Thib's Q&A

Training
4821

[quote]phatkins187 wrote:
Hey Coach,

I’ve seen conflicting viewpoints on using BCAA’s combined with Surge Workout Fuel. In Gustavo’s log, you recommended taking BCAAs peri-workout with SWF while others contributors have stated the competing effects of certain BCAAs and SWF will decrease absorption and effectiveness. What’s the best pre/peri/post workout supplementation if I’d like to use SWF/BCAAs/Surge Recovery all together?

Thanks![/quote]

30 MINUTES PRE-WORKOUT
20-30g BCAAs

IMMEDIATELY PRE-WORKOUT
1/2 serving Surge Workout Fuel

DURING WORKOUT
1/2 serving Surge Workout Fuel

POST-WORKOUT
Surge Recovery

4822

Hey Thib. I’ve been using Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” and I was wondering if I need to step it up to something different. I saw that it is great for beginners and since I went back and started from scratch I considered myself to be one. Right now I switched to some fixed weights since I stopped really getting anywhere with them and to change up my routine. Last time I checked my lifts were:
Bench: 170 3setsx5reps
Squat: 270 3x5
DL: 240? 3x5

I’m just wondering if another program would benefit me more? I know my lifts are low.

Also, when I squat it seems like I bend down at the waist a bit, does this mean I need to work on my lower back? Thanks a ton!

4823

Hey coach,

Whats your opinion on naps? Sometimes I just can’t get 8 hours of sleep (like last night I got 6.5 hours and just couldn’t sleep past 7am) and really want to take a nap. Is there any problem with that cutting into sleep the next night?

and more importantly, should I wait a certain amount of time after eating? I just had a meal with about 60g of carbs 20min. ago and I feel like I shouldn’t be going to sleep after that.

4824

Coach Thib,

talking about this ESW got me thinking. I’m currently on a “clean bulk” trying to gain 20-30 lbs of muscle over the coming year or so, every month or two i plan on going through a mini fat loss for about a week or two. that being said, during this time, while still lifting during the week, which approach would be the best for trimming any of the gained fat to keep the gains mostly LBM?

1 Moderate carb with interval work
2 Low carb with slower longer (30-45 min) cardio
3 Low carb with interval work (since it will only be for a week or two)

Thanks a lot.

4825

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Hey coach,

Whats your opinion on naps? Sometimes I just can’t get 8 hours of sleep (like last night I got 6.5 hours and just couldn’t sleep past 7am) and really want to take a nap. Is there any problem with that cutting into sleep the next night?

and more importantly, should I wait a certain amount of time after eating? I just had a meal with about 60g of carbs 20min. ago and I feel like I shouldn’t be going to sleep after that.[/quote]

Naps are very effective to help promote recovery, growth/repair, hormonal balance and neural restoration. However they cannot take the place of a good night of sleep. Can a nap be detrimental to your nightly sleep? In some people, if the nap is late during the day, it can be a problem. But in most cases it’s fine.

There is no problem with taking a nap right after eating.

4826

[quote]pstruhar7786 wrote:
Coach Thib,

talking about this ESW got me thinking. I’m currently on a “clean bulk” trying to gain 20-30 lbs of muscle over the coming year or so, every month or two i plan on going through a mini fat loss for about a week or two. that being said, during this time, while still lifting during the week, which approach would be the best for trimming any of the gained fat to keep the gains mostly LBM?

1 Moderate carb with interval work
2 Low carb with slower longer (30-45 min) cardio
3 Low carb with interval work (since it will only be for a week or two)

Thanks a lot. [/quote]

Since it’s only for a week or two you can go hog wild and do some crazy stuff!!! In fact, the first two weeks of my ‘‘Get Jacked’’ program has a phase just like that… low carbs, hard training, intervals and steady cardio. As long as it’s no more than 14 days, the risk of muscle loss is small.

4827

Hi Mr. Thibaudeau, my question is about low carbs impact on testos terone and libido. I understand low carbs is a superior nutrition method for fat loss and optimum body comp, but every time I try It, my libido crash. This is also true for every people that I know who have tried low carbs.

This happen, even when there is a lot of calories in the diet (from avocado, butter, nuts, meat, olive oil, coconut oil, whole eggs, cream etc). I know some authors believe that insulin reduce SHBG and that would be a reason why higher carbs levels might lead to higher free testosterone…

I would like to know your opinion on this?

Is this possible to keep higher levels and even increase them with low carbs?

