Guys, for the next 3-4 days I’ll be answering questions from any of you provided that you post them ON THIS THREAD. Feel free to ask anything that you want to know, and I’ll do my best to help out.
CT
Did I miss your videos, or any expected date for them?
Ok, here’s some things.
When I jerk, I always put my left leg forward, and subsequently get especially tight in my lower back on the same side. I plan on entering a competition someday, so I was thinking that I should keep practicing the same technique and do other exercises to fix any impending muscular imbalances. What are your thoughts?
Also, when coming out of the clean (Front squat basically) I lean forward everytime. I’d like to fix this. I thought I had a strong back because I can zercher squat 405 for sets of 10 and deadlift 450. Any advice would be appreciated.
Any other O-lift special advice or tips to a relative newbie would be super.
Thank you much for any help you can give me.
CT, how do I get your book? I tried to email you so many times already, but I couldn’t reach you. Could you please PM me your email that you often check? Thanks…
This is perfect. Earlier today I was milling over one of your earlier posts in regards to an overweight football high school player and basically trying to get him into shape for the season. My question had to do with his postworkout nutrition in relation to the energy system primarily used. I know you advocate low volume training for someone when their on a hypocaloric diet, usually ingesting carbs only after training, but my question is when doing low volume higher intensity training arent you taxing the atp-cp system and the cns more than the glycotic energy system. Do you really need to replace the glucose in the muscles with the MRP?
Bonjour Christian,
I was quite impressed when I read that you train Weightlifter Parm Phamgura. I see in the Cdn National competition results from last weekend he came in second in his weight class. I have a question for you regarding Weightlifting. I just spent the last three months working with a coach to help me learn the O lifts. I’m an older person (35) with only a couple of years of strength training. I’d like to compete in the Masters category (first competition coming up in July). I’d really like to bring up my squat (front/back), deadlift and overhead pressing numbers, so even if I decide to take a break from competions, I can continue training and getting stronger. Not sure what type of routine to use to increase my performance on these lifts? Should I take a Westside/powerlifting approach to increasing my strength and mass, or will that interfer with the different technique required in the Olympic variation of these lifts? I keep reading on this site about how powerlifters who can squat 700lbs, can easily due a 400lbs Olympic style squat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My body weight is 80kg, and my current back squat is 130kg, front squat 105kg and deadlift 140kg. I have snatched 65kg and C&J 80kg. I feel that I can do more, but I’m still getting comfortable with the lifts. Thanks.
George
[quote]ScottL wrote:
Did I miss your videos, or any expected date for them?[/quote]
No, they are not released yet. We’re not done filming them. They are not a priority this summer.
[quote]kurnia38 wrote:
CT, how do I get your book? I tried to email you so many times already, but I couldn’t reach you. Could you please PM me your email that you often check? Thanks…[/quote]
I did receive your email … but I’m so busy right now that I’m weeks late answering my mail. You can order the book by sending 35$ plus shipping (10$) to
Christian Thibaudeau
105 fleurimont
Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
G8Y 5B7
Canada
[quote]teekz wrote:
my question is when doing low volume higher intensity training arent you taxing the atp-cp system and the cns more than the glycotic energy system. Do you really need to replace the glucose in the muscles with the MRP? [/quote]
Any effort that lasts longer than 9-12 seconds will tax the glycogen reserves somewhat. If you are doing sets of around 5 reps, chances are that each set will last around 15 seconds, sometimes more. So you are using some glycogen. Furthermore, the repeated effort (doing several sets) will lead to some relatively important depletion, despite the low number of reps. So yes, some carbs are needed to replenish the reserves. But more importantly, some carbs will increase the anabolic effect of the post-workout drink, facilitating amino acid transport and entry into muscle cells, thus increasing protein synthesis.
Don’t forget that during the day, the athlete is using glycogen to perform his daily tasks, so if the athlete is not ingesting ANY carbs during the day, he’s bound to loose energy.
Power Look with a Ruptured Disk? Anythoughts on an equivalent program for someone with a ruptured disk(L4/L5). I need to avoid shearing or compressive forces on my lower back. I’m just now starting to hit the gym again.
Thanks,
Lee
How do I go about losing weight in my lower body? It’s rather strange: my upper body is just as I want it to be, and there’s just the right amount of definition. My lower body, on the other hand, is straight out FAT! I work my lower body just as well as my upper body, and I do energy system work (cardio), but the fat remains.
By the way, I’m in a martial art similar to Tae Kwon Do, so I’m not looking for hypertrophy. Just some weight loss, targeting specifically the lower body.
Thanks!
[quote]the MaxX wrote:
Ok, here’s some things.
When I jerk, I always put my left leg forward, and subsequently get especially tight in my lower back on the same side. I plan on entering a competition someday, so I was thinking that I should keep practicing the same technique and do other exercises to fix any impending muscular imbalances. What are your thoughts?
[/quote]
I had the exact same problem. What I did was include deep lunges in my training as well as some contra-lateral jerking (jerks with the opposite leg). The later will actually help with your lifting coordination.
[quote]the MaxX wrote:
Also, when coming out of the clean (Front squat basically) I lean forward everytime. I’d like to fix this. I thought I had a strong back because I can zercher squat 405 for sets of 10 and deadlift 450. Any advice would be appreciated.
