in a lift or movement is practice.

It is optimally developed when it is...

1) Practiced first or on a day set aside for it.

2) When performed with load of 85% of 1 Repetition Max for Single Repetition Sets.

3) The number or Single Repetition Sets are determined by Muscle Fatigue.

Once Muscle Fatigue sets in, the Exercise is terminated.

Continuing in a fatigued state reinforce poor technique.

The key to increasing Maximum Strength in a Lift is...

Auxiliary Exercises

Auxiliary Exercise that involve the same muscle group and movement pattern of a lift is the optimal method of increasing Strength in a lift that doesn't affect the Technique of the Lift.

Auxiliary Exercise are constantly changed; rotated in and out of a well written Periodization Training Cycle.

Bench Press Auxiliary Exercise Examples

1) Narrow, Medium or Wide Incline or Decline Bench Press.

2) Dumbbell Incline or Decline Bench Press

3) Dips

4) Swiss Bar Incline, Decline or Flat Bench Press Training. The Angled Grip Handle on the Swiss Bar turn it into a different exercise.

The Westside Powerlifting Protocol

The Westside Powerlifting Protocol developed (circa) 1980 is based on implementing Auxiliary Exercise Rotation as a mean of increasing strength in the Powerlifts.

The foundation of The Westside Protocol is built on...

Olympic Lifter Training

Olympic Lifter training revolves around performing performing Heavy Singles or sometimes Double in an Olympic Lift. Thus, it is primarily Technique Training.

Auxiliary Exercise are used to increase Strength in the Olympic Lifts.

Olympic Lifter do not perform high repetition, non stop Cleans, Jerks or Snatched.

Dr. Tom McLaughlin's Bench Press Powerlifting Research

At essentially the same time The Westside Training Protocol came out, so did McLaughlin's Bio-Mechanical Bench Press research.

Part of McLaughlin's research revolved around Bench Press Technique Training (the same concepts apply to all lifts and movements).

As per McLaughlin's research, the key to increasing strength in the Bench Press was in the use of Auxiliary Exercise; reinforcing The Westside Methods Powerlifting Protocol.

(Like Crossfit WODs,


The Workout of The Day

This approach does not allow Technique be learned and developed in any movement.

One of the cons to CrossFit is not revisiting movements frequently enough to cause adaptations in this movements.


Also, as Justin noted, performing different WOD's does not allow for training adaptation to occur.



Energy System Training

The foundation of CrossFit that exactly, "An energy system" type of Metabolic Training.

It is essentially a GPP, General Physical Preparedness Training.

CrossFiters are a "Jack of all trades and master of none."



Kids and Sports

Kids should be exposed to other sports.

However, to learn and become better at something, they need to spend some time in it.

How well are they going to get in anyone of these sports if your approach is have them doing...

Monday: Football

Tuesday: Basketball

Wednesday: Baseball

Thursday: Swimming

Friday: Gymnastics

Saturday: Bowling

Sunday: Wrestling

[/QUOTE]
Reading the actual study Im not sure that the protocol used during this experiment counts as varying exercises the way the OP meant it. In this study, the constant exercise protocols consisted of doing only squats, in the varying exercises the routine was to perform squats and leg press the first 4 weeks, then perform squats and deadlifts, the next 4 weeks, then squats, deadlifts and lunges the last 4 weeks. So, with this protocol (even though the participants only trained 2x/wk) all of the participants were performing squats in every workout, so the practice of the movement is consistent between all groups, the varied groups added on deadlifts and lunges. Also, I would point out that the differences in strength gains was not significant nor consistent enough to claim one way was most effective, as is pointed out in this direct quote from the paper, "Despite the significant increases in squat 1RM in all of the experimental groups (increments ranging from 23.1 to 53%), our findings do not completely support the hypothesis that variations in training intensity and exercises are more efficient to increase muscle strength."

