hey thib,
How do you feel about 1 arm BB exercises. I’ve been doing 1 arm clean and snatches and in my training experience the clean is one of the best forearm exercises that i’ve done. I only do 3 reps and ramp up.
Would you rather use this technique as an activation exercise or would you make it part of a staple strength routine? thanks in advance.
[quote]RawMinded wrote:
hey thib,
How do you feel about 1 arm BB exercises. I’ve been doing 1 arm clean and snatches and in my training experience the clean is one of the best forearm exercises that i’ve done. I only do 3 reps and ramp up.
Would you rather use this technique as an activation exercise or would you make it part of a staple strength routine? thanks in advance.[/quote]
I mentioned in the past that I would often use these exercises. When I competed in olympic lifting I would often start my workouts with 1-arm BB snatches. I once worked up to 175lbs.
I seldom use them anymore, and don’t use them with any clients because of the learning curve required. In that case I prefer 1-arm DB variations of the olympic lifts. But if you are comfortable with the BB variations, by all means use them.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
[quote]RawMinded wrote:
hey thib,
How do you feel about 1 arm BB exercises. I’ve been doing 1 arm clean and snatches and in my training experience the clean is one of the best forearm exercises that i’ve done. I only do 3 reps and ramp up.
Would you rather use this technique as an activation exercise or would you make it part of a staple strength routine? thanks in advance.[/quote]
I mentioned in the past that I would often use these exercises. When I competed in olympic lifting I would often start my workouts with 1-arm BB snatches. I once worked up to 175lbs.
I seldom use them anymore, and don’t use them with any clients because of the learning curve required. In that case I prefer 1-arm DB variations of the olympic lifts. But if you are comfortable with the BB variations, by all means use them.[/quote]
I’ve got a little to go till i snatch 175lbs, maybe a few years. An old timer at the gym told me that several years ago a strongman passed through here who clean and jerked 275 lbs which i found hard to believe. Have you ever heard of any one coming close to that feat.
Hey CT,
I recently separated my AC joint in a dirtbike accident and as a result cannot train upper body in the gym until it has healed.
As summer is approaching here in Australia, I was planning to cut bodyfat starting in a couple weeks. I’m currently about 210lbs and ~12% bf at 6’. I was planning to get to ~8%.
I am worried that attempting to cut bodyfat will be too catabolic while not training upper body. Is the best approach to maintain calories to reduce catabolism or would a cut be able to be attempted if supplementing with BCAAs and keeping protein intake high?
Please note that in Australia a lot of Biotest products are not available, ie MAG-10.
Lower body exercises would be limited to machines since I can’t hold a barbell across my back or hold any dumbbells just yet.
What would you suggest to do?
Thanks in advance.
Hey Coach
Ive been training heavy low reps, with some higher rep ranges the last 4 weeks - Whilst on a fat loss diet - diet has been going great, losing fat, visibly looking better conditioned, but a few days ago I had a HUUUGE carb day as it was my friends 21st - ANYWAY the days following Ive looked a million times leaner and ripped. And i would have thought if anything i would have filled out with the extra carbs in the muscle but apparently not…
I was just wondering if you had any ideas why this could be? I thought it was pretty cool/interesting.
Hey CT,
Just wondered what your opinion was on suspension training?
I see a lot of guys using TRX while overseas, saying it’s functional, “core” training etc.?
Just wondering if you thought it’s a good means of alternative training?
Thanks in advance,
K
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Actually I found pulling muscles to respond best to sets of anywhere between 6 and 12 reps. I don’t feel like sets of 3 reps are great (although they still work) for the back. It’s not that sets of 3 don’t work. But I found that the back (lats to be precise) do respond better to higher reps and as such it is a better investment to train the lats in the higher rep zone.[/quote]
So right now I’m following the 4-day routine you laid out in another post Push / Pull / Legs / Arms.
You have the 3 main back exercises listed at 5 reps a piece (ramping), would you recommend them to be more like 6-8 instead?
