Muscle and Strength with WOD

Hello-

I'm interested in using rings/gymnastic work for strength as well as muscular development. I've read on the forums here that 5X5 is a good strength/hypertrophy balance. I've also received advice from knowledgable members suggesting I follow the coach's WOD's. What is the most effective way to combine the two, building my overall gymnastic strength while also getting the volume necessary to produce some good hypertrophy?

Lately I've been doing gymnastics work four times a week, starting with static holds and then doing one of two workouts (repeated twice a week). One workout is pull-ups, dips, inverted curls, PL pushups with feet on the wall. Other is inverted hang to german hang back to inverted hand into which I drop to an L front lever (not sure if this is proper terminology or not) and then move to cast wall walks. I hold the GH and inverted hang for 10 sec and do each of the other exercises for 5 reps 5 times. This routine produced nice results for me, but after several weeks my body wasn't responding as well and I feel like it's time to get some variety.

Any suggestions for hypertrophy programming and gymnastic strength would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

-Steve Sisk

Steve -

I'm doing something along the lines that you are, although I am doing it one my own 1-2x week (once a week

I may go to an adult gymnastics class but still do some GB there). In total just 2x week strength.

A few ideas from a non-expert, non-professional (take what you may from it):

Probably just moving into the WOD since you are working out 4x week would be a good idea.

You'll be able to scale the exercises according to your ability.

Perhaps take a week off, give your body a chance to consolidate its gains. Sometimes that helps overcome

stagnation.

A 5x5 volume 4x week is probably a bit much and may not allow full recovery. A 3x5reps is more common here from what I've seen. If you are going to add additional work onto the WOD, you maybe should choose when there is a full day off afterwards.

Hypertrophy is a bit harder with GB as there are almost no isolation exercises. They all tend to develop muscle groups over individual muscles, making them functionally stronger than working them in isolation, however not as prominant individually.

Results may vary ....

FIN

What do you think would be a good way to increase the hypertrophy focus of the WODs, Futureisnow?

FutureisNow said:

Hypertrophy is a bit harder with GB as there are almost no isolation exercises. They all tend to develop muscle groups over individual muscles, making them functionally stronger than working them in isolation, however not as prominant individually.

Results may vary ....

FIN

Hold the phone, what makes you claim that isolation works leads to better hypertrophy than compound movements? If anything, it's the other way around.

RandomHavoc said:

FutureisNow said:

Hypertrophy is a bit harder with GB as there are almost no isolation exercises. They all tend to develop muscle groups over individual muscles, making them functionally stronger than working them in isolation, however not as prominant individually.

Results may vary ....

FIN

Hold the phone, what makes you claim that isolation works leads to better hypertrophy than compound movements? If anything, it's the other way around.

I make no claim .. it's just my impression. (you said compound - but was referring to GB - not squating or deadlifting specifically.)

First point is that when you are working groups of muscles you are limited by your weakest link.

This can potentially hold back other muscles from being used to the full extent

Also it will be difficult to target specific muscles with a full body movement.

I'm not saying that everyone has this problem, but it could be an issue for some. Working on that

weak link first, and then attacking the muscle group in a combined exercise is one option.

Or attacking the muscles individually and ignoring the weakest link (if it is not cosmetically important)

is another.

Second point is that the volume needed for hypertrophy are greater than for strength. GB is primarily a strength

building approach - hypertrophy is secondary. It is difficult to perform GB positions in sufficent volume

until you are strong enough. It requires more energy to move your full body; good for fitness

but a limiting factor. But people can still grow their muscles using GB.

Thirldy, I feel that muscle tension is spread over a greater area in GB than in weight training isolation exercises.

You can cause a lot of damage to specific parts of the muscle with isolation routines, causing greater growth in sections of the muscle. Gymnasts biceps tend to be large from top to bottom but not massive in the middle, as a bodybuilder who

isolates them.

I am not doing GB to look like a bodybuilder, and don't expect to. Overall, I prefer GB approach.

Patrick Smith said:

What do you think would be a good way to increase the hypertrophy focus of the WODs, Futureisnow?

I'm not qualified to answer that Patrick. It would just be some guessing.

I would not mess with the WOD themselves, but probably just supplement them.

And I am not even a trainer, just training myself

I had a buddy who was using Poliquin GVT with GB and liked his results. To note, he doesn't eat nearly enough and very poorly as he is a broke college student and seemed to be able to do it.

Blairbob said:

I had a buddy who was using Poliquin GVT with GB and liked his results. To note, he doesn't eat nearly enough and very poorly as he is a broke college student and seemed to be able to do it.

How did he put the two together?

He tested his max's for whatever BW exercise and then followed the first level of the program.