Need critiques on my first routine!

Hello everyone,

I would like to begin my first integrated steady state training cycle. The program will be conducted Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and consists of a full body workout on each day except Sunday, which is geared more towards handstands. The exercises are arranged in such a manner that a static hold always preceeds the dynamic exercise. After the static hold, there is 30 seconds of rest, followed by the dynamic exercise, after which there is 60 seconds of rest, then back to the beginning for a total of 3 times. Dynamic exercises are geared towards 3x3 and 3x5 reps. Each workout is ideally preceeded by Pavel T's Relax Into Stretch, Ring support holds, and Handstand support holds.

Monday:

A1 Planche

A2 Dips (Rings)

B1 Front Lever (Rings)

B2 Jumping deck squats

C1 Back Lever (Rings)

C2 L-Pullups - False Grip (Rings)

D1 L-Sit (Rings)

D2 Hanging leg lifts (Rings)

Tuesday:

A1 Planche

A2 HSPU

B1 Front Lever (Rings)

B2 SLS Negatives

C1 Back Lever (Rings)

C2 Inverted Curls (Rings)

D1 Straddle-L

D2 Skin the Cat

Thursday

A1 Planche

A2 Muscle-up negatives (Rings)

B1 Front Lever (Rings)

B2 Hamstring Curls

C1 Back Lever (Rings)

C2 Naners

D1 L-Sit

D2 RLL-Headstand

Sunday

A1 Handstand hold

A2 Ring Pushups

B1 Freebalance HeSTD holds

B2 Body Rows

-Practice getting into freebalancing Handstand

-HS Wall runs

Criticism is very much welcome! I would laso like to know how to incorporate the static training in BtGB where you use your 60s/(max hold/2) to obtain number of reps. In this case, I will only be doing 3 sets, but my frog stand for example is 11 secs, which puts me at 6 reps of 6 seconds according to BtGB. How to I fit in the extra 3 sets of frog stand?

Anyone?

If you are working the fsp's with fbe's, you don't necessarily need to be working the 60s protocol unless you want to.

If you want to do that 60s of statics+FBE, then it's probably better to work the 60s of statics in x amount of rounds and come back to the FBE afterwards versus FSP+FBE. It gets very tiring that way.

I have a question about steady state training cycle (8-12 weeks).

Lets say that i train full body workout 4 times a week (mon, tues, thurs and fri) If i go first from over-load (first weeks) to load to under-load (last weeks) as written in the book by Coach Sommer. Is that over-load phase suppose to be almost-to-failure (leave 1-2 reps in the bank for evety set, maybe more for first sets, if i do same number or reps in every set (like 5x5)) or is it suppose to do to failure (every set or last set)?

So even if i do every set almost-to-failure (leave 1-2 reps in the bank) it would still be, in the over-load state, 4 high demand training session. If i do just 1 set of every movement (four total: 1push, 1pull, 1legs and 1core (and statics) i can survive from that demanding training load (well i do not know about the statics, if i do 60 seconds total, 10 sets of 6 seconds if my max hold is 11-12 seconds).

Can someone who knows more please answer my questions: should i do just one set per exercise per day (fout times a week) and should i do less than total 60 seconds of statics (like just 1 set of 6 seconds) per exercise per that day? Should i do sets to failure in over-load weeks till i do not need to do that anymore (load phase and under-load)? I am just worried about over training. Am i just a big worrier? It must work (steady state) if a coach like Coach Sommer says so..

none of the stuff in the SteadyStateCycle is supposed to be just nearly to failure. 50% is what it's supposed to be. No failure.

Regardless of the specifics of the workout, when following a Steady State training cycle, the exercises and the number of repetitions performed at one time will remain constant through out the entire cycle.

As a consequence of this, in the beginning of the Steady State cycle you should choose an exercise that is very challenging to complete for the designated number of reps (overload). At first it will be quite demanding to complete the assigned work. Gradually the body will adjust to the new demands placed upon it and the level of perceived effort required to complete the work will become more moderate (load). Finally the body will be able to easily handle the training that was once quite difficult (underload).

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

thanx

So if my rep max in pull ups is 6 I calculate it half, so it is 3. now I do 3 reps in the cycle every workout till its over. and then i retest every exercise (should i spend 1 week rest after retesting rep maxs?) and if i can now do 9 i do in the next cycle 5 reps? So its the same thing as in the static holds, you put the max hold (or reps) in half, and then you have the desired set?

