Re: BFS Program details from Kim Goss

[Guest guest]

>

> **** It would be even nicer if you would post a few of the major

> concepts rather than asking us to read through an entire website.

I didn't ask that to read through an entire website, only not to pass

judgement on BFS until some facts are acquired. Anyway, the BFS

System for off-season training is set up on four-week cycles, with

each week consisting of a different set-rep prescription for the core

lifts, as follows:

Week 1: 3x3 (3 reps x 3 sets)

Week 2: 5x5 (5 reps x 5 sets)

Week 3: 5-4-3-2-1 (5 reps, 4 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep)

Week 4: 10-8-6 (10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps)

The reps and sets outlined above do not include warm-up sets and are

not necessarily relevant to all core (i.e., primary) lifts or

auxiliary exercises.

Here are the core lifts performed each strength training day.

Monday

Box Squat (or Squat Variation)

Towel Bench Press (or Bench Variation)

Wednesday

Power Clean (or other Quick Lift)

Hex Bar Deadlift (or Straight-Leg Deadlift)

Friday

Parallel Squat

Bench Press

That's a start.

Thank you,

Kim Goss

Editor, Bigger Faster Stronger

Dallas, Texas

[Guest guest]

Thank You Coach Goss for you outline,

But just a few questions.

1a. The BFS program terms a Power Clean (and probably a snatch also) a

" quick lift. " Now in my experience with athletes I have seen (and

measured) some who are extraordinarily fast with the snatch and clean

and some who lift it too slow to really be effective. How exactly is

" quickness " / " speed " measured in these lifts by the BFS program? And if

so do you have specifications on how fast/ quick the movement must be?

(ie- insted of breaking a load or rep record do you include speed

records as well?)

1b. Why aren't variations of the bench and squat termed " quick lifts "

as well? After all the concept of power can still be manifested in

these lifts in terms of bar speed.

2. Just a question in general (not a knock at you or BFS) what makes

the 3x3, 5x5, 5-4-3-2-1, etc. rep protocols so special? Maybe it's

paranoia but every time I see numbers set in a rep bracket with no

specifications on how the reps are to be done (ie- with pauses, a

speed specification, technical specifications) I just cringe. I just

feel that if athletes are practicing the lifts with suboptimal

neuromuscular patterns (technique) then they will not optimize their

function as explosive athletes. IE- You can let an ugly slow set of 3

reps pass but what is thast really doing?

Pete Arroyo

Chicago, Il

[Guest guest]

testdog_1@... writes:

> 1b. Why aren't variations of the bench and squat termed " quick lifts "

> as well? After all the concept of power can still be manifested in

> these lifts in terms of bar speed.

>

> Pete,

>

> Neither the squat or bench press can or will ever be " quick lifts " . Work

by Dr Garhammer, a biomechanist at the Department of Physical Education

at California State University reveals some interesting comparisons

>> between exercises in the development of power. In " A Review of Power

>> Output Studies of Olympic and Powerlifting: Methodology, Performance,

>> Prediction and Evaluation Test " , elite Olympic lifters' and powerlifters'

>> power outputs were as follows (w/kg = watts per kilo of body weight):

During Entire Snatch or Clean Pull Movements:

34.3 w/kg Men

21.8 w/kg Women

Second Pulls:

52.6 w/kg Men

39.2 w/kg Women

Squat and Deadlift:

12 w/kg Men

Bench Press

4 w/kg Men

Obviously, there is a huge difference in power outputs. The power output of

> clean pulls is 2.85 time greater than a deadlift. Second pulls are even

> higher with power outputs 4.38 times larger than deadlifts. Garhammer's

> research showed that even when dropping the training poundage down to lower

> percentages for Olympic pulls and deadlifts, outputs for Olympic pulls were

> still almost twice as great. >> The bench press sputtered in at a very

>> dismal 4 watts per kilo of bodyweight.

Kenny Croxdale

Rio Rancho, NM

* Kindly sign all letters with full name and city if you wish them to be

published.

[Guest guest]

Kim,

Can you direct me to a link or article that describes the reasoning for the

reps and sets setup of the 4 week cycle that you mention? For example, I'm

unclear as to why week one starts with 3 sets of 3 and week 4 seems to have

a higher volume and lower intensity?

>Week 1: 3x3 (3 reps x 3 sets)

>Week 2: 5x5 (5 reps x 5 sets)

>Week 3: 5-4-3-2-1 (5 reps, 4 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep)

>Week 4: 10-8-6 (10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps)

Thanks Kim, and Merry Christmas to everyone.

Craig S. Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc.

Toronto, Ontario

www.cbathletics.com

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[Guest guest]

Craig S. Ballantyne wrote:

> Kim,

>

> Can you direct me to a link or article that describes the reasoning for the

> reps and sets setup of the 4 week cycle that you mention....

I don't know of any free internet articles that would answer your

question. Here is a part of Dr. Greg Shepard's book that will give

you some background about the BFS program:

" As I think about the origins of today's BFS, I can single out three

primary sources: First there's Frenn, who personifies the

throwers in track and field in the late 1960s who achieved remarkable

results on the field and in the weight room. Then there are the high

school and college athletes I coached from the mid-1960s to the late

1970s, the very first BFS athletes.

Finally, there's the late Stefan Fernholm, an elite discus thrower. Stefan

shared with me many remarkable training methods, especially in the area

of proper technique, from the Eastern Bloc nations in the 1980s. All these

athletes provided me with the practical experience to refine the BFS

system so it could be easily taught and implemented in the US. "

Thank you,

Kim Goss

Editor, Bigger Faster Stronger

Dallas, Texas

* Kindly sign all letters with full name and city if you wish them to be

published.