Summer is over and the time to show off those hard Ab's of steel has gone. Far to quickly I might add! Over the next 5 months you can use the time to be packing on some serious mass, to make the summer body of 2013 look like a deflated balloon compared to the 2014 version!
But I look great now I hear you say. Well why do you think fitness models take time off in the year and are only available to shoot 8 months of the year. Why do you think even the likes of male strippers can only perform 8 out of the 12 months of a year. And why do you think the young children in Africa aren't all queing up to be on the front of Mens Fitness?
The answer here is quite simple, if you deplete your body to the stage where you Ab's are popping out then you must be in a near calorie deficit. If your not in a deficit then I assure you, that you must be very close. The problem with being in a deficit or very close to a deficit is any day when you happen to do a little more than normal, (burn more calories) you eat away into muscle tissue and loose “mass”. This over the summer will of taken its toll on your body, you wont notice it how ever as you see your body everyday, don't notice little changes and those Ab's gleaming back at you on a tiny waist hide the fact that yes you lost 4 inchs of your waist, but you also lost 6 inchs off your upper torso. You'll only notice this when you see a picture of your self and say “who's that skinny fuck” and point at yourself!
“Okay, I get it, now help me get massive again”. Good that's exactly what I wanted you to say! Firstly how ever I have to warn you that your going to loose those beloved Ab's and the veins going across your chest! But don't worry because in Winter you get to wear designer coats and jumpers. And before I even start to talk about the training I cannot explain how important it is that you check out the Mass Gain nutrition section and get yourself a solid meal plan set out. Nutrition as you should know, is far more important that the training.
Down to the training then. Its quite simple really. 4 days in the gym performing 8 exercises. Sounds very simple compared to doing 8 different angles of flys on the cable cross over doesn't it.
Day 1:
Deadlift- the daddy of all exercises, the more you lift off the floor the bigger you will be. Simple.
Bent over row- done with correct but not perfect form will mean big weights lifted and nearly all areas of the back worked.
Day 2:
DB incline press- unbeatable for upper chest development.
Dips- done nice and wide with attatched weight will see your pecks bulging. Squats for the upper body.
Day 3:
Front squats- unless you plan on “twerking”, hit the quads not the glutes!
Stiff leg deadlifts- going to shin height keeps tension and grows the hamstrings. Keep it heavy but safe.
Day 4:
DB seated shoulder press- flick the weights up and press. 2 simple steps to bolder shoulders.
Clean and press- uses the traps and the deltoids. Complete exercise to keep the joints good.
All these exercise should be performed in a heavy but safe way. Some require you to get a spot and some don't. Use your brain on that one. I hear you say what about Arms?! Well if your performing the exercise's properly you shouldn't need to do arms, and you also shouldn't have the energy to sit there correcting your bicep erection or tricep horse shoe.
On the first exercise each day start with 2 light sets of virtually no weight, 10% of your max lift for 25 reps. Then slowly up the weight until you get to the max weight for about 5 reps. Take about 3 further sets of warming up until you get to the max weight. For example when I DB incline press, I go 6X25, 6X25, 12X10, 22X7, 30X3 then up to the 50's for 2 working sets.
When you get to performing 5 reps of the set weight by yourself. (no spot, somebody watching for safety is acceptable!) then up the weight by the smallest increment your gym allows. Hopefully 2kg or less.
For the second exercise just do one warm up set at around 50% of your working weight. Witht his second exercise up the reps slightly and try to reach 8 before you up the weight. Perform 3 sets with a drop set on the last set, or a rest pause set.
Between sets keep a eye on a stop watch and decide how much time rest your having. You need to keep the rest periods the same between each workout or obviously you will recover more and not know if your progressing. I go for 3 minutes but you can choose your own time depending on how you recover. Over 3 minutes I would try to avoid though due to concentration issues and body temperature!
You'll soon find that simply the more weight you lift in a controlled, quality manner, the bigger you will be. I hope you don't over look this programme as too easy or for beginners because it really is not easy. Your gym sessions need to be quick intense and recovered, so your growing!
Thanks for reading: JONNO
Any question or queries email me at;
jonno@completely-anabolic.com
But I look great now I hear you say. Well why do you think fitness models take time off in the year and are only available to shoot 8 months of the year. Why do you think even the likes of male strippers can only perform 8 out of the 12 months of a year. And why do you think the young children in Africa aren't all queing up to be on the front of Mens Fitness?
The answer here is quite simple, if you deplete your body to the stage where you Ab's are popping out then you must be in a near calorie deficit. If your not in a deficit then I assure you, that you must be very close. The problem with being in a deficit or very close to a deficit is any day when you happen to do a little more than normal, (burn more calories) you eat away into muscle tissue and loose “mass”. This over the summer will of taken its toll on your body, you wont notice it how ever as you see your body everyday, don't notice little changes and those Ab's gleaming back at you on a tiny waist hide the fact that yes you lost 4 inchs of your waist, but you also lost 6 inchs off your upper torso. You'll only notice this when you see a picture of your self and say “who's that skinny fuck” and point at yourself!
“Okay, I get it, now help me get massive again”. Good that's exactly what I wanted you to say! Firstly how ever I have to warn you that your going to loose those beloved Ab's and the veins going across your chest! But don't worry because in Winter you get to wear designer coats and jumpers. And before I even start to talk about the training I cannot explain how important it is that you check out the Mass Gain nutrition section and get yourself a solid meal plan set out. Nutrition as you should know, is far more important that the training.
Down to the training then. Its quite simple really. 4 days in the gym performing 8 exercises. Sounds very simple compared to doing 8 different angles of flys on the cable cross over doesn't it.
Day 1:
Deadlift- the daddy of all exercises, the more you lift off the floor the bigger you will be. Simple.
Bent over row- done with correct but not perfect form will mean big weights lifted and nearly all areas of the back worked.
Day 2:
DB incline press- unbeatable for upper chest development.
Dips- done nice and wide with attatched weight will see your pecks bulging. Squats for the upper body.
Day 3:
Front squats- unless you plan on “twerking”, hit the quads not the glutes!
Stiff leg deadlifts- going to shin height keeps tension and grows the hamstrings. Keep it heavy but safe.
Day 4:
DB seated shoulder press- flick the weights up and press. 2 simple steps to bolder shoulders.
Clean and press- uses the traps and the deltoids. Complete exercise to keep the joints good.
All these exercise should be performed in a heavy but safe way. Some require you to get a spot and some don't. Use your brain on that one. I hear you say what about Arms?! Well if your performing the exercise's properly you shouldn't need to do arms, and you also shouldn't have the energy to sit there correcting your bicep erection or tricep horse shoe.
On the first exercise each day start with 2 light sets of virtually no weight, 10% of your max lift for 25 reps. Then slowly up the weight until you get to the max weight for about 5 reps. Take about 3 further sets of warming up until you get to the max weight. For example when I DB incline press, I go 6X25, 6X25, 12X10, 22X7, 30X3 then up to the 50's for 2 working sets.
When you get to performing 5 reps of the set weight by yourself. (no spot, somebody watching for safety is acceptable!) then up the weight by the smallest increment your gym allows. Hopefully 2kg or less.
For the second exercise just do one warm up set at around 50% of your working weight. Witht his second exercise up the reps slightly and try to reach 8 before you up the weight. Perform 3 sets with a drop set on the last set, or a rest pause set.
Between sets keep a eye on a stop watch and decide how much time rest your having. You need to keep the rest periods the same between each workout or obviously you will recover more and not know if your progressing. I go for 3 minutes but you can choose your own time depending on how you recover. Over 3 minutes I would try to avoid though due to concentration issues and body temperature!
You'll soon find that simply the more weight you lift in a controlled, quality manner, the bigger you will be. I hope you don't over look this programme as too easy or for beginners because it really is not easy. Your gym sessions need to be quick intense and recovered, so your growing!
Thanks for reading: JONNO
Any question or queries email me at;
jonno@completely-anabolic.com
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