Questions regarding Base Building

[kibebr]

I believe it is in TB I under strength endurance, it says that you can progress by reducing rest intervals, increasing weight or adding reps, but I'm pulling from memory. You will be using your gym a lot after base-building, but a perfect edition to a SE cluster would be Kettlebell swings. That would fill in the posterior chain and give you something to use in the gym.

Thanks! I'll look into the Kettlebell Swings. I didn't know I could use TB1 principles on TB2, would buying the TB1 book help me somehow on TB2? (i will probably buy TB1 anyways later on because I'm also thinking about strength).

So, here is my cluster for now:

Push-ups
Sit-up\Crunches
Leg-lifts
Squats
Pull ups
Planks (adding time as much as I can each session)

[kibebr]

my 2 cents:

1) You need the E work if you want to do a 22min 3mile. I reckon you keep going until your resting HR is sub 55.

2) A little confused about the SE - u can do 50 pushups but not 1 pullup? That sounds like serious imbalances... I would do a modified SE program where I would hit the things where I am clearly out of sync with (in your case, pulls or maybe squats? hinges?)

Yep, I realize I’ll need a lot of E work to achieve that, I’m thinking about even replacing the recovery day with another (prob lighter) E session

Regarding pull ups I’ll build them slowly and work on my back

[kibebr]

Some great advice above from other members,

I am a little confused mate. You say you find the SE really easy then say you have exercises to work on. You also mention that you can’t do a single pull-up yet? You said you can do 60 push-ups in under a min which is excellent if they are full ROM pushups. It’s just a little all over the place but I am pre coffee.

If you can hit the 3x50 week of basebuilding with no rest between exercises and in single sets, then your SE is maxed out for that specific cluster. You have a couple options:
1.change exercises
2.add weight or difficulty(cadence pushups e.g)
3. Add a session

If you are only in the first week and find it easy that is the idea. 3x20 isn’t difficult at the start, it’s the 3x50 week with 60 + min runs that catches up to you in basebuilding.

You mentioned you struggle to run for 30 min.
If your goal is to improve that running base and your SE is at max level, I would do a strength first Basebuild. If you are already smashing out 3x50+ sets with no rest,but can’t do a single pull-up you need strength.

I don’t know if it’s injury or a form issue but I find it hard to believe you have the body composition and SE to perform 60 pushups under a min, with good form but you can’t perform a single pull-up? The only reason I can think is injury issues?

I guess I am asking for a little more information because I think you might be a little confused from the books or something. If not you are the SE push-up god hahaha

Hey, thanks so much for your answer.

I think the reason I’m good at push ups is that I’ve been going to the gym for some time(mostly doing bodybuilding routines), and did those push ups challenges and all that. The problem is that back then I had always neglected my core, back and legs. But keep in mind that those 60 push-ups is just in one circuit, bc after that I get really sore and it gets harder.

And no, I don’t think I have maxed out with my SE. I just had the feeling that, for example, doing 30 pushups reps over and over again would be too easy for me, but yeah know I realize this is just week 1.

Also, I don’t recall the book saying anything about lowering the rest time during SE sessions, when should I lower the rest time? Bc I can easily do 30, 40 or 50 reps of any exercise(besides pull ups ofc) resting 2 minutes each circuit(as the book says), should I lower that down?

Thanks!

I would just Do basebuilding as per usual then. Do a trip through as per the book without changing anything.if you still find it easy after you complete it you can do a harder version next time.

A single set of 50+ pushups is ok, but if you can’t repeat the effort then you need that extra SE work. 3 sets of 30 is 50% of your single set max and a perfect place to start adding the volume. It adds up to you doing 30 reps on top of your usual 60 rep max set without going to full failure. If you are just bouncing through the reps then slow them down and do them controlled.

The pushups are just part of a circuit and might be easy initially but you can work on other stuff like your pulling SE to work towards a pull-up.

50 is 83% of 60, so basically you will be doing multiple sets at nearly 85% of your max. If you spread that over 4-5 exercises and include going from struggling to run for 30 min to 60min + you start to realise that basebuilding actually involves a shit ton of volume.

If a 30 min run is hard for you then you might just want your SE to be easy initially while you build up that E base.

TLDR: Follow the template as is and if it’s easy make it harder next time.

Yeah, thanks, I’ll just follow the template as it is, and yeah 50 reps of push ups for sets with short rest times won’t be easy.


What’s your opinion on Tango circuits? (doing as much reps you can for 1min and try to increase them each session)

[Maxrip13]

Hey, thanks so much for your answer.

I think the reason I’m good at push ups is that I’ve been going to the gym for some time(mostly doing bodybuilding routines), and did those push ups challenges and all that. The problem is that back then I had always neglected my core, back and legs. But keep in mind that those 60 push-ups is just in one circuit, bc after that I get really sore and it gets harder.

And no, I don’t think I have maxed out with my SE. I just had the feeling that, for example, doing 30 pushups reps over and over again would be too easy for me, but yeah know I realize this is just week 1.

Also, I don’t recall the book saying anything about lowering the rest time during SE sessions, when should I lower the rest time? Bc I can easily do 30, 40 or 50 reps of any exercise(besides pull ups ofc) resting 2 minutes each circuit(as the book says), should I lower that down?

Thanks!

I would just Do basebuilding as per usual then. Do a trip through as per the book without changing anything.if you still find it easy after you complete it you can do a harder version next time.

A single set of 50+ pushups is ok, but if you can’t repeat the effort then you need that extra SE work. 3 sets of 30 is 50% of your single set max and a perfect place to start adding the volume. It adds up to you doing 30 reps on top of your usual 60 rep max set without going to full failure. If you are just bouncing through the reps then slow them down and do them controlled.

