So you want to get huge?

Since people want to get stronger and bigger I have gotten many requests for how to go about this. In other words, people want some program to follow. So this will be what I would do for me.

First off, make sure you've read my page on hypertrophy strategies. Here are a few key points.

• Compound exercises will rule. I don't do isolation exercises. Those can work if you do rather a lot of them, but there will be a decrease in athletic performance. I am assuming that you want to get bigger as an adjunct to your training, rather than replacing it.

• The basic idea is to have a couple of lifts where you try to move a lot of weight (one for the upper body, one for the lower). You will not be able to do many of these at all in a workout.

• Other training will be done around these. I favor unilateral training myself.

• Training should occur 4 times a week, at least. Since we don't meet that often, you will be obliged to do some on your own.

This needs the honor system -- I can show you what to do but your success will largely depend on you spending time doing things. How muscles grow and get stronger is pretty well understood so this ought to work for you if you do it. To paraphrase the Spartans, “training is work, not mystery.”

Which lifts & how much?

The two best upper body lifts for mass are the standard chest press and the weighted dip. The two best lower body lifts for mass are the (back or front) squat and the deadlift. I normally don't have people do powerlifting deadlifts because it is far to easy to get back problems (not just back pain, I mean degenerative disk problems) if you are doing them in the course of other athletic training. Single-legged deadlifts are quite an excellent substitute. As I indicated, I favor unilateral movements as part of this, because mostly people do things unilaterally, (e.g. walking is alternating unilateral movement). Squats and chest presses are the best systemic way to spur growth, but not the best athletic exercise.

As for the amount, you should start with a goodly amount of weight and make sure you have the form correct. A lack of form will lead to injuries and accidents. Generally, bad form means that you are shifting the load to some other muscles which means at the least you are not doing what you set out to do. Also, you probably are not used to moving high amounts of weight so the urge to shift the load elsewhere is essentially of the negative sort where the muscles say “get it off”. There is no assurance the next set of muscles can do it any better and this is where injuries start. The fix for bad form is good form. It is that simple.

A few numbers and funky symbols. If I write

3 x 8 @ 10RM

I mean 3 set of 8 reps at your “10 rep max”. The phrase “rep max” means how many repetitions at a given weight you can move so that you can (barely) complete the last one in good form. How do you find what you can lift exactly once without getting squished? Fortunately, people who have little better to do than get squished have figured this out for you. In the following table, you can see what's going on. Notice that the percentages vary a bit rather than being strictly linear. This has to do with a variety of factors.

So let's say you can lift 100 lbs. 5 times. What is your 1 RM? Look in the multiplier column and multiply: 100 * 1.16 = 116lbs. That's what you can lift once. So let's say you can lift 100 lbs. 8 times and need to know how much you to lift for your 5 RM. Here you need to use the multiplier and the percentage:

weight * (8 rep multiplier) * (5 rep percentage) = 100 lbs * (1.28) * .9 = 115.2 lbs.

These sorts of calculations are very important since you do not want to try and find what you maximum is by lifting too much. Again these are good starting points, so assess carefully whatever figures you get. My experience is that they get you nicely in the ballpark.

We will move enough weight that you cannot do 5 sets of 5 reps (written 5 x 5). Your goal is really simple. At a given weight, be able to do 5x5. When you can, then the amount of weight increases 5% and you will try again to reach your goal of 5x5. One other abbreviation is “BW” = bodyweight. So

5 x 10 @ BW

means to to 5 sets of 10 at your bodyweight. As with all bodyweight exercises the main thing to do is make sure you use good form a and full range of motion.

We will be aiming for 5 x 5 @ 5RM. A good rule of thumb is that if you can do 5 x 7 then the you should be able to add more weight. This is useful in various exercises where you might need a way to judge if you are ready to move on.

The program

In all its glory, here you go.

Day 1

Weighted dips or the chest press. Work up to 5x5 @ 5 RM

Rows 5x10 @ 10 RM

Heavy abs. Full body lift, hanging or rollouts

Single-legged squats (pistols or bench) 5 x 8 (or so) @ BW, possibly using dumbbells if it is too light.

Figure 8's (3 @ 30 sec.) , windmills 3 x 10 @ 20RM per side

Day 2

Front or back squats work up to 5 x 5 @ 5 RM

incline pushups or dips 5 x 10 @ BW (whichever you aren't doing on the other day)

Single-legged deadlifts 5 x 10 @10 RM

Chinup/pullups (vary grip) 5 x 10 @ BW

Side presses 5 x 10 @ 10RM unless you get carried away. Then try 5 x 5 @ 7 RM.

N.B. You can add other things in too if you need/want and you probably will anyway. This is just to get you started.

Do two sets of workouts a week, or 4 total training days. Take a day off between them. In other words, don't just train 4 days then quit. Something like

Monday = Day 1

Tuesday = Day 2

Wednesday off

Thursday = Day 1

Friday off

Saturday = Day 2

Sunday = off

would be just fine. On the “off” days you can do other activities (cardio, jujutsu, horsing around) just listen to your body. When you lift heavy things, remember that you are damaging the muscles in a very specific way to cause growth. You must allow time for recovery between sessions. General rule of thumb is that you can only lift heavy on a body part twice a week and should have 48 hours recovery time between sessions. Notice that what you do on Day 1 is not really trained on Day 2. This is a conscious decision to help spread out the training.

Food

I don't generally suggest supplements. What is however important is that you get sufficient protein (there is a myth you don't need more, but this does not take into account the amount of it needed for recovery). Generally upping your intake by 25% – 50% ought to do it -- depending on the quality. If you are already eating lean good sources (such as fish) then you won't need too much. If you tend to get it from McDonald's you'll have to eat more. Be sure you plan on having a meal post-workout. Oh, and do not plan on dieting while you are doing this. There is a myth that you can slim down as you bulk up but you will find that very unpleasant indeed if you try.