Coach Thibs,
I am about to change a workout and was thinking about the workout described in the Easy-Hard Gainers article. Would you recommend this workout as is or shall I make any adjustments to it?
Thanks a lot.
Tomas
The program is solid even thought it’s more than 10 years old! To be honest I wrote it so long ago that it would be hard for me to recommend modifications. So my best recommendation is to try it and see how it works for you. It’s a very good plan and will work very well no doubt.
Thanks very much CT.
Can I have one more question please? Would you recommend adding loaded carries to this program?
I have never seen Sensei (CT) say to not add carriers in any program as a add on. There are two things I noticed in his workouts, one he is a big fan of frequency and he is a big fan of carriers. Every program he has written I think someone has asked to him if they can add carriers and I don’t think I have seen him say no every.
[quote]jtamez17 wrote:
I have never seen Sensei (CT) say to not add carriers in any program as a add on. There are two things I noticed in his workouts, one he is a big fan of frequency and he is a big fan of carriers. Every program he has written I think someone has asked to him if they can add carriers and I don’t think I have seen him say no every.[/quote]
True… and someone asked that question (adding carries with the Easy-Hardgainer program) and I said yes. Don’t do excessive volume though… stick with shorter carries with more weight. 20-40 yards.
If you have read the article about heavy singles for size, that one is great too
- warm up
- heavy singles (could be heavy sets of 3)
- volume segment (do as many singles as possible in a defined time. I go for 5’, with a variation from a main lift)
- carry stuff
Kinda looks like russian strength skill that I haven’t tried.
I think doing this and cycling with the “8 reps with 5RM” weeks makes for a nice duality all year round
Thanks for your reply, much appreciated!
CT,
I have completed the first week of the easy-hard gainer program. I feel that the back does not get enough stimulation in the upper body training session 2. Would you please advise me as to what would be the most appropriate way to adjust it?
CT doesn’t usually comment on older workouts of his so, I will try too again. If you want more upper back then add some upper back into the workout. Now you can’t just add a whole new superset because he wrote the program like that for a reason, don’t frankenstein it.
A lot of his workout don’t usually have a ton of rowing into I noticed. I love upper back training. I’m more in the defranco side of chest and back training methods than his. You train the chest like a powerlifter, back like a bodybuilder (sorry CT just what I like). But CT’s workouts have got me the most results so I typically follow his plans more closely and add this method below to my workouts.
What you can do if you want to work more back is add a single exercise everyday. Joe DeFranco wrote this article 3 Weeks to a JACKED Upper Back - Official Website of Joe DeFranco & DeFranco’s Gym!
Incorporate this schedule and you should be alright with upper back development.
If you still don’t like it. Change workouts. Not every workout he writes is gonna fit your needs. Looking through it quickly, it is similar to Westside For Skinny Bastards Joe DeFranco wrote about. There is three different versions. It worked for me when I was 160 and gained like 30 lbs in a 4 months or so. He adds more upper back but no heavy overhead presses. So there is a trade off.
I am in agreement with the “the train the pressing muscles like a powerlifter and the back like a bodybuilder” view point. I actually mentioned that in the past. And often include a back and biceps day as part of a performance program.
Thank you for your replay.