I'll stick with the Strongfirst research. The true practitioners, the ones who have the most to gain or lose, are the best lab rats and experiment designers when it comes to strength, always have been. More than anything, strength is a skill, and mastering skills requires hours in the lab drilling into the same movement over and over and over while tweaking and honing every detail.

 

[Jeff Roark]

Reading the actual study Im not sure that the protocol used during this experiment counts as varying exercises the way the OP meant it. In this study, the constant exercise protocols consisted of doing only squats, in the varying exercises the routine was to perform squats and leg press the first 4 weeks, then perform squats and deadlifts, the next 4 weeks, then squats, deadlifts and lunges the last 4 weeks. So, with this protocol (even though the participants only trained 2x/wk) all of the participants were performing squats in every workout, so the practice of the movement is consistent between all groups, the varied groups added on deadlifts and lunges. Also, I would point out that the differences in strength gains was not significant nor consistent enough to claim one way was most effective, as is pointed out in this direct quote from the paper, "Despite the significant increases in squat 1RM in all of the experimental groups (increments ranging from 23.1 to 53%), our findings do not completely support the hypothesis that variations in training intensity and exercises are more efficient to increase muscle strength."

I'll stick with the Strongfirst research. The true practitioners, the ones who have the most to gain or lose, are the best lab rats and experiment designers when it comes to strength, always have been. More than anything, strength is a skill, and mastering skills requires hours in the lab drilling into the same movement over and over and over while tweaking and honing every detail.
[/QUOTE]

one has to do what they feel is right for them. Once you have mastered the skill, then what? Yes, displaying strength at the highest level takes skill, but strong is strong. Take someone that can Military Press 225lbs+ and hand them 40kg KB and they won't have much problem pressings it and surely won't require hours upon hours in a lab mastering the most minute details. Heck, I hadn't picked up a KB in ages and I've surely not spent hours honing my technique and I pressed the 40kg fairly easy.

Keep doing same lift over and over for 35+years and you'll see what some of us are talking about with pattern overuse injuries.

 

[pet']

Hello,

If we consider a movement pattern, such the push for example sake, I have noticed that when I rotate through variations of it on a weekly basis: HSPU, OVH Press (resistance band or kb), dips, push ups (OAOL, OAP, etc...) I tend to progress "slowly but surely" at all of them.

However, when I focus on only one move, obviously I progress faster on this move, but the others tend to stall (at best) or decrease. There is - from my uneducated experience - a carryover from a certain amount of variety.

If I keep digging: military kb press tends to transfer better to OA push ups than the other way around. At some point, adding high rep regular push ups helped be breaking a OVH kb military press plateau.

Obviously, there is nothing wrong in training very few moves. Nonetheless, IMO, there is some sort of point of diminishing return: how much time do I have to dedicate to technique improvement, to increase the weight I can lift ? Do I have an interest in dedicating 2 months training to lift 10kg more if I am not competing ? Plus, if one wants to "secure" some sort of carryover, exericse selection has to be very accurate: a bicep curl may have less transfer to overall strength than a chin up for example (but that does not mean the bicep curl is useless).

Also, mixing the drill avoid overuse injury (good technique or not).

Just to be clear: There is absolutely no disrespect regarding SF teachings and principles !

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Starlord]

I went from 225 to 240 increased my press squat and deadlift, and went from 3 chins to 1, wiping out my progress from less than 1 to 3, which is related to one of my tested events, for the army. There's a lot of tradeoffs to be made.

I will outright claim that is due to poor programming.

When I started serving I weight approx 55kg. I could do 20 pull ups, max out the push up and sit up test. As well as score well on the 1.5 miler, cooper and beep tests.

I built upto 94kg at my heaviest. At that weight I could zercher deadlift 200kg as close to the ground as my mobility would allow (4-6" mats). But I was also able to perform sets of weighted pull ups.

Obviously you only have so much adaptive energy to use at any one time and splitting it across many domains will dilute the adaptations. But if you are an athlete you will need to be competent at many things and then use them together during your SPP.

