For grip training, do you think that it is possible to devise an effective program where different functions are trained on different days or is it preferable to train all grip functions on 1 or 2 specific days and rotating the order of exercises/what function receives the most emphasis every few weeks?
p.s. since you’re very knowledgeable with regards to supplementation, what type of protein powder would you suggest using in place of whey and casein for those who are not able to tolerate these well or need to remove them from the diet for a period of time?
Obviously whole food choices are ideal, so this question is more for times when a shake might be needed for convenience.[/quote]
I honestly prefer to train all types of grip work on the same day, at a lower volume and more frequentely.
At the end of back workouts
At the end of biceps workouts
Between sets of leg work not including deadlifts
As for protein sources…why can’t you tolerate them? If you go with a pure isolate (0 amount of concentrate) you shouldn’t have any problems. Otherwise you can go with an egg protein powder or gemma pea protein.
Getting to the gym on Wed is tough I assume I could do some interval work outside as opposed to the eliptical.
Would sprints be ok or what type of energy system work could I do in replace for that?
obviously i dont want to over do it.
Perhaps a weekly approach to one or your Destroying Fat articles.
Thanks
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
gaddismotivate wrote:
Coach, I have been in a major caloric and carb deficit (besids PWO)for 12 weeks and have become much leaner but have not yet achieved the level I am looking for. Would you recommend using a carb cycling method for 4 weeks and than getting back to the diet?
Yes, I would recommend a short break in dieting. But not a whole 4 weeks though. 7-10 days should be enough.[/quote]
Coach, I have eaten well for the past 9 days (normal caloric intake/plenty of clean carbs etc). I am ready to return to a caloric/carb deficit to drop the last 3-4% of BF. I am currently 6’2" 194 lbs and ~13%…Last time around I shot myself in the foot by going TOO low (1800-2000cal/day and ~57carbs PWO.) This time around, is there a specific way I should set the diet up better? I am ready for the pounds to come melting off again now that my body is back to operating properly.
Thanks.
hi coach,
i’m writing to you from Italy, excuse my ill-formed english.
I’m a male,39 years old. i trained myself for many years, interesting in natural bodybuilding and strength; lately more in strength or functional hypertrophy.
I read all your books i could have found and i followed a lot of your training advices and routines.
it was great and effective.
thank you for that.
Now, I have some questions i would like submit to you and i will appreciate your answers:
have you new suggestions for natural lifters interesting in size/strenght how to plan the training weeks ( how to change intensity week after week between strength/hypertrophy ) or with “blocks” ?
In your works " Off Season & Pre Contest Training for BBders" and “Dr. Jekill and Mr Hyde” you present two different programs.
Have you any details how to choose the best of them to follow for a maximum natural muscle growth?
when do you write on your examples programs a prescribed number of sets and repetions, which is the best way to performe it?
for example :
4x10; 5x6;3x8…
all the sets with maximum weight to failure(… decreasing weights every next set because the fatigue raise and to preserve the same number of repetions in all sets…)?
which is the best way to perform waves like 7/5/3/7/5/3 or 5/4/3/5/4/3/ ?
after a set to failure or very close to it my strength falls down and i can’t add more load to lift the following set…if i have to work hard every sets it’s better for me to keep the load constant inner the single wave.
in your experience, for those who are suffering pains or injuries ( herniated disc ) in their low-back, which are the best and productive exercises in the list to training “seriously” the lower body ( core inclusive)?
CT, I’m currently preparing a routine using your Destroying Fat training template.
I read through the entire discussion beneath it, but I’m left with a question regarding the strength sessions.
You recommend breaking the body in two (I’m sure the LI sessions will do this haha), that is chest/back and quad/ham. However, is there a reason one wouldn’t opt for a splitting of chest/ham and back/quad? I’m imagining the chest and back day just being much easier than a full-on heavy quad and ham day.
I do acknowledge the overlap of the alactic session on the otherwise strictly upper body day. Is this the reason, to keep legs separated from the alactic training?
[quote]nz6stringaxe wrote:
CT, I’m currently preparing a routine using your Destroying Fat training template.
I read through the entire discussion beneath it, but I’m left with a question regarding the strength sessions.
You recommend breaking the body in two (I’m sure the LI sessions will do this haha), that is chest/back and quad/ham. However, is there a reason one wouldn’t opt for a splitting of chest/ham and back/quad? I’m imagining the chest and back day just being much easier than a full-on heavy quad and ham day.
I do acknowledge the overlap of the alactic session on the otherwise strictly upper body day. Is this the reason, to keep legs separated from the alactic training?[/quote]
It’s probably to help take advantage of the antagonist muscle pairings.
Bananas 1-2 a day
Oranges 4-6 a day
Pineapple 1/3-1/2 a day
Watermelon 0-1/4 a day
Apple 1-2 a day
(assuming some sort of medium size of each)
I’m eating each of these whenever during the day when I crave them (which is often) and I want to know your stance on if eating a lot of fruit is bad for body composition or insulin sensitivity.
I’m currently just maintaining until the summer takes it’s natural course and leans me out on its own.
[quote]TheBigV wrote:
CT how does this look for daily intake of fruits?
Bananas 1-2 a day
Oranges 4-6 a day
Pineapple 1/3-1/2 a day
Watermelon 0-1/4 a day
Apple 1-2 a day
(assuming some sort of medium size of each)
I’m eating each of these whenever during the day when I crave them (which is often) and I want to know your stance on if eating a lot of fruit is bad for body composition or insulin sensitivity.
