My consultation client base is highly demanding as they want to lose fat, gain muscle and get stronger- YESTERDAY. In order to keep up with demand I have been forced to develop training systems which go far outside the box of normal training. The hard work has paid off in terms of huge body composition and strength improvements.
Out of the 15 clients who executed customized variations of this program for 2 months, 13 did fantastically well gaining an average of 8 pounds of lean body mass with a 1.75% drop in body fat. Beyond training; these clients pay great attention to both nutrition and recovery factors to accelerate their progress. Training can stimulate the beginning of new progress but what you do outside of the gym for the other 23 hours of the day is a vital factor in the success equation.
Strip sets are well known for their versatility as they allow for heavy loading and high volume packed into one. Loading has been long forgotten by the bodybuilding community who in general favors high rep routines. This is a huge mistake! Go back to your early days of training- when you got stronger- You grew bigger correct? A stronger muscle is a bigger muscle all things being equal.
As a result I have emphasized the use of amino acid loading to promote improved performance and accelerated rates of recovery to give my clients the ultimate edge. Now when I say improved performance, let’s quantify this, the increased availability of amino acids acts as a super training fuel. The muscular system will normally break down muscle to provide fuel for training, but when aminos are abundant within the blood stream quick energy is available to support hard training.
I observed massive strength and size gains when 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis protocols were applied correctly. I mean hard training people will have huge pumps, when I watch a few of my bodybuilding patients train it looks like their muscles may actually pop!
Train the Brain for New Muscle
Nervous system stimulation through the use of heavy loading is a key component to the growth equation. Advanced trainees must use gradually heavier loads or the system becomes very bored making growth a low priority. Many experienced trainees come my way to bust through plateaus and eight times out of ten a lack of intensity as it relates to loading is a missing link to success. Fast twitch fibers stimulated by heavy training possess the greatest potential for growth. Tap into these fibers and you will pack on muscle at least twice as fast.
Of course it is well known that the focused damaged inflicted on muscles by way of volume creates the opportunity for muscle to grow. This becomes much easier to achieve when the fast twitch fibers are pre fatigued before hand. Think of your muscles as layers of muscle fibers. In order to get to the deepest layer you must first fatigue the top. Anatomy experts may not like this explanation but it serves the purposes of this article.
How do we achieve both the stimulation of fast twitch fibers while damaging the rest with high volume within the same set sequence?
Growth sets of course- essentially a three phase strip set with no reduction in load
Consider this- pick the heaviest weight you can do on lets say a db flat press for 4 reps. Muscles feel pretty taxed after that I am sure, but what if you were to do 3 sets of 4 within a small window of time? Your pecs will be screaming which is what it takes at times to elicit new growth.
Compare what you can use for a set of 4 reps to what can be done for a set of 12, unless you are of alien descent you will be able to do far less for the set of 12 in terms of weight.
A higher % of maximum used per rep dictates intensity which seems to be a long forgotten method for building new muscle. Instead of coasting through a set of 12 you can use 3 sets of 4 very heavy reps with short rest in between segments
For example a Growth Super Set:
Db flat press 4 reps, rest 20 sec, 4 reps, rest 20 sec 4 more reps and then a longer rest period before using an antagonistic exercise such as a seated cable row in the same set/rep fashion.
I know what you are thinking- this guy is crazy there is no way I can bang out reps with a load that heavy. The hidden ace is the nervous system which drastically improves strength as it adjusts to new stimulus on the say of training. Give it a try and you will be amazed by how well you respond.
If you are very aggressively chasing results then Amino Loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis pre/post training, between meals and before bed to provide muscles with a constant source of fuel needed for accelerated growth and repair.
Research proves that this consistent flow of aminos specifically found within the combination of MR and MS increase protein synthesis around the clock by 100% (2). This amazing increase in protein synthesis is truly the most significant marker of muscle growth in my book.
Day 1
Exercise
sets reps
tempo rest
A1.
DB Rotation Press 4
4+4+4 3-2-x 90
A2. Seated neutral grip cable row
4 4+4+4 3-2-x 90
B1.
Palm Front Fly
2-3
(6-8) 4-2-1 60
B2. Wide Grip Lat Pull down
2-3 (6-8) 4-2-1 60
C1. Wide Grip Push ups 1-2 (8-10) 4-2-1 45
C2.
DB elbow row 1-2 (8-10)
4-2-1
45
Day 2
A1.
Squat 4-5 4+4+4 3-2-x 120
B1
Cable Pull Troughs
2-3
(6-8) 4-2-1 60
B2. Unilateral machine hamstring curls
2-3
(6-8) 4-2-1
60
C1. Seated Calf Raise 1-2 (8-10) 4-2-1 45
C2. Standing Calf Raise 1-2 (8-10) 4-2-1 45
C3 Back extension 1-2 (8-10) 4-2-1 45
Day 3
A1. EZ bar Preacher Curl 4 4+4+4 3-2-x 90
A2.
DB tri extension w/ rotation 4 4+4+4 3-2-x 90
B1. Seated DB lateral raise
2-3 (6-8) 4-2-1 60
B2.
Trap Row
2-3
(6-8)
4-3-1
60
C1.
Wing Curl 1-2 (8-10) 4-2-1 45
C2.
Dips 1-2 (8-10) 4-2-1 45
Notes:
Only the A series will make use of the growth sets
The first session will require some experimentation to arrive at the
most appropriate load. Take a few warm up sets and work up to a
challenging weight. Feel free to increase the poundage from set to
set if you deem necessary. Aim to improve weights each week even if
only by a small amount.
If you feel completely whacked on a day you are supposed to train,
take an extra day off and resume when the system is fully recovered.
Email
scott@infinityfitness.com
with recovery concerns and we can discuss trouble shooting.
Packing so much work into a confined space of
time shocks the system into rapid
growth, but only if you capitalize on the
opportunity. You can trash your muscles during training, but you
must put more effort into the other 23 hours of each day to promote
rapid recovery so that you can maximize growth. A smart trainee will
always consider recovery capacity when building a program, otherwise
an imbalance between work and recovery capability will cause
overtraining which will block any progress.
Warning!
Forget about using this program if you are not
willing to load up on amino acids pre and post training, and we are
not talking about the use of the standard cheap stuff. Without these
advanced recovery tools it is not practical to handle this level of
volume and intensity.
Contact
Scott@infinityfitness.com for your customized training and
nutrition path to rapid success.
MAN Sports Products would like to welcome and introduce Scott H. Mendelson, author of the 100% Fitness Solution E book and Director of InfinityFitness.com Scott is a highly regarded performance nutrition and training specialist. In addition to his celebrity and executive clients, Scott works daily with professional athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and NCAA. Scott has built an excellent reputation providing effective supplements, cutting-edge information and unmatched service to thousands of clients worldwide. Also the special assistant to Dr. Eric Serrano MD, Scott helps with the design of training and nutrition studies in cooperation with Serrano family practice in Columbus, Ohio.
Copyright © Infinity Fitness INC 2007 All Rights Reserved
This document is provided by Infinity Fitness INC for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of health or fitness advice. The information is provided “as is” with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. The program contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a health or fitness professional.
|