Maybe same thing for the preacher curls on the arm day?
Thanks coach
[quote]Dont Want None wrote:
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Actually I found pulling muscles to respond best to sets of anywhere between 6 and 12 reps. I don’t feel like sets of 3 reps are great (although they still work) for the back. It’s not that sets of 3 don’t work. But I found that the back (lats to be precise) do respond better to higher reps and as such it is a better investment to train the lats in the higher rep zone.[/quote]
So right now I’m following the 4-day routine you laid out in another post Push / Pull / Legs / Arms.
You have the 3 main back exercises listed at 5 reps a piece (ramping), would you recommend them to be more like 6-8 instead?
Maybe same thing for the preacher curls on the arm day?
Thanks coach[/quote]
Yes, I would now use higher reps (6-12) for back and arm exercises. Even throw in some supersets or intensity techniques in there.
[quote]SGT.K wrote:
Hey CT,
Just wondered what your opinion was on suspension training?
I see a lot of guys using TRX while overseas, saying it’s functional, “core” training etc.?
Just wondering if you thought it’s a good means of alternative training?
Thanks in advance,
K[/quote]
Look at the training lab video… we are using these movements extensively (we are using blast straps, which are the same thing as a TRX) but as ONE COMPONENT of the training, not as an alternative method or substitute for lifting.
Did you spend any significant/concentrated amount of time on Darryl’s calves? Due to his short stature, his calves are probably well developed already??
Was the sled work he did for legs, sufficient enough overall work for his calves?
Do you find that calves respond well to eccentric-less work, like the sled?
It seems the volume/work would definitely be there, since he was pretty much pushing the sled daily.
Thanks CT. I’m really enjoying some of the methods you’ve been presenting. Amazing job.
Thibs, just got done using part of your latest stuff on offseason training for Football (thread is a few pages on in this section). Just wanted to say thanks, it worked wonders. Put on 4 kilo’s in 6 weeks, and my lifts have skyrocketed.
[quote]monatu wrote:
Thibs, just got done using part of your latest stuff on offseason training for Football (thread is a few pages on in this section). Just wanted to say thanks, it worked wonders. Put on 4 kilo’s in 6 weeks, and my lifts have skyrocketed. [/quote]
Always good to hear about such positive results! Keep it up.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
[quote]dayne_lathrop wrote:
hello coach,
i had a question about foundation days. i understand the concept that these muscles respond better to higher density techniques and a higher rep range (6-12), I am just kind of having trouble setting a workout to impliment these specific techniques. here is an example of last weeks foundation day (wondering if this is on the right track):
Lats:
A1.) 90 degree db row
A2.) 45 degree db row
A3.) lat pulldown
no rest between exercises but with up to 90 sec rest between circuits. done 3-4 times for 6-12 reps.
[/quote]
IMHO the volume of lats work is WAY too low and is not entirely focused on the lats. I don’t like it.
[/quote]
Would the following work better:
Roughly 10 sets spread between pronated chins/supinated chins/pronated pulldowns/supinated pulldowns, 6-12 reps, followed by 2 lats isolation exercises (straight arm pulldown, rope lats row - sadly there’s no pullover machine in my gym) for roughly 3-5 sets each (ramped, but not a lot). Then some biceps work followed by one max reps circuit for lats (and one for biceps).
B.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
[quote]dayne_lathrop wrote:
hello coach,
i had a question about foundation days. i understand the concept that these muscles respond better to higher density techniques and a higher rep range (6-12), I am just kind of having trouble setting a workout to impliment these specific techniques. here is an example of last weeks foundation day (wondering if this is on the right track):
Lats:
A1.) 90 degree db row
A2.) 45 degree db row
A3.) lat pulldown
no rest between exercises but with up to 90 sec rest between circuits. done 3-4 times for 6-12 reps.
then move on to
Biceps:
B1.) body drag curls
B2.) seated incline db curls
B3.) Preacher curls
same rep, rest, and number of sets as lat circuits
then
Abs:
C1.) Cable Crunches
C2.) hanging leg raises
C3.) plank or iso- side twists with db’s
same rep, rest, and number of sets
any advice on an this example, or just any way to set up an example foundation day would be much appreciated. i know there are tons of different ways to do a foundation workout, i was just wondering if this is an ok example. thanks in advance coach.[/quote]
IMHO the volume of lats work is WAY too low and is not entirely focused on the lats. I don’t like it.
