My Modified Bulgarian Program

Training Powerlifting
161

[quote]osu122975 wrote:

Def right about that. The Bulgarians certainly trained max effort each session.

All I was trying to say was to lift as heavy as possible each session w/o missing the pre-determined reps. This allowed you to train as heavy as possible for that day. It’s still max effort work. Max effort work doesn’t have to be singles. The only reason Bulgarians used max effort singles was because of the Olympic lifts and having no eccentric. I have no doubt in my mind when they trained the squat there were 2-3-5 rep maxes.

[u]Can’t really use the Bulgarian method every day; day in and day out w/ singles in powerlifting[/u] because the lifts are completely different. The Bulgarian method still has to be adapted to powerlifting.

I believe this guy had a decent article on it.

http://www.bayareapowerclub.com/Articles/Bulgarian%20loading%20secrets%20for%20strength.htm

I tried this method he wrote and it was a bruiser.

I’m not offended at all. I was offended by another guy who just rubbed me the wrong way in the way he responded to me which pissed me off. [/quote]

Okay cool then glad you are open to discussion.

I see where your thoughts are on that, I can say I too was once there as well. I will say however after running a modified Bulgarian program in PL since this last spring, seeing the numbers rise and myself develop as a powerlifter I would have to agree with your statement.

There are several top ranked powerlifters, im talking about WR holders, that indeed use the Bulgarian method adopted into powerlifting by working up to singles EVERY day. Daily maxes built on progression. Lifts are missed, not nearly as often as they are missed in the Oly version due to the diff style but I promise their are misses.

I am not a WR holder, I hope to be some day, I am however an “elite total” lifter and use this method, I max every day I step in the gym. Yes I do some rep work here and there, but that is done in the form of backoff sets.

There are two things I think are important to take from Ivans methods in order to understand the programing.

  1. You either adapt to the stress (daily maxes) or you fall under the pressure (in his opinion making you unworthy of the sport)
  2. You cannot be afraid to fail.

That being said, NO program is perfect for everyone. I think this method can be great for many, I think it is also a disaster for many.

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes in the sport:
“It is through missing that you learn the character of a lifter.” -Ivan Abadjiev

Now go max daily, miss here and there, and become a better competitor!

C4G

162

[quote]Curls4Girls wrote:
Daily maxes built on progression.

C4G[/quote]

Never did read on what a daily max was based on. Read about it, but never got an explanation.

163

[quote]osu122975 wrote:

[quote]Curls4Girls wrote:
Daily maxes built on progression.

C4G[/quote]

Never did read on what a daily max was based on. Read about it, but never got an explanation. [/quote]

Basically, a huge point is the working up to a max, in fact a PR max (TRAINING max) every time you step in the gym.

That then dictates the rest of that lifts workout for that day. You do back off sets, sometimes with 90% or 95%. Ivan strongly stressed the diff b/w 90% in training applying to the competition instead of these programs using the 60-80 range.

C4G

164

Curls4girls, you don’t believe in the daily max followed by back off work in the 70-80% region? Your back off stuff is around 90%?

165

[quote]Curls4Girls wrote:

[quote]osu122975 wrote:

[quote]Curls4Girls wrote:
Daily maxes built on progression.

C4G[/quote]

Never did read on what a daily max was based on. Read about it, but never got an explanation. [/quote]

Basically, a huge point is the working up to a max, in fact a PR max (TRAINING max) every time you step in the gym.

That then dictates the rest of that lifts workout for that day. You do back off sets, sometimes with 90% or 95%. Ivan strongly stressed the diff b/w 90% in training applying to the competition instead of these programs using the 60-80 range.

C4G
[/quote]

I believe they trained two/three times/day correct? That would make sense when planning for the day’s training and the back off sets.

166

C4G, can you reconcile these two things for me? First, you note you work up to a new PR training max every day. But you also state you don’t miss lifts too often, and you should be just hitting that last lift if you follow the numbers.

Even using 2.5 plates, every new PR has to be +5 pounds. Benching or squatting 5x a week and rarely missing would lead to about 20 pound increases each week (or 80/lbs month, or an absurd 800 lbs/year) if you’re truly trying to hit a new PR each time and making your PR attempt more often than you miss.

So are we really trying a new PR each session? Or is it something like you are hitting your current training max each time for a few sessions in a row (e.g., 350 lbs on the bench), and then bumping it 355 until you hit that for a few sessions in a row before bumping to 360?

Again, thanks for all your input.

167

[quote]Rock978 wrote:
So are we really trying a new PR each session?[/quote]
Not C4G, but in my limited experience with bulgarian style training, YES, you try a new PR each session. Most of times (again, in my experience) after a short-term adaptation, it’s NOT gonna happen, at leat for a good while; your 1RM can even decrease, sometimes dramatically (Broz calls them “dark times”).

But if you keep on trying, the average 1RM will eventually increase, you’ll hit and even increase your lifetime PRs.

168

[quote]jfm5193 wrote:
Curls4girls, you don’t believe in the daily max followed by back off work in the 70-80% region? Your back off stuff is around 90%?[/quote]

No, I don’t. I always use at least 90%. There is a reason this program is not supposed to be used by beginners. You use something like Sheiko or what not to build up a work capacity and condition your muscles. Then you go into this.

I want to add lbs to my total as often as possible. Getting good at lifting 70-80% does not do that for me. I agree there are ways to use that in other programs.

This program however increases your CNS demand. builds it. and molds you into being able to handle the heaby loads so that you are pretty much always meet ready.

C4G

169

[quote]Rock978 wrote:
C4G, can you reconcile these two things for me? First, you note you work up to a new PR training max every day. But you also state you don’t miss lifts too often, and you should be just hitting that last lift if you follow the numbers.

Even using 2.5 plates, every new PR has to be +5 pounds. Benching or squatting 5x a week and rarely missing would lead to about 20 pound increases each week (or 80/lbs month, or an absurd 800 lbs/year) if you’re truly trying to hit a new PR each time and making your PR attempt more often than you miss.

So are we really trying a new PR each session? Or is it something like you are hitting your current training max each time for a few sessions in a row (e.g., 350 lbs on the bench), and then bumping it 355 until you hit that for a few sessions in a row before bumping to 360?

Again, thanks for all your input. [/quote]

Again, I try not to go into entire detail on a public forum on what we do because my coach is the one that adapted this method for us and I know he doesnt like us to openyl speak about it.

I will say this: You guys know I have mentioned variations used. Those variations also have their top sets. a 3 second paused squat can have its own top set and then drop sets will be regular non paused.

therefore if I was using 4 variations of the squat and squatting 6x that week only 2 variations would be repeated.

I also will say there are record breaker plates used in competitions that are available online.

C4G

170

I also will say there are record breaker plates used in competitions that are available online.

C4G[/quote]

I knew there must be fractional/smaller plates involved somewhere! Lol.
No, that’s why I asked before because I did think they were used occasionally by some people to move forward, especially with bench. Not sure it makes much difference though: building in larger weight intervals just leads to a greater number of missed lifts.