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Barbell Soviet Programs for Hypertrophy?

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I have recently read a lot about Soviet weighlifters (and even their memoirs - Vlasov, Plukfelder, Zhabotinsky, Rigert). As far as I understand, most weightlifters avoid hypertrophy, because they compete in a certain weight class and to be competitive they have to stay in a lowest weight class they could manage.

Sometimes it was decided by the team's coach. For example in 1980 great David Rigert was 100kg with under 10% body fat and dominated this weight class. But for him hypertrophy was a curse. The national team coaches thought that they didn't have a good 90kg lifter, but too many 100kg athletes and they decided that David should switch to 90kg clas. He lost 10kg in 4 months, became injured and lost Olympia.

Rudolf Plukfelder distinguished between "tendon strength" and "flesh strength", saying that "tendon strength" is superior and that gaining muscle ("flesh") was extremely easy for him, so he tried not to eat too much and never did higher reps.

For light and middle weights hypertrophy/gaining weight is even more undesirable. That was the reason why soviet weighlifters mostly used singles, doubles or triples in their training. Someone who wanted to climb up to the next weight class used more reps and beginners even did high rep circuit training, but for the most part low reps/long rests were used.

As for the heaviest weight class - where gaining weight is not detrimental at all - it was very different. Yury Vlasov trained like a powerlifter - heavy singles with snatches and jerks and then higher rep assistance exercices. He looked massive and constantly gained weight in his career. Vassily Alexeev used lower weight/higher rep approach both as an athlete and as a national team coach and was heavier and bigger than Vlasov. His intensity was low for soviet standards (half of squats reps were under 50%RM and 80% of presses were under 50%RM), reps per set were relatively high (1-8) and his volume training was very high. He even said that he trained twice as much as other national team lifters.
I think there are no Soviet hypertrophy secrest. It's as simple as higher reps (4-8), lot of volume and eating well. Nothing new.
 
Only problem with hypertrophy programs tacked onto strength programs is the sheer number of sets recommended. No doubt they work but I don't have time for eight work sets (531 BBB) let alone 10+ (Bear) for the one compound exercise. If time isn't on your side you're better off periodising to focus on strength then hypertrophy (or vice versa) in turn. Alternatively something simple like 5x5 still takes more time than I'm usually happy to give but is a good compromise
 
Someone who wanted to climb up to the next weight class used more reps and beginners even did high rep circuit training, but for the most part low reps/long rests were used.
that would be me :) do you know the specifics of those high rep circuits?

Vassily Alexeev used lower weight/higher rep approach both as an athlete and as a national team coach and was heavier and bigger than Vlasov. His intensity was low for soviet standards (half of squats reps were under 50%RM and 80% of presses were under 50%RM), reps per set were relatively high (1-8) and his volume training was very high. He even said that he trained twice as much as other national team lifters.
I wonder what very high volume means exactly, and how big it was for the rest of the team. Do you know any specifics in terms of total number of sets performed, does the number remind something like russian bear from pttp (perhaps with longer rests between sets)? From what you wrote it seems like their hypertrophy was simply a byproduct of doing a high volume of lifts, I need to read some of those books, thanks!
 
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I think the Bear from PTTP is a classic, and classically simple, hypertrophy program.

-S-
 
I think the Bear from PTTP is a classic, and classically simple, hypertrophy program.

-S-
I'll try it out, is it meant to be done 3 times a week? Will 2 sessions per week suffice? And should I stick with that forever - adding sets etc. or change it with some other cycle?

For the last year I used Hit style training one set to failure, but recently I listened to the podcast, and the expert was talking about people who are „extremely oxidative” and slow twich fiber dominant, their muscles are resistant to damage, they recuperate quickly and they also might need longer times under load, additional sets, more frequent training etc. I’m probably one of those people, because on a program of one set to failure I didn’t get any stronger and I think I even lost some lean muscle mass. I don’t know if I get it right, but it seems like adding additional sets is just about increasing the total time under load which would be a desirable variable for me. The only thing I’d like to understand is, what are the differences between doing high volume of sets of 5 and something like that “slow twich protocol” by Prof. Selouyanov and why the “russian bear” is meant to be done with shorter rests and the latter with longer. Is it as simple as - shorter set = shorter rest, longer set = longer rest? Thanks.
 
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that would be me :) do you know the specifics of those high rep circuits?
Circuit training is not an ideal but a good enough method for beginners and it's very practical for training large groups and very effective because of high density. It's a GPP, not a hypertrophy method. Strength, cardio, mental abilites, endurance and resilence are developed.

