Bedrock brought us back into the use of external resistance. Our barbell was back in our hands and we were happy to be reunited.
Baseline gave us the data we needed to move forward. We had a better understanding of where we were and what we needed to do from there. Hard 2 Kill is our return to our “Normalcy” a return to the Black Sheep Training we have learned to love. If you are a seasoned athlete this looks familiar. You may be driving a different vehicle. Maybe one that isn’t quiet as tuned as the latter but it’s still moving. If you are a beginner athlete this may look daunting. Please be reassured that we got here in one piece. We intend to get out of this 10 week cycle with much stronger pieces. Maybe some blood and sweat in our rear view mirror. But that’s ok. In this four part blog I will outline the differences in this training cycle. I will explain what’s new and why it’s important in your training protocol. The facets of this cycle are as follows: Max Effort Variation, Dynamic Effort Pendulum Waves, Anaerobic/Aerobic Conditioning, and Beginner Level Plyometrics. For the sake of being long-winded I will begin with Max Effort Variations and nothing else for today. Why Max Effort? Maximal Effort is the method of training that is the most demanding on our bodies. It requires the most amount of energy. For this reason, It also produces the most drastic change. When done properly our bodies will feast upon the results of this method. You will get stronger, your body composition will change, your tendons/ligaments will become more sturdy. You will be on your way to that Hard 2 Kill level of human existence. Mark Rippetoe said it best, “Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general.” Why Variations? You can expect two Maximal Effort days. One being lower on Monday and the other being Upper on Wednesday. You will not see the Classic Lifts unless it’s testing time. So Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift in it’s simplicity will not be involved in this protocol. We will add variation of the above instead. Changes of angles, Range of Motion, Grips, Stances, and Bars will create a stimuli in the body for our needs. Instead of the latter you may see Wide Stance Box Squat, Close Grip Floor Press, or Deadlift at Mid-Shin from a Block. All of these will be performed to YOUR Maximal Effort for 1 rep. You will be expected to build up in the variation. Warm Up reps are encouraged. Lighter sets of 8s, 5s, 3s, and progressively to 1s until the final Max Effort attempt is completed. Law of Accommodation: This law states that after three weeks of the same movement you will see minimal return and possible become worse at the movement entirely. For this reason it’s essential to vary our movements to keep the body progressing. But I Need To Practice It is a common misconception that if one performs variations that they will not progress in the classic lifts. The Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift have existed a long time in the history of training. They have been programmed in many athletes protocols to help improve strength, speed, power, and body composition. Athletes have used these general movements to help enhance their specific skills in the arena of play. These movements do not function under the same black and white idea of practice makes perfect. In reality, alot of athletes cannot perform movements properly not because of the lack of muscle memory but the lack of strength in musculature. Barring any extreme technical ignorance most Athletes cannot progress because the weak links are not being addressed. You will see an Athlete perform a bench press perfect with a 45lbs barbell but when they get close to +90% of their known one rep max it goes to hell. This usually isn’t because they lack form. It’s because they are not strong enough to put the bar where they want to. The external load is influencing their posture and position. Contrarily, in alot of Sports you can improve an athlete by practicing. The muscle memory can be ingrained. Take an athlete through a 5-10-5 Cone Drill enough times and their proficiency will improve. This is because they can ingrain movement pattern absent of external force. Take that same athlete through that cone drill but add 3 defenders wishing to bring him to the ground and you will see their speed, power, and movement competency challenged drastically. These variations help to show a much larger picture of the Athlete’s weaknesses. Do they crash to a box on the eccentric portion of the lift. If so, what can we implement to improve that? These variations can be the Crystal Ball into our Athletes future. They show us the chinks in the armor. If we catch them in the weight room we can prevent them on the field or in the grocery store. You do not need to break a personal record on Max Effort Days Common thinking believes that in order to get the most out of this day we must break personal record in top weight or weight on the bar. This is incorrect. There are so many factors in the body outside of our control. To believe that our body is always in Maximal state of readiness is inaccurate. Even professional athletes that dedicate all their time to peak performance have bad days. So it’s okay for you to do the same. You only need to perform a Max Effort lift. Meaning you lift as heavy as you can without form degrading rapidly. This is enough to create the demand for change in your body. 20/80 Rule We perform 20% of our volume in the Classic Lift Variations. The other 80% is spent on accessory movements and conditioning. This method has yielded the greatest results with the fewest injuries. When inverted most athletes will