Sit down, and listen up. I’m going to train you.
You will get big, and you will get strong. But you have to do exactly as I say. Ready? Of course you’re ready! Well then, what are we waiting for…let’s get lifting.
What I’m about to present to you is my 2 year plan for massiveness. It is a step by step, 24 month map to maximizing your muscle mass. I am not playing games here, and this is not hype. This system will work if you follow it.
What does it mean to “follow” this 24 month plan? Ah! Glad you asked. It means:
- Never missing a workout. No excuses. To pack on muscle mass you need to be persistent. Taking weeks off won’t cut it.
- Never missing a meal. Starting to see the big picture yet? Eat to grow, eat to grow. All the hard training in the world won’t matter if you don’t eat properly.
- Trusting in the process. This program works. End of story. Believe and achieve.
Listen, there are a ton of theories and studies on the Interwebz. This plan involves common sense, straight forward hard work. If you jump off my plan every 2 weeks to follow the latest workout program of Mr. Olympia, or to follow the advice of the latest study, you will fail.
Eat, train and believe!
Before You Begin
Master Exercise Form
To become a master of muscle building, you also have to become a student of lifting. Learning proper form is essential. Watch the videos and read the descriptions for exercises listed in the following programs. Practice good form. Ask questions about good form in the forum.
Good form is essential. Training injury-free allows you to grow more quickly. No more bouncing the bar off your chest during bench press. No more cheat curls.
Ab and Bicep Obsession
I understand you want a six pack. I also understand you want big Arnold biceps. So when you peruse my workouts, you will most likely be asking the following questions:
- Where is all the ab work? I treat abs just like I treat every other minor body part, meaning that I DO NOT overtrain abs. You do not need to perform 16 sets of abs 5 times per week. This is not the route to a six pack. A six pack comes from diet, AND a six pack comes after you have first added enough muscle to your physique to frame that six pack and make it look good.
- Where is all the bicep work? Nothing builds bigger arms then heavy, compound lifts. You need to perform big, beefy exercises to build monster arms. Performing 20 sets of curls twice a week isn’t going to help you much. This program focuses on building your arms the fastest way possible, and that’s with heavy, heavy weight using heavy compound lifts.
Stage 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 2 | 10 |
| Bench Press | 2 | 10 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 2 | 10 |
| Seated Barbell Press Behind The Neck (with back support) | 2 | 10 |
| Bent Over Row | 2 | 10 |
| Leg Press | 2 | 10 |
| Leg Curl | 2 | 10 |
| Barbell Curl | 2 | 10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 2 | 10 |
| Sit Ups | 2 | 10 |
Stand - Stage 2
- Stage Length - 2 weeks.
- Workouts - 3 times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Goals - Continue to practice exercise form. Add a small amount weight to the bar each week. You should not be challenging yourself with weight yet, and no set should be overly taxing nor close to failure.
The stand stage is a "prep" phase. By slowly adding weight, you will begin to learn about your body's limitations for each exercise. On some exercises, adding 5 pounds will feel like you've added 50. And on some exercises, adding 10 pounds may feel like you've added a feather.
When you do add weight and it still feels incredibly light, make sure to add a bit more then next time you perform the exercise. If it feels too heavy, back off the weight just slightly. During this stage you want to eventually get the the point where you have found a weight that is challenging without being taxing. This is a hard "zone" to define. Basically, you should mentally feel like...wow, if I add just a bit more weight, this is going to get difficult.
Stage 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 2 | 10 |
| Bench Press | 2 | 10 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 2 | 10 |
| Seated Barbell Press Behind The Neck (with back support) | 2 | 10 |
| Bent Over Row | 2 | 10 |
| Leg Press | 2 | 10 |
| Leg Curl | 2 | 10 |
| Barbell Curl | 2 | 10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 2 | 10 |
| Sit Ups | 2 | 10 |
Walk - Stage 3
- Stage Length - 1 month.
