Prime Time: Are You Ready for Some CT?!

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
21

Hey CT, I hope this thead is still going.

What do you do if a phase/block doesn’t go the way you intended it to go in a sport-specific off-season? I know it must not happen often, but surely – at least in your earlier years of strength coaching – you’ve gotten results that were less than expected.

I’m in a similar situation; I have had limited access to a gym until the past 4 weeks and, coupled with me just being an idiot and not eating optimally, my structural phase that was supposed to end this week has been disappointing. I’ve failed to gain much visible mass and the scale supports this claim.

As I am training for the upcoming hockey season and need to peak by the first week of September, I had intended to move onto an intensification block next week. But now I’m wondering if I should go ahead. I know I shouldn’t cut out from the strength phase, nor should I limit the explosive block of my training which was planned for later in the offseason. So what adjustment must i make to accomodate my failure?

Another quick question: I’m partial towards full body type workouts, even for hypertrophy. But if I’m not mistaken you also condone upper/lower push/pull breakups for hypertrophy. Do you prefer one or the other?

Thanks.

22

[quote]SWR-1222D wrote:
I love your Running Man article, but how would one know if the CNS would be getting taxed too much while on a particular program that calls for off days or moderate cardio due to it’s high CNS stress, without having to use trial and error?

Is there a way to tell by looking at the frequency and intensity of the workouts, or would one just have to kind of guess and adjust as they go?
[/quote]

Take your resting heart rate first thing in the morning … don’t even stand up, stay in bed when you take it. Also do not record your HR over a 15 or 20 sec. period and multiply it. Take it over a full 60 seconds.

Take a baseline measure after 2-3 days of rest.

If your RHT increases by 5+ BPM chances are that your CNS is drained and that you should take the day easy.

23
  1. For athletes I use a full body split most of the time and a lower body/upper body split about 30% of the time.

If your block was less than successfull, I suggest using a conjugate block for 4 weeks: go on with your intensification block BUT:

a) rely on the limit strength zone (3-5 reps) and functional hypertrophy zone (6-8 reps) instead of the relative strength zone (1-3 reps).

b) add a 15 minutes “beach session” at the end of each workout. During that period of time you will work 1-2 muscle groups for hypertrophy. I recommend Coach Staley’s EDT for this portion of the workout. In that case select 2 muscles per session and perform EDT supersets in the 8-12 reps range.

I suggest:

At the end of workout 1: Chest/Back
At the end of workout 2: Biceps/Triceps
At the end of workout 3: Quads/hamstrings

[quote]Mowgli wrote:
Hey CT, I hope this thead is still going.

What do you do if a phase/block doesn’t go the way you intended it to go in a sport-specific off-season? I know it must not happen often, but surely – at least in your earlier years of strength coaching – you’ve gotten results that were less than expected.

I’m in a similar situation; I have had limited access to a gym until the past 4 weeks and, coupled with me just being an idiot and not eating optimally, my structural phase that was supposed to end this week has been disappointing. I’ve failed to gain much visible mass and the scale supports this claim.

As I am training for the upcoming hockey season and need to peak by the first week of September, I had intended to move onto an intensification block next week. But now I’m wondering if I should go ahead. I know I shouldn’t cut out from the strength phase, nor should I limit the explosive block of my training which was planned for later in the offseason. So what adjustment must i make to accomodate my failure?

Another quick question: I’m partial towards full body type workouts, even for hypertrophy. But if I’m not mistaken you also condone upper/lower push/pull breakups for hypertrophy. Do you prefer one or the other?

Thanks.[/quote]

24

The Canadian Ascending-Descending program calls for a workout where the explosive work is performed toward the end of the program and some other workouts where it’s the opposite. The objectives are:

  1. To devote as much “rested” time to developing speed-strength and strength. by reversing the normal exercise order.

  2. To develop the capacity of the athlete to produce a high power output even in a fatigued state.

[quote]Dboy wrote:
C.T. in your Black Book you have a sample program (football program) in which the power/explosive excersises (Olympic lifts) are performed last in the workouts. Also, in one of your recent articles (Conjugate training part I and II) you have a couple sample programs that have a similar set-up. (Explosive lifts towards the end of the program).

