FAST GAINS IN SIZE AND STRENGTH
A Specialized Nutrition and Training Program for the Hard Gainer
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Steve Colescott
BMJ Volume 10
Bodybuilding is filled with dogmatic axioms. Most of these are either oversimplifications or just outright misinformation. In almost all of these though, there is a kernel of truth if you take the time to decipher where the idea originated and to whom it might aptly apply.
One of these axioms is that, as bodybuilders, we should try to eat every two-and-a-half to three hours (of our waking day at least). Now here is a rule of thumb which seems to have panned out but why two and-a-half to three hours? What is the rationale here?
Well, simple blood glucose testing will corroborate that if we go four or more hours between meals, glycogen levels steadily decline, the hunger mechanism kicks in and the body begins to liberate stored energy to increase blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, our bodies are not so accommodating that they would preferentially burn abdominal bodyfat for us. It is far more likely that this glycogen would come from broken down muscle tissue, which should be every bodybuilder's worst fear! Obviously more frequent feedings are needed.
So why not eat a big meal every ninety to 120 minutes? Of the two options, overly frequent feedings are preferable since that approach definitely will provide a steady flow of nutrients. The drawback? By the time you finished one meal, you would barely have time to rinse your dishes before having to start cooking your next one. From a physiological perspective, the drawback here would be that if one were to eat too soon after a meal, the first feeding would not have adequately digested and this may impair the absorption of the subsequent meal.
While each person's metabolic rate varies, and the gastric emptying rate will vary widely depending on what you've eaten (as well as secondary factors such as how well-chewed it is or how much and what you drank with the meal), it is still pretty safe to say that the "eat every two and-a-half to three hours" rule is a reliable, effective guideline.
But it's not the only way to do things.
What about small, almost constant nutrient feedings, trying to approximate the effect of an I.V. drip without the hassle of getting tangled up in feeding tubes? This isn't an entirely novel idea. Bodybuilding magazines from the fifties and sixties suggested the idea of daylong sipping of protein and/or the consumption of liver/amino tablets throughout the day. Best of all, this has been a theory that has proven almost universally result producing when applied in real life. With the advent of the current crop of extremely high-quality proteins, this strategy is even more effective today.
How should one design a continual protein-feeding program? First off, growth rarely comes in consistent incremental intervals. It comes in spurts; the huge forward leaps that we all hope are right around the corner. The beauty of this program is that we are going to go beyond hoping and we will be engaging in a program that, if followed consistently, will guarantee a noticeable forward leap in muscle growth!
What about small, almost constant nutrient feedings, trying to approximate the effect of an I.V. drip without the hassle of getting tangled up in feeding tubes? This isn't an entirely novel idea. Bodybuilding magazines from the fifties and sixties suggested the idea of daylong sipping of protein and/or the consumption of liver/amino tablets throughout the day. Best of all, this has been a theory that has proven almost universally result producing when applied in real life. With the advent of the current crop of extremely high-quality proteins, this strategy is even more effective.
How should one design a continual protein-feeding program? First off, growth rarely comes in consistent incremental intervals. It comes in spurts; the huge forward leaps that we all hope are right around the corner. The beauty of this program is that we are going to go beyond hoping and we will be engaging in a program that, if followed consistently, will guarantee a noticeable forward leap in muscle growth!
Basics of the Fast Gainer Program
This program was not designed for use on an ongoing basis. It was designed as a 9 1/2 to ten week long phase of your yearlong training program. From a periodization standpoint, this would be a Specialized Max Strength and Hypertrophy Phase. What this means is that we are going to be combining both heavy weights for low reps (Max Strength sets) and moderate-rep "bodybuilding style" (Repeated Effort) sets to thoroughly breakdown muscle cells.
What makes this program even more specialized in nature, is that we will also be using a fairly simple low-volume workout. After warming up, there are just five exercises in each of the workouts. Each of these sets will be worked incredibly hard though. This hard work is vital because we are going to stimulate new levels of muscle growth.
