Keys To Gaining Strength And Size!

Learn why getting big is important for a guy. Learn how to increase you max! Learn all about squats, deadlifts, and much more...

  • Chapter 1: Why Getting Big is Important to a Guy?
  • Chapter 2: Increasing your Maximum Lifts
  • Chapter 3: Squats and Deadlifts
  • Chapter 4: Supplements and Protein
  • Chapter 5: Get Big Routines
  • Chapter 6: Diet Is Everything
  • Chapter 7: Putting It All Together

    Chapter 1:
    Why Getting Big is Important to a Guy?

    Getting big nowadays means dominance in the weight room. This has been a proven fact. When a guy looks at a mass monster lifting sub-superhuman weight, that guy wants to be that mass monster. And of course, getting big could also mean respect, but that's not what this is about.

    If you do any of this, it should be for yourself. Don't compare yourself to any experienced lifter, whose been in the game and knows how to do it or to any juicer whose stupid enough to take roids.

    Their strength will fade when they stop taking the stuff, however, you on the other hand will keep your hard earned muscle and strength.

    Anyone can get big, but any guy who is naturally small isn't big on getting cut would want to get big and bigger. Most guys, who are big, just want to get bigger and that's cool as long as they do it right.

    Today, size and strength rules.

    If you're on a football team, it's definitely needed. I mean think about it, who would like to be 275 and bench 500? I know I would, but I rather be muscular at 275 and not all fat. That's the thing that gets confused when talking about size.

    It different from person to person, but nonetheless, they gain muscle. Let's take a scenario. You have two guys, one is 250 and the other is 275. The 250 pounder is a little leaner than the 275 pounder. They both pretty big and have great strength.

    But could you tell which one is bigger through eyesight? I could tell you that the 250lber appears bigger than the 275 pounder because he has the muscle size and strength. This is not to say that the 275 pounder is fat, just that the 250 pounder appears bigger. Gaining muscle size and strength is king, but people go about it all in the wrong direction.

    They assume that to get big, they need to stay in the gym longer and harder and really all that's doing is the opposite and it depends on what goals your after. There's a way to it that might seem easier than you know and it's not through steroids.

    Steroids to me are the easy way out. With hard work and dedication I can tell and show you how.

    I've competed in seven Powerlifting competitions and placed first in four of them and I can tell you what works to get big. I can tell you now, that's its going to take longer than a month to notice improvements and it going to take blood, sweat and tears to do it, but it's well worth the journey.

    If you do everything outlined here, you should be able to pack on size and strength IMMEDIATELY! So if you're willing to listen on, then get ready. Here goes!!

    Chapter 2
    Increasing your Maximum Lifts

    This is one topic I'm an expert on... increasing lifts. Now again, big guys go about this in the wrong way and they figure doing their max enough times will increase it... WRONG! If you did your max more than once, then it's not your max at all.

    For example, take a lifter whose bench is 305. He does this max on Monday's workout and does it again on Friday's workout. Then the following week, he can hardly budge it from his chest. I know from experience that the key to increasing your lifts is periodization.

    You have to cycle your lifts, you max should be a one-time thing. Don't do it just because someone thinks you can't do it. They'll know you can do it when you bench 330!!

    You have to start light, like at 50% of your max and then work up to a new max every time. Now another key to increasing your lifts would be technique. Form is everything in my sport and this is a good reason why periodization is good.

    In the conditioning phase (light stuff), you have time to perfect your form on the squat and bench. That way, you have a better chance at increasing your max even more. On the bench, you have to have feet planted on the ground, back arched (optional), and ass to the bench.

    Then bring the bar BELOW your chest. Why? Because, injuries occur in the shoulder when you bring it on or above your chest.

    Now during the first part of the periodization, you can have your feet in the air while benching, this improves your chest strength without the use of your legs. Remember, when you do your max, FEET ON THE GROUND!!

