CT,
I want to make sure that I understand double progression plateau loading.
If I wanted to do six sets, for 8,8,6,6,10,10 I would do the first two sets with the same weight, add weight and do the next two sets with the same weight, add weight and do the last two sets with the same weight. Is this correct?
Also should each set be hard? Or is it better to use some of the sets as a kind of warmup?
Thanks for your time.
[quote]Jersey5150 wrote:
Christian
In the overhead press workout you posted for RITJared you have lockouts in the power rack for held for a count.
I am to tall to use the rack I would end up doing about a quarter press and then hold which would restrict the weight I use. Any alternatives?[/quote]
Lose a couple of inches!!!
Seriously you can perform incline bench holds, but you’ll need a partner. It won’t have the same postural/stability effect. But the impact on the arms and shoulders will be similar.
Christian-
I’m already practicing power clean/presses very frequently (like 6 days per week) but keeping the volume fairly low/medium (anywhere from 10 total reps per workout to 25)
Basically I want to be able to clean/press 100 lb dumbbells for a single in each arm (one at a time though) and do bodyweight w/a barbell which would be 185lbs. I have done 75 db’s so far and 150 lbs w/a barbell.
Thanks.
[quote]Mufasa wrote:
CT:
Hold-over from yesterday…
None of them are really that much more effective, but I personaly find that the straight bar is easier on the elbow joint. The EZ bar also facilitates the development of an inward shoulder rotation leading to a rounding of the shoulders.
[quote]Mufasa wrote:
2) What do you consider the best mass builder for triceps?
[/quote]
Decline nosebreaker
Each set should be near maximal or maximal. In other words, when you are supposed to perform 6 reps, you shouldn’t be able to complete more than that.
So if you are using an 8/6/10 progression, a workout might look like this:
1 x 8 @ 100lbs
1 x 8 @ 100lbs
1 x 6 @ 115lbs
1 x 6 @ 115lbs
1 x 10 @ 90lbs
1 x 10 @ 90lbs
Normally both sets of a plateau should use the same weight. But if the first set was too easy you can add weight in the second set and if it was too hard or you feel drained you can reduce it.
[quote]basementD wrote:
CT,
I want to make sure that I understand double progression plateau loading.
If I wanted to do six sets, for 8,8,6,6,10,10 I would do the first two sets with the same weight, add weight and do the next two sets with the same weight, add weight and do the last two sets with the same weight. Is this correct?
Also should each set be hard? Or is it better to use some of the sets as a kind of warmup?
Thanks for your time. [/quote]
I need to get my legs (especially my knees) in shape for ski season. I have a specific weakness in the v. medialis. What sort of things can I do to strengthen that area specifically and to avoid rotational type knee injury?
You’re on the right track! Maximum improvement in a lift starts with a frequent practice of that lift. That’s why elite olympic lifters snatch and clean every day.
You are also right in using a low volume approach.
What I would suggest is an intensity variation throughout the week.
E.g.
Day 1: 80% 6 x 2
Day 2: 80% 2 x 2, 90% 5 x 1
Day 3: 80% 8 x 1 (easy day)
Day 4: 80% 2 x 2, 90% 3 x 1, 95% 2 x 1
Day 5: 80% 8 x 1 (easy day)
Day 6: Work up to 1RM
Why 80%? Because soviet literature found that using weights below 80% in the quick lifts (olympic lifts) has a different motor/recruitment pattern than with maximal weights.
Then on days 1, 2 and 4 I would add 1-2 assistance exercises for the clean and 1-2 assistance exercises for the press.
For the clean I’d use:
For the press I’d use:
[quote]BPC wrote:
Christian-
I’m already practicing power clean/presses very frequently (like 6 days per week) but keeping the volume fairly low/medium (anywhere from 10 total reps per workout to 25)
Basically I want to be able to clean/press 100 lb dumbbells for a single in each arm (one at a time though) and do bodyweight w/a barbell which would be 185lbs. I have done 75 db’s so far and 150 lbs w/a barbell.
Thanks.
[/quote]
CT,
You’ve talked about your specialization body part training before. I was wondering how would you set one up for a easy hard gainer that wanted focus on quads and back.
