Please critique my routine!

Greetings everyone!

I recently joined this forum after lurking around for several months reading the posts and topic . I would like to give my salutations to everyone and especially Blairbob for answering my other post! Thanks Blairbob!

I have recently created my own routine to fit my own personal goals, I've combined the knowledge I've acquired from reading various books including Coach's book. Here is my routine:

Push Day:

Dips 2 x 5

Close/Diamond Pushups 2 x 11

Wall Headstand 6 x 10 secs

Frog Stand 10 x 6 secs

Bent legged L-sit 10 x 6 secs (should I work on L-sit while I am also working on the hanging leg raises?)

Head bridge 2 x 5 (would like to know if I should keep this or take it out)

Pull Day:

Chin-ups 2 x 5

One-legged squat 2 x 6

Hanging tucked knee raises 2 x 5

Tucked Back lever 10 x 6 secs (again for clarification, when in a BL, your hands should be pointing down right?)

Tucked Front lever 6 x 10 secs

All the exercises are in order, I alternate every other day with push day, one day rest, then pull day, one day rest, etc.

My short term goal is to get the FBE's (chin-ups, dips, SLS) to 2 x 15 reps and move onto the next variation (Chin-ups > Pull-ups). With the static holds, I am following Coach's Steady State cycling.

My end goals for the following exercises are:

Push Day:

A hard dip variation or a muscle-up

One arm pushups

Parallel bar Handstand pushups

Planche Pushups (probably will be on straddle planche for awhile due to my height [6'1])

V-sit (might drop this exercise out when I accomplish a 30 second L-sit though)

Stand to stand bridge (going into a back bridge from a standing position, then getting back up, want to know if it is useful pursuing this or am I better off investing my time on other skills or rest)

Pull Day:

One Arm Chin-ups (maybe just one day... )

One Legged Squats (already achieved it, tips on how to make it harder without using weights?)

Hanging V-raises

Back Lever (should I take this out of my routine once I have mastered it?)

Front Lever rows

As you can see, everything I am doing now is a step on working up to my end goals, I would appreciate constructive criticism and insight on my routine!

SLS: use books

Seriously, once you're doing 8-10 reps start using weight. Coach's athletes do and so should you.

Where is the rest of your lower body work? NLC? GHR?

You'll do better to follow the WODs, honestly. They are not random. That is the fastest and most effective cycle Coach has come up with so far, and it is exactly what his athletes use. Scale them down as far as you need to by using the book to insert the appropriate progression. If you're not sure what to do I'd ask! Before long you'll have it all down pat and be making great strides forward.

If I were you I'd work on chin ups AND pull ups. You don't have anywhere near enough volume on dips or chins. You'll need 3-5 work sets to make good progress. I'd suggest working on close grip pull ups, chin ups, and regular grip pull ups until you can do sets of 8-10 with perfect form. Then I'd start on the wides, and then the L-sit pull ups.

Where are the rest of your statics? Do all the statics. They each work different sets of muscles and provide a balanced physique that is very resistant to injury. In many cases they are progressions for each other. Don't go any further on your BL until you can do 3 sets of 20-30s german hangs. That's an important first step and will keep you from getting hurt.

Don't forget your warm up sets, which should be 1 set of each progression leading up to your work set progression!

I hate to just say, "Do the WOD". This is mainly because we all know I spent a lot of time on the CF board and of course on the mainpage, the mindset is often just do the CFMP WOD.

However, coming back from the seminar, my mindset is do the GB MP WOD. To note, I am confident there is so much more common sense and focus on the GB WOD than CFMP WOD that it does not even compare. I think in due time, I will slowly add in stuff, especially as I near competition season. I'll need to start getting back on events soon besides the GB WOD and basic strength (L and straddle-L, planks, hollow/arch holds, presses and limbers).

slizzardman said:

SLS: use books

Seriously, once you're doing 8-10 reps start using weight. Coach's athletes do and so should you.

Where is the rest of your lower body work? NLC? GHR?

