The way I utilize the OHP is by doing 3x3 at 75% at the end of every workout, and only one day is an OHP focus day. It's fantastic because it allows you to focus on bench press while still hammering in OHP motor patterns and building phenomenal shoulder power. Thanks for answering some questions I've had!
I'm probably gonna incorporate HIHF tomorrow but only for the squats 5-7 days a week, rest of the workout I'll do what I normally do. I've been running your 5 day recommedation on your website for the squat and I got to cycle 2, but I like this stuff better, and I just freaking love to squat! Greg you're awesome! I hope efficiency of my squat will get to at least 80% with this type of training soon
I've been on this program for about a month and it worked really well for me. This video basically cleared all my doubts. Thank you so much! Hopefully I can get as strong as you someday, maybe even stronger lol.
I did Bulgarian-Light training with Pezutti's formula (working up to 1-5 rep max) then with my own volume-focused style, since I'm a recreational/hypertrophy lifter. In both styles, I did daily deadlifting as well as squatting and am doing 3 sets of both squats and pulls every day. I've found: * As Greg said, use surgical form, especially with regards to straight back (and a bit of anterior pelvic tilt) * Stick to weight you can move pretty fast, not just smooth * Work in lighter variations (SLDL, snatch-grip, deficits, etc) * Obey anatomy rather than "optimal leverages". I moved my conventional deadlift grip out to a clean grip to obey my hip socket shape rather than forcing "vertical arms" * Consider learning a dynamic start, if you don't already use one (bar roll, hip drop, Koklyaev style, etc) * Mentally, treat your pulling as filling in the volume gaps left by your squat. You can pull daily, but do keep the focus on the squat.
Interestingly Stouts are less calorically dense than other styles from what I have read. I can't say off the top of my head why that is empirically, but my best guess is the same high abv we love necessarily means that more of the sugar has been fermented, leaving less carb density.
Great e-book! I started this last week, squat/bench 6 days a week, with 2 leg, 2 push and two pull work outs after, with deads on pull day. My thought is to instead of doing drop back sets, increase sets and intensity on accessory lifts when you stall. Example, squats stall, do more hack squats or leg presses. This way I'm building more muscle without adding more stress to my CNS by squatting more. Does this make sense?
I kind of have my own training program I follow, which is sort of in between sheiko and westside. I enjoy the frequency of bulgarian training, but I do a lot more training in the 75-85% range, rather than shooting for 90%+. To compensate for the lack of training at 90%+, I will do one "true" max effort workout, every few weeks. Instead of hitting a more relaxed daily max on this day, I am shooting for a more psyched up, heavier max with a variation on the main lift. My reasoning is that I feel the 75-85% range is more "tried and true" as far as building strength goes, whereas using 90%+ in order to build strength doesn't work for as many people in my experience as an athlete and coach. Just my two cents. It did get me a bronze at the swedish nationals and I'm shooting for a gold medal within two years.
That was an awesome read. Are you going to do a vid on nutrition soon? Or have you already? Or have you written about it? I've already had a few aha moments reading this ebook and watching a few of your vids. I'm about to start tearing through what's on your sites. Thanks.
I’ve found that starting to reach a heavy 5 reps on s/bp/dl/ohp works best then on weeks 2-3 perform 3x5 @ 85% on week 2 then 5x5 @ 75% week 3. Then week 4 deload with high reps at 45-60% on how you feel. I personally would squat each day (1 max then a heavy 3x3 @ 90%) Bench twice a week (1 heavy day and the other at a moderate 3x3 @ 90%) same for OHP and I’d do 1 heavy conventional Deadlift and then a 3x3 Trap Bar Deadlift to 5 reps. Weekends I would perform light squats (3x10 @ 50%) and then walk 30 min on incline treadmill. That would be month 1 after just rinse and repeat
Hey Greg your answer about was great but could you say rotate doing straight leg deads, snatch deads, or high pulls of various grips for just a little volume work and then one work up to a daily min on comp stance deads with speed pulls for back off.
