Questions About Training

Training
681

[quote]RustBeltGym wrote:
Would this also apply to position players in baseball, or would you assess such cases on a more individual basis? [/quote]

Some baseball players can handle overhead word, especially when they are younger. But any player with a history of shoulder injury or pain should avoid overhead work.

[quote]RustBeltGym wrote:

And would the little to no overhead pressing apply to tennis players, volleyball players, swimmers, and athletes like that who also are using the arms overhead quite a nit? [/quote]

Yes, those are also good examples. Swimmers are especially prone to damage from overhead work because of great shoulder joint laxity (hypermobility).

[quote]RustBeltGym wrote:

For athletes who should limit or cut out overhead pressing, would partial overhead pressing still have a place and possible value, or is it still too risky for those populations? [/quote]

I wouldnā€™t risk it. And Iā€™m a huge fan of overhead pressing work.

[quote]RustBeltGym wrote:
Can holding dumbbells, sandbags, or some other implement overhead for time be used to get in some extra scapular stability work and a focus on ā€œpackingā€ the shoulder in thee populations or should that be left out, as well? [/quote]

Iā€™m really not a fan of overhead carries or holds, so Iā€™m not the right guy to ask as my answer will always be ā€˜NOā€™.

[quote]RustBeltGym wrote:
Lastly, since you have familiarity with Coach Poliquinā€™s structural balance testing, what would be done with the behind-the-neck press portion of upper body testing when certain athletes would not be performing overhead work in their programming? For example, what would testing for a pitcher look like, since this exercise would not be one heā€™d be executing?[/quote]

I would do the abridged version of the test, the one used when we have a lot of athletes to test at any given time:

Test for:

Bench press 1RM, Preacher curl 1RM, Bench press reps with 85%, Preacher curl reps with 85%, External rotation with 10% of bench 1RM for reps, Trap 3 test with 10% of bench 1RM for reps.

682

[quote]maverick88 wrote:
CT,
I am trying to lose about 10 lbs of fat. At the moment I am following a push/pull routine 4x a week. With a goal of losing fat what would be the best set rep scheme to keep as much muscle as possible? How many exercises is optimal two per body part?[/quote]

The universal rule that I believe in is that if you do not lose strength, you are not losing muscle (not 100% true, but still applicable to most cases) which is why I like to train for limit strength with heavy weights when dropping fat.

Some examplesā€¦

Amit Sapir (a bodybuilder I trained) broken bench press, squat and deadlift records 2 weeks out of a bodybuilding show.

Sebastien Cossette broken an overhead press record 10 days before a bodybuilding contest.

Keven Nobert is still training using sets of 1 to 5 reps despite being 10 days away from the Canadian nationals.

683

[quote]Mondy wrote:
Thibs,

Whenever I do deadlifts with 90% + 1rm weights, my hamstrings seems to take up the bulk of the work, it turns into a Romanian deadlift. Does this indicated poor quad strength or just bad form?[/quote]

This is actually how most top deadlifters (powerlifting style) pull.

684

How many rest days would you advise between a dynamic day and a heavy/CNS day? Would only 1 be sufficient or is there more time needed? (ex. dynamic/explosive performed on Saturday and heavy performed on Monday).

Thanks.

685

[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
How many rest days would you advise between a dynamic day and a heavy/CNS day? Would only 1 be sufficient or is there more time needed? (ex. dynamic/explosive performed on Saturday and heavy performed on Monday).

Thanks.[/quote]

Normally the heavy day would be on Monday and explosive day on Friday.

686

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
ebomb5522 wrote:
How many rest days would you advise between a dynamic day and a heavy/CNS day? Would only 1 be sufficient or is there more time needed? (ex. dynamic/explosive performed on Saturday and heavy performed on Monday).

Thanks.

Normally the heavy day would be on monday and explosive day on friday[/quote]

Ok, that makes more sense. Thank you.

687

Would the shoulder rule apply to athletes that throw punches.

688

Hey CT I have a question here about training: I was thinking about taking 5-7 days off lifting due to my lats being sore, my toe being hurt, my left palm has deep pain inside from multiple slides in baseball (had all my weight on it), and lastly my back seems over worked.
edit: also forgot my bench has been weak lately due to all the pitching in baseball I have been doing (at least I think that whats making my bench weaker)(I throw almost 90mph)

also: If I did take a little time off heavy training will doing cardio during this ā€œoff timeā€ be bad, (since I have trouble going through the day without doing some kind of training)?

689

[quote]drewh wrote:
Would the shoulder rule apply to athletes that throw punches.[/quote]

No.

690

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Loui.s wrote:
Are there certain people who based on their genetic build should not do things that require the arms to be over head (lat pull down, shoulder press, etc.)?

Not really any type of build. Even ectos with very long arms can do overhead work provided that they progress gradually.

