Thib's Q&A

Training
4021

[quote]DeadlySting81 wrote:
Thib,

When training women for maximum growth, do you find that they need altered frequency and volume when compared to male trainees due to the differences in hormonal milieu?

I am also curious as to your view on whether a figure competitor can gain strength up until the last few weeks before a show. A trainer at my gym recently told my sister that only a chemically-assisted woman or one who was either de-trained or previously undernourished could gain strength during contest prep. This struck me as suspicious, so I wanted to ask a true expert like you about this very thing. [/quote]

  1. From experience, women need a bit more volume and more emphasis on the eccentric portion of the lift. They can normally tolerate (and need) more volume because they tend to have a lower neural efficiency thus they can’t recruit the high-treshold motor units as easily. They thus need to do more sets to fatigue as many muscle fibers. They also need more emphasis on the eccentric portion since more high treshold motor units are recruited during the eccentric portion.

Estrogen does have a protective effect on muscle damage… when someone has more estrogen it’s harder to cause as much muscle damage; this is another reason for more volume and eccentric emphasis.

However when I say more volume, I do not necessarily mean A LOT more.

  1. Anybody should be able to gain strength while getting leaner if training is properly planned. There will be a point, where the body is depleted and dry as well as the individual mentally fatigued, where strength might go down a bit. But if this happens more than 2-3 weeks out then the diet and training were not properly planned.
4022

I have a question about your get jacked up e-book. I see that you recommend fish oil several times a day. I was just wondering if this is to count as part of the fat poritons or not. So do I use the fish oil as the fat portion or add the fat portion on top of the fish oil capsules?

4023

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
I have a question about your get jacked up e-book. I see that you recommend fish oil several times a day. I was just wondering if this is to count as part of the fat poritons or not. So do I use the fish oil as the fat portion or add the fat portion on top of the fish oil capsules?[/quote]

No, when it’s included as a supplement I do not include it in the dietary plan

4024

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

  1. You might be attempting to max out too often. From your own words ‘‘Right now my hang clean is at 160. Some days I can hit it easily, but some days I miss.’’, this tells me that you try for your max almost everytime you do the hang clean, which is a big mistake.

  2. Without seeing you lift I cannot say what the problem really is. it could be a technical problem, a speed-strength problem, a muscle imbalance problem or an overall strength problem.

  3. From your numbers your leg AND back strength seems to be lacking for you to be able to clean 225.

  4. I’d also need to know what kind of training you do for your hang clean.

[/quote]

I’ll answer #1 and #4 together. I’m doing a Hepburn progression, where I start with 5 sets of 1, adding 1 rep per week until I hit 8 sets of 1. Once I complete the 8 sets, I add 5-10 pounds.

I previously hit 8 sets of 1 on 155, then the next week tried to go to 165 but realized that it was too heavy. I cut it to 160, and was able to complete the 5 sets and then 6 sets the following week without any misses. This past week when I was going for 7 singles, I missed 4 of them.

On the other workout day that I do hang cleans, I currently do 3-5 sets of triples at 140.

Am I taxing my CNS is too much?

For #2, unfortunately I can’t video my form, so I hope that’s not where my problem lies.

For #3, the 225 is my year-end goal. Hopefully my leg and back strength will increase enough by then. :slight_smile: What do you think I need to be squatting and deadlifting to be able to hang clean 225?

Thanks for all the help so far. I really appreciate it since I know it’s difficult to diagnose the specific problem with just partial information.

4025

[quote]ds888 wrote:

I’ll answer #1 and #4 together. I’m doing a Hepburn progression, where I start with 5 sets of 1, adding 1 rep per week until I hit 8 sets of 1. Once I complete the 8 sets, I add 5-10 pounds.

I previously hit 8 sets of 1 on 155, then the next week tried to go to 165 but realized that it was too heavy. I cut it to 160, and was able to complete the 5 sets and then 6 sets the following week without any misses. This past week when I was going for 7 singles, I missed 4 of them.

On the other workout day that I do hang cleans, I currently do 3-5 sets of triples at 140.

Am I taxing my CNS is too much? [/quote]

The Hepburn progression is not supposed to be anywhere near maximal; in fact the singles should all be relatively easy (yet still challenging). The starting weight is around 80-85% so you should have started with around 130-140lbs and add 5lbs everytime you hit 8 singles. By starting with 155 you basically lifted in the 92-95% range all the time you did singles.

