Mass gain training program and nutritional recommendations

Gaining muscle mass is a goal that unites beginners and professional athletes in the gym. A simple desire that requires a lot of effort - a combination of proper nutrition and a well-structured training split.

Huge, defined muscles - it certainly looks beautiful, impressive, if we talk about large volumes. To impress others with your form, check out the mass gain training program and recommendations presented in this article.

Rules for an effective training program for gaining muscle mass

It is not easy to increase impressive volumes, even if you devote yourself entirely to what you love. You have to work hard in and outside the gym to achieve a beautiful body. In particular, this applies to nutrition, training split and daily routine. You also need the right training program to gain weight. It will be most difficult for ectomorphs - they will have to eat a lot and work hard.

Note that gaining large amounts of pure muscle mass is much more difficult than losing excess weight. Gaining mass lasts longer, during this period you have to give it your all in the gym, eating through force.

There are several ways to provoke abundant muscle growth. Of course, this does not include mindlessly lifting the barbell at random amplitudes without a fixed number of repetitions or time under load. Over the years, bodybuilding has developed its own principles that have proven their effectiveness. They help athletes from all over the world build muscle mass.

The most common mistake in bodybuilding

Walk into any gym and you will see young guys doing split training. That is, they lift 5-6 times a week, devoting each day to a specific muscle group. They perform a mind-boggling number of repetitions in each set, pushing themselves to the point of complete exhaustion, because they so dream of having a pumped up and sculpted body... I personally saw how they managed to do 10 isolation exercises per muscle, hitting it from all sides. I'm sure all this is familiar to you too.

Many guys have read popular sports magazines and imagined that such separate training is the path to success. Or maybe they saw those fashionable dudes with an important look and impressive biceps training in the same gym? And they wanted to achieve the same results. And what, a monkey sees, a monkey does, as one ancient wise proverb says.

In reality, most sane guys wouldn't train like this. Why? Yes, because in 5 years they will look exactly the same as today. And they want more mass... Those few who still took split training as a basis are conditionally divided into the following groups:

Genetic freaks - these guys gain muscle DESPITE split training, not because of it. They are truly the real lucky ones! I have met individuals who seemed to gain muscles just by looking at the weights. I don't want to be accused of racism, but it happens more often to dark-skinned people. And, nevertheless, even if you were lucky enough to be born with the constitution of Superman, I still advise you to refuse such separate training.
Steroid pumping is a very common phenomenon among powerlifters, especially professional ones. But there are also those who are categorically against any synthetic protein analogues. Before I equipped my home gym, I had to work out in a regular gym for 5 years, and, imagine, more than half of the guys were on anabolic steroids! And only thanks to them, they were able to achieve impressive amounts of muscle tissue, and not to dubious split training. Of course, such huge amounts of hormones introduced into the body cannot but contribute to muscle growth. But this is not about us, we don’t accept such unnatural methods, right?
Advanced lifters - this group includes the best of the best. If they use split training in their programs, it is only for polishing and sharpening their muscles. They just don’t need to gain weight anymore, they need to stay in good shape. Unfortunately, many guys put the cart before the horse... and all their attempts to fashion at least something are futile and useless... The reason is the lack of muscle mass, that is, building material. It is important to understand that split training will not produce results until you gain the required body weight. And this, in turn, requires good strength and endurance of the body.

Here's what that means: If you're a new, drug-free bodybuilder with average or worse, lousy genetics (like me), building muscle comes down to this:

If you haven’t lifted more weight today than you did a year ago or even a month, then you’re not building muscles, you’re suffering from bullshit!

And I don't care if you're hurt. You can press 14 kilos in each hand on a bench or on a BOSU machine until you're blue in the face... But a guy who benches 114 kilos will, in any case, have a more impressive chest. And that's only because he uses more weight in his exercises. Remember, more strength means more muscle.

It is no coincidence that super-strong people always have a courageous and attractive figure. This is natural. They know a simple law: “More strength – more muscles.”

Take, for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger , seven-time Olympia champion. Few people know, but Arnold's strength is not based on years of training. Heck, he even competed in powerlifting before pursuing a career as a bodybuilder!

And in his latest autobiography, “Total Recall,” the respected governor writes:

“The truth is not that all bodybuilders are naturally strong, especially those who built their bodies on weight machines. But years of powerlifting and working with free weights gave me my massive biceps, broad shoulders, strong back and sculpted hips. I realize that I look much bigger and stronger than others."

— Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall.

