Hello all, question:
I have zero issues with my steady state aerobic system, it serves me well for what I do as is. Right now I really want to focus on building strength, muscle, and keep the cardio HIIT style.
I've been using Operator for several months now with awesome results in the strength and muscle department. I just finished reading TB2 last night and am ready to start a more structured cardio protocol. I definitely want to do Black + Op, but I'm wondering if I really need to go through Base for my goals.
Can I just dive right in to Black, or is Base mandatory?
Is Base Building Mandatory?
Re: Is Base Building Mandatory?
If you already have a highly conditioned aerobic system and a good base of endurance, I'd say go straight into whatever keeps you training. A lot of military guys I know wouldn't need to do it because it's pretty much what they have been doing their whole career.
I will say though it is a good eye opener to some fitness gaps we all might overlook. If you did do BB, you could start on the higher end of the LSS times (40-45 min first week) or pick something you may not be so great at already and base build with that (swimming instead of running, running instead of rucking, etc.)
I will say though it is a good eye opener to some fitness gaps we all might overlook. If you did do BB, you could start on the higher end of the LSS times (40-45 min first week) or pick something you may not be so great at already and base build with that (swimming instead of running, running instead of rucking, etc.)
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Train_Hard_Live_Easy
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 4:03 am
- Location: Cranbrook, BC
Re: Is Base Building Mandatory?
Is it Mandatory..... I would say no......
Is it a good idea to do basebuilding first?.......... I would say an emphatic yes.
I come from a 25+ year training background and have owned a kettlebell gym for over 7 years....... I would have said I was a pretty fit individual, with a fair knowledge on training....... I came across these books earlier this year........ at first I saw the conditioning book and thought it would give me ideas for some of my own training and for elements of the group training we do [believing it was simply a collection of workouts]..... I was pleasantly surprised at the writing, and the information contained within.
Since I very rarely prescribe something I have not done myself, I thought I would give it a go, and coming from an injury [Rolled an ankle at the start of a 10km Trail Run] thought it an ideal time to start afresh...... so I followed the base building...... and having completed it I was glad that I had.
Blood Pressure - Great [always been borderline, family history of High]
Resting HR - 52 [Prior to following the Basebuilding protocol, resting HR was 59 - tested periodically over the last 5 years, since hitting 40.... my best was 48 at one point many, many moons ago at one of the peaks of my conditioning]
No niggling injuries from Trail Running....My recovery between HARD efforts has improved dramatically.....
Your call of course, and as Tym87 says, it can be tailored to your ability [high end of aerobic times], and work on weaknesses.....and looking at some of the individuals on here, and their backgrounds, and their willingness to give it a go..... cannot be all that bad
Its only a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, and if your training background is built on a strong foundation, any perceived loss you may feel will quickly be regained, and yet you will have given your body, aerobic system and CNS a favour by giving it a phase that is totally different to what it has been used to.
Is it a good idea to do basebuilding first?.......... I would say an emphatic yes.
I come from a 25+ year training background and have owned a kettlebell gym for over 7 years....... I would have said I was a pretty fit individual, with a fair knowledge on training....... I came across these books earlier this year........ at first I saw the conditioning book and thought it would give me ideas for some of my own training and for elements of the group training we do [believing it was simply a collection of workouts]..... I was pleasantly surprised at the writing, and the information contained within.
Since I very rarely prescribe something I have not done myself, I thought I would give it a go, and coming from an injury [Rolled an ankle at the start of a 10km Trail Run] thought it an ideal time to start afresh...... so I followed the base building...... and having completed it I was glad that I had.
Blood Pressure - Great [always been borderline, family history of High]
Resting HR - 52 [Prior to following the Basebuilding protocol, resting HR was 59 - tested periodically over the last 5 years, since hitting 40.... my best was 48 at one point many, many moons ago at one of the peaks of my conditioning]
No niggling injuries from Trail Running....My recovery between HARD efforts has improved dramatically.....
Your call of course, and as Tym87 says, it can be tailored to your ability [high end of aerobic times], and work on weaknesses.....and looking at some of the individuals on here, and their backgrounds, and their willingness to give it a go..... cannot be all that bad
Its only a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, and if your training background is built on a strong foundation, any perceived loss you may feel will quickly be regained, and yet you will have given your body, aerobic system and CNS a favour by giving it a phase that is totally different to what it has been used to.
Have a great one
Steve
Train Hard, Live Easy.
"What was hard to do, is sweet to remember" Seneca.
Steve
Train Hard, Live Easy.
"What was hard to do, is sweet to remember" Seneca.
Re: Is Base Building Mandatory?
I was about to type a respond. But I read yours first. I have nothing more to add now. Perfectly put!Train_Hard_Live_Easy wrote:Is it Mandatory..... I would say no......
