Topic: Video: Chris LeRoux Back Squats 190x2@59

[David Woodhouse]

Good lifting Chris. I was 30 this year and really took it hard! Great motivation to see you approaching your best ever at 37. Can you give us a snap shot of your recent training diary? Lots of heavy singles on the competition lifts?

Happy New Year and all the best for 09...

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

David,

Yes, 95% of my work is in snatch, clean and jerk, and back squats with the other 5% in front squats. Almost all of my snatches and clean and jerks are singles 85% and higher.

[ryankyle]

Chris,
     Did you train like this back in the day?  I seem to remember you saying before you did not and I know you spent time with Dragomir at the OTC and from what I can gather his training was geared more towards reps most of the time (correct?).  Do you think if you had done this type of training in your younger days especially training two times a day, you could have achieved better results? 

     I'm asking because this is the type of training I favor too with the exception of flip-flopping back and front squats.  I can not seem to get my mind around why it is borderline blasphamise to want to train "Bulgarian style" (if you can really call it that).  I am of the firm belief that the main reason we are stuck at the bottom is due to training like it's the 70's (or 60's) instead of the 2000's.  Our lifters seem to be ill-prepared for big competitions or even putting together more than one big performance a year.  We have lifters break American Records in National contests and on the international scene fail miserably.  I think too much time is spent on 100 different assistance exercises and psuedo-competition lifts rather than the only two that matter. 

Ryan

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Ryan,

I did train like this somewhat in high school (constant heavy singles in lifts) before I went to the OTC and it worked well for me. Dragomir's programs were volume oriented and benefited me greatly in terms of building work capacity which has to be done when the lifter is young if ever, and it worked to increase my squats. I think it was a beneficial stage in my career but I ran into problems due to technical issues in my jerk (posture problem/excessive back arch), the sports med department was absolutely terrible (long stories), and to be honest the atmosphere was not good there back then for me- too regimented and some negativity to my ambitious goals some/all the lifters thought were impossible (i.e. Jr Wold medal). Also, when the program was increased from the original 6 or 7 (after adding Mark Henry) to like 15 with a bunch of jr lifters that simply weren't ready for Dragomir's programs, the program became watered down. Dragomir was spending most of his days driving people back and forth to college classes and trying to help the jrs. I feel the original 6/7 suffered as a result although Tim McRae and Wes Barnett certainly continued to prosper there. So, without the technical problems (which wasted a lot of the strength gained by Dragomir's volume oriented programs), with a better sports med department (which I think has improved since then), and a better atmosphere and more tolerance for my peculiarities (severe insomnia, ambitions goals, etc), I think I could have also benefited from Dragomir's programs longer. Whether I could also have done as well or even better with a Bulgarian program, I am unsure of but tend to think I could. My personality is well suited, especially when young, to lots of heavy lifts. Dragomir had to really spend a lot of time selling me on the high volume and even then I tended to go heavier than the program called for on a very regular basis, even when also increasing the volume over the original plan.

Now a days, I do not think I need much volume. I train 3-4 days a week in a very Bulgarian style. I don't do a lot of front squats personally anymore just because I don't need to really and they tend to beat me up (in the torso) a lot while back squats are easy as pie and get the same results. All lifters I coach front squat much more than I do these days.

Hope this helps.

[Steve Mackienen]

Now a days, I do not think I need much volume. I train 3-4 days a week in a very Bulgarian style. I don't do a lot of front squats personally anymore just because I don't need to really and they tend to beat me up (in the torso) a lot while back squats are easy as pie and get the same results. All lifters I coach front squat much more than I do these days.

Hope this helps.

Excellent lifting Chris in the squats and the clean+jerk!  I can see how your training is very much Bulgarian style due to the specificity of the exercises and intensity.  However, regarding your training do you work up to what you are capable of and may be shoot for 3 to 4 singles in the near max - reliant on your own intuition and subjective feelings.  Are you more in tune of how your body can perform for a particular day given your experience?

Thanks for your thoughts

[David Woodhouse]

Ryan,

I did train like this somewhat in high school (constant heavy singles in lifts) before I went to the OTC and it worked well for me. Dragomir's programs were volume oriented and benefited me greatly in terms of building work capacity which has to be done when the lifter is young if ever, and it worked to increase my squats. I think it was a beneficial stage in my career but I ran into problems due to technical issues in my jerk (posture problem/excessive back arch), the sports med department was absolutely terrible (long stories), and to be honest the atmosphere was not good there back then for me- too regimented and some negativity to my ambitious goals some/all the lifters thought were impossible (i.e. Jr Wold medal). Also, when the program was increased from the original 6 or 7 (after adding Mark Henry) to like 15 with a bunch of jr lifters that simply weren't ready for Dragomir's programs, the program became watered down. Dragomir was spending most of his days driving people back and forth to college classes and trying to help the jrs. I feel the original 6/7 suffered as a result although Tim McRae and Wes Barnett certainly continued to prosper there. So, without the technical problems (which wasted a lot of the strength gained by Dragomir's volume oriented programs), with a better sports med department (which I think has improved since then), and a better atmosphere and more tolerance for my peculiarities (severe insomnia, ambitions goals, etc), I think I could have also benefited from Dragomir's programs longer. Whether I could also have done as well or even better with a Bulgarian program, I am unsure of but tend to think I could. My personality is well suited, especially when young, to lots of heavy lifts. Dragomir had to really spend a lot of time selling me on the high volume and even then I tended to go heavier than the program called for on a very regular basis, even when also increasing the volume over the original plan.

Now a days, I do not think I need much volume. I train 3-4 days a week in a very Bulgarian style. I don't do a lot of front squats personally anymore just because I don't need to really and they tend to beat me up (in the torso) a lot while back squats are easy as pie and get the same results. All lifters I coach front squat much more than I do these days.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for this information - very interesting.

I was going to ask how you train differently as a 'master' but it seems you prempted me!

All the best Chris.

DW

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

However, regarding your training do you work up to what you are capable of and may be shoot for 3 to 4 singles in the near max - reliant on your own intuition and subjective feelings.  Are you more in tune of how your body can perform for a particular day given your experience?

Honestly, I don't train hard anymore. My priority is to do what is fun. If I didn't make the sport fun now then I wouldn't still be doing it after all these years in my opinion. I don't stress over my diet, though it isn't too bad, I drink beer if I want to on a given night, and generally I just lift if I feel like it and just do what I am in the mood for. And, that ends up being a lot of snatches, cleans, clean and jerks, back squats, and a few front squats every once in a while. Typically, I just do singles until I feel I am at 95-100+% and then stop. Every once in a while I might even get so heavy I miss and then I might even try it once or twice more. I did do a period of a little higher volume after my last injury about 8/9 months ago for about 6 weeks where I did some reps in the snatch, clean, and clean and jerk however. But, I believe I lift best when I am having fun and to some extent I wish I could go back in time and train in a more Bulgarian style for that reason.

Happy New Year.

[Ronald Mann]

Shaun,
Thanks. The most reps I have ever done 190 for is 5 but I weighed 3-4 kgs more then. I am probably at my best ever squat strength right now as everything done so far has been easy. I think I can do 215@59 right now which will be a lifetime PR. If I was allowed to compete, I don't think anyone in the USA can beat me at anywhere from 56-62. I believe I can do 115+150 at 62kgs next weekend if allowed. Regardless of competiton, I am having fun lifting. 

Hi Chris
Congratulations - a really powerful looking double with excellent depth.
Chris,I'm just curious - during your peak competitive years,what were your personal best singles on the back and front squats respectively?

Regards and best wishes
Ron