At school I have 2 hours of group sports, 2 hours of athletics and 2 hours of swimming each week, will this increase my GPP or should I do some other exercises as well?
GPP = General Physical Preparedness = being fit enough to do what you need to do.
So are the three things you are doing keeping you in the shape you need to be in? If not then yes you might want to add some stuff in, if they are, then they work.
Danny
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This is just another random aside about GPP that isn't really in reference to this post, it just got me thinking again.
Most of the time people over-think GPP. It has become such a buzz word and catch phrase for trainers now that it has been made out to be more than it really is. Also people always assume that GPP has to be some crazy crossfit style burpie/pullup/thruster combo or something similar. Most people who read a lot about powerlifting assume it has to be sled dragging.
But GPP is just general things to keep you in shape and in a relative state of readiness for whatever it is you do.
For a soccer player playing pickup basketball and lifting weights can both be GPP. Neither are specific to the needs of the sport (SPP). But for either a weightlifter or a basketball player neither of these are GPP.
Sorry this is really random its just something I have always noticed and it tends to bug me for some reason.
Danny
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Limitations are for people who have them.
GPP has come to be equated with carrying and pushing stuff, but I think it much broader than that. That stuff is a bit power-lifter/strongman oriented (or farmer/laborer oriented).
In terms of my martial arts, our GPP means being able to handle a warmup of different types of pushups, ab/core work, burpees, plyo/jumping, kicking, punching, and footwork drills, all interspersed and done at a heart-pumping pace, and then to be able to complete the rest of a class which include stuff like kicking drills or self-defense partner work, which may include kicking, punching, throwing, fallling, rolling.
I have found that supplemental work such as weight training, running does not help most students' ability to handle a hard class like that as much as just DOING THE CLASSES! Once a student is at a more experienced level of doing all that stuff, at that point the supplemental work can enhance their training. Until then, they need to just do lots of the stuff we do.
I agree with Danny and Chris about GPP. It's a means to a goal, not a goal in itself. If your goal is to look a certain way (and I'm not saying that applies to anyone on this thread, just lifters in general), then there's really no such thing as GPP. The weights you lift, and whatever additional activities you do to improve your physique, are all specific to your goal.
A strength athlete like Danny might use GPP to improve his overall conditioning, enabling him to perform better in strength-building exercise or strength-displaying events.
But if his goal was just improving upon his already-magnificent physique, then every means he used to reach that end would be specific to it, not general.
Interesting side note:
I've been doing a lot of reading about exercise, heart disease, and longevity. If you're looking for a magic pill to head off sudden heart attacks and prevent early death from any cause, it's sports. Something like tennis is ideal because you can do it throughout life, it gets your heart rate up for brief periods and then allows it to fall (thus conditioning your heart rate to rise quickly and recover quickly, which is ideal), and isn't as hard on your body as soccer, basketball, and hockey.
And you don't need much: About two hours a week of anything is a pretty good goal, based on some of the research I've seen recently.
Lou: I promote our martial arts as a great, total body, life long activity (my most recent testimonial is a 59 year old dad of 4 of my youth/young adult students; now his wife plans to start soon). That would seem to fit right in with your tennis example. I'm more interested in info that can further substantiate my claims; sounds like you're working with some good stuff. I'm curious to see more.
BTW, if you come across ANY info about any benefits of martial arts training, I'd be pleased to have you pass it on to me.
Originally posted by Lou Schuler:
A strength athlete like Danny might use GPP to improve his overall conditioning, enabling him to perform better in strength-building exercise or strength-displaying events.
But if his goal was just improving upon his already-magnificent physique, then every means he used to reach that end would be specific to it, not general.
Just as another example, lets look at my training. Like Chris mentioned, GPP is now often things like sandbag carries or truck pulling or other strongman type stuff. This is what people think about when they think GPP. But for me, it isn't GPP. It is quite specific. These are the events I compete in.
Danny
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Limitations are for people who have them.
Aw, c'mon Danny, you know you only quoted that because you wanted to make sure everyone saw that Lou said you had an "already-magnificent physique." [img]smile.gif[/img]
And I did farmer's walk today -- whether or not it's considered GPP for me, it sure was fun!
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For me, an average guy with no specific goal GPP is anything that gets up the heart rate up, keeps it up for a while, requires most of the muscles in the body to do, and is fun. I use GPP as an escape from the monotany of the sets and reps in the gym, which I have found actually helps me to train harder when I'm in the gym. I like Danny think people are over thinking what GPP is. If you are an athelete it may be some of the things that you read about football players or strongemen doing. If you are a dad (or mom) like me who just wants to stay in good condition then it in my opinon can be found in anything. Go ahead and use the sport specific stuff (I certanly do) but be open to the fact that GPP can also be things like raking leaves, pushing a lawnmower, or even playing tag with the kids. It is general for a reason.
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