Thanks for your help
[quote]marcus_aurelius wrote:
CT,
What kind of training would you suggest when coming off UD 2.0 ?
(in between cycles)[/quote]
An upper/lower body split using a relatively high volume of work to benefit from the natural anabolic rebound following the diet. I’d work in the 6-8 and 8-12 rep ranges for 12 sets per major muscle group and around 6-9 sets for smaller muscle groups.
[quote]FamilyJewels wrote:
I need to get my legs (especially my knees) in shape for ski season. I have a specific weakness in the v. medialis. What sort of things can I do to strengthen that area specifically and to avoid rotational type knee injury?[/quote]
Bulgarian squats, split squats, lunges, 1 and 1/2 squat (going to the bottom position, going halfway up then down again and finally stand up… this is one rep).
If you have the $$$ you can also look for the Compex sport EMS unit, which is used among others by Hermann Meir.
CT - love your stuff man. Question: you’ve written OVT and the mutation series and now have been discussing frequency as a key to muscle growth. For an intermediate lifter interested primarily in hypertrophy and body composition would you suggest OVT or the mutation series or something more along the lines of full body or UB/LB splits. I know there are so many factors involved but do you believe frequency to be the key to muscle growth as does CW. I am extremely interested in what you’ve mentioned in the DaFreak posts.
Thanks for your time. Again great stuff, great site T-Nation.
[quote]Bushido wrote:
CT,
You’ve talked about your specialization body part training before. I was wondering how would you set one up for a easy hard gainer that wanted focus on quads and back.
Thanks for your help
[/quote]
DAY 1
A. Back squat
4 x 3-5 reps
B. Bent over barbell row
4 x 3-5
C. Leg press
3 x 6-8 reps
D. Weighted pull-ups or lat pulldown
3 x 6-8 reps
DAY 2
A. Front squat
4 x 6-8 reps
B. Corner row
4 x 6-8 reps
C. Bulgarian squat
3 x 8-10 reps/leg
D. Parallel (close) lat pulldown
3 x 8-10
DAY 3
A1. Back squat
4 x 8-10 reps
A2. Leg extension
4 x 12-15
B1. T-bar rowing (chest supported)
4 x 8-10
B2. Straight-arms pulldown
4 x 12-15
A1. and A2 as well as B1. and B2. are a superset.
CT here’s one for you. Whats your thoughts on HIT training A) for a bodybuilder and B) more importantly for an athlete. i know alot of top schools and pro programs use it claiming that it’s safer and the argument against is that it offers no stabilization challenge and that it doesn’t build strength and defaintly doesn’t build explosivenss like olympic lifts. Now I know your Pro O-lift but whats your thoughts on HIT?
maybe even a pro and con to it?
CT- How do you typically go about adding in calories during a growth phase while using a carb-cycling approach? ie. what macros do you add, how much per week, etc.
Also, for low-pulley rows, do you like to get a stretch at bottom of the eccetric or do you like to maintain an upright back/chest position at all times?
HIT doesn’t really exist! It’s not a true training system because there are just too many differences between “supposed HITers” …
For example, the original HIT methodology is against the olympic lifts because they are supposedly dangerous, yet many guys who are often referred as HITers (by the HIT gang themselves) indeed use some form of olympic lifting and many also use sandbag and strongman training. The original HIT FAQ state that Brook Kubrik (author of Dinosaur training) and Bob Wheelan (basically a S&C legend) are HITers while Brook uses a lot of olympic lifts, dumbbell swings and heavy singles and both men use strongman training.
The original HIT methodology calls for one set per exercise performed to muscle failure; in fact many HITers have spent a ton of time trying to proove that one set is all you need. Yet, several guys touted as being HIT proponents either:
a) perform more work sets (2-3) or
b) perform several progressively heavier “warm-up” sets. Dorian Yates trained this way, but he doesn’t really do only 1 set … on his first exercise for a bodypart he might do 3-5 progressively harder sets, many of those which could still be qualified as work sets.
The original HIT methodology calls for avoiding lower reps (1-6) stating that they are too dangerous and not more effectice. Yet many supposed HITers train with low reps, even heavy singles.
And I could go on and on …
The bottom line is that some of the principles of HIT can be useful, and it’s certainly a better option than the excessive routines often seen in gyms. It can have its place within a yearly training program, but should not constitute the whole program.
