Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A reader who described himself as
"the hardest of hardgainers" asked
for some help on building strength
and muscle.
He's 35. About 5 feet, nine inches.
Small bones. Weighs about 170 pounds.
Trains three times per week. Does
prone dumbbell rows on Mon for 7 sets
of 2 reps. Does hip belt squats on Wed
for 7 sets of 2 reps. Does DB presses
on Fri for 7 sets of 2 reps. Likes
doing sets of 2 reps, and says he
over-trains if he goes higher.
Uses these exercises because he's hurt
his back in the past and because he has
trouble with his squat form.
Has made little or no progress for a
long time, and feels like giving up.
So here's my advice to him:
First of all, NEVER give up. Strength
training is far too important to ever
think about giving up.
The problem is NOT that you are a
hardgainer. That makes it more difficult
to gain strength and muscle, but it does
NOT make it impossible.
The problem lies in your training
program. You're not doing any sort of BIG
(i.e., effective) leg and back training.
The hip belt squats are NOT a strength
and mass builder. John McCallum covered
them in one of his famous Keys to Progress
articles -- but they were intended to be
part of a breathing squat program, and
you used them as an adjunct to the squat
(which was the primary exercise for big
gains).
The bottom line is -- if you want to
gain strength and muscle mass, you need
to get good at the squat. (The only
exception is if you have had a previous
injury and you cannot do squats. But
that's the ONLY exception.)
If you have trouble with the exercise,
you need to work on your squat form and
your flexibility. You also might want to
try squatting in Olympic lifting shoes
or strong work boots with a heel.
Front squats are also an option, and
work very well for many lifters.
The Trap Bar deadlift is another very
good option. It ranks right up there
with the squat as an all-around mass
and muscle builder, and it's a very
forgiving exercise. Simple switching
from Hip Belt squats to Trap Bar dead-
lifts would go a long way to solving
your problems.
The prone DB rows are okay, but you
need some sort of heavy back training.
The Trap Bar deadlift will give it to
you.
Also -- and very important -- seven sets
of two reps isn't enough to stimulate big
gains in muscle mass unless you are using
really heavy weights. The 5 x 5 system
would work much better for you.
I won't get into specific training routines
because I've covered the topic in my various
books and courses. The programs in CHALK
AND SWEAT would work very well for you --
as would the programs in GRAY HAIR AND
BLACK IRON. All of these are abbreviated
programs, but they'll give you enough work
to build plenty of muscle.
I also give plenty of abbreviated workouts
in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
(including the program I used to add 40
pounds of muscle to my frame in my early
30's).
I also cover ultra-abbreviated training in
STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER --
so if you have trouble recovering from your
workouts, that might be something to look into.
I hope that helps answer the question -- and
if anyone else is having trouble getting on
the GAIN TRAIN, I hope this helps YOU
as well.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can find the books mentioned in this
message at the Dinosaur Training shop:
1. CHALK AND SWEAT
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
3. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If you want to build
plenty of muscle mass, specialize on your legs and
back. That's the secret." -- Brooks Kubik