However I would not have athletes such as baseball pitchers and quarterback do much overhead work, if at all.[/quote]

Thank you for the response.

I ask because I HAD a shoulder problem and when I went back to standing barbell presses my lat muscle was strained/pulled and my form was good (no belt, gloves, et cetera were used). Because of this, I am thinking of just eliminating all overhead work from my routine. I figure that I will work on my horizantal pressing and pulling strength because I always seem to get injured when doing vertical movements. Can I build a great looking body training this way? My ultimate goal is to be a competitive bodybuilder, but I have many years before that happens.

691

Everything coming together on time for the I, BODYBUILDER program CT? 4 weeks it should be out, no?

692

[quote]hulk963 wrote:
Hey CT I have a question here about training: I was thinking about taking 5-7 days off lifting due to my lats being sore, my toe being hurt, my left palm has deep pain inside from multiple slides in baseball (had all my weight on it), and lastly my back seems over worked.
edit: also forgot my bench has been weak lately due to all the pitching in baseball I have been doing (at least I think that whats making my bench weaker)(I throw almost 90mph)

also: If I did take a little time off heavy training will doing cardio during this ā€œoff timeā€ be bad, (since I have trouble going through the day without doing some kind of training)?[/quote]

Nah, it might actually help you recover due to an increase is peripheric blood flow.

693

[quote]Loui.s wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Loui.s wrote:
Are there certain people who based on their genetic build should not do things that require the arms to be over head (lat pull down, shoulder press, etc.)?

Not really any type of build. Even ectos with very long arms can do overhead work provided that they progress gradually.

However I would not have athletes such as baseball pitchers and quarterback do much overhead work, if at all.

Thank you for the response.

I ask because I HAD a shoulder problem and when I went back to standing barbell presses my lat muscle was strained/pulled and my form was good (no belt, gloves, et cetera were used). Because of this, I am thinking of just eliminating all overhead work from my routine. I figure that I will work on my horizantal pressing and pulling strength because I always seem to get injured when doing vertical movements. Can I build a great looking body training this way? My ultimate goal is to be a competitive bodybuilder, but I have many years before that happens.[/quote]

Try DB shoulder press with a neutral (palms turned in) grip and see how your body handles it.

694

regarding the decline pullover you described in a few articles, would using an incline bench and a high(er) postitioned pulley be an acceptable substitute? recently the only decline bench brokeā€¦
thank you.

695

Christian,

I am currently doing a pull, push and leg workout variations every workout 3 times a week. I train heavy and Iā€™d like to train heavy and want to get as strong as possible. So things like bench press, power clean and push press, squats every 3 days, and so on. I am also doing cluster reps for the bench to really increase it. I did mines kinda like yours in partial range of motion in a power rack. Do you think thatā€™s good? I am still just messing around with reps and sets not knowing which is best. What sets and reps routine do you think is best to gain strength fast? 1-3 reps or 4-6 reps? And 3 sets or 5 sets?

696

Hey CT,

Regarding 2 a day training and CNS activation work, Can you give me a few examples of exercises I would use for BACK?

I am able to set my workout up with other muscles, but having difficulty working out what exercises to use for BACK in the AM.
Thanks,
GJ

697

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
thenanger wrote:
Gā€™Day CT,
I am just interested to know how you structure fat loss training nowadays. Heavy work, metabolic pairings, volume, splits, ect.

Thanks in advance.

Itā€™s a case-by-case thing. A bodybuilder training for a contest will not use the same approach than a housewife wanting to look good for the beach.

[/quote]
Sorry for being so vague! I donā€™t fit into either of those categories. Just an average bloke who works a 40 hour week, trains 4-5 times a week using a body part split, and wishes to get lean using the best strategy possible.
Thanks Mate.

698

Hey CT, With the new program being presented in the very near future. Does this program bare any similarities to your High Threshold e-book? Iā€™ve recently become interested in length/tension relationships and isometric holds to reset these relationships as well as promoting an increase in neural activation. Iā€™ve had issues with my left pectoralis major since I tore it nearly 8 years ago, and the iso-holds have proven to be beneficial in creating balance and promoting that side to bare a greater percentage of the load, even though itā€™s basically a pec-minor with some vestige of tissue from the major left over. Any thoughts on this or isometric holds that you havenā€™t discussed previously?

699

Thibs,

Would a feeder workout with light weights and reps as high as 30 reps facilitate cns and muscular recovery between two heavy and cns intensive sessions?

700

CT,

You have said that you like specialization training for bodybuilders (body part specialization), and powerlifters (each big 3 movement specialization).

Would you also recommend specialization for a weekend warrior with a goal of being as athletic and strong as possible (maybe specialize on each movement pattern like vertical push, squat movement, horizontal pull etc.)?

Would you recommend any sort of athlete in the off season to use specialization cycles? Or would the off season be too short of time to specialize on everything needed for well-roundness?