Attn. Eric

[benburgess]

"G.P.P. really should be programmed just like your training. And here is the kicker: it should be the most intense when the volume is at its highest!

Always discontinue G.P.P. 10 or so days out from a major competition; but note that not every competition or test day is a major competition.
"

Eric, if you are still about, I have been thinking about your statement above, i know its an old one, but I have a couple of questions if you dont mind illuminating my dusty old brainz.

Why should the GPP be most intense when training volume/intensity is also at its highest? I get GPP i really do, but doing MORE when training is harder seems counter intuitive to me.

Maybe i could understand it if it said recovery modalities (rest, nutrition etc) should more intense when training is hardest, but GPP?

My GPP sessions are fairly intense (~25 min of KB sequences with short rest periods). The general increased fitness/athletecism i get from this means i can recover better generally.

HOWEVER, becasue of the fairly intesnse nature of the GPP, it doesnt act as a direct recovery agent if that makes sense.

As an example, if I had a hard Sq session Monday, doing a GPP session on Tuesday would probably make me less well rested for a DL session on Weds, rather than more recovered.

Maybe you would say then that the GPP sessions are too intense, but i have experimented with a few ways, and providing I can keep them away from hard training days as much as possible (e.g. when i have 2 days off the gym - i train 3x wk, or on days after 'easier' gym sessions) I am really seeing big benefits of doing my GPP like this - just more as a general increase in fitness rather then having a direct immediate effect on recovery.

Using the foam roller and contrast showers would make me better recovered immediately for sure, so i see them as more a direct recovery agent.

So as you can see, i dont really understand why GPP should be higher as training is higher - an inverse relationship seems more natural.

[erictalmant]

Jan 17, 2010 9:52:57 GMT -5 benburgess said:

"G.P.P. really should be programmed just like your training. And here is the kicker: it should be the most intense when the volume is at its highest!

Always discontinue G.P.P. 10 or so days out from a major competition; but note that not every competition or test day is a major competition.
"

Eric, if you are still about, I have been thinking about your statement above, i know its an old one, but I have a couple of questions if you dont mind illuminating my dusty old brainz.

Why should the GPP be most intense when training volume/intensity is also at its highest? I get GPP i really do, but doing MORE when training is harder seems counter intuitive to me.

Maybe i could understand it if it said recovery modalities (rest, nutrition etc) should more intense when training is hardest, but GPP?

My GPP sessions are fairly intense (~25 min of KB sequences with short rest periods). The general increased fitness/athletecism i get from this means i can recover better generally.

HOWEVER, becasue of the fairly intesnse nature of the GPP, it doesnt act as a direct recovery agent if that makes sense.

As an example, if I had a hard Sq session Monday, doing a GPP session on Tuesday would probably make me less well rested for a DL session on Weds, rather than more recovered.

Maybe you would say then that the GPP sessions are too intense, but i have experimented with a few ways, and providing I can keep them away from hard training days as much as possible (e.g. when i have 2 days off the gym - i train 3x wk, or on days after 'easier' gym sessions) I am really seeing big benefits of doing my GPP like this - just more as a general increase in fitness rather then having a direct immediate effect on recovery.

Using the foam roller and contrast showers would make me better recovered immediately for sure, so i see them as more a direct recovery agent.

So as you can see, i dont really understand why GPP should be higher as training is higher - an inverse relationship seems more natural.

Hello Ben.

As with anything else, you always want to take the information that is available and then try it out; over time you will eventually discover what works best for you.

When Raw Unity is over then remind me and I will come back on and give you a more detailed answer. For right now I can tell you that the Russians found that if there was an inverse relationship between GPP(in terms of total time) and training volume/intensity that the results were not as good as if there was a direct relationship. It has a bit to do with adding to the super-compensatory effect, among other things.

Keep in mind that the GPP regiment that the Russians had established was very well thought out. If your GPP program deviates quite a bit then you are dealing with a whole new set of circumstances. There are reasons why the Russians settled on the GPP programs that they did for weightlifting. What we are not sure of is how much of the Russian research we can successfully apply to powerlifting. It would stand to reason that most of the basic concepts should be the same, though; and in my own personal experience I found that when I was a rated lifter that a direct relationship of GPP (basically exactly like the Russian template) and training volume/intensity worked best for me.