Unrelated, but in your post:"Why Powerlifters Should Train More Like Bodybuilders" you list the accessory movements as amrap at 70%/1RM in ascending minutes over the cycle. Is this a true balls to the wall reppingfest? Or would you hold back some? If not the latter, doing this 4x week is some of the hardest shit I can think of. I did the 5 minute bodyweight-loaded squat challenge about a year ago and I haven't been especially tempted to go at it again ever since :p
Hi Greg,thanks for putting out all the great content. I signed up for the manual and received some of your newsletter e-mails. one of them went over implementation of the Bulgarian method and in particular how to deal with "the dark days". Where can I find informatio about this? thank you!
Would you recommend running the program doing a high bar paused squat if you want to increase your competition low bar? I know a certain amount of the gains are from improved motor patterns and CNS efficiency due to performing the movement so often, but my high bar form is exactly the same as my low bar form except for the bar position, and obviously a little bit more forward lean due to the bar position. so it would be helpful to hear your thoughts on it.
I know it will vary according to various factors but I'm a little confused on how much a daily min and max vary from day to day and week to week. And what I should be going for. I know I eventually want to up the numbers bit am kind of wondering how much and how quickly. Thanks for the manual.
Greg, again love this manual and video! I've been sharing it with anyone that will listen to me and a lot of positive feedback and enthusiasm. I ran this style of training completely wrong this past november to January. I squatted and benched 6x a week and did back-off work daily (3 days squat 3 days bench) but HIGH volume (i.e. 4x6 after a daily max) Being over zealous has led to what I assume is patellar tendonosis...I was squatting 415 for 3 reps and now can barely do 225lbs now. Any advice for rehab so I can use your manual this time around?
I have 2 questions, so sorry if it's long... -Do you also use the Bulgarian method as your primary peaking/strength gaining block while your "vanilla power lifting training" is a means of hypertrophy/strength gains? -Also could a intermediate lifter use this just during the summer (student) and see gains and switch back to lower frequency style training? Thanks in advance, Beard Master Race
Greg, thanks so much for this video and the manual itself. Would it be possible to contact you with a few questions I have regarding back-off sets and weekly volume? Thanks!
Greg i know this is an old video but a would like to ask you,would you rotate classic bulagrian light you mention in the manual and slavic swole using them like an strenght and mass blocks?
Couldn't you just treat the OHP like the deadlift? Meaning, some light work 1-2 times a week, without removing bench sessions. Anyway, looking forward to trying this out, I'm all setup with the omegawave and PUSH.
my only concern: is it "safe" to max out flat bench press 5 times a week ? Or should I also do variations , like close grip bench, incline, etc to not risk shoulder injury???
Greg, I read alot that the main gripe with the Bulgarian method, is not that it isnt effective, but that its much too much volume for MOST people who want to use it. Do you recommend people wait till a certain training level before trying such a program?
How would you apply the Olympic lifts to this style of training? Either for Olympic lifting, or for developing explosiveness during the offseason of an explosive sport?
Hey Greg, not sure if you'll see this, but I was wondering how to approach peaking while running the Bulgarian Method. Should I keep hitting daily maxes, but drop the dropbacks/accessory work?
one more question...in the bulgarian method manuel, it said in there a way to ease into the program, you talked about two main squat workouts. would that mean doing a squat max and then next workout, for example, pause squat max? And could i also do two main bench workouts? like normal bench and then incline?
For the sports question lifting itself is a sport. It’s better to practice your sport and perform exercises such as front squats, OHP, and sprints/ jump rope that help increase your athleticism. Overall practice your sport as you do practice like you play
Mike Tuscherer has talked a bit about why this may not be an ideal way to train if it's possible for you to make progress on lesser frequency because it's another way for a lifter to add frequency as they begin to stall in their lifts. Do you have anything, or could you post a video discussing your opinion on this? If you already have something posted just name where I could look for it, and I'll find it. Thanks man
The manual talks about how you can use this as a part of a broader training plan instead of just as a standalone. Mike and I discussed this in some length on the RTS forum once. The thread title was "what's the deal with daily training" I believe.
Hey Greg, would it be smart to add working up to a single on the power clean on one day. So one day it would be power clean after squat and bench, and the other would be the recommended deadlift work. This would be to get a bit more heavy pulling without the fatigue that deadlifts cause, or would a pendlay row do a better job? On the row, I'd do just a set of five.
