I Bodybuilder-Anyone try it?

[pac-man]

Here is the link on T-Nation if you are unfamiliar with it:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_program/sports_body_training_muscle_anaconda/anaconda_protocol#i-bodybuilder-program/phase-4-8212-chest/monday


In a nut shell it is "rethinking" the way you perform a rep and your warm ups.  You are essentially priming your nervous system with each rep and set.  One builds upon the other. 

I have gotten stronger doing this the last month or so.  This says something for me because I'm not the strongest guy in the world.  I can build muscle easier than I can build strenght if that makes any sense. 

Just curious if anyone out there outside of the T-Nation world has tried this or had any expeirenced any results with it?  Def some cool videos if nothing else. 

[haider]

not to the T, but I like his method of ramping up to your heavy set, doing your reps as fast as possible, and keeping rest periods to a minimum. So I've been following it as far as that goes.

I use a different split and use more volume. I started working out after a long lay off and have gained strength back very quickly.. in fact, I'm already setting PR's  

[pac-man]

Ya I can't follow it exactly either.  I train both at home and at a gym.  Some of the superset examples they use are tough to do at a gym without hogging all the equipment but I make do. 

Either way doing the rep fast and explosive has made a difference for sure.  I've tried all types of "rythms", time under tension variations, super slow negatives, ect...and they seem to be onto something here.  I do notice that the second rep of the set often goes up easier than the first. 

[YoungBlood]

I didn't see anything groundbreaking there. Good routine to use if you need to switch things up, but not anything that will be the end-all-be-all routine that will allow you to look like Ronnie Coleman.

[rockyfortune]

don't get discouraged pacman..drugs are only 1-2% of a bodybuilders training regimen...

[pac-man]

If I'm reading your statement right, Rocky, I get it.  Guys in the vids likely have some extra "assistance".  Just saying the program worked well for me. 

And of course its not going to make you look like Ronnie Coleman but to me its something fresh.  Better than doing the same ol' rehashed training programs you've seen in the magazines for who knows how many decades.

[YoungBlood]

And of course its not going to make you look like Ronnie Coleman but to me its something fresh.  Better than doing the same ol' rehashed training programs you've seen in the magazines for who knows how many decades.

Pick up two books by Charles Poliquin, and you will be able to make your own workouts- and they'll be better than anything that the magazines have ever published.

You will be able to make your own "fresh" workouts on a regular basis.

[Yev33]

Pick up two books by Charles Poliquin, and you will be able to make your own workouts- and they'll be better than anything that the magazines have ever published.

You will be able to make your own "fresh" workouts on a regular basis.

Totally agree, I have Poliquin's first book "The Poliquin Principles" and it's a geat book. What I would suggest even before you buy the books since you go on T-Nation is go on the article section  and read the earlier articles by Poliquin and Ian King, lots of good info there.

[jpm101]

The are different training programs somewhat similar to the one(s) mentioned over at T-nation. And they have been around for quite some time. Wave training could be thrown into that mix quite well I believe.

That pre-warmup/working set combo before the rest-pause, short range 3 rep, tempo change thing  has been done in many forms , usually with good results. Though 4 to 6-8 weeks may be the max time. After that, a week (at lease) rest than on to another less demanding program on the CNS for awhile. In any workout program the CNS should be considered. It may be the key to recovery and making steady gains in size and strength for most guy's. As the article suggest, working two or three times a day can be rewarding if the CNS is not over stressed. The old Soviet and eastern Block nations did that for years while Olympic lifting training. Their records speak for it's self. The bottom line is to never go to the point of failure in any training workout. Not going to complete failure should not be mistaken for not working ultra hard.  Do check you strength on any one lift, but only once every 3rd to 4th week.

One thing about T-nation is that they keep trying to come up with new slants on older programs. That's good. And some of their articles and writers are outside the normal box on training ideas. Also good, we all could use that from time to time.. Poliquin being one of the better writers.  Tate, etc gives good advice also.  

Only thing that I may question about T-nation is that about every 3 to 6 months they come out with yet another Super Duper supplement, so much improved and better than their last Super Duper supplement. Guess you do have to stay in business and make a buck somehow. Though, to their credit, lots of free information over there. Good Luck

[YoungBlood]

Totally agree, I have Poliquin's first book "The Poliquin Principles" and it's a geat book. What I would suggest even before you buy the books since you go on T-Nation is go on the article section  and read the earlier articles by Poliquin and Ian King, lots of good info there.

T-Nation reprinted nearly, if not all, of CP's information from his books. Sometimes the articles aren't the best to go from, since you get a bit more detailed info from his books. I happened to own the books before it hit the internet. This is mainly applied to "the Poliquin Principles." Not so much "Modern Trends In Strength Training."

But if you own those two books, really learn and apply the ideas and/or principles to what CP is saying within the text, you will have far far far more knowledge than anything the major magazines have promoted in a long time-if ever. And he doesn't use roided out BBers to get his point across. Certainly he's got guys he's trained using his theories and the like (Dorian and others), but the guys he trains have to be smarter than an IFBB guy does. Instead of taking boatloads of shit and relying on that to make gains, CP's guys do just the opposite.

[pac-man]

Yup I'm with you guys, I've been reading Charles Poliquins stuff since he had articles back in the old Muscle Media 2000.  If I'm not mistaken he had part ownership with TC of T-Nation in the beginning after MM2K became a fitness magazine and not a bodybuilding magazine.  He eventually parted ownership and now just does articles.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that but I thought thats how things went.  Actually he has a new book which is plugged in the latest article here:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/bigger_stronger_arms_the_poliquin_way

He actually mentions in the article that not alot of new has been out since the 1930s.  This is along the same lines of what has been mentioned in this thread.  Putting new twists on old techniques.  For me it was a bit of a new experience as I had never kept my reps that low for so long.  It has been a good change for me but I can tell I'm getting to the point where its time to switch things up again. 

And ya your right jpm, T-Nation always has some new supplement out there which they promote very aggressively.  That is essentially what keeps the site free is that they use it to move Biotest products.  You can tell they essentially used the same strategy as Bill Phillips used with Met-Rx back in the early 90s.  Talk about it for months, build a lot of anticipation and interest, then release the product, or in ths case protocol.  Either way supplements sales are a big part of this biz.  You just have to decide whether its right for you.  I personally cannot invest that much money into it but I like the concept of it.

[jpm101]

As noted from the web site that Pac-man offered:  A good example of older systems being revised and given new names is Cluster training. Another form of the tried and true Rest/Pause system.  I, and many others, have made great gains with this method. Can be surprising that you plan on doing 5 or 6 reps (10-15 seconds pause between) and find your self doing 9 to 12 reps. The reps seem to get away from you because of the strength increase from your last workout. Have ended up doing partial rep power rack DL's  of 20 when only thinking I might get only 10, or so, reps. These are short duration programs of 4 to 6-8 weeks at the most.

 A lot of forgotten exceptional training programs out there through the years. Actually most guy do not want to work that hard on some of them, much too brutal in scope. Like 20 rep breathing squats (adding weight each workout...little as 1 1/4 each side, at times). Which can be applied to DL's, clean's, C&J, squat cleans & press, etc. In any case most develop outstanding stamina (endurance plus strength) as well as outstanding muscle size and strength. Good Luck.