11-19-15 12:14 AM - Post#829768    

First of all I want to thank you guys for the incredible forum, I recently started visiting this and I'm learning a lot. I've also just recently started reading a lot of Dan John articles and I gotta say... everything Coach Dan says just seems to click, so thank you very much!

I'm currently a coach at a BJJ school so much of the learning that I'm doing (in terms of reading about fitness via guys like Mark Rippetoe, Jim Wendler, Dan John) is to continue to help out my students as well as myself. I personally believe in trying programs out before I start recommending them which is why I have embarked on MMS... it's been a goal of mine for quite some time to put on some lean body mass and Dan John's work has encouraged me to take this on!

Anyway onto the important stuff! I have a few questions about the program: I'm coming up on workout 4 and I realized that I'm still uncertain about a few things.

1) The 2-3-5... In the book it says 2 reps, rest a little, 3 reps rest a little, 5 reps rest a little. If there is another set of this am i supposed to treat it all as like one big set? So if im supposed to do 3 sets of 2-3-5 am i supposed to do something like 2 reps rest 10 seconds, 3 reps rest 10 seconds, 5 reps rest 10 seconds, 2 reps rest 10 seconds... etc. Or is each cluster treated as a set with a standard rest of like the 2-3 min in between? (I used 10 seconds as just an arbitrary number)

2) Please explain why the bird dog is important. I'm doing them because the program says to but I just don't understand why. It feels very easy to do. Also as for the actual exercise are you lifting hands and feet at same time or one then the other?

3) Complexes. I'm probably doing something wrong but is it uncomfortable for anyone else to go from front squat to OHP grip? I always struggle with getting a full grip on this after using the 2 fingers and thumb grip for the front squat.

4) The big plates rule. After workout 3 I believe it said to increase weight if all the reps were completed... should I try to increase up to a bigger plate.. currently a 20lb increase into a bigger plate seems like a lot but a 5-10lb increase with smaller weights added on doesn't seem as bad. Should I just continue until im strong enough to complete 2-3-5 with a bigger plate?

Thanks in advance guys! Let me know if I need to clarify anything.

11-27-15 01:47 AM - Post#830070    

Regards point 2. - its an exercise in balance, coordination, along the lines of Original Strength, crawling, marching etc, plus its also a recovery period before the fun begins. Thats my take on the bird dogs anyway - I found them extremely easy, but just did them regardless, didn't want to alter the program in any way or shape! Yep, I was that committed to it.
Point 3. Yep, I found the grips annoying, attribute a lot of it a broken arm in years gone by, and never regaining that flexibility - but as with the bird dogs, just perservered anyway, and the time spent under the bar on those is character building :-)
Point 4 - my take again - try to follow the program to the letter, the weights are (I'm certain) very carefully calculated, and shouldn't be too much of an issue once you get into the swing of things.
Let us know how you are getting on, I see you posted this a while ago, and no replies, so hopefully this spurs others to chime in.
Cheers.

12-09-15 09:26 AM - Post#830608    

"try to follow the program to the letter,"
I wish this could be put in gold letters.

In my new series for PTs, one of the things I will emphasize is that sets, reps and rest periods are the LEAST important things we do, but that's all we seem to talk about...once you are doing the 2-3-5s, the rest periods will make a lot of sense: it's all about getting volume in without getting burned up.

Daniel John Just handing down what I was handed down... Make a Difference. Live. Love. Laugh. Balance work, rest, play and pray (enjoy beauty and solitude) Sleep soundly. Drink Water. Eat veggies and protein. Walk. Wear your seat belt. Don’t smoke. Floss your teeth. Put weights overhead. Pick weights off the floor. Carry weights. Reread great books. Say thank you