This brings us to the next component - the eight-scoop protein shake you will be drinking throughout the day during the course of this program. (Women may choose a 5-7 scoop serving size depending on their bodyweight and metabolism). This is the key component of the program. Simply blend a large thermosful of protein shake upon waking, sip it throughout the day, and finish it by the time you retire for the evening. Numerous studies have shown that increased periods of protein intake will predispose the body to greater levels of nitrogen retention, particularly while engaging in the type of grueling workouts that are part of this program. If you work from home or have an office with a nearby fridge, you may store your shake there but the visual reminder of a thermos on your desk seems to help keep your protein needs in mind. Here are some blending options (adjust as needed):
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The Dumbbell Clean and Press is one of the
best "whole body" GPP exercises.
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Supplements:
• Super Pak: Cover your nutritional bases with this comprehensive vitamin and mineral formula. Take one pack with breakfast.
• EFA Gold: Essential fatty acids are the ultimate health and body composition nutrient. Take six to twelve capsules daily with meals.
Optional supplements would include Muscle Synergy (three to four tablets upon arising, before and after your workout and before bed) to get the most from your Max Strength work, Muscle Mass BCAAs (fifteen to twenty tablets during your workout) and Ultra 40 Liver (four to six tablets taken three to four times a day or try the old Vince Gironda trick of taking two tablets every hour - or even one tablet with every sip of your shake).
The base of your nutrition program for the duration of this program should be the shakes and your solid food meals. Beyond that, the basic nutrient factors in Super Pak and the healthy fats in EFA Gold will provide an excellent foundation. Only add Muscle Synergy, Muscle Mass and Ultra 40 if you are consistently finishing your shakes and not skipping any of your whole food meals.
The continual protein feeding method is not just a theory. It was one of the more popular methods for adding muscular bodyweight in the pre-steroid era of bodybuilding. Hundreds of old-school, hard gaining made their first significant muscular gains with this method. I recommend you give it a try, stay consistent with your shakes and the training program which follows, and watch your size and strength go through the roof.
Fast Gainer Training Protocol
This program is the epitome of exercise economy. Every one of the included exercises packs serious strength and muscle building wallop. The real benefit of a streamlined program like this is that you can focus your efforts on just a few simple goals each workout. The game plan is simple: go in, hit it hard, and leave enough fuel in the tank to allow for maximum muscle growth.
Our general warm-up will begin with 5-8 minutes of cardio work on a treadmill, bike, rowing machine, elliptical trainer or stepper. Try to choose a cardio warm-up that comes the closest to approximating what you will be doing in the workout. For instance, the stepper brings into play a fuller range of motion in the hip joint than a bike or treadmill, so it will be a better warm-up for deep squats, lunges or leg presses. The goal here is to simply raise the core temperature of the muscles, increase general blood flow and get the mind into training mode.
Next, we do one or two GPP/Core Cycles. GPP stands for general physical preparedness (otherwise known as conditioning). Core refers to the stabilizing muscles of your midsection. If you haven't read my previous writings on the topic, a GPP/Core cycle is a complex of four of five basic multi-joint exercises done with no rest between sets. These are done with either bodyweight or very light poundages. These exercises are just meant to further warm-up the muscles and prepare your muscles and soft tissues to work through a full range of motion. My current favorite GPP/Core series is:
1. Push-ups (10 reps)
2. Dumbbell Clean and Press (10 reps)
3. V-up Leg Raises on a bench (10 reps)
4. Burpees (10 reps)
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Feel free to substitute exercises but try to choose a collection of movements that will bring almost every major muscle group into play. Perform 8-12 reps with no rest between exercises. Your heart rate should be increased and you should be breaking a sweat after going through this cycle. For those new to training or returning to training after a layoff, two to four of these cycles can be done to increase your conditioning and tolerance to exercise.
The 5-8 minutes of cardio and the one or two GPP/Core Cycles handles the general warm-up. We also need to include a specific warm-up. A specific warm-up is merely one to three light warm-ups sets preceding the major exercises for each body part/functional group. Keep the reps low on these warm-ups. High reps cause lactic acid release that hampers your strength and impedes your results. Five or six easy reps will wake up your muscles, lube your joints, and ensure that your head is in the right place for some serious work.
