Are you frustrated with your current workout? Have you been at the same weight and same strength for months... or even years? Are you tired of following "Ronnie Coleman's Super Freak Workout For Juiced-Up Psychos"?
This article will show you what real natural bodybuilders do to gain mass in as short as time as possible - all without lifting weights more than 3 days per week. Let's get to the workout:
The Workout Note: Do a short warmup set before each exercise with approximately 50% of the weight you will use for the main working set. Do about 4 - 6 reps with this lighter weight, just enough to get warmed up.
- Squats 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Leg Extensions 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Leg Curls 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Dumbbell Pullovers 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Barbell Overhead Shoulder Press 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Seated Rows 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Bench Press 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Barbell Bicep Curls 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Tricep Extensions 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Weighted Pullups 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Weighted Dips 1 X 8 - 10 reps
- Standing Calf Raises 1 X 8 - 12 reps
- Abs - 1 X 10 - 15 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of This Workout...
The workout should last no longer than 45 minutes! Plan your rest between sets accordingly so that you finish in this time period. Studies have shown that after 47 minutes of intense weight training, your cortisol levels shoot up. This means that the longer you workout AFTER 47 minutes, the LESS results you will get and the more likely you will overtrain. So get in the gym, lift hard, stay focused, and get out.
The most important thing is that you lift to absolute FAILURE! This is not an option. It is almost 100% necessary to have a workout partner. If you need to get 8 - 10 reps, choose a weight that allows you to get 8 - 10 reps... But not even ONE more. I am serious!
Once you reach your last rep, you should not be physically able to do another one, no matter what. If Britney Spears promises to date you if you get one more, it wouldn't matter. You should NOT be able to do it. Only you can judge if you are truly putting all possible effort into each set.
sets per exercise, you only have one chance to blast
your muscles. Don't waste it!"
Perform each set with good form. Cheating will only hurt your gains. Do each rep slowly and do not use momentum. Each rep should use a full range of motion and take approximately 2 seconds on the way down and 2 seconds on the way up. Do not "jerk" the weight up. Slowly move it up and down. Use lighter weight if you must. This is VERY important to your gains so don't ignore this!
Do not stop moving during any part of your set. Some people will go all the way down on squats, then come back up and lock their knees, rest for a second or two, then go back down. Do NOT do this or you will be making Baby Jesus cry. You should stay in constant motion without locking out on any exercise. Do not stop at the bottom of your bicep curls or any other exercise. Again: Keep moving for the whole set and do not lock out your arms or legs.
Schedule That's it. A full body workout that you will complete 2 1/2 or 3 days per week on one of the following schedules:
" width="" height=""> 3 Days A Week:
- 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1off, 1 on, 2 off. Usually people will do this by working out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with the other days completely off from weight training.
" width="" height=""> 2 1/2 Days A Week:
- Experienced lifters may benefit even MORE from taking more rest days. Have you ever noticed that after a two day rest period, your next workout is awesome? You feel good, your strength is up, and you have a great workout. Then, near the end of the week you feel tired and drained? Lifting on the following schedule allows you to get full recovery and have a record-breaking workout each time: 1 on, 2 off, repeat over and over again.
Progression - You Need A Log You must lift heavier each workout. If you lift 100 pounds for 10 reps each workout for months, your body will have no reason to get bigger and stronger. You will not grow unless your weights are going up repeatedly. The only way to fully track this is to write down everything you do in a workout log.
If last time you did 225 lbs for 10 reps on the bench press, you must go to at least 230 lbs for 8 reps on your next workout. If you do get 8 reps, then on your next workout you should get at least 9 reps with the same weight. Once you can get 10 reps, you must raise the weight again. Don't wuss out! Look at your log from your last workout, and beat it on every exercise. Even if you only get half a rep more than before, you will be gaining.
Click Image To Enlarge.You Must Raise The Weight Again. Don't Wuss Out!
You can print out a free workout log by clicking here. You can also just use a small notebook.
It is very important that you also track your bodyweight and measurements so you can see how much progress you have made. I recommend weighing yourself before each workout and measuring a few of your important bodyparts (like arms, thighs and waist) before you go to the gym.
Cool! Click here to calculate your one rep max!
That's It? Why Does This Work?
