Curious to hear, which of CTs program has worked wonders for you ?
I’ve completed about 4 or so. Hands down Maximum muscle mass takes the cake for me. My results were amazing. I followed the program to a tee. I didn’t miss a single workout or day in the 16 weeks. By the end I was ready to neck myself though.
Currently doing HFBB finding it amazing also but I’m leaning up so I can’t compare it to others.
What’s yours ??
Greatest results came from best Damm workout and look like a bodybuilder. Which just tells me that the principles of aiming for low cortisol training, high frequency/low volume are the keys to growth for me.
this is a great topic!
Can you state the progress in some exact terms (depending on objectives , but increase in size/leanness, strength/lifts poundage)?
I, myself have run best damn program, but for too limited time to state some exact results, but I have found that this is the type of training I may respond really good. Due to low back injury (recurring issue from before) I had a break, but now I continue, so I will keep you posted.
Again, great topic, I would like to hear other people experiences, especially with some measurable results depending on objectives.
Interesting - the maximum muscle program from thib army?
Dips curious which you prefer since best damn is quite different than look like a bodybuilder perform like an athlete.
Both high frequency yes but feeling of workout completely different.
For me layers & indigo strength. But both intense (layers from all the cluster/rest pause work and indigo from the sheer volume)
But I really enjoy look like a bodybuilder/train like an athlete and strength circuits from thib army (both quite similar) and always go back to this when I don’t have motivation to train…
I now prefer best Damm, maybe because I really threw myself Into the HFS type training when at college, training 3 * a day 6 days per week at some points. Made incredible gains but now the thought of doing just big lifts for speed bores the hell out of me. I like best damm because I can push super hard and still train frequently
Sigil- you ever run max muscle layers ?
If so, how’d you set it up? like it? etc
Hogar -I just wanted muscle mass and it gave me just that. I went up in weight almost 10kg/16wks, kept visible abs. Deadlift took an amazing increase by 50kg.
Sigil- Yep MMM from thibarmy!
I went from being just skinny lean to actually holding size and lean. People were commenting on my increase in size while wearing a shirt. I want to do it again but the thought of repeating the 16 wks makes me cringe.
wow, that’s fantastic! Are you a novice lifter or intermediate? And how old are you and which neurotype? Lot of questions, I know 
I’m intermediate. I take it pretty seriously for someone who will never compete. I haven’t missed a week of meal prep in 2 years etc 
I don’t miss sessions.
I’m 28, I’m not sure on neuro type ? I’ve read it, watched the videos and I dunno ??
For me, I find I get a positive placebo effect from doing CT’s program. Whatever he brings out i back him so I’ll do it. Obviously some i enjoy more than others, but I just do them all. Haha. As they say, placebo is as good as the real thing!
Layers were bonkers. I’m type 1 and ramping up to a RM every workout works wonders for me. I put like 20-30 pounds on all my presses in like 6 weeks. (185->225 incline, 275->305 bench) I’ve been running a similar approach lately work I work up to a RM on squats every workout and have gone from 375 to 440lb in literally a month
Edit: also, I’m 23 and recover well lol
Yep - max muscle and tried most of the variations out there (strength layers, etc.) including the most recent template. Max muscle did it for me…be careful with the HDL work & periodization might help.
Layers were so good it was the first time my physique looked “juicy” and got me to trying out a physique contest lol!
Looking back, I think it was actually the intense & frequent training on two main lifts that cause massively fast gains: bench press from pins and SGHP.
I did the vintage split: incline tilt, SGHP, decline tilt, SGHP, off, deadlift [trap bar], OHP, off, repeat
something like that.
I really only “Layered” the bench press tilts from pins & the SGHP. I tried front squat from box/pins later on and foudn that could be layered nicely as well. So can OHP/scrape the rack. But generally the big lower body stuff I never botehred myself to layer…really intense, and honestly the bench press and SGHP gave me the most radiccal physique changes (upper body juicyness).
Let me know how it goes for u alex!
Also take it for what it is…but i have yet to return to my ultimate layer physique lol…
Could be body fat. Could be stress. Something about layers gets you massive gains from repeatedly doing one big lift but then it’s hard to get back to it. In some ways i feel burned out, I’ve tried layers/reapeting it but never seemed to get back to the peak proper. And now I feel less motivated to do it (and more into best damn, strenght circuit, or a push/pull/legs standard ramping up followed by backoff work sort of stuff).
I might have to renegage with layers proper soon…
Thanks for the advice. If I don’t have a decline bench- do incline again? Or would you stick a wood plank near under the feet end of the bench. definitely will record progress in my log
This. Sticking 1 45lb plate under the foot of the bench is enough of a decline
right that was CT’s cue as well (just a 25 lbs plate on either side, incline or decline tilt is enough). you could also do a wide grip bench from pins and then a narrow grip next etc.
you can try layering different exercises/patterns. for me the best exercises for layers were done from deadstop or off pins. Something about the contraction and relative ease (being able to deload helped a lot, and naturally clusters would deload between each rep) made them great.
So you can end up layering anything (hammer strength machine you like, smith machine, deadstop dips if you’re comfortable) etc. good luck!!
i just re-read this lol you are strong AF! how were the physique changes, did you do the original layers programs?
added in accessory work (50 ring dips & chins everyworkout, a few sets of strength asssitance 3x6-8 at teh end etc)?
Thanks. Kinda unrelated, and a risky thing to post in CT’s forum- you’re good at rings. How long did it take to learn muscle ups/front/back levers? Also what progressions did you use
Edit: any recommended accessory work?
lol nice -> probably a good year before i became comfortable. not big on muscle ups but i like front, back lever and 360’s a lot. front lever especially for lat development & back lever & 360’s just for whole body tension/awareness + looks awesome.
I do these usually tucked or straddled. Full lays (static holds that is, i like to kick out my legs so I hit a full lever for a split second before retracting, just to feel activation/look cool) are way too intense and if I focused on these then I wouldn’t really have much room/appetite/recovery for the heavy lifting.
rings also track with your body weight (includes muscle as well) so sometimes I find myself with competing goals (ring work vs. muscle mass/size, especailly in lower body). fun can of worms…
if you search for Christian thibadeau & rings you can see some of his posts/recommendations.
for starters I would just start each workout with 3-5 sets of tucked front lever holds (5-12 econds) and end each workout with some ring chins and dips (you can incldue these with layers, use different variations to avoid overtraining a muscle group) and progress from there!
alex u got me re-interested in layers lol, i’m going to be doing this next few months…exercise subsitutions as needed (current gym in Japan kinda sucks in terms of equipment but only barbell & enough weight to do layers style training so thats good!)
I’d beg to differ, but thanks man lol. And I saw noticing imrpvements in my upper chest, traps, and the medial delts seemed extra wide. I did a two on one off style:
A) slight decline
B) SGHP
OFF
A) full incline
B) SGHP
OFF
A) slight decline
B) TBDL
So basically just rotating the presses and doing two sghp for every TBDL
I’d do strength layers,
1RM
3 clusters
2RM
3 clusters or straight sets
(I’d end here a lot of the time, if I could be arsed with it, I’d do: )
3RM
1-2 HDL
Only real assistance was lateral raises and some easy isolation arm stuff