Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

MxS/SE/HIC/E
Tyr0331
Posts: 241
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:04 am

Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Tyr0331 »

Just finished another block, so I'm going to re-test and take a few days off and plan out my next block. My weekly conditioning schedule right now is roughly 1-2x E(LSS run and/or loaded ruck), 1x HIC(BJJ), 1x SE(S&S), SE(rock climbing) when possible(usually every other week). I've been lifting for about 10 years, wouldn't say I'm advanced lifter, but in the intermediate range where I can read my body in terms of recovery

Looking at switching to Operator or Op I/A from Fighter I/A

If I switched to Operator, I will cancel out my SE day(S&S) and use each goal as a finisher on my MS days

If I switch to Op I/A, I can stay with the SE day and keep the MS flexible as far as frequency. I like the way its set up as number of sessions per block as opposed to keeping up with a schedule each week. It's also nice to have the option to do higher number of sets

Anyone input appreciated
Last edited by Tyr0331 on Sat May 20, 2017 5:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.

mikhou
Posts: 1088
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:21 am

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by mikhou »

This is just my personal experience, but I highly recommend Op I/A. The flexibility that it offers is tremendous both in terms of recovery and volume. Additionally, it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be. I'd be curious how you're planning to setup your "week" such that you could keep an SE session. I'm partial to an 8-day "week" that looks like: MS, HIC, MS, Rest, HIC, MS, HIC/E (alternating), Rest. I've done this with Op I/A, and it works beautifully.

mikhou

User avatar
Barkadion
Posts: 4665
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:09 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Barkadion »

I am switching to OP I/A as well. Currently, I am using OP I/A precentage for my BB strength oriented block. I am into OP I/A officially once I am done with BB. I am thinking of keeping 9 days week. Another thought is to keep at least 1 Fobbits variation to address SE with accessories. Well.. that's a plan. Will be interested to see how your OPI/A journey will be going.

Good luck :)
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky

User avatar
Barkadion
Posts: 4665
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:09 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Barkadion »

mikhou wrote:it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be
This is excellent point. Totally agree. Personally, I am going to keep 75-85% for the most of the time.
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky

mikhou
Posts: 1088
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:21 am

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by mikhou »

Barkadion wrote:
mikhou wrote:it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be
This is excellent point. Totally agree. Personally, I am going to keep 75-85% for the most of the time.
Hey, Bark. Awhile back I started Op I/A with a 90% TM. I do 3 weeks on and 1 week deload and then force progression ala 5/3/1. I like to do 5 sets on most exercises. The point is that I really started on that first cycle at 67.5-81%. I don't recall how many 3-week cycles I have done, but I haven't run into any stalls yet, and I'm definitely stronger than ever.

I'm doing something a little different right now for a few weeks, but know that I'll be back to Op I/A soon, will pick up where I left off, and I have no doubt that I'll keep progressing.

User avatar
Barkadion
Posts: 4665
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:09 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Barkadion »

mikhou wrote:
Barkadion wrote:
mikhou wrote:it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be
This is excellent point. Totally agree. Personally, I am going to keep 75-85% for the most of the time.
Hey, Bark. Awhile back I started Op I/A with a 90% TM. I do 3 weeks on and 1 week deload and then force progression ala 5/3/1. I like to do 5 sets on most exercises. The point is that I really started on that first cycle at 67.5-81%. I don't recall how many 3-week cycles I have done, but I haven't run into any stalls yet, and I'm definitely stronger than ever.

I'm doing something a little different right now for a few weeks, but know that I'll be back to Op I/A soon, will pick up where I left off, and I have no doubt that I'll keep progressing.
Sounds great! I will have my next year to dig into that :D
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky

Tyr0331
Posts: 241
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:04 am

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Tyr0331 »

mikhou wrote:This is just my personal experience, but I highly recommend Op I/A. The flexibility that it offers is tremendous both in terms of recovery and volume. Additionally, it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be. I'd be curious how you're planning to setup your "week" such that you could keep an SE session. I'm partial to an 8-day "week" that looks like: MS, HIC, MS, Rest, HIC, MS, HIC/E (alternating), Rest. I've done this with Op I/A, and it works beautifully.

mikhou
It would be hard to give you a set in stone plan for the week because I won't have one. I can tell you as far as conditioning, I've gone to the drawing board many times in the last six months and looked at what I really need as far as daily life activities. What I came up with was: long distance running, loaded rucks, rock climbing, kb movements, martial arts. My schedule is constantly changing so I never have a set number of each activity that I'm going to hit each week. Lately it has been mostly running and rucking due to traveling a lot

Strength, on the other hand is my number one factor that IS set in stone and that's why I love the templates that have been created for this. I've been on Fighter I/A ever since I started TB and I love it. Feel strong and never really feel beat down to where I'm slacking at work. Just looking for something different. I like the idea of an 8-day/9-day week for programming purposes, but again things in my lifestyle change all the time. I might leave tomorrow where all I can do is run or maybe just have a gym and all there is available is kettlebells. So in that case I'll work on my goals and running

All these reasons are why I started TB and I think it's the perfect programming tool for anyone is a lifestyle like me. Lots of guys I work with have no clue when it comes to programming and it shows

Anyways, I think I'll give Op I/A a go. Tonight I'm going to test maxes and create a "rough" plan, I can post later. I decided that I can't put myself in a black or green category anymore, but understanding the concepts of both help me keep a good idea of what needs to be done often

Maxrip13
Posts: 1977
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 6:23 am