Yes, that's it! It may sound crazy to somebody who is used to doing 30 sets for biceps and working out 6 days per week. Even crazier is lifting 6 days per week and not growing! Stop thinking that more is better! If you are a natural bodybuilder, you will not have near the recovery of a steroid user. Somebody on steroids can lift 6 days per week without overtraining, but you can't.
Many bodybuilders who are used to high volume training would laugh at a bodybuilder who does one set per exercise and only works out three days per week. I ask them how many times a week they work their biceps.
Almost always, they say once per week on "Bicep Day". Once per week!? So they work their biceps, then they let them rest for 7 days in a row? After 1 or 2 days, their biceps are no longer sore... yet the wait another 5 or 6 days to work them again. Their biceps are slowly shrinking during this long rest period.
In our workout you isolate each bodypart THREE times per week with a full, heavy set. You hit it on Monday, let it rest one day, hit it on Wednesday, let it rest, hit is on Friday and then give the poor muscle a two day break... before starting the cycle again. So we work our biceps (and all muscles) three full times per week which is 12 times per month. They work their biceps 12 times in 3 months! And they call us lazy...
Why is this good for muscle building? Think about when you build a callous on your hand. If you were to rub your hand until it was cut and started bleeding, then wait a week, then do it again, you would simply have a scar. On the otherhand, if you were to rub it a little each day or every other day, it would slowly build up a resistance to the rubbing, thus forming a protective callous. This is the same idea with our workout.
Another interesting thing is that people who do 12 sets per bodypart usually do not go to full failure on each set. This would be almost impossible as it would nearly kill them!
They will usually do their first few sets with ease because in the back of their mind they are saving their energy for the last few sets. Most of their sets are worthless since they are not going to failure. How often do you see somebody in your gym perform a full, balls to the wall set where they are almost about to die from the pain and effort. Not often.
Usually these people are just going through the motion, getting a good "burn", while making a few grunts. Then they walk out feeling better than you because they did 12 sets for biceps and you only did one. Your muscles will only grow if they are forced too! Otherwise, we would all have huge legs just from walking around all day.
Our workout LOOKS easy on paper, since you are only doing one set per exercise. Trust me, if you go to failure on each exercise, you will be more physically exhausted than ever before. Usually, a person works just one or two muscles groups. They walk out of the gym with burning biceps or triceps. "Oooohh... my biceps are tired! I am da man!"
Helpful Tips On Each Exercise
Squats
Since this is your first exercise, you may want to do 2 or 3 short and easy warm up sets to get ready. This will be your hardest exercise most likely, so we put it at the beginning so you can throw everything you can at it. Lifting to failure on squats means almost falling down on your last rep. Be sure to go all the way down and have a partner or rack there to help you if needed.
Leg Extensions
Use a full range of motion. Go all the way up and all the way down.
Leg Curls
Use a full range of motion and do not "jerk" the weight up.
Dumbbell Pullovers
Your first upper body exercise. Be sure to do a good warm up set so you do not injure yourself. Lift heavy and do not rest at the top of the movement.
Barbell Overhead Shoulder Press
Do these in front of your face, not behind the neck. You can injure your rotator cuff when doing them behind the neck. Go down until the bar is about at chin level, not lower. Slow, slow, slow reps!
Seated Rows
Keep your back straight up and down. Do not move far forward or lean far backwards. You want to be squeezing together your shoulder blades!
Bench Press
Slowly, go down and touch your chest around your nipple area. Do not use momentum to get the weight up. Use a spotter and get an extra rep with his help to really blast the muscle.
Barbell Bicep Curls
Do not sway! Keep your elbows at your side and do not move them. Squeeze your biceps upward.
Tricep Extensions
Keep your body straight up, do not lean over too much.
Weighted Pullups
If you can't do pull-ups, do pulldowns. Do these slowly and go all the way up and down. Use the wide-grip bent bar.
Weighted Dips
Strap on the weight! Keep your body straight up and down, do not lean over too much. You want to be working your triceps, not your lower chest.
Standing Calf Raises
Go all the way down and up. Don't use too heavy of a weight where you can only do partial reps. Feel the burn!
Abs
Choose a good exercise that uses some resistance. Don't work your abs on any off days. Abs are normal muscles just like your shoulders and chest!
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