Integrating Barbell and Bodyweight [Strength] Training

[Steven Low]

Wrote up an article on this topic which is actually pretty rarely explored as most people just stick with barbells or bodyweight exercises.

This article focuses more on the strength aspects of integrating exercise as opposed to combining them into couplets/triplets/etc.

wfs
http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2012/0...bell-training/

Let me know if you have any questions on this particular topic, as it's something near to my heart.

[Doug Blankenship]

Good read. Thanks for sharing.

[Mauricio Leal]

Good read. It's basically what I do intuitively for myself but more thought out. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how to program this in the CF context, and how one could balance some integrated gymnastics-type work with it (like mixing GB WODs with some lifts and metcons). I'm getting back into dancing lately and am finding it to be an interesting challenge to mix what is basically a Gymnastics skill bias with at least squats and an occasional oly session plus 2-3 metcons per week. Can't have it all I know, but it's worth a try to make some compromises without dropping something completely yet.

[Steven Low]

Well, it depends what you are trying to do.

Obviously, you can throw gymnastics movements into couplets or triplets or whatever else,.. that's pretty easy.

Are you trying to gain endurance through certain movements? Or program strength training before metabolic work? Or something else?

[Mauricio Leal]

Yeah, goals goals. It's a good question honestly, because I just finished the Open season where I pretty much was focused on CF only for a while, but am looking to branch out again. My reality is I enjoy breakdancing more than anything else so I'm gonna find a way to make that a priority and the other stuff secondary. Breaking, as you probably know, is basically a lot of gymnastics floor ex with less tumbling, more flare/circle type movements (though generally more spins and twists than movements where you have to constantly generate torque), and with more footwork/small movements and transitions. There's a lot of stylistic variance but hopefully you get the idea. 20-40 sec sets, very coordinated and dynamic, probably high specificity and more momentum than strength so I'm not even sure how much one would get out of any non-specific S&C past a point. Strength in L-sit, cricket, and handstand of course are all important. Doing the GB program would probably be the safest bet, but honestly I find strict programs boring and experimenting with different WODs and setting new 1RMs (BB or gymnastic) are still are my preferred type of S&C. I'm probably a nightmare of a client so feel free to give me the can't-do-it-all lecture .

[Mauricio Leal]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

Are you trying to gain endurance through certain movements? Or program strength training before metabolic work? Or something else?

To answer your question more directly, I'd like to balance the follow:

1) Focus on the skill elements of dancing 2-4x/week for ~30-60 min.
2) Assist that with some gymnastics strength/skill work, hopefully less than 30 min worth that can be tacked on the beginning or end of a dance session.
3) Still progress my Back Squat and perhaps Overhead Squat by going for a heavy single or max (in either) or AMRAP (back squat only) set once per week(ish).
4) Be able to throw in an oly session every other week or so to not fall off completely, recovery permitting.
5) 2-3 typical CF metcons per week in the 5-15 min time domain, recovery permitting.

I pretty much live in the gym so it's not logistically that difficult, just taxing on the body, but I have fairly good recovery at this point so we'll see.

If I had to envision a program it might look something like this:

M: Dance (1 hr) + Gymnastics/GBWOD
Tu: Rest/MWOD
W: Lift + Dance (30 min) + Metcon (10 min)
Th: Rest/MWOD
F: Gymnastics/GBWOD + Dance (1 hr)
Sa: Lift + Metcon (15 min)
Su: Rest

[Steven Low]

GB WODs aren't that good for strength as opposed to traditional sets and whatnot. I, of course, would recommend the types of structures layed out in Overcoming Gravity.

Your general structure looks fine though.

I'd actually restructure it to something like this... I am assuming dance is taught by someone and thus must stay on the M/W/F but if it's not you can shift days around better.

M: Dance (1 hr) + Gymnastics
Tu: Lift + Metabolic (10 min)
W: Dance (30 min)
Th: Gymnastics + Metcon (10 min)
F: Dance (1 hr)
Sa: Lift + Gymnastics
Su: Rest

I am assuming the dance elements aren't that intense and thus would serve more as active recovery.... and thus you can actually lift 2x, and sub in whatever gymnastics 3x you want to do. I would cut metabolic work if you don't really need it though.

MWODs can be throw anywhere you need them after or before workouts tbh. They're not that intense that you need to throw them on rest days.

[Mauricio Leal]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

GB WODs aren't that good for strength as opposed to traditional sets and whatnot. I, of course, would recommend the types of structures layed out in Overcoming Gravity.

Your general structure looks fine though.

I'd actually restructure it to something like this... I am assuming dance is taught by someone and thus must stay on the M/W/F but if it's not you can shift days around better.

M: Dance (1 hr) + Gymnastics
Tu: Lift + Metabolic (10 min)
W: Dance (30 min)
Th: Gymnastics + Metcon (10 min)
F: Dance (1 hr)
Sa: Lift + Gymnastics
Su: Rest

I am assuming the dance elements aren't that intense and thus would serve more as active recovery.... and thus you can actually lift 2x, and sub in whatever gymnastics 3x you want to do. I would cut metabolic work if you don't really need it though.

MWODs can be throw anywhere you need them after or before workouts tbh. They're not that intense that you need to throw them on rest days.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll have to check out your book. About the dancing, actually it's just me on my own schedule so it is pretty flexible, but MWF works best right now. It actually is quite intense with where I'm at right now (which is why I thought floor ex. might be a good analog for gymnastics, though perhaps tricking or parkour would be closer), which is kind of what got me thinking about programming more because I'm realizing I can't do it all year round. The MWODs are just to remind myself to do something on off days that isn't necessarily intense. I pretty much always roll and do mobility work before and after each session.

Just to give you an idea of where I'm at, I'm working on flare-handstand, airflare, and all kinds of footwork and various combos therein, and it's been over a year of just doing CF so getting back into it is...humbling. I guess I'd consider myself an "intermediate" dancer, though probably more Beginner-Int gymnastics-wise because dancing biases certain movements over others (we make pretty strong pressers but that's about it). I can strict press about 10# over BW (180#), Ring MU with +50#, HB back squat almost 400#, snatch 220#, and can barely hold a parallel straddle planche on a good day, and am working on a freestanding one-handed handstand that comes and goes. This is all not to brag at all because I know quite well that I'm not accomplished by any means nor do I care much either way, but instead to say being intermediate is a state of limbo because to progress I need to push harder and more dynamic movements/combos that are fairly intensive to learn/develop, thus the need to prioritize things.

Anyhow, not to threadjack, but hopefully it's somewhat in the same vein. Thanks again.

[Steven Low]

That's a pretty solid set of skills.

Yeah, mostly you have to prioritize what you want to do for the most part. Hard to progress on everything once you get to a certain level of ability since being a generalist can only take you so far.

May be a good idea to set aside some things for maintenance (like strength stuff can be 1x per week maintaining) and focusing the rest of the majority of time into what you want to develop then alternating things later.

That's pretty much the basis of some variations of conjugate periodization.