Cycle, Circuit, or Cocktail???

[jphaas]

Question for everyone on the Clubbell Training protocol. In the book, Scott says to cycle, circuit, but don't cocktail. How do you create a specific
cycle or circuit and how do you know that you are not cocktailing the exercises you put together for a program?

Thanks,

Jon

[circular]

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[Scott Sonnon]

Jon,

Think of a cycle as a specific training period intended to accomplish a certain goal, and a circuit as a collection of exercises intending to accomplish a specific goal. Think of cocktailing training as non-specific duration and non-specific exercise selection. Caveat: exploration and practice are specific goals.

The organism requires that one repeat a certain physiological or physical profile for a certain time period - approx. 4-6 weeks in general for initial gains. Follow the Laws of Conditioning: Outcome -> Adaptation -> Progress.

Interesting question.

My workouts tend to look like a cocktail, but as Coach said they are really a mix of excercises/sessions designes to achieve a certain goal. You can mix modalities etc...but know why and stay with one strategy long enough to see if it works. If you constantly juggle too many varialbles it's impssible to judge effectiveness.

[jphaas]

Moderator,

Sorry for the breach of protocol. I will post an introduction as soon as I am able....

Jon

[jphaas]

Coach and Bill,

Thanks for the replies. I understand intellectually what you are saying, but I seem to still be struggling with how to go about physically crafting a cycle or circuit type program to reach a specific goal without it falling into the realm of cocktailing....

Thanks again,

Jon

[Scott Sonnon]

Jon,

Go through the CST Program Logs and read the various "cycles" and "circuits." Think of cocktailing as exchanging exercises or equipment haphazardly from one day to the next. It falls under the SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand): follow a cycle or circuit for sufficient duration to cause an adaptation.

[jphaas]

Coach,

Will do! I'll give it a try and let you know what I come up with. Thanks again for your patience!!

Jon