- Workouts - 3 times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Goals - Systematically add weight, starting to challenge yourself.
It's time to get more aggressive about adding weight. Workouts are now split up, and new variations of exercises are added. Each week you will add 10 pounds to heavier lifts, and 5 pounds to smaller lifts. For some lifts you may approach training to failure, which simply means that you can't complete another rep. If you reach this point with an exercise, do not continue to add any more weight. Continue to use this amount of weight throughout the remainder of the walk stage.
Continue to focus on, and practice quality exercise form. As the weight gets heavier, you may notice that the weight shakes or feels unstable, and it's harder to keep good form. This shakiness will improve in the coming weeks as you gain strength, and is the primary reason why you are not ready to train full steam yet.
You will be performing Workout A and Workout B as follows:
- Week 1 - A, B, A
- Week 2 - B, A, B
- Week 3 - A, B, A
- Week 4 - B, A, B
Stage 3: Workout A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat +10 | 3 | 10 |
| Bench Press +10 | 3 | 10 |
| Romanian Deadlift +10 | 2 | 10 |
| Bent Over Row +10 | 3 | 10 |
| Barbell Curl +5 | 2 | 10 |
| Sit Ups | 2 | 10 |
Stage 3: Workout B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Press +10 | 3 | 10 |
| Seated Barbell Press Behind The Neck +5 | 3 | 10 |
| Leg Curl +5 | 2 | 10 |
| Deadlift +10 | 3 | 10 |
| Close Grip Bench Press +5 | 2 | 10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 2 | 10 |
Charge - Stage 4
- Stage Length - 2 months.
- Workouts - 3 times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Goals - Time to push yourself and learn your limits! You will be training hard, and training heavy
Play time is over. It's time to push yourself. You will be working as hard as possible on every set of every workout. Try for as many reps as possible without training to failure. Stop a set when you feel like you may fail on the next rep. If you hit 10 reps for a set, do not perform any more reps. When you can perform 10 reps for all the listed sets with a given weight, add more weight!
Exceptions - Do not train near failure for squats and deadlifts. Leave a couple extra reps "in the tank."
Some new exercises have been added for the charge phase. Always keep good form when pushing for more reps. No exceptions.
Stage 4: Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 | 6-10 |
| Bench Press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Barbell Rows | 3 | 6-10 |
| Leg Curls | 3 | 8-15 |
| Sit Ups | 3 | 10-25 |
Stage 4: Wednesday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 | 5 |
| Seated Barbell Press Behind The Neck | 3 | 6-10 |
| Barbell Curls | 3 | 6-12 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 3 | 8-20 |
| Side Bends | 2 | 8-15 |
Stage 4: Friday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | 3 | 8-20 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Pull Up or Lat Pull Downs | 3 | 6-10 |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 3 | 6-10 |
| Sit Ups | 3 | 10-25 |
Crush - Stage 5
- Stage Length - 4 months.
- Workouts - 3 times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Goals - You are learning about your body, and its strengths and weaknesses. During the crush stage you will live for progression - adding more reps and weight, using good form.
This will be a great period for muscle and strength gains. Workouts will be hard, focusing on a greater volume of heavy compound lifts. Continue to try for as many reps as possible without training to failure. Stop a set when you feel like you may fail on the next set. If you hit the top recommended rep range for a set, do not perform any more reps. When you can perform the top recommended rep range for all the listed sets with a given weight, add more weight!
Exceptions - Do not train near failure for squats and deadlifts. Leave a couple extra reps "in the tank."
Please notice the addition of a 20 rep set of squats on Friday. During this set, it is recommended that you take several deep breaths in between each rep. This single set will be brutal - and brutally effective!
5x5 Exercises - 5x5 exercises are performed as follows:
- Set 1 - 60% of working weight for 5 reps.
- Set 2 - 80% of working weight for 5 reps.
- Sets 3-5 - 100% of working weight for 5 reps.
