Common gimme your best shot!
Hello:
just fyi the easy gainers program did wonders for me. I gained about 7 pounds and I look really dense and thick.I was wondering how waht you flet about circut training and if so any suggestions. Thanks.
What are your thoughts on using the xvest as a conditioning tool?
I hate doing regular, slow go cardio, and don’t really tolerate sprits too well.
CT, I’ve been wanting to ask someone about this for a while. Since you’re answering questions right now and you have a background in Oly lifting you are probably a good person to ask. In the back of Komi’s “Strength and Power in Sport”, there is a chapter on training for Oly lifting which compares the Bulgarian and Russian training methods. What do you think about these two very different methods. I am particularly interested in the Bulgarian practice of breaking some sessions up with a 30 min break to let hormone levels return to a more optimal level. Does that really work? I hope I have phrased this clearly, please let me know if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.
[quote]deshawn wrote:
Hello:
just fyi the easy gainers program did wonders for me. I gained about 7 pounds and I look really dense and thick.I was wondering how waht you flet about circut training and if so any suggestions. Thanks.[/quote]
I sometimes use circuit training in the early stages of an athlete training season when they are deconditioned or with athletes involved in intense sports lasting 2-4 minutes (boxers, MMA, etc.). Other than that I rarely use them.
I think the X-vest is a good tool, but for my money I prefer a good old sled from Elitefts … they have a greater muscle building effet and recovery enhancing effect than the X-vest an allow for much more different exercises.
Hi mate,
if you were a heavyweight boxer what type or method of weight training would you use?
[quote]SKman wrote:
CT, I’ve been wanting to ask someone about this for a while. Since you’re answering questions right now and you have a background in Oly lifting you are probably a good person to ask. In the back of Komi’s “Strength and Power in Sport”, there is a chapter on training for Oly lifting which compares the Bulgarian and Russian training methods. What do you think about these two very different methods. I am particularly interested in the Bulgarian practice of breaking some sessions up with a 30 min break to let hormone levels return to a more optimal level. Does that really work? I hope I have phrased this clearly, please let me know if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.[/quote]
We’ll get something straight … while it’s true that shorter training sessions allows one to maintain a more anabolic hormonal ration:
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Do you think that this would make a difference for drug using athletes? I spoke to a former Bulgarian lifter and the use of testolent (testosterone phenylproprionate) an Dianabol. They normally use a 3 on 1 off cycle and do 2-3 such blocks and go clean for a certain period of time. That having been said, if a lifter is using upward to 1 gram of anabolics per week, why bother trying to maintain a more anabolic ratio!!!
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The real reason for the segmented sessions (this was from from former snatch world record holder Antonio Krastev, quoted in the Weightlifting Encyclopedia) was so that Abadjiev could better control the whereabouts of his athletes.
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Bulgarians are not the sole athletes using multiple sessions per day. In fact, all the top OL teams in the world use 2-3 sessions per day at least 3 times per week (along with 2-3 single practices days).
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Segmented training allows one to perform more work in a fresh state, which allows a higher quality of training.
The real difference between Bulgarian training and Soviet-based training lies in the number of exercises used. Bulgarians are minimalists: they only use the competitive lifts (snatch, clean & jerk), the power variations but mostly as warm-ups (power clean, power snatch), front squats and back squats … that’s it. While the soviet system uses up to 100 different exercises in the training year.
The Bulgarian (minimalist) system works great if one has the perfect olympic lifter build and right strength rations for the sport. While the Russian/soviet system is much more adjustable (this is due to the fact that at one time there was more than 100 000 registered olympic lifters in the Soviet Union).
[quote]englishman wrote:
Hi mate,
if you were a heavyweight boxer what type or method of weight training would you use? [/quote]
Lots of strength-speed and speed-strength work (speed bench with 45-55% of maximum with added elastic resistance or chains; the simple variations of the olympic lifts, balistic bench/bench throws in the smith machine, medicine ball throws, plyo work), lots of limit strength work and some strength-endurance work.
I’d say 40% strength-speed/speed-strength; 40% limit strength and 20% strength-endurance.
In your “evolution” from uber-beastly lifting God to uber-beastly and ultra-ripped lifting God, have you had to deal with any excess skin issues? As a FFB I have significant skin damage (aged stretch marks and very thin saggy skin) around my mid-section - any recommendations on how to reduce the presence of such unsightly deformations?
BTW, I’m 21 y/o and have been non-sedentary/ultra active for 2 years, and have been lifting seriously for 1 year.
Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed answer.
CT,
In a previosu post you mentioned Jump Lunges with 15-20% bodyweight. Could you please explain this movement and the loading?
Thanks and keep up the good work,
Cal
[quote]zdrax wrote:
In your “evolution” from uber-beastly lifting God to uber-beastly and ultra-ripped lifting God, have you had to deal with any excess skin issues? As a FFB I have significant skin damage (aged stretch marks and very thin saggy skin) around my mid-section - any recommendations on how to reduce the presence of such unsightly deformations?
BTW, I’m 21 y/o and have been non-sedentary/ultra active for 2 years, and have been lifting seriously for 1 year.[/quote]
I never had that problem because, for better or worse, my fat loss has been very gradual yet consistant. It’s an issue that I’m not really knowledgable in. Sorry!
CT,
When leaning out, did you use Surge or a low carb protein mix?
[quote]cal wrote:
CT,
In a previosu post you mentioned Jump Lunges with 15-20% bodyweight. Could you please explain this movement and the loading?
Thanks and keep up the good work,
Cal[/quote]
Here are some pics
Thanks for replying mate, your input is a great help.
At least i was doing something similar to your reply.
Mon,Tues,Weds,Thurs
Incline Bench,Pec deck,Squats,Weighted Dips,Machine Back Row.
6x3 Dynamic 60%,Acts as my warm up
5x1 90-95% max
This done 7.00am 4x aweek before all normal boxing training. Which is done six hours later. I have been doing this for two months and i am quite pleased with the results. I have been adding 2.5kg to each movement every week, and have still not slowed down. When putting together this plan i was heavily influenced by your “Different Destinations” article.It just felt so right.Do you think i should change this routine in anyway to improve it? Your help is most welcome sir!
[quote]cal wrote:
CT,
In a previosu post you mentioned Jump Lunges with 15-20% bodyweight. Could you please explain this movement and the loading?
Thanks and keep up the good work,
Cal[/quote]
2
BTW, that’s 90lbs … obviously Nick (my intern at the moment who served as a model) doesn’t weigh 450lbs 
But he is a very advanced athlete with a 40"+ vertical and a background as a competitive rollerblader. He is one of the few who I let use such weights.
ok CT im fat needs to get in shape fast low carb diet or something different …cardio or high intens. and what kind of lifting …i hope you can answer this for me …thanks
[quote]Robert Monti wrote:
CT,
When leaning out, did you use Surge or a low carb protein mix?[/quote]
First time I used a low carb mix with 20 or so grams of BCAA. Second time around (and in preparation for the pics in the “new pics” thread) I did use Surge and had much better results. I came in fuller, more muscular and stronger.
[quote]SKman wrote:
Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed answer.[/quote]
My pleasure