PFT Training Log

[spemma]

i would deadlift. it's a whole body type of strength developer. follow the suggestions per TBI.

how are you doing your 600m resets? i was making the mistake of sprinting at first, dying, and then barely finishing the last half at a job pace. it ended up being very slow. now i do them at an effort that i can maintain for 4-500 meters and then sprint the last 100m. the time is much faster that way and still max effort.

you're doing a lot of push-ups and now incorporating bench pressing. by day 4 i can imagine your chest is pretty tired. i would imagine your day 1 push ups feel better than your day 4 one's, just given the fact that you've had time to recover. maybe scale back the push-ups? or do tango circuits. or only 2x/week?

i am somewhat surprised your fast 5 time regressed after basebuilding. run at a pace that you can maintain the whole time. it should be faster than your E, but slower than what you might run it during a PFT (near max effort). i think the point of the fast 5's are to run through the pain (re: lactic acid build-up) to get your body accustomed to it and begin building the adaptations.

personally i found i started deteriorating by week 5 of basebuilding. not enough time to recover. in weeks 6-8, i cut 1 running day (was doing 5) and scaled down the bodyweight stuff to more minimal and i'm recovering better and improving. maybe you need a week off after BB to recover.

[supernova]

@spemma your advice is much appreciated. I'll def implement what you suggested.

For 600m resets I was of the mind to go all out then barely finish. For a few intervals I did "pace" myself throughout the entire interval and notices a better time. I'll do this next time.

Surprisingly my chest isn't sore at all. If BB has done anything its helped recovery time. Right now I only do pushups about 3x a week. 2 times after MS days as a finisher and once during Recovery day.

I'm thinking I might have done something wrong for my time to be so down. However I did notice prior to BB when my time was decent, I'd run 1.5 miles timed 5x a week whereas now its only 3 running sessions (2 HIC and 1 E). Maybe I should add more timed runs until I bring it back up?

I feel you on the deteriorating feeling. I know I've probably build a solid foundation, but personally I just feel the same as before BB with fluctuations of progress. I'll prob take a week off after BB although I'm concerned my progress will deteriorate more. I think after a week I'll start continuation and implement more running and then scale back once I feel "worn out".

One of my biggest concerns is still pushups and now to some degree situps. For pushups I do go all the way down until my nose touches whereas before I wasn't so this does take more energy out of me. However, when I do my sets I have to break every set into mini sets of 10-15 and sometimes even less. I timed myself for situps the other day and noticed at 30 situps my time was in the 40 seconds.

[supernova]

Week 8

Day 3

Rest


Day 4
BP 90% - 5 x 3
SQ 90% - 4 x 3
Pullups (assisted machine) 3 x 10

Pushups 3 x 30
Situps 3 x 30

[spemma]

i run 4-5 days per week, so i added days to basebuilding. 5 is tending to be too much and 4 is a good spot for me. i think the biggest difference in my running has been to run more than prescribed in basebuilding. i think basebuilding is enough for people who are doing this program just for personal purposes. but for us prepping for PFTs, i think you gotta do more. i think that's why your time was better before - not necessarily that they were timed runs, just that you were running more.

tape yourself, get someone to tape you, or get someone to watch your form on the push ups and sit ups. you might be going lower than needed. i was touching my nose to the ground, but that actually was because i was dipping my head to do so and it was cutting my depth. i think it was actually harming my push-up form a bit too. now i try to be as straight as an arrow. but i didn't see it until someone taped me.

for the push ups, make sure you're basically free falling down. no effort should be expended on the descent. now, you can't bounce off the ground, but just make sure to use your energy on the push. i've been having trouble with push ups and sit ups in general. i think doing more sit ups, both days/week and total number of sit ups is helpful, where i think less push ups, both sub maximal and less days per week is better. so kinda counter to each other.

but i've been experimenting with them. i think you should try some sit up timed trials too. for example, set a clock for 15 seconds and try like hell to get 15 sit ups in that time. once you accomplish that goal, bump to 30 seconds. but for sit ups, i think we gotta do both more total sit ups per set (up to like 60, 70, 80) and also train doing them faster.

i think your push ups will increase as you start bumping your bench press numbers too.

