Built for Bad Strength Circuits Questions to Start

Bigger Stronger Leaner Christian Thibaudeau Coaching
1

Hey CT,
About to start the ‘Built for Bad: Strength Circuits’ program Built for Bad: Strength Circuits and I just have a few questions to ask before I get started:

  1. Is the week set out Monday – Friday resting Saturday and Sunday or can we set it out 3 on 1 off, 2 on 1 off? What’s best layout?

  2. In terms of my 1 RM for each exercise, should I start the program using 90% or 95% as my 1RM to allow for a smoother progression? or start straight away with 100%?

  3. For the High Pull exercises, should I do this from the floor or from the hang?

  4. I’ve taken the last 4 weeks off from direct arm training to give my arms a break but I’m ready to start hitting them directly again. What is the best method to use to complement this program? Would doing the 1 set to failure scheme 5-6 days a week still be the best option?

  5. I’ve also been reading your advice on triceps from The Very Best Way to Build Triceps and you mentioned doing extra workouts- ‘for several months I’d do sets of band triceps pressdowns every day, a few times a day’. Can I implement this into my daily strategy? And If so, what is a rough rep/set pattern I can use as guidance? (once a day, few times a day, how many reps).

  6. Also could you do the same for biceps using the high rep band curls every day?

Thanks for your help as always really appreciate it,
PK

2

Honestly it doesn’t really matter… some people will do best on 5 on/2 off (not me), some will do better on 3 on/1 off/2 on/1 off, others on 2 on/1 off/3 on/1 off.

3

Always start lighter, you’ll get a training effect anyway

4

Hang or blocks

5

Yep that’s would be what I do… do 1-2 warm-up sets first

6

I never used a specific sets/reps scheme… just pump them up when you have time… I like sets of 20, sometimes going slow and squeeze sometimes exploding… it doesn’t really matter it’s just added low stress work

7

I guess… it’s not something I ever tried but it should work. But either pick this OR the daily biceps exercise, not both

8

Thanks CT for the response. Just to make sure-

  1. For my 1RM, I might start at 90% to leave room to progress, good idea?

  2. Also for adding weight each week, do we add 5lbs to each exercise or do we add 5lbs to our 1RM where working off?

  3. Yeh I also don’t like taking 2 days off in a row so what would be better:

    • 3 days on / 1 day (abs, arms, face pulls, neural charge circuit) / 2 days on / 1 day off
      or
    • 5 days on / 1 day (abs, arms, face pulls, neural charge circuit) / 1 day off

  4. In terms of biceps and triceps, do you suggest either choose to do an exercise 1-2 warm sets than 1 set of 6-12 reps to failure 6 days a week or do the daily high reps band pushdown / curls? Don’t do both during the program?

  5. Also with the band work, each time I do it, should I aim to do only 1 set each mini workout or do multiple sets (2-3) of roughly 20 reps each mini workout, done 1 or 2 times a day?

Thanks again for the help, cant wait to get started,
PK