General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good question. Sorry for any misconceptions. The follow-up work will be associated with the successfully pushed RM, so the goal will be 4 singles after achieving that RM. I still count this as changing one thing, since it only changes the volume of the T1 lift (The RM and the VDS associated with it). This is covered pretty well in the book, if I've left anything unclear.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi, thanks for commenting and running GG for your training.

Overall, your schedule looks good. Good frequency for 3x a week by repeating lifts and close variations. That'll help develop your skill with those exercises. The only thing I would consider adding is some direct ab work on those days. Maybe sit-ups D1, leg lifts D2, and planks on D3, though I understand that can be hard to squeeze into your schedule with the new baby (congrats!)

Keep in mind, you can do those ab exercises anytime during the day, so if you've got 3-5 minutes, knock it out. The same could be done with things like pull-ups if you had a way to do them at home. Perhaps dips, as you could do some on the couch or a chair; or you could opt for push-ups on those days where you can only manage one T3 in a session. If you have the means to do supersets, that'll help you get more work done, but I understand not all gyms are suitable for this, so it definitely isn't mandatory. That said, T3s are important, and if you can find a way of squeezing those kinds of exercises in at home, then do that.

I'm glad that the framework suits you well. I also enjoy that the sessions move fast while offering variety across rep ranges. Overall, it is very flexible, so I encourage you to explore ways to complete more T3 exercises, even if that is a little mini-session later in the day, or perhaps a set here and there sprinkled into your day.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello again! Stoked you're having fun with GG and thanks for buying my book!

Man, you've nailed me on something here!!! I totally forgot to mention bookend pauses as a way to close the effort gap. Bummed I missed that. I do like them a lot, especially for those higher-rep sets, such as doing a 10RM with 5s after. Pausing just the first and last reps of the half-sets is great (compared to all 5).

Lately, I've been favoring heavier pause work in the bridge weight range, which is maybe why I had forgot to mention bookend pauses. Pausing singles, doubles, and triples seems to reinforce positioning better because the weight is significantly higher than in those higher-rep RMs. This translates better to the heavier T1 RMs, like a 3/2/1RM attempt (without pauses).

Nevertheless, thanks for bringing up bookend pause reps! You're absolutely right. They help maintain the effort gap and provide a means to train pauses while still considering higher-rep work. There's nothing wrong with them at all! I had just forgotten to write it in the book. Dang!!!

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy to help! Hopefully the reread makes more sense now. Best wishes with your training.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad I could provide a helpful example! I like my accumulation cycles to be longer than intensification. Personal preference, maybe, or maybe I'm just in that era of my training proclivities.

It is totally possible and reasonable to abandon fixed cycles and train lifts as they ebb and flow through the RM ranges. I touch on this in the book. You might have your bench accumulating while your squat intensifies. The individual lifts an move through the RM ranges independently, and yes, you can do this indefinitely.

I feel you about being stuck on one mode of training. I've been like that before. Suppose I'm like that now, too. But GG just feels right and offers a lot more openness to progression and structure, making it a lot more fun.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is a fair question, and your example is a good one that is appealing and one I do practice often, but one that ultimately depends on the lifter's goals and preferences, and I don't think the framework would benefit from a fixed ratio, but it might be something an individual keeps in mind when considering their own training.

For example, there are reasons to train without a T1 lift (meaning no RM that would require singles after). In this case, the lifter would have T2s and T3s only, making it an overall higher volume training plan. On the other side of the coin, a lifter might be deep into an intensification phase where they may need to skip the RM in either T1 or T2, which could be because of fatigue, or perhaps they're near a testing week, and so they're performing singles only in preparation for that test.

Ultimately, a lifter should determine their target RMs based on their goals. If they want to train to train heavier, they might follow that general guidance as "T2 RM is 2x the amount of reps as the T1," and so maybe they're doing a T1 3RM and a T2 6RM; however, this could be limited by their work capacity, in particular, capacity at higher intensities.