Wouldn’t you want to perform explosive lifts (depth jumps, ballistic bench, O. lifts etc) early on in workout, while fresh? I’m just thinkin’ a person won’t be as EXPLOSIVE when already fatigued

from all the other excercises previously performed.

Thanks and I love your work!!

Danny[/quote]

25

I’ll use this thread to answer questions today too.

26

You’ve written about Bulgarian olympic-lifting protocols, described a Westside-esque program applied to the o-lifts, and described your own training when you were competing, a week or two ago. Based on all these methodologies, what kind of a training would you recommend for an intermediate lifter, who needs to develop brute strength and explosion but who still needs to improve technique? Conjugate, wave loading, accumulation/intensification blocks…?

27

[quote]john p wrote:
You’ve written about Bulgarian olympic-lifting protocols, described a Westside-esque program applied to the o-lifts, and described your own training when you were competing, a week or two ago. Based on all these methodologies, what kind of a training would you recommend for an intermediate lifter, who needs to develop brute strength and explosion but who still needs to improve technique? Conjugate, wave loading, accumulation/intensification blocks…?[/quote]

Definetly an accumulation/intensification schedule… the very high rep volume during the accumulation phase is necessary to perfect and automatize technique.

28

CT,

What sort of set/rep schemes would you use in the accumulation block if you were focusing on the Oly lifts? It sounds like I would be at the same level with similar goals as john p who asked this question.

Cheers,

Ben

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
john p wrote:
You’ve written about Bulgarian olympic-lifting protocols, described a Westside-esque program applied to the o-lifts, and described your own training when you were competing, a week or two ago. Based on all these methodologies, what kind of a training would you recommend for an intermediate lifter, who needs to develop brute strength and explosion but who still needs to improve technique? Conjugate, wave loading, accumulation/intensification blocks…?

Definetly an accumulation/intensification schedule… the very high rep volume during the accumulation phase is necessary to perfect and automatize technique.[/quote]

29

Hey CT I was wondering what your take on crossfit workouts (if you have heard of them). Another trainer and I did one today that involved tactical pullups and power cleans. It was a great session. Here is the breakdown

BW tactical pull-ups and barbell power cleans w/135# from floor. The goal was to work up the ladder from 1 to 10 in less than 30:00 minutes. If you could not complete (for example 7 pull-ups and only did 5; you would have to make up 2 reps on the power cleans on the next set).

Him P/U Me P/U Him P/C Me P/C
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2
3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5
6 6 6 6
7 7 7 7
8 6 8 9
9 6 9 13
10 5 10 9

rep totals: 55 45 55 59
overall reps: Him: 110 reps Me: 104
Total time: 27:30

30

Hey CT. Where can I order a copy of your DVD? Also do you have any plans for a seminar in western Canada in the future

31

Former Canadian team head coach (back when they were still medaling at international meets) used the following schemes on the olys during an accumulation period:

5 x 5
5/4/3/5/4/3
6 EDT style*

  • Funny thing is that Coach Roy was using a system similar to Coach Staley’s almost 20 years ago and still used it when I trained with him in 2002.

We would do sets of 6 during the accumulation block, sets of 3 during the intensification block and 3/2/1 waves during the competition block.

We would use 4 exercises per session:

Exercise 1 (snatch or variation) for 20 minutes

Exercise 2 (clean & jerk or variation) for 20 minutes

Exercise 3 (squat variation) for 15 minutes

Exercise 4 (auxilary exercise… push press, bench press, pull, rowing, etc.) for 10 minutes.

[quote]bg100 wrote:
CT,

What sort of set/rep schemes would you use in the accumulation block if you were focusing on the Oly lifts? It sounds like I would be at the same level with similar goals as john p who asked this question.

Cheers,

Ben

Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
john p wrote:
You’ve written about Bulgarian

olympic-lifting protocols, described a Westside-esque program applied to the o-lifts, and described your own training when you were competing, a week or two ago. Based on all these methodologies, what kind of a training would you recommend for an intermediate lifter, who needs to develop brute strength and explosion but who still needs to improve technique? Conjugate, wave loading, accumulation/intensification blocks…?

Definetly an accumulation/intensification schedule… the very high rep volume during the accumulation phase is necessary to perfect and automatize technique.

[/quote]

32

CT,

I know you once mentioned that everyone has different levels of eccentric strength. Does it “mean” anything if someone is weak in the eccentric or is it just a matter of getting adjusted to slow negatives?

