Thib's Q&A - April 13 - 20

Training
81

[quote]alphawoman wrote:
Salut CT,

Une question à vous poser…

What dietary protocol do you recommend for those who have a tendency toward subscapular fat storage, particularly during a 12-week pre-contest diet phase?
Alpha.
[/quote]

Just to save you time in replying, I’ve already read through your post: http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_author/thib_results_poliquins_insulin_protocol.

Any elaborations or recommendations based on my size and gender would be appreciated!

Thanks again.

82

I am just finishing up week 10 of your “Get Jacked Fast” Program and I love the results. What training program would you recommend after I am finished? Also what kind of diet if I want to stay lean?

Thanks for your help

83

[quote]TRU76 wrote:
I am just finishing up week 10 of your “Get Jacked Fast” Program and I love the results. What training program would you recommend after I am finished? Also what kind of diet if I want to stay lean?

Thanks for your help[/quote]

When transitioning from a fat loss diet, the most important thing is to avoid a fat gain rebound. To do so, you must GRADUALLY increase your carbs and caloric intake to a level that allows you to gain mass without pilling on an unwanted amount of fat.

To do so, start with the diet you finished with (the last regular dieting phase, not the peaking one) and gradually add carbs every 1-2 weeks. But before adding anything in, evaluate how your body is responding and see if it is okay or not to add those carbs in.

For example, start with your current diet and add 50g of carbs post-workout. Keep the rest of the diet intact.

After 1-2 weeks re-evaluate how your body reacted to this increase in carbs. If you have not gain what you consider excessive fat, then you can increase carbs intake by another 50g, consumed in the morning preferably as fruit.

After another 1-2 weeks, evaluate your progression again. If you have not yet began adding too much fat, you can add another 25g or so. Add it in the meal following your post-workout meal.

You continue to do this until you reach a point where you are gaining fat too fast to your liking, then back off a bit and stay the course.

As for the program. It depends on your goals and especially your current needs.

84

[quote]heavyset wrote:
Hi Thibs,

I’ve been cutting for ~10 weeks now to get my BF as low as possible. My intention is to start a somewhat controlled 4-6 month mass phase. I’ve been planning on using your Carb Cycling Codex along with rotating between HSS Specialization and 3 Ways to Get Big! programs.

Recently I’ve had some mixed information and the fact that I’m coming off of a diet also adding to confusion. Should I pump the calories up straight away or moderately in ~4 weeks? Maybe something different? (I’ve been consuming 100g of carbs a day with one 250g carb day) I was also thinking of using what you call “Control Days” in place of ‘Low carb’ days to keep BF in check.

Did I got it all wrong or do I get the go-ahead? :slight_smile: Thanks for the great articles![/quote]

Read the reply I posted just before this one. This would be a good approach. The use of control days would also be a good idea and would allow you to ingest more carbs on the other days.

85

[quote]Adren wrote:
CT,

How would you structure a simple meso cycle for improving 1RM strength on the flat bench press? To be clear, I’m not asking you to write up assistance work and all that but just an idea of what type of progression you would use to improve 1RM in a mesocycle. [/quote]

Listen… the assistance work is actually the most important thing to increase your 1RM! The fastest way to boost your 1RM is to work on the weakest link in your bench pressing chain. We all have one muscle or technical flaw that’s holding our pressing power back. If you do not correct it, no matter what type of periodization you use for the main lift, you will not progress optimally.

86

[quote]tayjeremy wrote:
The thing is, i’ve been doing this and have been losing qutie a bit of fat, retaining muscle and my legs feel very very shot after the skinny legs cure, it was like i just did a metabolic session.

The question is: Is this over kill? Or will it lead to too much muscle loss? I usually eat my carbs pre and post the heavy days, and i have no problem maintaining energy levels.[/quote]

The answer is easy and can be found in something I often say: “The more you can train without exceeding your capacity to recover, the more you’ll progress”.

If you are losing fat, maintaining muscle mass and have good energy levels, then you are not yet exceeding your capacity to recover. There might come a point where you will have exhausted your adaptation energy, and at this point you might need to cut back on training for a while, but currently it seems like what you are doing is fine.