You can definitely build muscle while maintaining/building upon pull ups and run times. But there are a host of factors to bear in mind.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

Im not sure that the protocol used during this experiment counts as varying exercises the way the OP meant it.

Okay, let break down what Rdodo post and provide some "Surety" for you. Not being sure equates to guessing, making a choice and hoping you guess right.

If it's beneficial to vary volume and intensity day to day/week to week, then why not completely vary exercises? (Like Crossfit WODs, for instance)

CrossFit Workout of The Day

This is General Physical Preparedness, GPP, Training which is a "Jack of All Trade, Master of None" approach.

It is somewhat effective for GPP but that it.

Constantly changing exercise on a daily basis is a chaotic approach that yield very little for novice lifter, which Rdodo is. It isn't very effective for advance athletes in sport training, either.

It amount to working a different job each day. You gain some overall knowledge about each job but you will never become proficient.

Thus, Rdodo progress will be less that it could be. But at least he is using his head and trying to think through it.

Muscle Confusion

This is the Bro term used by many Neanderthals.

Muscle Confusion is based on varying exercise as a means of producing increases in strength and size.

CrossFit take it too far with their Workout of The Day.

Muscle Confusion is based on...

The General Adaptation Syndrome

I have posted information on this site into a state of ad nauseam.

The General Adaptation Syndrome is composed of three part.

When presented with stress or trauma (Covid, Strength Training), etc., you either "Adapt or Die".

The issue of adaptation with Strength Training (Limit Strength, Power. Speed, Hypertrophy, Strength Endurance, etc) is that once adaptation occurs, progress stops.

Continuing to push past the adaption point leads to OverReaching and eventually OverTraining; a downward spiral.

Periodization Training

This method is built on The General Adaptation Syndrome.

Planned easy training, with progressive increases in loading/intensity each week. The final week is pushed to the limit.

Once the final week is completed, a New Periodization Training Program is begun with light load and some New Exercises.

This bring us to...

Varying Exercises

Varying Exercises elicits The General Adaptation Syndrome.

The New Exercise initially provide a new stimulus of trauma and stress to the body.

The initial response of the body is to overcome it and become stronger. Thus, there is some validity to, "What doesn't kill you make you stronger".

Training Age

This refers to how long an individual has been training.

1) Novice Lifters

These individual have a longer adaptation time periods.

Performing the same exercises for 8-12 weeks, usually works for them before they need to make changes.

2) Advance Lifters

These individual adapt quickly. They need to make changes every 3 - 4 weeks.

The Westside Powerlifting Method

This method has been around since, circa 1982.

It is a very successful method.

One of the fundamental of it is to Vary Auxiliary Exercises (Change Strength Exercises) as a means of increasing Limit Strength in the Powerlifts with each New Training Cycle.

Dr. Tom McLaughlin, PhD Biomechanics

McLaughlin, former Powerlifter, did some seminal work on the Biomechanics of the Powerlifter.

His work support The Westside Training Protocol of building strength in each of the Powerlifts with Auxiliary Exercise. The Competition Powerlifts are not performed for repetitions, as The Training Exercise.

Performing a variety of exercises that are similar in nature to the Competition Lifts.

The issue with performing the Competition Lifts as the Training Exercise is it ensures poor technique is developed.

I'll stick with the Strongfirst research.

StrongFirst Researh

StrongFirst does not have a research department.

So, what Research are you talking about?

They do have some good and interesting article.

However, some of those articles contain misinformation.

One of those article is based an authors opinion, which is incorrect. Research and anecdotal data don't support his believe.

And as someone once said, "You feeling don't matter, he Facts do."

Another article presented by one of my favorite people, is based in misinformation that continues to be perpetuated. I provided him with a reputable research article that corrected that information.

However, that same article is still on the site; no correction revision was made.

Thus, the perpetuation of this misinformation continues.

the ones who have the most to gain or lose, are the best lab rats and experiment designers when it comes to strength,

"Everything Works But Nothing Works Forever"

I have noted this in pervious post. A Novice Lifter is going to make the greatest amount of gains, regardless of what they do.

