The Best Damn Workout Plan For Natural Lifters Advice

Bigger Stronger Leaner Christian Thibaudeau Coaching
1

Hi CT

I love the look of this training plan and really agree with the high frequency approach for natural guys.

I have a question though, if you were a powerlifter looking to get maximum hypertrophy and maintain/increase strength, how would you run this program?
The only other thing is 6 days a week would be near on impossible for me because of my stupid job and travelling lol so if i had to only hit the muscles 2 times a week because of that i guess its still better than only once!

Please could you give me your perspective on how this would be set up to meet my needs a little more?

Thanks a bunch for your time

Mike

2

Not this exact program. i actually wrote an article that will come out soon on how to use the same principles for strength. Without going into too much details the main lift is periodized over 12 weeks. This first block uses mostly 80%, second block 85%, Third 90% and fourth, max effort. The first 3 blocks are more strength-skill where you do not go to a max effort or to failure.

Assistance work is done like “the best damn program…”

3

Thank you for taking your time to respond CT.
Sounds good to me, do you have any idea when to expect this article to be published? I get the weekly dose email so shouldn’t miss it!
Would you train the ‘big 3’ just once a week on this program and make the assistance work high frequency? Or will all be explained when the article comes out…
Thanks
Mike

4

Ideally 6 days a week with each of the big 3 twice.

If you can only train twice per week I would say each lift twice with bench and dead on one day and squat the other one

5

Sorry if I didn’t make it very clear but I CAN train 4-5 times in a week that’s what I meant

6

At 5 I would do the bench twice, one week do the squat twice and dead once, on the other week do the opposite.

As far as muscles…

Bench days: pecs, deltoids, triceps trained like in “The best damn program…”
Squat days: quads, hams, calves if you which to do them trained like in “The best damn program…”
Dead days: lats, mid-back, traps, biceps trained like in “The best damn program…”

7

Ok awesome.
Please could you have a quick look over this example and tell me if it is good/ok/poor!

Day 1
Comp deadlift
Overhand pull down as in “the best damn…”
chest supported row as in “the best damn…”
hammer curl as in “the best damn…”

Day 2
Comp squat
Leg extension as in “the best damn”
Lying leg curl as in “the best damn…”
calf work of some sort

Day 3
Comp bench press
Lat raise as in “the best damn…”
Dips as in “the best damn…”

Day 4 rest

Day 5
Deadlift variation
Neutral pull down as in “the best damn…”
Supinated pull down as in “the best damn…”
Preacher curl as in “the best damn…”

Day 6
Squat variation
Leg extension as in “the best damn…”
Leg press as in “the best damn…”
calf work

Day 7 rest

Of course I would alternate so that I bench twice the next week and keep cycling them about.

Would that work and everything get its fair share of volume?

Thanks CT!

8

One other question before you send me on my way to gains is, how do I know which of those three special training methods to use with a given exercise? Is there a rule like the rest pause for compound lifts and then the mtor activation and drop set for isolation lifts? So if I was doing this program in say 6 months I can keep varying the exercises each training cycle.

9

Oh sorry about that… I do not use the same 3 methods… it’s by block

BLOCK 1: 1 set of 6-8 to failire
BLOCK 2: 1 set of 6-8 to failure / rest/pause
BLOCK 3: 1 set of 6-8 to failure / double rest/pause
BLOCK 4: 1 set of 6-8 1-2 reps short of failure

10

Ok so I would do the same one of the 3 “special techniques” from the article or any other advanced technique for all exercises in a block then on the next block use a different one?
Do you have a moment to check the example above of the split that I wrote out?
Thanks

11

\No I just mentioned the 3 techniques to use… but yes you use the same one for the duration of a block

12

Yes sorry I get you now I just edited my post!
Does that sample look ok and should I be able to not leave anything out if I cycle which day only gets the 1 session each week instead of the 2?

13

I Coach !
Question on those “special techniques”!

Is there a reason why you prescribe one specific technique and not an other ?

Is that only because some are easier to apply on some exercises (ex.: Drop set for the leg curl cause it easy to change the weight, not like for the Deadlift)?

Or

Is there a link with the different mechanisms of hypertrophy?

Thank you for the answer !

14

They’re all advanced techniques to increase time under tension. If you tried all of them then you’d probably find that some methods work better with certain exercises. For example, the double rest-pause method would work with dead lifts; however, I’d never do the 6-8-10 drop sets due to the fact that form breaks down as fatigue increases. I also wouldn’t want to perform a 5 second eccentric; most people perform zero eccentric on deads.

