Muscle-Building New Year's Resolutions: Part Two - Training

 

Muscle-Building Resolutions: 
Part Two - Training for Mass

Old-time strongman Sieg Klein, who used methods similar to what are recommended in this essay.

     If your New Year’s resolutions involve getting as massive as possible, and you are interested in how to eat for muscle mass gain, make sure you read Part One first.  If it’s training ideas that you are most in need of for reaching your 2024 goals, however, this is your article.  But realize, no matter what training program you get on, you will still need to make sure you are eating big to get big.  With that out of the way, on with the training…

     Here are a few tips to help you build as much muscle as possible in the shortest amount of time.  While genetics play a large role in determining just how much muscle you can gain, the following tips will ensure that you reach your genetic potential this year.

Tip #1: Try a High-Frequency Training Program

     When it comes to building both muscle and strength, there are several programs that are effective.  (Almost all of the training articles I've penned on this blog are good for building both.)  A heavy-light-medium, 3 days-per-week program, for instance, is quite good, as is an upper/lower split program where you train 4 days-per-week.

     For my money, however, nothing—and I mean nothing—beats high-frequency training (HFT for short) for building muscle and strength WHEN it's used correctly.  (And the operative word is "when"—you can do daily training, multiple-times-per-day for really high reps, and you won't build strength that would amount to much of anything.)

     When I say high-frequency training, I mean high-frequency training!  I mean a program that has you training each muscle group between 4 and 6 days-per-week.  Anything less than that is not the kind of training that I'm talking about.    

     While this kind of training seems “odd” to those that are unaccustomed to it, or have never even heard of it—despite its popularity in some places online and among a lot of elite lifters, it’s not a form of training that you see regularly at any commercial gym—it IS the quickest way to put on muscle mass (and the strength to go along with that muscle mass) when performed correctly.

    Each muscle group should be trained on an almost daily basis.  Typically the training works best if you train every day for 3 to 5 days in a row, then take a break of one day before repeating.  You don't have to be too systematic about it, however.  So, if you train 3 days, then take a day off, followed by 5 days, then take a day off, followed by 4 days, then take a day off, and so on and so forth, then that should work out "perfectly."  If you want an “example” routine, then check out my “30 Rep Program” or something like Dan John’s “Easy Strength” regimen.

     You can take the day off whenever you feel as if "mentally" you need the break, or you can do something such as what I do: When training this way, I simply take a day off whenever "life" gets in the way.  If I come home from work, for instance, and my girlfriend wants to go on a "date night", then I take a day off.  If, come the weekend, some friends invite us over for dinner, then I know that's another "life" reason for a relaxing day away from training.

     Here's the thing, however: the more often you train, the more often you will NOT want a day away from the gym.  In fact, if you take two days off at any time, you'll probably be dying to get your tail back under some big weights.  And that’s one of the great benefits of a HFT program when trying to stick with a resolution: it builds consistency better than other forms of lifting, even other forms of lifting that are effective.

Tip #2: Squat a LOT

     No matter what sort of program you utilize—high frequency, low frequency, or something in between—the cornerstone of every mass-building regimen is the good, ol’ fashioned barbell back squat.

     If you’re the epitome of the 98-pound weakling who’s always getting sand kicked in his face, then you can’t go wrong with the 20-rep squat program.  To do a 20-rep squat program, twice each week load the squat rack with a weight that you can only get 10 reps—now do 20!  Yes, 20!  For the last 10 reps, you will have to take a few deep breaths between each rep—and you’ll be “sucking wind” as if there’s no tomorrow on the last couple reps—and then you’ll collapse on the floor in a heap once the set is complete.  (And if this doesn’t happen, you’re not doing it right.)

