Partitioning volume on more days - Periodization

Dear All,

 

I spent some time wondering about the following. I noticed that after mastery week I'm always completely fried, to a level that interferes with other activities/work. In addition, at least to me it's clear that the progression proposed as template is not realistic (for me), proposing e.g. a large increase in volume in few weeks.

 

Therefore, knowing that I'm fine with training on almost a daily basis but with reduced volume, I wondered whether a microcycle could be arranged as follows.

 

Let's say you're performing an exercise with mastery requirements 5x60s. Using a 4 x week F1 template you are going to perform (in total)

-8 sets of 48s on week 9

-10 sets of 48s on week 10

-10 sets of 60s on week 11

 

partitioned in 2 days. What if - using a F7 template - I distribute a similar volume on 4 days (e.g. Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri) as:

week1: 2x48s, 2x36s, 2x48s, 2x36s

week2: 2x60s, 2x48s, 2x60s, 2x48s

week3: 3x60s, 2x48s, 3x60s, 2x48s

 

where each second day uses a scheme from the previous week and hence introduces also waves in the workload.

 

Can this type of approach prove effective? I'd like to discuss it with you.

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my opinion you are better off training fewer days per week rather than distributing the total volume over more days. By training every day, you are not allowing the body the rest it needs. If the mastery requirement is 5x60s(and you do it 2x per week) or if you are only doing 3x60s(4 times per week), you just won't have the same adaptation, despite the fact that the total weekly volume is the same. It's like saying you can get the same results from either lifting 100 kg once or 10 kg ten times.

The goal is to be able to do five sets with incomplete and active recovery. This short rest is one way to increase the intensity. Hence, if you spread the volume along the week, you are not train with the same intensity that you will need so as to reach your foundation goals. Hence the work should be hard, you should go out throw the confort zone and  you will progress. Foundation is not only physical training, it is also cognitive training, so you have to train your brain, your body and your soul so as to tolerate the discomfort of some drills. I also think that kind of periodization would work fine with maximal strength, where you need to work fresh with the highest intensity so as to stimulate CNS. This work is different, so I would follow the templates. Good Luck

I'm very open on discussion on this, so thanks a lot.

One option would be therefore to reduce the frequency, as the 4 x week - although I used the split - seems too demanding for me.

 

Let's keep discussing this, thanks once again.

I agree that 5 sets back to back is a lot harder than 3 sets one day and 2 sets the next day. You wouldn't build the same work capacity that way. If you find the volume too much you could try the 3-day per week template. I sometimes feel fried after the third week but that's what the deload is for, and you should feel ready to go after the deload. Ever since I started really pushing through the intensity on my sets, the deload has become my favorite week!

Whatever periodization you decide to use, performing 5 sets at mastery level with only the iM as rest is a requirement for progressing to the next element. Your schedule needs to have e.g. 5x60s *somewhere*. 

You pointed out two absolutely valid points. As I said, I'm wondering how can I approach F1 better than what I did. 

My work is demanding, I end up working from morning to late night, sometimes unable to turn off the brain overnight as well. As a consequence, I always start very nicely and everything goes fine for the first weeks, but then I get too fatigued and too fast, loose motivation and feel quite bad. After last mastery week, e.g., I developed a cold, fever and sore throat. I was too stressed and asked too much to my body.

 

Hence, besides looking for possible adjustments, I'm looking for possible solution that can make my approach to F1 more effective.

You may need to improve the other training's face: recovery (nutrition, sleep, supplements, etc.) See what you are doing wrong, and trying to correct it. Life usually is difficult and stressful, but we always have something to do for improving our life's quality. If you already are doing all that you can, then you should reduce the intensity. You may progress slowly but the health is an important training principle.

It sounds like your recovery is being hampered by external factors. I'd consider trying out the 3-day schedule and see if your body handles that better.

Just to correct my initial statement: I was doing the 3+2 template already (3xF1, 2xH1), and this is what led me to experience these problems. 

The main issue is certainly that external factors influenced my training/recovery/etc, you're definitely right.

 

I was thinking about switching to 2 x F7, so that I could then modulate the remaining days by doing some aerobic work/H1/weight training or resting depending on the feelings I have, but I'm afraid that F7 could fry me even more. I used it for some time and I've been in trouble after some month when things became more difficult and mastery progressions started to pile up.

I also saw that there is a new template on myGB based on a 2days/week integrated work for CF. Should I consider that an option for me?

integrating w/ CF would likely require even more recovery, so that would hamper your recovery I'm afraid.  I've struggled with a lot of the recovery issues you've talked about here myself.  It's not the exercises that gets me, but inadequate rest and too much "stress" in life in general (which by the way can be good stress or bad stress).  I believe you and I are in the same field, so I understand what you're going through.  I think with life stressors at this point in your training, they are not going to disappear.  So I would continue the 3 days F1 + 2 days H1.  Be flexible, though with your weekly template.  On days you're tired, do H1, as for me at least this is quite relaxing and doesn't leave me fried.  Rest intervals are quite easy in contrast to F1.  On days your schedule is a little easier or you have more energy do F1.  If you feel tired, do the previous week of F1 just to maintain what you've got but not fry yourself.  On the rare day off do F7 and catch up on sleep.  It will likely affect your progress a little, but I think it will help you maintain your health, enjoy your workouts more, and maintain your work quality.  I hope this is helpful for you.

