Progression idea: Rest compression?

Hey all,

As with most GB students, I'm still stuck on some of the progressions such as the pushups and ground rows in the upper body workout.  I tested out a new idea today and am curious to get feedback in case anyone else has thought of this and tried it before.

I'm calling it Rest Compression^TM because it sounds cool  . 
(not really trademarked, please steal this)

To explain it here's my actual scenario.  I'm currently stuck at 4 sets of 15 pushups on my upper body workout. When I do the follow along video I can usually complete the first 2 sets of 15 but can't get all the way to 15 on the last 2 sets.

Today I tested out adding an extra rest between each set. I selected 30 seconds to start, and that worked out pretty well.  All I did was pause the video after the iM movement, for 30 seconds, and then press play again and follow along.

For me, the extra 30 seconds allowed me to finish 3 sets of 15 and then hit 12 reps on the 4th set.  Not bad!

My thinking with Rest Compression is to reduce the extra rest (compress it towards zero) as I manage to finish all of the required reps/sets.  So if next time I am able to do 4 x 15 with the added 30 seconds, I will reduce the rest to 20 seconds, then 10, then zero.

Only when I'm able to achieve the required progression with NO EXTRA REST will I move up a step.

Thoughts?

I'm no coach, but I like this idea. I was progressing quickly until I realized I was supposed to do the sets at tempo. (I prefer not to run the video every time, and had extended rest between sets as I socialized with fellow athletes.) When I realized I needed to forgo the rest, I stalled on Ground Rows (4-5 reps) and same place as you for push-ups.

I'd be curious to see how this works out for you? I've been adding more sets to my ground rows in hopes of building up the strength to do more. It's been about a month, so I'm not ready to say I'm fully stuck yet!

Hi Chris,

That's interesting. Of the variables we have to play with, there are: sets, reps, and time to complete the work. The first 2 variables are already manipulated as part of the course, but the third is not. I think it's a good idea and well worth trying.

There are many creative ways people are filling in the gaps in the program to improve on the progressions.

These include:

Doing extra sets (when on 4x6 and ready to jump to 4x9, do 5x6 or 6x6 as workouts before making the jump)

Doing extra reps in a lower progression that is already mastered before making a jump (eg. 4x6 -> 4x9, work on 4x7 and 4x8 before making the jump).

Greasing the groove (doing extra sets throughout the day, fresh and frequent).

And others I'm sure I've forgotten.

I think your angle on it is also a great idea and one I will try. This is good way to get the total workload under your belt if not able to complete it in the parameters of the workout as written. Great idea, and nice creativity!

Best,

Matt

Edit: Related to your idea, but coming at it from the other side, you could also manipulate time under tension. 

For example, when on 4x6 and ready to jump to 4x9, perform 4 sets of 6 but perform the negative more slowly to increase the time under tension in order to make this progression harder before making the jump up.

I love negatives!! (Actually I hate them, they're hard, but they do help with a lot of movements.)

These are all great ideas!

I used a similar method as Chris, great to time your rest! I used to count down from 10 drop from there. 

I also worked on isometric holds in the bottom position. I added one set of these at the end of my workout, holding the bottom position of the pushup for 30 seconds then perform as many pushups as I could. I struggled with one to begin with  

This is awesome!  I love the idea @Matthias Schwartz mentions in terms of holding the final rep longer or doing a negative.  I will definitely be playing with this too.  I've decided I should get a training notebook to keep track of my results with more precision than the smileys.  I'll still obviously use the smileys for the programatic requirements, but tracking my rest and use of negatives / isometrics is smart. I haven't been doing that since starting GB stuff in January.

8 hours ago, Chris Umiastowski said:

 I've decided I should get a training notebook to keep track of my results with more precision than the smileys

You can add notes to each exercise, where you are logging your smileys. That's what I do. You can then go back and look at all your previous workouts, read your notes, (giggle), and learn/adjust… It's nice to have it all in one. 

Yes, i read some people used this method to master bent arm chin hang when it used to be 5x60! They said, and i agree, that knowing that you can actually do all the sets and reps/seconds give you a mental push to master it with no rest.