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
Showing posts with label hardgainers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hardgainers. Show all posts
Building Muscle Mass
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)