Hi Greg, I've read the manual and I've started implementing it slowly into my routine. I just have a few questions: My usual routine would be training 5-6 days a week following a typical bodybuilding style training, I hit every body part twice a week except for back and legs, I usually like to focus intensely on the muscle group for that day i.e. if its chest day, I won't mix it with triceps, I would focus hard on working mostly the chest. This has worked well for me for about a year now (I've been lifting just over 2 years), but at the moment I think I have hit a plateau and I've been here a while. I say 'think' because I've been stuck on certain exercises, but since focusing more on volume, the numbers have started increasing again. On some days however, I also perform quite badly; its inconsistent now so its hard to truly measure my current progress. The HIHF approach adapted from the Bulgarian method proposed by you and Omar, I feel would help me make solid progress from here. Some of my main concerns however, are about benching and squat practically everyday. I'm sure you've heard a lot that when you train a muscle hard, it takes around 3 days for it to recover, and is therefore not recommended to hit that muscle (at least not hard) during this period. What is your take on this? If I am benching so frequently, would it then be wise to ease up on my usual high intensity chest day + days that involve triceps/anterior delts? Wouldn't all that frequent long-term benching also lead to a muscle imbalance? I'm not sure how to implement HIHF on days that I already have planned the usual chest days and shoulder days, it seems to be a lot of push work and that I'd have to do extra pull days to balance this out. Some people also say that arm day isn't necessary but I don't agree as I've enjoyed great gains from always including an arm day. Apologies for the long-winded comment. Thank you for the manual
baramui muscles definitely don't (generally) take 3 days to recover. For a relatively new lifter, 2-3 days is typical, but for someone who's been lifting for a few years, MPS is usually back to baseline within 24-36 hours after a workout. If you're concerned with your pressing muscles getting overdeveloped, you can just do more back work along with it.
Although I agree with you that this method should not be combined with another sport, I think that it may be used for a short time in the off season for a sprint runner, for instance, who needs to increase his maximum strength. Of course, he would need to back off his sprint training during the time he's doing the program, which is fine if he has enough time to do so. I think there could potentially be some good carry over to sprinting and perhaps a reduced risk of injury by getting the body very strong with the Bulgarian method for a time, then going back to sprint training with a lower squat volume. Thoughts?
I was a sprinter for 10 years growing up and I agree with the fact that it could be beneficial for injury prevention, but it would also mess up a sprinter's peak. Training to peak each year is a standard of any decent sprint training program for even young kids. Peaking for the weightlifting in the same year that one needs to peak for sprinting would be too great a demand on almost all but a very few athlete's central nervous system. This is easily observable if you watch most elite sprinters in the first two years when they transition from high school to college. Good college programs spend a couple years building their sprinters' bodies up and most of their times actually get worse or plateau for that period.
It would depend on how many times the sprinter needs to peak. Many sprinters choose not to run indoors, which gives them 7 months of off season before they have their first outdoor competition. Normally the first several competitions are not important ones. I think this Bulgarian training could certainly be used during for the first several months of the off season. What I've observed is many sprinters who only squat once a week during the off season and not at all during the competition season, which results in a large strength decline later in the season. By doing the Bulgarian system, the muscles are no longer sore for days, like they usually are when squatting once a week. So squatting a couple of times a week during the season with low volume should feel like be a breeze.
I'm curious if you could post a video of you using these principles in your training. Obviously none of us would have the same work capacity as you, but i'm a bit confused by how this all get's set up. I read the manual but i'm not quite sure how to plan my workouts. would I just do something along the lines of 70% x 1 75% x 1 80%x1 and so on until i hit what I assume is my daily minimum and then keep the weight going until i hit my daily max?
Hey, Greg, your videos are truly informative and the beard is glorious. I have a question though. I am in the midst of truly trying this high frequency approach (with the principles outlined in your book) and my daily minimums are increasing, and the heavier weights are starting to feel less taxing (I am just at the stage where I'm adding in only one drop set). However, lately, upon waking, I feel general malaise and slightly achy but not in a debilitating way. I still have lots of energy to train but I feel, if you'll excuse my vagueness, just achy, with intermittent bouts of insomnia. Are these just side effects of acclimation? I am seeing progress with the weights, and experientially speaking, the same weights I had to slightly grind, are getting faster. I realize this may be difficult to answer in a comment but any advice would be appreciated. (If its of any consequence my daily minimum went from 315 to 345 for the BS in a span of four weeks)
+darklord220 around 4 weeks most people just tend to feel like garbage, but your body catches up. Just make sure you're sleeping enough and you'll pull through in a week or two.
