EDT-Gymnastic PR Zones

Hello, my name is Bradford and I am new to the forum. I hope to learn a lot as I hope to teach others someday.

I am 23 years old. Right at 5'8''-5'9''. I weigh 127 pounds and am pretty lean and fit, generally speaking.

I lead a simple life and my workout ethos reflects that. I know a couple of people that devote certainly too much time and thought to their bodies. I am thankful for mine and wish to appreciate it accordingly, so I am willing to work very hard but I want to give it the time it deserves-which is less than more important things in my life.

Enter the "PR Zone". I love getting a lot for my money, and the PR Zone format seems to give me a lot of bang for my buck. For those of you unfamiliar with the format it is very simple and therefore effective. Basically, you pick two antagonistic exercises, lets say chinups and HSPU and you do as many as you can in a set length of time, maybe 10-20 minutes. The goal is to get quality reps. Maybe start with five reps, do a set, then rest. Start again, only getting four powerful reps this time? Maybe that last one was too hard? Stop and rest, next time lower the number of reps by one or two. Now you are doing sets of three or four. The overall goal is to increase the total number in the session as a whole. I have heard that you wait for a certain percentage of increase before you move up in weight, maybe 20% or so. It will be different for certain exercises, or if you are just looking for more strength do not worry about getting 50 reps try something heavier for 25. Go with what works.

The important thing is that you know when it ends. I know exactly how much time will be devoted to what, and the performance can be documented very accurately. I started this program early last December. I started with chinups and pushups as one day-A. And then HIIT Resistance cycling the other-B. I did them three days per week-ABA, BAB etc...

I made great gains. I had one twenty-five pound dumbbell so I started using that to weigh down what I was doing. Eventually though I did not know what to do. It was just endless chins and the most advance pushups I could think of. That is when I heard about a guy doing weighted chins and dips. I though to myself "I am not going to get anything huge I can dip on" I needed something portable, lightweight, modular.

Enter the rings. I had a stroke of genius! Rings! Of course! Immediately after getting them I attempted a PR Zone of dips and chins. Of course I could not do them, having never been on rings I shook like mad and could not get more then ten maybe. But I thought "you know who uses ring? Gymnasts! Those guys are strong and useful, I will look into that." And so here I am some time after experimenting with gymnastic exercises and some of the more complicated bodyweight stuff I am back to the PR Zones. So I am here to ask. Am I on the right track?

My training has been thus: Some weeks ago I did a circuit, 5 parallel chins, 5 ring dips, 5 feet-elevated ring rows, 5 HSPU, 5 pistols per leg. I went through that four times, three days a week, MWF. But for the past few weeks I have moved on to: Mon-PR zone of Pistols 10min-almost 50, then PR Zone of ring dips and feet-elevated ring rows 10min-almost 50. Then Wednesday is plyo-metcon day:squat jumps, unweighted chins, plyo-pushups etc.. Then Fri- Another PR Zone of Pistols and then a PR Zone of weighted chins and HSPU 10min-about 30 (+25 pounds on the chins).

Just this week I decided to move on past the rows/dips and move to FL progressions and planche progressions. But, can I PR Zone those? Accurately? I want to be as strong as possible for the training I will allow. But I want dynamic power too. Isn't that the name of the game? I understand the static holds, but I do not see how they fit in. Is the plyo training enough to take advantage of that new strength? Are PR Zones good for this? I know I have improved. I want to be strong, but I want to be strong for a while too. Its seems to me that you should train as close as possible to what your goals actually are. Want to be a better hitter? Swing a bat. Like that. Or can you divide you training? Some days are all strength while other are plyo-metcon and they meet in the middle? Do our bodies work like that?

Anyways, sorry for the novel-length post. I must say though that bodyweight training is great and I needed to come ask the experts, so Slizzard, Ido, Coach, whomever, let me know what you think.

Be Complete

Hello again. Hope you are having a great morning (or whatever day time you are in). I forgot one last thing...

