Black Book of Training Secrets.pdf

Foreword by Chris Shugart

Editor: Tony Schwartz

Photos: Patrick Lemieux, Jean Boutet Jr.

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

In this chapter …

- About me

- What you’ll get from this book

- About the editor

About the author

Power Broker

An Interview with Christian Thibaudeau

by Chris Shugart

(Originally published at www.t-mag.com)

T-mag listens to its readers. When we get a lot of feedback about a particular article or a

contributor, we pay attention. After Christian Thibaudeau published a few articles with

us, the message we received from readers was pretty clear: "We want to hear more from

that guy!"

Thibaudeau (pronounced Tee-Bow-Doh) is yet another French Canadian phenom in the

strength and conditioning community. He's successfully trained a wide array of athletes

from Olympic lifters and strongmen to hockey players and figure skaters. He's also a

competitive Olympic weightlifter, a football coach, and is completing his M.Sc. degree in

exercise science. Judging from his articles so far at T-mag, he also knows a heck of a lot

about packing on mass.

We decided to sit down with Thibaudeau and pick his brain about a variety of topics.

Testosterone : Let's start off with some personal history. What's your athletic background

and how did that lead to you becoming a coach yourself?

Christian Thibaudeau : I was the kid that nobody ever selected for dodgeball in grade

school. You know the type: skinny-fat with no athletic ability, much less physical

capacities. The sad thing is that I loved sports. I watched every type of sport there was on

TV, day in and day out. I loved athletics so much but was about the worst athlete in the

world!

T : I've seen you lift and obviously a lot has changed! What happened?

CT : When I turned 11, I decided that enough was enough. I actually started doing push-

ups, sit-ups and other such exercises every day. While it didn’t turn me into a future

Olympian, it did improve my self-esteem somewhat. From that moment on I was hooked

on training!

In high school I was able to make the football team as a receiver. That’s when I really

started working out hard. I was about 13 years old and would train every lunch hour.

When I look back I must say that I started my training career doing exactly the opposite

of what all the others did. Most guys start off training only their upper body; I only

worked my legs. I reasoned that as a receiver I only needed strong legs.

By the time I turned 17 I was a trainaholic! I was playing linebacker and trained every

chance I had. In the morning I'd do biceps curls to look good at school (yeah, I’ve been

that guy!), at lunchtime I'd train my legs, and in the evening I'd work my upper body. The

sad thing is that I was addicted to working out, but knew nothing of nutrition. As a result

I only gained a little mass and ended my high school career at 5’9" and 175 pounds.

In college I really started to train intelligently. Our team had a very good strength coach

(whom I’m now working with) and my weight went up to 225 pounds in two years, and I

had strength to match, at least for a 19-year-old kid.

Basically I never had talent at any sport; that’s what prompted my interest in training.

Ironically, there wasn't a day in which I wouldn't curse my lack of talent. Today I actually

think of it as a blessing in disguise. I realized that I liked training more than playing

football. So after my "career" was over I turned to Olympic lifting. I also competed in

strongmen competitions. I did fairly well, but at 5’9" it’s hard to be competitive.

T : What do you do now as a coach? What's your week like?

CT : My schedule varies during the year. In the summer I spend five to eight hours a day

training hockey players; that’s their off-season. During the season most leave for their

respective team. We keep in touch but I don't train them directly. I also train football

players in my group. On some days I have 15 to 20 athletes training together. That makes

for a very positive and motivating atmosphere. In the winter my clientele is mostly

comprised of football players and figure skaters.

I’m also a football coach and that takes up a lot of my time, but I just love working with

young athletes. As I said, I always loved athletes and I consider any chance I get to work

with them a blessing, regardless of their level.

T : Judging from your training photos, I'm guessing you're now one strong and powerful

S.O.B.! What are your best lifts?

CT : Well, I’ve got what I'd call good overall strength; I’m not extremely strong in a few

lifts. I can't compete with elite powerlifters as far as the deadlift, squat, and bench press

are concerned and I started Olympic lifting too late to be an international force, but I have

no weakness.

I've cleaned 170kg (374lbs) from blocks, power cleaned 145kg (319lbs) from the hang

for four reps, clean and jerked 162.5kg (357lbs), snatched 132.5kg (291lbs) with straps,

power snatched 120kg (264lbs), full squatted 255kg (561lbs) with no suit or wraps, front

squatted 200kg (440lbs). I don't train the bench press more than three months or so out of

the year but I’ve done 180kg (395lbs). I’ve also push pressed 150kg (330lbs).

Nothing to write home about, but it does show some strength balance. And I feel it’s not

that bad for the worst genetics on the planet!

T : Well, you may not be an "international force," but that's pretty damn impressive to

most people! Switching gears, you once wrote that aerobic conditioning was overrated

for boxers. What about everyone else?

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