Genetics, Anabolics and Volume Training

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr Siff and readers,

Wish you all a Happy New Year in which you all best your PR's.

I have noticed in the past few days there has been incredible amount

of post devoted to anabolics and restoration (euphemism for

anabolics). There are a few experiences and all this talk about

steroids has my mind in a whirl. So my post may seem a bit incoherent

like the rumblings of a madman. But hear me out.

Let me talk about what I have experienced first hand so that you all

know where I am coming from. I am a 21 year old super-natural lifter

(meaning I haven't even taken a whey protein drink as it's too

expensive in India. Refer to my previous post where I have stated

that I cannot even afford good books on strength and conditioning as

things turn out to be really expensive after one makes the dollar-

rupee conversion and add to that, some hefty import duties which our

Government levies).

I workout in a weightlifting & powerlifting gym

near my home and I find that while I am the weakest lifter I also

seem to be the most knowledgeable (as far as sports theory is

concerned). Most lifters there (I mean no disrespect to them) are

totally out of sync with modern sports theory and practice. They have

never heard of (and obviously never practice) periodisation. Most of

what is taught and done in the gym will make a Dr Siff faint. They

don't even have a post-workout drink. Their average training session

lasts about 2.5 hours and then they laze around talking and

discussing sundry topics. After that they have a wash and

change and make the long train ride home which takes them from 30

minutes to an hour depending on where they live. So the first meal

the consume is 2 hours after their training ends.

Talk about volume. The advanced lifters train 8 times a week. 5

evenings and 3 mornings a week. They use incredible volume (at least

5 sets per exercise) and work their way to their 5,3 RM almost every

workout barring a few when they intentionally go light. Every 3rd

week they try and best their PR with an all out maximal effort. They

squat at least 4 times a week (2 Front and 2 Back squat days) and at

times make it 5 times a week. Shoulder presses 2 times a week (once

in front of the neck once behind) Rack jerks once a week.

Snatches and CJ is performed anywhere between 3-5 times weekly.

Snatch and clean pulling performed alternately throughout the week.

And they even perform other so called side exercises every now and

then (shoulder/tricep work ab hamstring and glute exercises). Now you

all must be wondering what is the " formula " they consume. (Indian

slang for steroids!) Let me surprise you only 1 out of the 5 lifters

who train with such heavy volume consume any anabolics. And he did

that just for a solitary 8-week cycle and he has since sworn off

steroids, as he can't afford it.

Let me tell you that I can be considered a " upper-middle class "

person. My parents have good jobs and I am still studying. I drive a

car and eat out regularly (stopped that now as I feel eating out is a

inefficient method of spending money…rather eat better food at home

and save the cash) The other lifters come from much humbler

backgrounds. They can't afford whey protein and in fact have to save

money to buy fruit juices, which is considered a luxury by people of

their backgrounds. So you can be sure they are not having any sort of

ergogenic aids (steroids and the like); the only restoration they

enjoy is a weekly massage which they give one another every other

week with coconut oil (no vitamin E enriched lotion for them)

Now can anyone please tell me how these guys avoid overtraining?

Current gym lifts of 3 of these guys are:

Lifter 1 56 kilo cat. Snatch: 80 Clean and Jerk 110

Lifter 2 69 Kilo cat. Snatch 95 kilo Clean and jerk 122.5 Kilo

Lifter 3 85 kilo class washed out in snatch but a week later he maxes

out in the gym with a 110 kilo Snatch and 140 Kilo Jerk.

All these guys are drug free except for lifter 2 who has only used

steroids once for a 8 week cycle on Sustenon 250. (I injection weekly

he tells me and so does his doctor who incidentally works out in our gym).

As far as I am concerned I avoid such volume. In fact on joining this

gym they gave me a " lighter " routine so that they could break my body

in. It sure did break me! So I have to lie to them and say I have

computer classes in the evening. This way I avoid training as often

as they would like me to. Currently I train 3-4 times a week

depending on how many computer classes I attend. Makes me a devil

but I have tried and I can't handle the volume as they do.

Another thing I want to know how much do steroids enhance ones

strength and recovery levels. And can an average lifter (like me)

become strong using them? And what about the Russian lifter who

is " incredibly weak " without his restoratives (read drugs).

My question is this is there any thing called overtraining? Or is it

just a question of getting used to the volume? Start off with low

volume and work up to high volumes (hopefully with your body

adjusting to this transition)? What the lifters in my gym tell me is

that it's just a matter of time and soon I will get used to training

with as much frequency, volume and training loads as them. They say

overtraining occurs when one trains as the " top professionals and

Olympians do " .

I think that even the Bulgarians don't use as much

volume and frequency as these guys do. And with such God-given

genetics, I'm sure they could be breaking records at the highest

level. All they need is a smart training and diet with the latest

restorative techniques(aka steroids).

[i would suggest to them to try my " accelerator pedal " approach and back off

the volume gradually and see how much their progress changes. Let them try this

until they stabilise at an optimal level to suit their current state. I used

to train

much as they did, without any real signs of overtraining, but I eventually

discovered

that I could achieve much the same results by training for half as long. Mel

Siff]

Any thoughts on this matter? Can anyone clear up on the prevalent

myths in the effects and prevalence of drug-use in the top levels of

sport(especially weightlifting and powerlifting).

Regards,

Arjun Kalbag

Mumbai, India

[Guest guest]

My experience is that intensity is the main limitation, +-0.5% makes the

difference between optimal training and overtraining, while volume is

pretty neutral, and there is probably no upper limit if intensity is

adjusted. I do 1100 compound lifts on PR (not 1RM) level weekly without OT

problems, and it is of course only a small part of volume typical stevedore

(true, with hard liquor as 'restoration'- we have new word) use. Guys from

your gym learned with experience which intensity is *statistically* safe

for them, and rely on their feeling as typical 1RM training is not

measurable (training vary, there are no small plates and time between lifts

is not fixed, all that make difference bigger than +-0.5%). Odds are that

you can do everything they can, with intensity *at most* 10% lower.

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Kazimir Majorinc, Zagreb, Croatia

http://public.srce.hr/~kmajor

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