Carefully raising training volume

Hi everyone!

This was originally meant to be a reply in the "F7 once a week" thread but while writing I realized that I need some advice here myself.

Some months ago I realized that I have to be very conservative with training volume/frequency due to some overtraining, or more accurately underresting, issues. So over the last months I started with Fa/Fb/H each once a week and have been slowly adding volume up to doing H+Fa/H+Fb 2day split, as well as the stretch courses and, during the last eight weeks, added swimming two days a week for cardio and because I discovered that I just really like it (also, I'm getting quite a bit leaner and it's helping with my shoulder issue).

Now that the dust has settled a bit I'm finding that I progress well on some elements while on some not so much/not at all (namely FL, MN and RC, maybe HBP) and I suspect that some more exposure might help with that. Now, finally, my question: Would it be better to just add a "worst of the week" day where I specifically repeat aforementioned exercises or should I go for the 3day split? I'm a bit anxious to do too much again and would like to be conservative so I don't overtrain again. My current schedule looks like this, in terms of recovery I feel comfortable with this:

Mon off/MSs

Tue H+Fa (FL/sPL/SL/RC)

Wed Swim/TBs

Thu H+Fb (MN/HBP/SLS)

Fri Swim/FSs

I'm still very very early on in F and H though.

Hi Leonhard

 

If you are worried about overtraining and your current recovery and are feeling you are not getting enough stimulus, you might try working your worst elements in some days off, maybe 2 sets of half the volume. That was recommended several times for breaking plateaus and elements that you are stagnated for a long time.

 

For example, if you are doing RC-PE3 for 4 X 10, then you might add 2 sets of 5 in your off days. That wouldn´t be too much of a load and would add more stimulus towards your progress.

Hi Romulo,

Thanks for your reply. I am aware of the "50% sets/reps on off days" method and I think I ill use it for FL and MN and see how it works. Unfortunately, I can't hang my rings or anything comparable anywhere near my place so I have to go to the gym for Rc work anyway which is why I considered adding the third day.

i would test doing your worst elements last, in place of doing them first when you're fresh. make it a little challenging for you in this regard for a cycle and see if it makes for any change. its the smallest tweak i can think of to suggest, before adding a whole extra day of training if you're focus is that of avoiding overtraining.

I personally thrive on a 1x Fa & Fb session a week. eventually(and i feel this could be experimented with soon) i'll upgrade to F7 twice a week. I find it aligns with my HS recovery as well, since I do it twice a week already. this will eventually expand to having some free balancing done before the workout as part of the warm up.

this is coming from a guy who's never done fitness prior to GB and only did sports(bmx mainly) and martial arts, I started researching GB in oct. and played with some WODS but i started training as soon as Foundation One was released, so im coming up on my third year training GST. my conditioning was lame, so like you, I had to be conservative with my programming, thats when the progress exploded. I went from dragging my feet on the second, third week to adding numbers to my progressions every week and across the board, Foundation and Handstand included. the only stretch series that has given me grief in terms of recovery was Thoracic Bridge. had to include it in bits because my shoulders would be moaning.

also, I dont fully consider the elements i've mastered as having its final seal of approval until im able to do them in an F7 format. have you tested the level you're at lately?

hope this helps. #thumbsup