Hi Thib,
In your article Isometrics for Mass you mention that the holds should be done at 3 different angles. Since I’m much weaker at the end range of motion should I use different weights or same weight for all 3 positions?
And if done with the same weight what is better - starting with the weight of stronger part until the weaker catch up or starting with the weight of weaker and build from that?
(sorry for bad english:)
Thib,
First let me wish you and your wife a very merry upcoming Christmas.
I’d like to pick your brain on a few quick topics.
How do you feel about using multiple sets of singles with a 3RM for building size and strength?
Would focusing on 2 specific forearm/grip-strength qualities at a time for 3-4 weeks each be more effective than trying to improve all aspects at once? i.e. Weeks 1-3: Pinching and Crushing; Weeks 4-6: Crushing and Supporting; Weeks 7-9: Supporting and Levering; Weeks 10-12: Levering and Pinching
Does isometrically pulling apart the bar during barbell rows, neutral-grip cable rows, etc. result in greater activation of the posterior delts, infraspinatus and teres minor, and the middle trapezius and rhomboids?
Do you feel that the isometric contraction of the upper back during bench pressing would compromise the amount of weight used for subsequent rowing exercises if using antagonistic supersets? Or, alternatively, would upper back stability during benching be compromised by previous rowing exercises?
Thanks for all you do for us, coach!
Coach, first, i was wondering if you could possibly list the cuts of steak you recommend?
Lastly, bagged frozen shrimp, is this something you would give the o.k to even with the high sodium content? Thanks in advance for any help and have a Happy Holiday’s to you and yours.
[quote]skoal wrote:
Hey Thib,
Is it alright to consume beta-alanine along with glutamine pre-workout? I have heard that they compete for the same receptors and that I should only take one of them. If this is true would beta-alanine be a better choice? I take them with a nitric-oxide pre-workout drink as well.
Thank you[/quote]
Beta-alanine would be a better choice, even using in during the workout is a good idea. Beta-alanine + creatine pre and during workout is a great combo¸.
Most nitric oxide boosters are a waste of money
[quote]keilnirby wrote:
Is it okay to do Hack squats starting from pins one or two feet off the ground? [/quote]
If you lack the mobility to do the movement normally, yes.
[quote]ArcticAce wrote:
Thib,
First let me wish you and your wife a very merry upcoming Christmas.
I’d like to pick your brain on a few quick topics.
For building strength it is an excellent approach as long as CNS overload can be prevented.
As for size, sets of 3 can be effective if enough of them are done. But it is not the best or safest approach to maximize muscle growth.
If one wants to build a lot of size through heavy lifting, sets of 4-6 reps are better.
[quote]ArcticAce wrote:
2) Would focusing on 2 specific forearm/grip-strength qualities at a time for 3-4 weeks each be more effective than trying to improve all aspects at once? i.e. Weeks 1-3: Pinching and Crushing; Weeks 4-6: Crushing and Supporting; Weeks 7-9: Supporting and Levering; Weeks 10-12: Levering and Pinching
[/quote]
I don’t believe that it would be. Sometimes we want to over plan things and we end up designing a less effective approach.
Grip strength is something that is fairly simple, that has very little impact on neural and physiological recovery. I see not reason to segment the various types of grip strength.
[quote]ArcticAce wrote:
3) Does isometrically pulling apart the bar during barbell rows, neutral-grip cable rows, etc. result in greater activation of the posterior delts, infraspinatus and teres minor, and the middle trapezius and rhomboids? [/quote]
Yes, just like pulling it apart during a bench increases triceps activation and pulling it inward in the press increases pectoral activation. However pulling apart during rows will also activate the triceps more which is not a good idea.
[quote]ArcticAce wrote:
4) Do you feel that the isometric contraction of the upper back during bench pressing would compromise the amount of weight used for subsequent rowing exercises if using antagonistic supersets? Or, alternatively, would upper back stability during benching be compromised by previous rowing exercises?