You'll do better to follow the WODs, honestly. They are not random. That is the fastest and most effective cycle Coach has come up with so far, and it is exactly what his athletes use. Scale them down as far as you need to by using the book to insert the appropriate progression. If you're not sure what to do I'd ask! Before long you'll have it all down pat and be making great strides forward.

If I were you I'd work on chin ups AND pull ups. You don't have anywhere near enough volume on dips or chins. You'll need 3-5 work sets to make good progress. I'd suggest working on close grip pull ups, chin ups, and regular grip pull ups until you can do sets of 8-10 with perfect form. Then I'd start on the wides, and then the L-sit pull ups.

Where are the rest of your statics? Do all the statics. They each work different sets of muscles and provide a balanced physique that is very resistant to injury. In many cases they are progressions for each other. Don't go any further on your BL until you can do 3 sets of 20-30s german hangs. That's an important first step and will keep you from getting hurt.

Don't forget your warm up sets, which should be 1 set of each progression leading up to your work set progression!

Thanks a million Slizzardman and Blairbob! Your insight is of great benefit to me!

Slizzardman I cannot thank you enough for your input, I'll definitely add some more sets to my chin-up/pull-up work. I will add an extra set for each of my dynamic exercises! I will consider adding pull-ups along with my chin-ups, although after I finish my 3 sets of chin-ups, I probably won't have any strength left for pull-ups . For the statics I'll for sure think about adding straddle L's to my routine and maybe the manna (looks way too hard to me ). Also great advice for the german hangs! My dad saw me do the inverted hang to a BL and he said it looked dangerous and got worried that I might get hurt. I'll definitely follow your german hang advice and do them before starting BL (extra shoulder flexibility).

One question though, how would I get into a german hang? Do I grab onto the bar behind me right away and jump right into it? Or do I lower myself into a german hang from an inverted hang? Also is BL tucked almost the same thing as german hangs (I want to make the best out of these 2 months of summer, thus I want to advance quicker ).

The warm up set advice is great! I will definitely incorporate that into my routine from now on, I appreciate your tips!

Thank you as well Blairbob! Will definitely check out the WODs and see if I can put some of them in my routine.

Best Regards!

You're welcome! Instead of having a block of chins before pulls, try doing chins, close pulls, chins, regular pulls. That's 4 work sets and you can always throw in one more set of whatever you think you need the most work on!

As far as the german hang, you get into it just like a BL. The difference is that you don't stop at parallel, you keep going until you are hanging. Ideally you should not resist the hang actively, but should instead try to actively push your body down towards the ground while trying to push your arms straight up in the air. At first, you will probably want to be able to put your feet on a box or something, because this is a lot of strain. Get to 30s with a little assistance if you need to, THEN gradually use less assistance and eventually you'll be doing it with no assistance whatsoever! You'll benefit from this hold all the way up to 1 minute, but once you've got the 3x30s you should have no BL problems. Don't forget, ALWAYS work on the german hang even once you reach the 3x30! Eventually your most efficient maintenance method will be to do a 1 minute german hang as a part of your warm up.

Just so you know, the german hang does work on shoulder flexibility but it is also an important first step in bicep tendon conditioning!

Hmm, I don't remember the 3x30s of German Hangs as basic strength or doing it in the WU or maintenance though it sounds like a good idea but as a progression to BL. Generally, I just do some swings, then skin the cat and hold the bottom for 10s 3x as as a rings WU. Preferably as 3 sets but often if the skin the cats are alone we will do 2 in a row with 15s holds.

If you are working BL on a bar, I'd get inverted and then bend your body, piking at your hips, pointing your toes at the ground and extending until you are in a german hang. You can also lower by tucking and then extending once you get lower than horizontal. You can also work them with your feet on the floor as well.

You are only in danger in a german hang if your grip isn't strong. You should already be able to hang inverted for 30-60s. Honestly, it sounds pretty simple to me but it's a good precaution besides it works as an inverted shoulder isometric. If you slip too quickly through the german hang and your flexibility is limited it can irritate the shoulder. It can also irritate the shoulder if you try to dislocate to a regular hang from a german hang. I definitely would not try dislocating from german to regular hang on a bar. You can inlocate on a bar and dislocate possibly but you need to set your grip before hand besides of course working up to it.

