CT At Your Service!

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
41

I hope you can answer this.

It’s summer in about 4 days for me. I want my leg workout to take me to new heights. I just don’t know what kind of split I should use and what rep/set scheme. Here’s what I’m doing right now.

3X6 Back Squat, Front squat, lunges, and SLDL. That’s all I do during leg day.

Two questions:

  1. I was wondering if I should split my leg workout into two days. One for quads and one for hams (add exercises in both days)?

  2. I want mass, therefore what set/rep scheme to do?

Thanks a lot

Pat

42

Hi Christian,

This is just what I am looking for as I have a broken wrist so wanted a leg specialisation program.

However, due to my broken wrist I am unable to do Romanian Deadlifts and Sumo Deadlifts. What do you suggest in their place?

I was thinking Good Mornings and Leg Press (with high foot placement)…

Thanks
Dan

43

CT-whats your thoughts on guys in the gym who at the top of movements(db shoulder presses or db chest presses) turn the db’s in?

44

What would be a good follow up to do after your Easy Hard Gainers program :

Eatern European Program
Power Circut
Your new Leg proram
Ovt

I am loooking to gain size. Thanks

45

Hey CT, I’m looking for a good strength building/stabilization plan for a lumbar spine with multiple herniated discs, that could be used to compliment my normal weightlifting/cardio workouts. I’ve done the traditional physical therapy with mediorce results, and I’ve grown tired of accepting my lower back as a weak point. Thanks.

46

In short, what kind of strength training should I train when following a lowcarbdiet. Should I train each muscle group 1 or 2 times a week, 4-5 basic exercises with maybe 4 x 6 reps. Or should I have a little bit higher volume. To failure or not to failure?

Or do ypu prefer training holde body 3 times week?

47

Christian,

I’ve been trying to teach myself deadlifts (on and off) over the past year and a half or so, and have developed some decent strength from them. I feel that my posterior chain, especially the hams, lower back and scapulae, not to be brought into balance with the rest of me. I’m doing these for general bodybuilding purposes (not for powerlifting or anything).

My question has to do with the type of stance I’ve been useing. I’ve been using a pretty wide stance, heels a bit wider than shoulder width, toes pointed out, gripping the bar pretty wide (with arms outside my knees). Is this a wider stance and/or grip than you recommend? The undersides of my forearms get all red and burned from rubbing against the tops of my knees/thighs. Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks.

48

How are you training your athletes these days??

3 full body

1: eccentric
2: concentric
3: iso or explosive

doing pendulum for difrent methods
where does acumulation and intensification fit in?? hyperthrophy week acumulate… speed-strenght intensify??

49

Thib,
What are your honest thoughts/critiques on the following:

Conjugate peroidization vs accumulation and intensification cycles a la Poliquin?

Multiple full body workouts per week to stimulate mass quickly?

Behind the neck shoulder presses vs dumbbell press for lateral deltoid stimulation?

Disc Hoss

50

CT,

How would you go about training for rugby union (as a second row forward) over the course of a year? I’m especially interested in what to do during the season as I’m trying to help out my brother who is playing at the moment. He trains once per week with the team and can get to the gym 3 times per week. Games are on Saturday.

What would be the best exercises for him to use?

Cheers,

Ben

51

[quote]Disc Hoss wrote:
Thib,
What are your honest thoughts/critiques on the following:

Conjugate peroidization vs accumulation and intensification cycles a la Poliquin?
Disc Hoss[/quote]

One doesn’t exclude the other.

For example it’s possible to do an accumulation block in which you are performing strength, power and hypertrophy work. Since it’s an accumulation block it simply means that the overall volume of work is higher while the average intensity is lower.

In the case of a conjugate accumulation block this could mean that 50% of the total volume is performed in the hypertrophy zone (8-12 reps) or in the functional hypertrophy zone (6 to 8 reps) while 25% is performed as strength work in the low end of the strength-intensity spectrum (85-90% or 3-5RM) and another 25% is performed as power work.

During a conjugate intensification block the ratios would switch to something like 50% strength work in the 90-100% range (1-3RM), 25% as power work and 25% in the functional hypertrophy zone.

Finally during a conjugate explosion block one might perform 50% power work (probably divided into 25% strength-speed work: olympic lifts, speed bench/squat with bands and 25% speed-strength work: jump squats, balistic bench, plyo, med ball throws), 25% as strength work and 25% as functional hypertrophy work.

[quote]Disc Hoss wrote:
Multiple full body workouts per week to stimulate mass quickly?
Disc Hoss[/quote]

With my athletes I almost always use full body workouts, sometimes a lower/upper body split during hypertrophy-dominant phases.

[quote]Disc Hoss wrote:
Behind the neck shoulder presses vs dumbbell press for lateral deltoid stimulation?

Disc Hoss[/quote]

Cressey will back me up on this; you really cannot isolate the lateral portion of the delts as this doesn’t really exist. I seldom use behind the neck presses (although I might use wide grip BTN push press on occasion). I believe that the best shoulder builders are:

  1. push press
  2. standing military press
  3. Bradford press
  4. Dumbbell press
52

[quote]sagomed wrote:
How are you training your athletes these days??