I ask because I’ve done the first three of your power continuum workouts and realized that the 5-sec supramax eccentric was a real struggle. I admit that I never focused on tempo because for me, doing a slow eccentric is just boring. I can say that there is nothing boring about a slow supramax eccentric. I also like the variety of this program. This was also the first Thibaudeau routine that I was able to perform without having to take the next 5 days off, so it’s very well done. I will actually be able to stick with this one!

33

Thanks for the info, could you please clarify a few things:

What does “6 EDT style” mean? I know what EDT is, just can’t work out what the 6 means.

Are the rep ranges you mentioned used in the time periods for each exercise e.g. 5x5 in 20 minutes for the snatch?
Does this changes in the intensication block to 5x3 in 20 minutes and then 3/2/1 waves in 20 minutes in competition?

How often were the set/rep schemes in the same block changed around, each workout, each week?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get my head around the workout structure.

Cheers,

Ben

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Former Canadian team head coach (back when they were still medaling at international meets) used the following schemes on the olys during an accumulation period:

5 x 5
5/4/3/5/4/3
6 EDT style*

  • Funny thing is that Coach Roy was using a system similar to Coach Staley’s almost 20 years ago and still used it when I trained with him in 2002.

We would do sets of 6 during the accumulation block, sets of 3 during the intensification block and 3/2/1 waves during the competition block.

We would use 4 exercises per session:

Exercise 1 (snatch or variation) for 20 minutes

Exercise 2 (clean & jerk or variation) for 20 minutes

Exercise 3 (squat variation) for 15 minutes

Exercise 4 (auxilary exercise… push press, bench press, pull, rowing, etc.) for 10 minutes.

bg100 wrote:
CT,

What sort of set/rep schemes would you use in the accumulation block if you were focusing on the Oly lifts? It sounds like I would be at the same level with similar goals as john p who asked this question.

Cheers,

Ben

Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
john p wrote:
You’ve written about Bulgarian

olympic-lifting protocols, described a Westside-esque program applied to the o-lifts, and described your own training when you were competing, a week or two ago. Based on all these methodologies, what kind of a training would you recommend for an intermediate lifter, who needs to develop brute strength and explosion but who still needs to improve technique? Conjugate, wave loading, accumulation/intensification blocks…?

Definetly an accumulation/intensification schedule… the very high rep volume during the accumulation phase is necessary to perfect and automatize technique.

[/quote]

34

CT,

John Cissek has a beginner’s olympic lifting program thats pretty easy to be found through a search (can’t post the whole thing and I dont’ think I can throw up the link).

Its pretty much 5 days a week schedule in which he says:

""This is a 12-week beginning workout program. This program assumes that one has no prior experience with Olympic lifting or even with weight training. This program assumes that every physical quality needs to be developed. As a result it attempts to work on technique, speed, strength, and hypertrophy. “”

I was wondering if you could comment on that program for me.

Also my final question:

How would you go about train a MMA athlete?? I know there are a lot of factors but could you please touch on this?

35

Christian, Sorry if I’m a little late asking. As a sprinter, strength from a static position is really important, as is RFD. I’ve been very lacking in strength coming out of the blocks having to rely on a roll back to use thre stretch shortening cycle which usually leaves me about 1-2mts behing by the 10 mt mark. How can this aspect be improved?

Currently I’ve been working with only 3 basic lifts, Squat, Bench and Snatch, I know you’re very knowledgeable in this area, are these the best exercises to be working with in my case to increase limit strength??

Thanks
Alex

36

Mike, I’m in the same boat as you are. This is the case with most guys who trained heavily on the olympic lifts or explosive lifting.

It ‘means’ that eccentric strength might be a limiting factor (limit eccentric strength can be seen as maximum ‘potential’ strength) so increasing it will drastically raise your maximal concentric strength.

[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
CT,

I know you once mentioned that everyone has different levels of eccentric strength. Does it “mean” anything if someone is weak in the eccentric or is it just a matter of getting adjusted to slow negatives?