Arnold Schwarzenegger deadlifts 317.5 kg. He proved that “more strength equals more muscle”

The picture shows Schwarzenegger lifting weights of 280 and 322 kg in powerlifting competitions. This is a few years since he received his first Mr. Olympia title. His results in the squat of 215 and in the bench press of 200 kg also gained worldwide fame. Strong, isn't it? And he is far from the only person who understood the principle “More strength - more muscles.” Here are more examples of athletes who showed remarkable strength...

Franco Colombo, Arnold's training partner, was even more powerful. Franco, originally from Italy, was a champion powerlifter. His max deadlift was almost 343 kg, bench press – 238 kg and squat – 297 kg. He was so strong that he could easily burst the heating pad while inflating it. Arnold convinced Franco to compete in competitions, and the Italian bodybuilder won the Mr. Olympia title twice. He also followed the principle of “More Strength, More Muscle,” so he developed strength and endurance first before lifting the weight of his barbell.
Reg Park is known as Arnold Schwarzenegger's mentor. It was from him that Arnold gained knowledge and skills. He became the progenitor of the “More Strength – More Muscle” technique, convincing his students to develop the strength of their body, and only then maintain it with daily split training. Reg Park's maximum deadlift was 317.5 kg, bench press - 227 kg, squat - 272 kg. It was also his idea to create workouts in the 5x5 format (5 sets of 5 repetitions). Park won the Mr. Universe title three times and, unlike Arnold, did so much earlier than the advent of steroid supplements. This proves that building muscle by increasing strength really works, which makes us, ardent opponents of synthetic aids, happy.
Dr. Lane Norton – Professor, Ph.D. Professional bodybuilder, natural powerlifter, no steroid supplements. His deadlift is 317.5 kg, his squats are 280 kg, and his bench press is 175 kg. I once had the pleasure of interviewing Lane Norton for my StrongLifts forum, and he said this to me: “I would never have gotten rid of my skinny legs if I hadn’t increased my weight by 500 pounds, especially on the back squat.” This decision soon gave the required volume to his hips: they were 53 cm, but became 71 cm. Impressive, isn’t it? Once again it proves the rule “More strength – more muscles.”
And many, many others... This is Ronnie Coleman, eight-time Mr. Olympia, whose deadlift is 363 kg. His words became famous throughout the world: “Everyone wants to become a bodybuilder, but not everyone wants to lift heavy weights.” And Sergio Oliva , an Olympic athlete, he could lift a barbell of 136 kg high above his head! He was awarded the Mr. Olympia title three times. It is impossible not to mention Stan Efferding , the strongest professional bodybuilder, holder of the world record for barbell squats (387 kg). The list can go on for a long time...

One thing is clear: these champions would not spend their precious years developing strength and endurance if they were not sure that only through strength they could build a beautiful, sculpted, muscular body. Why do you think they, having switched to split training, continued to lift heavy barbells and dumbbells? Yes, because they knew the main secret of bodybuilding: “More strength - more muscles.”

But you don't HAVE to become a bodybuilder!

Isn't it true? Most guys consider the method of building muscle by accumulating strength, although not entirely revolutionary, but very effective. Few of us (at least I hope so) are eager to show off our biceps, doused in oil for added effect, by parading around the stage in a thong. But few people want to become a real bodybuilder, in the full sense of the word. And you can count on one hand those effeminate eccentrics who are only occupied with narcissism.

Instead of all this nonsense, normal guys want to have an athletic, toned figure, they want not only to appear strong due to an impressive torso, but also to be so. You will especially want this after you learn that the goal can be achieved by exercising for 1 hour 3 times a week, without taking any medications or supplements.

Most novice athletes do not even imagine that there is a worthy alternative to bodybuilding . They don’t even know how to gain muscle mass quickly without resorting to those tedious, ineffective split workouts. But you will find out now (if you didn’t know before). This is strength training .

Here's how it works: Every workout you try to increase the weight of the barbell and dumbbells. So, gradually, you become stronger, while at the same time adding volume to your muscles. Everything is simple, fun, relaxed. This is the fastest way to build muscle tissue, without supplements.

Another good news: you don't have to lift 317.5 kg like Arnold did. Damn, even I can't do it again! And yet, despite my poor genetics, I gained 19.5 kg of pure muscle weight without taking any steroids. How did I do this? Simple: I trained for strength, not for muscle growth . And if I did it, as did my like-minded people, then you can too.

Basic exercises for gaining muscle mass

Basic exercises are what can build beautiful, powerful muscles of an athlete. They should not be neglected - all mass training splits include basic exercises that involve the maximum number of muscles in one movement.

