stuck between steps?

Hi, I'm wondering what I should do if I'm stuck between steps. For example, I was able to do spl-pe2 step 7 fine, but I could not complete all the sets of step 8. Do I got back to set 7 for a week, or stay on step 8 until I can complete it? I was going to stay on step 8, but the workout schedule bumped me back so I got curious. Thanks.

it is fine, try to test yourself on the new step and if you cannot complete it simply stay on this step.

for example you have completed a 4x48 then you move to 4x60 but cannot complete it. it's fine body will adapt. stay on this step until you reach the goal. personally i found that with higher difficulty you need more training session to complete a step. 

for example for me the gap from 5x3 to 4x4 is very big. I can always manage the new intensity of 4 reps but not all the 4 sets. and sometime complete this new template requires something like 6-8 training session.

Got it, thanks Alessandro! And on a related note, when it says one step per week, if you try say step 4 on Monday and it's easy, you stay with it if you have that exercise again later in the week right, and only advance the following? I just started, and so did a bunch of mastery tests last week and am now a bit all over the map with where I stand depending on the exercise, and trying to figure out how to train them all appropriately. 

That's correct, only advance one step perweek

i was about to post the same question,

i'm in FL PE1 

I can do these along the 5r of the IM:

4X48s this my limit

1) 4x48s + 1x24s this is if i try to pass my limit

2) 60,60,30,quit this if i start with 60sec

Should i try to increase the 5th set of 1) or i can start already the 2) and try to build 4x60 which is better in terms of gaining endurance?

or ,Can i also increase the reps of the IM for the last set or for the last two sets? So i'll rest more and by time i reduce until reach 5x60?

I see best improvement from minimising rest and hitting the next stre ngth set, and adding reps over time. Make this your first approach and if you hit a point of being unable to add reps for a week or so consider using a different strategy

You could go 5x48, 4x54, 5x54, 4x60, 5x60. That's what I do when a jump just fries me; extra, smaller steps.

I'm with Jon and don't like the extra rest approach. You'll quickly get used to the added recovery and rely on it, then when it comes back down you'll find yourself stuck again. 

Max

I would second the approach proposed by Maksis. Personally, I find it mentally much more taxing and demotivating to chase a number that I can't get to than to make smaller, intermediate goals which I have a chance of hitting. 

Most likely in the end it takes me the same amount of time to get to the final goal, but I'll have a much happier time on the journey using the small intermediate goal approach. 

Thanks for the replys guys,

So increasing the reps on the IM isn't a good thing

last session i did 4x48 + 1x36s i'm building like 12secs per session after having started training FL 2x week, all the weeks ( i usually did 1 Week with 2 days FL the other 1 day, repeat... )

I'm thinking in doing rest-pause in the last set, for build endurance, does any1 ever tried?

i could have done 4x48 +1x36 10sec rest for more 12s or even more if possible

Rest pause is good. Or what works especially well on the FL progressions is to do a drop set. So for example, working sHBH on your last set hold as long as possible the when form starts to break go straight into you bHBH to finish the time. Obviously only works if you're on PE3 or above, if not I like the rest pause until you've met your total time for the set.

Max

I also like to do the drop set approach for the FL PE1-6 progressions. E.g. starting the sets with arms overhead, then as I lose form during a hold bringing them down to my side.

Also for FL progressions, and taking a hint from something Coach Sommer said in his comments regarding glimpse of the morning workout/"warmup" Orench posted: core work responds well to higher volume and being done more often than other strength work, so adding some sets of HBH variations throughout your week on days that you don't have it scheduled as per Foundation was very helpful for me.

Another thing to consider is that the FL PE1-6 exercises are notorious for their mental discomfort. You should make sure that you really are doing your hardest on these. You should not quit the set because it is uncomfortable. It will be uncomfortable. Very much so. Coach works in painful ways. Only when you cannot physically do it anymore will you quit. Otherwise you will stagnate.

14 minutes ago, Erik Rissanen said:

Another thing to consider is that the FL PE1-6 exercises are notorious for their mental discomfort. You should make sure that you really are doing your hardest on these. You should not quit the set because it is uncomfortable. It will be uncomfortable. Very much so. Coach works in painful ways. Only when you cannot physically do it anymore will you quit. Otherwise you will stagnate.

I have come to dread working on FL... It's so annoying to find yourself start to shake like a leaf and then have to watch as you sink down close to finishing your set despite putting all willpower into this.

In this context, I really liked this paragraph from a post by Joshua Slocum:

Quote

So, addressing the topic at hand: how do you know when to stop? The simple answer is that you should only stop when your body fails - not your mind. "No grinding reps" doesn't mean you shouldn't fight. If you're doing ABH and you notice that your arch is dropping and you're getting tired: you don't stop, you fix your form and keep going. If you're almost done with pushups and you're starting to slow down: you grit your teeth, pick up the pace, and press on. If you're doing HBR, and you're sweating like crazy and your abs feel like they're on fire and it feels like every nerve in your body is telling you to stop and rest: you keep pushing. If you're in a bent-arm chin-hang, holding nothing back, fighting with every ounce of strength you have to keep your chin above the bar, and yet your arms refuse to listen to your mental commands; you gaze on in abject horror as the bar slowly rises above your chin: then you can honestly say that you've failed the set. If you stop before the point where you're no longer physically capable of performing the exercise correctly, you've missed out on an opportunity to get stronger.

And to motivate you, the gains are incredible from the point of view of the general gym population. Many years ago I used to have a personal trainer at the gym. Paid a lot of money for that. He made me do what essentially was MN/PE1 (if I remember the PE numbers right just now) and it was so hard on me then. It was hard, but it was just the same thing each week and I got fed up with it. No goal. No gain. No motivation.

With this program you will make progress. It takes effort, but the reward is that those things you find so hard today are completely effortless in a year or so from now. I just cannot explain how easy those early exercises are now. You have to do the program just to experience the joy of that. There is a great sense of accomplishment in that. :-)

To illustrate, last week a coworker (who does a really awesome job, just fyi) sent a joke picture of how to make meetings short by having everybody hold an elbow plank through the meeting. I was thought, yes!  Game on! Let's do this! :-) I sent back a picture of a full planche, just to make a point of what is possible. To just know that a planche is possible blew my mind. That made me realize that I had been wasting so many years in the gym doing pointless stuff salespeople thought would make me feel good about myself.

So, push hard. These are just the early steps of so many which lead to something that 99% of society does not know is even humanly possible.

Awesome, thanks guys! And that's a great quote Leonhard! 

One thing that seems to happen to me Erik, is I could do a max effort on the first set or two, (if we use holds for example, maybe i can hold for 60 seconds for two or three sets) trying SO HARD and then i just DIE on the 3rd or 4th set. Like, maybe 20 seconds or something. So, based on this advise, would I keep the first sets at those max efforts and just wait for the other sets to catch up, or make my first two or three sets slightly less so I can maintain? This is of course assuming I can do the step prior!

I saw advice regarding that given by @Zach ArmijoArmijoArmijo, I think regarding pushups or hinge rows. What he said was basically you "burn out" in the earlier sets with the advice of scaling back the first sets so everything becomes more even.