Making progress after that require making changes.

More than anything, strength is a skill, and mastering skills requires hours in the lab drilling into the same movement over and over and over while tweaking and honing every detail.

Technique Development

I have several post on this site regarding Technique Training.

The issue is that many individual incorrectly utilize the movement they are trying to develop skill in as the Training Exercise.

While some strength is gained, it come at the expense of Technique Development.

 

[Nate]

The variety doesnt have to be random. Esp as we advance, if a lift is at its limit, specialized variety to targeted to improve your weak point in a compound lift can break that plateau. That can be a main point of planning main, supplemental & accessory lifts.

 

[Starlord]

The variety doesnt have to be random. Esp as we advance, if a lift is at its limit, specialized variety to targeted to improve your weak point in a compound lift can break that plateau. That can be a main point of planning main, supplemental & accessory lifts.

This.

If you look at any major advocate of variety it is still specific to the end goal. Russian weightlifting team had over 100 spatial lifts for the snatch and C&J.

Their methods are what inspired the Westside conjugate method by Louie Simmons. Baring in mind all of Louie has said many times even your GPP has to be specific.

Too many people misuse the term GPP. But that is a rant for another time.

The Chinese weightlifting team have taken the Russian methodology a step further. Throwing in a ton of bodybuilding work including Curls at the end of a session.

Boris Sheiko also deploys a TON of variety. But this mainly comes in the form of manipulation of sets, reps, intensity etc. But there is still a variety of lifts too.

Even db flies have a purpose in his programming. They are to stretch the pec and anterior delt, to limit kyphosis and prevent injury in the future.

So the GPP is specific to preventing injury and allowing the athlete to continuing to tolerate the workload in the bench.

GPP and variety must always be specific to the end goal.

 

[ali]

Is the answer not one or the other but both?
If you do 2 or 3 main exercises for 3 day week, other days do a variety of various movement patterns at a low intensity which could be a different version of the main exercises or something else entirely.
And to whom does it apply? Powerlifters, bodybuilders are different things. Martial arts, gymnastics, athletics too have different needs.....but we are all human.
And we're all equipped to move in a variety of ways....but that doesn't mean we should always load any movement but also doesn't mean we shouldn't.
A focused approach for some movements whilst not neglecting others is the best of both worlds, no?
At times, switch the emphasis if needed/wanted....maybe I'm missing something but I don't see the conflict if talking general athleticism.

 

[North Coast Miller]

GPP and variety must always be specific to the end goal.

The vast teeming majority of people who engage in fitness activity don't have a goal more specific than to increase everything somewhat and maintain/attain good body comp.

For longevity this is more than enough. People training at the competitive end of the spectrum are a different animal. As an example, what is the % of CF members that compete in the games or even watch on the TV?

 

[Adachi]

I will outright claim that is due to poor programming

This is probably correct.

 

[Starlord]

The vast teeming majority of people who engage in fitness activity don't have a goal more specific than to increase everything somewhat and maintain/attain good body comp.

I would disagree with this. Majority of people who engage in fitness do so to increase health and longevity.

So logic dictates that they should (whether they do or not is another matter entirely) engage in a mixture of resistance training and aerobic capacity work as standard.

Optimise their diet model, sleep hygiene and supplementation to be conducive to hitting good health markers and plug I'm deficiencies.

As well as getting regular bloods done, so you have metrics to use. As opposed to just swinging in the dark.

For longevity this is more than enough. People training at the competitive end of the spectrum are a different animal. As an example, what is the % of CF members that compete in the games or even watch on the TV?

No but goals are still goals. GPP is general but still relating to a goal.

If the point in longevity then GPP still has to be general for longevity purposes. Above are some means of optimising various factors for longevity.

Anyone serious about competing or longevity will be seeking to use solid metrics and data points to gauge success. In my mind if they aren't, then they aren't serious at all.