Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I've been getting a lot of questions
about building muscle mass -- as in,
how to pack on some serious slabs of
Dino-monguous muscle.
So let me offer a suggestion.
Cut back to three exercises:
1. Pull-ups
Not chin-ups, but pull-ups. Start with
the basic style, and work up to more
difficult variations. (See Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training for some killer
push-up variations.)
Start with three to five sets and
gradually work up to ten sets. Do low
reps (five or six reps per set). Make
the exercise progressive by either
adding weight or switching to a more
difficult kind of pull-up.
2. Push-ups or handstand pushups
Do any style of push-up -- or do hand-
stand pushups if you can do them. Start
with three or four sets and work up to
ten sets.
For handstand pushups, do five or six
reps per set.
For other kinds of push-ups, try to find
a variation that is hard enough that you
can only do ten or twenty reps per set.
(Refer to Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
for push-up variations.)
3. Squats or Deadlifts
Your third exercise will be squats or
deadlifts to work your legs, hips and
back and to trigger gains in strength
and muscle throuhgout your entire body.
It doesn't matter what you do. Squats
will build tons of muscle mass, and so
will deadlifts.
If you have a Trap Bar, Trap Bar deadlifts
are a great option.
If you prefer front squats to back squats,
that's fine.
If you want to use BOTH squats and deadlifts,
that's fine, too. In that case, train each
exercise once per week.
Do sets of five in the squat and the deadlift.
Start light and take four or five sets to get
up to your working weight. Do ONE work set in
the first session. Gradually work up to two
work sets -- and then to three. At that point,
add weight, drop back to one work set and
build back up.
Train three days per week. Divide your
workouts like this:
Workout A (on Mon and Fri)
1. Pull-ups
2. Push-ups
Note: You can do all of your pull-ups
and then do all of your push-ups, or
you can do supersets. Both work well
for this program.
Workout B (on Wed)
1. Squats or deadlifts
Get plenty of rest and sleep (8 hours per
night), and eat plenty of good, high quality
food. Be sure you get lots of protein (one
gram per pound of bodyweight). Stay away from
junk food. Save room for food that will build
muscle.
I know, I know -- sounds too simple to work.
But guess what? If you hit it hard and heavy,
that simple three exercise program will make
you look like King Kong's big brother minus
the fur.
So if you want some serious muscle mass,
give it a try!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. As noted, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
has plenty of killer variations of pushups
and pull-ups:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. I have 20 super-effective more mass
building workouts in Chalk and Sweat -- grab a
copy and check them out!
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The secret is hard
work, intelligently applied." -- Brooks Kubik
