Why 3-5 Reps?

Rik de Kort said:

To be honest I find it rather strange to use an ab circuit consisting of three or four exercises with 20 reps per exercise for 3 rounds or some such. The rectus abdominis is a muscle. You should train it like one.

Well, that circuit would be terrible strength training but excellent endurance training. Whether you use a circuit like this or not kind of depends on what you are looking for.

It does bear striking similarity to the prerequisite hold requirements, don't you think? Multiple sets of 60s holds.

Obviously the pre-reqs are much more specific then the random ab circuit, but when we make a circuit of hollow hold => plank => hollow hang (as a simple example of something we would actually do here in the GB program) for 3-5 rounds of 60s holds what is the difference apart from specificity to this program? Very little, I think. Muscular endurance vs muscular endurance = the same training modality.

I'd say the biggest difference is that we take the endurance and keep progressively decreasing leverage until we have found our maximally disadvantaged lever with the proper body shape, and so we do build a higher degree of strength into the strength-endurance.

yes jeremy I have had success strengthwise with the 3-5 range. multiple sets of 5 ab wheel rollouts/hanging leg raise/etc. has done more for me than ab circuits have. (once again regarding maximal strength)

Thanks, Joey.

One thing I do know is that there is room for various kinds of training depdning on ones sporting objectives.

I lifted weights for 12 years after grade 11 and had great results. But found in sports afterwards the need for a kind of training that does not necessarily put on mass and is positive for the other aspects of performance. Never really questioned the high reps for core though

So this is new territory for me.

Josh, most of what you are saying is way over my head. Are pre-req holds different from the 6 static hold progressions in the GB training book? I believe those are 6-15 second holds only. Where do pre-req holds figure in the whole process?

You start with the pre-reqs because they ensure your body is working correctly and you know the shapes for the real FSP's. After you can do the pre-FSP's for 3 rounds of 60s, you can start working on the real FSP's as in the book and implement one round of 60s of the pre-FSP's as a warmup.

what rik said, the prereqs are different than the FSP in the book. they are more elementary and more fundamental. meaning, don't skip them. your future success can be measured (to some extent) by the work you put in on the pre reqs

That's very important.

What does pre-req stand for and where can the broadest outline on them be found?

So I guess start with working up to 60s on all the Pre-Reqs and then move on to the GB statics and exercises?

Wondering about wrist-prep. Is this critical?

And after that, is one Good To Go?

My shoulder's been holding me back since the summer, but now finally I'm getting much better. Aren't injuries a bitch? Hoping to start GB in just over a month. Finally.