Hey BBM, thank you for all the gold information you guys put out there, it’s really useful.
I was just wondering if you guys think if greasing the groove (i.e relatively low RPE sets multiple times a day with very long rest times, multiple times a week) is an effective way to get good at a particular exercise? I really just want to increase my chin-up count, and recently bought a pull up bar, so I thought this could be a pretty effective way to get stronger. If so, I was also wondering what you guys would consider the best way of going about it? Some say to just do a set whenever you feel like it, others put timers on for an hour or more between sets, etc. Thank you!
It is important when asking a question like this to have a comparator group. So, is this a good idea compared to what? Doing nothing? Probably, provided the total stimulus is appropriate. Better than concentrating the stress during times of workout? Probably not.
I have a niche application where “grease the groove” seems intuitively appropriate: my primarily goal is increasing 1RM in the Squat, DL BP, and Press, but I am also required to take the new Army fitness test periodically, which includes 2 minutes of hand-release pushups (60 reps for the max score). Supplementing strength training with GTG style hand-release pushups seems like a good way to get in some practice with the movement and some stimulus at higher rep ranges, without diverting too many recovery resources from strength improvement. A few weeks before the test I may cut strength volume and focus more on pushup peaking, then after the test go back to normal strength training with some GTG. This would leave most of the year focused on strength improvement, but hopefully also allow me to perform well on the ACFT. From your experience is that reasonable, or are there better approaches?