No NOT worry if you can't complete 5 reps for all sets. Keep pushing until you can, and then add weight!
Stage 5: Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 5 | 5 |
| Bench Press | 5 | 5 |
| Barbell Rows | 5 | 5 |
| Leg Curls | 3 | 8-15 |
| Sit Ups | 3 | 10-25 |
Stage 5: Wednesday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 5 | 5 |
| Seated Barbell Press Behind The Neck | 5 | 5 |
| Barbell Curls | 3 | 6-12 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 3 | 8-20 |
| Side Bends | 2 | 8-15 |
Stage 5: Friday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squats | 1 | 20 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 5 | 5 |
| Pull Up or Lat Pull Downs | 3 | 6-10 |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 5 | 5 |
| Sit Ups | 3 | 10-25 |
Destroy - Stage 6
- Stage Length - 16 months.
- Workouts - 4 times per week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
- Goals - By the end of this stage, you should have gained upwards of 25 pounds of muscle in 2 years, as well as being strong as an ox.
Time for a change. You are lifting heavier weights, and taxing your CNS. You will be moving to a 4 day split routine. This split will focus on a variety of rep ranges, helping you to maximize hypertrophy (muscle growth). Continue to push yourself on every set, adding more reps and weight when you can. Also continue to refrain from training to failure.
For the next 16 months, you will be using the following sets and rep ranges, and progression patterns:
- 2 sets x 4-6 reps. Use the same weight for both sets. When you can perform 6 reps for BOTH sets, add weight.
- 2 sets x 6-12 reps. Use the same weight for both sets. When you can perform 12 reps during your first set, add weight the next time in the gym. If you complete 12 reps on your first set, do NOT add weight for the second set.
- 2 sets x 12-15 reps. Use the same weight for both sets. When you can perform 15 reps during your first set, add weight the next time in the gym. If you complete 15 reps on your first set, do NOT add weight for the second set.
You will be using the following training split:
- Monday - Chest, Biceps and Abs
- Tuesday - Quads, Hamstrings and Calves
- Thursday - Shoulders, Triceps and Abs
- Saturday - Back, Traps and Rear Delts
Stage 6: Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 2 | 4-6 |
| Bench Press | 2 | 6-12 |
| Incline Barbell or Incline Dumbbell Press | 2 | 6-12 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 2 | 6-12 |
| Dumbbell Flyes | 2 | 12-15 |
| Standing Barbell Curl | 2 | 6-12 |
| Seated Dumbbell Curl | 2 | 6-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 2 | 12-15 |
| Weighted Sit Up | 3 | 10-25 |
Stage 6: Tuesday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 2 | 4-6 |
| Squat | 2 | 6-12 |
| Leg Press | 2 | 6-12 |
| Leg Extension | 2 | 12-15 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 2 | 4-6 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 2 | 6-12 |
| Leg Curl | 2 | 12-15 |
| Standing or Seated Calf Raise | 2 | 10-20 |
Stage 6: Thursday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Seated Behind The Neck Press | 2 | 4-6 |
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 2 | 6-12 |
| Upright Row | 2 | 6-12 |
| Side Lateral Raise | 2 | 12-15 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 2 | 4-6 |
| Skullcrushers or Seated French Press | 2 | 6-12 |
| Tricep Extension | 2 | 12-15 |
| Hanging Leg Raises | 3 | 10-25 |
Stage 6: Saturday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 2 | 4-6 |
| Barbell Rows | 2 | 6-12 |
| Pull Up or Lat Pull Down | 2 | 6-12 |
| Dumbbell Row or Seated Cable Row | 2 | 6-12 |
| Straight Arm Lat Pull Down | 2 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell or Barbell Shrugs | 3 | 6-12 |
| Bent Over Reverse Flyes | 3 | 12-15 |
Diet Plans
It's time to eat. I will remind you that this "get huge" plan is not for the ab obsessed. I have provided several different eating options, some more aggressive then others. You will put on some fat during these 2 years, but keep in mind that the fewer calories you eat, the harder muscle building becomes. In most cases, even with the most aggressive eating plan, you should be gaining more muscle then fat.