     As for the rest of the workout, add some overhead presses, some heavy back work, some pullovers, some farmer’s walks, and maybe one other exercise and you’re done.  Here’s an example program:

Monday and Thursday:

• Squats: 2x20 reps

• Pullovers: 2x20 reps

• Overhead Presses: 3x10 reps

• Deadlifts: 2x10 reps

• Bench Presses: 3x10 reps

• Farmer’s Walks: 2 sets for distance

     If gaining strength, power, and mass is what you’re after, start off with a 5x5 program twice per week.  Work up over 5 progressively heavier sets until you reach a max set of 5 reps.  If your max for 5 reps, for example, is 275 pounds, your workout may look like this: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 250x5, and 275x5.

     As you get stronger, don’t forget to throw in some heavy triples, doubles, or singles.  Also, as you get more advanced, throw in a couple of back-off sets for 8 to 10 reps per set.

     Another good method is, once again, to incorporate HFT for squats.  Try squatting on a 2-on, 1-off regimen where each day you do ramps on your squats, beginning with sets of 5 reps, then sets of 3 reps, and finishing with a few doubles.  It doesn’t have to be too many sets.  Something such as this might work well here:  Let’s say that you have a max squat of around 315 pounds.  Your set/reps could look like 135x5 reps, 175x5 reps, 225x3 reps, 250x3 reps, 275x2 reps for a total of 5 sets.  Do this squat workout, and then the next day do the same sort of workout but for lower poundages.  You might, for instance, only work up to something such as 135x5, 175x3, 225x2, 250x2 on this 2nd squat workout.  Take a day off, then repeat the workout, slowly adding weight, sets, and reps to both training days.  Eventually, you could even go to a 3-on, 1-off regimen.  At first, Day 1 could be heavy, Day 2 light, and Day 3 light before taking your off day.  After a while, you could have Day 1 heavy, Day 2 light, and Day 3 moderate.  And, of course, if you keep this up for a year or more—occasionally doing a completely different sort of workout during the year—you will eventually be able to squat 4, 5, or even 6 days-in-a-row before taking an off day.  As the Bulgarians were fond of saying: “Your body becomes its function.”

     Squatting heavy weights doesn’t mean just doing barbell back squats, either.  Make sure you’re getting stronger on front squats, overhead squats, bottom-position squats, box squats, dumbbell squats, goblet squats, and old-fashioned hack squats (performed with a barbell) for good measure.

Tip #3: Pick Heavy Weights Off the Floor

     Each and every training week, you need to be picking something heavy from the ground up.  The most obvious exercise (for most people) would be the deadlift, but that’s only one among many.  Do some kind of heavy deadlifting once per week, but no more than that.  Deadlifting will take its toll on your ability to recover from the workout.  Some days do heavy triples, doubles, or singles.  Some days utilize a 5x5 program.  Throw in some rack deadlifts, some deficit deadlifts, and some trap bar deadlifts occasionally.

     While you should only deadlift once per week, you should do other kinds of pulling movements more frequently.  In other words, don’t forget about cleans, power cleans, snatches, and high pulls.

     Here’s a sample pulling workout using deadlifts:

1. Deadlifts: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps

2. Rack deadlifts: 5 progressively heavier triples

3. Power cleans: 5 sets of 2 reps (straight sets—use the same weight on all 5 sets)

     And here’s another program (sans deadlifts):

1. High pulls: 5 progressively heavier sets of doubles

2. Power snatches: 5 sets of 3 reps (straight sets)

3. Power Holds: 5 sets of 30 second holds (These are simple.  Just pick up a heavy barbell using an over/over grip and see how long you can hold the damn thing.)

     And, once again, you could alternate between weeks where you do one of the above workouts once-per-week, and other weeks where you perform some HFT pulling workouts.  Unlike squats, however, you do NOT want to train the deadlift each-and-every-day, although, I must admit, I have seen it done.  I simply don’t recommend it.  Instead, you could still deadlift heavy once-each-week, and do other pulling movements on other days.  The “quick lifts” such as power cleans, power snatches, and high pulls—whether done with a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells—are the best exercises for high-frequency pull sessions.

