Indulge us for a minute, if you will, while we play amateur psychic and glance inside your mind at some of your deepest thoughts and desires. You're a guy who's interested in getting ... bigger, yes, that's it! You also want to get ... stronger. Wait a minute, further to just wanting to get bigger and stronger, you also want results in the shortest possible time! Yes, now that's it. MuscleMag, the seer of seers, has spoken.

Okay, so you're not impressed. Maybe we're not clairvoyant, but it doesn't take David Blaine to figure out that if you're reading this magazine, and more specifically an article titled "GET BIG NOW!," then you're looking to get big ... now. You need a straightforward, no-nonsense training program that's guaranteed to jack you up.

It's a pretty well-established truism that if you want power-packed size, you'd better get yourself closely acquainted with "The Big Three" — the squat, deadlift and bench press (as if we had to tell you). Each of these lifts, which happen to comprise the sport of powerlifting, is considered the ultimate test of strength for the areas of the body they cover. These three moves also share the ability, when performed correctly, to pack pounds of muscle to your frame faster than you can say Kazmaier.

What's The Big Idea?
Phase 11 of the MuscleMag Anabolic Size and Strength System (M.A.S.S) is a six-week program that, at its core, emphasizes the squat, deadlift and bench press on separate training days. Of course, they aren't the only exercises in your routine — we'll also add complementary exercises that powerlifters frequently do, so you can make even faster gains. With a focus on building strength in each of these three main lifts, you'll strengthen your basic foundation, creating a solid base upon which all bodybuilding exercises can later build. Establishing a strong foundation is why this type of program is so important to strength athletes and pro bodybuilders alike.

The game plan is simple: We've broken your training week into three main work days and added another day for smaller touch-up muscle groups — namely the calves, abs and forearms. Monday's workout will revolve around the squat — on this day you'll do a number of other thighs and calves exercises as well. Wednesday's routine will be bench press-centric, which is a good way to ground your chest, shoulders and triceps training. On Friday you'll be doing deadlifts and ancillary exercises for your back and biceps. Saturday's workout focuses on those smaller muscle groups. In total, this program involves only four days in the gym per week, leaving plenty of time to recuperate. Recovery is going to be just as important as your workouts if you want to see results with this program. Make sure to get ample amounts of rest — this isn't your typical high-volume bodybuilding program, after all. You should also eat plenty of high-protein, nutrient-rich foods to ensure you're providing the building blocks for muscle fibers to grow optimally. Remember that growth stimulation takes place in the gym, but the actual process of rebuilding occurs long after the workout is over, and only if the essential nutrients are available during your recovery process.

You'll perform seven sets of the focal exercise in each of your workouts (squat, bench press, deadlift). There are three two-week segments in this plan and the rep scheme will vary over the course of each. The first set of Phase 1 (weeks 1-2) is done with a weight with which you can do 15 reps. From there, you'll pyramid up the weight as the reps drop — 15, 12, 8, 6, 6, 6 and 6 (last set only to positive muscle failure). The rep scheme for Phase 2 (weeks 3-4) is 12, 10, 6, 4, 4, 4 and 4 (last set only to failure). For Phase 3 (weeks 5-6) you'll do 12, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2 and 2 (again, last set only to failure). By decreasing the overall number of reps performed during the six weeks, you're giving your muscles the opportunity to build strength over each two-week cycle.

For the seventh set, you'll stick with the weight you used for your sixth set or you can go up a few pounds. You'll need to do at least two reps (during weeks 5-6) as you work toward positive muscular failure. You shouldn't be using a heavier weight than what you can handle for at least two reps. Using very heavy weights and having poor form on these particular exercises will increase your risk for injury, so pay attention to textbook exercise execution.

On your heaviest sets of these power moves, take an extra minute of rest between sets over what you normally do. This workout isn't a race. You'll be better recovered to lift the very heavy weights if you use a slightly longer rest interval. If you rush on these very heavy sets, you won't be able to push with maximal strength.

Aim to Fail
By now you're probably familiar with the term "muscle failure" and even incorporate the approach into your own training regimen. Despite being such a common term in bodybuilding vernacular, muscle failure represents a strong point for debate among physiology-minded theorists and top bodybuilders. One camp asserts that you elicit maximum muscle growth only by pushing target muscles to failure, and even beyond, for every set of every workout. Others recommend stopping sets just short of failure because the last reps put you most at risk for injury and can actually limit strength gains. We prefer to take a middle-of-the-road approach.

Scientific literature shows that pushing every set to failure can be counterproductive. Always taking a set to failure burns out the working muscles and the nervous system. Stressing the nervous system to the max even three days a week can lead to overtraining, or worse. Injury, illness and lethargy are all side effects that plague the overtrained bodybuilder ... and the overtrained bodybuilder simply doesn't grow.

There is merit to pushing to failure on a limited basis, however. When your muscles reach positive failure (when you can't lift the weight even one more time on your own with good form), muscle fibers that hadn't been called into play during prior sets are recruited into the movement pattern. These reserve fibers are the ones you want to call upon, and the final set of each exercise that you take to muscle failure is the set that's going to target these dormant fibers. Again, only one set is done to muscle failure — you're not going to get faster or better results with this training system by doing more sets to failure — thinking that more is better is counterproductive.

We're asking you to use heavy weights, so take extra care when training to failure. Dings to the scalp are definitely not part of the Big Three plan, and we assume you agree with us on this. Hence, it's a smart idea to squat or even bench press within a power rack. At the very least, you should have an attentive spotter on hand, especially on your heavy sets to failure. Interestingly enough, most bodybuilders can do an extra rep or two knowing a spotter is there to help and to provide a key psychological boost when taking a set to the limit. A good training partner can be an invaluable tool for reaching and surpassing your goals in the gym, especially with the Big Three plan. If you don't have a training partner, you might try hooking up with someone at the gym whose goals and strength levels are similar to yours. The motivation and support from a like-minded gym rat can translate into an extra 5-10% effort that will pay dividends on your physique.

After Six Weeks
This program is meant to be performed for six weeks, and then cycled with your regular bodybuilding routine for another six weeks. You can return to this kind of program at a later date, with the aim to outlift your previous cycle. However, this training method shouldn't be followed indefinitely because of the degree of stress that very heavy weights put on your joints. Furthermore, even the best training protocols start to lose their effectiveness after about six weeks. By periodizing your training (that's what science guys call cycling heavy and light training cycles), you're gains in muscle strength and size will be more steady, thus allowing you to avoid the kinds of plateaus that plague most bodybuilders who "train hard all the time." Wait a minute ... we're picking up a signal again. Now you're thinking that ... this approach sounds pretty smart and it's worth giving a shot. Truth be told, you don't have to read our minds to know that a planned training progression can help you achieve the gains you're aiming for. This is the answer that you seek.

 

 

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