New Training Questions

Training
262

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Thy. wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
drewh wrote:
What’s a decent replacement for blast isos? The gym doesn’t have many power racks.

Blast isos are an activation tool. So any other activation method can be used instead. For example twitch reps, ballistic exercises, jumps, throws, explosive lifts, heavy partials, drop and catch, etc.

Thib, for the bench press if:

  • explosive push-ups are hard on the wrists
  • twitch reps are uncomfortable
  • 50% explosive bench press don’t activate me much
  • drop and catch is impossible (no smith machine)
  • no blast isos (no 2nd set of pins in the gym)

Would you go for partials as an activation tool on both bench press sessions ? (Monday and Friday)

If what you are saying is true then I would choose another hobby.
[/quote]

Why so?

263

thib could u be so kind and take a look at the 10th page, the questions can’t be that lame to overlook :-/

thanks coach

264

hey thibs,

how would i fit in activation sets in to say my normal bench routine.

E.g my first lift is incline barbell press usually i do a 2-3 warm up sets and then 3-5 heavy sets of 3-5.

so would i just do 2 sets of speed pressing in before i do my heavy sets

something like, 50% of 1rm for 1x3 as fast as possible then 55% 1x3, or am i completely wrong?

thanks

265

Do you use neural activation tools only for the first exercise of each workout, for each muscle group, or for each individual exercise?

Thank you.

266

[quote]Thy. wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Thy. wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
drewh wrote:
What’s a decent replacement for blast isos? The gym doesn’t have many power racks.

Blast isos are an activation tool. So any other activation method can be used instead. For example twitch reps, ballistic exercises, jumps, throws, explosive lifts, heavy partials, drop and catch, etc.

Thib, for the bench press if:

  • explosive push-ups are hard on the wrists
  • twitch reps are uncomfortable
  • 50% explosive bench press don’t activate me much
  • drop and catch is impossible (no smith machine)
  • no blast isos (no 2nd set of pins in the gym)

Would you go for partials as an activation tool on both bench press sessions ? (Monday and Friday)

If what you are saying is true then I would choose another hobby.

Why so?[/quote]

The fact that you don’t want to do plyo push-up because they are hard on your wrists, that you are unwilling to do twitch reps because they do not feel comfortable tells me that your work ethic, desire or capacity to withstand pain are not high enough to lead to any kind of success.

Drop and catch are not done on the smith machine, they are done with a free weight.

267

[quote]padrinho wrote:
thib could u be so kind and take a look at the 10th page, the questions can’t be that lame to overlook :-/

thanks coach[/quote]

No, I do not answer question re-posts or people who get on my case because I missed their question

268

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
kaoticz wrote:
Hey CT,

Do you recommend the style of training you’ve been advocating (atleast published on this site) like low reps, auto-reg etc. for beginners or novice lifters or should they train more “traditionally” with higher reps , set program etc. until at a certain level of strength or something?

I’m eager to try and auto-reg my training and use lower reps and all of that but from all I read these are all more advanced techniques…

Based on your recent training techniques is there anything you would recommend to a novice lifter like myself in terms of Split, reps/sets/volume etc. ?

if it helps here are my stats

age: 16
weight:155lb
bench: 165lb
Squat: around 225lb
Cable row : 50kg x 10… not sure of 1RM
Pullups: 15

Thanks in advance!

Well, there is really several facet to the style you are describing…

  1. Ramping the weight progressively until you reach the max for that day (for the selected rep number)
  2. Always trying to accelerate the weight as much as possible, the weight dictate the speed, but the intent to accelerate is always there
  3. Autoregulating your training
  4. Using techniques to activate the nervous system (explosive movements, twitch reps, blast isos, heavy partials, etc.)
  5. Using low reps

To me, no.1, 2, 3 and 4 can (and should) be applied to every level. They are the foundation of effective training. If you know how to use these 3 you can basically do any program and make it work.

