Strength and GST work

[Alexander Castiglione]

Hey All, 

 

So I'm starting foundation 1, and after some searching on the Interwebs, I found someone that claimed that Texas Method (or Wendler) strength programs could tie in well with GST. I've pretty much abandoned trying to include Oly work, Gymnastics work, and metcons - my tendons and body won't allow it, and Coach Sommer put it bluntly: You're doing too much. 

 

As I'll be on a 3-4 day a week schedule, it doesn't seem like too much volume. My question is what would you recommend - Strength training prior to GST work, or after?

 

I'm looking to do F1 and H1 concurrently, with Wendler:

Mon - Squat, sPL, SL, and MN work. 

 

Wed - Strict Press with FL, HBP, RC (or HS work depending on feel.)

 

Thu - Deadlift with HS if I didn't get to it the prior day. Maybe some conditioning work like prowler pushes

or quick metcon's. (Given that i've had bouts with tendonitis, I'm trying to minimize my volume and concentrate of strength, mobility, and statics). 

 

Fri/Sat - Bench Press, with sPL, SL, and MN work. 

 

The author of the piece i found about integrating strength training advocated the Texas Method, but I've had pretty good results with Wendler in the past. Thoughts? Advice? Or am I just crazy and overdoing it?

[Stephen Majerle]

The general advice I've seen is that foundation two should be mastered before beginning weightlifting type work. That way you will have single leg squat mastered before beginning weighted leg work. I think you will find after you get into foundation for a while that it provides all the strength training stimulus you need, and then some.

[Alexander Castiglione]

"I think you will find after you get into foundation for a while that it provides all the strength training stimulus you need, and then some. :)"

 

I agree, but while I ramp up - as now I'm just going thru the mastery phase to see where i need to stop and work - I was going to do some basic lifts - Like Squat, Bench, and Deadlift - until I started getting to the point i needed to dial back. 

[Joshua Slocum]

I agree, but while I ramp up - as now I'm just going thru the mastery phase to see where i need to stop and work - I was going to do some basic lifts - Like Squat, Bench, and Deadlift - until I started getting to the point i needed to dial back. 

 

Once you do get to the point where you need to stop and work, you'll pretty quickly find that trying to do two strength programs at the same time is counterproductive. Remember, training doesn't make you stronger. Resting in between periods of training is what makes you stronger. Beyond a certain point, additional training just interferes with the recovery process. 

 

Also, I would strongly advise against neglecting the SLS progressions. Working through them will give you fantastic mobility and connective tissue strength in the hips and knees - having gone through those progressions, you will be well positioned for a long and fruitful deadlif/squat/oly lifting career. 

[Mikkel Ravn]

If one strength training program is good, then two must be gooder. Twice as gooder, to be precise. It's logic.

[Alessandro Mainente]

I remember that Coach said that the body learn well if you practice one thing at time. probably until a certain level of GST is mastered you should focus only on GST. it's your choice.

[Jesse Frigo]

Pistol squats will help your weightlifting more than weightlifting will help pistol squats.  I did Convict Conditioning years ago, and when I finally started lifting weights my squat weight just kept going up.  Same with 1-arm pushups and bench press.  Compared to other beginning weightlifters at the time, I had fewer stalls at higher weights.

 

What I've found is that weightlifting never addressed my imbalances properly.  The left side of my back (trapezius, mostly) is significantly weaker and smaller than my right, and none of the beginner/intermediate routines I tried ever even started to fix this.  Handstands and ring pulls are working on that already. 

 

The mobility work is much better in GST as well.  My legs while lifting were constantly tight.  My left hamstring was tight enough to cause compensations that were straining my lower back.  GST is helping to work those issues back out.

 

I find it easier to injure myself with weightlifting as well.  I'm sure there are ways to injure myself with bodyweight training, but with a well-structured program I really don't feel the need to worry about it.  I find myself tweaking things much more regularly under a barbell.

 

I've gotten better results from bodyweight training when it comes to moving my body through space, and I find that I prefer that over weightlifting.  I will likely eventually return to the iron, but I intend to focus on GST for the forseeable future.

 

Also, Texas Method can be pretty brutal.  Wendler has a lot more flexibility to incorporate other stuff.