Canadian Non-linear Autoregulating T raining [Thibaudeau]

Canadian Non-linear Autoregulating

Progressive Resistance Training

By Chris Thibaudeau, March 16, 2000. © Iron Magazine Online

Move over Bulgarian burst training, so long Russian peaking program here comes
something, huh hmmm, radically Canadian! This article will present a periodized
training approach straight out of the Canadian woods that is sure to greatly increase
your strength. It combines elements of a classic percent training program and
instinctive training. The most important benefits of this program is its great flexibility
and it's effectiveness.

The problem with most periodized programs using percentage of your 1RM to
determine your daily load is that depending on your state of mind, level of fatigue,
motivation, etc., you might well be a lot weaker than what you are supposed to lift
that day or on the opposite quite a bit stronger in which case your workout will
probably leave you wanting more. This wont happen with this approach because it is
self-adjustable and it insure that you work to the maximum of available physical
capacities.

It's a training technique better suited for intermediate or advanced trainees who
know their body and know approximately what they are capable of lifting.

I first designed this routine based on the work of Dr . Mel Siff (1993) on APRE
training and used some of his principles to build a powerlifting routine taking full
advantage of your physical capacities and your body's adaptive mechanisms.

This is basically a powerlifting routine. Powerlifting is a strength sport where three

lifts are contested: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. So this routine is
designed to develop these three lifts and lift big in competition.

For those of you who tried Stefan Korte 3x3 program or Louie Simmons WBC
methods you will see certain similarities with my program. If you know how an
olympic lifter trains you will also see some similarities with my program because I
used my olympic lifting experience to design this program. The result is a program
that will give you BIG gains in strength and power in a very short amount of time!

The program is divided into two phases. A 6 weeks preparatory period and a 4
weeks peaking period. The preparatory period's objective is to increase the strength
of your muscles, your speed-strength and your neural efficiency while the peaking
period's objective is to develop your capacity to showcase the gained capacities
during a limit strength effort.
Preparatory period

Basically you will train 4 times every 7 days. You do each of the three competition
lifts three times per week (similar to Korte 3 x 3 program) while varying the load,
volume and tempo on each of the training days.

The fourth training day is to work on your core strength and on your perceived
weaknesses.

There are three types of workout (besides the remedial training day).

Type 1. Speed days where you use 55-60% of your 1RM performed as fast as
possible for 8-10 sets of 2 (similar to WBC).

Type 2. Heavy days where you work up to your 3RM (maximum weight you can
handle for 3 reps) in 4 to 7 sets.

Type 3. Moderate days where you work up to your 6RM (maximum weight you can
handle for 6 reps) in 4 to 5 sets.

· At each workout you use a different type of training for each of the lifts. For
example day 1 might be a speed day for your bench, a moderate day for your
squat and a heavy day for your deadlift.

Here is what a week of training during the preparatory period looks like

Table 1. Example of a weekly training routine - 3 types of training

Set Speed day Heavy day Moderate day
0 Warm-up Warm-up Warm-up
1 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 50% of your 3RM 6 reps at 50% of your 6RM

2 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 75% of your 3RM 6 reps at 75% of your 6RM

3 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM 3 reps at 100% of your 3RM 6 reps at 100% of your 6RM

4 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM * Add 5lbs and try to get 3 * Add 5lbs and try to get 6
reps reps

5 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to * Add 5lbs and try to get 6
get 3 reps reps

6 2 reps at 60% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 3 reps

7 2 reps at 60% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 3 reps
 8 2 reps at 60% of your
1RM
*If you are able to successfully finish the preceding set

The last set you do finish is considered your new 3 or 6RM and is the base for your next week workout calculations.

