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One of the problems most body builders face is gaining quality muscle mass and losing body fat. In this article I will try to simplify the ideas to reach your goals, whatever they may be.

By: Alex D Angelo

In this day and age people seem to over complicate things. The truth of the matter is that the simplest solution is usually the answer to the toughest of problems. One of the problems most body builders face is gaining quality muscle mass and losing body fat. In this article I will try to simplify the ideas to reach your goals, whatever they may be.

4-Week Mass Routine!
Are you tired of being a little piece of shit? Learn how to get huge and eat the little pieces of shits for breakfast...

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As the fall and winter approaches, most of us will be attempting to bulk up, or even better quality lean muscle mass. First, I will address the training in which I truly believe the simplicity is the key. Anyone wanting to gain substantial amount of muscle tissue must lift heavy, intensely and use compound movements.

No body has ever built a great chest with cross-overs, or great legs with leg extensions, although those exercises play their part in weight lifting, they are not responsible for great muscular growth stimulation. The exercises we would be using to gain muscle mass are squats, leg presses, stiff-leg deadlifts, seated and donkey calf raises, bench presses, chin-ups, rows, straight bar curls, close grip benches, and shoulder presses.

Workout

All of these exercises are compound movements and will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibers for the greatest possible muscle growth. They should be the staple of your exercise routine at all times, either in bulking phase or while dieting to loose body fat. For a novice I recommend training each body part every 5-6 days.

Here is a proposed workout for someone that has year or two of experience:

Day 1

Legs/Calves

Body Part Exercise Sets Reps

LEGS Warmup 2 10-12

Squat 2
2 8-10
15-20

Sissy Squat 1 12-15

Leg Press 2 12-15

Leg Extensions
(Drop Sets) 2 10-12
CALVES Seated Calf Raise 2 15-20

Leg Press 2 12-15
Standing Calf Raise 2 10-12

Click here for a printable workout log!

Day 2

Chest/Biceps

Body Part Exercise Sets Reps

CHEST Warmup 1
1 10
8

Incline Bench Press 3 8-10

Flat Bench Press 1 8-10

Flies 1 10-12

Crossovers
(or Peck Deck) 1 10-12
BICEPS Warmup 1
1 10
8
Straight Bar 2 8-10

Hammer Curls 2 8-10
Alternate Bicep Curls 2 8-10

Click here for a printable workout log!

Day 3

Hamstrings/Shoulders

Body Part Exercise Sets Reps

HAMSTRINGS Warmup 1
1 10
8

Stiff Leg Deadlifts 2
1 8-10
10-12

Good Morning 2 10-12

Leg Curls 2 8-10

SHOULDERS Warmup 1
1 10
8
Shoulder Press 3 8-10
Side Laterals 2 10-12

Rear Delts 2 10-12

Click here for a printable workout log!

Day 4

Back/Triceps

Body Part Exercise Sets Reps

BACK Warmup 1
1 10
8

Deadlift
(From The Knees) 3 8-10

Barbell Rows 2 8-10

Close Grip Front Pulldown 2 10-12

Seated Rows 2 10-12
Shrugs 1 8-10
SHOULDERS Warmup 1
1 10
8

Close Grip Bench Press 2 8-10

One Arm Extension 2 8-10

Pushdowns 2 10-12

Click here for a printable workout log!

As you can see each day is given a number 1 trough 4, the way you can split this work out is whatever is most convenient for you. I personally like the following division:

Monday - Day 1
Tuesday - Day 2
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Day 3
Friday - Day 4
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Day 1
Monday - Day 2
And so on.

Eccentric Repetitions!
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This is a rather low volume-training schedule so each set is completed to absolute failure with strict form. The tempo for lifting that I use is 2-0-4, the first number "2" represents the lifting part of 2 second, the second number "0" represents no pause on the top of the movement, and third number "4" represents the negative/lowering part of the exercise which should last 4 second.

The way I measure the time while lifting, I will count "one, one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand, four, one thousand, five, one thousand", even known we are only trying to 4 second negative part I always count the extra 1 second as I know I am probably counting faster then the actual time is. The part responsible for muscular hypertrophy (growth) is the negative/lowering part of each exercise.