I hope this helps. Drop me a reminder note the first week in February to follow up.

Eric

[benburgess]

Will do mate, thanks for taking the time.

[kgm]

Jan 17, 2010 14:15:52 GMT -5 erictalmant said:

When Raw Unity is over then remind me and I will come back on and give you a more detailed answer.

If there was more to this I was interested too.

[erictalmant]

Feb 9, 2010 16:03:30 GMT -5 kgm said:

Jan 17, 2010 14:15:52 GMT -5 erictalmant said:

When Raw Unity is over then remind me and I will come back on and give you a more detailed answer.

If there was more to this I was interested too.

Feel free to fire away with your questions

If I don't manage to make it back in a few days, then somebody email me at [e-mail] and CC me at [e-mail] to remind me and I will get it answered

-Eric

[Deleted]

So I can follow this, could somebody briefly explain to me, or at least point me somewhere which explains what GPP is please?

Thanks

[joeldibattista]

Eric, I may have asked you this before, but where can I find the Russian weightlifter GPP program?

[benburgess]

Feb 13, 2010 7:23:50 GMT -5 @johngym said:

So I can follow this, could somebody briefly explain to me, or at least point me somewhere which explains what GPP is please?

Thanks

General physical prepardness.

You can read GPP as 'conditioning' for a basic understanding of it...GPP is a big factor in Sheiko programming. If your GPP is not up to scratch the cycles will just beat you up and you wont recover.

[benburgess]

Jan 17, 2010 14:15:52 GMT -5 erictalmant said:

[For right now I can tell you that the Russians found that if there was an inverse relationship between GPP(in terms of total time) and training volume/intensity that the results were not as good as if there was a direct relationship. It has a bit to do with adding to the super-compensatory effect, among other things.

This is the bit i struggle with. In my (limited) experience, for GPP to have any kind of beneficial effect (on fitness/aerobic capacity/work capacity/body composition) you need to be going at least reasonably hard. Walking etc. did very little for me. So any beneficial GPP i do helps me in the long term (e.g. i recover quicker between attempts at comps) but is moderately detrimental to my CNS/recovery in the short term (e.g a session the day after a GPP session could be slightly harder becasue of it).

Keep in mind that the GPP regiment that the Russians had established was very well thought out. If your GPP program deviates quite a bit then you are dealing with a whole new set of circumstances. There are reasons why the Russians settled on the GPP programs that they did for weightlifting.

Like Joel, im not 100% on what the russian weightlifting GPP program was, so i dont know how much i am personally deviating from it, but i can imagine it involved KBs too. As above, if my GPP is adding to the stress on my CNS then it doesnt seem to make sense to do more when the regular gym work is also more stressful (i.e. in high volume periods).

I suspect the difference lies in the intensity of the GPP between what i do and what is ideal, i just dont have the time for an hr of low intensity GPP 3x/wk...

..

[Deleted]

This is what I believe Eric is talking about:

For a beginner or rated sportsman, I would recommend that you do G.P.P. 4 times a week and work towards 45, 45, 45, and 60 minutes.

If you are doing something similar to Sheiko, then your weight training G.P.P. is already built in with the good mornings and chest exercises, etc. If it is not, then those exercises would be something you should include in your sessions.

You can mix and match from the following-just pay attention to the total time of your workout, as that is how G.P.P. sessions are measured and tracked:

(these are just suggestions from Russian G.P.P. sessions)

Sprints from a high start position at 80% intensity

Sprints from a low start position 80%

Sprints from a 30 yard walking start 90-100%

Sprints from a low start 90-100%

Sprints from a 30 yard walking start 80%

Repetition sprints 80%-100%

Alternate speed runs: moderate pace + jogging

Running exercises: running, high knees, and running with short steps

Standing jumping exercises: 1-3-5 jumps, alternating two and one leg take offs.

