Workout 2 is unique because it focuses on building muscle mass by concentrating the workout effort on three muscle groups. This concentrated effort will blast your overall body metabolism. These muscle groups are the largest in the body. By blasting these areas you will force growth onto the entire body. Craig Titus says, "We train heavy to build muscle." The deadlift, bench press, and squat all force the body to new levels of muscular development. The squat (performed at maximum intensity) in particular will really give your whole body a jolt that will cause amazing muscular growth.
The Legs -The legs are the largest muscle mass in the body. By stimulating the legs to grow, the metabolism of the entire body is challenged and stimulated to new levels. The major leg exercise is the squat. The squat is the "king of all exercises" for the lower body. Some argue that if they could only perform one exercise it would be the squat. Kevin Levrone points out that "high poundages and flawless form work best for me. That means free-bar squats, simple, intense, and heavy." Alq Gurley says that squats are one of his favorite movements for working the legs. He believes that if you are not as big as you want to be, then you should definitely do squats. "Squats develop the entire body as well as the quadriceps," he states. Achim Albrecht says that "you can have mass without muscle and muscle without mass, but in order to have both to a greater extent than your competition's, you must train harder, heavier, and longer than any of them, and how is that possible unless you do squats? When you max out with squats, not only do your legs grow to a greater extent than from any other exercise, but the rest of your body appears to grow with them ... my theory of the superiority of the squats goes much further than working the entire leg and lower-body complex as no other exercise can. I also feel squats should be approached as one and the same with maximum poundage. Squats take your psyche as well as your legs and entire body to an absolute limit. They are the ultimate test of your mental and physical strength; as such, they get you to your goal faster. Squats are the first exercise in my workout, the foundation of that day's training and absolutely essential for ultimate development." Dave Fisher says, "Anyone with really skinny thighs should devote lots of time and most of the first few years of training to heavy power-style training on basic exercises. Get a big squat and you'll get big thighs."
As you can see, the squat is crucial if you are to build massive muscles. The "20-repetition breathing squat" is famous for putting on muscle mass. This exercise is performed by doing exactly that - 20 repetitions with a deep inhalation on the down stroke and a couple of deep inhalations between repetitions. This is an extremely tough exercise and will challenge you to your limits. If performed properly (with just enough weight), one set will knock your socks off. It will also stimulate real muscle growth. For additional body benefits, perform pullovers immediately after the squat movement.
The stiff-leg deadlift is great for hitting the hamstrings and other parts of the body. This exercise is performed like a deadlift except the legs are kept straight and the head is pulled up, as is the upper back. The barbell should only travel down to about midshin level. A higher repetition range with this movement is also excellent. Lee Labrada and Pete Miller (Mr. America) both give high praise to this exercise for working the hamstrings.
The Back - The back is the second largest muscle group in the body, and the largest upper body muscle. There are several good back exercises for packing on pure muscle mass. The one-arm T-bar row is perhaps the best. Although most people are familiar with the T-bar row, few have progressed to using the one-arm version. The one-arm T-bar row is performed by simply pulling a barbell that is loaded on one end (and secured down on the other) up to the side region with one arm. Brace your free hand on your knee and pull. To make this exercise work, let the back stretch all the way down and in on the down stroke. Pull all the way up on the upper motion. This exercise is pure brute strength - man against iron. Use a moderately high-repetition range for great results (10 to 12 repetitions).
The chinup is a width movement, but it is the best for giving the upper back real size. The chinup should be performed for several sets (4 or 5) of as many repetitions as possible.