Why do every time I increase my carbs intake (up to maybe 40% I feel like a machine? / 20-25pro / 40-50 carbs / 30-40 fat )

Thank you in advance

adonail

4828

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

Ripped Fury wrote:
3) Is a wide stance (twice the hip width) squat to the depth where the top of the quads are parallel to the floor, while keeping the upper body as vertical as possible, a superior exercise to Romanian dead-lifts when training the hamstrings and glutes?

I do not have any lower back injury or strength issues. In fact, my lower back is much stronger than my hamstrings and glutes and it feels like it takes over from them when I do Romanian dead-lifts in the heavy rep range (1 - 4).

Both are about similar but the variation will depend on your strengths and weaknesses. The squat might involve the glutes more and there is still the chance of shifting too much of the stimulation to the lower back if there is too much forward lean.

I like the leg press with the feet high on the pad (as high as possible) and long step lunges to work the hams and glutes while minimizing lower involvement.
[/quote]

Thank you for your prompt response Coach. I have a follow up question from your reply about the long step lunges, if you don’t mind.

I include Bulgarian Split Squats as part of my quadriceps training session to focus on the vastus medialis which is lagging. However, my glutes and hams (which still haven’t completely recovered from the hamstring session 2 days prior) also take a beating from the Bulgarians. Is there anyway I can reduce their involvement?

I have tried using a shorter stride for the working leg but this places some strain on my knee. It doesn’t hurt but it doesn’t feel right either, if that makes any sense. I thought of placing the working leg on something that is lower than the floor level, but I can’t figure out how to make a set-up like that.

Also, I read somewhere that one shouldn’t train biceps and calves in the same training session. Something to do with an inadequate supply of blood to them because they are ‘far away’. Is there any merit to this train of thought?

Thank you for your time.

4829

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

Naps are very effective to help promote recovery, growth/repair, hormonal balance and neural restoration. However they cannot take the place of a good night of sleep. Can a nap be detrimental to your nightly sleep? In some people, if the nap is late during the day, it can be a problem. But in most cases it’s fine.
[/quote]

Ok I’ll keep that in mind. I’d much rather get the good sleep but sometimes I just can’t. I ALWAYS get up to go to the bathroom at least once and sometimes move around one in a while throughout the night. I’ve tried taking magnesium but I didn’t notice much of an effect, that is supposed to help though right?

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

There is no problem with taking a nap right after eating. [/quote]

Hm, I was under the impression one should wait awhile, especially if there’s a significant amount of carbs in the meal. Would that not make the food more predisposed to being stored as fat?

Thanks CT

4830

Christian,

Recall you talk about using the foreman grill for meats and eating it plain. Do you eat red meat plain as well or are there subtle tricks you can share?
I like chicken and fish with a little almond butter(of all things!), but want to add some red meat back in…

Thanks for being here.

4831

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
AtomicPunks wrote:
Coach Thibaudeau,

When it comes to fat loss and Energy Systems Training, particularly the higher intensity types, is it best to always strive to increase the average intensity of the sessions over the course of many weeks or should things be dialed back for a week every few weeks before picking up the intensity level again and continuing on(a de-load for EST, if you will)?

Would it be preferable to just select a new mode of EST every four weeks or so and simply progress the intensity of the sessions for all four weeks before switching to the next type to be used? e.g. 4 weeks- Versaclimber intervals; 4 weeks- interval medley: sled pulling, Prowler pushing, sledgehammer swinging, sandbag carrying, Farmer’s walk, etc.; 4 weeks- Concept 2 rower intervals; 4 weeks- bodyweight exercises and kettlebell swing circuits

There are several things to consider here…

  1. Depending on your diet, not all ESW methods are adequate. For example, someone who is on a super low carbs diet and is already strength training several times a week, intervals work might not be optimal over the long run.

See it this way… the more intense an activity is, the more glycogen-dependant it becomes. If your glycogen stores are low (and considering that weight training uses mostly glycogen for fuel already) then doing a lot of other high intensity activities might not be optimal over the long run.

  1. For the same reason you can’t always seek to increase ESW intensity. As I mentionned, and increase in intensity will increase the reliance on carbs/glycogen for energy. And in a low carbs environment this could have ill effects on your recovery, workout performance and eventually muscle mass.

  2. On paper high-intensity ESW is better. However that’s true mostly for fat loss diets that still include a sufficient amount of carbs.[/quote]

Thib,

Provided that carb intake and the frequency and intensity of such sessions were well matched, is there anything “fundamentally” flawed with the sample arrangement that I posted above?