If you make great muscle gains during your first year of training (and you should!), I recommend sticking with a more moderate diet during year two. The more muscle you gain in your first year of training, the less muscle you will gain in year two. So there is no sense overeating in year two of this plan.
If muscle/weights gains are coming too slow for you, there is only one thing to do - eat more! If you find that you are packing on pounds too rapidly, there is only one thing to do - eat less!
On the average, a trainee can gain around 16 pounds of muscle during his first year of training and 8 pounds during his second. Make it a goal to gain 2 pounds each month during year one, and one pound each month during year two. This would be a total gain of 24 pounds of muscle and only 12 pounds of fat. And that is an incredible amount of muscle mass! The extra few pounds of fat can be lost rapidly during a cut, but the muscle mass lasts a lifetime.
Find Your Maintenance Level
Muscle building requires that you learn about your own body. You must find out what your daily caloric maintenance level is to be successful with this plan. Simply stated, you need to find out how many calories you can eat per day without gaining or losing weight. How do you do this? Here is my suggestion...eat exactly 3500 calories per day for 2 weeks. No more, no less.
If you gain weight during this period, cut back by 300 calories per day and watch the scale again. If you lose weight during this period, add 300 daily calories. Continue "zeroing in" until the scale holds steady. This is your daily caloric maintenance level.
Now that you know your "maintenance level", it's time to pick a bodybuilding diet. Here are your choices:
- The Moderate Bodybuilding Diet. On the average, eat 300 calories above your daily maintenance level.
- The Aggressive Bodybuilding Diet. On the average, eat 500 calories above your daily maintenance level.
- The Zig Zag Bodybuilding Diet. On non-training days, eat your daily maintenance level. On training days, eat 500-600 calories above your daily maintenance level.
Which plan is best for you? This is a very complicated question. I will make some general suggestions, but you must understand that these suggestions are not be-all, end-all answers. You must still be wiling to monitor the scale and make appropriate adjustments.
- If you easily gain fat, start with the moderate diet.
- If you have a hard time gaining weight, start with the aggressive diet.
- If you feel you're about average, it's ok to try any diet plan.
How Much Protein Should You Eat?
Good question! In general, I recommend eating at least 30 to 40 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3 hours. There are a wide variety of dieting approaches in the bodybuilding realm. My simple recommendation is to eat your daily protein, make sure you eat enough healthy fats, and consume the rest of your calories in carbs. You can count grams if you want, but it is not necessary for this program. It IS necessary to eat enough, and that should be your primary focus.
Get Huge Fast Supplement Plan
The "Get Huge Fast" supplement plan is a template. Times are provided for example purposes only. Adjust it as needed:
- 6 am - Upon Waking - 5 grams of BCAAs and 5 grams of glutamine.
- 6:30 am - 1 gram fish oil, multivitamin.
- Noon - 1 gram fish oil.
- 2:30 pm - 40 grams of waxy maize (with whey protein drink).
- 3:00 pm - 30 minutes Pre-workout - 5 grams of BCAAs, 5 grams of creatine, nitric oxide supplement.
- 3:30 pm - Workout.
- 4:30 pm - Post-Workout - 5 grams of BCAAs, 5 grams of glutamine, 5 grams of creatine, 40 grams of waxy maize.
- 5:30 pm - 1 gram fish oil.
- 8:30 pm - Before Bed - 5 grams of glutamine, ZMA.
Optional - Beta- Alanine. Promising research is revealing a synergistic relationship between creatine and beta-alanine. Beta-alanine must be taken every 4 hours at approximately 750 to 800 mgs. It also also a good idea to supplement with taurine when using beta-alanine. For more information on the beta-alanine/creatine stack, please read: Stacking Creatine and Beta-Alanine For Better Results.