Thanks, but I meant using that template without doing CF

I would just do a regular weight training session and some aerobic work depending on how I feel. In addition, we are working to see whether there's any chance for me to ride from time to time.

again, that would just add other volume (weights,cardio, riding, etc)  that would complicate your recovery issues.  for your situation, i think simpler is better.  If you want to ride or do aerobic work, it will cut into your recovery so you will need to scale back GB and make slower progress, which is fine if that is your priority.  

Yes, but 3XF1+2xH1 does not leave me time to do that, whereas I thought training GST 2 x week with H1+F1 in the same session might do. Thanks for sharing your experience!

it is true.  that's why i say you may need to adjust your GB expectations if other activities are priority.  For me, I enjoy trail running and skiing in the winter.  So I make slower progress with GB because some weeks i only do each exercise once which is enough to maintain, but not to make progress.  With your life as busy as it is now, you may want to take the time to do enjoyable things to keep you mentally fresh.  Another thing you might consider, which i have done from time to time, is to just do a couple exercises a day, not all in one block.  It will affect your work capacity, but allow you to make some progress.  Something like this:

 

Mon:     MN/SL

Tues:   RC/HBP

Wed:    FL/H1  - SLS in other part of day

Th:       sPL/SL

Fri:       MN/HBP

Sat:      RC/sPL

Sun:     FL/H1  - SLS in other part of day

 

You would be getting 2 workouts a week, but small blocks of time that wouldn't be a neurologically stressful.  Adding a short 10 min. SLS workout later or earlier in the day on a couple days would be minimal and could be fit in anywhere in your schedule, esp as it doesn't require any equipment.  Just some ideas for you...

Are you doing F7 3 days a week or 3 half days a week? The former is a huge amount of volume.

No I'm doing the 3+2 template, which is PE+sPL+HBP+RC on one day, SL+MN+SLS on the other day.

If the volume increases from week to week are too big, why not just shrink the increases rather than monkey with the whole program? So instead of

4x48

4x60

5x60

you might try

4x48

5x48

4x60

Deload

5x48

4x60

5x60

Deload

(This is just an example. The idea is to flatten the slope a little. You could even do 2 weeks of 4x48, go up on the 3rd week and then deload. Then bump it up a little again after the deload.)

That is also something one might want to consider, although I would always perform 5 sets on mastery week to perform 5 sets of the Im as well and get used to it. So far I've been unable to make progresses on movements like the ABH using a "simplified template", but I'm sure one should keep at it.

 

The other issue I wanted to mention is about the deload. While I found it absolutely necessary to recover from a fried brain more than body, it always takes me more than 1 week to get back to decent level afterwards. For example, I experienced the following multiple times on HBP/PE2:

 

wk1 4x10r

wk2 4x11r

wk3 5x11r

deload 4x5r

 

wk1 afterwards, barely able to do 8-9 reps, straining, for the first 2-3 sessions. It looks like the deload session is somewhat "deconditioning".

It sounds to me like you are pushing too hard (for the level of life stress you are under) and thus a single Deload week is not enough to allow your body to super-compensate/adapt; which results in your decreased performance when you try to start back up after the Deload. There is no way that a single Deload week is enough to decondition the body, you are instead just not recovering enough.

You could of course start tweaking the program itself by adding an additional Deload week or going down to 2 F workouts (still split just like you currently are) and 2 H workouts per week, but rather than doing that you may want to double check your nutrition and rest habits (as someone else mentioned above) first. If that is good, then maybe try decreasing the frequency/weekly volume or using smaller progression jumps.

Good luck.

Another thing you could try is to easy back on some of the elements while you are on the high weeks on the others. That way you can avoid doing workouts consisting of many elements on week eleven, which can be demanding mentally. Focus on a few at the time, taking turns on which series to master, while honing form and taking it a bit easier on the others. That way you would make some progress, with much less mental challenge facing the workout. That would be better than trying to cheat the goals of the program.

 

As you grow more work capacity, or your personal recovery situation improves, you can add more load later on. Until then you have done the best of your current situation and surely will have made good progress.

After a couple of weeks trying a new setup I wanted to update you.

 

I split the F1 and H1 work as follows:

 

day1 - SL and MN

day2 - HBP, RC

day3 - SLS and some additional leg work

day4 - FL, sPL

 

In two days, I perform H1 before foundation. In addition, in the days I felt like, I performed couple of sets of SLS/PE1+Im.

 

and I performed 4 session / week. As my focus is becoming more and more that of acquiring flexibiliy, I was able to integrate a lot of appropriate work from Kit here, and still having the feeling I could proceed.