Questions About Training

Training
521

[quote]rogier wrote:
Hey Thib,

I’m from the Netherlands and here we have all those goofy commercial gyms, which isnt bad , but they all have is smith machines or whatever those things called.
you can do normal squats, but front squats etc are a real problem because of the unnatural movement your body is making. Are there exercises where i can train my legs real heavy without using machines? [/quote]

Snatch-grip deadlifts are a great lower body builder. Various lunges are also good. Bulgarian splits squats have always yielded good results.

522

[quote]smbarney wrote:
Coach Thib,
Do you have a minimal cardio recommendation for people on your new program during a offseason? maybe moderate cardio on off days if someone isnt a ectomorph and needs to watch fat gain while gaining muscle? [/quote]

If intensity is kept to moderate levels (not exceeding 140 beat per minute or so) and in the 20-30 minutes range, cardio sessions should not hurt your gains.

523

Hi coach,

I understand perfectly the idea of having a low protein day to make the body understand that he still needs to use protein synthesis actively.

However, for an athlete or bodybuilder who has had a tough week, how can you compromise it with the necessity of resting as fast as possible before the beginning of the next training week, hence the necessity of having a sufficient amount of protein.

Thanks for the time spent on this new (and tough to understand in its globality) subject.

524

Hey CT,

Just invested in some squatting shoes, can’t wait for them to arrive. Considering your olympic weightlifting background i would assume you use/have used them.

I squat Raw & compete in powerlifting, do you have an opinion on whether (with the do-win’s) to squat powerlifting style if un-assisted or Olympic style?

Many thanks

525

Thib, after heavy lifting movement , do you see any reason to do a last closing set with light weight and high reps for better recovery (improved bloodflow)? Do you even think that such sets are really doing anything significant as to recovery?

526

I just want to say that your physique on the cluster training video just released looks more than impressive. I was one of the skeptics about this program, now I happily shut up.

527

CT, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

If someone keeps going into the ‘tail-under’ position when performing barbell (front or back) squats, what would you do to correct it??

528

Thib,

As a former Olympic lifter and a coach who knows a lot about that sport, I wanted to get your thoughts on two things.

*While 2" diameter (or greater) thick bar variations of the lifts have clear usage for strongman competitors, can they also have useful application for competitive Oly lifters? Or would they potentially interfere with optimal technique even if used on a limited basis?

*I’ve heard it suggested that (provided you have the appropriate equipment) lifts should be dropped rather than lowered so as to spare the AC joints with the lifts and their variants. However I think you’ve said that the “eccentric” portion can have value, plus older Oly lifters are said to have been especially strong due to this lowering phase. Would you generally suggest dropping the bar between reps if bumper plates and a platform are used so as to spare the shoulders from undue stress, or would you allow for executing an eccentric/more controlled lowering if the weight on the bar was below a certain approximate % of 1RM in the given lift?

529

[quote]Yanks241 wrote:
CT, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

If someone keeps going into the ‘tail-under’ position when performing barbell (front or back) squats, what would you do to correct it??[/quote]

CT already took his time to answer a version of this question on page 19.

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
michell wrote:
Coach

I have a tail under position in the bottom portion of my squat. I love this exercise and I don’t want avoid to it of my planning. I do some stretches of psoas and some drills for glutes. But I feel my hams and glutes are still lagged respect to quads although my lower back curve has improved slightly.

Do you have a guideline to correct this issue?

Thanks

It’s might simply be a technical issue or a muscle imbalance one. I’d suggest rotating the style of squat you are doing to include wide stance squats (powerlifting style) as it’s a more glute-dominant movement. I also suggest working sumo deadlifts in your program.[/quote]

530

I have heard a few different theories about when to stretch and was hoping for some advice. I usually warm up with a foam roller, some dynamic & occasionally static stretching and some ROM exercises before starting with some warm up weights. This seems to work and the foam roller has made a big difference. What I’m not sure about is cooling down and if I should stretch at all after lifting.

I’ve heard arguments for stretching after lifting to stretch the muscle fascia to enhance muscle growth/size, this was using some intense & often assisted static stretching. I’ve also heard that you shouldn’t stretch after a workout for at least 6 hours because it can diminish gains made by lifting.

Thanks

531

What is the optimal time to do timed holds, whether it be on a thick bar or Rolling Thunder? Thanks in advance.

532

CT,

Is there a specific type of training would you recommend (almost a preperatory phase) in the weeks leading up to the release of I, BODYBUILDER?

533

[quote]pflifter wrote:
CT,

Is there a specific type of training would you recommend (almost a preperatory phase) in the weeks leading up to the release of I, BODYBUILDER?

[/quote]

I’m going to try a chest specialization. Hopefully when the program comes out I will be better at recruiting more muscle fibers in my pecs…

534

Thibs, quick question on HIIT and regular cardio. I have about 20-30 minutes in the morning that I have been using for either HIIT or regular cardio (1 or 2 times per week on off days). I don’t have any recovery issues from HIIT. My question is it it better to run farther (regular cardio) or to do intervals. Or does that depend on goal? Which would be better for fat loss and which would be better during a bulking phase?

My typical workout looks like:(60s 400m didn’t time 200m but should be 25-27s, did 24.5 200m 55s/400 in high school so this isn’t ‘sprinting’ just close )
week 1: 6 x 200m with 200m jog or 3 x 400m with 400m jog
week 2: 8 x 200m with 200m jog or 4 x 400m with 400m jog
week 3: 10 x 200m with 200m jog or 5 x 400m with 400m jog
takes about 20-25 minutes to do this.
cycle like you did in running man article…
or I could do slow cardio the whole time and run about 3.5 miles and try to get 4 miles.