The workout program involves a four-way bodypart split. Each workout will involve one or two major max strength exercises that will be worked extensively with six heavy, all-out sets. Strength coaches generally categorize major compound exercises into one of four groupings in the following manner:
1. Lower body - quad dominant (i.e. Front Squats, Leg Presses, Lunges)
2. Lower body - posterior chain dominant (Romanian Deadlift, Good Mornings, Glute-Ham Raise)
3. Upper body push
a. Horizontal (Incline Press, Dumbbell Bench Press)
b. Overhead (Military Press, Press-Behind-Neck)
4. Upper body pull (Bent Row, Chin, Seated Cable Row)
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As we are going to be performing upper body pushing exercises from both angles - horizontal (for pecs) and overhead (for delts), this gives us FIVE major compound exercises. We will be working this with the same type of very simple (yet effective) linear progression periodization that is found in many traditional powerlifting programs. Linear progression involves a steady, gradual decrease in the reps as the weeks progress, with the weights increasing accordingly. In other words, rather than using a percentage of your one-rep maximum when determining poundages, you will use whatever weight you estimate (based on your performance in the previous microcycle) is appropriate for the required rep range.
So what will the rep range be for the six Maximum Strength sets? As mentioned earlier, we will be following the tried-and-true strategies of the classic powerlifting greats like Ed Coan, Mike Bridges and Kirk Kawarski. These early icons of strength prepared for meets by progressively decreasing their reps every one to two weeks while concurrently increasing their working poundages. When the day of their meet arrived they were prepared for to perform heavy all-out singles. In our program, this progression will look like this:
Micro-cycles 1 and 2: 5/5/4/4/3/3
Micro-cycles 3 and 4: 4/4/4/4/4/4
Micro-cycles 5 and 6: 4/4/3/3/2/2
Micro-cycles 7 and 8: 3/3/3/3/3/3
Micro-cycles 9 and 10: 3/3/2/2/1/1
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Please note that I used the term microcycle instead of week. A microcycle is often (but not always) a seven-day period. The microcycle's length consists of however long it takes to rotate once through your workout split. This program allows for two different options. The first is a repeating "two-on/one-off" protocol with the program being composed of four different workouts (Microcycle Option 1). It takes six days to go completely through one microcycle before it is repeated. But, if you're locked into a seven-day calendar, maybe your schedule requires that you have every Sunday off or there are certain days in which you would be unable to workout, it would be better to skip to Microcycle Option 2.
Microcycle Option 1:
Repeating two-on/one-off protocol:Listed below is a graph depicting how the workouts will play out over the course of the training cycle. The lower volume of this workout will ensure that one day off out of every three provides plenty of recuperation time. Following this routine you will get through ten workouts for each functional group in a 9 1/2 week period. Below is how Split Option 1 plays out over the course of the entire training cycle:
Split Option 1: Two-on, one-off; two-on, one-off (9 1/2 weeks)
* The letter denotes the particular workout from the charts that follow to do on a particular day.
WK Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 A B - C D - A
2 B - C D - A B
3 - C D - A B -
4 C D - A B - C
5 D - A B - C D
6 - A B - C D -
7 A B - C D - A
8 B - C D - A B
9 - C D -
For those of you that require a steady, calendar-stable workout schedule, Microcycle Option 2 adds a second rest day each week to stabilize the workout days to match a calendar week. For example, Monday is always lower body (quad dominant and posterior dominant chains); Tuesday is always chest and triceps, off Wednesday; Thursday - back and biceps; Friday - shoulders and traps; then off Saturday and Sunday.
Microcycle Option 2:
This graph shows how the workouts play out using the calendar-stable Option 2. Note that you are still training each functional group ten times but now this takes a full ten weeks to complete. Either option will be effective but if you are able to choose either one, the first option will get you there faster. Decide which one is best for your living situation.
Split Option 2: Two-on, one-off, two-on, two-off (10 full weeks).
