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Ask Coach Poliquin: Bodybuilding Training Systems

Question: In 1994 a book was published called Serious Growth III: Big Beyond Belief, which was a bodybuilding program based upon the training principles of Bulgarian weightlifters. What is your opinion of this type of training system?

Answer: The first title of the book was The Bulgarian Power Burst System, and it was written by Leo Costa, Jr. and Dr. R.L. Horine Later editions had different titles, such as Big Beyond Belief, and in later editions1980 IFBB Mr. Universe Tom Platz added his name as a co-author. It was published in the early ’90s and was advertised in Iron Man magazine; Leo told a colleague of mine that the first ad generated about 20,000 orders, which was surprising, as the book cost about $50. Such results for a self-published bodybuilding book, from just one advertisement, made it one of the most successful marketing campaigns of that time.

The book was based upon Bulgarian weightlifting principles, and I understand that Leo actually visited the Bulgarian weightlifting training center as part of a tour sponsored by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you’re not familiar with Bulgarian weightlifters, a typical workout day might consist of seven 30- to 45-minute workout sessions in this order:

9:00 a.m., Front Squat
10:00 a.m., Snatch
11:30 a.m., Clean and Jerk
12:30 a.m., Front Squat
4:30 a.m., Clean and jerk
6:00 a.m., Snatch
7:00 a.m., Front Squat

Not only did they have such a high volume of training, but they also went heavy just about every workout! Leo figured that such a system also would work for bodybuilding. He figured wrong.

What you have to consider is that you can’t compare the volume of training of a weightlifter with that of a bodybuilder. The reason is that with the exception of the squat, there is no eccentric movement in weightlifting. Let me explain.

If an athlete did 10 sets of two reps in the snatch, not counting the time the weight is being held overhead, the total amount of time the muscles are under tension is 20 seconds. A typical bodybuilder will have 60 seconds of tension per set. Likewise, this is one reason why swimmers can do such a large volume of training compared to distance runners, as there is little resistance in the eccentric motions in swimming. This is why a swimmer could spend five hours in the pool training during daily workouts, whereas such training volume would be impossible for a distance runner (credit goes to Charlie Francis for this observation).

In any case, from a practical standpoint such programs are impractical unless you have a home gym. At the Poliquin Strength Institute in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, I have access to a 5,200-square-foot teaching gym about 15 feet from my office. However, because I teach most of my seminars outside the United States (this year we have 250 days of seminars booked already!) I couldn’t try such a program for extended periods.

Finally, consider that there are not many elite bodybuilders who have ever come from Bulgaria. Probably the most famous is Dimitar Hodzhev, nicknamed Mityo the Jack, but his fame is not due to his physique but because he was charged with physically attacking a car that had scratched his jeep. But that was in 2007, long after the publication of Leo’s books.

The bottom line is that from physiological, empirical and logistical standpoints, there is no basis that this so-called Bulgarian program would be more effective than conventional bodybuilding training protocols.