Tested mastery on all F1/H1 PE1s -- Now what?

A little help here, over the last two days, I just went through all the PE1 & PE1>iM for both F1 & H1.  Here are my results:

FL PE1 -- passed easily on both this and iM so I will move on to test mastery in PE2, correct?

sPL PE1 -- passed the scapular shrugs, but couldn't keep both butt cheeks on the ground during swivel hips when getting both knees to the ground.  So how far back should I go in PE1?  Week 9?  Week 5?  I am guessing I should do week 9 and just keep repeating 9-12 until I can get the swivel hips down, right?

HBP PE1 -- pass both so onto test mastery in PE2, correct?

RC PE 1 -- I got 3x15, then on the last two sets of hinge rows, my reps dropped sharply to 8 and 7.  Should I start on week 5 or 9 do you think?

SL PE 1 -- Started off well and got 60 seconds on the first hold, but then it went to 50 seconds on 2, and 40 seconds for the next three sets with definite break downs in form getting earlier and earlier in the sets.  Should I start at week 1 or week 5?

MN PE 1 -- got through the tuck-ups no problem, but the windmills were a bit of an issue as I have no dumbbells, only KBs, and the lightest ones I have are 35 lbs.  I was reasonably good when holding the KB with my right arm, but noticed some involuntary knee bending and not so smooth rotations of the arm when held in the left.  How far back should I go?  I was thinking to week 9 and just repeating 9-12 if necessary if the windmills aren't locked in.

SLS PE 1 -- I had no problem with the deck squats, but the description of the skier squats says that my hips should be down at parallel (or at least damn close).  I didn't feel like they were that close, but in watching the video, it didn't look like the model was that close either.  That said, I know I need more ankle mobility, so I was thinking of going back to week 9.  Does that sound right?

H1 PE1 -- I'll lump all of them together here.  I passed all of them so I am on to PE2 for all the wrist PEs and the handstand PE1, so I'll try PE2 for all of them next.  That said, my wrists and forearms are REALLY sore today.

Thanks for the help!

BTW, glancing ahead at the various PE2's, I am already anticipating that the iMs for many of them are going to be a limiting factor for me.  When it is the iM that is holding you back from mastery and not the PE itself, where do you typically start?  I am guessing week 9 and just keep doing weeks 9-12 as necessary until mobility improves.  I didn't see anything addressing that in any of the course materials.

By the way, I've decided to use the following schedule for my mixed training starting next week (I know that many of you will say to drop the lifting, but I am adding gymnastics to supplement weightlifting, not the other way around):

Monday: (AM) squats & presses (PM) snatch & snatch assist

Tuesday:  F7 & H1 (dividing up over AM & PM workouts)

Wednesday: (AM) squats & presses (PM) Oly lifting assist work (pulls, drop snatches, etc.)

Thursday:  Active recovery (a nice hike) & dedicated hour of mobility/stretching/foam rolling

Friday:  (AM) Squats & presses (PM) cleans & clean assist

Saturday:  F7 & H1 (dividing up over AM & PM workouts)

Sunday: OFF

I have pretty high work capacity as my previous workout schedule had me training 6x per week for 2 or more hours every day.  I am following a fairly low volume squatting and pressing program and have removed all other upper body and abdominal movements from my program to reduce the volume.  I had been doing front squats, pull-ups, OH squats, BTN snatch-width Sots presses, and TGU's every single day, but I have dropped these frequency method sets from my program.  I also was doing ab work and various rows as part of my snatch assist and clean assist work.  I am no longer going to do that to further reduce the volume.  On Wednesdays, I used to do heavy overhead supports, but I am now removing those as well.  So, while my present schedule may seem like a lot to many of you, it is probably a reduction in total volume from what I had been doing.  If I need to adjust volume downwards, it will probably be to presses first, pulls second, squats third (I shudder at the thought of reducing squatting volume so I hope it never gets to this point!)

Anyway, I still expect to get pretty sore since the gymnastics progressions are new to me.  If this schedule turns out to be too much for my body to handle, I'll make adjustments.  I'll let you all know how it goes.  Anyways, thanks for the assistance on what I should be doing next.

Enkidu said:

A little help here, over the last two days, I just went through all the PE1 & PE1>iM for both F1 & H1.  Here are my results:

 

FL PE1 -- passed easily on both this and iM so I will move on to test mastery in PE2, correct?

 

sPL PE1 -- passed the scapular shrugs, but couldn't keep both butt cheeks on the ground during swivel hips when getting both knees to the ground.  So how far back should I go in PE1?  Week 9?  Week 5?  I am guessing I should do week 9 and just keep repeating 9-12 until I can get the swivel hips down, right?

 

HBP PE1 -- pass both so onto test mastery in PE2, correct?

 

RC PE 1 -- I got 3x15, then on the last two sets of hinge rows, my reps dropped sharply to 8 and 7.  Should I start on week 5 or 9 do you think?

 

SL PE 1 -- Started off well and got 60 seconds on the first hold, but then it went to 50 seconds on 2, and 40 seconds for the next three sets with definite break downs in form getting earlier and earlier in the sets.  Should I start at week 1 or week 5?

