Much is made these days in fitness circles about “General Physical Preparedness” (GPP, for short.) The gist, in a nutshell, is pretty much what it sounds like: the development of a fitness foundation, from which further training or sport-specific gains can be made.
For example, a sprinter wants to increase his 40 yard dash time. His coach has him perform non-sprinting drills (box jumps, for example) that raise his overall GPP level, so that he can then move on to Specific Physical Preparedness (SPP) sprinting drills to ultimately decrease his time in the 40.
Or, let’s say a dude wants to increase his max bench press. First step is to raise his GPP up a notch — not just automatically hammer away at the bench. He may very well need to strengthen his triceps and back with some targeted weight-bearing exercises… before moving on to actually working on the bench press itself.
And for the proverbial couch potato, a walk around the block a few times a week may be enough to raise GPP. From that baseline he/she can move on to running distance or sprinting, depending on specific goals.
Raise the baseline GPP, then progress with sport or exercise specific exercise, and repeat. That’s the idea.
Make sense?
GPP is different for everyone. An Olympic sprinter’s offseason baseline GPP level is probably so high that it’s out of reach for you and I — no matter how hard or long we trained. For all I know your GPP goal may be to just keep up with your kids — or grandkids — at the park, which is great.
A quick Google search for General Physical Preparedness produces all kinds of opinions on the topic. Because of the infinite variety in fitness levels and fitness goals, there aren’t any hard and fast rules here. The details have to be filled in by you.
That said, I would add the following to any discussion about GPP…
You’re Eating What?
For some reason, rarely does diet and nutrition enter the conversation when the GPP topic comes up on the interwebs. Fact is, nutrition is a huge part of the health, fitness and life wellness equation.
Example: If I eat three slices of Papa John’s BBQ chicken and bacon pizza (me: drooling now) a few hours before a workout, I guarantee you I won’t perform well, regardless of my fitness level. In fact I’ll be downright lethargic and cranky.
Grains will do that to you. Stop eating so many grains.
And if all you’re eating is Taco Bell Chalupas and Ring Dings then you can never hope to reach your optimum fitness level — let alone a baseline GPP — no matter how hard you train.
Focus on vegetables, fruits and lean protein sources (beef, chicken, fish.) Distance yourself from grains — and anything else that may not agree with you (dairy, legumes, etc.)
Do Real Men Do Yoga?
Yes. Get past it, dude. Flexibility is important to GPP. It’s been said that flexibility is the “third pillar” (along with strength and cardiovascular conditioning) of fitness. Research shows that flexibility training (most often associated with yoga) can increase muscle strength, improve circulation, and reduce stress, among many others.
There are free yoga routines all over the web. I use a couple of handy yoga iPhone apps, which are great for a quick 10 minute routine at home before bed — or anytime. No need to go to an actual yoga studio — unless you really want to.
Want to raise your GPP level?
First, decide where you want your baseline to be. Do you want to be able to run a 5k at a moment’s notice? Do you want your baseline to be a two hundred pound deadlift?
Regardless of the fitness goals, a good place to start is with diet (see above.) It could be a life-changer.
Get some yoga and/or stretching in each day. Variants of the sun salutation are quick and provide a whole body stretch.
As far as the gym work goes, start with the basics (squat, deadlift and bench press) if you’re a beginner. Even if you’re not, reverting back to the basics is great for elevating GPP. Stay away from the machines at the gym; stick with bodyweight exercises and weights.
Then, as you progress, check out the articles written by Louie Simmons over at Westside Barbell. The guy is a legend in the weight training arena, and his commentary on conjugate training alone is worth the read.
If you’re really, really just getting started with fitness… then the best thing you can do is to, well, just get started. Establish the fitness habit by sticking with a basic routine (walking or light jogging, for example) for at least 21 consecutive days. Habits have been shown to stick at 3 weeks and beyond.
Establish a baseline GPP, then continue to raise the bar (so to speak.)
-Mike
Image: mikebaird