Bocharov's example program from 1973

warmup - 10 min
20min circuit. 10 exercises, 2 minutes for each exercise. 30 sec work - 1min 30 sec changing station (and maybe weights). Working interval gets longer after some weeks, up to 45sec work/1 min 15 sec rest. Following exercises are just an idea, it depends on available equipment. 2-3 plans should be used and they should be changed every week.

1. barbell on shoulders, rotations to left/right
2. front squat
3. dumbbell/plates flys
4. good mornings
5. bench press
6. weighted inclined situps
7. dips
8. jumping on a box
9. upright row
10. forearm exercise

30 min weighlifting technique (not intensive, more like active rest, after this part students are rested and are able to do another circuit)

25 min circuit. 10 exercises. 30 sec work, 30 sec rest, 30 sec repeat the exercise, 1 min changing stations
example exercises:
1. lunges with barbell
2. inclined bench press
3. good mornings
4. overhead squats
5. power clean (?)
6. weighted pushups
7. front squats
8. behind the neck press
9. jumps
10. GHR

5 min cooldown

next phase, after 6 months:
10 min warmup
15 min circuit (10 exercises, 45 sec work / 45 sec rest)
30 min weighlifting technique
"circuit" - 5 exercises (30 sec work/45 sec rest)x4, between exercises 2 min rest
for example:
1. push press
2. back squat
3. power clean (?)
4. inclined bench press
5. weighted jumps

next phase, after 1 year:
circuit training is no more effective for developing strength! it can only be used as warmup.
warmup - circuit 9 min, 6 exercises (45/45 sec)
technique
up to 40 min "circuit" 5 exercises, 5 sets for each exercise, 2o sec work / 1 min rest. between exercises 2min 20 sec rest

--
another program
10 exercises (30->50 sec work, 90->130 sec rest), 1-3 circuits
exercises are for example bench press, side bends with barbell, pushups, weighted jumps, kettlebell jerks, inclined situps, front squats, good mornings, hanging leg raises, romanian deadlifts...

I wonder what very high volume means exactly, and how big it was for the rest of the team. Do you know any specifics in terms of total number of sets performed, does the number remind something like russian bear from pttp (perhaps with longer rests between sets)? From what you wrote it seems like their hypertrophy was simply a byproduct of doing a high volume of lifts, I need to read some of those books, thanks!
Alexeev trained instinctively. He had a list of exercises and he did only those that he wanted to do. On good days - "barbell is flying" as he said - he did an exercise for hours until he feeled sick. The next week he would only do another exercises from his list.
As for the rest of the team - number of lifts per month (only above 60%RM were counted) were typically between 1200 and 2400. Complete beginners can start with 500 lifts per month. Intermediate/advanced lifters do 1000 lifts, masters of sport 1300 and international level athletes between 1400-2400.
 
@MichaelJ, best to read the book and follow that guidance. I think twice or three times a week can work but it's been a while since I read PTTP.

-S-
 
Are we talking about Weightlifting or lifting weights.

Javorek as proven his methods work. His credentials speak for them selves. He coached Dragomir to his domination. I used to do tons of combos and complexes after I quite competing. There are better resources on his methods, but on a quick search this is one of the first things that came up.
http://istvanjavorek.com/book/book.pdf

Will Fleming has some decent Combo and Complex ideas.
Three Advanced Complexes - Wil Fleming.com - Strength, Power, Speed, and Explosion Training for Athletes

Clean+Front Squat+push Press+RDL is my all time favourite combo or complex.

Clean+press+back squat+behind the neck press+Front squat+5bent over Row
3 x 1(5+5+5+5+5+5) @60kg is challenging. You could use combos complexs, ladders, pyramid, drop sets. Anything you desire.
 
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I remember somebody was doing Bear by practicing every third day. That makes five times in two weeks.
 
IMHO unless you're in your early twenties, doing the Russian Bear more than every third day would be crazy and lead to over training and injury. As soon as you start talking about 10/15+ sets of 5 with a 70-80% load done every other day you can have a recipe for problems. I can see a Monday,wednesday and Friday schedule working if only 1 of 2 lifts is done for the 15+ sets while the other lift is just done for say 2.

But that's just me and I'm 46 and realize that type of training would leave me unable to move for a week.
 
Agree. If you break it out into a number of lifts that are movement or muscle group specific you can increase the cycle, but every other or every day will lead to overtraining. I'd be thinking some cardio on off days - nothing crazy.
 
Probably works great if you're a high school athlete.

It would kill me.


The squat portion sounds good - squats seem to stimulate weight/size gains better than any other lift.

Those complexes sound pretty brutal, but if only twice a week maybe not. I don't normally do more than two movements per complex.
 
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