[/quote]
In supersets, maybe… in alternating sets, it shouldn’t be a problem unless you have the work capacity of a hummingbird.
i have a question, i’m 36 i have been working out since i was 20, i just kept lifting and slowly put on weight i was about 175 at 20 and got up to about 205 at 27 and then that year almost 20 pounds went on i couldn’t beleive it, just metabolism slowing down i guess, it felt good but then i was seeing the fat, then a year went by and 10 more pounds went on, so i went on a diet, i have no patients so i went to like 1500 calories at the most a day and went from 235 to 195 and was cut and looked good but i lost a lot of strength cause how fast i would drop the weight, and to make a long story short, i went up to 235 again and back to 195 every summer for about 6 years then i got married and i wasn’t so worried about the look anymore and showing off, lol, i now like to be strong so i’m 245 now and about 20 % bodyfat,
so i try to do a diet that i might lose the fat slowly but everytime i try i lose strength at the gym and i hate it, why does junk food make me feel so strong, i don’t have any interest in doing shows and all that, working out just makes me feel good and i like it, but i wish i could figure out how much i need to eat so i don’t lose strength but get my body fat down to 10% i can do it easy in about 3 or 4 months but my way isn’t right , just thought you could help, thanks john
Losing fat super fast normally means cutting calories too much and you end up losing muscle mass. Less muscle obviously leads to less strength.
When dieting down I use strength as a barometer for how well I’m dieting: I do not accept any strength loss (I can normally gain strength up until I’m down to 6% or less). As long as I don’t lose strength, I am not losing muscle. If I’m losing strength it’s because energy restriction is too high.
As for your question regarding why fast food makes you feel so strong… it’s because of all the sodium, fat and carbs it contains. The fat can increase ‘‘cushioning’’ which makes your joints tigther and thus help you list big weights (mechanical advantage), carbs increase glycogen stores which provides you with lots of energy.
It also increase muscle volume (each gram of carbs stored in the muscle pulls in 2.7g of water along with it… thus ‘‘blowing up’’ your muscles like a baloon). Finally sodium increases water retention which also provides you with a mechanical advantage.
[quote]jsbuffa wrote:
i have a question, i’m 36 i have been working out since i was 20, i just kept lifting and slowly put on weight i was about 175 at 20 and got up to about 205 at 27 and then that year almost 20 pounds went on i couldn’t beleive it,
just metabolism slowing down i guess, it felt good but then i was seeing the fat, then a year went by and 10 more pounds went on, so i went on a diet, i have no patients so i went to like 1500 calories at the most a day and went from 235 to 195 and was cut and looked good but i lost a lot of strength cause how fast i would drop the weight, and to make a long story short,
i went up to 235 again and back to 195 every summer for about 6 years then i got married and i wasn’t so worried about the look anymore and showing off, lol, i now like to be strong so i’m 245 now and about 20 % bodyfat,
so i try to do a diet that i might lose the fat slowly but everytime i try i lose strength at the gym and i hate it, why does junk food make me feel so strong, i don’t have any interest in doing shows and all that,
working out just makes me feel good and i like it, but i wish i could figure out how much i need to eat so i don’t lose strength but get my body fat down to 10% i can do it easy in about 3 or 4 months but my way isn’t right , just thought you could help, thanks john [/quote]
Thib,
I really like the Canadian Bear program but have a question. Could you please explain the 1/4, 1/2…etc squat and bench press? Thank you very for your time.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Chase Karnes wrote:
Coach,
I recieved “The Black Book of Training Secrets” and “High Threshold Muscle Building” for my birthday.
So far I have learned a ton of priceless information. (And I’m only one chapter 5 of The Black Book)
I just wanted to thank you for providing these books for people like me to learn from.
My pleasure… maybe one day I’ll be the one learning from you or someone else I influenced![/quote]
I’m still not through The Black Book (maybe over the holidays), but HTMB was really good with really well laid out info.
Thib,
This isn’t something I’d expect you to have experience with but I’ll throw it out there because you still surprise me with the stuff you know about the body.
