GPP - a little help?

[sneezingstardust]

Lately I've been feeling as though my GPP is affecting my lifts. And I don't know how to change that. I feel lazy and restless if I only train 3x per week though, which is why I do GPP on some of my off days.

Last week I tried doing some weighted crossfit shenanigans for my GPP, and that didn't go over well. I ended up sore as hell and couldn't even do a proper workout the next day. When I did bodyweight stuff I was fine, but I don't know if that's considered GPP or not.

I don't have access to a sled or chains or anything, just a regular gym. So I have a couple Q's:

1) What are some other things I can do that won't negatively impact my progress with my lifts?

2) How long should my GPP be lasting?

[DieselWeasel]

GPP (General Physical Preparedness) can be many different physical activities, so long as it doesn't doesn't give you DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) the following day. In fact, some GPP has the opposite effect because it can relieve the aches and pains, while improve improving your cardiovascular conditioning at the same time.

GPP could be considered anything that gets blood to the muscles and elevates your heart rate without producing fatigue. Coitus (sexual intercourse) is a type of GPP too, but if I recall correctly, you're too young to have sex, so disregard that.

Here are a few good options:

- brisk walking (if your bodyweight isn't enough, you can do it weighted with a backpack or vest)
- jogging
- tire flip*
- farmer's walk*
- sled or prowler*
- kettlebell* (e.g. swing, snatch, clean, jerk, etc.)
- "the bear"* (using a barbell, do a power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press - that's one rep)

* These should be performed with relatively light weight and it must not be strenuous. GPP is absolutely not meant to fatigue your muscles and nervous system.

The duration of the GPP session varies according to the person's bodyweight, experience level, and individual body.

BTW, if your gym doesn't have strongman equipment, you can still do farmer's walk with dumbbells. The same goes for replacing kettlebells with dumbbells.

Good luck, Sneezy.

[sneezingstardust]

Originally Posted by DieselWeasel

GPP (General Physical Preparedness) can be anything, so long as it doesn't doesn't give you DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) the following day. In fact, some GPP has the opposite effect because it can relieve the aches and pains, while improve improving your cardiovascular conditioning at the same time.

Here are a few good options:

- brisk walking (if your bodyweight isn't enough, you can do it weighted with a backpack or vest)
- jogging
- tire flip*
- farmer's walk*
- sled or prowler*
- kettlebell* (e.g. swing, snatch, clean, jerk, etc.)
- "the bear"* (using a barbell, do a power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press - that's one rep)

* These should be performed with relatively light weight and it must not be strenuous. GPP is absolutely not meant to fatigue your muscles and nervous system.

The duration of the GPP session varies according to the person's bodyweight, experience level, and individual body.

BTW, if your gym doesn't have strongman equipment, you can still do farmer's walk with dumbbells. The same goes for replacing kettlebells with dumbbells.

Good luck, Sneezy.

I've done the farmer walks and kettlebell swings, those usually didn't effect anything negatively...however last week I tried doing The Bear, and it completely screwed up Friday's workout

[DieselWeasel]

Why do you feel your GPP is too low? You're 110lbs, aren't you? Your cardiovascular system should be fit and healthy, unless you smoke cigarettes.

Also, you used too much weight with The Bear if you felt sore, the next session in the gym, unless it wasn't just for GPP.

[IronManlet]

BW Dips and BW pull-ups are staples of my off days; I find them useful in relieving soreness if they're not done to failure.

Really though, you know when you're being worked too hard. Until your workload capacity improves (i.e. Squatting 3x per week is easier than pissing), I would throw out things like The Bear if your goal is to hit PR's every week. (which it is)

[DieselWeasel]

Originally Posted by IronManlet

BW Dips and BW pull-ups are staples of my off days; I find them useful in relieving soreness if they're not done to failure.

Really though, you know when you're being worked too hard. Until your workload capacity improves (i.e. Squatting 3x per week is easier than pissing), I would throw out things like The Bear if your goal is to hit PR's every week. (which it is)

I concur. Listen to your brother. If your current goal is to get stronger, don't worry much about GPP, just smash f*ckin' weight.

[sneezingstardust]

Originally Posted by DieselWeasel

Why do you feel your GPP is too low? You're 110lbs, aren't you? Your cardiovascular system should be fit and healthy, unless you smoke cigarettes.

Also, you used too much weight with The Bear if you felt sore, the next session in the gym, unless it wasn't just for GPP.

It was just meant to be for GPP. With The Bear you're actually supposed to work up to a max weight, but I only stuck with 50ish lbs.

I'm at a low weight, but I just need to do something on my off days or I get way to f*cking restless.

[IronManlet]

Originally Posted by sneezingstardust

It was just meant to be for GPP. With The Bear you're actually supposed to work up to a max weight, but I only stuck with 50ish lbs.

I'm at a low weight, but I just need to do something on my off days or I get way to f*cking restless.

You know what I would say already, but here we go...


In the long run, you will get stronger if you train more frequently and with a greater workload because: more frequency = increased body adaption to workload = increased workload capacity = more frequent training = heavier weights being pushed = more PR's = greater strength, endurance, and size gains overall.

However, training in this way, (where you train until you're cramped or fatigued before taking a day off) will not guarantee week-to-week progress. In fact, linear progression with high frequency + high volume is almost impossible. So if you wholeheartedly believe in linear progression and want to run Madcows to the ground, you cannot train with much frequency; not because it's too taxing workout-to-workout, but because you are trying to hit new PR's EVERY week with a set amount of weight EVERY time. In order to guarantee such progression, volume and workloads must be decreased.

Which is what led me to abandon linear progression in favor of things like Chaos and Pain where I can progress whenever I goddamn please and train however I want...hahaha

So it's a choice (as always): either continue with linear progression, or train more and progress as often as you can; which might not be every week until your workload capacity increases. Then again, you could see amazing progress without linear progression. I've been hitting PR's right and left without doing anything close to 5x5.

But if you really want to see how far you can push Madcows, your training frequency will have to decrease, or you will have to push THROUGH it and try harder. Simple as that.

[sneezingstardust]

Originally Posted by IronManlet

You know what I would say already, but here we go...


In the long run, you will get stronger if you train more frequently and with a greater workload because: more frequency = increased body adaption to workload = increased workload capacity = more frequent training = heavier weights being pushed = more PR's = greater strength, endurance, and size gains overall.

However, training in this way, (where you train until you're cramped or fatigued before taking a day off) will not guarantee week-to-week progress. In fact, linear progression with high frequency + high volume is almost impossible. So if you wholeheartedly believe in linear progression and want to run Madcows to the ground, you cannot train with much frequency; not because it's too taxing workout-to-workout, but because you are trying to hit new PR's EVERY week with a set amount of weight EVERY time. In order to guarantee such progression, volume and workloads must be decreased.

Which is what led me to abandon linear progression in favor of things like Chaos and Pain where I can progress whenever I goddamn please and train however I want...hahaha

So it's a choice (as always): either continue with linear progression, or train more and progress as often as you can; which might not be every week until your workload capacity increases. Then again, you could see amazing progress without linear progression. I've been hitting PR's right and left without doing anything close to 5x5.

But if you really want to see how far you can push Madcows, your training frequency will have to decrease, or you will have to push THROUGH it and try harder. Simple as that.

To a certain extent. However, Bill Starr even mentioned (as did others) that it was perfectly find to do GPP on your days off, so long as it didn't take away from your other training.

So I'm sure I can find something to do that won't negatively impact the rest of my lifting.

[DieselWeasel]

I forgot to mention jump rope. I am terrible at it, but it's supposed to be great for GPP and cardio.