Is it a good idea to do basebuilding first?.......... I would say an emphatic yes.
I come from a 25+ year training background and have owned a kettlebell gym for over 7 years....... I would have said I was a pretty fit individual, with a fair knowledge on training....... I came across these books earlier this year........ at first I saw the conditioning book and thought it would give me ideas for some of my own training and for elements of the group training we do [believing it was simply a collection of workouts]..... I was pleasantly surprised at the writing, and the information contained within.
Since I very rarely prescribe something I have not done myself, I thought I would give it a go, and coming from an injury [Rolled an ankle at the start of a 10km Trail Run] thought it an ideal time to start afresh...... so I followed the base building...... and having completed it I was glad that I had.
Blood Pressure - Great [always been borderline, family history of High]
Resting HR - 52 [Prior to following the Basebuilding protocol, resting HR was 59 - tested periodically over the last 5 years, since hitting 40.... my best was 48 at one point many, many moons ago at one of the peaks of my conditioning]
No niggling injuries from Trail Running....My recovery between HARD efforts has improved dramatically.....
Your call of course, and as Tym87 says, it can be tailored to your ability [high end of aerobic times], and work on weaknesses.....and looking at some of the individuals on here, and their backgrounds, and their willingness to give it a go..... cannot be all that bad
Its only a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, and if your training background is built on a strong foundation, any perceived loss you may feel will quickly be regained, and yet you will have given your body, aerobic system and CNS a favour by giving it a phase that is totally different to what it has been used to.
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky
Re: Is Base Building Mandatory?
@NFARCH,
Tym87 and THLE have given great advice, I'll touch on it a little.
The primary objective of TB programming is to be the guy that can bench press 2 x bodyweight, have the stamina to complete a half marathon with no extra training, spar, knock out 20-30 pull-ups at any given time etc. Basically for people that want to excel in multiple domains.
If you want to be this guy - or as close to this as possible, then Base IS mandatory.
However this is certainly not the only objective. If this isn't your goal, Base is NOT mandatory.
You can move the pieces around to fit whatever your goal may be. That's why the program's designed the way it is, broken down into smaller moving parts like Black, Green, 2-3-4 day strength templates, SE blocks.
If an athlete comes to TB with an adequate level of aerobic fitness already, then doing Base is not an efficient use of time. That athlete's better served diving right into Black or Green. An ex-marathon runner coming to TB to beef up and develop some fast-twitch would be seriously wasting his time going through Base first. You don't have to be that far on the spectrum either, many military/tactical types and certain athletes fall in the category of 'I already have an adequate existing base level of aerobic fitness'. Just be sure you're not overestimating your current aerobic ability. Lots of people are convinced they're in good shape until their first week or two of Base.
Now Base does have benefits that carry over to strength training in terms of enhancing recovery ability, improving general work capacity, and rejuvenating the CNS. So keep in mind it'll probably help even if your end-goal is to be a pure strength/muscle athlete.
Tym87 and THLE have given great advice, I'll touch on it a little.
The primary objective of TB programming is to be the guy that can bench press 2 x bodyweight, have the stamina to complete a half marathon with no extra training, spar, knock out 20-30 pull-ups at any given time etc. Basically for people that want to excel in multiple domains.
If you want to be this guy - or as close to this as possible, then Base IS mandatory.
However this is certainly not the only objective. If this isn't your goal, Base is NOT mandatory.
You can move the pieces around to fit whatever your goal may be. That's why the program's designed the way it is, broken down into smaller moving parts like Black, Green, 2-3-4 day strength templates, SE blocks.
If an athlete comes to TB with an adequate level of aerobic fitness already, then doing Base is not an efficient use of time. That athlete's better served diving right into Black or Green. An ex-marathon runner coming to TB to beef up and develop some fast-twitch would be seriously wasting his time going through Base first. You don't have to be that far on the spectrum either, many military/tactical types and certain athletes fall in the category of 'I already have an adequate existing base level of aerobic fitness'. Just be sure you're not overestimating your current aerobic ability. Lots of people are convinced they're in good shape until their first week or two of Base.
Now Base does have benefits that carry over to strength training in terms of enhancing recovery ability, improving general work capacity, and rejuvenating the CNS. So keep in mind it'll probably help even if your end-goal is to be a pure strength/muscle athlete.
Re: Is Base Building Mandatory?
Thank you so much all of you. I just came off a training course that had me do longer runs 3-5 times a week, and my 1.5 was in the high 9s a month ago. Since I'm not looking for more endurance right now I think I'll dive straight into the Black. But I will include Base starting next year and make it an annual thing. Thanks again, there's some serious tactical-fitness brainpower on this board.