When and How to Combine Programs - GMB Show

🆓 Try a Free Strength & Agility Workout:
💪 gmb.io/bodyweight-reboot/
-
Download audio, transcripts, and resources at: gmb.io/episode-83/
How do you combine more then one training program? And how do you train multiple programs and not get fatigued? In this episode, Ryan and Andy talk about how to understand what sacrifices you are making when combining programs and how to incorporate multiple programs into your training.
Subscribe to the show on iTunes: gmb.io/show-app/
Join the GMB Posse for tons of free training videos and programs: gmb.io/
Subscribe: / goldmedalbodiesvids
Facebook: / gmbfitness
Instagram: / gmbfitness
We really hope you found this video useful. Please leave a comment if you have any questions at all. We'll do our best to help.

[@c.massey8976]

This episode really helped me out! I'm a personal trainer and I a client of mine needed an exercise plan to build them up to taking their fire fighting physical exam. Listening to this helped me to focus their plan creation on developing skills and strength relevant to the test they were working towards. Focusing them on the skill first, then strength, and finishing with endurance training allowed me to help them progress through a complicated balance of new skills and relevant strength to pass the test. Thanks for this one!

[@gmbfit]

This is so cool to read! So glad you were able to focus on the real life application and why you were actually training!

[@meristemmike]

This video is the best. I am a new client of GMB with the Elements, Rings 1 and Rings 2 programs. It is such a relief to know I can combine the programs and figure out a plan of attack to keep getting better at both. Just to let you guys know I am not doing the Rings 2 program yet, just got it because I saved buying both! Thanks guys for the great info session and as always, the best humor. Keep the videos coming!

[@gmbfit]

Combining Rings and Elements together is such a great idea. We are so glad you were able to get all three programs! You are going to find that the added strength and mobility work complement each other so well :) Keep us posted on your progress!!!

[@gmbfit]

They can be sued on alternating days. Elements is a great program to work on the Flexibility and control needed for your ring work on alternating days!

[@DebiTaylor]

Awesome video! I recently found a great balance using your P1 program for my strength days and alternating between Body Combat and Kettlebell Kickboxing for my HIIT days. It's a nice mix and my body is responding favorably to it.

[@the_culture3259]

Thanks for the practical advice guys. Great stuff

[@Konsidergroup]

Great point on how to combine the skills and technique! Thank you Heru

[@blackleaf1128]

Awesome Work!

[@juanhowardwongfaber4410]

Excelent advices. Thanks very much.

[@DanielRoPhotos]

finally Andy is here! the man, the myth, the legend......Nice! thanks for the video

[@gmbfit]

+Daniel R hahahaha, don't inflate my ego ;)

[@DanielRoPhotos]

+GMB Fitness haha. Well I meant it. :) Talking about the video I remember 1 year ago I wanted to do every skill. I want to be so badass and better than the whole GMB team and the Kavadlo Brothers! Silly me! I got so frustrated because my goal was to get the front lever and the muscle up and also lifting weights hard at the same time. Now thanks to the GMB Show (Please Subscribe now!!) I understand you need to work on skills overtime. Some skills are someway related to each other, from what I see (like if you work the bridge it will help your handstand??) I took a pen and paper and wrote down what my goal is, which is getting better (in the top 50) when running Obstacle Races (Spartan Race, Dash Warrior). I realized that I'm pretty strong and have good endurance / work capacity but lack flexibility. From Flexibility, which is too general, I chose to work on my hip and shoulder flexibility. I picked these because I am not really good with Spider Walks (I think that is the proper name) which you must do to conquer some obstacles. The work on my shoulder flexibility is for getting a nice handstand. Nowadays I combine my Strength Workouts with some of the programs from the Alpha Pose community (which you need to sign up if you are reading this). I usually do the flexibility, handstand work after the strenght workout just because my schedule. Hopefully I can get a nice handstand soon and post the video in the Alpha Pose forums and brag about it, lol! Thanks again GMB

[@gmbfit]

+Daniel R That's awesome. Really glad to see how methodical you were in narrowing down the most important point to focus. I'll look forward to that handstand video too!