Table 2. Weekly workout organization by lift for the preparatory period

Training day 1 Training day 2 Training day 3 Training day 4 Conditioning

·  Speed squat  Speed deadlift Core training Interval training

Week 1 Speed
 Heavy deadlift  Heavy bench if overfat
bench
 Moderate bench  Moderate squat
· Heavy Assistance exercises
squat for perceived
· Moderate weaknesses
deadlift

·  Speed bench  Speed squat Core training Interval training

Week 2 Speed
 Heavy squat  Heavy deadlift if overfat
deadlift
 Moderate  Moderate bench
· Heavy
deadlift
Assistance exercises
bench for perceived
· Moderate weaknesses
squat

·  Speed deadlift  Speed bench Core training Interval training

Week 3 Speed
 Heavy bench  Heavy squat if overfat
squat
 Moderate squat  Moderate
· Heavy
deadlift
Assistance exercises
deadlift for perceived
· Moderate weaknesses
bench

·  Speed bench  Speed deadlift Core training Interval training

Week 4 Speed
 Heavy squat  Heavy bench if overfat
squat
 Moderate  Moderate squat
· Heavy
deadlift
Assistance exercises
deadlift for perceived
· Moderate weaknesses
bench

·  Speed squat  Speed deadlift Core training Interval training

Week 5 Speed
 Heavy deadlift  Heavy bench if overfat
bench
 Moderate bench  Moderate squat
· Heavy Assistance exercises
squat for perceived
· Moderate weaknesses
deadlift

·  Speed bench  Speed squat Core training Interval training

Week 6 Speed
 Heavy squat  Heavy deadlift if overfat
deadlift
 Moderate  Moderate bench
· Heavy
deadlift
Assistance exercises
bench for perceived
· Moderate weaknesses
squat

Competition period
The goal of the competition period is to bring you to your top performance the day
of your competition. What you need to do to accomplish this is to develop your
neural factors as much as possible and recover as much as possible to be in top
physical and mental shape at your competition. So you will need to increase
intensity even more to fully stimulate your nervous system and reduce the training
volume gradually to allow your body to recover fully and supercompensate before
your competition.

The first 2 weeks

The early competition period (first 2 weeks) is also the last chance you'll get to work
hard on your weaknesses so remedial work is increased at this point. During these
first 2 weeks you will train very heavy on your remedial exercises (4-7 sets of 2- 3RM
on 1-3 remedial exercises per lift). During the competition period you will remove
the conditioning workout to allow for better recovery.

You will also remove one workout for the competitive lifts (the moderate day) that
you will replace by an additional remedial workout. Since you replace a moderate
intensity workout (6RM) by an additional intense workout (remedial exercises for 2-
3RM) the average intensity increases which is an important nervous system
stimulator .

Table 3. Types of workouts during the first 2 weeks of the competition

period
Set Speed day Heavy day Remedial days
Warm-up
0 Warm-up Warm-up

1 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 50% of your 3RM 3 reps at 50% of your 3RM

2 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 75% of your 3RM 3 reps at 75% of your 3RM

3 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM 3 reps at 100% of your 3RM 3 reps at 100% of your 3RM

4 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM * Add 5lbs and try to get 3 * Add 5lbs and try to get 3
reps reps

5 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to * Add another 5lbs and try to
get 3 reps get 2-3 reps

6 2 reps at 60% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to * Add another 5lbs and try to
get 3 reps get 2-3 reps

7 2 reps at 60% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to * Add another 5lbs and try to
get 3 reps get 2-3 reps

8 2 reps at 60% of your 1RM

*If you are able to successfully finish the preceding set

The last set you do finish is considered your new 3 or 6RM and is the base for your next week workout calculations.
 Table 4. Weekly workout organization by lift during the first two weeks
of the competition period
Week Training day 1 Training day 2 Training day 3 Training day 4

1 · Speed bench - Remedial exercises · Speed squat - Remedial exercises

bench, squat, deadlift bench, squat, deadlift
· Heavy squat · Heavy
· Speed deadlift
deadlift · Heavy bench

2 · Speed bench - Remedial exercises · Speed squat - Remedial exercises

bench, squat, deadlift bench, squat, deadlift
· Heavy squat · Heavy
· Speed deadlift
deadlift · Heavy bench

These 2 weeks will be by far the two hardest weeks of the program. Their role is to
shock the body (muscles, tendons and nervous system) with a high volume of
intense training. Doing this 2-4 weeks before the competition will ensure that your
system will have the time to cope with the stress, supercompensate in it's capacities
and assure that you are going to transmute the gained capacities at the right time.

