when to stop

With recovering body parts, I've noticed that the poison is volume. Too often over the past few years I've be feeling good going into a set only to suddenly feel tight then trigger a pain response. The solution was right in front of me for the longest time, but I've only recently put it into practice.

When the tightness comes, you're done. Stop. Cease.

This can be on the first set of the 10th. The deal is in order to keep coming back and push the threshold of where danger exists. you can't do that if you have pushed into pain. We want to program in the response that what we are doing is ok. And can be resisted 

easy strength: 5 days means 5 days

The last time I tried easy strength, I was confused why my progress stalled despite all attempts remaining easy. With this latest iteration, I have some thoughts.

1. Do the warmup dummy

Dan talks at length about using the humane burpee to warm up. It takes 5min or less, and takes care of squat movements, swings, and level changes. Low impact, endlessly repeatable.

Humane burpee

15 swings

5 goblet squats

5 pushups

15 swings

4 goblet squats 

4 pushups

Etc

2. 5 days a week means 5 days a week

My last iteration became daily easy strength. While the actual work is low intensity effort, each day adds on the previous. With no off days, it becomes harder to move the easy floor up.

Off doesn't mean do nothing. Off still means a humane burpee followed by small body parts bodybuilding (calves, tibs, etc).

3. Wave loading > straight 3x3

This is where Dan and I disagree a bit. He says that if he could do it all over again he would stick to 3x3. Maybe I'll take this advice in my own future run, but his even easier strength template wave loads weights on a way that makes sense.

Example in a 2 week cycle

2x5

2x5

5-3-2 (heavier day)

Off

2x5

2x5

Off

4. Everything else can really mean everything else

Dan made this program for athletes. Meaning he expects you to do easy strength for 15min, then play your sport for hours every day. If your sport is 'i like lifting weights' then you have a pretty wide net of what that could mean!

Right meow I want me sport to be loaded carries and mace work. But it could also be bodybuilding. Ya get me?

Easy strength is the base. The minimum. It works but it was never meant to me done on isolation.