GPP Considerations for a Six-Week Collegiate Post-Competitive Block
By
Brian Hill and Willie Danzer
The competitive season is demanding on the anatomical structures of our
athletes. As strength and conditioning coaches, we must establish the importance
of eliminating these issues. At Northwestern State, we inform our teams that
their off-season begins once their season completes but not as a means of max
effort or dynamic effort. This block solely works to reestablish their initial
general physical preparedness (GPP).
Program design
We recognize that this block needs to serve as the most general and the most
varied for training exercises, but more importantly, it must serve as a means
for active restoration. According to Medvedeyev (1989), GPP training serves
several functions:
- as the formation, strengthening, or restoration of habits (skills) that
play an auxiliary, facilitory role in perfecting sports
- as a means of educating abilities developed insufficiently by the
selected type of sport, raising the general work capacity, or preserving it
- as active rest assisting the restoration processes after significant,
specific loading and counteracting the monotony of the training
These functions define the role of the general, preparatory exercises in the
athlete’s training system. Exercise selection is crucial, and many coaches will
relate to this. However, it’s difficult to assess every athlete when you don’t
have the luxury of a large staff. So to help with exercise selection, little
consideration was given to one single muscle imbalance or prehabilitation
exercise unless the athlete was recovering from an in-season injury.
We utilized a three-day high volume program that incorporated weekly
progressions of unilateral upper and unilateral lower body movements with
eccentric, isometric, and normal speed contractions. According to Siff (2003),
the volume of loading should be high during GPP and its intensity should be low.
We included several fundamental methods from Coach X’s GPP manual:
- Develop, reestablish, and increase your work capacity
- Reintroduce yourself to the fundamentals of strength development and
dynamic functional flexibility
- Start eliminating structural weaknesses developed over the course of a
season
- Provide a functional background on which to commence hypertrophy and
strength training
- Use lower intensities to provide a means of active restoration
- Start eliminating unwanted body fat
One day sample of a two-week block
| |
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
| Core Work |
E - I - C |
Resistance |
S X R |
RI |
E - I - C |
Resistance |
S X R |
RI |
| A1. McGill sit-ups (sit on
your hands) |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 10e |
|
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 15e |
|
| A2. Lying leg raises
(dorsiflexion & lead with heel) |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 10 |
|
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 15 |
|
| A3. Front plank |
1-45-1 |
BW |
X 2 |
|
1-45-1 |
BW |
X 2 |
|
| A4. Lazy superman (opposite
arm/leg raise) |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 10e |
|
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 15e |
|
| Body
Activation/Prehabilitation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| B1. 2-board iso-push-up hold
|
1-20-1 |
BW |
2 X 20s |
30s |
1-25-1 |
BW |
2 X 25s |
30s |
| C1. Band internal/external
cuff at side |
1-10-10 |
TB |
2 X 10e |
60s |
1-10-10 |
TB |
2 X 10e |
60s |
| B2. Iso-lunge hold |
1-30-1 |
BW |
2 X 30s |
30s |
1-40-1 |
BW |
2 X 40s |
30s |
| C2. Hurdle overs and unders |
1-1-1 |
BW |
2 X 10e |
60s |
1-1-1 |
BW |
2 X 12e |
60s |
| B3. Half table tops
(shoulders on bench, drive through heels) |
1-30-1 |
BW |
2 X 30s |
30s |
1-40-1 |
BW |
2 X 40s |
30s |
| C3. Manual resistance four
way neck |
1-10-1 |
MR |
2 X 4 X 8e |
60s |
1-10-1 |
MR |
2 X 4 X 8e |
60s |
| Movement Preparation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| D. Week 1: Fatman pull-ups: Overhand knees
bent |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 10 |
60s |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 12 |
60s |
| Week 2: Fatman pull-ups: Underhand legs
straight |
or |
|
|
|
or |
|
|
|
| Week 3: Fatman pull-ups: Overhand legs
straight |
5-1-1 |
|
|
|
5-1-1 |
|
|
|
| Week 4: Fatman pull-ups: Underhand feet on
box |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 5: Fatman pull-ups: Overhand feet on box |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 6: Eccentric (lowering) Pull-up |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| E. Week 1: Bulgarian split
squat |
1-5-1 |
DB |
2 X 10e |
60s |
1-5-1 |
DB |
2 X 12e |
60s |
| Week 2: Bulgarian sprinter
squat |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 3: Front lunge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 4: Front foot elevated
backward lunge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 5: Backward lunge and
twist |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 6: Spiderman lunge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| F. Week 1: Chest supported
scap retractions with weight |
1-5-1 |
DB |
2 X 10 |
60s |
1-5-1 |
DB |
2 X 12 |
60s |
| Week 2: Push-up position scap
retractions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 3: Plank position scap
retractions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 4: Seated band or cable
scap retractions |
|
B/C |
|
|
|
B/C |
|
|
| Week 5: Standing band or
cable scap retractions |
|
B/C |
|
|
|
B/C |
|
|
| Week 6: Bent over barbell
scap retractions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| G. Week 1: Double leg
sprinter bridge |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 10 |
60s |
1-5-1 |
BW |
2 X 12 |
60s |
| Week 2: Single leg sprinter
bridge |
or |
|
Or |
|
or |
|
Or |
|
| Week 3: Alternating sprinter
bridge |
5-1-1 |
|
2 X 10e |
|
5-1-1 |
|
2 X 10e |
|
| Week 4: Alternating sprinter
bridge straight leg march |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 5: Eccentric glute ham |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Week 6: Eccentric poor-man
glute ham |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Technique |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| H. *Special exercise |
1-1-1 |
Bar |
3 X 10 |
60s |
1-1-1 |
Bar |
3 X 12 |
60s |
| I. *Special exercise |
1-1-1 |
Bar |
3 X 10 |
60s |
1-1-1 |
Bar |
3 X 12 |
60s |
| J. *Special exercise |
1-1-1 |
Bar |
3 X 10 |
60s |
1-1-1 |
Bar |
3 X 12 |
60s |
*Special exercises are incorporated to work technique on initial lifts in
your program (e.g. box squat, hang clean, push press, bench press, front squat).
It must be noted that our fall season teams were given the first week off and
performed week’s two and three at our facility. Weeks three through six were
left upon the athlete to complete during their winter break. With the exception
of a couple of sports (e.g. men’s and women’s basketball, who start their season
mid-fall and finish mid-spring), their GPP phase was completed during the spring
semester. Our spring semester teams were instructed on their summer workouts,
which included the initial GPP block.
References
- Coach X. GPP Training Manual. Elite Fitness Systems.
- Medvedyev AS (1989) A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting.
(Charniga A, trans.). Sportivny Press: Livonia, MI. (Original work published
in 1986 Fizkultura i Spovt: Moscow, Russia).
- Siff MC (2000) Supertraining. Supertraining Institute, Denver,
Colorado.
Brian Hill is the director of sports performance at Northwestern State
University in Louisiana. He also competes in the APF Open 275-lb division. For
more information, contact Brian at hillb@nsula.edu.
Willie Danzer is the former assistant director of sports performance at
Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He is currently serving as a
volunteer coach at Iowa State University, working with the football program on
their summer preparation for the upcoming season. For more information, contact
Willie at williedanzer@yahoo.com.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.