Tip #4: Press Heavy Weights Over Your Head

     Almost the most neglected aspect of modern-day training is extensive overhead lifting.  In fact, I’m going to say it here and now (much to the chagrin of many): if the entire lifting world gave up heavy bench pressing in favor of heavy overhead pressing, the bodybuilding (and athletic) world would be better for it.

     Heavy standing barbell presses, dumbbell presses, push presses, clean and presses, and presses with odd objects (kegs, boxes, sandbags, etc.) should be staples of everyone’s programs.

     Overhead movements stimulate the entire upper body for growth; they are not just a “shoulder” exercise.  Show me a lifter who can put some serious weights over his head, and I’ll show you a seriously massive lifter!

     One of the great things about overhead movements—unlike flat bench pressing movements, whether dumbbell or barbell—is that you can train them frequently.  Here is a sample HFT program for increasing your overhead strength, not to mention it will pack on some serious muscle mass to your entire upper body:

Day One

• Barbell Overhead Presses (strict form): 5 sets of 5, 5, 3, 3, and 2 reps (increasing weight on each set; only the last set of 2 reps should be truly hard)

• One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Presses: 5 sets of 3 reps (each arm)

Day Two

• Two-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Presses: 5 sets of 5, 5, 3, 3, and 2 reps

Day Three

• Barbell Push Presses: 5 sets of 2 reps (increasing weight with each set; only the last set of 2 reps should be difficult).  This day should help “prepare” you for the next repeat of the Day One workout.  You can even train heavier on this day than on Day One, but the key is to only do doubles as you ramp up to a near-max double.  This will ensure that your total workload is manageable.  Of course, as you advance you can start increasing the workload on all of the training days.

Day Four

• Off

Tip #5: Drag or Carry Heavy Objects and Implements

     This tip alone (if it was the only thing that you changed in your training) would have a more profound impact on your physique than you realize.  This is the most neglected aspect of the average lifter’s program.

     You may have noticed, by this point, that tips #2 through #5 here are what I call the “Big 4.”  Anytime that someone comes to me asking advice on training for muscle mass and strength gains, the very first thing I ask them is if they are squatting each week, picking heavy weights off the ground each week, pressing heavy weights overhead each week, and, lastly, if they are dragging or carrying heavy objects each and every week.  If I’m lucky, the questioner will be doing one or two of these things already.  And every once in a while, someone will actually tell me that they do heavy overhead pressing movements, pulling movements, and squats each week, but never have I had anyone tell me they do all of those things and they drag or carry an assortment of different weights and implements.

     Dragging and carrying heavy weights has numerous benefits.  First, it uses a lot of muscle groups.  And the more muscle groups you can use in a workout, the more effective the training session is going to be.

     Second, it increases your body’s recovery capacity.  Dragging and carrying heavy loads lacks an eccentric portion of the movement, which means it doesn’t accrue much muscle damage.  The end result is that your workload capacity increases without causing soreness, which in turn increases your body’s ability to recover from workout sessions.

     There are all kinds of things that you can drag or carry to fit the bill here.  One of the easiest, and most well-known, is the farmer’s walk.  Sorry, but there’s nothing simpler than picking up a heavy pair of dumbbells and walking with them.  Simple?  Yes.  Easy?  No.

     In addition to the farmer’s walk, don’t forget about tire flips, sled dragging in all of its many guises, and anything else that you can pick up and carry (boxes, sandbags, large stones).  If you’ve seen it in a strongman competition, it probably fits the bill.

In Conclusion

     If you are serious this New Year about achieving your mass goals, then you need to eat the way I recommended in Part One and train the way that I’ve mentioned here in Part Two.  If anyone feels as if there is something I didn’t cover, or if you have any questions about my tips, please leave them in the “comments” section below.

     In the last part of my 2024 “resolutions” series, I will cover fat loss for those of you looking to not just lose weight this year, but to look good when the weight comes off.  Look for the next part in a few days or so.  Until then, stay at it.