Stuck on PE1

Hi, I started GST with fundamentals in January 2017, after progressing in steps in upper body and core I reached a point where I found my max number of reps or time. Mostly step 6 in all elements except lower body where I could already do most strength elements but have to hold back due to mobility issues and some hip impingement. So after reaching that step 6, I stayed there for what is probably 4 months now and I have only been able to move up 1 step in incline push-ups, witch brings me to step 7 (4x12). I moved up to twice a week for each element about 6 weeks ago hoping that it would help me. I try and refine my technique each workout, but this just seems very slow going. I tried a deload week last week, still stayed active, trained only once in the week and did less work. Any tips or advice is welcome.

Hey Benjamin, let me know how the twice a week frequency goes for you, give to you a couple fo weeks to adapt.

@Alessandro Mainente I'm at twice a week for the past 8 weeks or so. Should I try adding a set? Changing rep scheme to have more total reps? Like instead of 5x9 go for 6x8 or instead of 4x12 go for 5x10 and such? Thanks

What is it that stops you? Is it a lack of strength or to much lactic acid? Is it easy the first few sets and then rapidly becomes to tough, or do you struggle even early on?

@Tobias Karlsson it gets hard last few reps of last 2 sets usually. It took about 10-12 weeks just to move up one step. Now I've been there a few weeks too.

5 hours ago, Benjamin Renaud said:

@Tobias Karlsson it gets hard last few reps of last 2 sets usually. It took about 10-12 weeks just to move up one step. Now I've been there a few weeks too.

 

Yes, try to add a set.

15 minutes ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Yes, try to add a set.

Intressting thread guys. 

@Alessandro Mainente..Would you do as Renaud sugested regarding decreasing reps a Little when adding a set?

Hi Benjamin Renaud,

First you should consider than going from one step to the other sometimes is a huge step and there are many micro steps in each step. For example if you are moving from 5x6 to 4x9, I don t start doing 9 reps in the first set of the new rep scheme, unless it feels really easy. In my opinion in GST you should never work to your maximum rep, or at least your last possible rep in your tank should be the last rep of the last set. If you over do it from the beggining you ll be very tired for the nexts sets coming and you ll perform way less reps. When I trained I m always paying attention to my body to make sure i perform the same amount of reps on each set. Because if not the overall amount of reps descend. I ll give you an example. If i do 9 reps in the first set being rep 9 the last one i can really perform, the by the second i do 7 reps, third set 6 reps, fourth set 5 reps. 27 reps in total and i feel tired from the very beggining and very probably breaking my form. If i perform 7 reps in the first set, then 7, 7 and 7. Total of 28 and it get hards just at the end, so i keep a good form.

Of course this is a difficult task to control but worthy. As a general rule you should never give everything on terms of energy in your first set, leaving you deplenish for the rest of the workout. If you can do more at the end then go ahead and also add a set. If from set to set your reps are decreasing very commonly by 2 then in my opinion you did too much before.

You shoul also consider diet, sleep, check forms, etc.

Good luck!

7 hours ago, Jonas Berglund said:

Intressting thread guys. 

@Alessandro Mainente..Would you do as Renaud sugested regarding decreasing reps a Little when adding a set?

Simply perform the last set on failure. for PE1 the risk of injury due to failure. only in this case.

Thanks for the tips Alessandro, I know about quite a few programming strategies to break through plateaus, although mostly theoretically not having used many of them yet. I didn't know what you guys would suggest, coming from Strong First training principles, all I had used before was GTG and waving load/volume. Mostly what I was doing up to now in GST was sticking to the proposed rep scheme (5x9 or 4x12) and repeating that until I felt I could add a few reps to my last set. That's when I clicked on the easy button and moved up one step.

It just felt very slow going, trying to perfect form and technique over 6-8 weeks before being able to move up one step (witch in my case was only 3 extra reps).

@Antonio Alías Montoya I hear you, I make sure I struggle only on the last 1-2 reps of the last 2 sets. All the earlier sets I can do with good tempo, strength and confidence. It's just that when I moved up one step It seems to start all over and seems like it'll take me 6-8 weeks again or more to move up to the next step. I feel like 4x15 (if I'm not mistaken that is the next step) seems far from 4x12 and a much bigger jump than what I just did going from 5x9 to 4x12. I guess I'll have to take intermediate steps to move forward.