[/quote]
I was wondering if what I usually do is anyway better:
I mix pulldowns, low-pulley rows and wide-grip upright rows (I know it’s a shoulder exercise, but it’s a miracle-worker on shoulder width) as a circuit and I add 1-2 exerciseses in one circuit (usually for back) and change those 2 exerciseses in the 2nd circuit (usually for shoulders). I do the 1st circuit 4-5 times and the second 3-5 times.
I do a circiut made of standing bb curls (6-8RM), isometric holds (at 90 degrees) = for the 1st station and for the 2nd I do high-pulley seated curls (with 10RM) and one-arm bb preacher curls. I repeat the hole circuit 4-5 times, the last one being max reps. And then it’s off fot some triceps where I do close-grip bench press, ticeps 1-db extensions and v-bar pushdowns as a circuit repeated 4 times.(triceps is also worked on the push day with only one exercise.)
The rest between all circuits is anywhere between 45-90 seconds, so that you take as much as needed to be sure that rep-performance is high, and 10-25 seconds between the exercises of a circuit.
I’d like to hear some opinions on it.
[quote]Gaby 2700 wrote:
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
[quote]dayne_lathrop wrote:
hello coach,
i had a question about foundation days. i understand the concept that these muscles respond better to higher density techniques and a higher rep range (6-12), I am just kind of having trouble setting a workout to impliment these specific techniques. here is an example of last weeks foundation day (wondering if this is on the right track):
Lats:
A1.) 90 degree db row
A2.) 45 degree db row
A3.) lat pulldown
no rest between exercises but with up to 90 sec rest between circuits. done 3-4 times for 6-12 reps.
then move on to
Biceps:
B1.) body drag curls
B2.) seated incline db curls
B3.) Preacher curls
same rep, rest, and number of sets as lat circuits
then
Abs:
C1.) Cable Crunches
C2.) hanging leg raises
C3.) plank or iso- side twists with db’s
same rep, rest, and number of sets
any advice on an this example, or just any way to set up an example foundation day would be much appreciated. i know there are tons of different ways to do a foundation workout, i was just wondering if this is an ok example. thanks in advance coach.[/quote]
IMHO the volume of lats work is WAY too low and is not entirely focused on the lats. I don’t like it.
[/quote]
I was wondering if what I usually do is anyway better:
I mix pulldowns, low-pulley rows and wide-grip upright rows (I know it’s a shoulder exercise, but it’s a miracle-worker on shoulder width) as a circuit and I add 1-2 exerciseses in one circuit (usually for back) and change those 2 exerciseses in the 2nd circuit (usually for shoulders). I do the 1st circuit 4-5 times and the second 3-5 times.
I do a circiut made of standing bb curls (6-8RM), isometric holds (at 90 degrees) = for the 1st station and for the 2nd I do high-pulley seated curls (with 10RM) and one-arm bb preacher curls. I repeat the hole circuit 4-5 times, the last one being max reps. And then it’s off fot some triceps where I do close-grip bench press, ticeps 1-db extensions and v-bar pushdowns as a circuit repeated 4 times.(triceps is also worked on the push day with only one exercise.)
The rest between all circuits is anywhere between 45-90 seconds, so that you take as much as needed to be sure that rep-performance is high, and 10-25 seconds between the exercises of a circuit.
