Has anyone had any luck with bespoke plan creation with Dialed Health? I am over 50 with some damage to shoulders and seems I might need some modifications or workarounds the 7 essential movements. I have approached DH for bespoke advice through their website twice and never received a reply. To be clear this is not a complaint. I just want to know if DH is a rigid product/service or whether I am just unlucky.
Tx
PS I am aware of the fine print re this not being a substitute for medical advice….
I have always kept it simple with strength training and using programs that utilize training max as well as 3x5-5x5 schemes. I mostly trail run now for efficiency of time with a 1 year old but I never would come to the barbell after having some time off from a peak and throw the weight back on. I thought an easy answer to that is starting light? Not sure you need the whole endurance zone deal which will also make you super sore if you aren’t careful. I thought that was interesting.
IMO, an extremely simple lifting program is ideal for 99% of the population. Simple means based around the main compound lifts, and with a linear progressive overload of low reps. 3-5 working sets of 5, based on squats, deadlifts, bench press, and overhead press. Boring and effective.
The only exception to the above is if you have a physiological reason it doesn’t work, or if you are extremely strong and the linear approach no longer works. For me, this is when your bench, squad, and deadlift are 1.25x/1.5x/2x your body weight. That level of strength is just not needed for cycling.
Agreed - I follow the TR strength benchmarks which is essentially those compound lifts up to a certain % of your body weight. I trust TR for my bike training so may as well trust them for my strength prescription too. Maybe I’m leaving muscular development gains on the table by not doing split Russian-Turkish twist things, but I’m in and out of the gym in under 45’ and it fits in nicely to my working day twice a week.
I track my session using Apple Watch. Then export that to Strava through HealthFit. I do not track sets or anything as I’m not working to failure or anything.
I have made the change to only 2 sets of legs though now that I’ve started up a plan again. That was nice to hear on the podcast.
If your total, and gym based, loading, has a sequentially building slope over multiple weeks, then yes, it’s the same concept as your cycling specific work. If you view all your training through a long game lens (which is how real and sustainable progress happens), then days and weeks of unloading/reduced loading is critical. You can keep your strength training going during those times - just halve (or more) the volume and back right off the intensity for that period. The net effect over time will compound.
Thank you for your reply. Very helpful. A reduction in stress made sense but was harder for me to see he mechanism in comparison to on the bike training, where you just reduce to Z2 for the week. I will implement your ideas/recommendations going forward.
Glad my perspective could help. One other thing: with your strength training, and reducing the volume and intensity during those days/weeks/10day cycles, remember it can allow you more attention for other elements of good strength/body based training, such as movement skill and technique, optimal breathing, feeling out other exercises, etc etc. For some, this can be important for the psychology of framing things as a shift and variation, rather than just “not training properly”.
Has anyone started with DialedHealth since this podcast or transitioned to the new format on TrainHeroic? I just started with it (DialedHealth) and am fiinding the user-inteface with TrainHeroic to be sub-par. I have used TrainHeroic in the past for just tracking my workouts, but this is my first time trying to implement a programmed plan. I am guessing it is just a learning curve but I am finding a lot of small issues that make it difficult to modify and tweak your training.
TLDR: I signed up, tried to figure it out, and shortly thereafter cancelled and bailed
I signed up for DialedHealth/TrainHeroic about two weeks ago, based on my positive impressions of Derek from his AACC podcast appearances, and the general representations on his website.
I found the user experience and user interface of the iOS TrainHeroic app very frustrating - lacking in information and not intuitive at all.
I couldn’t figure out how to really see details of the various plans before selecting, especially to see what equipment was recommended.
I gave it a couple days of poking around in the app and waiting for a welcome/onboarding email until I finaly cancelled my subscription and deleted the app. I decided to wing it, and to incorporate some of Derek’s principals on my own along with the Starting Strength / Barbell Prescription stuff I had been doing. @nate_Pearson I think it would be an awesome collaboration if TR could implement some of Derek’s DialedHealth plans - but realize there is plenty of work still to be done in the core app and functionality.
This is EXACTLY what I am experiencing. I am giving it 1-month to see if it improves and will return to my previous plan after that. I really was hooked after the AACC podcast and his last interview with Jonathon. I am not impressed at all with the interface. I recall the site to be more useful in the past when I first explored it. I was really hopeful this was going to layer in perfectly with my training for a big event in July.
What’s up Dialed Health Fam! I’m using it since the podcast and find the interface “ok”. I’ve been adding on some deadlifts and deadsquats at the end, not entirely sure how to count the sets. (4 sets of 4 plus 2 deadlift and 2 dead squat sets = TR goes nuts) But I like it and feel like I’m gettin stronger.
It sounds grim in the DialedHealth chat within the TrainHeroic app. @Joe Are you using a DialedHealth program? Or just creating a sessions on-the-fly by picking exercises?
Thanks Joe. I do need to find a way to “count” the work in TR. I am currently doing Beginner Bodyweight for two more weeks. I like the programming so far. I wish the UI was a bit cleaner.
I am on that thread. I have also sent some messages to TrainHeroic. It seems like comments are starting to stack up as the new year rolls on and more people are having issues. I’m holding on since so far it’s usable for me, just not great. I am hoping Derek is involved and working on a solution and improvement behind the scenes.
I’m on the gravel program and I add some deadlifts and deadsquats at the end manually. I do like the fact that every month or so the program changes a little…long enough to see gains but short enough to keep the gains coming. Initially I thought it looked a lot like a toning program for middle aged housewives….but after really bad doms for weeks I realized I had a lot of gaps in my fitness. I tend to be a bit scattered when programming for myself (5X5 this week, 10X10 next week, let’s try for 10000 kettlebell swings this month, etc.) so having somebody else who knows something handle the programming is definitely worth something to me. I’ve kinda fallen into the 15 minute daily mobility thing 1st thing in the morning too…which might be doing something (not sure).
