Thib's Q&A

[MEYMZ]

Hello CT:

You have said previously that, in a low carb phase, it’s not necessary to carb-up every week.

What’s the maximum of days almost anyone could go without considering a carb-up?

I was thinking to evaluate my physical performance in the gym, as well as my muscle pumps during the session.

[shoelessjones]

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
FutureNbaStar wrote:

what i wanted to ask you is are there any changes you make when training with basketball players in mind becuase one of the toughest things i personally find for myself is recovery i mean i have to do skill work, as well as conditioning daily in order to improve so how do i tweak my training so that i can improve my explosiveness my current vertical is 24 inches and if i want to play pro i probably would like to get that up to around 29 inches this offseason. Is there any changes i should make to the way i train or what do you find effective for basketball players of tall heights? Also how does the ems work for some of your athletes i read the section on that and was wondering if you found it to be effective for explosiveness and recovery thanks for the time i appreciate it.

I have trained pretty hard the past few years main focus being on strength but have struggled and its getting a bit frustrating, i have done plyos as well but always the main focus was strength

Ok, this was pretty long and boring to read Here’s my take on training basketball players, while I have not worked with as many of them as I have hockey and football players I have some experience training such athletes and my sister was named top basketball coach in the province a few times… anyway.

1. The first mistake basketball players (or their coaches) do is to perform too much jumping and plyometric drills in training. According to soviet literature, no more than 60-80 ground contacts should be performed, two or three times a week for no more than 4 weeks. After 4 weeks plyos loose their affectiveness and become more of a stress on the joints than anything.

Now, consider that basketball players are already doing TONS of jumps in their sport practice and you have a huge potential problem if doing plyos in training. My first recommendation is that plyos should be COMPLETELY AVOIDED as long as you are having sport practices or playing basketball. If you are playing/practicing year round, then never do plyos. Sounds radical, but it’s the smart way to do thing.

2. Very few basketball players are strong enough, especially in the lower body. I have rarely seen a basketball player do hard strength training for his lower body. Some do quite a lot of upper body work (mostly to look good) but reason that their running and jumping is enough to develop their lower body.

Remember that the basis of power is STRENGHT!!! Without strength you cannot produce power.

So my advice would be to squat and deadlift hard twice a week.

3. Long limbed individuals respond better to unilateral (one limb at a time) training when it comes to muscular development. So while you should keep the squats and deadlift if to become as strong as humanly possible, use movements like lunges, step-ups, bulgaria squats, etc. to build more lower body mass.

4. I did a biomecanic study on the specificity of various training exercises to the vertical jump (jump squat, depth jump, romanian deadlift, squat, power snatch from the hang) and the one with the greatest specificity was actually the power snatch from the hang. If you have access to someone who can teach you this movement properly, then include plenty of it in your training.

5. Keep a minimalist approach; use as few exercises as needed to get the job done. For example on one lower body day you can focus on 2-3 basic lifts (power snatch from the hang, squat, romanian deadlift for example). Do plenty of sets, but only 3 exercises. On the second day include the lighter, more ‘‘muscle building’’ stuff (lunges, bulgarian squat, step-up, single-leg curl, etc.).[/quote]

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing! Not boring in the least.

[VibeAlive]

Ok… this thread is screwed up… after page 147 is goes all wonky… anyone else??

[Ripped_Fury]

Hi CT,

Could you recommend any article(s) on how to design a bodybuilding contest diet and training program?

I have read your ‘Shredded in 6 days’ article and will definitely use that one week prior to the contest.

Thank you for your time.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

[quote]MEYMZ wrote:
Hello CT:

You have said previously that, in a low carb phase, it’s not necessary to carb-up every week.

What’s the maximum of days almost anyone could go without considering a carb-up?

[/quote]

I once went 18 months without a day over 50g of carbs. Once that you are fat adapted, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Hi CT,

Could you recommend any article(s) on how to design a bodybuilding contest diet and training program?

I have read your ‘Shredded in 6 days’ article and will definitely use that one week prior to the contest.

Thank you for your time.[/quote]

Not really. Bodybuilding prep is as much an art as it is a science. It’s impossible to ‘‘bottle up’’ one complete approach to contest prep as the secret lies in individualization, constant evaluation and adaptation.

[debraD]

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
MEYMZ wrote:
Hello CT:

You have said previously that, in a low carb phase, it’s not necessary to carb-up every week.

What’s the maximum of days almost anyone could go without considering a carb-up?

I once went 18 months without a day over 50g of carbs. Once that you are fat adapted, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.[/quote]

So is there a point where it becomes easier? I’m finding it very difficult with carbs that low everyday, energy wise.

[AlphaDragon]

CT:

Hi. I have a program that I designed that I’d like you to critique, if you don’t mind (and you are willing).

Quick background: I’ve not been on a bodypart split in like 5 or 6 years…and I figured it was time to get back into one. It seems that SO many very big and strong people gain massively on body part splits…so, again, I wanted to try one again.

