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Simply Huge: Mass Gain
We’ve all known people who make things more complicated than they need to be. At work, there’s the boss who requires meeting after mind-numbing meeting and procedures that rival a NASA rocket-launch sequence. (Come on, how many steps does it really take to order new staplers?) For you, Office Space seemed more like a documentary than a comedy. Or perhaps your girlfriend turns dinnertime into a harrowing game of Jeopardy!, leaving you to guess just what she’s craving. “What do I want for dinner? What is ‘It obviously doesn’t matter, Alex?’” The gym is supposed to be a safe haven from the lunacy of your daily life. There’s no good reason to make it harder than necessary with a difficult-to-follow, overwrought training program when a straightforward approach will get you exactly where you want to go - and faster.
This six-week plan cuts through all the noise. At its heart, it’s plain yet powerful. Splitting the body over four training days, you’ll use a selection of unpretentious and effective exercises, sans complex techniques and tricks. Lift a heavy weight for the prescribed reps, rest two minutes and do it again. See? Simple.
Fundamentals Focus
The program breaks down your training as follows: Day 1 is chest and triceps; Day 2 is legs; Day 3 is shoulders, traps and abs; and Day 4 is back and biceps. In Weeks 1, 3 and 5 of this six-week plan, you’ll do six reps per set with one “pump” set of 25 to finish each exercise, while in Weeks 2, 4 and 6 you’ll do 12 reps to failure on all sets (except for calves and abs).
The 6/25 rep scheme in the odd-numbered weeks is an excellent hybrid designed for strength and mass development, encouraging muscle breakdown, rebuilding and growth. The low-rep, high-intensity sets are followed by sets of 25 reps that flush the target muscle with blood, giving you a serious pump. And that pump isn’t just for show, friends. Working out produces waste products in the muscle cells - the result of burning glucose and fat to fuel muscular contractions. That waste buildup draws water inside muscle cells, and as with a balloon, the more water that the muscle cell can hold, the bigger the pump you’ll experience. The pump essentially stretches the muscle cell, making the muscle itself momentarily bigger and initiating biochemical pathways that prompt permanent growth.
The strategy in the even-numbered weeks is to hit the muscle-hypertrophy sweet spot: 12-rep sets, each to failure. You want to pick a weight with which you can get 12 reps - no more - so err on the heavy side. Say you get eight reps with a weight and fail - that’s no problem, just immediately reduce the weight by 20%-30% and finish out your last four reps. Or an attentive spotter can help you through some forced reps to reach the target.
Straight to the Point
Although this program is devoid of fancy tricks, that doesn’t mean it’s not potent. You can build size and strength, and best of all, make the gym your “quiet place” from all the complications of work, home and family. If you were a contestant on a certain previously mentioned game show, you might even say, “What is ‘;the perfect solution?’”
Training Plan
>> In this program, you’ll perform each workout once per week and take three days off each week (for example, lift on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday). Use this six-week training plan once, or repeat it - it’s built for results both in the short term and over the long haul.
Weeks 1, 3, 5
Day 1: Chest + Triceps
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Chest | Incline Bench Press | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Smith Machine | 3 | 6 | |
| Bench Press | 1 | 25 | |
| Incline Flye | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Weighted Dip | 3 | 6 | |
| Bodyweight Dip | 1 | 25 | |
| Triceps | Close-Grip Bench Press | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Cable Pressdown | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Lying Triceps Extension | 3 1 | 6 25 |
Day 2: Legs
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Thighs | Squat | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Leg Press | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Leg Extension | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Calves | Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 25 |
Day 3: Shoulders + Traps + Abs
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Shoulders | Overhead Barbell Press | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Upright Row | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Seated Lateral Raise | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Seated Bent-Over | 3 | 6 | |
| Lateral Raise | 1 | 25 | |
| Traps | Barbell Shrug | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Abs | Hanging Knee Raise | 2 | 20 |
| Kneeling Cable Crunch | 2 | 20 |
Day 4: Back + Biceps
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Back | Deadlift | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Bent-Over Barbell Row | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| T-Bar Row | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Biceps | Barbell Curl | 3 1 | 6 25 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 1 | 6 25 | |
| Preacher Curl | 3 1 | 6 25 |
* Doesn’t include 1-2 light warm-up sets on the first exercise for each bodypart.
Weeks 2, 4, 6
Day 1: Chest + Triceps
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Chest | Bench Press | 4 | 12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 12 | |
| Decline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 12 | |
| Pec-Deck Flye | 4 | 12 | |
| Triceps | Cable Pressdown | 3 | 12 |
| Bench Dip | 3 | 12 | |
| Cable Kickback | 3 | 12 |
Day 2: Legs
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Thighs | Leg Extension | 3 | 12 |
| Leg Press | 4 | 12 | |
| Hack Squat | 4 | 12 | |
| Glute-Ham Raise | 4 | 12 | |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 | 12 | |
| Calves | Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 25 |
Day 3: Shoulders + Traps + Abs
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Shoulders | Cable Lateral Raise | 3 | 12 |
| Arnold Press | 4 | 12 | |
| Dumbbell Upright Row | 4 | 12 | |
| Reverse Pec-Deck Flye | 4 | 12 | |
| Traps | Incline Dumbbell Shrug | 4 | 12 |
| Abs | Reverse Crunch | 2 25 | |
| Double Crunch | 2 | 25 |
Day 4: Back + Biceps
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Back | Lat Pulldown | 3 | 12 |
| Dumbbell Row | 4 | 12 |
The Simple Mass-Gain
Split Day 1: Chest + triceps
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders + traps + abs
Day 4: Back + biceps
Weeks 1, 3, 5: 3 sets of 6 reps plus a pump set of 25 reps
Weeks 2, 4, 6: 12 reps to failure on all sets (with the exception of calves and abs)
| Bodypart | Exercise | Sets * | Reps |
| Wide-Grip Seated Row | 4 | 12 | |
| Weighted Pull-Up | 4 | 12 | |
| Biceps | Seated Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12 | |
| Cable Preacher Curl | 3 | 12 | |
| Hammer Curl | 3 | 12 |
>> Hitting all three delt heads, with emphasis on the front and middle heads, the overhead barbell press adds mass like no other move. If you don’t have shoulder problems, try the behind-the-neck version from time to time.
>> The incline dumbbell press is great for adding thickness to the upper chest. During this program, you’ll hit it with sets of 12, the perfect rep count for muscle growth.
>> Think standard pull-ups are tough? Try upping the intensity even more with the weighted version. Simply put, few exercises will add width to your upper lats like adding weight to this traditional mass-builder will.
>> While you can’t completely isolate any one portion of the abs, you can involve certain areas to a greater extent. Do the hanging knee raise to target your lower-ab musculature with laserlike focus.
>> Hit each triceps head when you perform this brutal move. You can vary how close the bar approaches your head based on feel and elbow comfort.
>> To avoid cheating, you’ll hit your bi’s while seated during Weeks 2, 4 and 6 of this program. When you can no longer work your arms simultaneously, begin doing the move in alternating fashion.
>> While the squat is the best overall leg exercise, nothing beats the leg press when it comes to serious quad focus, specifically the medialis, or teardrop, muscle. Load it up and go!