The longer you can place the muscle under tension the more growth will be stimulated, even known you are completing few sets do to the slow negatives your actual time under tension will be higher then when training with higher volume but faster negatives.

Diet

I follow similar routine in the bulking up season as well as in dieting phase of my training, the workout should last you anywhere between 40-50 minutes and then it's time to feed your self for some serious growth. This brings us to the diet aspect of my program.

Meal 1 - 7:45 AM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

250 mL of egg whites
w/1 tbs of salsa 1 27 - Total
CAL
406

1/2 scoop of ISO-Fuse 1 11 -

60 gm of oatmeal 40 7 3

5 mL of peanut butter - - 3

TOTALS 43 45 6

Percent 42% 44% 13%

Meal 2 - 10:15 PM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

1 1/2 cans of tuna - 45 - Total
CAL
337

100 gm of green beans 8 - -

100 gm of potato 20 - -

5 mL of flaxseed oil - - 5

TOTALS 28 45 5

Percent 33% 53% 13%

Meal 3 - 12:45 PM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

100 gm of chicken - 30 - Total
CAL
325

100 gm of potato 20 - -

1/2 cup of vegies 6 1 -

5 mL of flaxseed oil - - 5

1 scoop of ISO-Fuse 2 11 -

TOTALS 28 42 5

Percent 34% 52% 13%

Meal 4 - 3:15 PM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

3 scoops of ISO-Fuse 6 33 - Total
CAL
341

5 mL of flaxseed oil - - 5

100 gm of potato 20 - -

50 gm of chicken - 15 -

TOTALS 26 45 5

Percent 30% 56% 13%

Meal 5 - 5:30 PM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

250 mL of egg whites
w/ 1 tbs of salsa 1 27 - Total
CAL
287.5

1 scoop of ISO-Fuse 2 11 -

30 gm of oatmeal 20 3 1

2 1/2 mL of flaxseed oil - - 2.5

TOTALS 23 41 2.5

Percent 32% 57% 11%

Meal 6 - 7:30 PM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

4 scoops of ISO-Fuse 8 44 - Total
CAL
488

1 scoop of CREA-Fuse 37 - -

3 rice cakes 33 - -

TOTALS 78 44 0

Percent 67% 36% 0%

Meal 7 - 9:45 PM

MEAL Grams of
CARBS Grams of
PROTEIN Grams of
FAT Total
CAL

1 scoop of ISO-Fuse 2 11 - Total
CAL
100

4 egg whites - 12 -

TOTALS 2 23 0

Percent 8% 92% 0%

Although all meals are equally important, the one with the biggest impact on your muscle growth is the post training meal. I relay on Fusion Nutrition's Iso-Fuse Whey protein and Crea-Fuse Micronized Creatine Monohydrate transport system for my post workout meal.

Iso-Fuse
The Iso-Fuse blend, combined with a sophisticated gum system, delivers a whey protein drink, which taste great...

I have 4 scoops of Vanilla Iso-Fuse whey protein powder mixes with 1 scoop of Orange Crea-Fuse creatine transport system. Mixing of these two products creates something incredible, it tastes like an orange creamsicle, and is by far one of the best tasting post workout drinks I have ever had. The above diet is basically the staple of my diets either off-season or dieting.

In the Bulking phase I will add additional carbs to my diet, approximately 200gm of carbs from whatever choices I like, for me it's pasta and some whole wheat breads, I will also increase my fats mostly from Flaxseed oil and Olive oil. Also in the off-season I will allow myself more cheating, I usually have 2 cheat meals each week to help me gain weight. In other words if I want it, I shell have it, after all it is the time to enjoy life a little bit more.

While in Dieting phase my diet will be close to the one listed above. I will include Fusion Nutrition's T-2 which contains Ginephrine not only yielding greater fat burning results, but it also supporting the healthy function of the adrenal glands.

I will take 2 servings of T-2 per day, one upon awakening, right before heading out for my morning 45 minutes of cardio and the second serving I will take around lunch time. I find T-2 suppresses my appetite and increases the rate at which I burn body fat making it perfect addition to my dieting arsenal.

So there you have it, nice and simple program, which gets results, now, isn't that what we all are striving for. Everyone enjoy your off season, lift hard, eat well and reap the results of your hard work.

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