Bulgarian for Masters??

[kecks]

do it, but only for a few weeks. adjust along the way. switch to something not so drastic after that and maybe go back to the bulgarian thing after that.

[Tretzik]

For what it's worth: I've been following a Bulgarianish template for three months. I'm 42 105 kg. 115sn 147cj 167fs 190bs.
I do two workouts a day 6 days a week. Looks some thing like this
Morning: snatch AHAP then 5 to 8 sets of double or singles minus 10 to 20kg
Afternoon: front squat AHAP. Single double or triple

Morning: clean and jerk same as above
Afternoon back squat same as above

Will occasionally do jerks off the blocks to rest the legs a bit and only cleans to rest the shoulders. Squat max effort every day.

Some days suck really bad. Some days I think are going to suck and don't and some days are the best days ever.

In three months I've added 10kg to my snatch 12 kg to my clean and jerk and 10 kg to my squat. I can pretty much hit 5 kg under my maxes on a daily basis.

It's been three months and no problems so far. I have another masters lifter following almost the same program 47yo 53 kg 57 sn 70 cj 112 sq.

No idea what will happen down the road but so far it's going well.

[PDM]

Originally Posted by Tretzik

For what it's worth: I've been following a Bulgarianish template for three months. I'm 42 105 kg. 115sn 147cj 167fs 190bs.
I do two workouts a day 6 days a week.

What do you do for a paycheck? Do you have a family? What do you do for recovery?

[Tretzik]

Well in all fairness I do own a gym and practically live there. As far as recovery goes I think the secret is to eat A LOT of good food. I probably eat 5500 to 6500 calories a day. So far the only problem with the program I am having is staying in my weight class. I'm a solid 108 now and am starting to get worried about losing 3kg for the American Masters. I was 100 when I started. Super heavy here I come.

[PDM]

Okay, so a Bulgarian-ish program can work for a Master's Weightlifter if...

1. You own a gym and practically live there
2. Can manage 6000kcals/day of good quality food
3. Do not mind gaining a few kilos

How is the other master's lifter life? I am interested because you have gotten success as a master's lifter with a Bulgarian program. Thank you.

[Tretzik]

The other lifter is doing fine. Normal life runs her own business and has two kids. Aside from schedule and time constraints I think what is important is the underlying principal that the body will adapt to what ever you make it do. You have to believe that and not back off when things get tough and with this type of training they will. I think too many people try it and when things start to suck they quit. Those are the day you have to just man up and take your lumps. I had days when I struggled to snatch 85kg and days when I could hit multiple reps 5 kg under my max and feel great doing it. Or have a new PR feel easy. I just went through 2 really tough weeks where everything felt heavy. A missed heavy attempt was followed by not even able to get the bar past my knees. You just keep pushing and the body will adapt. If you want to lift heavy weight you gotta lift heavy weight a lot.

[oldgit]

i like nick hortons ideas,basically doing a lot of frequency at as high an intensity as possible,but low volume,really low volume sometimes. i have been trying this in recent months-snatching and c&j each three times a week-but just doing 1-2 sets of singles at 90-100% or doubles at 85-90% of intended max-and my groove in the lifts and technique has improved dramatically-when u fart around with weights below 80% you never know if your technique is bad-i can hit 80% of my best snatch every time even with rubbish technique and bent arm pulling etc etc-but when that kg gets towards your max-thats when you will fail if ur tech is not at least 90% correct. so i do a week of doubles,then a week of singles and then a de-load week of 60% and repeat

[azolylifter]

oldgit - I'll be revamping my programming to do basically that. It will be low volume, moderate intensity. I won't be going up to 90%+ for awhile. Basically will be hitting positions for a bit between 70-85% for most of the training. I'll slowly move it up to the 90-100% range when I get closer to a meet.

I like alot of Horton's ideas also, but I think for Master lifters it's not so great to keep going without planned deloads. That's the basic deal I'll be doing is periodizing my program a bit more. We'll see if it works when I lift at the Arnold (?)

[Randy Hauer]

i don't know what the real bulgarian program is, sans drugs, and i would dispute that anyone else really does know with certainty. perhaps masters under 45 can deal with heavier loading day in day out, women perhaps a little older since the absolute loads are still far less. But the guys with the longest, injury free careers don't push momentary maxes daily. they live in the 75-85% 1rm world the majority of the time.

as far as I can tell, the american proponents of the so called bulgarian method in any age group invariably leave their best lifts in the gym, not on the comp platform where it counts. "world's strongest teenager" would be a 30kg example of that.

[azolylifter]

Originally Posted by Randy Hauer

i don't know what the real bulgarian program is, sans drugs, and i would dispute that anyone else really does know with certainty. perhaps masters under 45 can deal with heavier loading day in day out, women perhaps a little older since the absolute loads are still far less. But the guys with the longest, injury free careers don't push momentary maxes daily. they live in the 75-85% 1rm world the majority of the time.

as far as I can tell, the american proponents of the so called bulgarian method in any age group invariably leave their best lifts in the gym, not on the comp platform where it counts. "world's strongest teenager" would be a 30kg example of that.

Thank you so much for this post!! I've since abandoned that program and I'm now working in the fabled 70-85% zone for most of my lifting!!