 

MN PE 1 -- got through the tuck-ups no problem, but the windmills were a bit of an issue as I have no dumbbells, only KBs, and the lightest ones I have are 35 lbs.  I was reasonably good when holding the KB with my right arm, but noticed some involuntary knee bending and not so smooth rotations of the arm when held in the left.  How far back should I go?  I was thinking to week 9 and just repeating 9-12 if necessary if the windmills aren't locked in.

 

SLS PE 1 -- I had no problem with the deck squats, but the description of the skier squats says that my hips should be down at parallel (or at least damn close).  I didn't feel like they were that close, but in watching the video, it didn't look like the model was that close either.  That said, I know I need more ankle mobility, so I was thinking of going back to week 9.  Does that sound right?

 

H1 PE1 -- I'll lump all of them together here.  I passed all of them so I am on to PE2 for all the wrist PEs and the handstand PE1, so I'll try PE2 for all of them next.  That said, my wrists and forearms are REALLY sore today.

 

Thanks for the help!

FL - Correct

sPL - If you mastered the PE but cannot do the iM, keep going on either weeks 9-12 on the PE or just keep doing week 11. Your call. Keep doing this until you can complete the iM and PE.

HBP - Correct

RC - Week 5.

SL - Sounds like week 5 to me. Remember that Coach has put a little prompter against each microcycle within the program to tell you where you should start.

MN - As per sPL comments.

SLS - if you have not mastered the iM then repeat (as per MN / sPL comments). Otherwise move on. If you look like the athlete in the video, and are correct as per the exercise description then you are doing it right. Don't over think it. If you are concerned post the video for critique.

Welcome to the forums! Looking forward to seeing you around and talking.

Thanks for the info.  I was a bit confused on the meaning of the prompters on the microcycle, which is why I asked.

BTW, today I tested the three PEs that I passed at PE2.  On FL, I passed again on PE2 and PE2>iM, so I'll try the mastery for PE3.  I fatigued VERY rapidly on the the sPL PE2 after getting the full 15 initially, so I'll start that one at week 5.  On the H1 series, I passed all the PE2s for the wrists so I'll test all of those for PE3 on Tuesday.  However my wrists were VERY fatigued by the time I got to the handstand PE2, I couldn't make it past 30 seconds on my first set due to extreme fatigue and cramping in my wrists and forearms.  Also, I was nowhere close on the iM, so I'll start that week 1 for Handstand PE2.

So here's what I guess I will be doing on Tuesday:

F1:

FL -- Test mastery at PE3

sPL -- PE1, Week 9

HBP -- PE2, Week 5

RC -- PE1, Week 5

SL -- PE1, Week 5

MN -- PE1, Week 9

SLS -- PE1, Week 9

H1:

All wrist PEs -- Test mastery at PE3

HS -- PE2, week 1

Out of curiosity, I know that my deload weeks are supposed to be in synch, so this next week will be week 1, 5, or 9 on every exercise except those for which I am testing for mastery (which will be week 11).  If I fail at any of those mastery tests, no biggie in terms of synching, I'll just train them on week 1, 5, or 9 a second time this week.  But what if I pass and then fail on my mastery test later in the week.

For example, let's say I pass mastery of FL PE3 on Tuesday, but fail PE4 on Saturday.  That would mean I would start PE4, week 1, 5 or 9 the following week.  However, that following week would be week 2, 6, or 10 for the other PEs, so my deload weeks would be out of synch.  Is it better to just start the program once I have finally failed on mastery of all the PEs that I have still passed?  Or is there a way of getting them in synch?  For example, let's say that I pass FL PE3 but fail FL PE4 next Saturday and should start at week 5.  Perhaps instead of starting at week 5 of PE 4 the following week (when everything else is at week 2, 6, or 10) I drop down to PE4 week 2 to make sure everything is in synch (even though I tested out at week 5)?

Does that question make sense?

Enkidu said:

For example, let's say I pass mastery of FL PE3 on Tuesday, but fail PE4 on Saturday.  That would mean I would start PE4, week 1, 5 or 9 the following week.  However, that following week would be week 2, 6, or 10 for the other PEs, so my deload weeks would be out of synch.  Is it better to just start the program once I have finally failed on mastery of all the PEs that I have still passed?  Or is there a way of getting them in synch?  For example, let's say that I pass FL PE3 but fail FL PE4 next Saturday and should start at week 5.  Perhaps instead of starting at week 5 of PE 4 the following week (when everything else is at week 2, 6, or 10) I drop down to PE4 week 2 to make sure everything is in synch (even though I tested out at week 5)?

 

Does that question make sense?

Just ensure your deloads line up. If this means you start PE4 at week 2, 6 or 10 - no big deal, you just didn't do week 1, 5 or 9 (it will be fine).

So if you fail PE4 on Saturday, work out which microcycle you need to start at and then just roll on with the second week of that microcycle to bring it into line with the remainder of your work out. Make sense?

Alternatively, if you pass PE4 simply test PE5 on the next workout whilst continuing the second week of each of the other element's microcycle. If you pass this, then move onto testing PE6 for the subsequent week (while doing the third week of the microcycle for all other elements), and so on until you hit a sticking point.

Key Point = making sure deloads align. You might find you keep passing the PEs and end up finding your sticking point on the final week of your cycle (having not done weeks 1,2 or 5,6 or 9,10). Just commence and see how you go.

Thanks Oompa.  Will do.