Too much to optimize form and have a fluid progression.

While the Hepburn program is decent, it is only for those who have great patience because you’ll basically be adding only 5lbs every 4 weeks or so. It works… but only if you start with an appropriate weight.

The olympic lifts are technical and explosive. And you can’t master these two aspects by constantly lifting in the 92-95% range.

[quote]ds888 wrote:
For #2, unfortunately I can’t video my form, so I hope that’s not where my problem lies.[/quote]

I’ll be honest, if you did not receive good coaching from a qualified olympic lifting coach or have been doing this lift for year, chances are that your form is a lot less than perfect. Heck, even decent level olympic lifters need to do technique work.

I’m not saying that your form sucks, but I’m 100% sure that there is room for improvement and that there is at least one technical issue that is holding you back.

[quote]ds888 wrote:
For #3, the 225 is my year-end goal. Hopefully my leg and back strength will increase enough by then. :slight_smile: What do you think I need to be squatting and deadlifting to be able to hang clean 225?
[/quote]

From experience, Something like a 375lbs full squat and 450lbs deadlift. If your form is bad and your technique doesn’t allow you to maximally use your strength, maybe eve igher than that.

4026

Hey coach, just a quick question for bodybuilding on the anabolic diet thread, how many days would you recomend carbing up? or more specifically how manycarb meals if i do high intensity boxing once a week?

one more thing, i’ve los about 35 kilos of weight about a year ago through a crash diet, would it be ok to go on this diet to gain some of the muscle i have lost?

Thanks a bunch

4027

Thib,

Are there any particular groups or types of individuals that you train with whom you would actually avoid using the Olympic lifts and/or their variations?

Excluding the Oly lifts and variations, are there any other particular movements that you especially like for developing power/explosiveness?

p.s. Besides seeking out an experienced coach to teach the Oly lifts and critique form, would Arthur Drechsler’s book on Weightlifting and Jim Schmitz manual and dvd on the lifts be the best resources to pick up for helping to educate oneself on the lifts? If not, are there any other specific manuals or dvd’s on the topic that you would recommend.

Thanks for your time, Thib!

4028

CT,

Would improved performance in exercises like deadlifts and machine pullovers have any carryover effect in terms of an increased ability to recruit the muscles of the upper back during rowing exercises?

4029

Hi coach i just wanted to ask a couple of questions if there’s any advice you could give i would be very appreciative.

As a beginner who is looking to get into bodybuilding i’ve been reading lots of conflicting advice, how important is a good base level of strength in terms of necessity to build muscle?

Alot of people have told me that as a novice it is best to start on a strength based routine as opposed to the typical bodybuilding splits as the lower volume, higher frequency and concentration on getting strong on the big compound lifts will equate to size and a good level of strength to transition into a higher volume style later on.

What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks for your time and effort.

4030

Coach, how do you feel about Krill oil and how some people recommend to rotate it with regular fish oil?

Thanks.

4031

[quote]PodolskiPower wrote:
CT,

Would improved performance in exercises like deadlifts and machine pullovers have any carryover effect in terms of an increased ability to recruit the muscles of the upper back during rowing exercises? [/quote]

Not always. For example, as an olympic lifter I deadlifted a lot (and did clean and snatch pulls) yet when I switched to more of a bodybuilding approach, stimulating my lats was one of my weak points.

The pullover machine will help a bit more since it directly involved the lats and take out the arms out of the movement. However to improve back recruitment in other exercises, such as rows, you would be best served by using the pre-fatigue method of performing the machine pullover supersetted with a rowing movement.

4032

[quote]Bachovas wrote:
Coach, how do you feel about Krill oil and how some people recommend to rotate it with regular fish oil?

Thanks.[/quote]

To paraphrase Coach Poliquin… Krill used to be a very good supplement, but the demand go too high for the limited supplies of high quality krill. So nowadays the stuff is of very low quality.

4033

Hey Coach,

Is there any benefit of using BCAA’s during / post workout as opposed to just plain leucine?

I’ve seen great results from taking leucine prior to meals during the day and wondered if it was worth replacing my BCAA’s during my workout. Purely becasue it’s cheaper, and easier than having 5 different powders hanging around.

Many Thanks

Pickles

4034

[quote]Pickles wrote:
Hey Coach,

Is there any benefit of using BCAA’s during / post workout as opposed to just plain leucine?

