Sunday, June 20, 2010

Training in a Bulgarian Fashion

Bulgarian weightlifting coach Ivan Abadjiev is famous for creating the Bulgarian weightlifting system. This system was controversial due to the grueling nature of lifting maximal loads daily. Yet, noone can deny the bulgarians dominance in the sport while using it. Abadjiev believed the human body could respond to stressors and achieve an adaptive state, which would function at a higher level than before. The stressors came in the form of frequent, high intensity training sessions, rather than the accepted training principle of the time periodisation. Constant stress is imposed on the body in order to produce the adaptive state. The thought is that lowering intensity for periods of rest only serves to return the athlete to a state of lower performance. There is no such thing as over training in this system, only under training. Maximal or near maximal weights are attempted on a regular basis by experienced lifters in the classic Bulgarian system. This is thought to be critical to the lifter gaining confidence with heavy weights and, in turn, producing a more consistent competition performance.

Day 24
315
405
455

100 pullups
Row 1k
100 pullups

Day 25
Play volleyball 30 min

405
455

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

The UV Index

The amount of UV light reaching the ground in any given place depends on a number of factors, including the time of day, time of year, elevation, and cloud cover. To help people better understand the intensity of UV light in their area on a given day, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Weather Service have developed the UV Index. The UV Index number, on a scale from 1 to 11+, is a measure of the amount of UV radiation reaching the earth's surface during an hour around noon. The higher the number, the greater the exposure to UV radiation.

The UV Index is given daily for regions throughout the country. Many newspaper and television weather forecasts now include the projected UV Index for the following day. Further information about the UV Index, as well as your local UV Index forecast, is available on the EPA's web site at www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html. As with any forecast, local changes in cloud cover and other factors may change the actual UV levels experienced, but the UV Index reminds the public to take precautions against too much exposure.

4 comments:

  1. Dave,

    I train 3-4 days a week at an USA Weightlifting facility and we follow the Bulgarian program with the exception of multiple sessions per day. Many of us are doing multiple Olympic Lifting WODs per day, but as a group we only train together 4x a week. We essentially do nothing but triples, doubles, and singles at 90-95% 1RM with regular attempts at previous 1RM. We have lifters setting PRs almost ever week or so. If you are a CrossFit athlete, balancing this with your training will require you to do WODs that have less lifting in them or at least much lighter loads because of the enormous stress put on the CNS. I know Abadjiev said in an interview his guys were using anabolics, but regardless this program is manageable for a natural athlete who is eating properly, sleeping 8-9 hours a day, foam rolling, stretching, and getting massages and ice baths. The trick is just finding the time to fit in all the training! Best of luck with your squats. Keep going strong.

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  2. Thanks man! Yeh I have been programming wods with lesser loads or shorter domain wods with moderate weight. No real reason to do any type of wods with high levels of cns activation in conduction with this. Time will tell if I take the correct measures to stay healthy and increase my performance. I feel like I am eating like a horse. Really my appetite has become insatiable. I have also switched to a caveman style diet where I eat as much as I can until I am full for breakfast and early dinner. So far feeling good with a little more energy during the day. Supplementing with progenex protein shakes and supergreen with coconut water.

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  3. Good stuff man. Since you already have a considerable level of strength (I know for a fact since I was on the same platform as you for the deadlifts @ the hopper challenge at CrossFit BWI) you should respond very well to a program like this. I have also found that squatting 9-10 times a week causes massive increases in appetite to the point where I crave steak and bacon by the pound. I still do a Paleo style diet with 5-6 meals a day but I only eat fruit post-workout and just greens the rest of the day. Just get enough calories! I plan on following this blog and seeing the progress you make. Sleep, eat, lift, recover, repeat!

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  4. This Bulgarian stuff is good - yet, not suitable for "average" Joe with family and long working hours. Now, do I want to be average Joe ? No.
    However still I don't have time for proper recovery under this kind of stress. Yet.

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