Look Like a BB, Train Like an Athlete

Hi,

So Ive recently found this website through CT’s videos on Youtube. From reading many of the articles on T-Nation bearing in mind my goal is Strength, power and size gains all interrelated to some degree, I have chosen to follow CT’s program

www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete

From this Ive drafted the following routine:

Day 1: 3 Main Upper body pressing , 1 Main Lower body pressing , DB row as assistance

Bench (12 sets, 3 reps)
OHP (10 sets, 3 reps)
Incline DB press
Front squat

Day 2: 3 Main Upper body pressing , 1 Main Lower body pressing , Leg raises as assistance

Bench (12 sets, 3 reps)
OHP (10 sets, 3 reps)
Incline DB press
Back squat (10 sets, 3 reps)

Day 3: 2 Main Lower body pressing , Power snatch , Dips

Deadlift (10 sets, 3 reps)
Back Squat (10 sets, 3 reps)

Day 4: 2 Main Lower body pressing , Chins , crunches

Deadlift (10 sets, 3 reps)
Front Squat (10 sets 3 reps)

Other days of the week I will include some neural charge training exercises and 1 day of cardio (run/swim)

My diet is as close as I can get to spot on. rangest 2800 cal to 3200 cal depending on what Im doing.

The program looks like a lot of work from where Im sat but I just need to pick a routine and give it a blast. Can anyone see any fundamental mistakes Ive made?

Cheers Sam

follow HP Mass. It was made that way for a reason.

Yeah, you really need to follow the program as outlined by CT.

Everything has it’s place and purpose. It doesn’t look like you’re planning on doing any eccentric-less work (ie prowler), which as CT mentioned, is how he wants you to obtain the required volume for leg growth. It’s also the method by which to finish off the lats and biceps.

If you haven’t already, I really recommend watching the videos in the articles (there are four training and one nutrition article in total, in case you missed them) and reading the LiveSpill comments for each.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete&cr=
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/highperformance_mass_upper_body_pressing&cr=
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/highperformance_mass_lower_body_pressing&cr=
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/highperformance_mass_lats_and_biceps_fatigue_loading&cr=
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/elitelevel_essential_workout_nutrition_radical_fuel_for_radical_gains&cr=

For example, CT instructs that you perform the overhead press before the bench, regardless of if your goal is to improve your bench.

Anyway, I’m about to embark on this exact program myself. If you can’t follow it to a T, you’re better off finding something that you can. Heck, the way you picked things apart the 10x3 looks like an old Waterbury article. Maybe that’s something to look at.

Thanks guys,

Ill have a close look into the thing you have both mentioned. Much appreciated!

Why would CT say there are only two different patterns?

Upper and Lower Body Pressing…?

It’s more appropriate to label it as…

1- Upper Body Pressing
2- Upper Body Pulling
3- Quad Dominant Exercises
4- Ham Dominant Exercises
5- Elbow Extension s
6- Elbow Flexions
7- Random ones that don’t fit into the category

He just acts like no such thing as pulling exists? Your body isn’t pressing anything when your rowing 300 pounds into your stomach…

-.- ?!!!?!?

Can somebody explain

[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
Why would CT say there are only two different patterns?

Upper and Lower Body Pressing…?

It’s more appropriate to label it as…

1- Upper Body Pressing
2- Upper Body Pulling
3- Quad Dominant Exercises
4- Ham Dominant Exercises
5- Elbow Extension s
6- Elbow Flexions
7- Random ones that don’t fit into the category

He just acts like no such thing as pulling exists? Your body isn’t pressing anything when your rowing 300 pounds into your stomach…

-.- ?!!!?!?

Can somebody explain[/quote]

I believe he’s speaking just in terms of this program, and the training days outlined within.

Basically, you have performance days, which are all pressing:

Upper body pressing (overhead press, bench, incline, etc.)
Lower body pressing (squat, deadlift, and their variations)

And a day devoted to the lats and biceps, where the workout is more about fatigue loading, as CT puts it.

You do have some pulling, but it’s in the form of fatigue loading and eccentric-less work for the lats.

Oh, and in the article CT describes why he considers the deadlift a press and not a pull:

Hope that helps, but it’s all in the articles, really.

He calls the deadlift a press because you press your feet/hamstrings down and your hands are hooks that grasp the bar. The pulling in in the foundation lat/bicep work. The articles are worth a read even if you don’t do the program–alot can be learned from the principles.

Thanks everybody for clarifying, I always love learning more. I knew the Deadlift is considered a Press, I just didn’t understand some of the other stuff :stuck_out_tongue: