All you need to know is your 5RM, which is the weight that you can lift for 5 total reps without any assistance from a spotter. A safe way to figure out your 5 RM is to do three warm up sets of 5 reps and increase your weight about 15-20% each set until you’re ready to do your 5RM at 95-100%. Here’s a gross example:

135 lbs for 5 reps – warm up at about 50% effort
160 lbs for 5 reps – warm up at about 70% effort
190 lbs for 5 reps – warm up at about 90% effort
200 lbs for 5 reps – 95% effort.  Consider this your 5RM.

Here’s the formula:

(5RM weight x 1.1307) + 0.6998

So if your 5RM is 200 lbs, the 1RM math will look like this:

(200 x 1.1307) + 0.6998 = 226

Your 1RM is  226 lbs.

Want to figure out your working weights at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% or other percentages, just multiply 226 by 0.2, 0.4 or the percentage you wish to lift for that set.

This formula was conducted using the bench press but it should be fairly accurate for determining your 1RM in other big lifts too.

Post your 1RM for your bench press below!

Warning: This is not for anyone with less than one year of consistent weight training experience. Nor is it for anyone not prepared to enter the hurt box, because this workout demands a high level of discomfort, focus and motivation.

The 6-12-25 method was introduced to me while attending Charle’s Poliquin’s 5-Day Hypertrophy Bootcamp, and I provided an extra tough twist to tailor it to any skinny hardgainer who wants to explode new muscle off his frame by exploiting the less-is-often-more training theory.

The Premise

The 6-12-25 Workout incorporates a variety of loads across the neural-metabolic continuum to stimulate the three primary muscle fibers required for muscle size and muscle growth: Type 11b, Type 11a and Type 1 muscle fibers. If you rely on training methods that only train one or two of these fibers, you will not experience maximal muscle growth because you’re not recruiting all the available muscle fibers for growth.

Due to the brief rest periods in this workout, you’ll also produce significant lactate which will aid in the production of growth hormone (GH) which increases the potential for fat loss and muscle growth.

How Does The 6-12-25 Workout Program Work?

You will perform one big drop set, also known as a “giant set” or “tri set” or “circuit” which combines three different exercises for the same muscle group. You’ll do 6 reps with the first exercise for strength gains, then you’ll do 12 reps with the second exercise for hypertrophy gains and then you’ll do a third exercise for 25 reps for muscle endurance gains. Combining the three into one mega giant set with short rest periods make this one hell of a way to get out of a strength, hypertrophy, or fat loss rut!

The secret to making this workout effective is selecting the correct loads, i.e. weight selection. You must choose loads that reflect your 6 rep max, your 12 rep max, and your 25 rep max. In other words, you must pick a weight that will result in an all-out war on the 6^th rep, 12^th rep and 25^th rep. If you can steal an extra rep, that’s awesome. If you can steal two extra reps or more, you miscalculated your loads too light. If you fail one rep shy of your goal reps, no worries. If you fail two or more reps shy of your goal reps, you miscalculated your loads too heavy. Fix it in your next workout.

You will perform two body parts during each workout using a training split that looks like this:

Day 1: Shoulders

Day 2: Biceps & Triceps

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Quads & Hips

Day 5: Off

Day 6: Chest & Back

Day 7: Off

Repeat

Go through this cycle a minimum of three times (three weeks) and a maximum of six times (six weeks). Doing it for longer will result in diminishing returns and adaptation.

The Most Important Variable – Tempo!

The first exercise in the workout will be done with a 40X0 tempo.

The second exercise in the workout will be done with a 30X0 tempo.

The third exercise in the workout will be done with a 20X0 tempo.

If you’re unfamiliar with tempo - the subtle changes you’ll experience in this workout will make your muscles scream for dear life. Tempo is one of the most under-utilized variables when it comes to muscle growth. What does 40×0 look like on the gym floor?

4 is the eccentric portion or the negative. You will take four seconds.

0 is the bottom portion in a stretched position. You will pause for zero seconds.

X is the concentric or lifting portion. X means you will explode.

0 is the contracted position. You will pause for zero seconds.

Your load selection is dictated by the tempo and the number of reps you must hit.  Assuming this is a new lifting protocol, it will take a workout or two to choose the right weights to get this right. Every single one of these sets should be very, very hard to finish, which is why the workout is short in duration. You will rest 10 seconds between exercises and 120 seconds between giant sets. If you don’t abide by the rest period you’ll affect lactate production and miss out on the fat loss benefits.

Modifications based on training age

Beginners (anyone with less than one year training experience who insists on trying this) will do two giant sets for a 10-minute workout per body part.  Intermediates (anyone with one to four years training experience) will start with three giant sets for a 15-minute workout per body part. After a few weeks you can try to do a fourth giant set. Advanced lifters can take a shot at four or five giant sets providing a 20 to 25-minute workout per body part. Don’t be surprised if you need to stop after three giant sets though! This is normal if you choose your loads correctly.

Here is the four-day program!

Day One: Shoulders & Abs

A1. 6 reps: Standing Military Press

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Seated Dumbbell Presses (elbows facing forward)

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Prone Dumbbell Lateral Raises on 45 Degree Incline Bench

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

A1. 6 reps: Weighted Hanging Leg Raises

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Weighted Cable Crunches

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Floor Crunches

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

Day Two: Biceps & Triceps

A1. 6 reps: Standing Dumbbell Curls

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Incline Cable Curls

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: High Cable Curls

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

A1. 6 reps: Weighted Dips

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Lying Dumbbell Extension

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Overhead Rope Extension

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

Day Three: Off

Day Four: Quads & Hips

A1. 6 reps: Medium Stance Squats

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Bulgarian Split Squats with Weight

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Leg Extensions

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

A1. 6 reps: Medium Stance Deadlifts

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Leg Curls

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Back Extensions

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

Day Five: Off

Day Six: Chest & Back

A1. 6 reps: Incline Bench Press

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Flat Dumbbell Press

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Cable Flys

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

A1. 6 reps: Bent Over Rows

Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Neutral Grip Chin Ups

Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Rope Rows

Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

Day Seven: Off then repeat

Want to see the entire 6-12-25 muscle building workout on video?  Here is the entire video series below:

Muscle Building Tip #1 For Skinny Guys: Train on a stable surface 

Unstable surfaces are more neurologically challenging. Let’s compare a supine dumbbell chest press on a ball versus a dumbbell chest press on a bench.  During a supine dumbbell chest press on a ball, most skinny guys will barely be able to press 50 pounds a side and the unstable surface will result in firing the lateral stabilizer motor units you don’t need (to prevent you from flipping off the ball), so it reduces neural drive from the muscles you do need and are trying to improve (pecs, shoulder flexors and triceps).  Whenever the body recognizes an unstable foundation for force production, its force generating output is orchestrated (down-regulated) accordingly.  In short, overloading the muscle is required to stimulate new muscle growth so why limit the load? There’s no point!  And if you think you’re “core” is getting a workout, it’s not because those muscles are only acting as stabilizer. You’re not overloading your “core” muscles with sufficient stimulus so trying to build your chest up on a stability ball is a big waste of time. 

Muscle Building Tip #2 For Skinny Guys: Clarify your goals

Here’s a really dumb thing for a skinny guy to say, “I want to gain a lot of mass!” Can you be any more vague? A better goal is, “I want to gain 12 pounds of muscle by July 1st.”  You need specific and measurable goals if you ever want to see them become real.

Muscle Building Tip #3 For Skinny Guys: Stop believing, “You got to shock the body.”

Even today, you’ll hear this quote come up in gyms, forums, infomercials and other media with the belief that “you have to tear down the muscle and then build it back up.”  But is this true? Absolutely, the catalyst for change is variation from your norm level of fitness. But the idea that one has to annihilate one’s tissues and physiological/neurological processes must be brought to question. Is getting a sun burn necessary to experience a tan? Does increased bone density require a fracture?   Do calluses require lacerations? Does tendon strength require tendonitis? Does ligament strength require a rupture? When seeking adaptation, the goal should be to seek out least amount of unaccustomed activity. In fact, you want the stimulus to be virtually imperceptible as an increased challenge. This would be considered the most ideal stimulus for the most immediate adaptation response, especially in the beginning.  In weight training, we strive to increase our loads approximately 2% each workout. Anything more and you’ll move more towards microscopic tissue damage  and associated signs to injury including delayed onset muscle soreness, edema and lengthy recovery period.

Muscle Building Tip #4 For Skinny Guys: More is less!

This is a training principle that extends from the above tip, and stresses that for many instances, you will get a quicker training effect from doing a smaller amount of training.  In short, you will see more results when doing less training.

90% of people use volume as the primary stressor and get the result they seek 10% of the time. 10% of people use intensity as the primary stressor and get the results they seek 90% of the time.

Be careful when you hear high volume people say, “I got results from using high volume…see, it’ works!” because it usually works for other reasons.

Muscle Building Tip #5 For Skinny Guys: Always ask, “Is there anything I can do before this… to better prepare for this… to lesson the leap?”

Can running have a positive influence on your health? Of course, but the level of participation is key. Why do people spends months recovering from a marathon? Was 26.2 miles the perfect distance for each of those 20,000 people to run on that given day at that time of the day?  There are many variables that must be progressed based on what you are currently accustomed to.  Here are some areas of progression that must be considered:

• From none to some
• From sloppy to controlled
• From small range of motion to large range of motion
• From stable surface to unstable surface
• From light to heavy
• From slow to fast
• From minimal volume to more volume
• From minimal effort to maximal effort

Understand that “micro progressions” are not “wimpy”. It simply means, “You’ve got to EARN THE RIGHT to do more, go faster, lift heavier etc. And CONTROLLING EVERYTHING YOU DO is the key!” It’s not about how much you do but HOW WELL you do it!  Remember, we’re trying to get a sun tan, not a sun burn!

Click Here To Join Season 3 Of Live Large TV, dedicated to designing your own hypertrophy program using all the variables of weight training.

The Sun Tan Analogy Skinny Guys Must Understand Before Working Out

Sunlight to the skin is analogous to stress to the body. Exposure to sunlight does not instantly produce a tan. Exposure to weight training does not instantly produce muscle. The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight stimulates melanocytes in the skin to produce more melanin as a protective mechanism, darkening the skin. The brighter the sun, the more intense the radiation, the stronger the stimulus.

The same situation arises when you expose exercise stress to your body – the greater the exercise stress the greater the stimulus for super compensation (adaptation) to occur.  If you go to the beach while their are clouds covering the sun, you can lay outside all day long and not experience any tanning effects because the radiation of the sun would not be sufficient enough to to stimulate the skin.  Exercise stress is the same. You can spend the entire day in the gym working out and if the stimulus is not sufficient you will not see much if anything in terms of improvements. However, if the exercise stress is sufficient, very little is required to see new gains.

The Key Is To Understand The Minimum Effective Dose

Our bodies have a limit to how much stress we can handle within a period of time. For example, up to a certain point, a certain amount of ultraviolet radiation will produce a nice looking tan. Beyond a certain point, the skin is damaged and results in a burn.  Up to a certain point in a workout, intense exercise stress will create the potential for new size, strength and stamina but beyond a certain point will lead to exhaustion that can result in overtraining or injury.

Remember, the training effect is the desired goal of the training. The training effect could be anything from increased relative strength, functional hypertrophy, hypertrophy or muscle endurance.  The training effect is not experienced until you recover from the training. In short, if you sun tanned for five minutes, your body needs time to recover (adapt) from that five minutes before you expose it to six minutes.  The same is true for exercise. If you bench pressed 4 sets of 225 lbs with 2 minutes rest, you will need a few days before you can bench press 4 sets of 230 lbs with 2 minutes rest.  Failure to respect these recovery needs can lead to overtraining, plateau or becoming weaker.

Individuality And The Skinny Guy

Just like darker skinned individuals can tolerate a longer duration in the sun compared to someone with lighter skin, some skinny guys can do a higher frequency of training before overtraining.  Determining the optimal training volume, intensity and frequency is a topic covered in depth of Season 3 of Live Large TV and there are many training theories to consider in finding what’s optimal for you. Ultimately, experimentation and accurate records is the only way you will determine how to individualize the different training variables for success.

Here is a sample skinny guy workout erring with lower volume to set up the potential for training at greater intensity.  In short, we’re going to spark our muscles into muscle growth, not force them.

The Skinny Guy Workout

Monday

A. Deadlifts  1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
B. Chin Ups 1 x 30 sec negative, 1 x 20 second negative, 1 x 10 second negative, 1 x bodyweight, 1 x bodyweight
C. Military Press  1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 311 temp

Wednesday

A1. Incline Biceps Curls 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 6, 1 x 12 – 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
A2. Lying Triceps Extension 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 6, 1 x 12 – 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
B1.  Barbell Shrug 1 x 15, 1 x 12, 1 x 1o, 1 x 8, 1 x 15 — 60 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo
B2. Standing Calve Raise  1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 6, 1 x 12 — 60 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo
C. Stability Ball Crunch 5 x 5 — 15 seconds rest between sets – 505 tempo

Friday 

A. Squats   1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
B. Bench Press  1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo
C. Seated Row   1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo

Why Is This Workout Effective? 

1. Lower volume. Each bodypart gets approximately five sets a week. Classic hypertrophy programs rely on closer to 10-25 sets a bodypart so this allows opportunity to increase the intensity, a variable that can stimulate new muscle if it’s been neglected.

2.  Broad-spectrum of rep ranges. 6-12 reps creates the desire training effect of hypertrophy and by having one back off set in each exercise we ensure we don’t de train the quality, muscular endurance.

3. Longer rest ranges err on the higher side for hypertrophy to ensure you can stimulate the high threshold motor units each set.

4. Balance between all the primary movements of the body. Their is equal volume between horizontal pulling and horizontal pushing moves, vertical pulling and vertical pushing, quad and hip and upper arm.

5. The Principle of Kaizen can be applied each workout. This is a Japanese way of life that stresses constant and never ending improvement.  Small changes gradually lead to bigger changes long term. The goal of every weight set should be to increase your loads from 2% from set to set and to start each workout 2% heavier than your previous workout. This allows us to experience progressive overload, a critical ingredient for muscle growth.

Even if you’re not a skinny guy, this workout can act as an excellent way to stimulate new gains by dropping the volume and increasing the intensity. Don’t make any assumptions until you’ve given it an honest shot!

Click here if you want to learn how I transformed defeated my skinny genetics in 24 weeks.

Have you ever wondered how Hollywood pip-squeaks transform into big screen powerhouses in what appears to be a matter of months? Or, if you’re a movie buff like me, maybe you’ve recently wondered about the following:

• How did Mark Wahlberg get ripped up to play boxer “Irish” Micky Ward in The Fighter?
• What does Jason Statham do to stay jacked up and stay in top physical condition?
• How did Chris Hemsworth pack on 20 pounds of muscle to get a godlike body to play Marvel’s blockbuster,Thor?
• What did Jason Momoa do to pack on 20 pounds of muscle to replace Arnold Schwartzenegger in the Conan the Barbarian remake?
• How did tiny Taylor Lautner pack on 30 pounds of muscle and carve out a six-pack for Twilight?
• What is Manu Bennett’s secret to a convincing warrior physique for Spartacus?
• How did Chris Evans build the most coveted chest in Hollywood to play the lead role in Captain America: The First Avenger?
• How did Tom Hardy build a brick-house physique for Warrior, Bronson and the upcomingDark Knight Rises? 

As I studied the workouts these actors followed, I did not discover any break-through training protocol or super fancy nutrition formula. The most common workout theme was brief, frequent, and intense workouts from a variety of training styles. Not much was noted about nutrition but I would assume that each meal was protein and vegetable based, with complex carbohydrates tailored around the individual’s metabolism and goal. If the actor was not gaining muscle weight, I would assume that extra tablespoons of healthy fats (like nuts and nut butters) were added to the diet. Overall, I noticed more lessons that are applicable to the majority of us, rather than the minority. I’ve summarized your take home lesson with each point:

1. Actors are highly-motivated – a multi million dollar movie deal works wonders.

Take home point: Put something at stake.  Join a transformation contest. Make a bet. Donate a certain amount of money to an organization you dislike the most if you don’t achieve your goal. Get some blood in the game.

2.  Actors are working against non-negotiable deadlines.  I’ve always preached, “Goals without deadlines are dreams!”

Take home point: Set a deadline and announce it to people you don’t want to disappoint.

3. Actors can recover fasterthan individuals with commanding jobs or those striving for a degree. Actors are paid to know their lines and look the part so their day can revolve around training and eating. They can also take more frequent naps, a key tobody transformation. What a life!

Take home lesson: Plan your more aggressive training cycles during periods of the year when your work is less stressful.

4. Many actors who transform from sissy boys to superheroes are rather thin, carry very little muscle to start with and are blessed with faster-than-average metabolisms. This means they have a greater potential for change compared to an individual who has four years of intense training. If they were to start the same program at the same time, a beginner weightlifter will always gain more muscle than an advanced weightlifter. Beginners almost always gain twice as much muscle as experienced lifters in the same time period. This happens because their bodies tend to adapt and respond efficiently to a brand new stimulus since they are starting further from their genetic ceiling. The more your muscles are forced to adapt, the more they grow. Think Taylor Lautner.

Take home lesson: Don’t compare your results to others. Let your training age keep your progress in perspective.

5. Actors typically have a generous 12 to 16 weeks to build muscle and burn fat. Over a course of 16 weeks it’s not uncommon to burn at least 30 or more pounds of blubber to create the illusion they’ve gained 20 or more pounds of muscle if everything isdone effectively.

Take home lesson:Give yourself enough time to transform! Drop the “get rich quick” fitness mentality.

6. Most of our superheroes are not wearing a Speedo so they can prioritize their training to the muscle groups that give the illusion of size and power. For example, the upper clavicular area such as the upper chest, traps and shoulders gives the appearance of size and power. Other body parts that impress strength and confidence are biceps, upper back and ripped abs. So throughout our contest prep, these areas should be prioritized. Since the body has a limited capacity to adapt to stress, our actor’s recovery resources can be dedicated to these body parts of priority so that he will look more muscular in those desired areas. Although this is not an ideal long term plan, volume could be reduced in the lower body to set up the potential for more upper body mass.

Why is it so important to focus on the illusion muscles? Consider a fitness model show. Do you ever wonder why professional fitness models look so big on stage (or on covers) but when they stand beside you they resemble a rather average looking individual? It’s because most male fitness models have 31-32 inch waists (and weigh between 170-190 pounds) that create the illusion of broad shoulders. When competing at the 2011 WBFF World Championships I couldn’t compete with the top competitors because I have a 34 inch waist, making it harder for my shoulders to jump at you. In short, if I was casting for the next Hollywood action hero, I would cast an individual with a tiny waist.

Take home lesson: Dedicate periods of the year to your slow-to-grow body parts to improve your body’s symmetry and proportion.

7. Our superheroes are lean enough. I say enough because none of them are boasting body fat percentages (i.e. 4-5 percent) to grace a stage. That’s not necessary for our movie star’s role. Going much lower than 10 percent can lead to muscle loss, drop in performance and a gaunt look. My definition of lean is 10 percent body fat.  At six to nine percent you’re ripped. At five percent or less you’re shredded. So why 10 percent and not 13 percent?Enter The Lean Threshold, which applies to men and women but we’ll use a man for this example. The Lean Threshold suggests that at certain body fat levels a man will look the same. This means that if a man is 13-18 percent body fat then you will not be able to distinguish the difference. Ten percent body fat for a man is very lean. Eighteen percent or more of fat for a man is fat. If a man is under 10 percent fat or over 18 percent fat then you’ll clearly be able to tell if he’s “lean” or “fat.” Anything in between is very vague and it is very hard to notice the differences. So what does this mean for you? If you truly want your physique to stand out, you need to get out of the “vague” zone and dial in 10 percent body fat. The equivalent of 10 percent body fat for a male is about 15 percent fat for a female.

Take home lesson: Give yourself permission to be light. If your goal is to be 200 pounds but you look better at 190 pounds, who cares?

8. The Law of Specificity!  This law states that the specific nature of a training load produces its own specific response adaptations.  The training load must be specific to both the individual and to the demands of their chosen event.  In short, this concept basically enforces this: “You get what you train for.”  Another way to say this is: If you want to become a better boxer, box. If you want to become a better cyclist, cycle. If you want to look more like a power lifter, train like a power lifter. If you study Mark Wahlberg’s workout in prep for The Fighter you’ll see that his coach, Bo Cleary has him doing three-minute rounds of shadow boxing, punching the speedball, pad work, rope skipping and speed bag. Emulate Taylor Launter’s six-pack ab workout that personal trainer Jordan Yuam designed and you’ll be doing a lot of direct ab work like a freaky looking fitness model. Looking to become another gladiator in Spartacus? Get ready to spend four hours every day training like a gladiator: weapon moves, combat skills, circuit training, sprints and team games like tug-of-war. It’s neat to see how this group training reinforces a pack mentality, which is necessary to survive in the brutal Coliseum! The gladiators don’t train just for size and power but for agility, speed and strength and a mindset to win. In short, if you train like a gladiator, you’re going to look like a gladiator.

Take home lesson: Is your workout designed to help you in the field you’re in or achieve the look you’re after?

Conclusion

The biggest lesson we can learn is that actors know their end outcome whether it be a gladiator, boxer, superhero or tough guy. They have a crystal clear vision of how they must look, feel and perform, and their training is dedicated to that end outcome. They avoid goal high-jacking and program hopping and are able to dedicate themselves to the goal at hand which reminds us of the popular quote, “The best program is the one that you follow.”Now it’s your turn. Comments and questions are welcomed below. What was your big take home lesson?

Click here to learn how to eat and train to get bigger and leaner in less time

My coach, Ben Pakulski, introduced me to the Meat & Nuts Breakfast in prep for the 2011 WBFF World Championships & I can testify to increased metal focus, less craving and more focused energy. Not to mention 4% bodyfat.

Why is the rotating meat and nuts combination so effective?

1) The meat allows for a gradual rise in blood sugar.

2) The nuts provide a great dose of healthy smart fats that allow blood sugar to remain stable for a longer period of time.

3) Reduces food sensitivities that are known to increase cortisol in people. It’s very common for individuals to have allergies to beef, eggs, whey, casein, tuna and oatmeal, the typical bodybuilding staples.

In short, breakfast IS the most important meal of the day – what you eat for breakfast determines your entire neurotransmitter production for that day.

Personally, it’s quite funny to see the reaction of my friends when the visit me in the morning and watch me cook some form of meat for breakfast but literally everyone who has made the switch has reported the same benefits of increased energy, more mental focus and fullness.

Multiple studies on employee productivity or on children’s attention patterns have demonstrated that a high-protein diet breakfast not only impacts on the energy and productivity levels of morning till noon but also extends its positive effects into the late afternoon.

 Here is the Meat & Nuts Breakfast over the next five days:

Day 1

1-2 buffalo meat patties
1 handful of macadamia nuts

Day 2

1 large venison steak
1 handful of cashew nuts

Day 3

1-2 lean turkey burgers
1 handful of almonds

Day 4

salmon omelet
1 handful of walnuts

Day 5

2 lean ground beef patties
1 handful of Brazil nuts

Day 6

3 slices of turkey bacon
1 handful of hazelnuts

***COOKING TIP: I usually add some coconut oil, 2 whole organic eggs and a massive handful of spinach and mix all together in a frying pan. It takes less than five minutes to prepare.  Plus, I usually have 5 grams of high quality fish oil to mitigate the insulin response longer.

***The BEST Recipe Resource: The Muscle Cook, Dave Ruel has the best bodybuilding cookbook online and it includes dozens of amazing meals like Sun Dried Tomato Salmon, Salmon Burgers, Turkey Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Buffalo (Bison) Burgers, London Broil, Jamaican Pork and so many more that you use for the rotating meat and nuts breakfast. Just add the nuts to Dave’s recipe and your set. And for this week only, you can buy Dave’s nutrition system, Anabolic Cooking for $40 Off.

What if you’re allergic to nuts?

Charles recommends you add a portion of the following low-glycemic/low-fructose fruits with your breakfast:

Apricots
Avocadoes
Blackberries
Blueberries
Grapefruit
Loganberries
Nectarines
Olives
Papayas
Peaches
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

The rule of thumb when eating fruits is to aim for organic, especially for strawberries, as they are one of the most sprayed crops in the world.

What if you’re skinny and trying to build muscle?

If you’re still wear extra small clothes and having a hard time gaining muscle, adding 1-2 cups of carbohydrates to your breakfast will help you gain weight as prescribed in No Nonsense Muscle Building. For anyone looking to lose fat or optimize leanness, the rotating meat and nuts breakfast is a must try dietary strategy.  Also, it’s not critical to rotate around six different meals a week – I usually rotate two different combos a week and every month I switch up the sources to two different combos.

I’ve been preaching the rotating meat and nuts breakfast since Live Large LIVE so for those of you who are “believers”, share how this new dietary strategy made a difference below!

I love hearing your feedback.

Click here to learn how the 5 most common cutting mistakes and how I went from 227 lbs to 195 lbs in 16 weeks…

We asked Charles, “What has been the greatest and worst thing you’ve seen in the fitness industry since you started 32 years ago?”  His reply was, “The Internet.”  It’s great because of all the free information but horrible because more than 95% of the information in completely wrong.  This got me reflecting…. 

My personal journey has cycled through three phases of focus – Body, Business and Brain.  From 1998-2006 I was all about the Brain (University, certifications, courses etc), then from 2006-2010 I really dedicated myself to learning the business side of the industry, then in 2011 I was all about the Body and competed four times. Now in 2012 I’m back to the Brain and spending a fortune on new courses and getting around the smartest people I can find.  In my experience, it’s hard to focus on Business, Body, Brain all at once because you spread yourself thin.  I prefer to put all my eggs in one basket, via cycles, and get the most out of each one.  Focusing on one speciality at a time has proven successful for me.   I share this because Charles superiority of knowledge exposed how little I know (in the big picture) and although I know more than 97% of the population that’s not good enough for my standards. If you’re growing, you’re dying.

I’m so grateful for people like Charles who have dedicated their life to being extraordinary and after spending five days, I can’t image where I’ll be (and where you’ll be if you stick along for the ride) after an entire year of more courses and classes.

Alright, here are the takeaways from the last day! And here’s a pic of the amazing new friends I met from Canada, United Statues, Finland, Italy and Australia:

1. Jumping your meals from five to six a day makes a big improvement in hypertrophy. Jumping your meals from six to seven meals a day makes a HUGE improvement.  Seven is your magic number skinny guys!  There’s your next experiment!

2. A quote from Henry Ford, “Everyone who works for me is smarter than me.”  How does this apply to your life?

3. Consistency in eating patterns is another MEGA limiting factor in muscle growth and lack of fat loss.

4. The two sports that abuse steroids the most? Tennis and cycling.  I’ll give you a simple way to spot steroids in sports.  If there is money there is juice. Hockey has the least amount of juice of any sport. The Kenyan runners are legit. It’s hard to detect steroids in other sports because the athletes don’t lift weights. If bodybuilders didn’t lift weights you would never know they are on steroids.

5. Carnitine is the number one under utilized supplement in bodybuilding.

6. Charles fertility boosting stack for men: 10g of carnitine (various types), 6 caps of Uber C (his specific Vitamin C product) and 180mg of zinc.  Carnitine will increase your sperm volume and the Vitamin C will make them swim!

7. If you struggle to make the right diet decision ask yourself, “Would a caveman eat it?”  Another way to look at this is, “If it doesn’t fly, swim, or walk or it isn’t green, don’t eat it.” This rule helps many people learn basic nutrition principles instead of following a rigid diet.

8. The most UNDER UTILIZED tool in athletics?  A professional stretcher.  His tip for guys who can’t find the motivation to stretch? Hire a really attractive girl to come stretch you and you’ll become compliant to the program no problem! Or join a stretching class with all females (for you single guys).

9. Infra red saunas are good for muscle growth because they boost growth hormone.

10. On a scale of 1 to 10, Charles rates a foam roller a minus 27 for being effective!  In his opinion, it’s a complete waste of time because most foam rollers are not hard enough to be effective.  Spending $100-200 on a ART therapist is the equivalent of 200 foam roller sessions. To understand his perspective, Charles is all about EFFICIENCY.  So, you’re not a bad person if you use a foam roller, he just feels it’s low on the chain for effectiveness.

11. Stretching 20 minutes a day for five times a week is useless and leads to no gains. For those who stretch 20 minutes a day. Has your flexibility REALLY improved?

12. To see a significant improvement in your flexibility: 6 hours a week for 3 months. Then 1 hour a week for maintenance. This is not research based this is the protocol he’s found effective with his athletes.

13. If you stretch between sets, be sure to contract the muscle for 2 seconds before starting your next set.

14. If you’re a trainer or coach: never overwhelm the client. People retain 10 seconds of info and the less info you provide the more they will retain. For example, when teaching technique, Charles uses three words or less per set.  One tip per set.  So if I’m doing horrible looking lateral raises his first cue might be, “Sit up tall.”  Next set, “Straighten your arms.” Next set, “Slower on decent.”

15. Rotate your personal trainers!  Every personal trainer favours certain techniques.  One train might be a stickler for tempo but not full range of motion.  Another trainer might be the opposite.  By working with different trainers you get exposure to each of their specialities. For those without trainers, rotating your training styles is critical.

16. YOU are your own worst coach.  We tend to favour the things we already do or are good at or like doing.

17. Dark haired and dark eye males need a higher dose of stimulants for a response. Blonde hair and blue eyes need a lower dose of stimulants for a response.

18. The BIGGEST mistake fitness professionals make is when they STOP LEARNING.  This was powerful to hear from a man who has 32 years experience and apart of hundreds of Olympic medals.

And I think that’s a great place to wrap up because, as you know, I’m a huge believer in the motto ALWAYS BE LEARNING!

Again, I know they’re many sound bites in my report and not many were in context so if you need clarification then ask.  I’m flying home from Rhode Island now and can’t wait to put my new info into action (after I take the next five days off to grow!). We were told we would all gain 5-7 lbs of lean body mass in the next five days so I’m going to bed with anticipation like it’s Christmas Eve!

Thanks for following the week with me and maybe one day you can join me at a Hypertrophy Bootcamp!

Vince Del Monte

Wow… 12 workouts done and 3 to go!

Today can be defined in two words: Hurt Box

DOMS from the triple day quad workout Tuesday kicked in this morning.  Literally, my knees buckled with every step … so did the 16 other students as we wobbled to the gym for triple day ham/glute/lower back work focusing on relative strength, functional hypertrophy and finishing with a Japanese Drop Set (which MURDERED me)… you can see the road kill pictures below…

The highlight of the day was having Charles discussing program design and organizing 15 different aspects for hypertrophy in a continuum from “intensification” to “accumulation”.  Absolutely brilliant info that helps athletes recover, grow and progress.

Ready for the takeaways?!

1. Virtually EVERYTHING can be explained (and make more sense) along a continuum.

2. Most people have difficulty interpreting info because they see the world through a straw.

3. The fastest way to make muscle gains is using a 2x a day training split.

4. When training 2x a day, your cycles should not exceed 10 days before unloading volume for days. Then you can repeat.

5. If doing double day workouts, keep the evening workout shorter than the morning workout.

NOTE: I know this double day muscle work is going to sound counter intuitive and I have pages of notes and protocols to do my best to answer questions. I’ll be testing these methods out on myself shortly and reporting results… Charles has more than a decade testing this protocol and convinced us it’s superiority.  YEAH!!!!!  Just when you think you’ve tried it all… Nope!  More to come…

6. With training twice a day you would do a CNS style workout in the morning (will potentiate more fibers for the evening) and a METABOLIC style workout in the evening.  For instance, your am workout would be something like 12 sets of 1-3 RM (100-175% effort via eccentrics) and the evening session would be something like giant sets.

7. Any type of multi session training needs at least 4 hours between workouts.

8.  68% of the population make progress on splits that look like A + A + A etc  (basically doing the same workout all the time). The majority of people reading my blog are probably no longer in that 68%.  The next best split is a A + B + A + B so you would hit each muscle group every 5 days. We’re talking about hypertrophy here.  No Nonsense Muscle Building users will know this is how the first 6 months is designed and how it works so well.

9.  High variation workouts only work for 1 out of 11 people and that 1 person is a “gifted freak of nature”.  In short, too much variation often backfires unless you’re that gifted freak.  When I say “gifted freak”, think Michael Jordan.

10. Determining how long to do a hypertrophy based program is EASY to figure out: Don’t stop doing it until you stop growing.  For some that may be 2 weeks and for others than could be 12 months.

11. If you don’t feel like having sex with your wife then you’re adrenal glands are fried.  For non married guys, if a Victoria Secret commercial does not catch your attention, your adrenal levels could be in the toilet. Adrenal supplements can fix this.

12. Everybody responds to over training different.  Some people’s immune systems get shut down (signs of this are getting emotional i.e. you start to cry when you watch a Bounce commercial), some peoples joints get really sore, some people lose their sex drive (adrenal shut down).  Each type of overtraining can be fixed, usually with supplements.