The most understandable example of basic exercises is the chest press on a horizontal bench, deadlift and squats with a barbell on the shoulders. "Powerlifting trio"

uses all the muscles of the human body.

Squats work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
During a bench press, the entire shoulder girdle comes into play: the pecs, deltoids, lats, triceps, biceps and abs act as stabilizers.
Deadlift - it uses about 70% of the muscles of the whole body: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lats, lower back, upper back, forearms, abs.

All three exercises are performed with heavy weights. This is facilitated by the number of muscle groups involved.

Working with maximum weights provokes muscle growth.

You cannot perform all three exercises on the same day - this may lead to overtraining. In a classic mass training split, one of the exercises comes first in the program for the day. After completing the base, you should start isolating, but not vice versa.

Basic exercises are the most difficult and energy-consuming. It is recommended to take a relatively long rest between sets - about 1-4 minutes, depending on the level of the athlete and the exercise being performed.

THE MAIN advantage of basic exercises

Note! The total training time (productively) should not exceed the one hour mark. The optimal time for classes is 40-60 minutes. Otherwise, the athlete may “catch” overtraining, or provoke muscle burning.

What does this mean in terms of calories?

Here's what the grams to calories conversion looks like for protein, carbs, and fat.

Protein – 4 calories per gram
Carbohydrates - 4 calories per gram
Fat - 9 calories per gram

So, going back to our 200 pound person, he needs to consume 3,350 calories per day. This figure can be used as a starting point for a person of his size to develop a menu for the month and gain weight.

Projectile weight, approaches and repetitions for weight

In a training program for gaining muscle mass for men, the most advantageous range of repetitions is from 6 to 12 in one set. Based on this, you should decide on the weight. The athlete should comfortably work with the apparatus for 3 working approaches, if you do not take into account the warm-up.

By the last repetition of the last approach, you should feel tired and tense. In this case, a training partner will come in handy more than ever.

Chasing weight is a mistake that beginner athletes make. The recipe for a pumped-up, massive torso is technically correctly performed exercises, in full amplitude. Control every step of the movement.

How many reps do you need to do to grow muscles?

Work to failure on the last rep of the extreme set. Don’t relax, because it’s failure repetitions that provoke abundant muscle growth. Use the help of an insurer.

Afterword

What's next? Then everything repeats again: a hard week, then an easy one, then again a hard one and again an easy one, a hard week, an easy one, and so on. The only and basic rule is that every hard week you should increase (or try to increase) the working weights. We adhere to this two-point rule. Point one. If you can perform a given number of repetitions technically correctly and without the help of a partner, increase the weight. Point two. If you can’t, work with weights until you can do step one.

How long to stick to this mass-gaining periodization scheme? As much as you want. It can be used endlessly. I leave this task for your independent work. For everyone determines for himself what he needs, what he wants to achieve, and what result he sets himself the goal of achieving. Our task is only to show how to do this.

Train with free weights

The best training program for gaining mass is one that focuses on compound exercises. Free muscle movement without isolation within a certain amplitude is another secret to gaining muscle mass. It turns out that if the athlete’s goal is to acquire impressive volumes, it is better to trust exercises with free weights, and relegate exercise machines to the background.

Basic exercises for gaining muscle mass with barbells and dumbbells involve the maximum number of muscle fibers, including auxiliary, stabilizer muscles. This helps to gain high-quality muscle mass.

Free weights or machines?

When working with a barbell or dumbbells, try to gradually increase the weight of the apparatus. The body tends to adapt - therefore, if you constantly give the same load, the process will stop. Under no circumstances allow your muscles to adapt!

Features of sports nutrition

Sports nutrition for building lean mass helps you increase your calorie intake for faster muscle growth. They can also replace 1-2 meals if you can’t eat simple food.

Some details:

Gainer is a food supplement that consists of 50-70% carbohydrates and 25%-50% protein. High-quality gainers include vitamins, creatine and microelements, as well as unsaturated fats and enzymes (for better absorption).

Whey isolate, or protein , is a popular nutritional supplement that meets the body's protein needs. The basis of the isolate is cow's milk, which has been purified from water, fat and various impurities. The approximate protein content is 85-95%.

Amino acids. Without the required amount of amino acids in the body, lean muscle growth is impossible, and especially without BCAA. BCAA is an amino acid that is not produced by the body on its own, but is nevertheless necessary. The best option is to take 2 servings of BCAA throughout the day: the first time on an empty stomach, the second immediately after finishing physical activity. There are also complete amino acid complexes - they contain a set of many amino acids already balanced for muscle growth. The frequency of their use depends on the severity of the loads experienced. The average value is 2 times a day: in the morning and before bed. However, remember that these are all just nutritional supplements. They cannot be completely replaced with nutrition.