479 Comments
Hi Jiaki,
Normally you do add weigh when you get to 10 reps. But the beginning stages of this program are used to teach proper form, and to condition the trainee for heavier weights to come.
You can achieve 16 to 17 inch arms in you train properly and eat right. I am small boned and my arms are over 18 inches at the moment.
one last question on my mind
i got stubborn arms n they're not seem to get bigger
right now im doing weights thats little heavier than average
im addin 10lb every 1 or 2 weeks
currently on stage 3 the walking phase
how long do you think i should able to see result if my diet is good n im followin the routine?
also is it true if i can squat 1.5 times my weight my whole physic including my arms will gain massive size?
Hi Jiakai,
If the program is followed and you are eating properly, you could gain over 20 pounds of muscle in 2 years which would make your arms much larger than they are now.
Squats help will overall body strength, but a 1.5 bodyweight squat isn't indicative of arm size. There are many 140 pound lifters that can squat 210 pounds but have small arms.
does this work out help increase the brachioradialis
if not can i substitute the bicep curls for the hammer curls?
Hi Jiakari,
I wouldn't recommend swapping in hammer curls. This workout setup will make your arms gain size without needing to focus on every minor muscle group.
one last question i promise lol
beginners can make gain easily in their first year
but what if as a beginner you were overtraning for a year
n didnt make much gain
if you start workin out smarter next year can u gain the same amount you would as beginner in the first year?
or your gain would be less ?
Hi Jiakai,
It is very difficult to overtrain, especially for an extended period of time. If a beginner made no progress for a year, it would be do to either not eating enough, or not pushing for more reps/weight on every set of every workout. It could also be from poor exercise selection.
A beginner who hasn't made any gains still has the natural potential to do so, no matter how long they have trained. So they would make about the same gains I project, if they eat properly and push themselves.
Hi
Just wondered about warm up sets as you dont seem to cover these except really for stage 5, also i presume for say stage 6 where an exercise is listed twice once at 4-6 reps then at 6-12, you are dropping some weight?
ie:-
2x4-6 @ 100kg
2x6-12 @ 75kg as an example.
cheers :)
Hi Mungo,
I recommend at least a couple warmup sets for large moves, and maybe a single warmup if needed for smaller movements. They shouldn't be taxing.
Regarding Stage 6 you are correct...the first 2 sets are heavier sets, and the second two performed with a lighter weight.
Hi steve
Thanks for the reply, appreciate the time you put in.
Looking forward to giving this a try out after all whats 2 years in the scope of things.
i have a question about the supplements section.
I head it was best to consume whey upon waking up and also after working out. is there any reason why it's not listed on your template as such?
Hi Jacob,
You are exactly right. Whey is best first thing in the morning and post-workout. This supplement template doesn't include protein meals. You can also use casein in between meals and before bed.
Steve
Seeing as how the first 4 weeks are just to work on forum , and then the next 4 weeks are to build up to really getting into things, do you think it would be ok to use that time using a cutting diet. Then at week 8 go to the bulking diet?
Hi Anthony,
That would be a very solid approach.
Thank You!
Hi Steve,
I was just wondering while training on this routine if that we should take a week off every 4-6 weeks for recovery and muscle growth or if we should just train without that week rest because of the 3-4 days of training a week.
Hi Matt,
It would be ok to take a week off every now and then. I would say take a week off every 8 weeks if you feel you need it.
Hey steve...first of all i wanna say that the routine is great and I have a question for you. I have been training for the last 2 years and I can say that I put some muscle mass. Would you recommend me to start at stage 4 or 5? Can I do that? Tnx again
I would start at stage 4. It is very challenging, and would be a good starting point.
Greetings Steve --
Most excellent article. I do a modified version that I had developed on my own as follows:
I begin each work-out doing a sbortened 300 Workout -- wide-stance chin-ups, push-ups, floor wipers, deadlifts, clean & press. This generally takes about 12 minutes and is great for cardio and burning calories.