Any suggestions on progression and which works better for fat loss or bulking is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

535

[quote]gyakujujijime wrote:
Hi coach,

I understand perfectly the idea of having a low protein day to make the body understand that he still needs to use protein synthesis actively.

However, for an athlete or bodybuilder who has had a tough week, how can you compromise it with the necessity of resting as fast as possible before the beginning of the next training week, hence the necessity of having a sufficient amount of protein.

Thanks for the time spent on this new (and tough to understand in its globality) subject.

[/quote]

There is this misconception in the bodybuilding circles that if you go without protein for a few minutes you start to waste away. This is far from being so. In fact intermittent periods of low protein intake INCREASE protein synthesis. One day of low (still consuming the minimal amount needed by the body) protein intake will NOT lead to losses in muscle tissue. Heck, Danny Padilla, one of the most complete bodybuilder in history, used to diet on 60g of protein per day!!!

And since it will enhance the efficacy of the body to use protein to build muscle when there is ample protein, the end result is that the low protein day LEADS TO A GREATER AMOUNT OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS WENT PUT OVER THE WHOLE WEEK.

536

[quote]Pickles wrote:
Hey CT,

Just invested in some squatting shoes, can’t wait for them to arrive. Considering your olympic weightlifting background i would assume you use/have used them.

I squat Raw & compete in powerlifting, do you have an opinion on whether (with the do-win’s) to squat powerlifting style if un-assisted or Olympic style?

Many thanks
[/quote]

I think that it depends on your body type and strengths. Guys with legs that are short relative to their torso normally do better squatting olympic lifting style whereas long-legged lifters do better with the wide-stance powerlifting style.

537

[quote]MEYMZ wrote:
I just want to say that your physique on the cluster training video just released looks more than impressive. I was one of the skeptics about this program, now I happily shut up.[/quote]

Skeptics are what keeps good trainers sharp! I KNOW that Biotest is making big claims about the program and my name is attached to it. So I’m putting my reputation on the line. When I developed the program I had the thousands of skeptics in mind and I knew that I had to work extra hard on this thing.

538

[quote]jimg21 wrote:
What is the optimal time to do timed holds, whether it be on a thick bar or Rolling Thunder? Thanks in advance. [/quote]

9-12 seconds for strength (super heavy) and 20-30 seconds for size

539

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
gyakujujijime wrote:
Hi coach,

I understand perfectly the idea of having a low protein day to make the body understand that he still needs to use protein synthesis actively.

However, for an athlete or bodybuilder who has had a tough week, how can you compromise it with the necessity of resting as fast as possible before the beginning of the next training week, hence the necessity of having a sufficient amount of protein.

Thanks for the time spent on this new (and tough to understand in its globality) subject.

There is this misconception in the bodybuilding circles that if you go without protein for a few minutes you start to waste away. This is far from being so. In fact intermittent periods of low protein intake INCREASE protein synthesis. One day of low (still consuming the minimal amount needed by the body) protein intake will NOT lead to losses in muscle tissue. Heck, Danny Padilla, one of the most complete bodybuilder in history, used to diet on 60g of protein per day!!!

And since it will enhance the efficacy of the body to use protein to build muscle when there is ample protein, the end result is that the low protein day LEADS TO A GREATER AMOUNT OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS WENT PUT OVER THE WHOLE WEEK.[/quote]

Thanks a lot coach, now that really makes sense to me.

I have an other question, not related to this subject (I know that it’s not really the time for that since you’re REALLY busy, but I give it a try).
You once said in the training split roundtable “a whole-body approach three times a week would fit the bill of a high frequency of movement pattern practice, without having to be chained to the gym.”, talking about athletes.

While I totally agree with that, theoretically and after having used split and whole body, I’m a bit lost a far as the choice of exercices is concerned. You said in another article, or maybe an interview, can’t remember, that chosing the same exercices develops a kind of expertise on them, while changing develops more of an overall strength…
That being said, my sport being freestyle wrestling (it has a lot of similarities with folkstyle), I need to have great explosion, to grab my opponent’s leg for example, but also maximal strength to lift him off the ground while he’s obviously trying not to fly.

My exercices, for the lower body, then need to be, IMVHO:

Snatch, clean, squat.

For the upper body (all with a barbell, to use the maximum weights possible):

Bench or push press, Rowing on a bench or pull ups or chin ups.

The challenge, of course, consists of training the same lower body moves often enough to learn the motor patterns, while not leading to a complete muscle and/or CNS BURNOUT.

A challenge that I have a tough time dealing with… for information, I’m looking for a routine that could be used out of important competitions periods, and multiple times during the year. It is also important to say that I’m in more of a bodybuilding period during the summer, to correct important weaknesses and imbalances while also gaining muscle mass (interesting since I’m a bit underweight for my weight category). The assistance exercices would therefore be less necessary during the season, at least that’s what I think IMVVHO :slight_smile:

If you have some time… that would really be a great help for me.

Anyway, good luck for the construction of the new program, and thanks for all the informations shared.

Nicolas.

540

Thib,

I have a few questions for you pertaining to the video in the “I, Bodybuilder article” video and also a comment you made in that thread.

You mentioned thick bar pressing as being easier on the shoulders. Does this have anything to do with increased rotator cuff activation and spreading the force over a larger area of the palm than when using a more conventional diameter bar?

Just curious, but were you using a 3-inch diameter thick bar for bench pressing at one point in the video? It appeared the bar was thicker than a 2-inch diameter bar.

The strength and size gains mentioned were rather impressive. With such rapid progress, is there any potential issue with tendon and ligament strength or are these non-issues so long as perfect technique is respected?

Thanks, coach!