Blair, I have PM'd you the BL prerequisites directly from my notes. See, I KNEW we would benefit from me writing everything down lol!

Wow thank you guys so much for your insight! This information is gold!

Slizzardman I'll definitely incorporate 3 sets of German hangs before my BL, when I get to 3 x 10 seconds of german hang, I will start working on tucked BL carefully for 10 x 6 secs (adds up to 1 min as Coach suggested). Thanks a lot for the german hang tip! Probably saved me a lot of time wasted from potential injury! For the Chin-ups, I will definitely vary it up like you said, adding in pull-ups in between, I will add more sets to it and see how well it works out! I'll keep you posted!

Blairbob thanks for the word of caution on the inverted hang/german hang! I will move onto a bar that is closer to the ground after, I definitely do not want to have my face planted into the ground during an inverted hang . I will definitely work on my inverted hang, my first session of BL/FL training left my forearms like limp noodles the next day, I could barely pick up a cup lol! That shows I definitely need to work on grip, and the inverted hang would be the first step!

I have one more question, for Dips, over here in where I am staying at (Taiwan for summer break), the playground here only has single bars (no parallel bars ). If I were to keep doing dips, should I work on the single bar dip? Are dips essential to gymnastics? I left dips out of my schedule temporarily because single bar dips are pretty hard. Another thing, would you guys recommend I incorporate the straddle L along with my L-sit? That way I'd have the Planche, BL, FL, Straddle L and regular L in my routine, should I add any more FSP's than the one's listed?

Again, I would like to thank you guys for the time you put in the right your inputs! You guys are amazing! Slizzardman you'd make a greatest uncle (I saw some of your videos such as the one on the pseudo planche lean), and Blairbob you are an amazing coach!

Best regards!

HAHAHA! Thanks man! Definitely add straddle L and L in. You don't really need to worry about starting manna work until you have a solid advanced PB or FX L-sit, but if you DO start just start at the beginning and take it slow. Straddle L is essential to manna and other skills like HS press because you need that active compression!

As for your dips, You have a couple options. One, build cheap-o parallel bars. You could literally make a 2x4 box, or even use tree branches. I don't know what's available in Taiwan. Two, you could either buy rings or make a substitute device out of rope or chain and some hollow plastic pipe (pvc, preferably). Three, just work on single bar dips! Do partial ROM, going down an extra inch or so every other week or so. Build up to 6-10 good reps and then add an extra inch to your range of motion (ROM)!

Have fun this summer!

PS: Build up to at least one 30s german hang. It won't take very long, you should be doing it 4-5 times a week. That really is important before you start BL work. Make sure you keep it up and use that as a warm up when you do BL, ok? I obviously can't stop you from doing anything, but you will avoid what can be quite a long setback if you trust me on this.

slizzardman said:

HAHAHA! Thanks man! Definitely add straddle L and L in. You don't really need to worry about starting manna work until you have a solid advanced PB or FX L-sit, but if you DO start just start at the beginning and take it slow. Straddle L is essential to manna and other skills like HS press because you need that active compression!

As for your dips, You have a couple options. One, build cheap-o parallel bars. You could literally make a 2x4 box, or even use tree branches. I don't know what's available in Taiwan. Two, you could either buy rings or make a substitute device out of rope or chain and some hollow plastic pipe (pvc, preferably). Three, just work on single bar dips! Do partial ROM, going down an extra inch or so every other week or so. Build up to 6-10 good reps and then add an extra inch to your range of motion (ROM)!

Have fun this summer!

PS: Build up to at least one 30s german hang. It won't take very long, you should be doing it 4-5 times a week. That really is important before you start BL work. Make sure you keep it up and use that as a warm up when you do BL, ok? I obviously can't stop you from doing anything, but you will avoid what can be quite a long setback if you trust me on this.