My four-day routine entails biceps/triceps/abs; shoulder/back; chest/abs; legs. Each bodypart receives 3-4 exercises at various weight and rep levels (I believe in the efficaciousness of a varietal routine).
Do you feel that said routine is comparable to what you espouse? Although I only have been doing this program for a month, I have found that I am getting results and have shocked my body into growth. I take the requisite supplements and shoot for 80 gms. of protein per day.
Your thoughts?
Hi Craig,
Results are generally derived from persistence, progression of weight, and a solid diet. This program is a basic, fundamental program that will work well if those factors are maintained. Variety is not as important for a beginner as is persistence and more weight.
Your routine will work well.
I would strongly recommend doubling your daily protein intake though.
Hi Steve...
I was confused!!!
You have written in article that:
"believing that if you rush into the next stage you will achieve faster results. This won't happen."
But you now suggest some guys to skip step 1 or 2 if they want!!! What I would do ?! I,m working out 5 months in gym until now! I start from the first stage or skip first stages ?!
Thanks for your response
Hi Darius,
This program is designed for an absolute beginner that has never trained before. If you are training right now, and have a good grasp of form, it's ok to skip a few stages.
Awesome article, steve! i have a few questions and a concern.
Right now I'm finishing up a cut to remedy a badly done bulk where i gained excess fat. I used to weigh 158 lbs and benched only 3 sets of 140lbs at 8 reps each, and now i weigh 140 and can still bench the same amount :).
I'm still getting my technique down, but I've gotten the whole diet part better understood and am working hard to master the deadlift.
I think that perhaps i should start at stage 3 or 4 when i start bulking in about a month. what do you think?
My concern:
My left bicep has always been significantly weaker and smaller than my right bicep. do you think it's a good idea switch up the barbell curls for individual dumbbell curves to concentrate and help my left bicep catch up to my right? so in stage 4, instead of doing 3 sets of barbell curls at 6-12 reps, i do the same amount of reps and sets with individual biceps curls( starting with my left arm of course).
Hi Shaun,
With your experience you could start at level 3 or 4. If you've never tried a full body approach before, they can be taxing, so make sure you take a week or two to ease into them.
Regarding your biceps...most people experience this to some degree. It will gradually improves over time, but the best thing you can do is just continue to train hard using a good mix of barbells and dumbbells. I always train to the level of my weakest arm. You can swap in exercises for biceps, but I think the thing that will help the most is just continuing to use heavy compound lifts for other muscle groups...from squats to rows to bench press. The overall stress on yoru body from these exercises will help more, in my opinion.
Steve,
This is something that I can't believe I haven't thought about before. Should I rotate through the complete workout before I repeat a set, or should I do all the sets for a particular exercise in succession?
Hi Seth,
In the context of this [program, it is best to perform all sets for a given exercise before moving on to the next.
is it ok to do 4 sets overall for each exercise, the first 2 between 4-6 and second 2 between 10-12 for every excercise apart from the last one which is 2 sets of 12-15 or is that too much?
Hi Zaman,
I wouldn't add in any more volume. Train hard on the sets you are suing, and keep adding weight when possible. This is the real key to adding muscle size. Do this and more sets aren't generally needed.
Hi Steve,
Congrats on well-thought-out program.
It is working for me thus far as far a bulking goes. However, I have always had a problem with my biceps being too small for my chest back and even adding curl sets hasn't done much.
Any advice? This is bugging me!
Thanks,
Pete
Steve,
On stage 6 where you have us doing 2 sets of an exercise with 4-6 reps and then another 2 sets of the same exercise with 6-12 reps, I want to make sure we are supposed to be reducing weight on the 3rd set. This seems a little unusual and just want to make sure. Thanks.
Hi Steve,
You will be using a heavier weight for the first 2 sets. And you are correct...you will be dropping the weight slightly for the next 2 sets.
