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21-15-9 etc. for warmup

Started by Kai Ewert, December 27, 2014 · 7 Replies · 314 Views

Kai Ewert

I had been a bit puzzled about this prescription in view of all the low-ish rep work. Then I started to structure my warmup a bit more and things started to make more sense.

 

For the Scap pushups (sPL/PE1), 21-15-9 seemed a reasonable prescription, and I tried it out. It felt great, and for a while I was thinking "I should do some math to scale those numbers down for the lower rep exercises" - until I thought a bit harder and realized there was no need for a calculator:

 

21-15-9 = 7*n - 5*n - 3*n, and the middle number is the number of reps/secs for mastery - so there is your template... 

 

What confused me at first was the "21", which is not a number that you find in the mastery requirements. But if you have mastered an element at 5 sets of 5*n (n=1,2,3...), doing 7*n reps once as a first set surely is possible. 

 

So with this in mind, the warmup template can be applied to anything in Foundation. For example:

 

Mastery of 5x10 r PPP became 14-10-6 r 

and the 5x5 r/side Xiaopengs as iM became 7-5-3 r (or 7-6-5 because I love them so much)

and so on...

Rayne-William

No

 

Carefully read the following quote found within the course material, section: Getting started/warming up.

(With editing and additional emphasis added for the sake of clarification.)

 

Warm up with TWO or THREE sets of higher reps, of exercises which you have already mastered. Choose from among the following rep schemes: 21/15/9, or 21/15, or 15/9. 
 

For example, If you choose to do the two set 15/9 rep scheme warm up and you were working Parallel Bar Dips (HBP/PE6) you might choose to warm up with HBP/PE1 for 15 reps before completing a set of Bench Dips (HBP/PE4) for 9 reps.

Murray Truelove

I've always used 150%, 100% and 75% as this lines up with 15r mastery template. For example say you're working on RC PE:6 you might choose to do:

PE:1 21r (150% of 15r mastery)

PE:3 10r (100% of 10r mastery)

PE:5 4r (80% of 5r mastery)

Another choice might be:

PE:5 8r (150% ish of 5r mastery)

PE:5 5r (100% of 5r mastery)

PE:5 4r (80% of 5r mastery)

Another choice might be:

PE:5 3x5r for simplicity

For the IM I've just used the paired one as written, they don't have a 12 week template after all.

And so on, don't over think it too much, warm up using previously mastered elements at a volume that doesn't negatively impact your primary workout.

Kai Ewert
That's interesting, thanks for that quote. I don't remember reading it, maybe that part has been updated somewhat recently? 
 
That quote sure is less cryptic than what I remember. And the example is a very sensible warmup that won't tire you out.
 
However, there is also what Coach said in the Weighted Lunge vs Single Leg Squat thread (https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/14148-weighted-lunge-vs-single-leg-squat/):

 

 

 

I would also like to point out that all my athletes easily performed 10 SLS and all of the SLS iMs flawlessly in their daily warmup.

 

 

10 reps of SLS, NLC, nGHR, NLE and all the SLS iMs everyday as a part of warmup and God help the athlete who was dawdling! There was also no rest whatsoever. Everything in that segment of the warmup was completed in about 5-8 min. This was warmup after all.

That made me think that his and my idea of a warmup are a bit different...

 

I realized I would not be able to do massive amounts of work as a warmup necessarily, but I've also found some of the exercises and iMs so beneficial that I didn't want to leave them completely behind, and the 21-15-9 (or adjusted) template as I outlined in my original post seemed like it would work well.

 

At this point, I use it for exercises that have become very easy in my warmup (together with very gentle iMs) and do some other elements according to the template as finishers after the workout:

Scap pushups and (part of, depending how I feel) pushups for warmup at 21-15-9

PPPs at 14-10-6 w/ iM

elevated Planche lean bounces at 21-15-9

I feel that doing these last two in particular has been really beneficial in making them "easy"

 

Joshua Slocum

Don't over-think your warmup. 

 

Put in some exercises that you have previously mastered. Especially ones that gave you trouble. 

 

Don't do so much volume that it interferes with your primary workout. The templates in the course are just suggestions. You should choose a number of reps that you think will be productive.

 

 Remember, the purpose of the warm-up is primarily to get you ready for the main workout (the secondary purpose is to maintain and/or improve exercises that you've already mastered). 

Murray Truelove

I do have a warm up question. I'm not sure if it just comes down to preference but should I be doing them like this:

MN warm up

MN main workout

SL warm up

SL main workout

SLS warm up

SLS main workout

Or:

MN warm up

SL warm up

SLS warm up

MN main workout

SL main workout

SLS main workout

Kai Ewert

I am not sure what you mean with overthinking my warmup. I think about it ~once every 12 week cycle or however long it takes to master a new element. Then I write it down.

 

I like having my warmup written out, because then I don't have to think about it when I do my workout :) . Without a written plan, it's easy to futz around. When I had nothing spelled out for my warmup, it would take me longer and/or I would forget things...

Joshua Slocum
Murray Truelove said:

I do have a warm up question. I'm not sure if it just comes down to preference but should I be doing them like this:

MN warm up

MN main workout

SL warm up

SL main workout

SLS warm up

SLS main workout

Or:

MN warm up

SL warm up

SLS warm up

MN main workout

SL main workout

SLS main workout

Personally I do warmups as a giant set. If you're having trouble with the technique on a particular exercise, it might be beneficial to do a warmup for that exercise immediately prior to the exercise.