Thanks man! I will start working on the single bar dips and the straddle L's! I will definitely take your word on the german hangs! One question about programming, should I do my FBE (pullups,dips,SLS) first or should I do my FSP (L, Straddle L, FL, BL) first? Usually when I finish my FBE's first, my FSP's aren't too much trouble, however I never tried the other way around and I wonder if I will have any strength left for the FBE's if I do my FSP's first.

Best regards man! Your advice is invaluable!

I agree--very good information, as I didn't think to work up to 3x30s german hang.. and I also was sort of confused on how to execute one, but now I know I have in fact been doing them right lol.

I also was thinking of having a similar routine as this, and I'm wondering, are you planning on splitting your push/pull separately or doing them on the same day? I've read on this forum that it is recommended to couple your push/pull together and alternate between two exercises (do pull, wait 2min., do push, wait 2min., etc..) and do the same with leg and core work..

JamesP said:

I agree--very good information, as I didn't think to work up to 3x30s german hang.. and I also was sort of confused on how to execute one, but now I know I have in fact been doing them right lol.

I also was thinking of having a similar routine as this, and I'm wondering, are you planning on splitting your push/pull separately or doing them on the same day? I've read on this forum that it is recommended to couple your push/pull together and alternate between two exercises (do pull, wait 2min., do push, wait 2min., etc..) and do the same with leg and core work..

Hello james! I intend on separating my push/pull days due to certain moves I cannot due at the park (wall headstand, no walls at the park ) Thus my push days I am able to do my routine at home, while my pull day, I will go to the park. However this is just my personal situation, you can definitely combine push/pull and make the workout more efficient, your suggestion makes perfect sense and I will incorporate it in the future (when I can do a free handstand :wink: ).

Best regards!

Calesthenic, without any rings or anything to dip on, you could use a single rail. They are just not easy.

A pair of barstools or two sturdy chairs can work as dipstands. Another place to do them is in the adjoining corner of kitchen counters in a kitchen.

Blairbob said:

Calesthenic, without any rings or anything to dip on, you could use a single rail. They are just not easy.

A pair of barstools or two sturdy chairs can work as dipstands. Another place to do them is in the adjoining corner of kitchen counters in a kitchen.

Thanks Blairbob! I'll probably leave dips out for now as I already have enough pressing movements (Frog stand, Close push-ups, straight arm work with L's and straddle L's. I will definitely start dips again once I get back to Canada after summer!

My routine has been changed to match a push/pull pattern, it is split into 2 days which I will rotate every other day (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)

Here it is:

Day 1:

Pullup 3 x (not sure how many reps I can do yet)

Close Push-up 3 x 12

Hanging tucked knee raises 3 x 5 (probably should bump the reps up and move on soon, they are getting easy)

Tucked Front Lever 6 x 10 secs

Wall Headstand 6 x 10 secs

L-sit bent leg 10 x 6 secs

Day 2:

Chin-ups 3 x 5

One legged Squat(SLS) 3 x 6

German hang 3 x (not sure how long I can hold yet, also special thanks to Slizzardman)

Tucked Back lever 10 x 6 (will proceed with caution, thanks Blairbob!)

Frog stand 10 x 6 secs

Straddle L bent leg 10 x 6 secs

Back Bridge 3 x 6

Rest:

2 mins for FBE's

1 min for FSP's

I will appreciate any insight on my newly constructed routine, I'm wondering how many sets I should have for my FBE's (aside from pull-ups and chin-ups, Slizzardman suggested I do more sets). I also wonder if the order of my routine should need changing. I would very much appreciate any critique to better my routine!

Best Regards!

Coach recommends you do FSP as part of the warm up or every session, at least the L, straddle L, and MSH. Ideally you'd throw in the rest, but that's up to you. The important thing is that you make gains from month to month and that you to the statics the right way.

I prefer FSP before FBE but that's just me.

Thank you guys so much, most notably Slizzardman and Blairbob. I no longer have questions for now and will continue my training for the next several weeks to come! Thank you!

Best Regards