The Perfect Rep
by Christian Thibaudeau
12/21/09

I've learned more this year about training than the previous 10 years combined... I've made major advances in determining an exact methodology for sustained maximum growth of muscle cells.

Love the videos, looking forward to seeing more

Awesome, I am definitely going to read this over and over each day until it is burned into my brain. I love this stuff. I also try and apply it to my clients which gives me even more feedback of how it works. As I technically get to experience it over and over throughout the day until I "get it".

Thibs, I can't thank you enough for talking so much about this perfect rep. Since you've been talking about it, I feel like all I work on is my form. I've always been good about the full ROM, but now it's more. I think about the angle of my wrists, the point of contact of hand to bar. The part of my foot that touches the ground on everything but a pull up or dip.

I've also gotten much better about not wasting reps. Every rep you do that isn't as perfect as you can do it is a waste of energy. Thanks again. You've helped me become a much better and much smarter lifter. . .

Great article ! Would the same apply to other bodypart/workouts ? If so how would this change your training scheme as far as bodypart split ?

I like what i am hearing from the articl, but with this 3 workouts per day routine how many days a week would you be working out; to ensure a fresh nervous system each time you preform the MFP.

Great stuff.

So, in the write up you say that for starting out and getting the basics, you do about 6 sets of 3 reps. 2 feel sets first, followed by 6 sets of 3 stopping the excersise if any reps feels harder than the last one. You do NOT want grinding reps. Then you say, about 3 excersises per workout. In the video, you are doing bench press for chest training. What would the rest of the workout look like?

Also, with the exception of the turn around speed, it seems alot like Waterbury's Huge in a Hurry. He advocated lifting a weight as fast as humanly possible, and stopping any set when you could not accelerate quickly.

I'm interested to see how training so "explosively" could work with an exercise with the squat. I understand that being explosive should not be confused with a lack of control... I just think it would be difficult to apply maximum acceleration to a movement like the squat with anything exceeding 50-60% of a 1rm. Maybe my squat form just sucks.

I'm similarly concerned for the deadlift... although I can see that being a little bit smoother.

Stupid question I know, but bare with me.

Do these principals only apply to more advanced lifters, or can us "beginners" use this stuff too?

Very interesting stuff...glad this is being brought to the world...

Some of the aspects remind me of Pavel's tension theories / Chad Waterburys rep designs... then taken to the next level

Awesome

In all the videos i see the thick bar used..is there a specific reason you are using this? higher activation?...Thanks

Great article! The idea of always accelerating on the lift makes so much sense. I'm implementing this into my current routine starting next gym time. I can see how your nervous system would get ramped up using this method.

Thibs,

First off, you're the effin man! Thanks for doing this! I have a couple questions for you, if you have a moment.

1) Should this perfect rep workout be limited to compound movements? Or should I be doing this with everything (i.e. cable press, flies, lunges, etc.)?

2) What would an average workout look like as far as lift choices go? Would a chest day maybe include incline, cable press and weighted dips? A back day include weighted pull-ups, bent over rows and wide-grip rows? So on and so forth...

3) Would you recommend using this scheme even without the Anaconda protocol? Can I do this using Surge Workout Fuel?

4) Last, but not least, how the hell do you figure this shit out? Experimenting? Can't tell me?

Thanks again Thibs! Your hard work really shows and it's pretty damn awesome to hear a huge muscle head like you know exactly what they're talking about when it comes to the human body. I'm seriously impressed. Keep it up.

pretty cool stuff. A couple of questions:

1) How does this technique translate to exercises like the back squat or DL? I mean, is it safe to explode on the bottom positions of these exercises?

2) Should the avarege reader start with a three week period doing what Nate and Kevin did (not implementing the SRP twitch turnaround)or should he incorporate everything from the beginning?

3) Using the SRP twitch turnaround method, should there be a stop at the SRP point before the micro-drop or should both movements be performed as one motion?

Thanks for your answers.

Hey coach, I saw the article before going to the gym and tried this out. I did the bench press, weighted dips and low to high flies. On the last set I felt I wasnt accelerating anymore so I guess I did it okay. Im a lifter with 1 year of experience and my max on the BP is 90 kg, I got to 75 and felt that after that I wont accelerate anymore.

I was wondering how should I feel after these kind of workouts? I didnt experience a pump just a weird tingly feeling in my pecs.

Thanks :)

Extremely interesting stuff. I have some questions regarding exercise performance. I can see how this works out for a movement like the bench press, but how can one implement the fast turnaround during an overhead press? Or a pullup? Or is a pullup with a pause in the bottom position in the same category as the deadlift (exercises from a dead start)?

And how does this work during a front squat? Would you recommend accelerating the last few inches of the eccentric like in a bench press? Sorry for the many questions and thanks for your time.

Interesting video...and I mean no disrespect when I say that much of this is EXACTLY what Louie Simmons has been talking about for years now.

I certainly don't think its the only way to stimulate hypertrophy, but I will say that 6 weeks after re-incorporating speed work into my squat training in the form of box squats utilizing moderate to heavy accommodating resistance (bands and chains), my hamstrings have shown a notable increase in size. While my bar weights are, for the most part, below the 60% point that Christian talks about, the addition of the bands or chain has brought the total resistance up into the 75%-85% range.

Is that new method should be used as a total-body workout or a body-part split? What about the frequency?