[quote]bigpump23 wrote:
CT here’s one for you. Whats your thoughts on HIT training A) for a bodybuilder and B) more importantly for an athlete. i know alot of top schools and pro programs use it claiming that it’s safer and the argument against is that it offers no stabilization challenge and that it doesn’t build strength and defaintly doesn’t build explosivenss like olympic lifts. Now I know your Pro O-lift but whats your thoughts on HIT?
maybe even a pro and con to it?[/quote]
[quote]philco wrote:
CT- How do you typically go about adding in calories during a growth phase while using a carb-cycling approach? ie. what macros do you add, how much per week, etc.
[/quote]
We progressively increase carb intake. Protein and fat stays the same. Normally, every 3 weeks we add 25g of carbs per day. Initially at breakfast, than post-workout then back to breakfast, etc.
We do this until fat gain increases. It’s the exact opposite of what we use during a dieting phase.
Also, for low-pulley rows, do you like to get a stretch at bottom of the eccetric or do you like to maintain an upright back/chest position at all times?[/quote]
Frequency is one tool of our trade. High frequency training works well with low or very low volume of work but not so much with higher volume stuff. Frequency of training has more impact on motor learning and thus on strength and power gains.
The exception is during a specialization phase, which will be explained in a later article.
[quote]springbok wrote:
CT - love your stuff man. Question: you’ve written OVT and the mutation series and now have been discussing frequency as a key to muscle growth. For an intermediate lifter interested primarily in hypertrophy and body composition would you suggest OVT or the mutation series or something more along the lines of full body or UB/LB splits. I know there are so many factors involved but do you believe frequency to be the key to muscle growth as does CW. I am extremely interested in what you’ve mentioned in the DaFreak posts.
Thanks for your time. Again great stuff, great site T-Nation.[/quote]
CT,
I have posted to you about this before, the part about me being an easy-hard gainer. As i’m 155lbs, 5’8, very fast and explosive, ran a 4.5-40, dunked a basketball at my height, benched 245, squatted 300 and deadlifted 325, done 3 pronated pullups with a 65lb dumbbell around my waist. I don’t see myself as muscular but alot of other people say they do and they also think i look like i weigh more than i do so.
But anyway i’m not posting to find out if i’m an easy-hard gainer, as that is almost fairly obvious. Its a nutrition question.
Obviously i have a very hard time gaining mass even eating a large amount of calories. But i’m wondering if it could be just the fact that i’m not eating often enough. Right now i do good to get in 5 meals a day with my work schedule.
Could it be possible that if to eat more often and take in more protein at each meal that it could solve my problem even if i eat the same amount of calories?
I’m thinking my protein turnover rate may be so high that my muscle’s aren’t getting protein and energy often enough to grow not matter how much i take in a day?
Could this be true?
It could be. It’s possible that you need to ingest protein more often. But it might also be a food absorption or digestion issue. But don’t nelect carbs either. I find that EHG benefit more from some additional carbs than some additional protein.
[quote]binford wrote:
CT,
I have posted to you about this before, the part about me being an easy-hard gainer. As i’m 155lbs, 5’8, very fast and explosive, ran a 4.5-40, dunked a basketball at my height, benched 245, squatted 300 and deadlifted 325, done 3 pronated pullups with a 65lb dumbbell around my waist. I don’t see myself as muscular but alot of other people say they do and they also think i look like i weigh more than i do so.
But anyway i’m not posting to find out if i’m an easy-hard gainer, as that is almost fairly obvious. Its a nutrition question.
Obviously i have a very hard time gaining mass even eating a large amount of calories. But i’m wondering if it could be just the fact that i’m not eating often enough. Right now i do good to get in 5 meals a day with my work schedule.
Could it be possible that if to eat more often and take in more protein at each meal that it could solve my problem even if i eat the same amount of calories?
I’m thinking my protein turnover rate may be so high that my muscle’s aren’t getting protein and energy often enough to grow not matter how much i take in a day?
Could this be true? [/quote]
CT,
Thanks for the response mate,
very much appreciated.
I’m implemet those changes
when i embark on my new program
Cheers,
Stevo