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Maxrip13 »

Tyr0331 wrote:
mikhou wrote:This is just my personal experience, but I highly recommend Op I/A. The flexibility that it offers is tremendous both in terms of recovery and volume. Additionally, it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be. I'd be curious how you're planning to setup your "week" such that you could keep an SE session. I'm partial to an 8-day "week" that looks like: MS, HIC, MS, Rest, HIC, MS, HIC/E (alternating), Rest. I've done this with Op I/A, and it works beautifully.

mikhou
It would be hard to give you a set in stone plan for the week because I won't have one. I can tell you as far as conditioning, I've gone to the drawing board many times in the last six months and looked at what I really need as far as daily life activities. What I came up with was: long distance running, loaded rucks, rock climbing, kb movements, martial arts. My schedule is constantly changing so I never have a set number of each activity that I'm going to hit each week. Lately it has been mostly running and rucking due to traveling a lot

Strength, on the other hand is my number one factor that IS set in stone and that's why I love the templates that have been created for this. I've been on Fighter I/A ever since I started TB and I love it. Feel strong and never really feel beat down to where I'm slacking at work. Just looking for something different. I like the idea of an 8-day/9-day week for programming purposes, but again things in my lifestyle change all the time. I might leave tomorrow where all I can do is run or maybe just have a gym and all there is available is kettlebells. So in that case I'll work on my goals and running

All these reasons are why I started TB and I think it's the perfect programming tool for anyone is a lifestyle like me. Lots of guys I work with have no clue when it comes to programming and it shows

Anyways, I think I'll give Op I/A a go. Tonight I'm going to test maxes and create a "rough" plan, I can post later. I decided that I can't put myself in a black or green category anymore, but understanding the concepts of both help me keep a good idea of what needs to be done often
I don't think of OP I/A so much as a weekly schedule, but I tick the sessions off as I go. Some weeks I would do two sessions some I would do as many as 4 depending on my other activities. On the weeks where I had the extra recovery I push the volume on the exercises a bit, but generally I stick to 5 sets for upper body and 3 for my squats. Op I/A is my favourite template of all the strength programs I have ever done as it allows me to train and have a life.

Basically I just do up a sheet that has all 9 sessions on it and the percentages and tick them off over a couple weeks. I then tally everything up based on what I had done that block starting from the first 70% session to the last 90%+ session.

I keep strength training as my constant progression and then work my conditioning and sports around that.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Tyr0331
Posts: 241
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:04 am

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Tyr0331 »

Maxrip13 wrote:
Tyr0331 wrote:
mikhou wrote:This is just my personal experience, but I highly recommend Op I/A. The flexibility that it offers is tremendous both in terms of recovery and volume. Additionally, it keeps you between 75-90% which is right where you want to be. I'd be curious how you're planning to setup your "week" such that you could keep an SE session. I'm partial to an 8-day "week" that looks like: MS, HIC, MS, Rest, HIC, MS, HIC/E (alternating), Rest. I've done this with Op I/A, and it works beautifully.

mikhou
It would be hard to give you a set in stone plan for the week because I won't have one. I can tell you as far as conditioning, I've gone to the drawing board many times in the last six months and looked at what I really need as far as daily life activities. What I came up with was: long distance running, loaded rucks, rock climbing, kb movements, martial arts. My schedule is constantly changing so I never have a set number of each activity that I'm going to hit each week. Lately it has been mostly running and rucking due to traveling a lot

Strength, on the other hand is my number one factor that IS set in stone and that's why I love the templates that have been created for this. I've been on Fighter I/A ever since I started TB and I love it. Feel strong and never really feel beat down to where I'm slacking at work. Just looking for something different. I like the idea of an 8-day/9-day week for programming purposes, but again things in my lifestyle change all the time. I might leave tomorrow where all I can do is run or maybe just have a gym and all there is available is kettlebells. So in that case I'll work on my goals and running

All these reasons are why I started TB and I think it's the perfect programming tool for anyone is a lifestyle like me. Lots of guys I work with have no clue when it comes to programming and it shows

Anyways, I think I'll give Op I/A a go. Tonight I'm going to test maxes and create a "rough" plan, I can post later. I decided that I can't put myself in a black or green category anymore, but understanding the concepts of both help me keep a good idea of what needs to be done often
I don't think of OP I/A so much as a weekly schedule, but I tick the sessions off as I go. Some weeks I would do two sessions some I would do as many as 4 depending on my other activities. On the weeks where I had the extra recovery I push the volume on the exercises a bit, but generally I stick to 5 sets for upper body and 3 for my squats. Op I/A is my favourite template of all the strength programs I have ever done as it allows me to train and have a life.

Basically I just do up a sheet that has all 9 sessions on it and the percentages and tick them off over a couple weeks. I then tally everything up based on what I had done that block starting from the first 70% session to the last 90%+ session.

I keep strength training as my constant progression and then work my conditioning and sports around that.

Hopefully that makes sense.
That makes sense and I think this will be perfect for my schedule right now. I'll most likely just keep my same maxes for the first block. My cluster is still the same(BS,WPU,DL). I'll keep my S&S in there after every second Strength session. The rest of the conditioning is on the fly

One question I have for you or anyone on Op I/A is how frequent do you hit the deads. The book says either every third session or every other session. I'm thinking every other session

Tyr0331
Posts: 241
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:04 am

Re: Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

Post by Tyr0331 »

One thing I forgot to add is I am still working on the KB snatch ladder immediately after my main lifts every MS session

Post Reply