    I'll explain more about the squat and the deadlift in the following Chapter. Also, you have got to have the motivation and the mentality. Lifting is all about mental ability, if you are distracted, you're not going to be focused enough to do the workout.

    Bring a headset or get a partner to make sure you stay on task. But you know now that form and cycling is needed to increase your lifts.

    Chapter 3
    Squats and Deadlifts

    Believe it or not, squats produce the most GH or Growth Hormone out of any movement you might do. It also serves to increase your bench and that's why strength coaches and Physical Ed teachers use it.

    Deadlifts produce the most mass out of any movement next to power cleans. Deadlifts also determine your overall strength. Both of these movements are feared and many don't do them, but again, those are the people who are stuck.

    Like the bench, the form on the squat and deadlift has to be mastered before you move on to the heavy stuff. I'll tell you how to perform the movements correctly.

    On the squat, you have to have the bar across your shoulder blades for it to be comfortable. When you squat, keep your head up and stick your ass out, literally. This will keep you going deep every time and when you come up, thrust the hips in. It's a lot I know, but form does take time to master before you can lift heavy.

    On the deadlift, chose either the conventional (for the tall guys) or the sumo (for the smaller guys) and make sure your hands are close to your legs. When you do this, it makes the distance shorter.

    When you pull the bar up, thrust the hips, stick out the chest, and at the same time keep the back TIGHT! Don't let that back for a second round out, if it does, DROP IT!! You're only going to hurt yourself further.

    Now your going to cycle the squat and deadlift like you're going to cycle your bench. You can choose to replace the deadlifts with power cleans but they are both mass-builders. I'm a powerlifter and I LOVE the deadlift and that's why powerlifters are so massive and huge.

    Now if you can't squat, use the leg press or if you can't deadlift, use the power racks and set the pins for a rack deadlift. They are a safer version of the deadlift. You would set the pins at below knee-level and use the same form as above.

    You'll still put on the mass as well as doing quarter-squats, which is out of the power racks as well. Be sure that you use a belt on both the squat and deadlift. They really can make the lower back tight. When you use the belt it makes it much more comfortable.

    Now, there is some additional stuff that you can use on both lifts. You can buy knee wraps so that your knees are protected or you can use a pad to put across your back to make your back feel comfortable. When you do squats or deadlifts safely, you can pack on the mass sooner.

    Chapter 4
    Supplements and Protein

    Ok, now I'm pretty sure any lifter knows about supplements and the ones today are better and safer than taking steroids. One supplement stick out from the rest... Andro. It's good stuff but to a fault, it's not going to work for everyone.

    If you're between 17-28, Andro is not going to do much for you because you have testosterone running amuck in your body already. It's like pumping up a balloon that already has air. Now if you're 29 and over, then you will see results from Andro because your own testosterone will be down. The same goes to all other forms such as Norandro, etc.

    The secret stack that football players use is... weight gainer and creatine. Weight Gainer is an athlete's best friend.

    The stuff works to put on muscle weight fast since its protein and creatine serves to give you the strength and lean muscle that you need. With these two together, an athlete could go from 190 to 210 in no time. The important factor here is protein.

    Protein is the muscle-builder and you need this stuff, especially after your workout. Reason? Because after you workout, your body need the protein to heal up and get ready for the next workout.

    If it doesn't get it in time or at all, it will feed on either body fat (big guys) and/or your own muscles (smaller or leaner guys). If it feeds off of your muscles, then your recovery time will slow down and by the time you workout again, you could be still in pain, because your body hasn't healed yet.

    You must get in a protein or a weight gainer 1-2 times daily depending on how your body responds. And that's another thing, you have to listen and watch your body. The more you know about it, the more you'll learn how it works.

    Now back to creatine. It's a great supplement, but the powdered and the pill forms aren't going to do much for you. Our bodies are bogged down with so much creatine from fish and red meat that the powdered and pill forms are practically useless.