[supernova]

i run 4-5 days per week, so i added days to basebuilding. 5 is tending to be too much and 4 is a good spot for me. i think the biggest difference in my running has been to run more than prescribed in basebuilding. i think basebuilding is enough for people who are doing this program just for personal purposes. but for us prepping for PFTs, i think you gotta do more. i think that's why your time was better before - not necessarily that they were timed runs, just that you were running more.

tape yourself, get someone to tape you, or get someone to watch your form on the push ups and sit ups. you might be going lower than needed. i was touching my nose to the ground, but that actually was because i was dipping my head to do so and it was cutting my depth. i think it was actually harming my push-up form a bit too. now i try to be as straight as an arrow. but i didn't see it until someone taped me.

for the push ups, make sure you're basically free falling down. no effort should be expended on the descent. now, you can't bounce off the ground, but just make sure to use your energy on the push. i've been having trouble with push ups and sit ups in general. i think doing more sit ups, both days/week and total number of sit ups is helpful, where i think less push ups, both sub maximal and less days per week is better. so kinda counter to each other.

but i've been experimenting with them. i think you should try some sit up timed trials too. for example, set a clock for 15 seconds and try like hell to get 15 sit ups in that time. once you accomplish that goal, bump to 30 seconds. but for sit ups, i think we gotta do both more total sit ups per set (up to like 60, 70, 80) and also train doing them faster.

i think your push ups will increase as you start bumping your bench press numbers too.

I greatly appreciate your input spemma. You've been a great deal of help with this training. Glad to have someone in the same boat. I'll finish up my last BB session tomorrow, take a few days off, then get into my continuation protocol Black Professional + Fighter Bangkok and def increase my running days. You're right, when I ran more my time was better.

I like the tape idea. I think I may be guilty of dipping my head slightly to touch my nose on the ground as well, but reviewing the tape will help rectify any irregularities in form. I've heard and tried the free falling form, but I've noticed I get fatigued quicker in doing so and consequently am unable to do as many pushups consecutively, not that my numbers are good anyway, but I digress. I hate to admit it, but I acknowledge I'm relatively weak when it comes to pushups. MS I'm hoping should help bridge the gap. Maybe I feel as such because I haven't developed the necessary strength yet. On MS days I feel I can do more than the stated 5 sets of 3-5 on BP. Do you abide by the template for MS or do you do more in that domain also?

I definitely need to time my situps now and modify the plan slightly so I can get my numbers back up.

[supernova]

Week 8

Day 5

Fast 5
As much as I wanted to stop, I ran the entire 3 miles at an embarrassing 35 minutes. There were times I felt I was going at an LSS pace, but I kept pushing myself and grinded it out. I think frequency and duration will improve my time.

[spemma]

i'm going to stick with the MS template as TBI laid it out. but i've been lifting for a long time and i know it's a good periodized approach for me, especially since i'm long past the newbie strength gains.

what's your background in weightlifting? if it's not that extensive, or you haven't dedicated strength trained before, you might be a better fit for something like starting strength. that allows you to linearly add weight week to week and is a potentially better option for you if you're new to the game. i don't think i'm talking out of school here as i heard others mention doing it and it advocated on here.

once you get those linear gains out of the way, could be 6mos - 1 year, you switch to a more periodized approach like K.B. laid out in TBI. you have to be more nuanced with strength training as you get to intermediate and advanced levels.

[supernova]

i'm going to stick with the MS template as TBI laid it out. but i've been lifting for a long time and i know it's a good periodized approach for me, especially since i'm long past the newbie strength gains.

what's your background in weightlifting? if it's not that extensive, or you haven't dedicated strength trained before, you might be a better fit for something like starting strength. that allows you to linearly add weight week to week and is a potentially better option for you if you're new to the game. i don't think i'm talking out of school here as i heard others mention doing it and it advocated on here.

once you get those linear gains out of the way, could be 6mos - 1 year, you switch to a more periodized approach like K.B. laid out in TBI. you have to be more nuanced with strength training as you get to intermediate and advanced levels.

I essentially have no background in lifting. I did lift here and there a few months prior to BB and did increase my 1rm substantially to 140lbs. Would you still recommend doing "starting strength"? If so, my concern would be that I wouldn't have sufficient time to get my PFT score up since it seems like a very slow pace if I'm not mistaken. Like you my priority is just passing the PFT at the moment, however if its recommended and it wouldn't hinder my ability to achieve a passing PFT score, then I have no problem implementing what you suggested.

In regards to my slow running times, I think I've gotten to used to running slow with all the E (LSS) sessions. I'm thinking a few more weeks of HIC and an extra day of running should help speed up my times.

[supernova]

Week 8

Day 6 (LAST DAY BB)
E x 30

Last day of BB. I pushed myself and ran in between an LSS and Fast 5. Still felt like dying. I'll take a few days off and get into continuation.