I’m not a newbie as such, but just looking for some advice. Over the past year, I’ve been plagued by illness and so I have been unable to make any progress with my weight training (since I’ve been getting sick every 3-4 weeks).
I’m finally better now and at 140 pounds, I’m looking to just bulk, bulk & bulk! I did an Ian King designed program this year (and I kept repeating the stages because of my sickness) and I’ve given up on the program because my body has become too used to it… no more gains! (I’m referring to the Intermediate program in the Men’s Health Book of Muscle by Ian King).
What’s the best program for me to add mass? (Particularly on forearms, calves as well as majors etc). Do you think I should try the Ian King 12 Weeks Program listed on this site? Is it suitable for my aim of just MASS?
I do a 3-4 day training split. I’m sorry if this question appears to be too newbie or whatever, but I respect this site a lot, and whatever advice you can give me is appreciated!
If you eat properly, IK’s 12 weeks program will work for you. 3 or 4 workouts/week (monday/wednesday/friday or one day on/ one day off) will allow you a proper recovery.
Other choices:
read Ian King’s “Top 10 mass makers”. There you find the best exercises for mass. IK’s “The bulk building routine” is based on these exercises.
Try also CW’s ABBH and ABBH2.
All these workouts are intense, effective and relatively short.
I’m sure that, if you eat properly, these workouts will work for you.
Going on CW’s “Quattro Dynamo” and “Single’s Club”.
Finally CT’s “OVT”.
Try each program for 6-8 weeks, eat properly and you will gain mass and strength.
Luca
Dude, there is no BEST bulking program. The best thing you can do is find a split that works for YOU and lift as heavy as possible for higher volumes. And EAT. Don’t worry about staying lean while you gain mass. You are 140, that is skinny. PUt some food in your mouth and lift heavy weights. The rest will take care of itself. There is always the “super-secret-octagon-protein-enhancing-renegade-outlaw-anti-bodybuilding-program-for-gun-slinging-rock-stars” but you probably aren’t ready for it…
lol scott u crack me up! “Train with heavy weights and high volumes” lol do not listen to this guy if you do what he is telling you to do you will over train and most likely go backwards in results. You cannot train with heavy weights all year long without CNS burnout, especially with high volume.
Best thing to do is do it with food bro! Eat, Eat & Eat my friend and you will grow.
Look for a book called “Hardgainer” this book will give you everything you need to put weight on while keeping the workouts simple so you do not over train.
CT’s OVT program I think is too much for you right now to begin with especially if you are a beginner.
Yeah I agree with others… EAT MORE or at least healthy. Eating crap will get you sick more often. Check out Massive eating by Beradi and all of his articles. I have to admit it, it’s hard to start out with that much calories if you’re not used to that much but start out where you are normally at as long as it’s healthy loaded with high amount of antioxidants (lots of veggies) and gradually increase total intake of calories each week by 250-500KCal till you get where you’re supposed to be as recommended by Beradi. That should help you start gaining muscles. Sleep is also important as thats when most of muscle growth occurs. Try at least 8 hours per night, maybe 1 or 2 hours of nap after workouts if its early in the day and if have time. The programs that were mentioned above are good. Just pick one and go to the next one when you’re done as long as you take a little break between like 1-2 weeks of bodyweight exercises to help your CNS recover.
PPP actually WSB trains with heavy weights 52 weeks a year and those dudes are pretty big. What I was recommending to our dear friend skinny boy is to use a load that is heavy enough BUT that will allow plenty of volume for hypertrophy. He doesn’t need “the-anti-bodybuilding-hypertrophpy-for-bodybuilders-who-don’t-want-to-be-called-bodybuilers-but-want-to-look-like-bodybuilders-super-secret-renegade-outlaw-conditioning-program” He needs to EAT and lift heavy weights. What he needs is to read Dave Tate’s back to the basics beginner’s article.
This is Drakkos from Doral, Florida. The routine that I use is what I learned from T-Mag. For three days, I use the push-pull, then legs method. I employ between 85-95% of my maximum. I do a light warm-up then pound the weights. I do a max of two sets per muscle. On each rep, I perform .5 seconds of concentric and about 1.5 seconds of eccentic. After about the third rep, my muscles are tearing them selves apart and begging for mercy. I do this for all my sets. The fourth day I rest. Then the fifth, sixth and seventh day, same routine, push, pull and legs with 10 reps of 3 sets with 50% of my max. I do it nice and slow. .5 seconds with the concentric and eccentric phase. Again, my muscles are so pump, I look like a freaking monster. After, that I rest an entire week. 7-day rest before I begin with the same routine again. Right now, Im 6’0" wieghing in at 295lbs with 15% body fat. This is all natural, baby. No juice and no pro-hormones. I always get stares when I’m done working out. My meals are very healty because I cook in my house. With a family of four, two girls and a loving wife. I only drink a weight gainer shake in the morning after I work out. The rest is 5 small meals a day.
This is what I have used and have seen tremendous results. I know guys in my gym that take juice and wont even come close with my strength and size. Im proud of my size and what it took me to get here. Take what ever I give you for what its worth. To me its priceless.
Aye Dave Tate is pretty good I agree but WSB training does train heavy all year long because they have max effort days and dynamic effort days which gives you a good enough rest to train heavy all year long.
Plus I’m sure most guys (powerlifters) that use WSB have a horrible diet that consists of just pretty much fill your face full of as much crap as you can. But WSB I do agree with you scott is a good training program.
PPP, granted most PL’ers eat whatever they want and aren’t concerned about bodyfat. but that is not the case with all of them. and you don’t have to be a powerlifter to follow a WSB type workout. look at the pictures of Defrancos athletes on his site. alot of them like Vinnie Ciurci are pretty muscular and ripped. I am willing to bet our 140 lb. friend who started this post can get away with eating a ton of calories and not getting fat. i don’t care how tall you are, 140 is skinny. Lift Heavy+Eat big=a lot of mass. It is that simple…