I’ve seen great results from taking leucine prior to meals during the day and wondered if it was worth replacing my BCAA’s during my workout. Purely becasue it’s cheaper, and easier than having 5 different powders hanging around.

Many Thanks

Pickles[/quote]

During the workout BCAA has been thought to be slightly superior for muscle growth especially when using 0.2g per pound of bodyweight.

4035

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Pickles wrote:
Hey Coach,

Is there any benefit of using BCAA’s during / post workout as opposed to just plain leucine?

I’ve seen great results from taking leucine prior to meals during the day and wondered if it was worth replacing my BCAA’s during my workout. Purely becasue it’s cheaper, and easier than having 5 different powders hanging around.

Many Thanks

Pickles

During the workout BCAA has been thought to be slightly superior for muscle growth especially when using 0.2g per pound of bodyweight.
[/quote]

Great, thanks CT
I’ll stick with them, would you adjust the levels of BCAA’s for focussing on gaining / maintaining strength whilst losing weight to hit a weight class for a powerlifting comp?

I’m aiming for the 181lb (82.5kg here in uk) class, I’m at about that weight glycogen depleted 1st thing on a Saturday morning (same time as weigh-in for the comp). I’m aiming to lose a few more pounds, comp is in 6 weeks with a 2-hour weigh in, so my thinking is that I’ll go in with some carbs in me for strength and re-hydrate quickly before the first lift.

Thanks again
Pickles

4036

Hey Coach Thibs,

I would appreciate your opinion on this question.

Based on your experience and observation, which of the following body recomposition strategy would you recommend for an intermediate lifter whose PRIMARY goal is to get as strong as possible over the next 2-3 years but who is also looking to cut BF% in half in the same period.

Some #s
35 yo, 5’9"
Current: 190 lbs, 20% BF (hydrostatic)
2-3 years: 190 lbs 10% BF

  1. First lose say 30 lbs of mostly fat over 6 months, then slowly add LBM
  2. Do mini cuts and bulks i.e lose 10 lbs of mostly fat and add 10 lbs of mostly LBM every 6 months or so. Repeat.
  3. Any other strategy you would recommend.

Thanks!

4037

Thib,

If using carb cycling with yourself or clients, do you ever use a rotation where the level of carbs on a given day is independent of that days training stress/priority? Or do you prefer to always link the carb level to training stress and priority if using carb cycling?

4038

CT,

When it comes to PW nutrition, what are your thoughts on research that says a blend of fast and slow proteins may actually be superior to a fast-only drink?

I was also wondering what you think about the school of thought that says fast-acting protein and carbs PW is unnecessary if consuming a properly-timed solid pre-workout meal. I read a piece which said that you only need to raise insulin levels to 2-3x normal basal levels before its ability to prevent muscle protein breakdown is maxed out, something which would be accomplished by a properly timed solid pre-workout meal.

Do you feel there is validity to that or that fast-acting PW drinks would still be best for maximum results under certain circumstances?

4039

[quote]q99q wrote:
Thib,

If using carb cycling with yourself or clients, do you ever use a rotation where the level of carbs on a given day is independent of that days training stress/priority? Or do you prefer to always link the carb level to training stress and priority if using carb cycling?
[/quote]

Always link the amount of carbs to the training performed on the day.

4040

[quote]ThorsHammer wrote:
CT,

When it comes to PW nutrition, what are your thoughts on research that says a blend of fast and slow proteins may actually be superior to a fast-only drink?[/quote]

Thee might be some validity to it. However, I think that a better option would be to drink the fast-absorbed protein shake first and have the slow-absorbed (e.g. low carbs Metabolic Drive) 30-45 minutes afterwards.

[quote]ThorsHammer wrote:
I was also wondering what you think about the school of thought that says fast-acting protein and carbs PW is unnecessary if consuming a properly-timed solid pre-workout meal. I read a piece which said that you only need to raise insulin levels to 2-3x normal basal levels before its ability to prevent muscle protein breakdown is maxed out, something which would be accomplished by a properly timed solid pre-workout meal.

Do you feel there is validity to that or that fast-acting PW drinks would still be best for maximum results under certain circumstances? [/quote]

Listen, there are studies going in every direction and opinions based on theories. All I can say is that properly timed PERI (not merely post) workout nutrition does increase the rate of gains.

Is a post-workout meal necessary? No… people have been getting pretty big and strong without them for years. However they do improve your chances of maximizing the efficacy of your workout.