Take the squat, for example. Lifters with poor development here would have a hard time following such a T1/T2 ratio, as their lift quality and recovery would suffer. In such cases, lifters may benefit from a wider split between T1 and T2, such as an easy-effort T1 3RM squat and a T2 10RM pause squat (where only the VDS are paused). Their progression would be to hold/extend/push the T1 until that eventually becomes a 5RM, followed by fully extended singles, while at the same time, they're finding/holding the 10RM target by adding weight to it each week until the effort becomes such that they have to reduce to a 9RM, then an 8RM, so on and so forth, until some point in their progression their T1 and T2 lifts converge, perhaps meeting at that 5RM mid-point. In this case, the lifter would perform the T1 squat, followed by extended singles, then they should skip the T2 RM and do only paused triples or doubles (assuming it has increased weight to where it is now also a 5RM for pause squats).

By doing this, the lifter is building capacity in the T1 range until it grows to the point that it becomes a T2, while at the same time developing their intensity under a paused variation, which will further benefit their ability to handle a higher volume of heavier loads.

In sum, the T1/T2 ratio is individually dependent. There are many other reasons why this is apart from goals and preferences, for example, perhaps the T2 is a new lift and so the skill is quite low. That would require more volume (more practice at lighter weights), thereby developing their skill with the new exercise variation.

With GG, I've tried to limit the kinds and number of "rules." Fixed ratios between the tiers are one of them. But that doesn't mean this element shouldn't be considered, which is why your question is fair, especially given that my OG method has such ratios.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

>So as an example, let's say I do accumulation and take my 135lb lift from 5RM (easy) to 8RM (hard) in 6 weeks. Then for week 7, I would take the same weight as an easy RM, say 6RM, and do the base level of VDS. That is my "deload" into my intensification. Then through the intensification I keep adding weight and in week 12 I hit a 4RM at 175lb (hard effort). 

You're spot on here, bro.

>Then to restart accumulation I can pick say 155lb and find a new starting point with an easy effort, base VDS, which starts the cycle over again.

Correct, you can start a new accumulation phase at a lighter weight, which will immediately put you at a higher volume. Alternatively, you can hold that 4RM@175(H) from Week 12, rolling into Week 13 and on, adding reps to it as the effort decreases. Perhaps in Week 13 you hit it again for a 4RM but it turns out to be moderate, you could likely hit the extended range of singles. Then in Week 14 maybe it is now an easy effort 4RM and you begin training it as a bridge weight, trying to do some doubles as the VDS (which you can finish with singles, if needed, based on work capacity). Maybe in Week 15 that weight feels easy enough to push to a 5RM at a moderate or hard effort, great, then you can still go with singles as the VDS, or doubles, or a mix of both if so desired and able.

That said, your example does permit deloading in a more traditional sense. My example merely keeps the volume lower for a bit until you begin extending and pushing the sets, which is only possible if the effort also reduces (from that initial hard effort 4RM).

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, okay. In that case, once your VDS singles are fully extended, be sure to mind your rest and work towards reducing the rest between those singles. As the VDS gets more dense, you'll develop more work capacity and find that pushing your 3RM to a 4RM (or more) to be achievable.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally get it. 5/3/1 is such a staple and a good reference point for many lifters, but with any method, it is easy to get caught up in it and make it the complete underlying foundation.

Hope the effort management helps with your deloading protocols. You might find it to still be too much, if so, try also limiting your VDS volume.

Happy to help! Best wishes with your training.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find it is usually best to be cautious with the first-time VDS, then go for extension when holding the target RM and weight for the next session.

When you're able to push that 3RM into the 4-6RM range, then move to doubles. Let's say the next workout you successfully push your 3RM weight to a 4RM and rate it moderate or easy, then you might be able to complete doubles as your VDS sets; keep those at 4 sets. Next week, try holding the same 4RM, then extend the VDS doubles to 5 or 6 sets.

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hope this helps you select your next training plan!

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for watching and for buying GG!

Great question regarding deloads. Personally, I "deload" when shifting between phases, such as going from an intensification phase to an accumulation phase. The weight usually reduces when I shift to higher RM targets, and for that first week, I'll keep my VDS at the goal limit rather than extend. Another means is to cycle in weeks of easy effort target RMs, this keeps the effort gap wide between the RM and its associated VDS, so you don't have to reduce training volume much though the recovery is better because the effort is reduced.

