Powerlifting style template for GST

I have begun implementing a traditional lifting program for GST.   So one day a week for pulling, one for horizontal pushing and dips, one for legs and one day for a few work sets of HSPU and some light pulling for balance.  I squeeze an ab session in with horizontal pushing.  

In addition of course to stretching and running. 

The reason is at a weight of 210 I am just not recovering from the programs suggested on this website, 3,4, or 5 days of pull push core legs.  Especially for straddle planche, if I do it  one week I need to severely curtail most pushing for a week and limit intensity in the next.  I can pull 2-3 times a week but then I am done pulling the entire week after.

I am hoping recovery will be better on this kind of program.   It makes sense because if I translate the poundages to free weights then there is no way I would be hitting anything more than once a week.  I use to think I needed less recovery on calisthenics, after a year+ I have reconsidered that assumption. 

I am not asking for program advice, I am just curious if any heavier athletes have experience with this kind of approach in GST. 

You should give coaches and Rob Wolf newest podcast a listen. They talk about implementing the two together. Pretty interesting. 

http://robbwolf.com/2014/10/14/episode-241-coach-christopher-sommer/

This is an interesting topic. I also come from a weightlifting background and was quite big and strong when I decided to drop the weights in favour of bodyweight training. Today Im walking around at 200 pounds, however I was over 240 at my biggest.

I just dropped down from 5 to 4 training days a week, in order to gauge wether that is beneficial to me.

Each day is comprised of working on the pre requisite bodypositions (arch hold, hollow hold, plank, reverse plank, dead hang, HeS), some FL and BL work, a push and a pull, and some leg work.

After the strength session, I spend around 20 minutes working on stretching/mobility.

I can get away with this routine for now, but you are working far more advanced progressions than I am, which means much greater demands are put on your body. However, Im of the mind that strength is a skill that needs to practiced as frequently as possible (especially true for GST, which is comprised of quite complex movements).

Following this line of thought, I try not to beat myself to pieces during my strength sessions. Im doing 3 work sets per excercise, and I try my best to stick to clean reps and a controlled tempo.

There really is no cookie cutter answer to this, as it is a highly individual thing.

Bhg1987 said:

This is an interesting topic. I also come from a weightlifting background and was quite big and strong when I decided to drop the weights in favour of bodyweight training. Today Im walking around at 200 pounds, however I was over 240 at my biggest.

I just dropped down from 5 to 4 training days a week, in order to gauge wether that is beneficial to me.

Each day is comprised of working on the pre requisite bodypositions (arch hold, hollow hold, plank, reverse plank, dead hang, HeS), some FL and BL work, a push and a pull, and some leg work.

After the strength session, I spend around 20 minutes working on stretching/mobility.

I can get away with this routine for now, but you are working far more advanced progressions than I am, which means much greater demands are put on your body. However, Im of the mind that strength is a skill that needs to practiced as frequently as possible (especially true for GST, which is comprised of quite complex movements).

Following this line of thought, I try not to beat myself to pieces during my strength sessions. Im doing 3 work sets per excercise, and I try my best to stick to clean reps and a controlled tempo.

There really is no cookie cutter answer to this, as it is a highly individual thing.

My routine was just like yours but when I transitioned to straddle planche and to a lesser extent front lever I really felt my shoulders needed more rest.  The front lever is taxing my shoulders less and less so the same may occur for straddle planche, but I am guessing this will take around a year if it does occur.

Also, it may be the case that I have nearly reached my limit at this weight bc a straddle planche for me is almost a double bodyweight bench press.  Which is fine, I am not really a skill junkie (I dont really care much whether or not i get a full lay planche), and since I am not actively competing in anything, I have no real application for that kind of pressing strength.

But I will say that at 200 lbs and over calisthenics is a different animal and one has to be more careful.  So it is useful for bigger guys to share experience as most practitioners are on the lighter side.

ASNB said:

My routine was just like yours but when I transitioned to straddle planche and to a lesser extent front lever I really felt my shoulders needed more rest.  The front lever is taxing my shoulders less and less so the same may occur for straddle planche, but I am guessing this will take around a year if it does occur.

 

Also, it may be the case that I have nearly reached my limit at this weight bc a straddle planche for me is almost a double bodyweight bench press.  Which is fine, I am not really a skill junkie (I dont really care much whether or not i get a full lay planche), and since I am not actively competing in anything, I have no real application for that kind of pressing strength.

 

But I will say that at 200 lbs and over calisthenics is a different animal and one has to be more careful.  So it is useful for bigger guys to share experience as most practitioners are on the lighter side.

That makes a lot of sense, scaling back volume as the progressions get more demanding. At any rate, a straddle planche at 200+ pounds is damn impressive.

For taller and heavier guys doing bodyweight training there are 3 factors to be considered, as I see it;

- weight, obviously

- leverage, generally bigger guys are taller and long limbed

- more extreme joint angles, because of longer limbs. For instance, I am about 6ft1" tall with long legs. This means that if I therothically were to achieve a planche, my arms would be at a much sharper angle with the floor than a shorter guy with short legs.

Ultimately, this means we just have to be more patient and pay close attention not to wreak havoc on ourselves, as every movement is going to put a lot of stress on our muscles, joints and connective tissue compared to smaller guys.