I’d like to hear some opinions on it. [/quote]
I’ll give you an idea of what I do to put things in perpective… this is my last lats/biceps workout:
A. Thib pulldown (lat pulldown using the abs straps to take the arms out of the movement)
4-6 sets of 6-8 reps
B. Atlantis rotary pulldown machine (http://www.atlantis-fit.com/en/p/back/d-412-rotary-pulldown/2/3/98/)
3 sets of double position … each rep = pull from a torso bent forward position, lean back then pull… so each rep is two reps… 6 reps per set
3 sets of low double contraction torso bent over position (pull completely, back up 1/4 of the way, pull again this is one rep) 6-8 reps
3 sets of low double contraction torso leaning back 6-8 reps
3 sets of 3 position… 5 reps torso leaning forward, 5 reps torso leaning back, 5 reps with slight low back cheat
C. Straight-arms pulldown
4-6 sets of 8-10 reps
D. Lat pulldown
4-6 sets of 8-10 reps with 2 seconds hold at the bottom
E1. Preacher curl
3 sets of 8-10 reps
3 sets of high double contraction (lift completely, down 1/4, back up… this is one rep) 6-8 reps
3 sets of low double contraction (lift halfway up, back down, lift completely… this is one rep) 6-8 reps
3 sets of 5-5-5 (5 full reps, 5 top partials, 5 bottom partials)
E2. Blast straps curl
Each set of preacher is followed by a set of blast straps curl for 8-10 reps
F. Preacher curl 1 arm
3 sets of 8-10 reps
3 sets of high double contraction (lift completely, down 1/4, back up… this is one rep) 6-8 reps
3 sets of low double contraction (lift halfway up, back down, lift completely… this is one rep) 6-8 reps
3 sets of 5-5-5 (5 full reps, 5 top partials, 5 bottom partials
All that was done in less than 80 minutes to give you an idea of the pace
AND to give you another idea, here is Kevin and Alex’ last back workout:
A. Thib pulldown
5-6 x 6-8 hold contraction 1-2 seconds
B. Pullover machine
5-6 x 6-8 hold contraction 1-2 seconds
C1. Thib pulldown
4-5 x 6-8
C2. Straight-arms pulldown
4-5 x 8-10
D. Sled straight-arms low position
3 x back and forth
E. Sled straight-aarms high position
3 x back and forth
F Sled rowing
3 x back and forth
BICEPS … AD-LIB DEPENDING ON ALEX’ CAPACITIES
[quote]BiP wrote:
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
[quote]dayne_lathrop wrote:
hello coach,
i had a question about foundation days. i understand the concept that these muscles respond better to higher density techniques and a higher rep range (6-12), I am just kind of having trouble setting a workout to impliment these specific techniques. here is an example of last weeks foundation day (wondering if this is on the right track):
Lats:
A1.) 90 degree db row
A2.) 45 degree db row
A3.) lat pulldown
no rest between exercises but with up to 90 sec rest between circuits. done 3-4 times for 6-12 reps.
[/quote]
IMHO the volume of lats work is WAY too low and is not entirely focused on the lats. I don’t like it.
[/quote]
Would the following work better:
Roughly 10 sets spread between pronated chins/supinated chins/pronated pulldowns/supinated pulldowns, 6-12 reps, followed by 2 lats isolation exercises (straight arm pulldown, rope lats row - sadly there’s no pullover machine in my gym) for roughly 3-5 sets each (ramped, but not a lot). Then some biceps work followed by one max reps circuit for lats (and one for biceps).
B.[/quote]
Yes, much better
Wow…so that’s up to 30 sets and 200 total reps for lats, followed by 36 sets/250 total reps for biceps? 
Ronnie Coleman called and I’m paraphrasing here: “Dayum that there’s a lotta sets”
Is there some kind of ramping or auto-regulation involved here, or are these really straight sets?
I think you got the bicep amount a bit wrong, if you look at what he’s written he merely says ‘some bicep work’.
Ok, so the E1, E2 and F exercises are hamstring curls then? 
Oh, sorry. I thought you were talking about the quote from BiP. 
Edit: I’d have to agree with the layout on the previous page is a whooole lot of sets 