3 full body

1: eccentric
2: concentric
3: iso or explosive

doing pendulum for difrent methods
where does acumulation and intensification fit in?? hyperthrophy week acumulate… speed-strenght intensify??[/quote]

I use 3 full body workouts using the split you described. Depending on the phase I will change some things around…

Accumulation block

  1. Eccentric emphasis
  2. Concentric emphasis
  3. Isometric emphasis with concentric work too

Intensification block

  1. Eccentric emphasis
  2. Concentric emphasis with some strength-speed work too
  3. Isometric emphasis with eccentric work too

Explosion block

  1. Plyometric and reactive work
  2. Strength-speed work (OL, speed squat/bench with bands)
  3. Speed-strength work (balistic, throws)
53

[quote]mikeynorth wrote:
In short, what kind of strength training should I train when following a lowcarbdiet. Should I train each muscle group 1 or 2 times a week, 4-5 basic exercises with maybe 4 x 6 reps. Or should I have a little bit higher volume. To failure or not to failure?

Or do ypu prefer training holde body 3 times week?[/quote]

It all depends on what type of low carbs diet you are using… is it cyclical (e.g. 5 days low carb, 2 days high carbs), rotational (e.g. 2 days low carbs, 1 day medium carbs, 1 day high carbs, repeat), targeted (low carbs all day except for a 75-100g carbs surge post workout) or straight low carb?

I ask because the type of diet you use will make a huge difference on how you should train.

The basic rule is the keep the volume low and intensity (load) high while your glycogen reserves are low, and volume higher when your glycogen stores are high (after a carb-up for example).

54

[quote]vtkess02 wrote:
Hey CT, I’m looking for a good strength building/stabilization plan for a lumbar spine with multiple herniated discs, that could be used to compliment my normal weightlifting/cardio workouts. I’ve done the traditional physical therapy with mediorce results, and I’ve grown tired of accepting my lower back as a weak point. Thanks.[/quote]

Cressey and Robertson are much better suited to answer that question. Injuries are my weakest point.

55

[quote]deshawn wrote:
What would be a good follow up to do after your Easy Hard Gainers program :

Eatern European Program
Power Circut
Your new Leg proram
Ovt

I am loooking to gain size. Thanks[/quote]

I’d go with a program completely different than the easy hardgainer program. A modified version of OVT (only performing supersets for the last 2 sets… the first 3 sets you only perform the “1” exercice as a stand-alone) might be your best bet.

56

Hey CT,

I’m planning a 4 lift per week O-lift program. Any tips on squatting frequency and the set/rep parameters over a 4 week training block?

57

[quote]Dan E wrote:
Hi Christian,

This is just what I am looking for as I have a broken wrist so wanted a leg specialisation program.

However, due to my broken wrist I am unable to do Romanian Deadlifts and Sumo Deadlifts. What do you suggest in their place?

I was thinking Good Mornings and Leg Press (with high foot placement)…

Thanks
Dan[/quote]

Both are very good choices. You might also try sumo hip squats … attach a weight between your legs (like you would for weighted dips or chins), stand on two blocks, with a wide stance… squat!

58

Thanks, Thib.

On this point:

"I believe that the best shoulder builders are:

  1. push press
  2. standing military press
  3. Bradford press
  4. Dumbbell press

It seems that the Push press take away a substantial amount of shoulder stimulation and place it upon the legs and hips. Upon first glance, it would appear that the main benefit would be the eccentric phase after lockout. Please critique…

Also, strangely enough, my anterior deltoids need some size. I am pec domininat :slight_smile: and almost all horizontal pushing motions blow my pecs up and the front delt region is lagging behind my pecs, lateral delts, and posterior delts. Strange, I know.

DH

59

a general question: for what purpose would you employ pre-fatigue rather than post-fatigue techniques, and vice versa?

thanks

sam

60

[quote]poper wrote:
Hey CT,

I’m planning a 4 lift per week O-lift program. Any tips on squatting frequency and the set/rep parameters over a 4 week training block?[/quote]

If you want to focus only on olympic lifting, I suggest squatting 3 times per week…

Day 1
Back squat (heavy)
3/2/1 wave (one wave = 1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1… increase the weight on each wave … complete waves until you fail on one rep)…

E.g.
1 x 3 @ 355lbs
1 x 2 @ 375lbs
1 x 1 @ 395lbs

1 x 3 @ 365lbs
1 x 2 @ 385lbs
1 x 1 @ 405lbs

1 x 3 @ 375lbs
1 x 2 @ 395 FAIL END OF EXERCICE

Day 2.
Front squat (moderate)
6 x 3-4 with your clean max

Day 3.
Back squat (explosive)
6 x 2 at 50-55% of maximum performed explosively

On a 4th day perform jumps squats, 3-4 sets of 10 reps with 20% of your max clean