The goal is to work a muscle completely in various rep ranges, maximizing muscle growth. The following article will explain the point of various rep ranges:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/hypertrophy-and-muscle-growth...
Steve,thanks I will stick to your advice. At the moment I am very paranoid mainly about my midsection and my back. It seems as though its very difficult to get the full V shape body :(. Will this help me achieve a wider and fuller back?
Hi Zaman,
If performed with the recommended effort, you can gain over 20 pounds of muscle using this system, which will make you look dramatically better!
I done day one for stage 6 today. It didnt take long at all no more than an hhour 45 mins. I am a bit weary on the thought of just 2 sets? Do you recommend doing 3 sets. I think i will have to see if i am sore tomorrow.
Hi Zaman,
I don't recommend adding sets. Natural bodybuilding is all about hitting the gym, making a good effort, and eating to grow. Adding extra sets generally provides very little benefit.
Hi there, im 15 but very mature for my age, am already at the gym with a few of my mates but am the only one seriously working out i want to be stacked, and i know that its not going to be easy but im determined, is this the right plan for me?
Hi James,
Yes, this program will help you achieve your goals. Work hard and stay persistent!
Okay thankyou very much, also how do i find out what % bodyfat i am? im 5 ft 10 and 12 stone 9 im a bit tubby, but i was brought up on a farm so quite strong, what stage would you suggest a start at?
Hi James,
I suggest purchasing a caliper. They are inexpensive and more reliable than bodyfat scales.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/measure-bodyfat
Steve
On the above plan, you only work one muscle group per week. would working one muscle group more than one time benefit you more on hurt you on muscle building?
Hi Michael,
You can work a muscle group more then once a week. But here is how it generally works...when you increase training frequency, you decrease daily training volume.
So you can either perform 9 sets (for example) once a week, or 3 sets, three times per week.
If you want to be sore and not be able to move. Then feel free to workout more
Times a week. I Only trained my muscle groups Once a week and
Made amazing gains. Went from 230 to 270 pounds in 2 years. Small
Muscle train with minimal sets. Maybe 4 to 6 sets for bis and tris a week
Steve,
how long should the resting should last between each set. And say that we're training for three muscle group per day such as bicep, abs, and chest. There are different exercises for each muscle group. Should we do all of the exercise for one muscle group first and move on to the next muscle group or we alternate? and how long should the resting period should be.
Hi Michael,
In general, rest 90 to 120 seconds between most sets. For taxing work, like bench, deadlift and squats, you can rest up to 3 to 5 minutes between sets if need be.
For routines that work multiple muscle groups, always work the largest muscle group first.
Hey Steve,
First off thanks for this wonderful article. My buddy and I are going to start it up tomorrow. Secondly, I weigh around 220 and need to lose about 15 Ibs of fat. If I jog 3 times a week while following the aggressive eating plan (and of course the lifting routine) would I still be able to lose this much? Thanks
Matt
Hi Matt,
Jogging will have minimal impact on you losing fat. Diet is the biggest factor. Jogging is great for overall health and conditioning, and it will burn about 100 calories per mile, but it can't help you lose much fat if you are eating more than normal to gain muscle.
With that said, I would probably recommend eating less then normal the first 30 to 50 days of this plan, so you can knock off some fat while getting your exercise form down. I would start around 2300 to 2500 calories per day, eating 30 to 40 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3 hours.
Steve,
Is there a day that I should do light cardio? I get that isn't listed in the routine, but I wanted to make sure that I'm not neglecting something.
Hi Seth,
You can do cardio on any day really. First thing in the morning, on off days, or post workout. I wouldn't do more than 3 to 5 sessions per week though if muscle building is your goal.
I have been working out properly for about a year and a half and I am 17. I wish to go on a very clean bulk I am quite confident in form of each exercise. At the moment I am doing pyramids and a 4 day split? Do you recommend i should start from stage 6 and keep on that for a while???
Thanks