Hey Greg loving this style of training. Been following your and Omar's Slavic Swole for a few months. If I were go on a fat loss phase for a few months what sorts of adjustments could I make to still continue my training in a similar fashion? e.g. instead of 6 days per week, make it 4 or 5? Do the minimum number of sets where it gives a range (3-5 sets I would do 3)?
So i can use the bulgarian method and also implement my normal routine after i do my daily min and maxes? For instance... daily min and max squat followed by daily min and max bench. Then i can do my normal chest workout or back workout?
Hey Greg, What do you think about keeping bodybuilding splits such as leg day and shoulder within the Bulgarian program. Do you think a leg day is still necessary when you are squatting so frequently? I feel I should keep bodybuilding style splits to address lagging areas as my goals are primarily aesthetic.
How would you program in the rep range of back accessory after your main lifts? also assuming you squat and bench 5 times per week and deadlift at 75% twice but wanted to do pull ups on all the days you didnt deadlift, how would you go about programming this in, are consecutive days of pull ups acceptable or should you follow a more conventional at least one days rest in between
I knos this is an old ass comment but if You fin this usefull i have been doing this program for 9 months with pullups everyday and till nos everythings fine
If I'm cutting fat for an extended period of time (16 weeks) is this still advisable for trying to make progress in Strength while cutting? On your website you seemed to indicate yes, but on your T-nation article you say no. What's your current opinion in that area.
William Shropshire NVM. Think I understand now after reading some comments. Basically just get to daily min the most efficient way, then go for daily max if you're feeling ok. Then dropback sets if still ok after daily max. is that right?
William Shropshire I believe the increased volume that comes from the dropback sets is only added when your progress slows significantly. You do not need to add them before then if you are making progress with hitting above your daily minimum.
I've got one if you don't mind: 1. So if I decide to go for the one with the 20 pr variants, 6 times a week. The idea is to try hitting them with no grinding? Let's say I'm trying to beat a 8 rep max, and the 7th rep is bad, shall I stop and than get some dropback sets?
Can I still download the program for free? I've tried, but when I enter my email address and name, it thanks me for downloading, yet there is no download link.
I'm currently doing fairly high weekly volume, cca 15 sets of squats, 15 sets of deadlifts and 30+ sets of bench. I need to put on 15, maybe 20 lbs on my frame in next year and a half and I am 'worried' that Bulgarian method will slow down my mass gain. Am I being a potato on this one?
So running I the morning doing sprints 3 times a week and a 6k run 2times a week along with you and Omar's strength and hypertrophy program in training to be a rugby winger is too much mind you I am young only 17
In general, I think it's because deadlifts allow your back to round a bit while still making lifts, but that's not the case for squats. For example, weightlifters do heavy clean pulls with perfectly flat backs just about every day - I think it's the slight flexion that generally goes along with DLs that makes the difference.
Great! But what "Rep Range" would you recommend for the Daily Min or Daily Max? Is it always only one rep? So for example I hit my Daily min for one rep and if I feel good I just hit a Daily Max for one Rep and thats the workout? (not considering the dropback sets...) I just dont really understand the Rep range in this style of training for the Daily min/max..
***** ok, yeah I read it, there are a lot of different PRs I can choose from.. so does that mean it's just up to me if I go for a 1RM or 5RM? And can my daily also be a 4 Rep daily min so it does not always have to be a 1 Rep Daily min do I get it right?
I'm very new to this method and very interested. I did download the ebook and read the whole thing. I just want to confirm, when you say that you should hit daily max (or min). Am I just aiming for one rep? or do alot of singles? I'm kind of confused. Would appreciate if anyone could answer. Thanks :)
Does the "add what you want" rule for accessories apply to the Slavic Swole spreadsheet as well? My weakness is primarily glute/hip extension, but I didn't see any accessory for that in particular. If I can't just add it in, can I replace an accessory in the program?