For fat loss and performance, proper progression must be observed, and in the case of fat loss you need to focus on creating metabolic disturbances as opposed to just maintaining a certain level of performance/ increasing efficiency. However, I also get the distinct feeling that with fat loss, it’s primarily about letting a reasonable reduction in caloric intake drive fat loss, using weight training to preserve muscle, and then supplementing with the appropriate intensity and amount of ESW based upon recovery capacity, nutrient intake, etc.

I guess I am just trying to reconcile the progression and metabolic disturbance part with the fact that not every type of ESW is appropriate under all circumstances.

4832

Hi Coach. How are you? I have a question regarding a friend of mine. He is 5’10", about 180 lbs. He has been trying to gain muscle for the past year. However, he went from a size 33" waist (relaxed) to a size 37" waist. Is this of concern? He gained about 20 pounds. He actually increased arm, thigh and chest girth as well, so I don’t think he gained pure fat. Needless to say, he has lost his 6 pack. i just fear he’s gaining too much fat.

I’ve noticed something about him. He likes to eat at night. Before bed, he usually eats an apple with peanut butter (quite a bit though) and a protein shake. I’ve told him that it seems like too much, but he says he can’t help it. Its the only thing that seems to shut his stomach up. He says if he goes to bed with the slightest hunger, he can’t sleep. I’ve suggested that he goes to bed earlier or eat dinner a bit later, but none of those seems to work. Do you have any recommendations to crush his night time hunger completely? And if he HAS to eat for any reason, what would you recommend?

Thank you :slight_smile:

4833

[quote]AtomicPunks wrote:
Provided that carb intake and the frequency and intensity of such sessions were well matched, is there anything “fundamentally” flawed with the sample arrangement that I posted above?

For fat loss and performance, proper progression must be observed, and in the case of fat loss you need to focus on creating metabolic disturbances as opposed to just maintaining a certain level of performance/ increasing efficiency. However, I also get the distinct feeling that with fat loss, it’s primarily about letting a reasonable reduction in caloric intake drive fat loss, using weight training to preserve muscle, and then supplementing with the appropriate intensity and amount of ESW based upon recovery capacity, nutrient intake, etc.

I guess I am just trying to reconcile the progression and metabolic disturbance part with the fact that not every type of ESW is appropriate under all circumstances.[/quote]

Provided that every else is intune with the ESW program it seems fine (depending on the volume though… I would keep the ESW/GPP work to 15 minutes or under).

The key thing will be to monitor how you are progressing in the gym. If your strength is decreasing then you are either depleting glycogen too much or are losing muscle. In both cases it should be back to the drawing board.

4834

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
I include Bulgarian Split Squats as part of my quadriceps training session to focus on the vastus medialis which is lagging. However, my glutes and hams (which still haven’t completely recovered from the hamstring session 2 days prior) also take a beating from the Bulgarians.

Is there anyway I can reduce their involvement? [/quote]

Perform stutter reps: go halfway down 3 times, then perform 1 full rep… this is ONE repetition.

It will completely BLOW UP your VMO and you will not have to use as much weight, thus decreasing the amount of work performed by the hams and glutes.

[/quote]
Also, I read somewhere that one shouldn’t train biceps and calves in the same training session. Something to do with an inadequate supply of blood to them because they are ‘far away’. Is there any merit to this train of thought?
[/quote]

It is true that the body preferentially shuttle blood to the working area. For example, after a big meal, around 70% of the blood flow is diverted to the stomach and digestive system.

The same thing is true to some extent when doing strength training. However is that significant? In my experience and in all logic, no. After all, hypoxia (lack of oxygen) within the muscle from cutting off blood supply (using a blood pressure cuff while training) has been shown to stimulate the release of IGF-1 and growth hormone (two anabolic substances).

In that case, restricted blood flow to the muscle actually INCREASED muscle growth.

Furthermore, training muscles that are ‘‘far appart’’ might actually have some cardivascular benefits as it may make the heart and cardivascular system work harder, and this will in turn stimulate an improvement over time.

4835

[quote]forbes wrote:
Hi Coach. How are you? I have a question regarding a friend of mine. He is 5’10", about 180 lbs. He has been trying to gain muscle for the past year.

However, he went from a size 33" waist (relaxed) to a size 37" waist. Is this of concern? He gained about 20 pounds. He actually increased arm, thigh and chest girth as well, so I don’t think he gained pure fat. Needless to say, he has lost his 6 pack. i just fear he’s gaining too much fat.

