Watching LSU-Bama onTV this weekend spawned this idea for a possible discussion.
Both teams have guys who have put on some serious muscle. What do you think their programs have in common? Nutrition (postworkout)?
From what I have read and heard, most do full body or and upper/lower 4 day split. How much volume would be enough to elicit gains in hypertrophy? Would speed work done in summer diminish these gains (probably from the winter off season)?
My friend train several of the Alabama players, including Julio Jones going back to there middle school years.
that’s nice but doesn’t actually answer the questions.
Yes it does, think about it!!
I think the answer lies in that these athletes started training consistently with a knowledgeable coach early on, 12-13 years old.
Years of consistency, hard training, and good nutrition yields the way they look now.
no it doesn’t as the question related to both programs, your answer was in reference to Alabama only.
WRCortese5, that could well be the case in many instances, but all?
I would say it probably has more to do with the nutrition side of it. As long as the nutrition is there are countless combinations of training programs that would allow you to put on some nice muscle.
Because your friend coached 2 or 3 athletes on a middle school team does not prove anything. Or answer the question.
So if nutrition is it, what are they doing?
Most college players come in with some muscle, but leave much bigger.
Go to t-nation and you’ll find hundreds of guys trying every program they can to put on any muscle. So how is it these college players are doing it?
Schools arent just LSU-Bama, look at any big time d-1 school.
What are the common elements? Lots of 3-4x8-12 workouts, with the added post workout shake plus dorm food and chicken wings?
In a nutshell you got it. Of course I’m not speaking for every d-1 college here, or any one in particular.
But you have athletes even good ones who are not polished, getting more reps under there belt. And are consuming more then they burn.
Are the people at t-nation not gaining muscle or not gaining any weight? If there not gaining weight its because they aren’t consuming enough calories. You cant gain anything if your not taking enough in.
roll tide roll!
Anything else Mr. Peanut man?
We have one of the best D1 SC on this forum maybe he will cham in, if Mr. Peanut man dont mind.
While, I won’t claim to have the volume of genetically gifted athletes that other programs have, I certainly have my share.
To this end, I have no hesitation in stating that the nutrition does play the largest determining factor specifically in regards to meaningful increases in muscle cross-sectional diameter.
As it stands, the growth that is most often noticed amongst the more gifted athletes is simply the result of the physical maturation process.
If many of these athletes were to even follow a moderately regimented nutritional program geared towards lean tissue gain they would most definitely receive accusations of taking pharmaceutical grade anabolics.
It’s quite fascinating to observe the tissue gain, and at the very least- the retention, that some of these gifted athletes demonstrate considering the fact that they are lucky to eat 3-4 times a day at best, very few ever eat breakfast, and, more often than not, all but one of those meals are fast food.
for those that think it should be as easy as writing their nutritional programs and they’ll follow it- I have news for you…
There’s a reason for the saying “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”
What makes an athlete “gifted”?
There are many aspects of morphobiomechanics (a Soviet study of which very little is available in English) that would be considered to provide athletes with genetic ‘gifts’ via the passing of genetic material from their parents.
In terms of the context of this discussion, the ‘gifts’ would be directly related to the athletes morphology specifically in terms of endocrinology (naturally occurring testosterone levels), muscle fiber type, ratio of I, IIA, and IIB, and predisposition for ‘X’ amount of over all lean tissue development as a result of maturation and training unassisted by anabolic steroids.
In the context of other aspects of performance there are many factors to consider; yet all fall under the morphobiomechanical variants identified by the Russians.
You are crazy man. lol
When they can stare at weights and get bigger, and think about sprinting and get faster! 
I have one guy like that, what a freak he is.