8/10/2019 Beast Building Part 2 http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/beast-building-part-2 1/15 Beast Building, Part 2 3 Months to Personal Bests and New Found Thickness by Christian Thibaudeau "Gros, Cut, Fort!" That's what coaches Poliquin and Benoit always used to say before their workouts. It's Frenglish (French and English) for "big, cut, and strong." I always promised myself that I'd find a way to work their famous catch phrase into one of my articles, and at last, I can. Because that's what this second phase of the Beast Building program is all about; it's a bridge to big, cut, and strong...well, mostly to the big and strong part. A bridge to big and strong. Phase I of our training program was all about jacking up your nervous system: improving your capacity to recruit the highly trainable high threshold motor units (HTMUs), and inhibiting the protective mechanisms that prevent you from becoming a true beast. In this second phase, we'll take advantage of the neural improvements you made over the preceding four weeks. We'll now be able to more easily tap into the HTMUs, which have a great potential for both strength and size gains. And getting bigger and stronger is why we signed up for this program, right? http://www.t-nation.com/portal_includes/articles/2008/08-09 of 15 2/9/12 5:22
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3 Months to Personal Bests and New Found Thickness
by Christian Thibaudeau
"Gros, Cut, Fort!"
That's what coaches Poliquin and Benoit always used to say before their workouts. It's Frenglish
(French and English) for "big, cut, and strong." I always promised myself that I'd find a way to work
their famous catch phrase into one of my articles, and at last, I can. Because that's what this second
phase of the Beast Building program is all about; it's a bridge to big, cut, and strong...well, mostly to
the big and strong part.
A bridge to big and strong.
Phase I of our training program was all about jacking up your nervous system: improving your
capacity to recruit the highly trainable high threshold motor units (HTMUs), and inhibiting theprotective mechanisms that prevent you from becoming a true beast.
In this second phase, we'll take advantage of the neural improvements you made over the preceding
four weeks. We'll now be able to more easily tap into the HTMUs, which have a great potential for
both strength and size gains. And getting bigger and stronger is why we signed up for this program,
In the Bulgarian Complex, you use 4-5 exercises targeting similar muscle groups or movement
patterns. Each of these movements emphasize a different physical capacity of the strength spectrum
(limit strength, strength-speed, speed-strength, ballistic strength, reactive strength, etc.). In thiscomplex, you start with the heaviest (limit strength) exercise and work your way down.
The exercises are performed as a circuit. You start with one set of the first exercise, rest for the
prescribed amount of time, perform one set of the second exercise, take the same rest, perform one set
of the third exercise, and so on until you have performed a set of every exercise, at which point you'll
start the complex over.
For example:
LOWER BODY: Bulgarian Complex
Exercise 1: Back squat
3-5 repetitions with a load of 85-95% of 1RM
Rest 2-3 minutes
Exercise 2: Power snatch or power clean
2-3 repetitions with a load of 85-95% of 1RM
Rest 2-3 minutes
Exercise 3: Jump squats
10 repetitions with a load of 15-20% of the back squat 1RM
Because of the high number of exercises, you should perform the complex only 2-3 times per
workout.
Modified Bulgarian Complex, a.k.a. The Beast Complex
While the complex we're going to use is inspired by the original Bulgarian Complex method, we'll
only use three exercises per complex. One of these exercises will be a functional isometric movement,
the second one will be a limit strength exercise, and the last one an explosive drill.
We'll perform two different complexes during this workout: one will be quads dominant, and the
second one will be hips/posterior chain dominant.
Exercise 1: Functional Isometrics
Former Olympic lifting team member Bill March experimented with a type of training called"functional isometrics," and it improved his lifting performance at an astounding rate. Of course, data
also suggests that March was one of Dr. John Ziegler's first guinea pigs for Dianabol use. Because of
this fact, functional isometric training was dismissed on the grounds that March's gains were due to
the drugs, and not the training methods. That, in my opinion, was a big mistake!
Bill March's 1963 world-record 354-pound press.
First of all, March took only 5 to 10 mg of Dianabol per day. That's an extremely low dose, especially
considering that using ten to twenty times that amount in conjunction with other drugs is considered a
"normal" cycle by most bodybuilders! So although the 5 to 10 mg of D-bol per day probably did make
a difference, it can't explain the absolutely phenomenal gains made by March.
What are functional isometrics? Recall that isometric training refers to exerting strength without
movement. The classic form of isometric training is pushing or pulling an immovable load. We used
these "overcoming" isometrics in Phase I.
Because you recruit more motor-units during an isometric action than during a concentric action, it'sarguable that isometric exercises can lead to greater strength stimulation. However, there are some
problems with pure overcoming isometric training:
1. It's impossible to quantify progress. Since you're not moving a load, you don't know if you're
improving, or even if you're exerting maximal effort. This can surely decrease progression and
motivation.
