Abandoning The Bridge for Novice Linear Progression+High-Velocity Training for Sports

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

I recently learned about Barbell Medicine through an Alan Thrall video where he recommended The Bridge. I have been doing the program for the last three weeks but as I have started taking in more of your content I am wondering if I should stop with The Bridge and run the Novice Linear Progression Program. For context, I have been consistently doing resistance training for about 6 months but not with a formal program. I am 5’9" @220 lbs and my main lifts in my last few sessions are the following:

  1. Squat w/ Belt: 305lbs x 5rep @8
  2. Deadlift w/ Belt: 340lbs x 5rep @8
  3. Bench Press: 205lbs x 5rep @9 Second question: I train BJJ and suspect that I might benefit from some high-velocity training to improve rate of force production. Does Barbell Medicine plan on creating any templates that include this as a focus of the program? If not, do you have any educational resources that you would recommend to me so that I can include this into my own programming? Would it be enough to simply include some high-velocity training on my GPP days?

Thank you for putting out all of your free content. I have really been enjoying it over the last week and have learned quite a bit! Cheers.

2

Gemmeba,

Thanks for joining the forum and your kind words. We appreciate them.

  1. We see no reason to run the novice LP. It would confer no benefits to you.
  2. Yes, this is in the work. That said, I don’t think you need to focus on high velocity force production just yet, as you’re not very well trained at this point. If anything, I’d have you do more conditioning.

-Jordan

3

Thanks Dr! Do you have any recommendations/best practices for aerobic conditioning?

I think that I have heard you recommend medium intensity cardio with 3 minutes on, 1 minutes off. If that is what you would recommend, do you have any preferred exercises? Recommended number of sets/RPE? Etc. I figure that ideally, the workouts need to be intense enough to drive adaptation while not being so intense that they affect my performance in my other training.

-Brandon

4

No, I would not recommend that for you.

The recommended conditioning for you is included in The Bridge. I don’t think I would recommend additional conditioning outside of that and BJJ training for recreational BJJ. Later, when you’re more trained you may benefit from more conditioning.

-Jordan

5

Thank you!