[/quote]
There is little, if any correlation between the zercher squat and keeping a straight torso in the clean recovery. Actually the zercher will hurt in your efforts. You see the zercher squat/deadlift is a rounded back lift and actually encourage bending forward at the trunk. This lift most probably taught you faulty motor habits which are leading to your recovery problems.
Drop the zerchers, do a lot of front squats really emphasizing a strictly upright torso.
A good teaching drill is the gripless front squat: place the bar on your shoulders, but instead of grabbing the bar, keep your arms straight forward. Squat down and up this way. The slightest forward bend will lead to you droping the bar. Be patient, you took a lot of time to develop a faulty motor pattern, it will take you just as long to correct it.
[quote]gvlahos wrote:
Bonjour Christian,
I was quite impressed when I read that you train Weightlifter Parm Phamgura. I see in the Cdn National competition results from last weekend he came in second in his weight class.
[/quote]
Actually I only design his training programs. His technical work is done by his club coach.
He has not been able to train as hard this year because of his studies though.
[quote]gvlahos wrote:
I’d really like to bring up my squat (front/back), deadlift and overhead pressing numbers, so even if I decide to take a break from competions, I can continue training and getting stronger. Not sure what type of routine to use to increase my performance on these lifts? Should I take a Westside/powerlifting approach to increasing my strength and mass, or will that interfer with the different technique required in the Olympic variation of these lifts?
[/quote]
The westside system is the best way to train for powerlifting. However it’s not designed to build overhead strength and the program revolves around maximizing the strengths required for the specific form of the competitive powerlifts. A powerlifting squat doesn’t involve the same muscles as an olympic squat. So if you truely want to compete as an olympic lifter, a true westside routine might not be best for you.
However the westside system can be adapted to suit your needs by including the technical lifts (full snatch, clean & jerk) in the speed days, performed for 6-8 sets of 2 reps with 65-70% emphasizing speed and perfect technique and by including maximum effort assistance olympic lifts (power snatch from blocks, power clean from blocks, push press, etc.) in the lower body max effort sessions every 2 weeks.
Also include some front squatting to maintain proper form during the clean recovery.
[quote]gvlahos wrote:
I keep reading on this site about how powerlifters who can squat 700lbs, can easily due a 400lbs Olympic style squat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
[/quote]
A 400lbs olympic squat is nothing, at least not if you want to have some success in the olympic lifts. Bascially you improve in what you train, the powerlifting squat is an athletic event, just like the snatch and clean & jerk are athletic event. Yes, there will be some carryover from one to the other, but not as much as there would be if you trained 100% toward one goal.
Keep in mind that most peoples will be able to clean a weight they can front squat for 3 reps. Improving the front squat is thus one of the fastest way to improve your clean. And to improve your front squat you must … front squat your ass off!
[/quote]
[quote]obiwanheifner wrote:
Power Look with a Ruptured Disk? Anythoughts on an equivalent program for someone with a ruptured disk(L4/L5). I need to avoid shearing or compressive forces on my lower back. I’m just now starting to hit the gym again.
Thanks,
Lee[/quote]
I’d stay away from the power look routine for now, but if you want a good trap exercise that won’t place a lot of compresive stress on your lower back, try the incline shrug explained in my article “Violent variations”
[quote]kligor wrote:
How do I go about losing weight in my lower body? It’s rather strange: my upper body is just as I want it to be, and there’s just the right amount of definition. My lower body, on the other hand, is straight out FAT! I work my lower body just as well as my upper body, and I do energy system work (cardio), but the fat remains.
By the way, I’m in a martial art similar to Tae Kwon Do, so I’m not looking for hypertrophy. Just some weight loss, targeting specifically the lower body.
Thanks![/quote]
If you can I’d have your hormone levels checked. Often time this may indicate estrogen levels that are too high. If that’s the case, using supplements such as “M” and Alpha Male might help. A topical fat loss cream containing yohimbe will also help by targeting estrogen-specific fat storage.
The problem could also be due to high level of cortisol. If you are under a lot of physical and psychological stress that might be it. In that case, cutting down on your activity level might help, so will a cortisol blocker like phosphatidylserine.
Hey CT
You are great…I am amino loading 12 grams in between meals and I lost 60 pounds of fat with this diet . but Im stuck I cant loss the last 20 pounds to get to about 8 % body fat…so what would would you say I should do…
Thanks for the reply CT makes sense. I have another question pertaining to diet and supplementation. I know that during your first body transformation you used some thermogenic supplements. What I am interested in knowing is when one calculates their caloric requirements for a " fat loss" diet how many calories should one expect to burn using a typical fat burner and secondly what effect will that play on what the caloric intake should be?
ok CT
Here is a Question for you …I love to read about Nutrition and lifting…so here is a brain teaser for you …Im not really into the books…like tech type lifting books…i love your style of books …the tech mixed with layman’s and templates to do so…so can you give me your top ten…list
so ct …please write more templates on training i love them …more more please thanks …ps anything new for you comming like books or videos?
In both an articles on here and in your book you describe Ascending-Descending training, and how Pascal Caron had used it very very effectively. Could you describe how, at all, the basic format was modified for his training?