13. Tonight I did a Japanese Drop Set… MURDER.  ABSOLUTE MURDER! And I did it on the Pendulum Leg Press that forces your heels to touch your ass…. at the END of the day.  You pick your 5 RM and take it to 25 sets in sets of 5.  So basically 5 drop sets of 5 with your 5 rep max on EACH mini set!  If done properly, you’ll puke and crawl into the fetal position sucking your thumb.  I was so sick afterwards I could not eat anything for 2 hours.  Can anyone tell me why this would have happened to me?  Here’s what the Japanese Drop Set  did to most of us…

14. “If you don’t dread going to the gym, you’re NOT training hard enough.”  I know you don’t want to believe it but it’s true.

15. If you’re overtrained with VOLUME, you take naps while driving!

16. If you’re overtrained with INTENSITY, you can’t sleep at night.

17. Plantar flexion (pointing your toes) will “disengage” your calf from assisting and isolate your hamstrings more.  Next time you do any variation of a leg curl, point your toe and you’ll see it’s harder.  I’ll explain the anatomy in another video.  Pointing your toes will bring your calf into assist so you’ll be able to lift heavier (but less isolation on hamstring).

18. Pointing your toes outwards puts more emphasis on the biceps femoris. Pointing your toes inwards puts more emphasis on the semibraneous and pointing your toes outward puts more emphasis on the semitendinous.  You can NEVER isolate one of the hamstring muscles, just shift the emphasis.  In application, to get strong hamstrings, vary your toe position. I just gave you SIX (6) different options to your hamstrings training with one exercise (leg curls).

Glad you’re enjoying these updates!  It’s my goal to run my own Muscle Camps in the future so you can have a similar experience I’m having.  I’m so so blessed and appreciative to be around people like Charles Poliquin, Ben Pakulski, and his amazing instructors Derek and Ryan.

Let me know if you need any clarification or have further comments or questions below!

Vince Del Monte

We covered three different hypertrophy protocols for arm training while emphasizing multiple angles on the strength curve to reach the end results of bigger arms.  I am absolutely grateful for the opportunity to be around individuals who have made this line of work their life calling so they can make my life better and I can hopefully do the same for you,

Okay, here are today’s take aways…

1. Every arm exercise moves through a force curve – the stretch (fully extended) position, mid range (where you are strongest) and the shortened (fully contracted) position.  Isolating different points of the strength curve makes a huge difference in hypertrophy.

2. Arnold (probably intuitively) got this correct. If you study his workouts you’ll notice he uses many exercises to stretch the length, overload the mid range and strengthen the contraction.  Maximize Your Muscle members know this style of training as Positions of Flexion (as coined by Steve Holman of IronMag)

3. It’s “Tricep(s)!” not Tricep….”

4. Slight cervical extension is needed for max strength while training because when you flex your neck forward you won’t get max activation of all the muscles innervated by C1-c7.  In short, when you train, keep your neck neutral or very slightly extended back.  Once you look down or flex your neck forward, you’ll lose a good percentage of strength immediately.

5. The lateral head of the triceps is the lazy ass of the three. It requires loads of greater than 85% to be activated.

6. The long head head and medial head of the triceps are the work horses.

7. The more your elbows are away from the mid line of your body, the more lateral head.

8. For the majority of the population the typical individual has fast twitch triceps. (The greatest hockey players will typically have slow twitch muscle fibers as it contributes to accuracy.  Hockey goons have fast twitch biceps (yank the guy in) and fast twitch triceps (to pummel the guy in the face).

9. The best tricep extension of all time is a decline tricep extension with chains. (I’ll show you why in a video some time).

10. Heavier weight (reps of 2-3) on chin ups, before your bicep work, will potentiate (activate) more work in the elbow flexors (biceps).  Before you train biceps next, do 5 sets of 2 (heavy weight on chin ups) and then go train your lifts. Get ready to set some PBs!

11. Biceps are climbing muscles. Start climbing trees

12. Trying to learn anatomy through text books is like training to learn how to fight by watching Bruce Lee videos.  At some point, you need to get in a real fight!

13. The best way to learn anatomy is through dissection courses. Google search “anatomy with cadavers for strength coaches” and start learning about the human body with a 3-D view.

14. Charles talked about his breakthrough with knee rehab.  His secret? Squatting balls to the hells = bulletproof knees.  I’ll be taking future courses to understand this better in the future. Note: this does not apply IF you’re currently injured.

15. The BIGGEST limiting factor for skinny guys who want to build muscle: APPETITE.  Your appetite will dictate how big you get.  Ben reminded us that three of the guys who have the biggest appetite he knows also happen to be the biggest bodybuilders – Kai Greene, Victor Martinez and Ronnie Coleman.  In short, the guys who build muscle the FASTEST have huge appetites.

16. Certain volume training (think high rep leg workout) can lead to a high level of acidity.  Balance your pH levels with a greens drink.

17. The sports that deplete glycogen the fastest are judo, speed skating and wresting.

18. The average weight training workout burns 350 calories.

19. Want to get the best carb sources for your carb powder?  Find out what the guys in the Tour De France use.  We’ll be using what they use right now in about 15 years from now!

20. Look at supplements like this.  The supplements you take pre workout will determine how strong you are. The ones you take while you train will determine your work capacity and the ones you take after your workout will dictate your recovery.

21. You probably know this but Red Bull is the biggest scam of all time. I believe at least two of the ingredients are stimulants but those sneaky bastards put in another ingredient called taurine – a supplement that is a “downer”. In short, it can put you to sleep.  Taurine kicks in after the stimulants have got you wired taking you down and causing you to want to drink another one!  Stop drinking Red Bull!  Don’t ever buy a pre workout supplement with taurine in it.  You’ll fall asleep in the locker room.

I know there were a lot of sound bites and some of the points are not put in context so if you need any clarifications about anything, let me know below.  Your comments, feedback and questions are always welcome.