For the past year or so, everytime I do heavy farmers walks, I end up with really bad knots in my legs. Usually in my adductors (which are tight) but also in my hammys and calves, and to a lesser extent my quads.
Rolling on PVC seems to help, but the knots are so extreme and build up so quickly I really need to figure out what’s up with this and stop it. What could cause such a quick and extreme build up of adhesions during this particular movement?
Thib,
How do you determine when to favor “short lever” exercises with increased potential for loading ( ex. L-lateral raises) versus when to use “long-lever” exercises that increase the tension and make the exercise more challenging (ex. regular lateral raises) without requiring the same loading as the short-lever versions?
I suppose this question would also apply to any exercise where you manipulate leverage to make an exercise harder without having to add load or even when decreasing load versus another version.
Joyeux Noël, Thib!
[quote]q99q wrote:
Thib,
How do you determine when to favor “short lever” exercises with increased potential for loading ( ex. L-lateral raises) versus when to use “long-lever” exercises that increase the tension and make the exercise more challenging (ex. regular lateral raises) without requiring the same loading as the short-lever versions?
I suppose this question would also apply to any exercise where you manipulate leverage to make an exercise harder without having to add load or even when decreasing load versus another version.
Joyeux Noël, Thib! [/quote]
I never use short lever exercise, except sometimes at the end of a set to get more reps.
[quote]cobrakai wrote:
Thib,
I really like the Canadian Bear program but have a question. Could you please explain the 1/4, 1/2…etc squat and bench press? Thank you very for your time. [/quote]
PARTIAL SQUATS
Using the power rack, you start the bar on the safety pins set at a height that provides the proper range of motion for the movement.
1/4 squat = knees are bent at around a 135 degrees angle at the start
1/2 squat = knees are bent at around a 100-110 degrees angle
From that position you stand up with the weight, lower it back down on the pins, stand up again, etc.
Coach Thib,
What exercises can I do to stress and develop the teardrop muscles of my quads? My gym doesn’t have a hack machine. Can you also suggest sets/reps on my leg day?
thanks n advance for your time!
Coach,
How does a DEXA scan compare to a 7-point caliper reading? It is often said in forums that a 15% DEXA score equals a 9% caliper score due to DEXA’s ability to measure visceral fat.
How true is this?
This sounds too elementary since the DEXA actually breaks down your bodyfat percentage by arms, legs, trunk, android and gynoid. Wouldn’t visceral fat be higher only in the latter 3 areas?
I’m in the process of cutting down to 8% before embarking on a lean mass gaining phase.
My DEXA readings: arms (11.9) legs (13.8) Trunk (18.1) Android (20.9) Gynoid (18.1) Total (15.1)
Thanks!
Thib,
After the major basics of equipment are covered, would you consider a Nautilus Nitro Plus Pullover Machine as a worthwhile addition to a training studio?
Also, despite being a machine exercise, would machine pullovers be effective in a lactate-inducing circuit if the machine is available for use and within close-proximity to the free weights being used for other upper and lower body compound movements?
Thib,
How do you organize all the information that you have in order to be able to utilize it in a time effective manner. Do you have an organized filling cabinet of notes, summaries, and tidbits. I don’t know nearly as much as you but I feel like it is difficult to take into account all the information I have with out relearning it every time I want to put something new together.
Coach Thib’s
What auxiliary exercise can help me develop the quadriceps muscles?
Off course being an Olympic lifter I do squats, front squats, cleans, that in most people that would develop the quadriceps muscles, but in my case they don’t seem to grow.
Most of the time when I do squats I don’t feel the muscles of the legs working that much.
Any suggestions?
My max snatch is 115 kg and c&j 150, front squat 170kg, back squat 190 kg
Thanks for the help!!
Hello Coach Thibaudeau,
I have just found your article entitled “Eastern European Bodybuilding” and was interested in performing the first of the twice a day programmes. I noticed you detailed the programme for three weeks, is this the max length of time it should be performed for, if not is there is a de-load work and if so would you just perform the morning workout for each of the days that week?
Many thanks
Scott