I only train 3x per week, hence modified Bulgarian for my peak
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Have you tried this before? If you aren’t sure how it will go it could end badly.
I have spent so long in hypertrophy/massing phases, with some periodic maxing, that my body is ready for a complete switch in training style. Just finished up my deload week as it had literally destroyed my legs. Now ready for the final stretch.
I haven’t done Bulgarian specifically before, but I am looking forward to giving it a ride and see how it treats me for this meet.
Me personally, I like the idea of working up to absolute maxes. It gives you a clear indication of where your potential is heading and it prepares you for the possible grinds on the platform. Not only that, it makes drop down sets slightly easier. Granted, its risky, but that gives you a clear indication that your form needs to be on point.
My frequency is always 3x per week (squat 2x, dead 1, bench 2x), so over the weeks as the sets come down, hopefully the fatigue will be in check.
Going straight from a hypertrophy phase into the Bulgarian method does not sound like a good plan. Nobody’s body is ready for a “complete switch in training style”, that is how you get hurt or make zero progress. If you are going from a hypertrophy phase into a strength/intensity-focused block you want to make a smooth transition, not going straight from sets of 8 to max singles.
Trust me, it doesn’t. A heavy set of 1-3 a couple reps short of failure can do that, but an actual max will cause a lot of fatigue. Most people do better starting off with singles at a 7-8RPE and gradually increasing weight from there. There is nothing magical about grinding max singles. Westside gets around that by rotating ME lifts, plus their frequency is not crazy and they don’t go until they fail or their eyes pop out.
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I get what you are saying. But generally I mix both my hypertrophy and strength work. I tend to work in a variety of rep ranges, including those less than 5. So its not a strict transition from hypertrophy to Bulgarian.
We will see how we go. 1000 ways to skin a cat.
All I ask is that you pray for me haha.
The point is that before you attempt a max single you should be prepared for max singles.
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The risk to reward sounds to high there for me. I’d assume that’s why we don’t see a lot of ppl using that.
It just doesn’t work that well for most people and it isn’t sustainable. Tom Martin is the one guy I can think of who trains more or less like that and makes it work, but he isn’t going to an actual max all the time either. And he injured him self during his last meet prep. Damien Pezzuti used to train like that but again, he wore himself out and had to stop lifting for a year or two. Their is some other Italian-American guy who maxes out on squats every day but he’s only half-squatting so it doesn’t really count.
My way of doing Bulgarian was 3-4x a week, alternating squat/bench and bench/squat to an easy single, then back off at doubles or triples depending on what I did last. I used a bar speed tracker and when I’d see the the speed was less than other weeks of similar weight, I backed off. I also tried to set PRs with the speed too. Deadlifts were really de-prioritized, but jumped up 30lbs after I did 1RM testing. When I did do deadlifts, I did 3-6 singles at 85% (starting at 3 sets, add a set every week, add weight and reset)
I went from a 380 Squat to grindy 395 doing Bulgarian, and 270 touch and go bench to 285, deadlift 405 to 435
I work with a coach now because I don’t want to program for myself, but I’d really like to cancel for a few months to try this again. I’d also like to do Bulgarian on non comp lifts
That’s not really the Bulgarian method, that is just using heavy singles on a regular basis. And it’s probably better too.
Doing sub max singles is a good way of training and a lot of ppl do that. Work up to singles then to back off sets for volume really common. I think I could sustain working up to max or bear max singles everyworkiut for 2-3 weeks tops then I’d be done
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I did it for 8 weeks and felt good.
Im thinking of doing sub max singles and then body building work if I ever try this again. Like sub max squat, then a bunch of 15-20 rep bodybuilding pump shit
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Sub max singles make those drop sets feel so light too. I think it’s a good idea throughout training if you’re goal is to compete. Just to practice singles which is really the name of the game.
That’s two opposite ends of the spectrum, it doesn’t really sound good. What would work better is work up to something you could do for a triple but do a single then drop down to 75-85% of your max (or estimated max) and do some doubles or triples. But again, you don’t have to do this 3-4 days a week, you could do it once a week or each lift.
If you have sufficient work capacity, you could try doing this on non-comp variations as well but don’t take this as a recommendation. Mike Tuchscherer has some people doing just that, working up to singles at about 8RPE on 6-8 different exercises a week. It works for some people, but if you can make progress on something easier then I don’t think it’s worth training like that.
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I was thinking like a DUP/concurrent program where I’d be doing both singles and hypertrophy work, since I would miss out on one or the other by focusing on either one.
But doing a single, back off, and bodybuilding hypertrophy would seem more complete too. That would be more like what Greg Knuckols had in his DUP article
I’ve never done DUP. I’ve been looking into it. I know garret blevins really likes it and a lot of the JTS guys as well.
DUP is one thing but you seem to be all over the place with some sort of Bulgarian bodybuilding method.
Here’s what Israetel says, and notice he doesn’t mention sets of 20 either:
The second, more extreme type of DUP is characterized by variations in rep range and volume that span multiple physiological ranges. Some forms of DUP will do sets of 12 for hypertrophy, sets of 6 for strength and sets of 2 for peaking all in the same week. The first problem with this approach is that directed adaptation is violated. It’s difficult to make meaningful strength improvements to the nervous system when it’s concurrently being re-trained for repetitive rather than maximal exertions on a weekly basis, for example. The second problem with this extreme form of DUP is that of adaptive interference of multiple physiological abilities with one another, violating the specificity subprinciple of training modality compatibility.
Agreed. If we are still discussing peaking methods then my favourite / most effective has been using bulgarian method for powerlifting (Greg Nuckols version). This would be training 6x per week, 5 x squat + bench and one deadlift session. Work up to a top single based on how you feel, then some doubles / triples if you have capacity for additional volume. Great way to get confident under heavy loads pre meet and really dial-in and nail technique.
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See this was my thinking. I mean higher volume is harder to recover from than lower volume higher weights therefore to me it would effect recovery and strength and interfere with adaptation. . Now I don’t know enough about it to know how they use it to peak.
However I could see that being a useful offseason method for longer blocks. Just to me not ideal for peaking. If I’m getting closer to competing I don’t wanna be doing work sets of 10-12 a couple week before comp.
Don’t do the high rep sets in the competition exercise.
Use the repetition method for assistance exercises to hit muscles under worked by the comp lifts.