Anyway:

I just came off of a 6 month (or so) Low volume/high intensity program (Upper/Lower with A/B splits) for 3x/week. It worked well as my lifts improved, but I really wasn’t too keen with the sprinting on off days, etc. Personally, there is something about “the gym,” that I fully enjoy, so I’m wanting to do 5 days a week in the gym with one day for “activities” such as sports, biking, whatever.

Before the Low Volume/High intensity, I was a bastardized Westside disciple (again, with 3 days a week with ME Upper/Lower and RE Upper). Once again, the “outside” stuff really didn’t appeal to me, nor was the equipment available.

so this time, I want to keep it “in the gym.” Also, I’m eating big (at least 4000cals/day) and pretty much keeping it clean.

Supplements taken: Creatine, Protein, and Alpha Male/TRIBEX Gold.

My Goal: Functional Hypertrophy and strength.

Current Stats:
5’8
87.5kg
19% Bodyfat (according to height/midsection measurement method)

(Yeah, as I started to eat more, I forced it down with the “Fast Food Diet” for a month…thus the rise in BF from about 10%…but it does not matter at this point).

Anyway, this is what I came up with:

Day 1: Monday: Chest/Calves

Flat Neck press (Gironda Bench Presses): 3x6-8
Incline Cable or DB Press: 3x8-10
Decline BB Press: 3x10-12
Flat Cable or DB Flie: 3x10-12
Incline Cable or DB Flie: 3x8-10

?Tip Toe holds? 3x30 sec.
Straight Toes Standing Calves: 3x20-25
Leg Press Calves:
–Toes in: 2x30-50
–Toes out: 2x30-50

Front Calves (toe raises/heel ?rocks?): 3x50 (or as many as possible)

Day 2 (Tuesday)—Biceps and Triceps

Biceps:

Flat BB Curls: 3x6-8
Preacher EZ curl: 3x10-12
Incline DB Curls: 3x8-10
2 hand standing cable curls: 3x8-10

Triceps:

Flat Close Grip Bench: 3x6-8
Flat Bench DB Extensions: 3x8-10
Cable Pressdown (1 handed): 3x8-10
Kickbacks: 3x10-12 (not done in about 2 years, so figured it was a good choice)

Day 3 (Wednesday)?Legs/Glutes (plus wrists/forearms)

Back squats w/Manta Ray: 3x6-8
Smith Machine: 3x8-10
(I’ve NEVER used the Smith b4, so I figured it would be good to do this time. Besides with all the talk in T-Cell Alpha about how helpful it can be, I figured I’d give it a try.)

Leg Extensions: 3x10-12

Straight Leg Deads: 3x6-8
45 degree hypers: 3x8-10
Machine Leg Curls: 3x8-10

BB Wrist curls: 3x6-8
Seated Reverse curls: 3x8-10
Hammer Grip DB wrist curls: 3x8-10

Day 4 (Thursday): Shoulders/Abs

Palms forward Standing Military Press: 3x6-8
BB Shrugs: 3x8-10
DB Upright Row (DB?s on sides, not in front): 3x8-10
Machine Shoulder Press: 3x8-10

Slant Board weighted situps: 3x10-12
Leg lifts or (if I can find someone) Leg Pushdowns: 3x50
Leg raise holds (1-3 inches from floor): 3x30-45 sec

Day 5 (Friday): Back

Pullups: 3x6-8
Chest-supported Rows: 3x8-10
Seated Rows (Hammer Grip): 3x8-10
Lat Pulldowns: 3x10-12
Bent over Rear Delt Raises: 3x8-10
Incline Bench ?Y? raises: 3x10-12

Day 6(saturday) : Saturday

Play sports, sprint, bike, whatever I want, but will be active.

Day 7 (sunday): Recovery day.

So I’ll modify it however you suggest, but (of course), I’m hoping this will work. I think it’s an unusual pairing scheme in some cases, but I’m thinking it’s not a bad choice…just unusual.

I’ll stop rambling now.

Thanks for all your help before, and I hope you could help me again.

AD

[mabbott29]

Coach,

How do you feel about wild game such as moose, rabbit, and wild duck as protein sources? I’m from Newfoundland and have access to a large amount of these foods, so I eat them several times a week (especially moose.) Thanks for your time.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

[quote]debraD wrote:
So is there a point where it becomes easier? I’m finding it very difficult with carbs that low everyday, energy wise.

[/quote]

Well, if your energy is low it’s either that you are not well fat-adapted yet or that your fat intake is too low (both are often related). A lot of people make the mistake of going both low carbs and low fat at the same time, which is a recipe for disaster.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

[quote]mabbott29 wrote:
Coach,

How do you feel about wild game such as moose, rabbit, and wild duck as protein sources? I’m from Newfoundland and have access to a large amount of these foods, so I eat them several times a week (especially moose.) Thanks for your time.[/quote]

Wild meat is the superior form of meat. I have a lot of moose, horse, venison and buffalo myself.