Did it take anyone else this long to go from step to step in PE1?

I did. And it's taken even longer in PE2 (see my post from earlier today). Definitely worth the patience. It's incredible how much the musculature in my middle back and delt/arm tie-in has improved as a result of doing these for what seems an eternity. Getting the basics of this nailed is key to mastering the end progression -- so persistence is the order of the day.

Doublepost, delete

7 hours ago, Benjamin Renaud said:

Thanks for the tips Alessandro, I know about quite a few programming strategies to break through plateaus, although mostly theoretically not having used many of them yet. I didn't know what you guys would suggest, coming from Strong First training principles, all I had used before was GTG and waving load/volume. Mostly what I was doing up to now in GST was sticking to the proposed rep scheme (5x9 or 4x12) and repeating that until I felt I could add a few reps to my last set. That's when I clicked on the easy button and moved up one step.

It just felt very slow going, trying to perfect form and technique over 6-8 weeks before being able to move up one step (witch in my case was only 3 extra reps).

@Antonio Alías Montoya

Did it take anyone else this long to go from step to step in PE1?

 

Ive Been doing 15 years of gym and olympic weightlifting prior to GB and Im not past PE1 in any of the GB exercises except SLS, after 6 months of pure GB. 

 In fact. My strongest and biggest muscle in the "gym world" is/was Lats, and in GB the rope-climb are progressing slowest for me. (Still doing 5*9 PE1.) 

My weakest links in the "gym world" was legs. In GB the SLS are by far easiest for me. I could probably do 10*10 of PE3 but in this case the mobility stops me from moving on.

See the red line? 

Im not stressed about this, "it took time to break it, its gonna take time to fix it" always stays with me. I like the challenge. Lets enjoy the process, day by day.

@Jonas Berglund, Thanks , I'll make sure I enjoy the process. I had told myself when I started that even if it took 2 years to make it past PE2 I'd still have made tons more progress than in the last 2 years of training. I just didn't think it would really take me that long, but if it does, or longer, so be it.

Thanks @Bill Marr, I'll make sure I check your other post.

Try and remember that this is not a race, there is no stopwatch and noone making you move on until you need to. When you change to that mindset it becomes easier to train as you stop putting pressure on yourself to be constantly moving on.

For those of us who started in the gym world, we are often used to low rep training. any amount of sets x 15 reps will be taxing both physically and mentally. Its a real challenge to push through it. 

Besides quantity (nr of sets and reps), let's not forget the quality aspect. I'm currently on my 10th month in GB and also struggling with PE1 step 7 incline rows (have been moving up and down on rep scheme several times), which seems like eternity without progress. However, I know for sure that the technique of my reps has improved significantly and my traps are much stronger now. Another example is core, where I'm on PE1 as well (hollow body hold). Despite staying on 4x48s already for 3 months, I feel that I'm able to create so much more tension and keep the position with so much better quality, that I don't want to move up yet. I'm sure this has a positive effect also for my future progressions. So, despite the plateaud sets and reps you might still have significant progress ongoing.

Well, taking a deload week seems to have helped (5 days off where I did 1 set here and there while playing around with the kids and only 2 light training sessions).

I feel like I could have done an extra rep or 2 on my last set yesterday when doing HBP PE1 and moved up from step 6 to 7 in RC.

I am holding back from adding reps in HBP because I want to work on RC, make sure I own the new rep scheme for the next few weeks.

Thanks for all the info, insights and tips everyone, I will keep at it, slow progress is better than no progress!

Great discussion guys,, 

When an injury occurs and we have to rest for 5-50 weeks, then we all realize the slow progress we had before the injury Actually wasnt that slow. The slow patient way is the fastest way to something really good. 

Every time I get carried away in My mind regarding goals, I try to remind myself of this.

2 hours ago, Jonas Berglund said:

The slow patient way is the fastest way to something really good. 

Every time I get carried away in My mind regarding goals, I try to remind myself of this.

''Happiness doesn't come from big pieces of great success, but from small advantages hammered out day by day''