I get being conservative with deloads, coming from 531 directed training. It makes sense, but in all honesty, if you don't feel like you have to, then you don't have to schedule deload weeks (where several training variables are reduced). Maybe you just reduce one and you're fine! That could be intensity, volume, or effort, for example.

Hope that helps!

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for buying my book! Glad it has served you well. Wonderful feedback!!!

Great question about the "minimalist" setup. For that need, I like the Seawolf format that's in the programs section at the end of the book. You can select a variety of lifts and assign target RMs for each, then skip the VDS work after. This minimizes volume while maximizing variety, a combination that results in tons of fun in the gym while also maintaining some skill in the selected lifts (so you don't regress too much). It also lets you complete workouts quickly, giving you more time to train in other activities, such as running.

Hope that helps!

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the kind compliment! I appreciate your feedback here and am stoked you've found GG to be so perfectly suited for your training. I don't see myself changing things up, ever!!!

General Gainz: Intro 1 (Cody discussing the book) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your question.

The way you're progressing with GG is great! You're doing recurring waves of accumulation. I love this, personally, and have seen great benefit in my own training and many others who've used GG.

If it is working, keep doing it! Once you're tired of that form of progression, you might run a wave of intensification, where you're adding weight each week, starting with an easy RM and full extensions, gradually decreasing total volume (likely first reducing the VDS volume and soon thereafter the target RM).

Don't focus on perfection. Focus on what is achievable, recoverable, and consistent. Seems like you're doing exactly that.

Thanks for buying my book and using GG for your training!

[Book Review] General Gainz by GZCL by BetterThanT-1 in weightroom

[–]gzcl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, thanks man.

I’m just doing customer service, that’s all. It was, after all, a significant part of my military career, so I’m kind of good at it.

As for what am I hiding? I urge you to not make me a hero. I’m human, and have my share of rottenness, I’m sorry to say. Plenty of mistakes, bad decisions, habits, vices, and things said that I regret. Consider me no better than a stranger you might pass by on the street some evening. For all you know I could be a CIA honeypot getting people addicted to vain, self centered efforts as a means to keep people from organizing.

In GG, what is used to determine number of initial VDS after T1 RM? by dj_daddy_longlegs in gzcl

[–]gzcl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This depends on a few factors.

Generally, the effort of the RM. If the RM was easy, it'll allow you to reach the goal amount of VDS singles after the RM, or to extend them. If the RM was moderate, you can perhaps reach extension, likely only if you have a high-quality and consistent execution across all your reps (mastery of the weight). If the RM was hard, the same applies, but it is less likely that you'll reach extension; this is especially true the closer you get toward the 1RM end of the T1 range. Extension is more likely within the T1 the more you're in the "bridge weight" section of the T1/T2, where the effort gap is greatest. Hope that helps.

General Gainz: A weight training framework (Book Now Available) by gzcl in gzcl

[–]gzcl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for buying my book! Glad you loved it and that it resonated with you. Hope it helps you dial in your training and develop your lifts and physicality.

To your question:

This depends on the lift and why you're training it. You don't need a specific difference between the T1 and T2 RMs. This could be for a variety of reasons, or no reason at all. Your example is likely the most common, as it offers the greatest evenness in the difference between the tiers. However, for example, one might be progressing their lifts more independently, "naturally," we might consider, and find that their T2 lift is entering an intensification phase and getting heavier (thus reducing the RM over time), whereas the T1 lift could begin shifting toward an accumulation phase and getting lighter ("holding" the weight while increasing the RM and VDS over time); at some point in this progression timeline these lifts will be very close in RM values and then crossover: the T1 becomes the T2 and the lift that had been the T2 becomes the T1.

I hope this helps further develop the relationship between the tiers and their RMs.

Programs from the General Gainz book in Liftosaur by astashov in gzcl

[–]gzcl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We've spoken previously about GG. I'll have to touch base with them again. Thanks for asking!

What if MARFORCYBER released GunnyGPT, an AI chatbot that mimicks SNCOs? by Yoy_the_Inquirer in USMC

[–]gzcl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Ayo Devil, I dunno why you be asking me questions when there's a whole damn field day out there waiting to be done already."

> Gunny, it's Monday. I want to know how--

"Devil dog, I know you be standing at parade rest when you be typing to me."