burn out or find injuries more often. Take an athlete wishing to grow their leg strength. They perform 80-90% of their volume on squats and less than 10-20% on accessory work. While they may get initial gains. Their progress will eventually slow. This isn’t because the squat is an inefficient movement. It’s based upon their leverages or their style of squat that are missing other supporting muscles. For example, a taller athlete will have a longer femur length. This will cause them to track over their toes more, engaging more quadriceps than hamstrings. They may begin to feel knee pain in time. No matter how much they squat they will never target their hamstrings like they need. Accessory work will be necessary for improvement. If the abundance of classic lifts is causing injury so much so that you can no longer do them, what method would you seek to rehabilitate? You would perform no Classic Lift and use Accessories only. If this is the case then why not reduce the Classic lift volume enough to create a demand and increase the accessory work for increase in strength and injury prevention? This is why we stick with the 20/80 Rule. Our level of benefit must always outweigh the level of risk with our athletes. Remember, on the road to progress two cars are moving. One is marked towards our goals and the other is injury waiting to crash us in a ditch. Create as much of a gap between both cars as long as possible by training intelligently. How can you get the most of your Max Effort Days? 1. Eat Good Foods: Eat Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fats that you can be proud of. They should FUEL you. If you eat like crap you will perform like crap. 2. Stay Hydrated: It has been proven that a dehydrated body will have a drastic decrease in performance. Water carries nutrients throughout our body. These nutrient aid in recovery and reduce inflammation. Also, dehydrated muscles shorten and don’t fire fast or efficiently. 3. Seek Optimal Sleep: Your sleep is needed for you to recover from the day before and aid in the performance for today. You set an alarm to wake up, make sure you are setting one to go to sleep as well. 4. Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Lifting heavy is hard. Being weak is easy. You will be uncomfortable and here is where you will receive the most amount of change. Trust that your spotters will keep you safe. In closing, It is exciting to see the gym progress with a slower approach. For this, I am noticing alot of basics being covered properly. It is much easier to establish those sooner than later. In strength, Dan
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Goodbye Bedrock
Four weeks of the Bedrock Training Cycle have passed. In that time, you have reintroduced external resistance into your training regiment. The gym has been open and some normalcy has returned to your training. The barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells and all the things you love to hate have put the work on you! If you have stayed consistent throughout this cycle then you would note that not only have you felt better but all your strength hasn't escaped you like you believed initially. The question is, what's next? From here what's the next approach? A responsible approach. The Next Step Baseline consists of a two-week transitional phase into our Conjugate System. That totals 8 weeks slowly working into our "Normal." During this two week period we will introduce the Maximal Effort Method back into our regiment. It's time to load up the bar and strain. Our bodies have slowly and progressively moved into heavier weights each week so our preparedness should be ready. The Maximal Effort Method means to move heavy weights as powerfully as possible. Building up to a 1 rep max variation. This is essential to making sure we build that "Hard to Kill" body we need. Our three main compound movements (Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift) will be pushed to 1 rep maxes. This will also give us new baseline numbers going forward. As alot of our accessory movements are based upon percentages of our 1 rep maxes it is essential to bring these analytics back into our program. During this two week period we will also look into some conditional tests so that as athletes we are seeing improvement in our GPP as well. Expect to see Time and Rep tracked workouts throughout your week. Do your best to push as hard as possible. Creating complete athletes is what Black Sheep is all about. Approach these blocks with the same intensity as you do our 1 rep maxes. How Do I Prepare? Hydrate properly: Make sure that you are taking in plenty of water. The weather is unforgiven and the work is content. To perform at your very best you will need to stay properly hydrated. Eat well: Don't eat junk. Make sure the food you are eating is FUELING and not just FILLING you. Plenty of Healthy Proteins, Fats, and Complex Carbohydrates. Rest: Getting good quality sleep is huge. Unfortunately, it is one of the most overlooked facets of a good recovery program. Get your sleep so that you come in ready to crush the tasks before us. Know: Know the purpose of the day. Mentally prepare for what you are doing and what it is doing for you! Mobility: Do your ROMWOD. Stretch daily. at least 10-12 minutes per day. This will help improve your range of motion as well as your recovery! **MEMBERS contact us for access if you are having trouble. In closing It's your time to reset or begin your strength journey. Bring the correct attitude and work your ass off. The rest is awaiting you. In Strength, Dan |
AuthorDan Schlemmer Archives
July 2020
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