8 Weeks of Guaranteed Muscle Mass: My Results

Training
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GMM by Paul Carter is a straightforward program that doesn’t require a spreadsheet, once you get in the swing of it. I ran it for 6 cycles, which takes 8 weeks.
The program has you lifting 3 days/wk following four different workouts: upper 1, lower 1, upper 2, lower 2. The sequence is definitely not boring, which is a plus. And if you like going 9 days between 20-rep squats, its nice; but if you only like to squat on Friday, it’s inconvenient.
The main course for each session is an AMRAP set on one of four major lifts - squat, front squat, bench, and press. Starting weight is in the 10-20 rep range, and you increase weight next time if you hit 12 reps for an upper body movement or 18 reps for a lower body movement.

My AMRAP PR Progress:
Squat: 135x13–>185x14
Front Squat: 115x14–>135x15
Bench: 135x18–>165x13
Press:65x16–>90x13**
Incline press: 95x12–>105x17

You work hard with this program. Almost every set is taken to failure: you have the main AMRAP set, 60 seconds rest, then AMRAP again at the same weight. Then most of the supplemental movements use the 3/50 method, which means you shoot for 50 reps across 3 sets; but you should be using a weight for which you fall just short, meaning you hit failure on all 3 of those sets. It’s brutal.

–Nearly every set is taken to failure
–Nearly every set is in the 10-20 rep range
–Curls every other workout
–Plenty of ways to track and beat PRs

I’m very pleased with how this went. It was my first real experience with high-rep squats - I managed 20 reps on squat AMRAPS at 135, 155, 165, and 175lb. They were brutal but satisfying, and I am beginning to learn about the “mental game.”
I feel more muscular and stronger. It would be possible to continue this program, maybe for a long time; but for a few reasons I won’t:

  1. I’m suffering from really bad tendonitis (again) (Not the program’s fault) that is aggravated by pulling movements. There’s a ton of pulling volume on upper body days in this program.
  2. AMRAP for multiple sets per workout is kinda taking a toll. I would like a break from that.
  3. I’m not very strong, and I’d like to develop more strength, for which I should probably spend some time in lower rep ranges.

The program is here:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/guaranteed-muscle-mass

TL;DR: I followed a program and got bigger and stronger.

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Height?

Before and after bodyweight?

Before and after general bodyfat description (chubby, lean, chubbier, leaner, etc.)?

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Are you a beginner? I would think for someone that just started working out any decent program would result in good progress. Still that’s great for 8 weeks! Keep it up.

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48 weeks correct… you said you ran it 6 times?

@Chris_Colucci asked what was the end results besides the lifting numbers?

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Haha I wish! No, by 6 rounds I meant 8 weeks. It’s not really an x-week program, you could do it for a few workouts or several months.

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Ok… I miss read. I was assuming each round was 8 weeks. I stand corrected.

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6 feet. I don’t weigh religiously enough but I’d say I went from 185 to 191lbs.

Body fat description, um, chubby? Idk… weak is the best description I have. But I feel less weak now haha.
I’ll put a couple pictures here. Here’s one I put in my log about halfway through (didn’t take a before pic lol):

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I’ll get another picture when I can strip near a mirror haha. It wont look a lot different but I hope it does a little haha.

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Ok took another for the “after”. Looks the same to me.

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Lats arms and legs look a little better in the second pic, at least to me.

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