I ask because I’ve done the first three of your power continuum workouts and realized that the 5-sec supramax eccentric was a real struggle. I admit that I never focused on tempo because for me, doing a slow eccentric is just boring. I can say that there is nothing boring about a slow supramax eccentric. I also like the variety of this program. This was also the first Thibaudeau routine that I was able to perform without having to take the next 5 days off, so it’s very well done. I will actually be able to stick with this one![/quote]

37

6 means 6 reps per set.

No rep schemes were not EDT style … 5 x 5 means 5 sets of 5 reps total.

The same rep scheme was used for all exercises.

[quote]bg100 wrote:
Thanks for the info, could you please clarify a few things:

What does “6 EDT style” mean? I know what EDT is, just can’t work out what the 6 means.

Are the rep ranges you mentioned used in the time periods for each exercise e.g. 5x5 in 20 minutes for the snatch?
Does this changes in the intensication block to 5x3 in 20 minutes and then 3/2/1 waves in 20 minutes in competition?

How often were the set/rep schemes in the same block changed around, each workout, each week?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get my head around the workout structure.

Cheers,

Ben

Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Former Canadian team head coach (back when they were still medaling at international meets) used the following schemes on the olys during an accumulation period:

5 x 5
5/4/3/5/4/3
6 EDT style*

  • Funny thing is that Coach Roy was using a system similar to Coach Staley’s almost 20 years ago and still used it when I trained with him in 2002.

We would do sets of 6 during the accumulation block, sets of 3 during the intensification block and 3/2/1 waves during the competition block.

We would use 4 exercises per session:

Exercise 1 (snatch or variation) for 20 minutes

Exercise 2 (clean & jerk or variation) for 20 minutes

Exercise 3 (squat variation) for 15 minutes

Exercise 4 (auxilary exercise… push press, bench press, pull, rowing, etc.) for 10 minutes.

bg100 wrote:
CT,

What sort of set/rep schemes would you use in the accumulation block if you were focusing on the Oly lifts? It sounds like I would be at the same level with similar goals as john p who asked this question.

Cheers,

Ben

Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
john p wrote:
You’ve written about Bulgarian

olympic-lifting protocols, described a Westside-esque program applied to the o-lifts, and described your own training when you were competing, a week or two ago. Based on all these methodologies, what kind of a training would you recommend for an intermediate lifter, who needs to develop brute strength and explosion but who still needs to improve technique? Conjugate, wave loading, accumulation/intensification blocks…?

Definetly an accumulation/intensification schedule… the very high rep volume during the accumulation phase is necessary to perfect and automatize technique.

[/quote]

38

Thanks for the response CT. That actually sounds like good news.

39

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

  1. For athletes I use a full body split most of the time and a lower body/upper body split about 30% of the time.

If your block was less than successfull, I suggest using a conjugate block for 4 weeks: go on with your intensification block BUT:

a) rely on the limit strength zone (3-5 reps) and functional hypertrophy zone (6-8 reps) instead of the relative strength zone (1-3 reps).

b) add a 15 minutes “beach session” at the end of each workout. During that period of time you will work 1-2 muscle groups for hypertrophy. I recommend Coach Staley’s EDT for this portion of the workout. In that case select 2 muscles per session and perform EDT supersets in the 8-12 reps range.

I suggest:

At the end of workout 1: Chest/Back
At the end of workout 2: Biceps/Triceps
At the end of workout 3: Quads/hamstrings

Mowgli wrote:
Hey CT, I hope this thead is still going.

What do you do if a phase/block doesn’t go the way you intended it to go in a sport-specific off-season? I know it must not happen often, but surely – at least in your earlier years of strength coaching – you’ve gotten results that were less than expected.

I’m in a similar situation; I have had limited access to a gym until the past 4 weeks and, coupled with me just being an idiot and not eating optimally, my structural phase that was supposed to end this week has been disappointing. I’ve failed to gain much visible mass and the scale supports this claim.

As I am training for the upcoming hockey season and need to peak by the first week of September, I had intended to move onto an intensification block next week. But now I’m wondering if I should go ahead. I know I shouldn’t cut out from the strength phase, nor should I limit the explosive block of my training which was planned for later in the offseason. So what adjustment must i make to accomodate my failure?

Another quick question: I’m partial towards full body type workouts, even for hypertrophy. But if I’m not mistaken you also condone upper/lower push/pull breakups for hypertrophy. Do you prefer one or the other?

Thanks.

[/quote]

Spot on. Thanks again.