87

[quote]jstines wrote:
When doing the 3/2/1/3/2/1/3/2/1 sessions in week 8, if I am having a good session and feeling good, it is in any way detrimental to add an additional 1-rep set at the end if I feel like I can hit a PR? I’ve matched or beat my best squat, deadlift and bench so far this week within the 9-set layout, but I feel like I could have gone even heavier for 1 more set at the end. Should I just check my ego and be happy with the progress or is it OK to go for it?[/quote]

It’s something that I often do myself. I feel that 3/2/1 waves really fire up the nervous system and put you in a state where you can really smash some PRs.

88

[quote]MaximusB wrote:
CT,

Every time I try to do DB curls, it seems I feel it more in my forearms than I do in my biceps. I don’t know if I am just weak in my grip strength or not, but I am wondering if you have any ideas on how I can target my biceps more? Thank you.[/quote]

Try keeping your hands cocked back (wrist extended) during the whole execution of the set. It will prevent the arm flexors of the forearm to take over. Obviously you will need to use less weight at first, but it will help you learn to target your biceps.

89

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
jstines wrote:
When doing the 3/2/1/3/2/1/3/2/1 sessions in week 8, if I am having a good session and feeling good, it is in any way detrimental to add an additional 1-rep set at the end if I feel like I can hit a PR? I’ve matched or beat my best squat, deadlift and bench so far this week within the 9-set layout, but I feel like I could have gone even heavier for 1 more set at the end. Should I just check my ego and be happy with the progress or is it OK to go for it?

It’s something that I often do myself. I feel that 3/2/1 waves really fire up the nervous system and put you in a state where you can really smash some PRs.

[/quote]

Thanks! I’m going to smoke my Push Press PR tonight!

90

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:

Hi Coach,
Just a follow up question on your above recommendations from the Thib’s Q&A thread. I am now exactly 4 weeks out from my first show. Up untill now I have been training very heavy for the first exercise of the session (5-6 sets of singles) and then moving to 5x5 for the rest of the session.

What would be the ideal set/rep scheme to switch to now? With the lack of energy from extremely low carbs in my diet, the first exercise always beats the hell out of my joints and, I can’t keep training that way any more till the contest.

I was thinking to switch to something along the lines of the set/rep scheme in the high volume phase of your HSS-100 program. Would this be the ideal way to go?
[/quote]

HSS has too much high-volume techniques for the physical state you are in, especially since you have been using mostly heavy lifting until now. You might actually burn out more on HSS in your state of carbs deprivation.

I would suggest training segmentation at this point. Keep the same amount of work as you are currently doing, but spread it over the day. Either have 2 daily 30 minutes workouts (half of your planned workload is performed in the first session, the other half in the later one). Both sessions should be spread around 6 hours appart.

If you can’t do that, I recommend doing the first exercise. Rest for 10-15 minutes while you drink some protein (around 15g is enough) BCAAs (15g) OR leucine (5g) and a small amount of carbs (10-15g, just to increase blood glucose without affecting your diet) then do the rest of your workout.

91

Hey coach,

I just completed the Super Accumulation program. Hardest work I have EVER carried out, but I am proud that I finished it. My measurements after the 2 weeks of training lead to 2 lbs fat loss and over 2-3 lbs muscle gain. I was doing GBC type work prior to jumping into this, so my body responded well to the heavier work and gained muscle, instead of losing, like I should have.

Anyway, my query is surrouding the 5 day food loading phase that I am about to start. In the article, CP says to eat every 1.5hours, alternating food with a shake and carbs with every meal etc…I have MAJOR insulin issues(bf is at 15.5% subscab 15mm, supriliac 28mm), and still need to drop fat while maximising the muscle gain from this program.

I planned this:

Day 1: Eat every 1.5 hours, alternating whole food meal with shake INCLUDING carbs every meal(as described in article)

Day 2-5: Eat every 1.5 hours, alternating whole food meal with shake BUT only protein and fats in each meal and trace carbs.

Look okay?

Thanks alot!
GJ

92

What are you thoughts about the trap bar deadlift on a 2inch platform for leg development? This is the next best thing to the squat, I refuse to use the smith machine for any squatting.

93

Hi coach, I have a couple of questions.

First, I just read your old articles about pendulum training, and am going to restructure my training around those parameters. I’m considering the three basic phases, structural, strength, and power. My question is, after the 5 weeks, should I start over again with another week of structural, or swing into the strength phase on week 6?

Second, I want to start doing push-ups on my non-lifting days. Do you recommend the standard push-ups with feet on the floor, or would I be better off doing them with my feet elevated?

Thanks in advance for your help.

94

another quick question coach, my friend is taking the mutation transformation with me, but he has never used creatine before for some reason, should he load on some creatine to get his body used to the excess creatine he will have before starting the program?

95

[quote]Gsus89 wrote:
another quick question coach, my friend is taking the mutation transformation with me, but he has never used creatine before for some reason, should he load on some creatine to get his body used to the excess creatine he will have before starting the program?

[/quote]

No that’s not necessary

96

[quote]Mondy wrote:
What are you thoughts about the trap bar deadlift on a 2inch platform for leg development? This is the next best thing to the squat, I refuse to use the smith machine for any squatting.[/quote]

If an individual has access to a trap-bar, it is indeed a good alternative to the squat.

97

[quote]Gymjunkie wrote:
Hey coach,

I just completed the Super Accumulation program. Hardest work I have EVER carried out, but I am proud that I finished it. My measurements after the 2 weeks of training lead to 2 lbs fat loss and over 2-3 lbs muscle gain. I was doing GBC type work prior to jumping into this, so my body responded well to the heavier work and gained muscle, instead of losing, like I should have.

Anyway, my query is surrouding the 5 day food loading phase that I am about to start. In the article, CP says to eat every 1.5hours, alternating food with a shake and carbs with every meal etc…I have MAJOR insulin issues(bf is at 15.5% subscab 15mm, supriliac 28mm), and still need to drop fat while maximising the muscle gain from this program.

I planned this:

Day 1: Eat every 1.5 hours, alternating whole food meal with shake INCLUDING carbs every meal(as described in article)

Day 2-5: Eat every 1.5 hours, alternating whole food meal with shake BUT only protein and fats in each meal and trace carbs.

Look okay?

Thanks alot!
GJ[/quote]

No it doesn’t.

I really don’t like what you did.

You were seduced by a program rather than convinced by it.

Do not simply do a program because you fill like it, or were seduced into trying it. When you select a program it is to fill a specific need that you have.

This means that when you chose to do something, it should be exactly what your body needs right now and this refers to the whole program, not part of it.

In that case, the 5 days of heavy eating are part of the plan… they are necessary to make things work properly. See, the key thing with the superaccumulation program is not so much the super intensive weeks of training but rather the recovery week. This is what will give you the best gains. If you do not do it as planned you might as well scrap all the hard work you just did.

Afraid of eating carbs for 5 days? THEN YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE STARTED THE PROGRAM… after all the article DOES tell you that you will have to be carb-heavy for 5 days, so if you decide to start the program it means that you accepted to live with that fact.

Charles is a low-carbs guy… over 75% of his clients are on a low-carbs diet year round. So if he tells somebody to ingest carbs it’s because he believes that in the scope of the program THEY REALLY NEED IT.

98

Coach,

After going through your Leap Tall Building Program twice what is a realistic expectation for a vertical increase?

99

Thib,

I can’t recall just how long ago it was, but if I’m not mistaken, you once made mention of Larry Scott using sauna sessions in conjunction with cardio, or something to this effect. Can this help with fat mobilization and enhance the results of the energy systems work?

On a quick follow-up note to an answer you provided above, would it be acceptable to sub in trap bar deadlifts for conventional deadlifts and still perform a squat variation at some point in the training week? Or should this exercise only be used to replace some type of squat and not deadlifts?

100

Hi Coach

I’ve started a programme based on your Refined Physique Transformation article. Outside of the gym I live an almost sedentary lifestyle so I am keen to add in 30-60 mins per day of brisk walking to boost my fat loss progress. However, work, etc, commitments means I may have to do this first thing in the morning. Would you advocate this and, if so, what would be your nutritional advice, e.g. empty stomach, BCAAs/whey shake, after breakfast, etc?

Many thanks in advance for your time.

JB