[amitsapir]

HI COACH
1 qustion if you will

1)if im having hard time waking up in the morning due to an andrenal burn out sympthoms and the am sesiion is not going good
is it ok to do asmall muscle in the morning like biceps and cardio, and the big mucscle and the hard session in the evening like chest?

(i konw its “aginst the rules”) but im always stronger in the pm sesion and it look like i cant get my 100% in the am session

thanks in advence
amit

[jimg21]

Thibs,

Is there a best distance regarding space between hands for chin ups if one wants maximum bicep involvement?

Along the same note, how wide should someone space their hands in wide grip upright rows for maximum side delt involvement.

Apologies in advance if I’m wrong but I don’t recall you ever referring to either exercise for bicep and shoulder routines. Is there a reason? Thanks.

[Italiano]

Thib, during weeks 9-10 “fat loss blitzkrieg” of your get jacked…fast program. For the 2 days with two-a-day workouts, how should the pwo be taken?

• take half after each workout?
• only after one of the workouts?
• take a full seving after each of the workouts?

Lastly, I don’t think this will be a big deal, but want to be 100% sure. For the fruit, would cantaloupe(150g) be fine? (I just figured you didn’t want to list every fruit in the world on there, and just put the most common)

Thanks Thib… can’t wait to start this thing.

[MEYMZ]

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
MEYMZ wrote:
Hello CT:

You have said previously that, in a low carb phase, it’s not necessary to carb-up every week.

What’s the maximum of days almost anyone could go without considering a carb-up?

I once went 18 months without a day over 50g of carbs. Once that you are fat adapted, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.[/quote]

So, how can you boost leptin without carbs?

[Higgins]

Coach CT,

Just started the entire plan from the new get jacked E-Book. The first leg workout kicked my ass, those variations on how to perform the reps are killer.

One question though, do we NEED the cheat meal? I understand some cheat meals are put there so people don’t waiver off course and others are there for actual benefit. I’ll be fine just sticking to the strict guidelines of the diet but don’t want to “lose” something from skipping the cheat meal.

Thanks for writing the book also. One word to describe it is awesome.

EDIT: One more thing, I’m assuming there is no pre or post workout drink after the metabolic work but just wanting to make sure since there are squats in there.

[brmnstl]

Coach

I just finished Jonny Bowden’s book and was curious you opinion on paleolithic (caveman) diets. Those diets seem to make so much sense anyway I am trying to research more info on these diets so I can present them to my patients. Do you have any recommendations or opinions

thanks

[300andabove]

[quote]Higgins wrote:
Coach CT,

Just started the entire plan from the new get jacked E-Book. The first leg workout kicked my ass, those variations on how to perform the reps are killer.

One question though, do we NEED the cheat meal? I understand some cheat meals are put there so people don’t waiver off course and others are there for actual benefit. I’ll be fine just sticking to the strict guidelines of the diet but don’t want to “lose” something from skipping the cheat meal.

Thanks for writing the book also. One word to describe it is awesome.

EDIT: One more thing, I’m assuming there is no pre or post workout drink after the metabolic work but just wanting to make sure since there are squats in there.[/quote]

Erm to quote his last article:

So, my rules of digressive eating are:

* As much as possible, opt for clean alternatives.

* You don't need to load or refeed every week. Unless you're excessive, leptin won't be a problem until after several weeks of dieting, and glycogen stores can be kept relatively loaded even when dieting. You should have a loading or refeed day when your metabolism is starting to slow down (your morning temperature drops by one or two degrees) or when your glycogen stores are low (you'll feel flat and have problems getting a pump).

* The leaner you are, the more often you'll need to load or refeed. When you're getting leaner, you're producing less leptin, thus continuing to drop fat will become harder. Furthermore, the leaner you are, the better your response to excessive eating. Because of better insulin sensitivity, you'll store more of the nutrients in your muscles and less as fat.

* Once your load, reefed, or cheat is over, go back to your regular diet ASAP.

* Don't go overboard. Go with the minimum amount needed to do the job. You don't need two pizzas, three burgers, and a dozen donuts to refill glycogen stores, boost leptin, and give yourself some mental relief. (Remember the flat tire analogy?)

The full article is here:

5 Reasons for Failed Body Transformations

And yes the leg workout is good fun

[300andabove]

[quote]Higgins wrote:
Coach CT,

EDIT: One more thing, I’m assuming there is no pre or post workout drink after the metabolic work but just wanting to make sure since there are squats in there.[/quote]

And to the 2nd part, 2 pages back he answered the question

Coach Thibs,

No, you csn take a shake on those days since some lifting is involved.

[Rolly_Allen]

Christian, thank you for your willingness to use your experience to help others. I love lifting and have finally joined T-Nation. I am interested in personal trainer certification but there are so many organizations and I don’t know who is reputable. I have love reading your articles and value your opinion. Please let me know which organizations are the best. Thank you. Rolly Allen