It seems to me that I have several of the categories of movement down. Overhead pull and press, horizontal pull and press, and what ever range you call dipping and inverted rows (i still call it horizontal), and then squat and then core type stuff.

What about hip extension? GHR? Is that about as good as they get? Can I think of back lever as hip extension? I am unaware of a body weight exercise that works like the deadlift works. All the other kinds of gymnastics movements seem to be a great version of their weight lifting counterparts (ie: HSPU vs overhead press).

Also, it looks like a few people checked out my last post so I wanted to provide a link or two for EDT/PR Zone stuff. Try it out, just pair a couple of exercises, set a time limit (make it short), DONT go to failure, let your fatigue be your gauge of what to do.

http://www.theiflife.com/brainer-muscle ... -shredder/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler35.htm

Bryce Lane used that idea, Ido used it when he gave a workshop at my studio as well.

I don't do it all the time, but its a great way of building up volume, and there is something to be said for being free from the constraint of numbered sets and reps, particularly for keeping rep quality high.

Static training is a different animal, i'm not sure if it really makes sense to do it this way as the reps themselves are for time. I think that the x number of good reps is better. But of course the session its self can have a time constraint. I work on hs for an hour type of thing. Measuring is going to be somewhat subjective though.

Static and dynamic are opposite ends of the spectrum, there is definite value in static work.

This method of training is called "Density Training" and was originally developed by Charles Staley. As was stated, many people have found it an effective method for increasing volume.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Bradford said:

Just this week I decided to move on past the rows/dips and move to FL progressions and planche progressions. But, can I PR Zone those? Accurately? I want to be as strong as possible for the training I will allow. But I want dynamic power too. Isn't that the name of the game? I understand the static holds, but I do not see how they fit in. Is the plyo training enough to take advantage of that new strength? Are PR Zones good for this? I know I have improved. I want to be strong, but I want to be strong for a while too. Its seems to me that you should train as close as possible to what your goals actually are. Want to be a better hitter? Swing a bat. Like that. Or can you divide you training? Some days are all strength while other are plyo-metcon and they meet in the middle? Do our bodies work like that?

Dude, in my experience (i have training for some months, isn't much but...) if you wanna be STRONG will should go on the WODs or follow the GB book! I gained MONSTRUOUS* strenght these months, i only had a consistent and frequent training and "eat right"...

monstruous* read as: full BL, full FL, l-sit on floor, straddle planche, 1.5 bw** bench press (no training for it), 0.8 bw** chins for reps...

bw - i weight 134lbs**

Bradford said:

I lead a simple life and my workout ethos reflects that. I know a couple of people that devote certainly too much time and thought to their bodies. I am thankful for mine and wish to appreciate it accordingly, so I am willing to work very hard but I want to give it the time it deserves-which is less than more important things in my life.

You is absolutely right on this, overwhelming majority of people don't think this because they just don't THINK. But let me say something: OBVIOUSLY the body isn't the most important, but he's important, you should be careful with him, be careful with your health as you is doing right now with the goal of have a healthy and long life. The most important side of the life is the spiritual side and this should be cultivated and fed like the body. If everybody understand this, this world will be a better place to live.

Mikal- Thanks for the advice! I think I am going to move on to some of the things the Coach recommends. This is just all so new to me. Yes, I do want to be strong. And, you are very right about the importance of our bodies and our spirit. I want to give my body the attention the Lord created it to deserve, but also attend to other important aspects too. "You should have done this without leaving the other undone." -Jesus. So, maybe I will leave PR Zones for conditioning days. Anybody care to comment on something for the posterior chain? How does BL work on this? At all? GHR seems like a good idea...

Be Complete

Kettlebells are excellent for the posterior chain as well as increasing overall work capacity and conditioning. Swings, snatches, and clean and jerks/pushpresses fit the bill perfectly. Be sure to find a qualified instructor or at minimum a quality KB instructional book.