    Answer? Effervescent or liquid creatine. I've tried the liquid creatine and found it to be better than anything, but that's my opinion. The only powdered creatine I would recommend would be MuscleTech Cell-Tech Hardcore. If you never heard of this stuff. It not only has creatine, but also has alpha lipolic acid, which gives your muscles that full look, and glutamine, which makes your muscles get bigger.

    If you back Celltech up with Nitrotech, you will see the weight pack on for sure. I've tried Nitrotech and gained 10 lbs in one week. Only Cell-Tech, effervescent or liquid creatine will get you results from your heavy lifting.

    Now there is another supplement other than Andro... GH. Growth Hormone is designed to increase thickness and strength as well as keeping your leaness.

    The GH Stack from Musclelinc has shown tremendous improvements on one subject. This guy went from skinny and cut to thick and cut. I would suggest only the best and from what I've heard, this stuff is the best. Growth Hormone is expensive, but it's well worth the buy.

    There is another supplement that works just as well and it's Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 metabolizes fuel and protein during workouts. B6 also raises GH or Growth Hormone levels. If taken in at 600mg, the user will get an increase in their GH naturally.

    It also lowers the cortisol levels, which is the stuff that causes your muscles to fatigue. So by using vitamin B6, you can increase your GH naturally and inexpensively. B6 can be found in orange juice, whole-wheat bread, spinach, turnips, and whole-grain cereals.

    So if you're looking to build size through GH, look no further than vitamin B6. Also taking amino acids or BCAAs will aid your protein in the muscle-building process. I will explain more about the dieting aspect later. But now... for the routines!

    Chapter 5
    Get Big Routines

    The Routines below are designed to get massive using phases. The first two are part of one program, but they can be used separately. One is strictly for gaining size and the workout is four-days a week (if you can do only 3 days, alternate the workouts).

    The workout routine will only require you to do four-weeks or a month of it. You pretty much do heavy sets but you warm-up to it. The short rest between sets is enough to get a pump that you will never believe.

    The other workout is strictly for strength and it's six weeks. It's designed to increase your numbers on all your lifts big time, including the squat, bench press, and deadlift. These are the mass builders that are needed for getting size and strength.

    You stick to this routine for six weeks and you should end-up with amazing strength gains. Also, you do a lot of warm-up sets but it prepares you for the heavy work that is to come. The next the set of routines is set-up the same way and you can either two or both.

    On the first routine, you are working out four times a week, but on the second one you are working out three times a week.

    Exercises like box squats, standing pulldowns to the face, incline press lockouts, top deadlifts, and pullover and press are some new mass builders. Top Deadlifts and Incline Press lockouts as usually done in a power rack with the pins set halfway.

    Box Squats are done with either a box or a bench and you're merely touching the bench and exploding up. Pullover and Press is simply combining the pullover and DB press. And Standing Pulldown to the face is done standing in front of the lat pulldown and you begin with your elbows high. You should get a wicked pump.

    Now, here is a method that you can implement in your training - the Rest-Pause or RPM method. Rest-Pause is a method that's based on doing a pause in the middle of a rep. Many have used this method of training and got nothing but mass and strength from it.

    Top powerlifters like Ted Arcidi use this method of training. Mike Mentzer used this method and got more muscle at 217 lbs than he ever did at 213. When he got down to 213 lbs, his muscles were rounder and cut. His incline bench went from 245 to 400! Now this is a method that works!

    RPM also has shown to increase GH, that's right, Growth Hormone. The RPM (rest-pause max) method takes your max weight for 8 reps and you perform them for one rep for one set.

    You pause on the negative part of the movement and you explode up. This technique makes your rest-pause max strong and you might never go back to touch-and-go. The 4x1's are the RPM sets. Always do the warmup, but look at the routine closely before you do it. Take a look at the three routines below. Try one or cycle all three at a time.