ALWAYS be learning!

Vince

The nickname for Day 2 was Dropping The Hammer of Doom on the Lower Body!

When it was announced my team of three would be doing three quad dominant workouts in one day I thought, “How is that even possible?”  Especially when you’re training the same muscle group each session.  And especially since I never considered myself a masochist.

Completing three workouts a day on the same body part (I’m predicting) is going to be the “a-ha” moment of the week and I don’t think any of us thought we could make it through. So far we have… but we still have another leg day on Thursday so maybe I should shut up. If you’re thinking…

Are we sore? Oh my gawd yeah.

Did I want to crawl into the fetal position, suck my thumb and call my Mommy?  By the 25th set of the first workout, yup!

Isn’t this over training? Absolutely. But it’s strategic and brief.

Will I recover?  Of course!

We’re all listening to the wisdom and experience of Charles and sticking to his precise peri nutrition protocols and increase bumped up nutrient intakes by 50% overall normal requirements.

Plus, we’re in groups of three so the moral support is awesome. I’m in a group with two Alpha Males and we’re having a blast pushing each other to the brink of death.

Here are some of my take aways from our in-class sessions and nazi-style workouts…

1.   Pre Workout Stack: 40grams of BCAA, 5grams of Carnitine (l-carnitine and acetyl-l-carnitine from tartrate), 1 electrolyte pack, beta-alanine.  I had this stack three times today!

2. BCAA increase blood sugar while we train, are strongly anti-catabolic, require no energy to digest (maintaining growth hormone levels), increase cortisol (cortisol provides energy) insulin and growth at the same time, increase insulin sensitivity, and increase androgen receptivity.  Best way to take BCAA caps is to put them in a cup and carry your cup around with you. If you can only afford one supplement, BCAA is your best pick.  Plus, if you have a sensitivity to dairy, throw away your protein powder (unless it’s lactose free) and just use BCAA.

3. When hamstrings act as a knee flexor, you utilize more slow fast twitch muscle fibers. When hamstrings act as a hip extensor, you utilize more fast twitch muscle fibers. Therefore, your knee flexor exercises should be more explosive, lower reps and heavier. And your hip extensor exercises should be more controlled, higher reps and moderate weight. 

4. Quads have mixed fibers for the average individual. In short, the average individual has a various distribution of muscle fibers so to get your quads to grow you need to use a wide variety of rep ranges.

5. The fastest way to break a muscle growth pleateau is with Eccentric training.Notice the hanging clamps with weights on them? Once you hit the floor, those clamps fall off so you can travel down with more weight than you come up with. Incredible!

6. Research almost never tells the whole story. For example, we know that having sugars during a workout is excellent to replenish your muscle glycogen but the insulin spike blunts growth hormone production.  So here’s the lesson: If you really want to become a student of exercise you need to read further into the research and science to be able to see the entire story.

7. The best exercise science research comes from Findland, Germans, Andrew Fry, William Kraemer and Lawerence Weiss.

8. When doing eccentric training the rule is that you prescribe a tempo and the tempo DICTATES the load. You know you’re doing eccentric training properly if you’re shaking uncontrollably at the end.  If you did a 10 second eccentric on squats, you’re still in control on the last second of the last rep.

9. Bodybuilding is the easiest concept in the world. Essentially, the goal is expose your body to a stimulus it has not figured out how to handle yet.  Do you think I’m going to make gains of of 3 a days?  Yup!

10. Critical Drop Off Index: During hypertrophy work (your goal is to gain size), when your strength drops off by 20% in a workout, that means it’s time to stop the workout. During CNS work (your goal is to gain strength), when your strength drops off by 7% it’s time to stop the workout.

11. An indication of a REALLY flipping amazing coach is if he can help you gain strength without your body weight going up weight classes!  Perhaps, the biggest challenge of a strength coach.

BONUS TIP: When you squat boys you squat “Balls to the heels” as one of the instructors yelled. Yes, your balls should touch your heels. Slightly bigger balls is an not cheating.

12. Specialized eccentric training should not make up more than 20% of your yearly volume and should not be introduced until after 2 years of base.

13. Too much eccentric training makes you stronger but also slower.

14. Good coaches will always change their philosophies as they evolve.

15. If you’re not experiencing severe mental anxiety and depression after two weeks then you’re not training hard enough! This was a huge “a-ha” moment.  A typical bench after a set…

16. Soccer players have the fewest “athletes” in professional sports… One of the worlds highest paid soccer players can not do 4 chin ups. Another onne of the worlds highest paid soccer players has the record on his team for clean and jerk. 72kg.  That’s good if you’re 15 years old … and a girl.

17. In a locker room of 63 professional baseball players, Charles was reminded that 5 of them looked relatively fit.

18. The majority of professional athletes are not as fit as you think. Many are simply genetic freaks.

19. Here’s what one of our instructors, Derek, yelled out to one of the groups on leg press when the intensity dropped, “50kg on the leg press has never been a heavy weight in the history of weight lifting. We’re not making history today. Get your “blank” act together.” 

20. Muscle modelling occurs from eccentric training, not concentric training.  If you’re failing to control the weights on the negative portion then you’re wasting your flipping time. Go home and take up chess.

21. Don’t train with Charles Poliquin. You’ll want to commit suicide.

22. Big Ben Pakulski is sitting at 130kg and 5.1% bodyfat!  Charles did his BioSig and he’s a beast!  Ben pushing on on the fifth exercise of a 5 exercise giant set. 20 reps with no pause at the bottom or top is a recipe for setting your quads on fire.

23. I bailed three times while doing 10 second eccentric squats because my hips are too tight.

Six workouts down and nine to go. Keep praying for me. Comments and questions below!