The HPP OTM Protocol

Update (11/13/2018):  I just realized that I forgot to report on our findings.  After a of doing the HPP-OTMs, we all agreed that they were fun, they really pushed us to O2Max, and they were a nice change of pace.  But in the final analysis they were too short and too easy.  Constitutionals — seven high-rep Calisthenics done back to back with no rest breaks longer than a slow 12-count — are still the Cabal Fang standard.  That said, I’m rolling what we learned from this into a new idea with the working title MBFD.  Keep an eye out.

Here is a photo of my training journal showing the dice for randomizing and the chart I came up with.

Original Post (7/13/18)

We’re testing out HPP OTMs at the club this month.  HPP stands for “Hold/Push/Pull” and  OTM stands for “on the minute.”

How do our OTMs work?  Well,  I have a list of 12 exercises — that are as martial-arts-specific as possible!  — which I have placed on three, four-sided dice (see photo above) so that I can select three of them at random.

The HPP OTM Protocol

• Select 3 exercises at random — one from the Holding List, one from the Pulling List and one from the Pressing List.
• Set timer for 1 min intervals.
• Perform as many reps of Exercise #1 as you can.  At failure, rest until timer beeps, getting in position for the next exercise as you do.
• Repeat with Exercise #2.  Again, when you reach failure, breathe deeply as you get in position for exercise #3.
• Repeat with exercise #3.
• Cycle through two more sets for a total of 9 minutes.
• Record your max reps of each exercise in your training journal to keep track of PRs.
• The beauty of this program is that as strength goes up the rest periods go down.  I shrinks to fit!