(And Why Most People Shouldn't Try It) I've been in the strength game long enough to see enough training trends come and go, get recycled and resurface like the keto diet does it's rounds. Some good, most terrible, and a few that make you question humanity's collective intelligence. The Bulgarian Method sits in a special category: brutally effective for the 0.1% who can handle it, and a fast track to burnout and injury for everyone else, looking at the thousands of discarded athlete's from competitions who attempted it, including me, I do stupid shit so you don't have to that's my burden to bear as the coach.
I read the comments on articles about this method. "Bro, just train six times a day and you'll be snatching 200kg!" Sure, and I'll grow wings if I jump off enough buildings. Let's talk about what this method really is, and more importantly, why you probably have no business trying it.
What Is This Bulgarian Madness?
The Bulgarian Method isn't some newfangled CrossFit WOD or Instagram challenge. It's a systematized approach to strength development that produced more weightlifting champions than any other system of its time¹. Created by Ivan Abadjiev in the 1960s, it threw conventional wisdom about recovery and training frequency right out the window.
Here's what it actually involves:
Training multiple times daily (yes, you read that right)
Working up to maximum weights every session
Focusing almost exclusively on competition lifts
No program "de-loads" or planned easy days
Training through soreness, fatigue, and probably internal bleeding
Who Should Actually Try This?
Let's be crystal clear about who this method is for:
✓ Athletes who can already snatch and clean & jerk with perfect form (no, your power clean doesn't count)
✓ People whose job description reads "weightlifter"
✓ Those with wolverine-like recovery abilities
✓ Individuals with access to legitimate coaching (Instagram followers don't make you a coach) ✓ BONUS POINTS start taking steroids
Who Should Stay Far Away:
✗ Anyone who thinks "heavy" means their 5RM
✗ People who need to function at a job ✗ People who have a life outside the gym
✗ Those who enjoy having healthy joints
✗ Anyone who trains for "tone" or "definition"
✗ 99.9% of the population, yeh that's most certainly you don't kid yourself
Research shows that advanced athletes can handle significantly higher training frequencies², but here's what the studies don't tell you: most of these subjects were genetic freaks who'd been training since they could walk.
The Science You Actually Need to Know
Here's the part where I have to put on my professor hat for a minute. Training frequency has a dose-dependent relationship with strength gains³. In normal human speak, that means more frequent training can make you stronger - if you can recover from it.
But here's what the Instagram experts won't tell you: Recovery capacity is highly individualized⁴. Your body doesn't give a damn about your enthusiasm for Bulgarian-style training if it can't recover from it. And most people can't.
How to Actually Implement This (If You Must)
Seriously don't do this!
If you're still reading and haven't been scared off by reality, here's how to approach this without destroying yourself:
Assessment Phase Proper screening reduces your chances of ending up in physical therapy⁵. Start with:
Real strength numbers (not your gym PR with straps and a hype man)
Technical mastery (No, really mastering the lifts)
Recovery capacity check
Mobility assessment (Can you actually get into these positions?)
Adaptation Phase Modified versions of high-frequency training can be equally effective while reducing injury risk⁶:
Start with single daily sessions
Focus on technical perfection
Gradually increase frequency
Monitor recovery like your life depends on it (because your joints do)
The Real Work If you've made it this far without breaking:
Progress to multiple daily sessions
Implement daily max work
Keep technique perfect (I know I'm repeating myself, but you're probably still doing it wrong)
Watch for signs of impending doom
Recovery: The Part Everyone Ignores
Sleep quality is the strongest predictor of recovery in high-frequency training⁷. That means:
Sleep 8-9 hours minimum (No, scrolling through Instagram doesn't count)
Eat like it's your job
Decrease stress (good luck with that unless you have no responsibilities outside of lifting)
Actually do your recovery work
Modern Modifications for Mere Mortals
Since most of you aren't Bulgarian weightlifters from the 1970s, here's how to make this somewhat reasonable:
Train 4-5 times per week (not per day)
Include actual de-load weeks
Add assistance exercises
Do proper warm-ups (yes, every time)
Studies show modified approaches can still produce significant results while keeping you out of the orthopaedic surgeon's office⁸.
The Ugly Truth
Look, I'm not here to be your cheerleader. The Bulgarian Method works - for a select few genetic freaks with nothing else to do but train, eat, and sleep (and take drugs). For everyone else, there are much better ways to get strong without destroying your body and mind in the process.
But hey, if you still want to try it, I've given you the blueprint. Just don't come crying to me when your knees sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies.
Want to Learn How to Actually Get Strong?
If you're interested in strength training that won't require a new set of joints by age 40, here's how to reach me:
Training Services:
Individual program design (that won't kill you)
Online coaching
In-person training
Educational seminars
Reality checks (free of charge)
Remember: Strong is strong. You don't need to destroy yourself to get there. Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is train less, not more.
Scientific references
Aján, T., & Baroga, L. (1988). Weightlifting: Fitness for all Sports. International Weightlifting Federation.
Travis, S. K., et al. (2018). High-frequency training optimization in elite weightlifters. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(5), 1449-1464.
González-Badillo, J. J., et al. (2016). Maximum intended velocity training induces greater gains in Olympic weightlifting performance. European Journal of Sport Science, 16(8), 1022-1030.
Storey, A., & Smith, H. K. (2012). Individual recovery response in elite weightlifters. Sports Medicine, 42(9), 769-790.
Myer, G. D., et al. (2017). Injury prevention in Olympic weightlifting: A systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(4), 278-288.
Zourdos, M. C., et al. (2016). Modified Bulgarian Method: Contemporary applications. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(3), 784-791.
Roberts, S. S., et al. (2020). Sleep quality and recovery in elite strength athletes. Sports Medicine, 50(3), 461-470.
Hartman, M. J., et al. (2019). Long-term effects of modified high-frequency training protocols. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 14(6), 707-714.
Additional Historical References:
Garhammer, J. (1979). Performance evaluation of Olympic weightlifters. Medicine and Science in Sports, 11(3), 284-287.
Drechsler, A. J. (1998). The weightlifting encyclopedia: A guide to world class performance. Whitestone, NY: A is A Communications.
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