Programming for Strength & Endurance

[Bedlam]

I'm focusing more on conditioning and endurance these days. Having basically ignored it other than the occasional run over the past ten years my endurance is holding me back.

I was going to put this in my neglected log but I figured some discussion on program design can't hurt. It's a semi-long read but I'd like to hear your thoughts and criticisms. Most of this is from EZA's book and this forum.

The goal of this program is to improve my conditioning and keep getting stronger. I will be going through each block and starting over until I reach my goal, get injured, or my goal changes. There is no MMA training going on concurrently (saving for wedding).

Block A (3-4 weeks):
Mon - Strength-Aerobic (5 rep sets followed by 10 rep tempo sets)
Tue - Long Slow Distance (LSD)
Wed - Tempo
Thu - LSD
Fri - Max Effort

Block B (4 weeks):
Mon - Starting Strength like program focusing on 1-3 rep max (SS)
Tue - LSD
Wed - SS
Thu - LSD
Fri - SS

Block C (4 weeks):
Mon - LSD
Tue - Tempo
Wed - LSD
Thu - LSD
Fri - Tempo

Block D (4 weeks):
Mon - Threshold
Tue - Aerobic Plyo
Wed - LSD
Thu - Threshold
Fri - Aerobic Plyo

The Strength-Aerobic method is a mix of max effort and tempo work. You do your max effort work and follow it up with tempo work with the same exercise.

3-5 sets, 5-7 reps, 5-10 minutes rest
2-3 sets, 8-10 reps, 2-2 tempo, 40 seconds rest

All LSD training is done for 30 to 90 minutes at a HR of 120-130. Work time is low and increases each week but doesn't carry over to the next block.

Tempo method training is done at a tempo of 2-2 seconds without any pauses, i.e. 2 seconds concentric, 2 seconds eccentric. Rest time is kept low, 20-40 seconds, and decreases each week.

Threshold training is done near my anaerobic HR threshold for 10 minute sets, and 3-6 sets.

Aerobic plyometric work is done with 5-10 minute sets consisting of 8-10 reps of work and 10-15 seconds of rest, repeating for the duration of the set. Each exercise will get 1-3 sets. I haven't tested these out yet and if I find them too difficult to setup at the gym then I'll replace this with explosive repeat work.

Thoughts? Concerns?

Edit:
Added notes about workload for weights.

 

[paolo27th]

I think your first 3 blocks are the wrong way around.

 

[edco76]

I dunno what your strength/experience level is now, but I'm not sure how much you are going to get out of doing SS for 4 weeks, then taking a 12 week break.

Assuming I understand your program.

 

[Bedlam]

First double post... nice.

 

[Bedlam]

I think your first 3 blocks are the wrong way around.

A and B are strength oriented with A being less intense (5-7 reps) than B (1-3 reps).

C and D are endurance oriented with C being less intense than D.

I dunno what your strength/experience level is now, but I'm not sure how much you are going to get out of doing SS for 4 weeks, then taking a 12 week break.

Assuming I understand your program.

It's 3-4 weeks of lighter weights (5-7 rep max), ramping up to a SS-like max effort block. Then it's only 8 weeks away from heavy weights, which is time to rest and doesn't seem to reduce my max strength.

 

[rckvl]

A and B are strength oriented with A being less intense (5-7 reps) than B (1-3 reps).

C and D are endurance oriented with C being less intense than D.

B is Starting Strength which is Sets of 5, except for power cleans. It looks like a bit of a mishmash of stuff to me but I don't really have any experience with setting up programming blocks. Really I would wait for someone with experience in setting this sort of thing up. It probably would be helpful to include your current training level.

 

[paolo27th]

Block C uses Tempo and LSD, both of which are low intensity.

Block B on the other hand uses LSD (low intensity) and SS, which is probably a bit lower intensity that straight-up max effort.

Block A on the other hand uses Strenght Aerobic and Max Effort, both of which are high intensity. Also, there`s alot of tempo work in there, which would probably be more useful once you`ve established a good aerobic base with LSD

If I were you I`d start with LSD+SS. This alone would be good for the first 2 blocks.
Then move on to LSD+Strenght Aerobic and finally Max Effort+Threshold, rinse and repeat.

 

[Bedlam]

Other than the strength-aerobic and plyos it's all basics. Depending on workload a beginner could do the same stuff.

Side note: the tempo method is evil.

Edit:

Block B is going to be high intensity because I'll be working on 1-3 rep maxes regularly. I couldn't add anything but LSD, and may have to cut that anyway. I know I can handle and still improve with a simple SS-like program with low reps.

Block A on the other hand is going to be intense like you said but the weights will be lighter and I'll be working on a 5-7 rep max, i.e. more volume and less intense work than block B.

