Pros/Cons to Operator/Op I/A

[BlackPyjamas]

I have to agree with Maxrip and the others, I/A is simply the best template I've run (TB or not). If you respond well to Fighter (as you have indicated) then I/A should be a match made in heaven, because it's essentially Fighter but with the ability to take on more frequency while modulating volume & strategic recovery. Imo it really is the ultimate strength plan for anyone except beginners.

[Maxrip13]

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

I don't usually use deadlifts because I get more bang for my buck with squat variations. I prefer to do frequent pullups and very rarely deadlift.

If I was to do deadlifts I would do them every third session. I am a very strong deadlifter and sit around triple bodyweight with some specific training focus on them.

In the end you know what your body can take and what your goals are. If you aren't a powerlifter and you do things like sub grappling or swing kettlebells, I think you can get away without doing deadlifts that often.

e.g
squat/ bench/pullups

squat/bench/pullups

Squat/bench/deadlift

repeat until awesome

[Tyr0331]

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

I don't usually use deadlifts because I get more bang for my buck with squat variations. I prefer to do frequent pullups and very rarely deadlift.

If I was to do deadlifts I would do them every third session. I am a very strong deadlifter and sit around triple bodyweight with some specific training focus on them.

In the end you know what your body can take and what your goals are. If you aren't a powerlifter and you do things like sub grappling or swing kettlebells, I think you can get away without doing deadlifts that often.

e.g
squat/ bench/pullups

squat/bench/pullups

Squat/bench/deadlift

repeat until awesome

Triple BW is impressive. The most I've ever hit is around 2.5BW. I re-tested and everything went up 10 except squats so I'm using forced progression of 10. One thing I've been working on is my get ups with the Kettlebell upside down. I've only been using 16kg but yesterday was able to get all 10 reps with the 20kg. I like to see improvement when it comes to core strength

[Maxrip13]

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

I don't usually use deadlifts because I get more bang for my buck with squat variations. I prefer to do frequent pullups and very rarely deadlift.

If I was to do deadlifts I would do them every third session. I am a very strong deadlifter and sit around triple bodyweight with some specific training focus on them.

In the end you know what your body can take and what your goals are. If you aren't a powerlifter and you do things like sub grappling or swing kettlebells, I think you can get away without doing deadlifts that often.

e.g
squat/ bench/pullups

squat/bench/pullups

Squat/bench/deadlift

repeat until awesome

Triple BW is impressive. The most I've ever hit is around 2.5BW. I re-tested and everything went up 10 except squats so I'm using forced progression of 10. One thing I've been working on is my get ups with the Kettlebell upside down. I've only been using 16kg but yesterday was able to get all 10 reps with the 20kg. I like to see improvement when it comes to core strength

The thing is I notice no difference in grappling, work or life between pulling triple bw or even just double bw. I recently hit a double bw squat again for the first time in ages and I noticed a huge difference strength wise with that. The benchpress is my weak lift, but that is because I have long arms which help me deadlift.

The lift which I feel makes the biggest difference in everything all round is the weighted or unweighted pullup to be honest. If my pullups are feeling strong, then I just feel strong all around. I generally find people start commenting that I am looking a lot more solid and stronger when my weighted pullup is over that half bw sort of level. I also use this as most of my grip work along with heavy carries and I find it covers most things.

I had some success with getup's doing S&S for base building mid last year. I find that hitting 32kg is the point of diminishing returns for me. If I can grind through with 32kg I don't get much more strength benefit out of them or the swings.

[Tyr0331]

I don't usually use deadlifts because I get more bang for my buck with squat variations. I prefer to do frequent pullups and very rarely deadlift.

If I was to do deadlifts I would do them every third session. I am a very strong deadlifter and sit around triple bodyweight with some specific training focus on them.

In the end you know what your body can take and what your goals are. If you aren't a powerlifter and you do things like sub grappling or swing kettlebells, I think you can get away without doing deadlifts that often.

e.g
squat/ bench/pullups

squat/bench/pullups

Squat/bench/deadlift

repeat until awesome

Triple BW is impressive. The most I've ever hit is around 2.5BW. I re-tested and everything went up 10 except squats so I'm using forced progression of 10. One thing I've been working on is my get ups with the Kettlebell upside down. I've only been using 16kg but yesterday was able to get all 10 reps with the 20kg. I like to see improvement when it comes to core strength

The thing is I notice no difference in grappling, work or life between pulling triple bw or even just double bw. I recently hit a double bw squat again for the first time in ages and I noticed a huge difference strength wise with that. The benchpress is my weak lift, but that is because I have long arms which help me deadlift.

The lift which I feel makes the biggest difference in everything all round is the weighted or unweighted pullup to be honest. If my pullups are feeling strong, then I just feel strong all around. I generally find people start commenting that I am looking a lot more solid and stronger when my weighted pullup is over that half bw sort of level. I also use this as most of my grip work along with heavy carries and I find it covers most things.

I had some success with getup's doing S&S for base building mid last year. I find that hitting 32kg is the point of diminishing returns for me. If I can grind through with 32kg I don't get much more strength benefit out of them or the swings.

Very interesting about the deadlifts. I've never looked at it that way. I remember Pavel giving much more credit to the hinge over the squat in one of his books so I just never questioned whether or not I needed them in my routine