These are personal preferences and not scientific facts.

Drop sets are best with partners or performed on a machine so the weight can be adjusted in the proper amount of time.

MTor sets work well on exercises that that don’t leave you in a risky position during the eccentric portion. I’m doing pull ups, cable flys, and I’d be comfortable on some presses. I’m avoiding exercises that would tax my lower back such as bent over rows, squat, RDLs, etc. This is because I think my breathing might get off and put my spine at risk by losing intra abdominal pressure at the wrong moment.

I’m saving the rest pause sets for compound lifts where I can move heavy weights.

Again these are personal preferences but if you train enough you’ll find it’s best to let common sense guide you.

Hopefully you find something useful in my response.

15

Thank you for answering to my question !

I do have working out for a few years now, and yes I already have use those techniques.

I also understand the fact that depending on the lift some techniques are working or can be apply in better way than the others.

So my question is more on the scientific
part or background of those “special techniques” or “supra maximal techniques” (SMT).

By exemple:
For the purpose of this specific program (“The Best Damn Workout Plan For Natural Lifters”) there is SMT sets and some start with a 6 reps straight set

STRAIGHT SET
Tempo = 2/0/1/0 = 3 sec
Tension = (x) all the same
Reps = 6
TUT = 18 sec
Set Duration = 18 sec

1)DROP SET 8-10
( 35 % of tension (x) drops)
Reps = 8 reps @ 0.65(x) + 10 reps @ 0.3(x) = 5.2 + 3 = 8.2 reps
Tempo = 2/0/1/0 = 3 sec
TUT = 24.6
Rest = 5 sec (it’s minimal rest but let say that changing weight take 2.5 sec/set)

Total Duration = 18 + 24.6 + 5 = 47.6 sec
Total TUT = 42.6 sec
Density = (42.6 @ (x) / 47.6 sec )
Note : The probleme in this case is that the tension (x) is lower than it was in the begining (straight set part), during 75 % of the total working reps (18/24).

So a part of my question is : Can we assumed that this lower supra maximal tension, is having an impact on the solicited hypertrophy mechanism? Is that possible that it does Metabolic Stress and Mechanical Tension (from the straight part of the set)? Kind of a combo

2)Maximum mTor Activation Set
Tempo = 5/2/1/0 = 8 sec + ~20 sec
Tension = 0.8 (x) Due to slow tempo
Reps = 6 reps @ 0.8 (x) = 4.8 reps
Rest = no rest
TUT = (8 sec × 4.8 reps) + 20 = 58.4 sec
Is that possible that this SMT create Muscle Damage ?

3)DOUBLE REST/PAUSE SET
Tempo = 2/0/1/0 = 3 sec
Tension = (x) all the same
Reps = 3 + 2 = 5 reps
TUT = 15 sec
Rest = 20 sec

Total Duration = 18 + 15 + 20 = 53 sec
Total TUT = 33 sec
Density = (33sec @ (x) ) / 53 sec
For that kind of SMT, what would be te real effect on the hypertrophy, except that it cause much more Mechanical Tension ?

Hope this is clear !

Thanks again for helping me out with that !

16

CT may please ask you about warm up? In your article ramping was mentioned:
"TM: So what would that “hypertrophy ramp” look like?

Obviously you’ll have less sets in your ramp. It might look like this:

135lbs x 8
185lbs x 8
225lbs x 8
250lbs x 8
275lbs x 6
285lbs x 5 (stop exercise)

Now compare that to most “traditional bodybuilders” who try to get a max performance on their first set, which could look something like this:

135lbs x 8
275lbs x 6
275lbs x 4
(the previous set with 275lbs burned a lot of energy because it was less efficient, due to an improperly activated nervous system).
250lbs x 4
(despite the lowered weight can’t complete the required 6 reps).

In the first example, you have 19 reps at or above 250lbs, while in the second one you have 14.

Obviously the first example would stimulate more growth even though the lifter might feel more tired after the second example."

I know we want to avoid volume with excess sets but still I have a problem to prepare myself for heavy set of 4-6reps. I am not strong so basically I don’t need many reps as anyone who is, but I feel I can’t activate muscle a feel" warmed up/preapared" for heavy weight without little jumps in warm up.
If someone trains only 4 times a week, is there problem do a few more preparation set?
I heard Dorian Yates once said “my warm up was something 1.set 50% of 10RM, then 70% of 10rm and final set all out”
In my eyes DY was the hardest training guy ever and it is almost unbelievable with his working weight he had only 2 preparation sets…