    Sample Four-Week Size Phase

       
    Day 1   Day 2  
    Bench Press 4x8 Squat 4x8
    Machine Press 4x10 Seated Leg Curls 4x10
    Cable Crossovers 3x12 Leg Press 4x12
    Barbell Rows 4x8 Barbell Curls 4x8
    Wide-Grip Pull-ups 4x10 Incline Curls 4x12
    Deadlifts 4x12 Lying Tricep  
    Behind-the-Neck Press 4x8 French Press 4x8
    Hanging Leg Raises 4x10 Tricep Pressdown 4x12
    Crunch 4x12 Standing Calf  
        Raises 4x12
        Seated Calf 4x12
        Raises  
           
    A Printable Log of Day 1 A Printable Log of Day 2
           
    Day 4   Day 5
    Incline Bench 4x8 Seated Leg Curls 4x8
    Seated Row 4x8 Leg Press 4x8
    Bench Flyes 4x10 Lying Leg Curls 4x12
    One-Arm DB Rows 4x10 Hack Squat 4x12
    Low-Incline Flyes 4x12 Dumbbell Curls 4x8
    Bent-Over Lateral Raises 4x12 Triceps Extensions 4x8
      Preacher Curls 4x12
    Dumbbell Press 4x10  
    Pulldowns 4x10 Close-Grip Bench Press 4x12
    Leg Raises 4x12 Seated Calf Raise 4x12
    Weighted Crunches 4x12 Toe Press 4x12
           
    A Printable Log of Day 4 A Printable Log of Day 5
           
           

    On Days One And Two:

  • Do all exercises with your weights being within the 70-80% of your 1-rep-max(1rm)
  • To warm-up, do eight reps of your first set at 40% of your 1rm, five reps of your second set at 45%, then three reps at 55%, and three at 65%
  • Rest 90 seconds between sets for exercises using 8-10 reps
  • Rest 60 seconds between sets for exercises using 10-12 reps
  • You can substitute movements such as hack squats for squats
  • You may have to decrease the weight on each suceeding set because of the short rest periods. You need to add weight as you progress in your training
  • On Days four and five

    • Use the same warm-up procedure above pair(i.e.-one set of 8 on the leg curls then one set on the leg press)
    • Rest 45-60 seconds between sets, except rest 30-45 seconds between sets for arms, abs, nd calves
    • Don't do forced reps or negatives and don't wear a belt(this is optional!!)

    Sample Six-Week Strength Phase

     

     
    Day 1 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
    Bench Press 4x6 4x5 4x4 3x4 3x3 3x2
    Barbell Rows 4x8   4x7   3x6  
    Behind-the-Neck Press 4x8 4x8 4x7 3x7 3x6 3x2
    One-Arm DB Rows   4x8   3x7   3x2
                 
    Click For Printable Logs
                 
    Day 2            
    Squat 4x6 4x5 4x4 3x4 3x3 3x2
    Leg Curls 4x8 4x8 4x6 3x7 3x4 3x2
    Crunch 4x8       3x4  
    Ab Machine   4x8   3x7   3x2
    Leg Raises     4x6    
                 
    Click For Printable Logs
                 
    Day 4            
    Incline Bench Press 4x8 4x7 4x6 3x7 3x3 3x2
    Wide-Grip Pulldowns 4x8   4x6   3x4 3x2
    Barbell Curls 4x8 4x7 4x6 3x7 3x4  
    Triceps Pushdowns 4x8 4x7 4x6 3x7   3x2
    Close-Grip Pulldowns   4x7   3x7    
                 
    Click For Printable Logs
                 
    Day 5            
    Deadlift 4x6 4x5 4x4 3x4 3x3 3x2
    Leg Press 4x8 4x8 4x6 3x7 3x4 3x2
    Leg Raise 4x8     3x7   3x2
    Crunch   4x8     3x4  
    Ab Machine     4x6      
                 