+Strengtheory Hi Greg love your work. Just wanted to ask with the Bulgarian manual where you say deadlift 2-3 times a week do I do that as well as the squats and bench or instead of. So squats then bench then deads all on the same day or squats and bench one day and deads by themselves on a separate day?
***** I mean, could I deadlift with a higher intensity and higher frequency if I did sumo? In the video Greg seems to think that you can only deadlift with high intensity twice a week on this program.
The Mooseman It's not that it's only possible to DL twice per week. It's that it's all most people need to keep their DL moving up since they're squatting so frequently, which trains most of the same muscles. I mean, you can definitely sumo if you'd prefer, though. This is Greg by the way.
dear mr nuckols i downloaded the manual i want to when does a individual test his absolute max or close to everyday as in the trainning max like say if my squat is 325 then for trainning max i hit 330 does become my new trainning max
Thanks for your response :) I've read the pdf you guys did quite intensively. I may just be being blind here so I apologise for that. The pdf outlines the %'s and drop backs quite specifically but doesn't recommend a ball park number of sets and reps I should be hitting (at 80-85% of my current 1rm) for a daily min?
Faisal Tabusalla you can run it until tuesday or so of meet week, just hit daily mins on wed. and thurs., then stay super light (50-60% for some easy reps, totally non fatiguing) on friday. Compete saturday.
What do you guys think of doing this on the speed side of the spectrum? (For Sprinters). We already have Olympic lifts where it originated (Power) and now this (Strength). What about speed? What do you guys think? And how would you do it? Low volume, high frequency sprinting to increase speed. Thoughts?
Also, you say to work your way up to the daily min/max. How many sets should generally precede the min/max? A sample there would be awesome. My 1rm on bench is like 275-300 right now. I'm going to figure that out shortly. I'm not certain exactly how to go about it from there though.
Thanks. What do your 3 to 4 prior sets look like? I'm watching another one of your talks now and I like that you went into capacity training and how people that haven't done high volume stuff in the past should start off with higher volume weeks at the beginning of something like the Bulgarian method. I'm probably over thinking it but if volume is key, I'm thinking I'm going to want to get some plump sets in at 60%-80% of my 1rm before my daily min/max. Thoughts? Thanks for all the help. I'm about to start showing your vids off.
Duh, Brain fart man. Thanks for your patience and help. I just posted about you and one of your vids. I'll help how I can, I appreciate it much. I'm about to get going with this.
You should do a video on organic food vs normal foods. I think that organic food is probably better than non-organic simply because we have evolved around organic food sources, but these advantages are very minuscule, especially when contrasted with the price of organic foods. I eat healthy, non-organic foods and I don't have any medical issues, so I cant imagine them being as beneficial as people say.
the Bulgarian weightlifters routinely test positive for steroids, so keep that in mind if trying their method. once again with 2016 olympics, entire team banned for too many athletes testing positive. this is what, the third olympics since 2000 the ENTIRE team has been banned? so if your a natural keep that in mind.
+Ben Mercer That has little to do with the "Bulgarian method'' . The steroid problems began right after we denounced ''the method'' for being too expensive and demanding for the lifters. And by the way i've watche a hell of a lot videos about this and most of the are realy towned down so dont worry.
+piyasdv I do agree that a much toned down Bulgarian method (once a day, not multiple times a day, much less overall volume) can work for naturals/normal people with jobs, it's worked for me before to get my squat up.
+Ben Mercer afaik, no one without drugs is trying to exactly mimic how the Bulgarians trained. However, I have spoken with two people who actually trained in Bulgarian under Abadjiev (after the fall of the Soviet Union, they were totally open to people coming and training with the team), drug-free, for pretty decent periods of time (6 months for one, and something like 5 years for the other) doing the exact same training the rest of the team did, and they did fine (got stronger, didn't get injured, etc.). Obviously you can't prove anything with N=2, but it's certainly not impossible for some people to do what the Bulgarians did without drugs, and it's certainly, certainly not impossible for people to handle a scaled-back version.
+Strengtheory Hi Greg! It's an honor! Just got a question. When will I have to increase the weight and if I will have to get a bit leaner by either doing LISS and HIIT cardio, how can I do it during the bulgarian training program? How will the recovery get? Thank You KInd Regards Abid.