Did I get it?

In a steady state cycle should the dynamic exercises vary from day to day? shouldn´t always be the same?

Yes you should vary the exercises workout to workout, but well I dont know if its a must. I have varied the exercises (but not in systematic fashion) now when i am just getting the feeling of working out and healthier lifestyle. I have varied dip and push-up, pull-up and row, core drills, and leg exercises, just from the feeling of the day (do i want to do dips today or pushups etc.).

But I plan to do in the future the program like outlined in the book so it would be four different programs that I cycle from workout to workout, training four fullbody workouts a week (mon, tues, thurs and fri).

Its just healthier for the joints when you work them from different angles and not do every time for example the same pushing movement. And you progress at least moderately in every exercise. so you get stronger in every movement and none is going backward in strength, cause of doing only one of the exercises (every pull movement in a week vs 4 times a week pullup). But on the other hand you make greater and faster gains, in one exercise, when you do the same exercise every time (you get better at what you are doing).

In steady state training cycle I do only half of the reps I can do total reps max? Example I can dip 7 times then i do only 4 reps in the cycle?

In steady state training cycle I do only half of the reps I can do total reps max? Example I can dip 7 times then i do only 4 reps in the cycle?

Something like that.

Coach Sommer said:

Regardless of the specifics of the workout, when following a Steady State training cycle, the exercises and the number of repetitions performed at one time will remain constant through out the entire cycle.

As a consequence of this, in the beginning of the Steady State cycle you should choose an exercise that is very challenging to complete for the designated number of reps (overload). At first it will be quite demanding to complete the assigned work. Gradually the body will adjust to the new demands placed upon it and the level of perceived effort required to complete the work will become more moderate (load). Finally the body will be able to easily handle the training that was once quite difficult (underload).

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Is that text on red, meaning that i do the set to failure. Or what does "very challenging to complete for the designated numper of reps" mean.

Does this mean I do not half the volume of reps, that i do the repetion maximum numper of reps (If i can do 4 reps of chinups that is my rm for that movement?

And I do the 1 set of 4 reps on the 8 week sscycle, so at week 8 my rm might be 6 but i still do 4 reps.

And on the next sscycle I would do 1 set of 6 for the whole 8 week sscycle? And so on.

Ok. I gues I have been asking guestions more than helping others in this forum. I gues you answer someones guestion if he helps you too. So I will work on that. To be a more active forum member. But I do not know if I can be helpful or not. I am kind of a beginner (I mean I am weak and out of shape, but I have read alot of strength training last 7 or 8 years(maybe I am bit slow in the head )). I will try my best.

mikke85 said:

... Is that text on red, meaning that i do the set to failure. Or what does "very challenging to complete for the designated numper of reps" mean ...

It is not possible to go to failure AND maintain perfect form on the FSP throughout the duration of the static hold, so no attempting to train to failure would be incorrect.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

No, I mean if I establish steady state cycle for FBE exercises, example chinups and I can manage to do 4 reps=my rm for chinups. Then I will do something like 3-3-3 set rep format where the last set would be to failure, or 2-2-2-2-2 where again the last set would be to failure, or one set of 4 reps to failure (a bit too low volume i know). This I learned from Alex.

Then i would do that for the whole example 8 week cycle. Meaning I would do 3-3-3 for the whole cycle without increasing reps or intensity or anything just doing same thing.

And for fsp exercises I would do half of the hold(50%). Example if my max is 40 seconds for planche lean, in the cycle I would do only 20 second hold. I knew this it is on the book and on the forum.

I just was not sure about the fbe exercises. but I am now. At least the basics. The whole picture is still not on my understanding. Meaning if I do many fbe exercises (meaning all pressing-, all pulling-, all leg- and all core exercises), and I can not test them all, how I know how much reps I can add to sets for these fbe exercises. Need to try out how it should be done. If I test pushups and gain strength in those i can maybe add 1-2 reps for dips and hspu. Not sure but I will try that out.

I have had the book for months, but still it raises guestions up on my mind. And then just needs some clarification. that is all. Or plain try and error .

I am not saying this is how it is done. I am just trying to get the whole picture. I am very interested on knowing things about strength training, training cycles, periodization, complex training. And one day to be a weekend warrior , not athlete on sports (I am too old, 25), and just not have the genetics or work capacity and mental strength for that kind of thing. Just want to be in shape some day in the near future (as soon as possible).