 

[Tosa]

I don't see 2 months of strength work, then ignoring strength work for two months as being beneficial. Unless you're cutting out strength work as part of peaking for a fight, you should always include some, at least at maintence levels. I also suspect there's issues with your the programming of your strength work.

Also, as you're just getting back into endurance work, I don't think there's a need for this amount of complexity in your training. I'd say pick a strength training routine that's flexible about how many days you do it (or create one). Do that, alongside LSD for a 1-2 months. At which point you'll gradually start introducing the higher intensity conditioning work, reducing the frequency of strength training as/if necessary.

 

[Bedlam]

I dunno, it doesn't seem all that complex when you get going. My resting HR is in the low 50s so I didn't want to do LSD all the time, yet my running times aren't so hot so I kept it in the program. Also, getting away from always doing LSD is beneficial for my sanity.

During the two months off I'm still doing tempo work and the plyos so it's not like I'm just doing 'running' alone. You have a point though, and I could replace/add in some maintenance in C and D. I tested the waters before coming up with this and came back to the weights with higher 6RMs.

What's the problem with the strength work?

 

[Tosa]

What's the problem with the strength work?

By "starting strength like" I assume you mean similar lifts in a day A, day B setup. Other than the inclusion of some tempo work, your plan is just lots of max effort work. If you can make gains with that sort of routine, you could just as easily make gains with any linear progression based routine, like Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, or something similar. If linear progression doesn't work for you, you'll need to introduce more variation within your lifting, like light days and heavy days, or volume days, and intensity days. Depending upon your experience with lifting, and ulitmate goals, you could also include a day to focus on some quicker lifts.

 

[Bedlam]

I'm starting to naturally move toward light/heavy days (wasn't planned). Also, I've been reading about strength training for a while, and been introduced to many routines and ideas on this forum over the years so I don't tend to plan out the strength work nearly as much as the conditioning, which is more new to me. If the linear progression stops working I'd just replace it like you pointed out.

 

[paolo27th]

Other than the strength-aerobic and plyos it's all basics. Depending on workload a beginner could do the same stuff.

Side note: the tempo method is evil.

Edit:

Block B is going to be high intensity because I'll be working on 1-3 rep maxes regularly. I couldn't add anything but LSD, and may have to cut that anyway. I know I can handle and still improve with a simple SS-like program with low reps.

Block A on the other hand is going to be intense like you said but the weights will be lighter and I'll be working on a 5-7 rep max, i.e. more volume and less intense work than block B.

Dude, if you think tempo is evil you probably haven`t done a proper session of strenght aerobic yet. Also, SS isn`t about doing 1-3 rep maxes. If that`s what you are going to do it`s a diffenet story.

But still, I don`t get why you are mixing and matchinbg methods the way you do. The reason behing what I suggested was that so you`d start with cardiac development, then move on to focussing on muscle endurance and top it all off with some cardiac power, all the while maintaining strenght work. Simple and effective.

 

[Bedlam]

I'm mixing and matching what I've picked up from EZA's book, without using the conjugate method. The conditioning is probably weird because it's new to me from a program design perspective, and I don't have the necessary equipment for all methods.

Basically A+B are the strength period, and C+D are the endurance period. The strength aerobic is there as a lower intensity workout to help build some strength and endurance, as is the tempo work which is also a bit of a rest day. I'd have added in some HICT but I don't have the equipment and there isn't a good hill to do deep lunges up for 10-20 minutes at a time. I've tried high step-ups and it was workable but not ideal.

The difference between C and D is that I want to move from cardiac output and slow-twitch development to fast-twitch endurance, and more intensity. I could have used HRI but I'm not sure how I'd work the upper body that way.

Considering the suggestions I might make the following changes:

Block A
Maybe replace the strength aerobic with a simple heavy day (5x5), add in assistance work as necessary to tempo day.

Block B
Have heavy, medium-light, and max days (3RM). Think Texas method. Actually I'd make A+B Texas method (A@5RM, B@3RM) when the tempo stuff gets easier.

Block C
Replace the first tempo day with some heavy maintenance work, and add some light assistance work to the second tempo day.

Block D
Not sure I'd change anything here, except maybe the LSD day.

Also, the only reason C+D comes second is because I've just finished 10 weeks of conditioning, and I'm coming back to the weights again so from my perspective I'm just going into block A.

 

[paolo27th]

Ok, I`m a bit drunk right now so I won`t make a full critique of your changes. but really, you find strenght-aerobic "lowe-intensity"? Sounds weird.

 

[Bedlam]

I find it less intense than max effort work. That doesn't mean I find it easy.