I’ve noticed something about him. He likes to eat at night. Before bed, he usually eats an apple with peanut butter (quite a bit though) and a protein shake. I’ve told him that it seems like too much, but he says he can’t help it. Its the only thing that seems to shut his stomach up.

He says if he goes to bed with the slightest hunger, he can’t sleep. I’ve suggested that he goes to bed earlier or eat dinner a bit later, but none of those seems to work. Do you have any recommendations to crush his night time hunger completely? And if he HAS to eat for any reason, what would you recommend?

Thank you :)[/quote]

Contrary to what a lot of people (and trainers) say, eating prior to going to bed isn’t that bad. In fact, having nutrients in your body during the night (when you are basically going without food/nutrients for 8+ hours) might be positive for muscle growth.

If he is gaining too much fat, the problem probably simply lies in the fact that his OVERALL (all day long) food intake is too high and/or that his macronutrient ratio/food choices is out of wack.

But certainly, adding 4’’ to one’s waist is a lot.

4836

[quote]Majin wrote:
Christian,

Recall you talk about using the foreman grill for meats and eating it plain. Do you eat red meat plain as well or are there subtle tricks you can share?
I like chicken and fish with a little almond butter(of all things!), but want to add some red meat back in…

Thanks for being here. [/quote]

I do eat all sorts of meat. Chicken, turkey, beef, buffalo/bison, moose, wapiti, horse, etc.

As for seasoning, all spices are basically okay. But as far as sauces go, stick to only tabasco sauce and mustard.

4837

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Hm, I was under the impression one should wait awhile, especially if there’s a significant amount of carbs in the meal. Would that not make the food more predisposed to being stored as fat?

Thanks CT
[/quote]

Not really, that is a myth. The ‘‘logic’’ behind that myth is that since your body doesn’t readily use the ingested carbs for fuel, then they are most likely to be stored.

THIS IS 100% TRUE. However this doesn’t mean that the carbs are necessarily stored as fat. If you eat too much of them for your body’s predisposition to carbs, yes you will store some of them as fat. But this is true for any meal except peri-workout nutrition.

The body keeps very little glucose (carbs) circulating in the bloostream (normally between 4 and 7g). All the other carbs ingested are either burned for fuel or stored.

Carbs are burned for fuel mostly during high intensity exercise. Just being awake and doing your daily chores will not burn a lot more glucose than if you were sleeping. So if you were to ingest 60g of carbs before taking a nap or 60g of carbs before going to class (for example) the amount of carbs stored would be almost identical.

The only difference would be between 60g before a nap and 60g before an intense exercise (which uses carbs for fuel).

But other than that, carbs will be stored… either as fat, in the muscle or in the liver (to various ratios depending on your predisposition and previous activity). Then they will be burned or released for fuel as needed.

The are is also some evidence that a proper amount of carbs before a nap helps relax by increasing level of serotonin. However too much carbs might obviously be detrimental to body composition (but this is true to carbs intake at any given time).

4838

CT:

Hope all is well

I bought Get Jacked thinking I would be able to commit, however with a new baby, I am going to have to do this at a later date. I am able to train Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun and was wondering if I can do something similar to your Destroying Fat atricle.

I would like to do two strength sessions and two metabolic pairing sessions.should I go two strength and two metabolic or one strength and then one metabolic.

Also in terms of creatine how much should you be using during a fat loss phase. I know you had previously said that it can be used in conjection w glycerol if you are feeling fat during a fat loss phase. Thanks for your time.

4839

CT I have been using the Get Jacked program to get ready for a vacation. I have been on it for 1 week, and its going great I didnt even eat a cheat meal this week.

There is a problem however. The place we were supposed to stay double booked us. So we got offered a big discount if we would take it earlier. We are now leaving in 6 weeks so I will be on the program a total of 7 weeks. Is there any way to change it up for the most fat loss in this time span or is it best to just go straight through like it is already set up?

I figured I could take out the peaking phase, but that still leaves 10 weeks of stuff to get in a 7 week slot. Thanks for any help.

4840

Thib, do you think slow-twitch fiber training is important for powerlifters or someone who’s just training for max strength?

I’ve came across an article by Dmitry Kasatov (bench press around 300 kg raw).
He advocates slow fiber training and suggests this method :

30 sec sets of slow tempo with partial ROM @ 30-50%, rest 30 secs, repeat 2 more times. Rest 5-10 mins and do 2 more circuits.

What do you think of this?