Where would you place low intensity sled/prowler work in an upper/lower EOD template?
Low intensity: 4-6 rounds of 1-2 minutes, equal rest per your loaded carries fat loss/conditioning protocol.
Should it be done every training day or restricted to lower body sessions? Could it even be done on “off days” following a squat day to facilitate active recovery and cardiovascular health given sled/prowler work is concentric only (but abstained from before squat days to ensure maximum performance)?
I wouldn’t do them on off days. It is a myth that sled work will increase recovery from a preceding day workout.
Sled work CAN improve recovery by increasing conditioning level and work capacity. But not as an “active recovery” measure.
I’ve recently came to the conclusion that anything remotely intense will slow down recovery, not increase it.
Walking is fine. Even waking with a light weight vest. But I wouldn’t do sled work on off days.
Sled work doesn’t cause much (if any) muscle damage, so it can be done frequently. But it still causes systemic stress and energy depletion that is counterproductive to recovery.
That having been said, it can be done on every workout during an EOD split, as long as you don’t go overboard with it.
That sentence alone shows that sled work will not help with recovery. If it did help with recovery, it means that the day after you are are better off than you where (more recovered) and thus would HELP your squat, not hurt it.
Thanks, coach! That greatly clarifies my thinking. EOD is about focusing on quality, not quantity.
Just trying to determine the optimal way to get in some cardiovascular work for heart and neurological health as a newish dad (and it sounds like for you, in a similar situation, walking is your go to).
My go-to is walking with the kids in the stroller (heck, you can even add weight to the stroller). It’s like a very low intensity sled push. I do that everyday for about an hour (I go to the grocery store daily as part of my routine), and it takes me 45-60 min depending on the route.
I also wear a weight vest when I go walk the dogs.
Do I remember correctly that you have an article coming out on the rationale for walking so much? I feel as if I read something here on the forums that since it allows you to eat more you can stimulate IGF-1 and mTor more.
Might be unrelated but in the book ‘Gut’ the MD author talks about how the lymphatic system doesn’t have a central pump like the heart even though the system mirrors our blood vessels. They make the point that walking acts as the pumping mechanism which might be a factor as to how walking helps recovery.
Makes sense to me from an evolutionary perspective as you’ll be on your feet a lot. Especially, hopefully, after an intense event.