It’s Not Just a Phase, Mom: General Physical Preparedness and Why Your Off-Season Isn’t a 'GPP Phase'

It’s Not Just a Phase, Mom: General Physical Preparedness and Why Your Off-Season Isn’t a 'GPP Phase'

The Ongoing Misconception About GPP (General Physical Preparedness)

There’s a recurring mistake in strength training circles—one that keeps resurfacing despite the overwhelming evidence against it. Many athletes and coaches continue to treat General Physical Preparedness (GPP) as an “off-season phase” rather than an essential, year-round component of training. Using Buzzwords is fun I get it.

In powerlifting, strongman, and even general strength training, GPP is often relegated to a pre-competition period or a way to “get in shape” before the real training starts. But here’s the reality: if you neglect GPP during your competitive season, your total physical preparedness is falling.

Westside Barbell, Louie Simmons, and the Conjugate system never treated GPP as a separate, limited phase. Instead, it’s the backbone of performance, injury prevention, and longevity. If you’re only prioritising GPP in the off-season and letting it fall away during competition prep, you’re leaving performance on the table. Let’s break down why that is.

What GPP and SPP Actually Mean

GPP: General Physical Preparedness

General Physical Preparedness (GPP) is the foundational level of fitness that supports all forms of athletic training. It is not just sled dragging or a way to “get in shape” before training begins. Instead, GPP is a holistic approach to developing work capacity, movement variability, muscular endurance, and overall physical resilience.

GPP includes:

 ✅ Aerobic and anaerobic conditioning – Improving endurance and recovery ability.

 ✅ Strength endurance – Building the ability to repeatedly exert force over time.

 ✅ Muscle and joint health – Preventing imbalances and reducing injury risk.

 ✅ Work capacity – Increasing the ability to handle higher training volumes and intensities.

 ✅ Athleticism – Developing movement efficiency, coordination, and explosive power.

GPP is not about replacing strength work—it is the foundation that allows athletes to sustain long-term progress, recover better, and remain injury-free.

SPP: Specific Physical Preparedness

Specific Physical Preparedness (SPP) is the sport-specific training that refines and maximizes an athlete’s performance in their chosen discipline. It is what most strength athletes think of when they consider “competition prep” or “serious training.”

SPP includes:

 ✅ Maximal strength work – Lifting heavy in the squat, bench press, OHP, deadlift, and strongman events.

 ✅ Technique refinement – Practicing lifts exactly as they will be performed in competition

. ✅ Peaking strategies – Structuring intensity and volume to optimise performance at a meet.

 ✅ Event-specific work – For strongman, this could mean log press, stone loading, and yoke carries. For powerlifting, it means dialing in competition squat depth, pauses, and commands. However the fun part of strongman is that events can also be used for GPP depending on the season.

Where athletes go wrong is assuming that GPP is something that stops once SPP begins. In reality, GPP and SPP work together year-round.

GPP plays a vital role across all strength sports—not just powerlifting and strongman. The specific movements and tools may change, but the underlying principles stay the same.

• Olympic weightlifters incorporate sled work, high-rep bodybuilding work, and loaded carries to maintain conditioning without interfering with technical proficiency.

• Combat athletes (wrestlers, MMA fighters) use sandbag work, sled pushes, and explosive jumps to develop endurance and brute-force strength.

• Field sport athletes (rugby, football) rely on low-intensity loaded carries, prowler work, and hill sprints for joint resilience and full-body conditioning.

Even in sports where maximal strength isn’t the sole priority, GPP remains essential. If you’re stronger, more conditioned, and able to recover faster, you have an advantage—no matter the sport.

(You can catch more on this in my upcoming EBook on Conjugate Training for sports)

What GPP Actually Is (And What It’s Not)

The fundamental misunderstanding of GPP comes from the idea that it’s just a general conditioning phase—something done to prepare for sport-specific training. This could not be further from the truth.

GPP is: 

✅ The foundation of work capacity—the ability to recover from and tolerate high training loads. 

✅ The key to athletic longevity—keeping the body resilient through varied movement patterns. 

✅ A tool for restoring balance—ensuring muscles, joints, and tendons are prepared for peak performance. 

✅ A method to sustain adaptation year-round—not just in the off-season.

On the flip side, GPP is NOT: 

❌ Just cardio—it’s not about jogging or “getting in shape.” 

❌ An isolated training phase—it doesn’t stop when strength training intensifies. 

❌ Optional for strength athletes—it’s the reason great lifters don’t break down over time.

GPP isn’t about getting away from strength training—it’s about making sure your body can handle it at the highest levels, continuously adapting.

GPP is the insurance policy that keeps your body functioning under heavy loads. While most lifters focus on absolute strength, they forget that joints, tendons, and stabilizer muscles take the biggest beating over time. High-rep accessory work, sled drags, and carries don’t just build muscular endurance—they reinforce the connective tissues that absorb force in heavy squats, deadlifts, and presses.

Neglecting this work is why so many lifters struggle with chronic pain, elbow tendinitis, and lower back issues after years of training. If your GPP is weak, you may get strong fast, but you’ll also break fast. The strongest lifters aren’t just moving the most weight; they’re also the ones who last the longest.

Why GPP Should Never Be Seasonal

🔹 GPP Feeds Into SPP Year-Round In strength sports, training moves between General Physical Preparedness (GPP) and Specific Physical Preparedness (SPP). The mistake is assuming these are entirely separate. In reality, they fuel each other.

