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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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