I?m looking at complimenting the Big Boy Basics plan with training to drastically improve my pushups, setups, dead hang pull ups and 3 mile run time for an upcoming physical fitness test for a possible career change opportunity. I think I have most of it figured out but need to get an azimuth check and some advice from folks who know more then I.
A Former Fat Boy, I?ve been lifting again for the past few months with a friend to relearn proper form and compound exercises like squats, dead lifts, lunges, full snatches, etc. and made weekly strength gains, including dropping about 50 lbs of fat from 240+ reaching my initial goal of 192. I?m 5?10?, 44 years old. At 192 lbs I still have a slight gut and love handles but think that will resolve itself by continuing to workout hard and eat clean.
Being former military and previously in excellent condition, I would like to regain my old PFT stats of 80 pushups, 80 sit-ups and 20 dead hang pull-ups in 2 minutes each. My old 3-mile run time was usually between 18:00 ? 19:00 but I think a goal of getting it down to under 21:00 from my most recent time of 26:00 is more realistic. I?d like to focus my short terms goals on achieving this by New Years (about 11 weeks away) as well as continue to loose fat and add overall core strength, size and power.
Would the BBB plan be a good framework to achieve this and add some event specific pushup, sit-up and pull-up training to it? Here are the thoughts I had on event specific training.
To slice 5:00 off my run time and get it under 21:00, I understand that semi-fasted morning interval training will reduce the effectiveness of the afternoon strength training, but that?s a goal I can?t overlook since I need to max all four events (run, pull-ups, pushups, sit-ups) for this career change I?d like to make. How can I minimize the running cost to the strength training? Will it be enough to just do the interval/fartlik runs on the three off (non-strength training) days and very light (fasted) cardio (brisk walking/light jogging) on the lifting days?
To reach 80+ pushups, I was thinking of replacing the incline dumbbell bench press in the BBB program with dips, leaning forward to replicate the 45-degree angle, and keep it antagonistic of the incline rows. The logic behind that is that it more closely replicates the pushup event then the DB bench press. On barbell bench days, since the body is supported by the bench even though the chest and triceps are working hard, I was thinking of adding the following to the end of the routine; eccentric pushups (negatives only - no concentric training) and in addition remaining in a strict pushup position for 2-3 minutes at full arm extension, again half way down and again barely off the ground for core strength training specifically for the pushup event. Repeat three times. Will this help do the trick or do I need to do something else?
To reach 80+ sit-ups (I think it?s 100 crunches now), I was thinking of the following. I read that Mr. Waterbury doesn?t feel that trainees need to ordinarily do much extra abdominal work if the routines focus on big compound moves like the BBB program does but I think I could work in specific event training for sit-ups a couple of days a week until I reach the goal of 80+ sit-ups/crunches in 2:00. I?m considering sets of suspended straight leg lifts alternating with sets on the resistance crunch machine on lower body days since the pushup event training will be on upper body days.
20+ dead hang pull-ups may be the toughest goal for me to attain since it was the toughest for me when I was in the military. Pull-ups, or assisted pull-ups, are in the BBB plan on the second upper body days. The gym has an assisted pull-up/dip machine. Would doing assisted pull-ups after the first upper body (the day with rows) throw off the program? I was reading Charles Poliquin?s pull-up training program (No More Geek Back Training - http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=body_100back) and think elements of it could be effective in helping me improve my pull-ups, any suggestions on incorporating that program into the BBB?
I plan to test myself every other week simulating an actual test.
Is there another program that would serve as a better framework for those goals? Will I end up corrupting the BBB program too much by adding so many event specific exercise programs to it? Should I do the BBB program exactly as it was carefully designed and do the event specific training later in the day as a separate workout? If I change the BBB program too much to help me attain my specific short-term goals, should I just completely redo the unadulterated BBB program as Chad designed it after I meet the PFT goals and then focus on adding slabs of muscle and power the second time around?
Getting started on this tomorrow but not afraid to adjust if I need to. Any constructive criticism, guidance or suggestions will be very much appreciated.
Thank you,
Charles