2. Isometric training is angle specific, meaning that you'll gain strength only at the joint angles being
worked (with only a 15-20 degree carryover of strength gains).
Functional isometrics are a bit different. You still exert force without movement, but you're actuallylifting a load. Here's how it works:
Start the bar at a specific height, and lift it two to three inches against a second set of safety pins. Then
hold the position for six to nine seconds. Keep on adding weight until you can't lift it. Just hold the bar
firmly against the second set of safety pins for at least six seconds, while maintaining a good lifting
posture.
A functional isometric set-up for bench press.
This way you're actually lifting weights, and can quantify your progress. Furthermore, since there's a
short dynamic phase to the movement, the transfer of the gained isometric strength to an actual
dynamic action is more important.
You can use functional isometrics either at the sticking point (the second set of pins being set at your
sticking point so the bar actually starts 2-3" below your sticking point) or on contrary, at a very strong
point in the range of motion (close to the lockout or past the mid-range point).
In the first case (weak point) the benefit is obviously to strengthen a weak link in the chain. In the
second case (close to lockout) the goal is to prime the nervous system as much as possible: close to
stronger. But stay within the limits of perfect lifting form.
Remember that the goal of this whole program is to build strength and size, not to peak for a strength
test or a competition. Sets of 2-3 with 87-90% of your max are more than enough to get the job done,
even if you still have one or two reps left in the tank.
Obviously you want to use a movement that's close to the first one in the complex. This means either a
back or front squat for the quadriceps dominant complex, and a deadlift, sumo deadlift, Romaniandeadlift, or snatch-grip deadlift for the hips/posterior chain dominant complex.
Exercise 3: Explosive Strength
For this third exercise of this complex you have more choices. Go with whichever of these exercise
you wish:
Traditional lifts with max acceleration: for example a speed squat (à la Westside Barbell) which is a
squat set performed with 45 to 55% of your maximum. You control the lowering portion of the
repetition but accelerate as much as possible during the lifting phase. Sets of 3-5 reps are
recommended.
Olympic lifts: these are to be done only for the hips/posterior chain complex. Various variations of the
power clean and power snatch with 70-80% of your maximum for 3-5 reps fits the bill.
Ballistic exercises: these refer to jumping with added weight. For example the jump squat performed
with 20-30% of your maximum squat. The jump squat is a great explosive drill for the quadriceps
dominant complex.
The jump squat
For the hips/posterior chain complex you can always perform jump lunges or jump deadlifts. In the
jump lunge, you use around 10-20% of your bodyweight, and jump in the air from a lunge position
(don't switch legs in the air, switch on the ground). The wider your stance is, the more of your glutes
Complex B, Option 2: Upper Body Vertical Pull Dominant
A1) Iso/dynamic contrast chins (or pull-ups)
Use close to your maximum on the lift and hold it in the contracted position for as long as you can
Rest 120 seconds
A2) Weighted chins (or weighted pull-ups or lat pulldowns)2-3 reps
Rest 120 seconds
A3) Speed chins/pull-ups (use a block to stand on and "cheat" by simultaneously jumping and pulling
yourself up as fast as you can)
3-5 reps as fast as you can
Rest 120 seconds
Perform the complex 4-5 times
NOTE: During a workout you only select one of these two options, either decide to go with a verticalor horizontal pull, not both. Obviously select the option directly opposite of the push option you
selected.
LOWER BODY: Muscle Growth and Strength
Finally something normal! On this third (and fourth) workout of the weak we'll get back to good old
regular lifting! We'll be training in the hypertrophy and functional hypertrophy zones.
Since this workout is fairly straightforward, let's jump into it.
A1) Front squat
4-5 sets of 4-6 reps
90 seconds rest
A2) Romanian deadlift
4-5 sets of 4-6 reps
90 seconds rest
B1) Leg press
3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
90 seconds rest
B2) Pull-through (or reverse hyper if you have access to one)
Obviously, you can still do the program without the supplements. However, using them in conjunction
with this plan will give you significantly better results. It's up to you to determine if the added gains
are worth the small investment.
A Quick Footnote
I know that some people might read this article and will want to do it by itself, without using Phase I
first. Can that be done? Sure. Although this series is designed to present a 12-week program aimed at
maximizing overall strength and size, each phase can still be used as a standalone. In the case of this
second phase, it's better suited to those who want to gain both strength and size in proportional
amounts.
Phase I, if performed as a standalone, is best kept for those who want to focus mostly on strength,
while the upcoming Phase III will present a good option for those mainly interested in gaining size.
But for optimal gains in both aspects, following the whole plan is the best option.
Christian Thibaudeau is a strength coach, bodybuilder, and Olympic lifter who hopes that Coaches
Poliquin and Benoit will excuse him for jacking their gros, cut, fort catchphrase. Thib, meanwhile, isconfident that by following the twelve-week program presented here, any man can, with dedication