GGW Cycle Design

[msupples]

Andy, trying to learn more about program design. Really enjoying looking through GGW and the KSC powerlifting plans.

I'm curious about your reasoning behind your choice of 13 weeks for the GGW cycle.

The expected PR of 105% is about 5lb per month for lifts in the 300s, which is a good bit slower than an HLM with say 5lbs added per week. Is there any reason it couldn't be shortened to two or three 3-week cycles, with similar progression, for an early intermediate lifter? Have you had experience trying a similar program on a shorter cycle?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Well, I'd say a whole lot of people get a bit more than 5% out of the plan, but setting a new 15 lb PR every 12-13 weeks is not necessarily terrible.

Also, I know my audience and I know how they respond to training on super aggressive programs - they don't. Besides PPST3 is full of weekly programs. The stuff for sale on my site is a little different flavor. I don't wanna just sell a bunch of repackaged PPST3 programs.

[msupples]

Thanks Andy! Just trying to figure out my next plan. Ended a decent LP, and I think the weekly PPST programs are too aggressive for me (in residency). I think I'll do GGW as written and see how it goes, obviously you know what you're doing. Thanks again!

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Something like GGW where you can just put your brain on auto-pilot and follow the program is not a bad idea when other areas of life are the priority and very draining of both your time and energy.

[Euby]

LP was like being on autopilot for me. Just show up and do the workout with 5 more pounds. Then that ground to a halt. I thought weekly progression was the next step also, but that was difficult to do for me. It's hard to generate that kind of intensity and recover from it on top of other life events. I bought GGW and created a spreadsheet where I can just put in my 1RM on the lifts and it calculates out the 12 weeks. It's very much like being on autopilot again. I show up, do the workout as listed, and I'm seeing progress even though I can't measure it in weight on the bar just yet. My body weight is still going up about a pound on average every week. I feel stronger, less beat up and am more muscular in general. It's nice to just show up and lift...at least for me.

Think about it like this. If the GGW program is 13 weeks, then you can run 4 cycles in a year in a perfect world. Adding a conservative 5% on all lifts over each of those 4 cycles would take a 350lb squat to 425 lbs. In two years you'd be at 516 lbs. That's great progress for a garage trainee who doesn't exist solely to train. And best of all, you don't feel completely beat up and destroyed all the time. I can actually get out and do the things I really love, like inshore fishing which is tiring enough as it is.

[Ken Easterling]

Andy for the GGW program, if you miss a week (going on vacation with family, sick, work trip, etc) where do you 'reset' the program? Do you just repeat that week?

Thanks,
Ken

[Aaron Montgomery]

Something like GGW where you can just put your brain on auto-pilot and follow the program is not a bad idea when other areas of life are the priority and very draining of both your time and energy.

I have a feeling when school starts up again next semester my training may have to move to auto-pilot. Is GGW an ideal program to run if I decided to go on a cut during the duration of the entire program?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

LP was like being on autopilot for me. Just show up and do the workout with 5 more pounds. Then that ground to a halt. I thought weekly progression was the next step also, but that was difficult to do for me. It's hard to generate that kind of intensity and recover from it on top of other life events. I bought GGW and created a spreadsheet where I can just put in my 1RM on the lifts and it calculates out the 12 weeks. It's very much like being on autopilot again. I show up, do the workout as listed, and I'm seeing progress even though I can't measure it in weight on the bar just yet. My body weight is still going up about a pound on average every week. I feel stronger, less beat up and am more muscular in general. It's nice to just show up and lift...at least for me.

Think about it like this. If the GGW program is 13 weeks, then you can run 4 cycles in a year in a perfect world. Adding a conservative 5% on all lifts over each of those 4 cycles would take a 350lb squat to 425 lbs. In two years you'd be at 516 lbs. That's great progress for a garage trainee who doesn't exist solely to train. And best of all, you don't feel completely beat up and destroyed all the time. I can actually get out and do the things I really love, like inshore fishing which is tiring enough as it is.

Thanks. This is the experience most have with the program. Glad its working for you!

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Andy for the GGW program, if you miss a week (going on vacation with family, sick, work trip, etc) where do you 'reset' the program? Do you just repeat that week?

Thanks,
Ken

Try and just repeat if possible. If you come up short then reset a few weeks.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

[QUOTE=Aaron Montgomery;1536731]I have a feeling when school starts up again next semester my training may have to move to auto

Of the programs that I offer on my website......yes. HLM programs typically are good intermediate programs on a cut.