Steven Barnes' total makeover program

[SteveB]

Dan and Doug said that I should post my new program here for critique. I've decided to completely remake my body-mind connection, and am using the Bruiser to do it. Eventually, I want to swing the Bruiser with grace and power through all arcs of motion, and need a place to start. I don't want to overtrain, but I DO want to push myself, and have devised the following program. Eventually (one lovely day), I plan to do a 100-rep deathmarch with Clean to Gama Cast. Please comment!

Goal: to increase endurance, strength, coordination, and mental toughness.
Tools: Bruiser (45lb) Clubbell, 15 lb. Clubbells. Working to 100-rep deathmarch with Bruiser (Front clean to Order). Today I performed 15 sets of 8 with 30-second rests.

And GTG with Gama Cast (starting with front clean to order plus bottom-up press)

(The idea with GTG is to do an exercise, careful not to go anywhere near failure, treating strength as practice rather than “workout.” Therefore, as an exercise gets easy enough to do 4-5 reps, I switch to a more difficult exercise, and will continue until Gama Casts are mastered!)

My schedule (to be followed 6 days a week, backing off if excessive soreness or sleep disturbance indicates over-training)

Morning:
15 minutes Ashtanga Yoga (flexibility, alignment, warmup)
15 minutes Silat practise
Clubbell work: (MWF 100-rep Bruiser deathmarch clean to Order. Today it was 14 sets of 8 with 30-second rests. TThSat Freestyle with 15s)
Body Flow (working a different combination every day)
Warrior Wellness

During Day:

GTG
1) Clean to bottom-up press (working toward Gama Casts.)
2) Body-Flow (combination of the day)


Night
Warrior Wellness. If this isn't enough to release residual tension, yoga, Tai Chi, or hot showers. If I still have trouble getting to sleep--it's overtraining! Back off!

Thoughts?
Steve

[Scott Sonnon]

Steve,

Looks solid, and you'll discover some feral strength with a Bruiser Death March.

Three suggestions:

1. Make sure that you don't do your GTG anywhere close to your Density Training, and not after.

2. Freestyle with the 15s should be for range of motion active recovery. Don't "train" with them or you WILL push into overtraining mode. You may want to drop this Tue/Thu/Sat session if you feel yourself getting close to overtraining (i.e. fatigue, exhaustion, aching joints.)

3. You may want to cut back to two Density sessions per week with two days in between should overtraining creep up on you. I say this because of the training load of other directions you include in this cycle. But stick with #2's suggestion first (drop the 15s session before dropping a Density session.) The 15s should be supplementary, and should they become a 'competing' work session, drop it OVER dropping the GOAL which is the Bruiser Death March.

Enjoy the pain.

[SteveB]

Dear Coach:

I'm not using a density protocol, specifically to reduce (although not eliminate) the possibility of overtraining. My goal is 100 reps, so I'm going for about 110 reps in the training. I got this idea from your own training diary. I figured that what I want is the neurological training even more than the physiological, so frequency would be desirable. Recovery time at age 52 has to be conservatively estimated, and any decent density program leaves you feeling like you were hit by a truck the next day. Given that I'm working on a 13X8, 12X9, 11X10 type protocol, I pray I'll have less chance of staggering into overtraining.

BTW--I can feel that the Bruiser is going to bring out some personality characteristics that are...hmmm...shall I say, primal?

Steve

[Scott Sonnon]

My apologies. Your post confused me because the 100 rep "Death March" is a Density Training program.

Regardless, still consider my suggestions since the sum volume of that much Bruiser work sometimes needs additional recovery time.

[SteveB]

Got it! And I will indeed err on the side of caution. Setting ones self up for overtraining is another fine form of self-sabotage. The ego has so many fun ways of screwing us out of our true potential. I will indeed cut back!

Steve

[Doug Szolek]

Steve,

I'm looking forward to seeing what you find in yourself with the Bruiser. I don't need to tell you to keep accurate account of your RT and RPE for early detection of the overtrain.

At age 52 your setting a monstrous example for the younger generation of Knuckledraggers.

In faith,

[Doug Szolek]

Steve,

taking into account what you've shared with me via email, the conversations we've had recently, your recents posts reguarding how the density sessions we originally planned left you feeling, and Coach Sonnon's very accurate intuition for seeing overtraining on the horizon; I offer the following to help you meet all your brutal, Bruiser goals.

The way I see it if we add a wee bit more structure to your current plan we'll get you training to your first Bruiser Death March (with the ABC Front Pendulums) right away.

This could be done by working the following plan on your M,W,F, training sessions.

10 sets of 5 reps in 10 minutes with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
10 sets of 5 reps in 10 minutes with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

9 sets of 6 reps in 9 minutes with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
9 sets of 6 reps in 9 minutes with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

8 sets of 7 reps in 8 minutes with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
8 sets of 7 reps in 8 minutes with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

7 sets of 8 reps in 7 minutes with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
7 sets of 8 reps in 7 minutes with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

6 sets of 9 reps in 6 minutes with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
6 sets of 9 reps in 6 minutes with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

5 sets of 10 reps in 5 minutes with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
5 sets of 10 reps in 5 minutes with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

1 set of 50 with the Left Hand/LeftGrip(ABCs)
1 set of 50 with the Right Hand/RightGrip(ABCs)

This is the renovated Density plan that Coach Sonnon originally designed to work two density sessions in one day, applied to unilateral work (as ABCs is).

I know that this will be the most efficient means for you to reach your goal of a Bruiser Death March. Provided you follow the rules of only jumping to the next step when your RT = 8+ and your RPE = <6. If you notice this plan will get you to a deathmarch without having to double the total volume so your recovery from this session will not be nearly as long.

If you want to go this route then I'd recommend shifting your T,Th,S, workouts to the GTG of the Gama Cast and Bottoms Up Press keeping in mind to stay clear of failure in every set through the day.

As always, let me know what you think, I want to do whatever I can to help you meet your goals as efficiently as possible so let me know how these ideas sound to you.

[SteveB]

I like the look of this. Am shifting the GTG to TThSat, and will incorporate your pattern into my practise starting Friday. Will be quite careful about overtraiing--I was a bit suspicious about how I felt this morning, felt better after warming up, and went for 14 sets of 8 clean to order. However, I won't GTG clubbells or any resistance training today (I'll GTG some WW, Body Flow, and some light Kali stickwork instead, aiming purely at recovery). Thanks so much!

Steve