🔹 Without GPP, SPP Suffers

 Specificity matters, but without a strong general base, you’re constantly fighting fatigue, stagnation, and injury. If you only train strength but let GPP slip, you’re making yourself fragile.

• Weak work capacity = slower recovery between heavy lifts.

• Lack of conditioning = fatigue accumulation during volume work.

• No athleticism = difficulty adapting to changes in lifting demands.

• Lack of Connective Tissue Tolerance Training = RIP Joints.

A major misconception is that GPP takes away from maximal strength gains, rather than enhancing them. The reality is that GPP work improves force production by increasing an athlete’s overall work capacity, intramuscular coordination, and movement efficiency.

Think about sled dragging and high-rep hypertrophy work—these build endurance in the same muscle groups responsible for bar speed, lockout strength, and postural stability. Explosive jumps and throws improve rate of force development, which directly translates to increased power in squats and deadlifts.

If your goal is to be as strong as possible, you can’t afford to ignore the elements that make your body more efficient at producing force. The lifters with the highest 1RMs are the ones who move the bar with the most speed, the most control, and the least wasted energy. That’s what GPP develops.

🔹 Westside Barbell’s Approach to GPP

 Louie Simmons made GPP a cornerstone of the Conjugate Method. Sled drags, kettlebell swings, weighted carries, jumps, and bodyweight circuits weren’t “extra”—they were mandatory.

This wasn’t just for fun; it allowed lifters to recover faster, train harder, and stay healthier.

• Sled dragging and high-rep accessory work were used between heavy days for restoration and conditioning.

• Explosive jumps and throws built athleticism alongside maximal strength.

• Constant movement variability prevented overuse injuries from stagnation.

GPP isn’t just sled dragging—it’s any movement that improves your ability to train harder and recover better. This includes:

• High-rep hypertrophy work for muscle endurance.

• General conditioning circuits using kettlebells, sandbags, or bodyweight exercises.

• Low-intensity recovery work to improve mobility and reduce stiffness.

• Core and grip work to reinforce foundational strength across lifts.

The Pitfalls of a “GPP Phase” Mentality

🚨 1. Loss of Work Capacity & Conditioning When GPP is treated as an off-season phase and then neglected, athletes lose work capacity over time.

🚨 2. Increased Risk of Injury Without constant GPP work, small muscular imbalances and joint weaknesses compound, making athletes more susceptible to injuries, especially under heavy loads.

🚨 3. Diminished Recovery Ability A well-conditioned athlete can recover between sets and sessions faster, meaning more quality work gets done. Drop GPP, and you’ll struggle through every training block.

🚨 4. Loss of Versatility & Adaptability Strength isn’t just about moving a barbell—it’s about control, stability, and power from different positions. If your only training is hyper-specific, you’re limiting your athletic potential.

If you train like a specialist all the time but neglect the general, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

How to Implement GPP Year-Round (The Right Way)

Rather than treating GPP as an afterthought, integrate it into your program with purpose:

💥 Sled Drags & Carries – Every athlete should be dragging a sled weekly. It builds work capacity, strength endurance, and recovery. 

💥 Jumps & Throws – Keep explosive movement patterns year-round for maximal force production. 

💥 High-Rep Accessories – 50-100 rep sets of small muscle groups ensure joint and tendon durability. 

💥 Conditioning Circuits – Kettlebell swings, jogging, sprinting and sandbag loads, and battle ropes help sustain aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Some people might even try and repackage this back to you as Heartshock training.

These aren’t just for off-season fluff—they keep you progressing year-round.

The biggest mistake lifters make is thinking GPP is an “add-on” instead of a structured part of their program. It should be integrated based on training phase and individual needs. Here’s how you could structure GPP across different seasons:

🔹 Off-season (3-4 dedicated GPP sessions per week):

• Sled drags, weighted carries, and high-rep hypertrophy work are prioritised to build general work capacity.

• Aerobic and anaerobic conditioning (prowler pushes, rower sprints, circuits) improve endurance without interfering with strength gains.

🔹 Meet prep (1-2 GPP sessions per week, reduced volume):

• Focus shifts to maintaining GPP benefits without compromising recovery.

• Lower volume but strategic sled work, light conditioning, and joint-focused hypertrophy stay in.

🔹 Peak week (Minimal GPP, but still present):

• GPP takes a backseat, but recovery walks, mobility drills, and light sled dragging help maintain movement efficiency.

GPP isn’t something you drop in and out of—it’s something you scale appropriately depending on competition demands. The best lifters never stop doing it; they just adjust it.

Adjusting GPP Volume as You Approach Competition

Of course, total volume and intensity of GPP work will decrease as competition approaches, but GPP elements should never completely disappear.

🔹 Sled, prowler and kettlebell work might drop in volume, but recovery walks and light conditioning remain.

 🔹 Explosive work may taper down, but jumps and throws stay in as primers.

 🔹 High-rep accessories may decrease, but mobility and stability work continue.

GPP isn’t something you abandon; it’s something you scale appropriately to fit into the competition cycle.

GPP Isn’t Optional

If you think GPP is something you can turn off and on, you’re missing the point. It’s not an off-season phase—it’s a foundational pillar that supports every part of your training.

If you want to be strong, stay healthy, recover faster, and perform at your best, your GPP must be in check. Not just for a few months a year—but always.

🚀 Struggling with balancing GPP, SPP, and competition prep? 🚀 I’ve worked with world-class strength athletes and complete beginners, and the key to success is a well-structured, sustainable system.

📩 Apply for coaching today and let’s build strength the right way. 💪 https://www.teamjoshhezza.com/product-page/online-coaching 

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