Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We're getting a ton of new readers, and
that means I'm getting a ton of training
questions.
One of the most common is about gaining
strength and mass as fast as possible. And
based on some of the questions I've been
getting, it's obvious that many trainees
still don't understand the basics of
building up.
So let's talk about that.
Gaining strength, muscle and muscular body-
weight requires the right kind of training
program.
With the right kind of program, gaining strength
and muscle is easy. With the wrong kind of
program, it's impossible.
You need to use basic, compound exercises that
allow you to handle the heaviest possible weight
in your exercises.
Squats, front squats, deadlifts, standing presses,
bench presses, bent over rowing, pulldowns, pull-ups,
shrugs, etc.
Don't waste time and energy on the little movements.
Focus all of your effort on the most productive
exercises.
If you're an advanced man, heavy power rack training
may work best for you. See my book, Strength, Muscle
and Power for more detail on power rack workouts. I
had incredible success with rack work, and you will,
too.
You need to train HEAVY -- and to do that, you need
to perform low to medium reps. Five sets of five or
six reps is a tried and true man-builder that works
well for just about everyone.
5 x 5 or 5 x 6 can be 2 progressively heavier warmup
sets and three working sets -- or you can do three
progressively heavier warmup sets and two working
sets -- or four progressively heavier warmup sets
and one working set. They all work.
Use abbreviated training programs. They allow you
to make your training progressive. And progression
is what builds strength and muscle. You must always
strive to add weight to the bar. Always.
For specific program ideas, see Chalk and Sweat. I
offer 50 workouts, ranging from beginner programs to
programs for intermediates to programs for advanced
men -- and then I add 20 specialization programs for
building maximum muscle size and maximum strength as
fast as possible. So there's literally something for
everyone -- and EVERYONE who is struggling to gain
muscle and might will find the answer in Chalk and
Sweat. And that's especially true for beginners or
for those of you who have been following the type of
programs featured in the muscle magazines and
wondering why in the world they don't work for you.
And remember this -- to get bigger, you MUST get
stronger. If you're a beginner, think in terms of
doubling or even tripling your exercise weights. If
you're a more experienced lifter, think in terms of
adding 50 to 100 pounds to each of your big lifts.
Of course, this won't happen overnight -- it may take
a couple of years -- but it's the only way to make
real progress.
So that's the formula:
1. Basic, compound exercises.
2. Progressive poundages.
3. Add weight whenever possible.
4. Aim to work up to BIG weights
in perfect form in your training.
5. Use multiple sets of low to medium
reps.
6. If you're a beginner, start with the
beginner programs in Chalk and Sweat.
7. If you're an advanced man, try the
advanced strength and power programs in
Chalk and Sweat or the power rack programs
in Strength, Muscle and Power.
Good luck, good training, and good gaining!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can find Chalk and Sweat and Strength,
Muscle and Power right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
1. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