As for no.5. I would recommend medium reps (6-8) for beginners who don’t have a lot of experience with low reps lifting. Once they are very at ease and efficient at that level, go down a notch.
[/quote]

Thanks alot for the reply CT, i actually tried some of the methods you mentioned, like accerlating weight even on warmups and doing some explosive pushups prior to lifting, and i set a PR, (10lb on my bench) which feels great!

Thanks!!

269

Thib,

Some people promote using singles over 90 percent and then finishing up a training session with “accessory work” for certain muscle groups with Higher reps. So for a primary lift the coach would have you work up to a training day max single and then have you complete a certain amount of singles over 90-percent. One example I’ve seen has you performing a 4 week block where the main exercise is waved like

Week 1: 8 singles over 90%
Week 2: 6 singles over 90%
Week 3: 10 singles over 90%
Week 4: 2 singles over 90%

So you’d work up to a max for the day, and then that lift and any others that are at least 90 percent of it would count towards the total of singles for the day.

What is your take on such an approach, especially in light of how you feel about ramping and auto-regulation…is the above style possibly decent but still largely lacking?

270

CT:
So for someone who is not quite at the advanced level but is pushing there do you set up an exercise like this:

  1. activation technique for the movement
  2. warm-up set with light weight for 10-20 smooth, explosive reps
  3. 2-3 feel sets of singles in the 60-70% range, with max acceleration
  4. sets of desired number of reps, starting at 70-75%, and progressively adding 5% until you can no longer complete a set with all the reps
  5. an exhaustive set of 85% of the days max for max reps.

Do you use all parts for every exercise, even those that use similar muscles? For example, if you started out with flat bench, and then moved to incline DB press, where in that line-up would you start? The fourth part?

271

I was just wondering if doing a complete upper body workout is the way to go, instead of a split?

272

Any chance we can get an updated estimate on when the I Bodybuilder superprogram will be released. When the “revealed” article and video were put on the site in July it estimated about 6 weeks. It’s been about 9 weeks since then. I’d say that I don’t want to sound impatient, but…I am. But that just because, like everyone else, I’m stoked about this!

It’d be really cool if you could give us what the new target date is maybe, possibly, best-guess, looking like.

Thanks for everything you give to T-Nation.

273

Thib,

If using a pullover machine, is there value to doing partial ROM movements after you’ve completed all the full ROM reps that you can perform?

If so, would you execute reps in the ROM from just before to right at the fully contracted position and then finish with repetitions from fully stretched to a bit beyond that point?

274

Any chance we can get an updated estimate on when the I Bodybuilder superprogram will be released. When the “revealed” article and video were put on the site in July it estimated about 6 weeks. It’s been about 9 weeks since then. I’d say that I don’t want to sound impatient, but…I am. But that just because, like everyone else, I’m stoked about this!

It’d be really cool if you could give us what the new target date is maybe, possibly, best-guess, looking like.

Thanks for everything you give to T-Nation.

I second that!

275

[quote]rich2323 wrote:
Any chance we can get an updated estimate on when the I Bodybuilder superprogram will be released. When the “revealed” article and video were put on the site in July it estimated about 6 weeks. It’s been about 9 weeks since then. I’d say that I don’t want to sound impatient, but…I am. But that just because, like everyone else, I’m stoked about this!

It’d be really cool if you could give us what the new target date is maybe, possibly, best-guess, looking like.

Thanks for everything you give to T-Nation.

I second that![/quote]

276

Thib, one problem, two questions:

1- My judo teammates only have access to the weigthroom one 90 minutes before the judo class starts (although, i can afford a gym which i can go whenever i want).

Judo classes (whith the weights) are 3x/week (MWF) ; Would WS4SB I or II be a good option? If so How would you manipulate the program so my mates get best results from it?

2- Same problem, but this time is with me, would be ok to use a few Barbell complexes monday and fryday, and a strength workout (mainly shoulder/traps) in wednesday?

How should be the weight session be manipulated in order to get the most of it? (and trying to not suck in the judo class).

Thanks.