The pushups are just part of a circuit and might be easy initially but you can work on other stuff like your pulling SE to work towards a pull-up.

50 is 83% of 60, so basically you will be doing multiple sets at nearly 85% of your max. If you spread that over 4-5 exercises and include going from struggling to run for 30 min to 60min + you start to realise that basebuilding actually involves a shit ton of volume.

If a 30 min run is hard for you then you might just want your SE to be easy initially while you build up that E base.

TLDR: Follow the template as is and if it’s easy make it harder next time.

Yeah, thanks, I’ll just follow the template as it is, and yeah 50 reps of push ups for sets with short rest times won’t be easy.


What’s your opinion on Tango circuits? (doing as much reps you can for 1min and try to increase them each session)

I actually prefer set reps. I work my stuff out percentage based and that isn’t as easy with timed circuits. I would rather know I have set goals to meet and tick that off.

They are a tool though if you need to improve specific things or only have a set time to train.

[Tym87]

I believe it is in TB I under strength endurance, it says that you can progress by reducing rest intervals, increasing weight or adding reps, but I'm pulling from memory. You will be using your gym a lot after base-building, but a perfect edition to a SE cluster would be Kettlebell swings. That would fill in the posterior chain and give you something to use in the gym.

Thanks! I'll look into the Kettlebell Swings. I didn't know I could use TB1 principles on TB2, would buying the TB1 book help me somehow on TB2? (i will probably buy TB1 anyways later on because I'm also thinking about strength).

So, here is my cluster for now:

Push-ups
Sit-up\Crunches
Leg-lifts
Squats
Pull ups
Planks (adding time as much as I can each session)

I would recommend both books as the complement and expand off of each other. There are SE principles in both books.

[kibebr]

I believe it is in TB I under strength endurance, it says that you can progress by reducing rest intervals, increasing weight or adding reps, but I'm pulling from memory. You will be using your gym a lot after base-building, but a perfect edition to a SE cluster would be Kettlebell swings. That would fill in the posterior chain and give you something to use in the gym.

Thanks! I'll look into the Kettlebell Swings. I didn't know I could use TB1 principles on TB2, would buying the TB1 book help me somehow on TB2? (i will probably buy TB1 anyways later on because I'm also thinking about strength).

So, here is my cluster for now:

Push-ups
Sit-up\Crunches
Leg-lifts
Squats
Pull ups
Planks (adding time as much as I can each session)

I would recommend both books as the complement and expand off of each other. There are SE principles in both books.

Alright, thanks so much for your help.

[VenomousCoffee]

I would just ditto the point about buying both books. It's only another 8.50 (US, for Kindle) and they really are just one book split in two.

[kibebr]

I would just ditto the point about buying both books. It's only another 8.50 (US, for Kindle) and they really are just one book split in two.

Just one thing I don't understand about TB. The conditioning book has its strength part too (max strength, protocols etc). So the TB1 book is purely strength without conditioning? Just wanna clear these questions before buying one

[VenomousCoffee]

I would just ditto the point about buying both books. It's only another 8.50 (US, for Kindle) and they really are just one book split in two.

Just one thing I don't understand about TB. The conditioning book has its strength part too (max strength, protocols etc). So the TB1 book is purely strength without conditioning? Just wanna clear these questions before buying one

I haven't done a side-by-side comparison, but I'd say that I is about strength training and II is about conditioning, but each has a similar explanation of the program overall and its rationale. There's some overlap on the general ideas it explains but the specifics are focused on the respective subject of each. And each refers to the other a few times ("readers of book II will be familiar with these workouts," etc.). Also, if you're buying on Kindle, I has been updated more recently and has a substantial update of one of the templates over what's in II (this is for Operator I/A, which is the one I use). I would definitely say that if you want to run the full program, both are must-buys.


Someone more familiar is free to correct me on the specifics of what's repeated and what's different between I and II. This is just my impression.

[H.C.]

1) Except for the E sessions(I really suck at endurance/cardio, 30min jog is hell to me), the SE sessions are really really really easy for me. Is there a way I can make it harder? Replacing the Recovery day for another SE session? Doing SE sessions after E sessions? Or, mixing up the Green SE Protocol with Base Building?

Green SE Protocol Template:

2) How can I progress on my E sessions? For example, atm I am able to jog 30 minutes with a 10:40 pace. Next time I do a 30 min jog should I lower the pace? For example down to 10:30?

3) What is a good and hard SE Cluster for the exercises I listed above? I would like to have more exercises emphasizing the core(need to improve my sit ups and curl ups numbers a lot!!) and my back (I can't even do a single pull up, yeah.)
So, how can I build a cluster based on my weaknesses? My push ups is kinda okay (60 under 1min).

Some sharing from my kettlebell sport background.

1) Do it at a faster pace. Example 100 push ups in 10 mins (10/min) reduce to 9 mins (11/min).

2) This is essentially the same as 1).

3) A simple way is to do a single set of each exercise for an arbitrary duration, say 5 mins. As many reps as possible without muscular failure in that set. So pacing is the key. If you can do say only 5 reps/min, to last 5 mins, then you would total 25 reps in 5 mins. Increase the pace SLIGHTLY in the next session, say 6 reps/min, to get 30 reps in 5 mins.

Example cluster:

Exercise 1 5 mins
Rest 5+ mins
Exercise 2 5 mins
Rest 5+ mins
.
.
.


Another way is to complete the total number of reps in however long you need without failure. Shorten the total duration over time. Same as 1).