[@Thehoxtonspecial]

Great advice, thank you.

[@gmbfit]

+The Hoxton Special Kitesurfing School You're welcome!

[@mauropinna7681]

Helped me alot!Thank you guys,when i get slower or directly stuck with my trainings you guys seem to hear me :D I found myself being too general with my goals and trying to addressing everything multiple times

[@gmbfit]

+merd accia Great! It's always a balance, but balance over time usually works better than trying to balance everything in the moment.

[@adelinared1]

Thanks!

[@Verdad2024]

very motivational

[@threethrushes]

Here's the thing - for a complex sport like ice hockey, it requires a suite of skills (skating, puck handling), and training of anaerobic/aerobic energy systems, strength training, agility - pretty much all at the same time. I will add rings to my strength training!

[@gmbfit]

It does require all of those things but during your off season there is a chance for you to focus on the things that needed work. We can't be great at everything ;)

[@jonask.459]

I think Ido Portal said it pretty well: "I am mediocre at everything I do but nobody can compete with me in being me." Gerneralist > Specialist

[@gmbfit]

+Jonas K. In general (hahahaha), that makes sense, but sometimes you have to specialize to become a generalist. For example, if you are strong but stiff, you need to spend some time focused on catching up your flexibility.

[@jonask.459]

+GMB Fitness Maybe it comes down to how you define specialization. To me it is devoting the major part of a lifetime to one disciplin. And that does make you pay.

[@gmbfit]

+Jonas K. Sure, anything can be about semantics if you want it to, but I'd agree with the gist of what you're saying for sure. The big problem I see is when people try to literally do it all and then say they're being generalists. Nine times out of ten, they're really just being delusional. Truly, putting tons of effort into the same narrow set of skills over a very long duration is going to cause problems.

[@jonask.459]

+GMB Fitness Yap. You said it in the video: Either a generalist or just a dilettant.

[@petermarshall7882]

Totally agree with your advice, it's how I've trained for 3 decades. When running marathons I knew what to do. When doing decathlon I knew what to do. But now my movement motivation and joy is Tumbling and though I have some ideas I don't actually Know What to Do to improve as I have in other sports. I am improving in Tumbling but not at an acceptable rate as I'm sort of working things out as I go. Can you assist with a program that is individually tailored to me to improve Tumbling. I'll know when I've reached the level that I'm happy with and then I'll devote more effort to all those other activities and sports that are on hold now. My overall plan though is to keep Tumbling as a main foundation of my movement practice.

[@gmbfit]

Hi Peter, I don't do custom programs. Tumbling is great, and I recommend finding a tumbling coach who specializes in that. My programs will give you the physical foundation.

[@petermarshall7882]

@@gmbfit okay, that's very useful because it's the physical foundation that I'm looking to improve alongside in parallel with tumbling skills. It took all last year for me to realise the main thing holding me back is flexibility. I looked at your Mobilty program and Sequences program and thought these might be the answer. Having a ready prepared program available and someone to check back with when needed seems appropriate. My flexibility is improving but I want to be confident the exercises I do are the most appropriate. I'm the sole adult in a group of teenage tumblers and its not a structured disciplined group following a strict training program, so I'm looking for an effective means to address my weaknesses, mainly flexibility at this stage. The way your programs work seem like they'd fit into my lifestyle. BTW I did the monkey test you advise for people considering sequences and my form is just short of the lady performer in that video. So I'm thinking Mobility or Sequences might be a good place to start. I want a spine and shoulders that make Bridges, Macaco, handsprings etc. more accessible to me over time. Am I too difficult to satisfy with your set programs or can you make a recommendation that would suit. Thanks for your time. Il

[@gmbfit]

If you will actually do the training, then I don't think you'll be difficult to satisfy at all. The choice of programs between those two depends on which practice you think you need most - most movement practice or greater mobility. Either one - again, if you simply do what it says - will work for you :)

[@secretagent3712]

Hi guys, very helpful episode. Do you have any more advice on how to combine bodyweight and kettlebell training? I plan on doing this during summer, because I won't have any other obligation then, so I'll be able to focus fully on training. Thanks in advance.

