You have probably heard the term General Physical Preparedness (GPP), also known as work capacity, but you might not know what this means. GPP in its simplest form, is defined as the ability to perform general conditioning tasks to improve strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, structure and skill. Work capacity is the measurable amount of work done in a set amount of time (i.e. 3 rounds of 10 swings, squats, and pushups in 10 minutes). 

Work capacity/GPP is an aspect of training that many either forget about or are simply unaware of. The reality is that GPP is everything to everyone—it is quite literally the foundation of your fitness. GPP is low-hanging fruit for many of you, and the good news is that a little bit goes a long way. 

Having great GPP helps to improve: 

• Aerobic fitness
• Recovery between sessions
• The development of strength and conditioning
• The size of one’s fitness base
• Resiliency

I can hear you all yelling at your screens, “WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE??” Don’t you worry, I will happily provide a few below. 

There are three primary ways to improve overall GPP: Circuit training, “Strong man” training, and aerobic intervals. 

Example 1: The OPFC Circuit

Most of you have had the pleasure of doing the OPFC circuit. Farmer carry, horn carry, run the loop, horn, farm, swing, crawl, squat, crawl, repeat. This is one of the best ways to improve your GPP as it has a wide variety of movements and encompasses each of the three above mentioned criteria. What’s great about this circuit is that it is easy to measure how well-conditioned you are. If you are dead to the world on the floor at the end, we know the training goal is to grow your aerobic base. If the carries are difficult to finish, we know strength is the goal. 

Example 2: “Strong Man” Training 

Farmer carries, sled pushes, bag drags, rope slams, medicine ball throws, and the list could go on. All these odd object exercises challenge your grip, posture, gait, and balance in ways that force your proprioception to improve. Being able to carry and push 75-100+% of your body weight has also been linked to several anti-aging factors like increased bone density, grip strength, and decreased risk of falls. 

Example 3: Aerobic Intervals 

The most basic of all things fitness is the ability to walk. If you are just starting, begin building your GPP base by simply walking for 60 seconds at a brisk pace, then a light pace for another 60 seconds, alternating for 30 total minutes. As you gradually get more comfortable, add time to the brisk walk pace. Increase the intensity to a run/walk, then a full run, and so on. The same could go for biking, hiking, or swimming, which are all outstanding aerobic activities. The idea of an aerobic interval is to do the most amount of work possible in a given time with a heart rate below approximately 150 BPM.

In summary, we need to continually work to improve our general fitness levels in order to push our maximal effort levels to new and improved heights. 

“Good [clients] don’t get bored of repetition because they’re so intune to the process” – Dan Pfaff

Nick and Tom