WK Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 - A B - C D -
2 - A B - C D -
3 - A B - C D -
4 - A B - C D -
5 - A B - C D -
6 - A B - C D -
7 - A B - C D -
8 - A B - C D -
9 - A B - C D -
10 - A B - C D -
A Two-Front Attack
I have already detailed how we will be using maximum poundages for low reps. For those of you that have been doing traditional 8-15 rep bodybuilding workouts, this will provide a very unique stimulation. What you will find (in addition to incredible strength gains and a transformation to a thicker, denser physique) is that heavy, 1-5 rep sets seem easy.
By easy, I mean that six heavy low-rep sets will not make you feel physically worn out like a half-dozen twelve-rep sets with lighter weights. This is because moderate (6-12) to high rep (12+) sets deplete muscle glycogen stores and can cause build up of lactic acid in the muscles ("the burn"). Higher intensity sets (with weights at or above 85% of your one-rep max) have a neurological effect as well as a muscular one. You are literally training your nervous system to contract the needed muscle fibers in order to exert maximal strength. From a recovery standpoint low-rep strength work should not be taken lightly (pardon the pun) as one can easily overtrain even if they do not experience an immediate depleted feeling.
An ideal combination: Low-rep power work combined with targeted intensification techniques
Your goal should be to give primary emphasis on your low-rep power work; with the objective of maximally increasing your weights over the course of the program. With the neurological strength work handled, the next step will be to trigger hypertrophy in every muscle fiber possible. Because we have already made some inroads into our recovery abilities with the strength work, we want to do this in as efficient a manner as possible. Our strategy then will be to do just a few sets (4-6) with some special intensification techniques in order to shock awake even the groggiest muscle fibers.
One of our intensification techniques, Peak Contraction will increase the "feel" on specific exercises. The other techniques are ways to extend the work beyond what would normally be the completion of a traditional set. For those of you that may not be familiar with these techniques, here is a brief explanation:
Peak Contraction: We've all been taught the value of squeezing the contraction position (the top point) in Leg Extensions. A two-second hard squeeze can cause a greater recruitment of muscle fibers. This technique also works well on rowing exercises for the back, triceps kickbacks and extensions and most calf exercises.
Super-sets: By doing two exercises with no rest between them, more fibers in the targeted work area can be recruited. This is especially useful when combining an isolation (single-joint) and compound movement (multi-joint). Perform the first exercise to failure and then proceed immediately to the second one. If possible have the poundages already set up before you begin. After completing both movements, rest two minutes before proceeding to the next exercise or super-set.
Drop-sets: Basically, this is super-setting one set of an exercise with a second set of the same exercise with less weight. This technique lends itself particularly well to exercises with pre-set weights (such as dumbbells or weight stacks) in which you first work to failure and then reduce the resistance by about 30% (by either pulling one of the set weight stack pins or grabbing lighter dumbbells) and continuing on to failure a second time.
Rest Pause: Rather than reducing the poundage in order to extend the set, the Rest Pause technique we'll use involves taking a set to failure and then pausing for two to three slow deep breaths, allowing for enough recovery so that you can continue on to knock out a few more reps. This technique works well for exercises like Squats and Leg Presses in which weight adjustments would be difficult.
Burns: The final technique will we be using is Burns, which are quite simply partial reps on an exercise after it becomes impossible to perform any more full-range reps. This technique works particularly well with deltoid, forearm and calf training. It will quickly become obvious where this technique derives its name.
The Workout
Special Note:
This is an INTENSE program and the full program should only be attempted by those with a solid foundation of strength and conditioning. For men, you should be able to Squat with at least one and a half times your bodyweight for three reps and Bench Press your bodyweight for one rep. Women should be able to perform one Squat with their bodyweight and Bench Press half their bodyweight for three reps.
If you are unable to do this then I recommend that you adjust the programs by doing three cycles of the GPP Core Series (in order to build your tolerance for exercise) and only do two sets of each of the Repeated Effort Sets. You should also only do drop-sets, rest pause or burns on the final set of these exercises.
Workout-A
Cardio warm-up 5-8 min.