[@gmbfit]

+Secret Agent Same basic principles apply: focus on the most important thing and add more in ways where you're not compromising it. We're not kettlebell coaches, and our experience there is limited.

[@dleff]

Where can I find more information on what is being performed at 14:27? I would like to develop a good mobility flow but I am stuck at where to start. Thank you.

[@gmbfit]

+dleff That's basically just Jarlo messing around. He's got the flexibility and control that he can just do that. Depending on where you're starting from, you might look at our Elements or Vitamin courses: gmb.io/programs/

[@NoahLarch]

What do you guys think of Easy Strength from Pavel Tsatsouline and Dan John?

[@gmbfit]

+Progressing in Fitness Love that book. Especially the first half where they describe the quadrants and how we may move from one to another at different points in our lives.

[@fujinjr]

Hey Ryan, I'm doing Ring 1 along with Gym bonus on Floor 1, is that ok? I'm having a hard time mastering that belly movement at the end, though :D

[@gmbfit]

+Fujin Jr If you can send us a few more details in an email, we'll be able to help you out better.

[@Konsidergroup]

Your thoughts on combining rings with parallettes training! 3 days a week

[@gmbfit]

I believe we cover that in the episode :) You have to ask yourself what your goal is. If you want to get really good at parallettes train with just them. If you want get really good at rings just train with them. Combining is not a bad thing but remember you can always cycle through programming.

[@Creatorem94]

Is it possible to do rings 1 and parallettes 1 at the same time? Or should one program be done first and then the other? I feel that doing them at the same time might detract from the ability to do each at full capacity.

[@gmbfit]

+Tim Dupuis Good question. It's possible, but you're right that you'd be cannibalizing your energy. There's also some movements that are very similar in both, so those would be doubled up while other were not. We recommend doing them in series.

[@gilmadeira1975]

i really want to make one of your programs. and i am inclined to the parallettes. hard "Winter is coming". it is just very practical to me and i would enjoy it. my only problem with it: i am having troubles for a long time progressing in my pull ups, i feel the hunger for it. i would love to do the ring program but i know it will not happen so soon. the point: i like your approach, , but still, in terms of gaining strenght.. isn't parallettes more foccused in the pushing strenght? it is very obvious that i am not getting stronger on pull ups if doing parallettes, but does the program strenghten the muscles involved? trying for instance an extra max pull up a week would make any sense? and would you say that i would have some progression on it?

[@gmbfit]

It's a common oversimplification to think that push/pull is the only way to categorize upper-body exercises. The short story is that P-bar skills like the L-sit and tuck stands strengthen your back. Though you think it's "very obvious" that parallette work can't improve your pull-ups, your reasoning is not based on experience. In fact, it's incorrect, and many of our clients have actually been able to make faster pull-up progress after doing P1, primarily due to the sit work and inversions. That said, if you just hate taking great advice, you can certainly work on pull-ups during P1 as well ;) Just tack a set on to the end of your P-bar sessions.

[@gilmadeira1975]

thank you very much for the answer. yes i know it is a over simplification, but as you say.. working for skills, and i was curious to know if these skills while different are interacting. yeah i have to try. so, making two programs no. but adding one exercise to the end of p1 could be quite ok. cool!

[@meristemmike]

I got the Rings 1 program and it definitely helps with pull strength! I highly recommend giving it a shot.

[@gilmadeira1975]

yeah the thing is that i am being realist with myself. i know i would not use rings everytime i should! maybe after getting a good rythm i can think about it.

[@thevitruvianman9781]

can tall people be good at this 6ft5?

[@gmbfit]

Yes.