    Click For Printable Logs
    • In your warm-ups for the squat, bench, and deadlift and other compound other compoun movements, do eight reps of your first set at 40% of your 1rm, 5 reps at 45%, 3 reps at 50%, 2 reps at 60%, and your last set at 65% for 2 reps
    • In your warm-up for the smaller muscle groups, do 8 reps at 40%, 5 reps at 45%, and 3 reps at 50%.
    • Perform all sets of an exercise before moving on to the next, or superset exercises with two minutes of rest between.
    • You can adjust the weight after each work set (when you make six really tough in a set). You might want to go down 5-10 pounds in weight for the next set. Of if you expect to have a hard time with a weight and it turns out to be easy, go up in weight for the given reps in the next set.
    • You can use a belt for heavier work, but you don't need any other equipment unless you want to compete in powerlifting
    • Rest on Days 3, 6 and 7 ? Go up on your compound movements 5-10lbs a week.


    Blasting For Bulk Program
    Routine 1: Building Strength

       
     
     
    Day 1
    Incline bench 3x5(warmups);
    5x2(explosive reps)
    Pec dips 3xmax reps
    Front lat pulldowns 4x6-10
    Undergrip bent-rows 3x6-10
    Pullovers and presses 3x6-10
    Incline db curls 3x6-10
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Strength Day 1  
       
    Day 2
    Box squats 3x5(warmups)
    6x2(explosive reps)
    Leg presses 4x6-10
    Arched-back 3x6-10
    Good Mornings 4x10-15
    Standing calf raises 3x15-25
    Ab crunches  
       
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Strength Day 2  
       
    Day 4  
    Incline bench 3x5
    Incline bench lockouts 5x1
    Flat db presses 3x6-10
    Close-parallel grip  
    Pulldowns 4x6-10
    Front plate raises 3x6-10
    Lying tricep extensions 3x6-10
    Db curls 3x6-10
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Strength Day 4  
       
    Day 5  
    Top deadlifts 3x5(warmups)
    6x2(explosive reps)
    Hyperextensions 3x6-10
    Hack squats 4x6-10
    Seated calf 4x10-15
    Leg raises 3x15-25
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Strength Day 5  
       


    Routine 2: Building mass

     
     
    Day 1  
    Squats 3x5(warmups)
    5x6-10(heavy)
    Hack Squats 4x6-10
    Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 4x8-12
    Ab Crunches 3x15-25
    Leg Raises 2x15-25
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Mass Day 1  
       
    Day 3  
    Incline Bench 3x5(warmups)
    5x6-10(heavy)
    Flat DB Presses 3x6-10
    DB Side Laterals 3x8-12
    Machine Presses 3x8-12
    Calf Presses 4x15-20
    Seated Calf Raises 4x10-15
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Mass Day 2  
       
    Day 4  
    Moderate-Grip  
    Lat Pulldowns 3x5(warmups)
    4x6-10(heavy)
    T-Bar Rows 3x6-10
    Seated Cable Rows 3x6-10
    Standing Pulldowns 3x8-12
    to-the-face 3x8-12
    DB Shrugs 3x8-12
    DB Curls 3x8-12
    Hammer Curls 3x10-15
       
    Click For Printable Log of Building Mass Day 4  
       

    Chapter 6
    Diet Is Everything

    Believe it or not, there are different ways to diet. When someone mentions diet, they suggest that they must lose weight. Not necessarily. Bodybuilders have diets, a weight-gain diet and a leaning down diet.

    For this report, I'm going to discuss the aspects of a weight-gain diet. Supplements alone won't do much unless you change your diet. Now this doesn't mean go out and eat everything including the stuff that you know will pack on fat.

    You want to be a "smart-pig", literally. You want to eat for muscle-gain, not weight-gain. To weight-gain is not to gain fat weight. I have three diets outlined below that can be used in conjunction with your routine, your smarts, and your supplements.

    Now the last one, most mesomorphs (naturally muscular) or ectomorphs (naturally skinny) won't gain much off, but endomorphs (naturally big) can gain a lot on this diet.