GPP Core Series 1-2 cycles
1 Front Squat 1-2x6
Front Squat 6x*
2A Leg Ext PC SS 3X10-15
2B Non-lock Leg Press RP 3X8-12
3 Romanian Deadlift 1-2x6
Romanian Deadlift 6x*
4 Leg Curl DS 3x8-12
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• Note that all warm-ups are in light grey. DO NOT neglect these. This is a low volume program so a thorough warm-up will allow you to confidently push every one of your heavy work sets to the wall.
• Front Squats are the best size and shape building exercise for legs. In other words, they build size in all the right places. Front Squats seem to develop the prized "teardrops" on either side of the knee. If you've ever seen the legs of Jeff King (1983 AAU Mr. America, NABBA Mr. Universe) he was an excellent example of the benefits of this exercise. Pardon the blasphemy, but I actually preferred King's leg development over that of the great Tom Platz. Platz's wheels were freakishly huge but lacked the meaty teardrops and top-to-bottom balance that King's possessed. When you get to the point that you are Front Squatting what the other guys in the gym are using for their regular Squats, legs will no longer be a weak point.
• Go strict yet heavy with the Leg Extensions, pausing for a three-count on the contraction.
• Go immediately to the Non-lock Leg Press. Use ultra-strict form, only going 3/4 of the way up and no pausing at the bottom. Expect to sacrifice weight for feel on this one. Once you've reached failure on the last two sets, pause (with legs extended) for 2-3 deep breaths before trying to get 3-4 more reps.
• The Romanian Deadlift is perhaps the best exercise for developing hamstring strength and size. The movement is similar to a Stiff-legged Deadlift, with the same constant arch in the lower back to both protect the spine and enhance the stretch on the hamstrings, but the bar is kept close to the legs throughout the exercise. If you are new to these, break in to them slowly and expect some soreness at first.
• Lower the resistance extremely slowly on the Leg Curl in order to get any remaining muscle fibers screaming. (Try for half of normal speed on the eccentric portion). On the last two sets, go to failure then pull the pin, reducing the weight by 30% and knock out as many more strict reps as possible.
Workout-B
Cardio warm-up 5-8 min.
GPP Core Series 1-2 cycles
1 Incline Press 1-2x6
Incline Press 6x*
2A Flat Flyes SS 3x8-12
2B Pec Dips DS/RP 3x8-12
3 Close-grip Bench 1-2x6
Close-grip Bench 6x*
4 45° DB Triceps Ext. DS 3x8-12
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• Basic but effective: Incline Barbell Presses, if worked hard will make your pecs sore from collarbone to sternum.
• Perform a slow, accentuated negative on the Flat Dumbbell Flyes. It's okay to bend your elbows on this one. Super-set each of these sets with...
• Pec Dips. I differentiate these from Triceps Dips as the form is dramatically different. To emphasize the pectoral muscles, tuck your chin down towards your chest, bend slightly at the waist so that your feet are under your face and you spine is slightly rounded forward, keep the elbows out wide from the body, lower for a deep stretch and only go up 3/4 of the way. Those that are strong enough to do more than twelve reps on all three sets should add additional weight. Each set should be worked to failure. If you are among the few that use additional resistance, go to failure on the last two sets and then remove the added weight before immediately gritting out as many more strict reps as possible. If you are using bodyweight resistance, go to failure and then take a rest pause of three deep breaths before trying to continue for as many more reps as you can get.
• To get the most from the Close-grip Bench, keep the elbows in and tense the triceps hard at the top.
• Keep a second pair of dumbbells in front of you so that you can immediately, do a drop-set on your last two sets of 45° Dumbbell Triceps Extensions.
Workout-C
Cardio warm-up 5-8 min.
GPP Core Series 1-2 cycles
1 Bent Row 1-2x6
Bent Row 6x*
2A Straight-Arm Pulldown PC SS 3x8-12
2B Undergrip Pulldown PC RP 3x8-12
3 Alternate Dumbbell Curls 1-2x6
Alternate Dumbbell Curls 6x*
4 Seated Cable Curl DS 3x8-12
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• The Bent Row is done in "classic style." This means with a shoulder-width over grip pulling the weight to the navel area. Pause briefly before lowering the weight. As with any exercise of this nature, keep your lower back arched and your knees unlocked.