Recovery after training

Beginners are mistaken in believing that the key to growth lies only in the right training programs for gaining muscle mass. In fact, to create the body of your dreams, you will need to follow a routine and get enough rest. Remember - muscles do not grow in the gym, but in breaks between classes, during the recovery process.

The optimal number of workouts per week for gaining weight is 3; if the body does not have time to renew its strength, it can be reduced to 2. It is important to know that large muscle groups recover in approximately 72 hours, small ones – 48. But keep in mind that each person is individual.

The goal of training in the gym is to cause microtrauma to the muscles. That's why volumes only increase during rest - muscle fibers gradually heal, recover, become larger and stronger.

How to properly recover after training

Don't forget about your sleep schedule: proper training is good, but your sleep schedule is no less important. Therefore, you need to ensure that you get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep inhibits muscle growth.

It couldn't get any worse![edit | edit code]

In bodybuilding, there are also unfortunate mistakes. What was considered useful suddenly turns out to be harmful.

Worst training method[edit | edit code]

Exercise equipment

Not a single muscle on our body works on its own. All muscles are united into large working groups. Meanwhile, exercise machines offer us to pump each muscle in isolation from the assistant muscles. It would seem that such aiming is commendable, but in reality it works against muscle coordination. What's the result? Never mind! Anyone who pumps muscles on exercise machines usually cannot boast of either mass or strength. The main tool for strength training is free weights!

Worst advice[edit | edit code]

Rest if your muscles hurt

Muscle pain cannot be an excuse from training. In bodybuilding, it is not a danger signal. It’s just that individual muscle fibers become overstrained during training, tear, and then send painful signals to nerve receptors. In general, the muscles are ready to work again. As for the pain, you just need to endure it. In return you will receive a nice bonus. If your muscles are sore and you exercise anyway, your body secretes a lot more testosterone.

Worst time for training[edit | edit code]

After cardio

Cardio causes record secretion of growth hormone. As a result, the repeated secretion of this hormone during subsequent strength training is extremely weak. As scientists have established, it is approximately 3 times lower than the statistical norm. Growth hormone is known to build muscle. Well, what if a negligible amount of it stands out?..

Worst type of equipment[edit | edit code]

Unstable support

It would seem that the lack of solid support under your feet would benefit your muscles. Strength training will be much more difficult. Performing the same squats on an unstable support is indeed much more difficult, but this does not help the muscles. In particular, the contractile activity of the quadriceps is reduced by 57%. The situation is no better with exercises for the core muscles.

The worst kind of cardio[edit | edit code]

Slow running

A comfortable pace of aerobics, when you easily talk with a neighbor on the treadmill or read a book lying on the stand of a cardio machine, burns too few calories and therefore does not lead to significant weight loss. Cardio intensity should be 75% of your maximum heart rate. (MP is calculated by the formula: 220 minus your age in years.) Only when this threshold is crossed, an improvement in the condition of the cardiovascular system and a slight decrease in blood pressure is observed. In order for fat tissue loss to begin, the intensity of aerobics should be increased to 80-85% of MP.

Nutrition for gaining muscle mass

Even the most effective training program aimed at gaining weight is useless if the general rules for creating an athlete’s menu are not followed. Nutrition is one of the keys to building a massive, toned torso. After all, everything a person eats serves as the foundation for his body. First of all, it’s worth thinking about the daily intake of dietary fat: proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are energy for our body, and protein is material for building muscles. Depending on the athlete’s size and weight, daily calorie consumption ranges from 2500 to 4000 during the period of mass gain. Nutritionists and experienced athletes recommend giving preference to slow carbohydrates in the first half of the day, and protein-rich foods in the second.

Where should I start?

Compliance with the following conditions will help you increase your weight by at least 10 kg:

reduce stressful situations, consult a psychologist;
observe the daily routine: night rest - 7-9 hours, 60 minutes - daytime relaxation, rest, walk in the fresh air;
eat foods high in calories, fats and carbohydrates;
eat proteins: cottage cheese, meat, eggs, fish;
drink protein shakes;
take vitamin complexes;
be examined by a gastroenterologist.

The ratio of balanced nutrition and rest will allow a man to gain 2-2.5 kg in 7 days. An important condition is not to overeat. A sharp, significant increase in calorie content will lead to upset stomach and internal organs. You need to start gradually, increasing the amount of food consumed every day. We must not forget about proper sleep, be sure to rest during the day.