The deadlift is a tough and nasty exercise but it is also considered one of the very best of all size-building exercises. If you look through most any muscle magazine you will notice quite often that the big bodybuilders are doing a lot of deadlifts. Deadlifts stimulate the body to increased size and denseness. The deadlift is a key metabolic booster Tony Pearson says that while "doing deadlifts, you might just think you are working the back, but you're working the entire body." The strengthand conditioning coach at John Hopkins University, Bill Starr, writes, "Deadlifts, done properly, are among the most beneficial of all exercises for bodybuilders because they work so many large muscles of the body- back, quads, hamstrings, glutes and shoulder girdle ... no other exercise can build such mass and depth in your back." Other fitness writers echo that belief. For instance, Dave Maurice and Rich Rydin point out, "The deadlift is the most valuable exercise for overall back development. The erector spinae and the trapezius are worked the hardest, but even the lats are stressed." Use a repetition range around 5 to 8 per set for 2 or 3 sets.
The clean and jerk is an exercise that works several muscle groups in addition to the back. It is also a real metabolic booster. The strength and energy that this excellent exercise builds will really benefit the bodybuilder looking to pack on some mass. A 6- to 8-repetition range works well for the clean and jerk.
The Chest - The back muscles are the biggest muscle group of the upper body, but they only cover the back half. The chest muscles are the biggest group on the front of the body. The chest is best worked by what some consider the "king of all other exercises," the bench press. The bench press works many more muscle groups than the chest, stimulating the upper body to pack on some heavy mass. The power bench press is heavy work, and 3 or 4 sets of 5 to 8 repetitions will get the front of the upper body going strong. The other exercise to complement the bench press is the dumbell flye. The dumbell flye is the only dumbell exercise to qualify in the "metabolic blast" routine because, generally, barbells are better for a mass focus. However, this specialized movement puts the focus on the chest muscles in such a manner as to stimulate strong size gains. Performed on a flat bench, slowly lower the dumbells out and down from above chin level to as far down as possible with a slight bend in the elbows. Some have described this motion as that of hugging a tree or a heavy lady. Perform the dumbell flye for 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. This program works best if divided into specific parts. You can modify or move some of the workouts around, but try to keep the suggested guidelines for this routine intact if possible.
WORKOUT 2
Part A
Bench presses - 3 to 4 sets, 5 to 8 rep range
Dumbell flyes - 3 to 4 sets, 10 to 12 rep range
Stiff-leg deadlifts - 2 to 3 sets, 10 to 15 rep range
Squats - 1 set, 20 rep range
Part B
Chinups - 4 to 5 sets, to failure rep range
Deadlifts - 2 to 3 sets, 5 to 8 rep range
One-arm T-bar rows - 2 to 3 sets, 10 to 12 rep range
Clean and jerks - 1 sets, 6 to 8 rep range
Push yourself to the limit with each of these exercise sessions, but give yourself 2 to 4 days off between workouts, depending upon how well you recover between the two routines. These routines are not designed for fancy stuff but focus on the basics. A focus on the basics is key to massive muscle size. Also don't forget to eat heartily (nutritionally sound, of course), especially during this phase of your training. Use this mass size-building routine for 4 months straight. Stretch often, before, during, and after the workouts, giving both the upper and lower body a good relaxing stretch.
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The deadlift is a tough and nasty exercise but it is also considered one of the very best of all size-building exercises. If you look through most any muscle magazine you will notice quite often that the big bodybuilders are doing a lot of deadlifts. Deadlifts stimulate the body to increased size and denseness. The deadlift is a key metabolic booster Tony Pearson says that while "doing deadlifts, you might just think you are working the back, but you're working the entire body." The strengthand conditioning coach at John Hopkins University, Bill Starr, writes, "Deadlifts, done properly, are among the most beneficial of all exercises for bodybuilders because they work so many large muscles of the body- back, quads, hamstrings, glutes and shoulder girdle ... no other exercise can build such mass and depth in your back." Other fitness writers echo that belief. For instance, Dave Maurice and Rich Rydin point out, "The deadlift is the most valuable exercise for overall back development. The erector spinae and the trapezius are worked the hardest, but even the lats are stressed." Use a repetition range around 5 to 8 per set for 2 or 3 sets.