I’m currently just maintaining until the summer takes it’s natural course and leans me out on its own.[/quote]
‘‘Lean me out on its own’’? Life generally doesn’t work that way, sadly.
Dependng on your goal, I do feel that this intake is a bit too high. It obviously depend on how much carbs you are getting from other sources though as well as your activity level.
That amount of fruit will give you around 180g of carbs, which is fine if you are not ingesting a lot of carbs from other sources (pasta, rice, yams, potatoes, bread, sugar, etc.), but if you are not that active and are getting a lot of other carbs then it will be too much.
It also depends on your size and insulin sensitity.
You suggested that performing incline and decline/seated work with dumbbells using a neutral (hammer) grip will take some strain off of the shoulder joint/rotator cuffs.
Do you simply use a hammer grip while keeping the upper arm in and identical position as it would normally be. Or do you allow the arm position to naturally come in closer to the body which seems to occurs when adopting a hammer grip.
[quote]crod266 wrote:
Thib, what would u tell a hockey player to work on if he wanted to improve speed on all his shots?[/quote]
I’d tell him to practice shooting.
Training-wise, wrist and hand strength is often the limiting factor in shooting strength. Forearms are important and so is the core and lower body, but strong hands and wrists are commonalities among all strong shooters.
Thib, I hope this isn’t a dumb question but I figured I would ask so I make the most of the 12 week duration of your Get Jacked program. I currently weigh 185, and have maintained this weight for about a month now, up from 175 a few months or so ago. In a few weeks I plan on starting your Get Jacked program. What would be better for me to follow? The diet recommendations for individuals 150-185lbs or for individuals 185-225lbs?
Thanks Thib, only reason I ask is because my weight of 185 pounds is kind of newly aquired, and I haven’t been at this weight too long. But maybe the diet reccomendations for the 185-225lb individuals will help me keep more muscle? I am not sure though, which is why I am asking.
Thanks again!
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
bodychemist wrote:
Could my ADHD medicine (adderall) be affecting my cortisol/testosterone levels in a negative way? If so, is it enough to be affecting my progress?
Adderall as an amphetamine, like most stimulants, has the potential to lead to elevated cortisol levels. Furthermore it can also increase metabolic rate, making it harder to gain muscle.
Can it affect your gains? Yes. But I wouldn’t play with something that was prescribed by a doctor to treat a health problem.[/quote]
If I am in a fat loss stage are there any extra precautions I could take to maybe keep my testosterone high and cortisol low to help prevent muscle catabolism other than keeping protein high?
[quote]Italiano wrote:
Thib, I hope this isn’t a dumb question but I figured I would ask so I make the most of the 12 week duration of your Get Jacked program. I currently weigh 185, and have maintained this weight for about a month now, up from 175 a few months or so ago. In a few weeks I plan on starting your Get Jacked program. What would be better for me to follow? The diet recommendations for individuals 150-185lbs or for individuals 185-225lbs?
Thanks Thib, only reason I ask is because my weight of 185 pounds is kind of newly aquired, and I haven’t been at this weight too long. But maybe the diet reccomendations for the 185-225lb individuals will help me keep more muscle? I am not sure though, which is why I am asking.
Thanks again! [/quote]
I’d go with the 185-225lbs option. If fat loss is too slow after 4 weeks, switch down a class.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
crod266 wrote:
Thib, what would u tell a hockey player to work on if he wanted to improve speed on all his shots?
I’d tell him to practice shooting.
Training-wise, wrist and hand strength is often the limiting factor in shooting strength. Forearms are important and so is the core and lower body, but strong hands and wrists are commonalities among all strong shooters.[/quote]
thanks a bunch Thib, maybe i will give ur forearm program a shot ha
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
‘‘Lean me out on its own’’? Life generally doesn’t work that way, sadly.
Dependng on your goal, I do feel that this intake is a bit too high. It obviously depend on how much carbs you are getting from other sources though as well as your activity level.
That amount of fruit will give you around 180g of carbs, which is fine if you are not ingesting a lot of carbs from other sources (pasta, rice, yams, potatoes, bread, sugar, etc.), but if you are not that active and are getting a lot of other carbs then it will be too much.
It also depends on your size and insulin sensitity.
[/quote]
The only other carbs I’m getting come from nuts and vegetables, and the occasional sushi once or twice a month.
I usually have practice which means I sprint for 2 hours on and off every day and walk 40-80 minutes a day from house to campus.
If vegetables, fruit, and nuts are my only sources of carbs, given my activity level, do you think my carb intake could be too high?
hi Christian i’d appreciate your help. I’d like to do a 3 day TBT Program. I’m thinking along the lines of:
Monday
Front squat
Chin ups
Push press
Wednesday
Deadlift
T bar row
Incline bench
Friday
Back squat
Power clean from hang
Flat bench
I would like to know what rep set scheme in your opinion should be used for size/strength? I am doing 5x5 for my body part splits but i’m not sure if the same principles apply for TBT as it will only be one exercise a day per body part/group if you get what i mean?
I plan on doing straight sets on the lower body movement then going between the two upper body movements to save time or do you think that would be too difficult?
Beta-7 would be a prime choice for pump down the volume though[/quote]
Thib,
Are you at all familiar with any impact that beta alanine supplementation may have on muscle and cardiac taurine levels? I recently was reading something touching upon this topic but it seemed to be a case of the jury being out on that matter. And in either case, is there a maximum amount of time (assuming the current training program makes beta alanine supplementation a wise choice) where you’d supplement with it before implementing an “off” period of a certain duration?