Running long jumps using 5-7 steps
Running long jumps using 13-15 steps
Running long jumps using 15-19 steps

High Jump

Shot put with 8-11 lbs. or so

Shot put with 11-13 lbs.

Throwing exercises with the shot put or a medicine ball (8-13 lbs.) such as bending over and throwing behind and in front of the head.

Discuss throw

Sport games such as hockey, basketball, soccer, football, etc.

Cross Country Running 1.2-1.5 miles at a moderate pace (no less than 15 minutes).

Cross Country Running up to 2 miles (no less than 18 minutes)

Cross Country Running up to 2.4 miles (no less than 25 minutes)

Swimming, elliptical, hiking, etc. at a moderate intensity

asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=74503&tid=
Session 1:
60 minutes total
1. Warm-up/Stretching: 10 minutes
2. Sprints from high start position (80-89% of best time) x 5 repetitions x 30 meters; 2 x 60 meters
3. Regular start sprints 80-89% x 1 x 100 meters
4. Running with high knees with short steps 4 x 50 meters
5. Standing jumping exercises, alternating two and one leg take-offs x 20 jumps
6. Running broad jumps (5-7 steps and no LESS than 80% of max) x 10 jumps

Session 2:
60 minutes total
1. Warm-up/stretching: 10 minutes
2. 10 minutes of flexibility/mobility exercises
3. Sprints from a walking start (30 meters) at 80-90% intensity x 2 x 30 meters
4. Shot put x 20 throws
5. Medicine ball throws (bending over and throwing behind and in front of the head) x 20 throws
6. Any sports game (shooting hoops, kicking the soccer ball, etc.) x 20 minutes
7. Swimming or flexibility and hanging exercises (quasi-gymnastics): 2 x 50 meters; 2 x 100 meters or a comparable amount of time

Session 3:
60 minutes total
Everything is the same as session 1 EXCEPT the last exercise is High Jump or Standing Broad Jump x 10 total jumps

Session 4:
120 minutes total
1. Warm-up/stretching: 20 minutes
2. Dynamic Flexibility/Mobility Exercises: 10 minutes
3. Standing jumping exercises (1/3/5 jumps), alternating two and one leg take offs x 50 jumps
4. Throwing exercises (shot put, medicine ball, whatever) bending over and throwing behind and in front of the head x 100 throws
5. Cross country running or jogging at a moderate pace for at least 15 minutes.

[Deleted]

I tried implementing this in its entirety when I was taking a week off from lifting and it was HARD. So, he is absolutely correct in saying one should work up.

[joeldibattista]

To be totally honest, I am just not going to have the time to do that. Doing 3x3 hour sheiko sessions PLUS 4 hours of GPP a week isn't going to happen for me.

Having said that, I do need to start doing some form of GPP again.

[Deleted]

Not sure where else to post this, but any chance of a RUM 2010 write up Eric? Any new insights, what's the plan for upcoming training, meets, etc?

[benburgess]

I think the crux of the GPP matter is time. Time to perform it and time to sit around eating raw potatoes and shooting the greatest gear ever synthesised. Cos that’s what the Russian weightlifting team had. Not only did they have all day to potter around the secret underground facility chucking medicine balls backwards over their heads and playing a few games of vault the goat, they then got to sit around all day on bright red politburo sofas afterwards.

I don’t think you can apply them principles to natural, working lifters like most guys. A) I don’t have 4 hours a week to throw discusses and even if I did I would be proper unpopular wit neighbours, and B) I wont recover from it plus the training cos I aint on the greatest juice ever or sat around chilling all day contemplating the upstanding honour of my comrades

^^^ I was saying the above to Joel the other day, we were just having a crack really but i do generally believe the jist of it. Oh yeah and my view of russia is almost entirely based on Rocky 4.

[davebates]

Feb 14, 2010 20:32:46 GMT -5 @md1587x said:

Not sure where else to post this, but any chance of a RUM 2010 write up Eric? Any new insights, what's the plan for upcoming training, meets, etc?

Greetings.. Eric's official beatings will begin on March 1st, The meet is April 10th. We will refine his training a little more and see how he reacts.