    Muscular-Weight Gain Diet  
    MEAL ONE MEAL FOUR
    Cheese omelette Protein drink
    Milk Supplements
    Supplements  
       
    MEAL TWO MEAL FIVE
    Tuna salad Broiled steak
    Slice of hard cheese Baked potato
    Orange juice Green vegetable
      Milk
      Supplements
       
    MEAL THREE MEAL SIX
    Broiled Chicken Cold cuts
    Rice Yogurt
    Small salad Raw nuts and seeds
    Iced tea Milk
    Supplements  

    Classic Mass-Building Diet
    MEAL 1 MEAL 5
    2 EGGS STEAK OR CHICKEN
    (BROILED OR BAKED)
    2 TOAST BAKED POTATO
    GLASS OF SKIM MILK A SLICE OF BREAD
      MILK
       
    MEAL 2 MEAL 6
    1 SLICE OF CHEESE BANANA
    GLASS OF SKIM MILK MILK
       
    MEAL 3  
    1/4LB HAMBURGER(LEAN)  
    BAKED POTATO  
    MILK  
       
    MEAL 4  
    2 EGGS  
    MILK  

    CLASSIC WEIGHT-GAIN DIET  
    BREAKFAST DINNER
    2-4 Scrambled Eggs 1-2 Pieces of Chicken
    1-2 Toasted Bagels 1-2 Baked Potatoes
    1-2 Glasses of Orange Juice Green Salad
       
    LUNCH
    1-2 Turkey or Roast Beef Sandwiches  
    Fruit  
    Mixed Vegetables or Rice  

    Now none of these diet plans are made in stone. You can have broiled fish instead of broiled chicken or steak. But whatever it is it must be one of three things.... broiled, baked, or steamed (vegetables). NEVER fry anything.

    They have tons of fat and that won't aid in helping your goal at all. Your main focus is protein... the muscle builder. Get as much as you can. If you choose a weight gainer, make sure you take enough throughout the day so that your body can use it. Sort of give it more than it needs.

    If you choose a meal-replacement, then substitute one of the meals for it, so that you won't miss a meal, which is always good. Also, milk is your new best-friend since it widely used in any protein supplement.

    Milk also has protein so the more the merrier, but using water is also an option. Also you'll pack on the weight more this way. Count calories and keep track if you can. Sometimes it's a bother to count all, but try nonetheless.

    One last important thing, you must consume the amount of protein equal to your bodyweight. For example, if you are 225 lbs, you must consume in the range of 175 to 225 grams of protein daily. Don't fall short of this.

    Just take your bodyweight and subtract 50 lbs to get your range or click on the "scale" below. Also, drink water constantly when you're not eating. This serves to get you leaner and bigger too.

    Bodyweight Protein Consumption Range
    185 135 185
         

    Chapter 7
    Putting It All Together

    Now everything that I've put in this report has been about size and strength, but it won't work unless you try it. If you're a beginner, try everything and look around supplement stores and the Internet for more info.

    I can tell you everything about nutrition, but it's all about how your body works with certain foods and how you burn it off. It's a plus to get your body fat tested so you know where you stand. If you carry more muscle than fat, your bound to burn more calories since muscles burn everything. You might have to adjust your diet so that your muscles are practically overrun with protein.

    If you're vice-versa, then you are hard-wired for gaining weight, but you must focus on getting muscle so you need just as much protein as the next person.

    On the routines, your main focus is mass, but at the same time keep good form and go up in weight every workout, especially on the assistance work (i.e., curls, pushdowns, rows, etc.). Learn good form on squats and deadlifts before you move up in weight in them.

    Also, cut your cardio work down to at least once or twice a week. If you do cardio too much it will only work against you. Do cardio on days you don't train. Now all this info won't work unless you're dedicated, motivated, and determined to do so and willing to do it without the use of steroids.

    And one last note, READ IRONMAN MAGAZINE! It's the best out there on routines and diets and good information. I read Ironman as a beginner and you should too. Well, that's it for this report. I'll have another later on for getting ripped, until then, take care and get big.