• One of the few lat isolation exercises, Straight-Arm Pulldowns should be done with the arms completely locked throughout the range of motion. Pause at the contracted point for a two-second count. Super-set these with…
• Undergrip Pulldowns. Use a shoulder-width under-grip, starting from a stretched position and pulling the bar down to your ribcage for a two-second pause. Go to failure with an additional rest pause on the final two sets.
• We are going for heavy weights on the Alternate Dumbbell Curls so feel free to slightly cheat the weights up as the set progresses but emphasize a S L O W controlled descent.
• Perform the Seated Cable Curl seated down on your haunches in front of a low pulley. Rest your elbows on the insides of your knees to stabilize them similar to a Preacher Curl. Go to failure and then perform a drop-set on the last two sets (a 30% decrease
should be perfect). You can substitute Dumbbell Concentration Curls if you do not have the set-up for the Cable Curl.
Workout-D
Cardio warm-up 5-8 min.
GPP Core Series 1-2 cycles
1 Press-Behind-Neck 1-2x6
Press-Behind-Neck 6x*
2A Lateral Raises B SS 3x6-10
2B Upright Rows DS 3x6-10
3 Barbell Shrugs 3x8-12
4 Calf Press PC B 5x10-15
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• Since the shoulder is a delicate joint, prone to easily being injured, do not neglect your warm-up sets. Although I normally recommend a full range of motion, I don't recommend that you lower the bar to an extremely low bottom position. Merely lower the bar below the height of your ears rather than down all the way to your traps.
• Lateral Raises should be done heavy yet strict, with a weight that causes you to fail in the 6-10 rep range. Do 3-4 burns (partial range reps at the bottom of the range of motion) to work them hard. Go immediately to…
• Upright Rows with a shoulder-width grip. Lead with the elbows high so that stress is placed on the deltoids. If possible, have a second, lighter bar prepared so that you can go directly to a drop-set once you reach failure.
• Get a three-count pause at the contracted (top) position to get the most out of your Barbell Shrugs.
• Perform Calf Presses on a leg press machine. Go strict, pausing at the top and bottom for both a peak contraction and a thorough stretch. Once you reach failure, do as many short-range burns as you can handle.
KEY
Warm-up set PC Peak Contraction
Max Strength set SS Super-sets
Repeated Effort set DS Drop-sets
RP Rest Pause
B Burns
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Daily Eating
Just to give you an idea of what your daily eating will be like, here is a suggested diet program. Of course, the shake will be a part of every meal as well as between meals. Do not neglect your salads, veggies and fruit so that you have enough fiber to keep your digestive tract healthy.
Meal One
(Shake)
Eggs plus a couple of extra whites
Oatmeal or toast with peanut butter
Banana
Meal Two
(Shake)
Nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)
Yogurt (no sugar added)
Apple
Meal Three
(Shake)
Roast beef sandwich (1-2) or salad with grilled chicken
Meal Four
(Shake)
Nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)
Yogurt (no sugar added)
Apple or orange
Meal Five
(Shake)
Steak
Rice or sweet potato
Broccoli and cauliflower
Meal Six
(Shake)
Cottage Cheese w/ pineapples chunks
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Give the "continual protein feeding
method" a try, stay consistent with your
shakes and training, and watch your size
and strength go through the roof.
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Afterwards
So you've followed the Fast Gainer program utilizing the Continuous Protein Feeding Method and find yourself ten weeks later with dramatic increases in strength and slabs on lean muscle layered onto your body. Now what?
To begin with, take 5-7 days off from the gym (with no supplements during this period, including shakes). This period of active rest will give both your mind and body a break from the rigors of hard training. Stay active with non-taxing recreational endeavors (like swimming, hiking, racquet sports, basketball, etc.). At this point, you are ready to begin a Hypertrophy Phase. The new levels of strength you have built will make this an even more productive training mesocycle than it would have been before. For a complete Hypertrophy Phase program send an email to bevnut@aol.com with Hypertrophy in the subject line. You are now one large step closer to your goal of a stronger, leaner, more muscular and shapely physique. Train hard.
