Gant's Hybrid programs

[Gant Grimes]

Originally Posted by Kris Fischer

Okay, so I'm ready to try out some hybrid-ing.

I need to tweak Grant's novice template a bit to account for schedule and equipment and I'd really appreciate some feedback. I'm not too smart on programming yet and don’t want to screw up a good thing.

Buy and read "Practical Programming." My templates are just that, templates. The sets/reps prescriptions were were made for a very generic population. If you're just starting out, they'll be fine. However, you should be studying this stuff over a 12-week cycle so you know what to do next.

What days of the week should I train? Better to do MTW (F or Sat) or MTR (F or S)? Or possibly alternate weekly based on my alternating F/Sat?

It doesn't matter. I do MTW-F. I do judo on Thursday evenings and some judo/JJ on Saturdays. I'm active throughout the weekend, though.

What exercises should I do when? Does the order of Grant's "days" matter? If I just do skill work/WOD on the F/Sat days, should I add on exercises to the three weekdays I'll be training or just drop a lift or two? What can I drop besides OHS? Or should I rearrange the days and do the lifts I can on F/Sat days?

The days don't matter (unless you're going straight heavy on all exercises (as opposed to DE days--if you don't know, don't worry)). The order of exercises does.

Skill --> Burst (plyo) --> Explosive lift --> Strength lift (squatting --> pressing --> pulling) --> metcon --> isometric*

*Some do iso before metcon. I don't before most of my iso work taxes the hell out of my trunk, which I frequently need during metcon.

If you just do skill work one day of the week, you'll be fine with three days of lifting. If you're just starting, you would also benefit from three days of SS and one day of skill work.

]Am I completely overthinking this and should I just shut up and train??

Not completely. It's always good to be thinking, but not at the expense of training.

[Gant Grimes]

Originally Posted by Gavin Harrison

Kris,

The order of the days in Gant's program is significant only within the context of the program. For instance, BS->OHS->FS/DL->OFF->BS, the OHS squat day and FS is most likely to allow for enough recovery for the DLs on W and BS again on Friday. If you can only go to the gym 3 days/week you might just want to do whatever you feel like in that time, lift heavy, etc, and on the other days do body weight strength / metcon work, one legged squats, push up variations, gymnastic progressions, pull ups, etc. Just experiment, use the time you have in and out of the gym to try to figure out what works for you. If you're doing a lot of BW stuff out of the gym, you might want to focus on pulling at lot in the gym (DL/Rows/Cleans/Pull Ups/etc), since outside of the gym it's often easier to find a place to push (the ground) than pull (a bar) yourself. But make sure you're squatting, benching, and pressing in the gym, as well..

That's pretty much it. Of course what you want/what works for you should include squatting, pressing, and pulling.

[Gant Grimes]

The order of the days optimizes recovery based on that program.

Originally Posted by Kris Fischer

Ok, so this is what I'm thinking about (stolen mostly from Gant's answer to a similar q in the sister thread on crossfit):

M: FL, HPC (5x2), BS (3x5), WOD
T: HS, PC (5x2), FS (3x5), DL (3x5), weighted pullups (3x5)
R: FL, Press (3x5), PSn (5x2), BS (3x5), WOD
F (or S): HS, long cycle c&j (with DB?) (4-6 mins), light to moderate metcon (7-20) mins

Warming up, then doing the same weight each set (as opposed to working up). Going up 5lbs each week until stalling then mess w/ sets and reps.
That sound about right?

I don't know what that program was. It looks like a program I might have recommended for someone with specific goals and time/equipment restraints).

But it looks nice three-day lifting program. I'd make the following changes:
M: alt a snatch variation with a clean variation each week
T: change DL to 1x5 or 1x3
R+: change order to FL*, PSN, BS, Press, WOD

+: I'm suspicious of this. I don't know the context of that post, but I can't believe I would've recommended that order.

*: I always used FL as a skill, and they never hurt my workouts. It's actually an iso exercise and should be put last if it's affecting your workout.

[Kris Fischer]

Gant thanks so much for replying even though I botched your name in my first post

Good to hear the MTW vs MTR doesn't matter that much, I'll probably end up switching back and forth to play in a semi-regular basketball game anyway.

Originally Posted by Gant Grimes

Buy and read "Practical Programming." My templates are just that, templates. The sets/reps prescriptions were were made for a very generic population. If you're just starting out, they'll be fine. However, you should be studying this stuff over a 12-week cycle so you know what to do next.

Done.

Originally Posted by Gant Grimes

I don't know what that program was. It looks like a program I might have recommended for someone with specific goals and time/equipment restraints).

Here is a link if you are curious (posts 195-96): http://board.crossfit.com/showthread...=32641&page=20 (wfs). Basically a guy asked about structuring a 4 day intermediate program and I tried to combine your response to him with my needs and this is what came out.

Originally Posted by Gant Grimes

But it looks nice three-day lifting program. I'd make the following changes:

Done, done, and done.

That response above is where I got the idea to structure it 3 days lifting and the 4th day skill/lccj/wod. First time I actually heard of KB lccj and after reading up a bit it looks pretty good-- just don't have any KBs.
Anybody have thoughts on doing it with DBs? Or should I just muck around with some tabata or sprints or bodyweight strength or something before doing the WOD that day?

Thanks again for all the great info thats been posted on this and the advice on my particular program.

[Brandon Oto]

I like DBs a lot for metcons and not as much for strength.

[Brian Wilson]

I'm doing the Tabata protocol, made some good gains initially, but things seem to be flattening out recently. I'm making gains in the first round or two, but then things dive precipitously.

wfs Brian PCF Workout Blog

[Garrett Smith]

+1 to Brandon's statement.

I think DB Thrusters are magnitudes better than with a BB, for example.

[Jonathan Limbird]

Is there anyway we can this thread name edited? I think many people look for it, but have trouble searching it out with the mis-spelling.

[Gant Grimes]

Yes.

[Jonathan Limbird]

Thanks Gant. And thanks for all the work you've done here.