Training for Mass - Chris Mason and others Input Welcome -

[ca_richard]

I'm new here and think this site is awesome - what makes this site great is all of the helpful input people give out.

First a little background. I'm 25 - 6'0 and 165lbs I've been working out for a number of years (mostly on and off) but want to get back into it hardcore. I've made modest gains in mass and strength over the last two years but those gains have really leveled off. Mostly its due to the irregularity of my routine (both diet and training).

In terms of my fitness goals I'd like to gain 15 lbs but greatly increase my strength (been lifting pretty much same weights for a year). I've been looking around for a general mass routine and have gotten alot of different input - I'm still debating about doing the Wannabebig routine or something else. I guess my question is what should a good mass training routine look like in terms of the fol..

. types of exercises and split
. # of sets per exercise - # of sets per muscle
. # of times muscle worked a week
. reps
. cardio

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Paul Stagg]

. types of exercises and split

** Primarily compound movements. The split is up to you - I wold train no more than 4 days a week.

. # of sets per exercise - # of sets per muscle

** Depends. In general, 2-5 sets per exercise. # per muscle will vary.

. # of times muscle worked a week

** Depends on your routine. Probably 1, unless you are going to go with a McCallum type routine, or an abbreviated routine

. reps

** Your call again. 6-12 seems a good range.

. cardio

** Limited. 2-3 times a week at most, 20 minutes a pop.

[J-Flyer]

Hey Rich, you and I have similar stats. I'll be doing the "big" routine within a few weeks. If you want to grow like me, I would begin to consume at least 3000 calories. Good-Luck!

I'll be doing this:
Training = Wanna Be Big Routine
Nutrition = 3200 cals to start. 30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat.

[chris mason]

Here's my 2 cents:

I recommend a four day split as such:

Mon/Thurs

bench press- 2 sets x 5/10
dips- 2 sets x 10/10
skull crushers- sets x 10/10
squats- 2 sets x 8/15
leg extension- 1 set x 10
leg curl- 1 set x 10
calf raise- 2 sets x 10/10

Tues/Fri

chins- 2 sets to failure
rows (T-bar or on a machine with a support for the chest)-
2 sets x 6/8
v-bar pulldowns- 1 set x 10
military press- 2 sets x 10/10
straight-bar curl- 2 sets x 8/10
shrugs- 2 sets x 10/10

All listed sets are performed to failure. The reps listed are to start with and then you can vary them until you find a range that works best for you. I recommend you stick with the listed reps for the first 4-5 workouts. Be sure to try to progress in either reps (whole or even partial), or weight during each and every workout. Perform warmups (2 sets usually) for the first exercise for each bodypart. After the first exercise, no warmup should be necessary. If you want to maximize you mass, then I recommend you skip the aerobic exercise for now. If you train in a gym or with a partner, you may use forced reps on the first exercise per bodypart.

[The Cobra]

Chris's routine would be a good one for you, Rich. One suggestion though, I'd put the legs (at least the squats) first on the day that you do them. Squats will be demanding enough, and if you've already done quite a bit of work beforehand, you won't be motivated to really push them. And doing heavy squats, to your limits, will be the best exercise for gaining mass (legs are your biggest muscles).

[gary]

IMHO:
The above routing (from Chris) is good as long as you are a "pure" beginner. Once you learn the proper form and how to HIT hard, its more likely that you would progress better with the same routine but 2-day split Mon/Fri.

Depends a lot on your genetics and recovery abilities...

[mesmall]

I like the routine posted by Chris.
As a side note, I thought the Latissimus Dorsi was the largest muscle ?

[Pup]

The routine that chris set up is prime, just remember that to build size you have to EAT. As far as the largest muscle in the body goes, the largest muscle in the body is the gluteus maximus, not your lats.

[chris mason]

With regards to the "pure beginner" thing, I used this program to go from about 185 lbs to 220 lbs naturally when I was 19-20 years old. I had already developed a respectable amount of size and strength, so that is a bunch of crap. Cobra's advice follows the line of thinking that you should train the largest muscles first in your routine. I think that reasoning is sound, but I recommend you follow the routine as posted because if you train legs first, you will have very limited energy for your chest and tris. I tried doing legs first, but if you really pound them you should be a complete waste when you finish them. By doing the chest and tris first, I found that I still had plenty of energy to hit the legs. The reverse was definitely not true.

[gary]

your recovery abilities rock! congrats! My genetics suck, good for me - don't have to be a gym rat.

btw: where are deadlifts? not that one cannot make progress without them, just wondering if you had any injuries to prevent you from doing them or any other theory...

The row machine with chest support... I use it often and find it easy after a chest workout day.

[chris mason]

Actaully I don't think that I have particularly good recovery, especially these days. I don't mention deadlifts because I never used them much. I have expressed my opinion on them many times on this board. The squat is a better exercise for the legs and glutes and your other muscles will get plenty of work with your upper body exercises. I don't think the routine would allow for both exercises (too much redundancy). By the way, even though I never used them for any length of time, I was always quite strong when I did them. This, to me, is further evidence that if you perform heavy squats and exercise the upper body, you are getting all of the stimulation you need.

[chris mason]

Remember one thing, I am giving a routine to an individual who weighs 165 lbs or so at 6' tall. He obviously has room to grow and will not tax his recovery ability excessively when he trains. Just for your information, I train once every 4 days currently, and I perform one set to failure. I think the outlined routine will work wonders for him at his current level of developement and could do the same for quite a few of the readers.

[Paul Stagg]

Chris knows his sh*t.

Listen to him.

That routine will put muscle on anyone.

[ca_richard]

Thanks everyone for the input. you advice is well received. I was wrestling over the idea of the wanna be big routine and something where each muscle was trained twice a week - I'll give this routine a shot for a couple of months and post my results. As for the chest before legs thing - from my limited expereince I know that I couldn't do it the other way around once I do squats with high intensity I have no energy left to train anything else. One question on the routine though what are some tell tale signs that I may be overtraining. The reason I ask is its been a year or so since I trained muscles more than once a week.


Thanks for all the help. This site is great and its people like yourselves that make it so.

Cheers. ...

[chris mason]

If you are not progressing on a regular basis (not counting illness or injury), that is a very good sign that your body is overtrained. If you feel that you are not recovered in time for the next workout, feel free to take an extra day or two off. You don't have to train Mon/Thurs/Tues/Fri. I would try it exactly as written for a while and see how it goes. Remember, train like there is no tomorrow.

[ca_richard]

Thanks alot Chris - I'm starting the routine today.

[ca_richard]

One last thing on the reps all working sets should be to failure? And for example when you say

Bench 2 x 5/10

Do you mean reps should be between 5 and 10 or that the first set should be 5 and the second 10 (but to failure).

Thanks again

[chris mason]

First set should be 5 and the second 10. Yes, all working sets to failure.

[El Kelio]

Same as Paul Stagg, check your protein intake and get PLENTY of rest.



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Someday...
Keep pumping !