277

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
joe1981 wrote:
When training twice a day for fat loss do you recommend two lifting sessions or one lifting, one ESW? While eating carbs only pre-workout. Thanks!

I always prefer two strength workouts , IF the individual knows what he is doing.

If he doesn’t have a clue and risk screwing himself up I recommend cardio as the second session. Come to think of it, I recommend cardio quite often![/quote]

Do you recommend steady state cardio as my PM session? While eating very low carb except for before my AM lifting session? Thanks CT!

278

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Thy. wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Thy. wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
drewh wrote:
What’s a decent replacement for blast isos? The gym doesn’t have many power racks.

Blast isos are an activation tool. So any other activation method can be used instead. For example twitch reps, ballistic exercises, jumps, throws, explosive lifts, heavy partials, drop and catch, etc.

Thib, for the bench press if:

  • explosive push-ups are hard on the wrists
  • twitch reps are uncomfortable
  • 50% explosive bench press don’t activate me much
  • drop and catch is impossible (no smith machine)
  • no blast isos (no 2nd set of pins in the gym)

Would you go for partials as an activation tool on both bench press sessions ? (Monday and Friday)

If what you are saying is true then I would choose another hobby.

Why so?

The fact that you don’t want to do plyo push-up because they are hard on your wrists, that you are unwilling to do twitch reps because they do not feel comfortable tells me that your work ethic, desire or capacity to withstand pain are not high enough to lead to any kind of success.

Drop and catch are not done on the smith machine, they are done with a free weight.
[/quote]

Please read this…

You took me for a complaining pussy because I won’t do some twitch reps (which are not critical to anything anyway), and because I have reasonable limitations on the other stuff ?

This is very painful and unexpected to hear from you of all people.

I’m as much the opposite as it can be. I have a prominent scoliosis and I’m not even supposed to lift at all, especially on vertical axis movement. Yet, I power clean, snatch, squat, deadlift more than the majority of healthy people. I’m aware that with my condition I might worsen my situation, that I’m very injury-prone because of this, that I might face serious problems later.

Yet I lift NOW with all my heart, despite having stability problems (asymmetrical loading and muscular activity) and uncomfort in many movements. Hell, even the bench press sometimes causes trouble due to asymmetrical shoulder levels!!!

I’m never afraid of hard lifting, on the opposite: that’s what I’m looking for with great anticipation. Gym days are sacred. I see no point stepping into the gym without an eagerness to work the hardest, that is unnatural to me. Many times I burn out my CNS because I train too hard…

Withstand pain… I have small and weak wrists and I had chronic pain for years because I “withstood pain”. Why would I do something that would return that chronic pain and hold me from doing other movements successfully ?

I have very small hands… Especially very weak and small, short fingers, that give me massive disadvantage on grip, yet I never used straps and my hands are always messed up… And I use hook or double overhand grip only.

Damn it, one of my collar bones is not where it should be (higher because of scoliosis), and I smash the freaking barbell on it when I clean… Yes I can withstand some pain!

You might think that you don’t know me, you don’t see me train, that I’m hyperbolyzing my efforts. Everyone can make things up on the internet and claim heroic deeds, that’s true, but whatever…

I just thought that someone who is so much passionate about training as yourself would respect another dedicated person who trains very hard despite serious LEGITIMATE obstacles. (yes , training is my PASSION too, not “hobby”)

279

If i could ask a question for a second, i completely understand ramping and 5 X 5, so lets say I was going to do chest/tri’s and delts on one day, how many exercises would i do per bodypart if i was ramping and in line with 5 x 5?
Like would i do 4 chest exercises, each on 5 x 5 ramping and the same amount for tris and delts as well?

280

Hey coach,

changed my program to ramping this week as well as some activation movements and had a definate strength increase.

Quick question RE: Training recovery. I was reading an article of yours suggesting cycling hot and cold water when showering.

Would it be adventageous to do this in my nightly shower to aid in recovery?

281

Would strength training be a good way of increasing stride length for 100m sprinting?

Related to my first question, what are decent hamstring exercises for a sprinter with long legs?