The last 2 weeks

The last two weeks before a competition are mainly to allow your body to
supercompensate to optimal levels of strength and power at your competition.
During these two weeks the volume is decreased, mostly on remedial exercises.
However the remedial exercises are not totally eliminated since we don't want to
find our good old weaknesses the week before the competition now do we?!

Basically you work out 3 times per week with one limit strength day (not merely a
heavy day anymore), one speed day and one remedial day.

During the third week the limit strength workout will consist of working up to your
2RM in the competition lifts. The speed day remains the same although you cut
down the volume to 5 sets of 2 to reduce the demands imposed on your nervous
system and allow it to be in top condition for your competition. The remedial day is
only maintenance work at this point. You do 3 sets or 3 of 1-2 remedial exercises for
each lift.

During the fourth week the limit strength workout will consist of going up to your
1RM, or very close to it on the competition lifts. At that point you can attempt a
given weight 3 times until you either make it or miss it 3 times. The volume on the
speed days is once again reduced. You now do only 3 sets of 2 reps only to maintain
your nervous system's capacities. The remedial day is only maintenance work at this
point. You do 3 sets or 3 of 1-2 remedial exercises for each lift.
 Table 5. Types of workouts during the third week of the competition
period
Set Speed day Heavy day Remedial days
Warm-up
0 Warm-up Warm-up

1 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 50% of your 2RM 3 reps at 50% of your 3RM

2 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 75% of your 2RM 3 reps at 75% of your 3RM

3 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM 3 reps at 100% of your 2RM 3 reps at 100% of your 3RM

4 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM * Add 5lbs and try to get 2

reps

5 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 2 reps

6 * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 2 reps

7 * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 2 reps

*If you are able to successfully finish the preceding set

The last set you do finish is considered your new 3 or 6RM and is the base for your next week workout calculations.

Table 6. Types of workouts during the fourth week of the competition

period
Set Speed day Heavy day Remedial days
Warm-up
0 Warm-up Warm-up

1 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 50% of your 3RM

2 2 reps at 50% of your 1RM 3 reps at 75% of your 1RM 3 reps at 75% of your 3RM

3 2 reps at 55% of your 1RM 3 reps at 100% of your 1RM 3 reps at 100% of your 3RM

4 * Add 5lbs and try to get 1

reps

5 * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 1 reps

6 * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 1 reps

7 * Add another 5lbs and try to

get 1 reps

*If you are able to successfully finish the preceding set

The last set you do finish is considered your new 3 or 6RM and is the base for your next week workout calculations.

Table 7. Weekly workout organization by lift during the third week of

the competition period
Week Training day 1 Training day 2 Training day 3 Training day 4
 3 · LS bench OFF · Speed bench - Remedial exercises
bench, squat, deadlift
· Speed squat · LS squat
· LS deadlift Active recovery · Speed
deadlift

Table 7. Weekly workout organization by lift during the fourth week of

the competition period
Week Training day 1 Training day 2 Training day 3 Training day 4

4 · LS bench OFF · Speed bench - Remedial exercises

bench, squat, deadlift
· Speed squat · LS squat
· LS deadlift Active recovery · Speed
deadlift

Ideally you should plan your training so that there will be 72 hours (3 days) between
your last workout and your competition.

Some of the keys of this program

1. You must always try to lift more weight during the moderate days, heavy
days, limit strength days and remedial days. Always try to reach a personal
best at the set number of reps each week. You cannot get stronger if you
don't lift bigger weight!
2. You must always try to lift the weight as fast as possible during the speed
days. Ideally your 2 reps should last approximately the same time as it takes
you to complete 1 normal rep with a heavy weight.
3. Always rest a day between the competitive lift workout.
4. Understand the muscles involved in the performance of the competitive lifts
and develop your capacity to find your weak link and to select exercises that
will help you correct these weaknesses.

This program combines all the elements necessary to the performance in the three
powerlifts namely:

a. Developing the strength of your muscles

b. Developing your neural efficiency
c. Developing your speed-strength
d. "Drilling" the competitive lifts for maximal technical efficiency and economy of
effort
e. Correcting your weak links
f. Bringing the nervous system and muscle to a peak at your competition.

This kind of system has been used for decades in olympic lifting and produced more
strength and power than any other training philosophy combined! Give it a try and
you'll see for yourself how effective it is.
Chris Thibaudeau