28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan
With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.
Read article■ In a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, investigators found that a multi-set training protocol increased both muscle crosssectional area (the size of the muscle) and overall strength when compared to that of a lower volume protocol.
■ Several other studies, both newer and older, have confrmed that volume, whether by increased set number or total time under tension, has produced superior strength and size gains to that of either traditional or reduced volume training.
But, before we just push the volume button and go to work, a shout-out for the low-volume, accentuated eccentric method and the going-to-failure method is deserved. Of course, as prudent scientists of the iron game, we can conclude that increasing volume, emphasizing negatives, and taking sets deeper and further into exhaustion, combined with a higher volume protocol, should take muscle size to a new level. So our secret to this program is to steal from the weak and add to the strong. We will do it all.
Angles are the name of the game for attacking and building a muscle completely. Even those muscles with seemingly perfect straight lines from end to end can use a little rotation here and there. Some muscles, like your pecs, lats, and glutes, due to muscle fiber orientation, lend themselves to the need for differentiation simply because of their overall structure. For others with a more parallel-running fiber distribution, if they have multiple heads with different attachment points, which most do, a new angle may be just what those stubborn peaks are calling for. As you work through this program, the exercises are specifcally designed to hit every possible line of pull that your muscles could perform, leaving no possibility of unevenness! So the volume equation is balanced with multiple sets with different hand, foot, and body positions.
You’ve heard before that you need to fuel workouts and give your muscles some protein to build on. So that is not new, but let me share one other thing that you may not have known. Part of fueling your system is more about recovery than it is about getting pumped for the workout. No doubt some big vascularity is great during a workout. Equally nice is being so amped up that nothing will stop you from terrorizing the weights. While both are important, neither of those will give you the post-size development you’re trying to build. My guess is that what’s most important to you is the size you build from that workout, and that comes from improving your ability to synthesize proteins and packing them in to place to build bigger muscle. Now I’m not here to give you a lesson in protein timing, but I can say, with solid proof both in the lab and on the gym foor, that having protein before, during, and after your workout is a must. The more refined the protein, the more bioactive (readily available) the constituents, the greater chance you stand to build muscle. Recovery starts from Rep 1. What that means is that the moment you begin that first rep, you begin to degrade the protein strands that form your muscle. If you’re breaking them down immediately, then why not repair immediately? A pre-workout concoction that has some vital amino acids will certainly help your cause. But as the workout continues and muscles continue to take a beating, protein synthesis (the rebuilding) is imminent and will only occur if protein is available.
As volume is the name of the game, each training day will mark 12–16 sets per body part. Exercises are grouped together so that the order is designed to target a specifc muscle at its various angles and finish with overlapping exercises for the next muscle group in the lift. For example, your back will start with heavy lat work and move up to the traps for the final exercises. The trap-training segment will finish with some wide-grip movements that accentuate posterior deltoid activation and thus the entire back, traps, and posterior delts get their full complement of exercises. So for this program, order is very important. For maximal growth, reps of 10–12 will be the design with a full 90 seconds rest between sets but not more than 120 seconds (two minutes). Rest is critical so that all the muscle fibers get an equal distribution of wear and tear as your load can stay heavier longer. Additionally, the first workout of the week per each body part will be either a barbell or machine where the arms or legs are fixed to work together. The second workout of the week will feature dumbbells and single-limb movement patterns where both range of motion and control of weights can be accentuated. Again, since we’re trying to hit every fiber of every muscle, we need a varied approach to our training. And finally, if time is a concern as these could be long workouts, you can certainly alternate exercises between lower and upper body (do your calves in between your pecs or shoulders exercises) to get things done a little quicker.
Whether you choose to start your week with your back or not is your call, but the overall order for this program is important to maximize recovery. If your gym’s busy, you’ll be glad that you’re not training chest on International Chest-training Monday if you follow the plan as we’ve laid it out.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”wysiwyg”,”fid”:”437186″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 612px; height: 243px; margin: 4px;”,”title”:””,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”wysiwyg”,”fid”:”437181″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 400px; margin: 4px; height: 648px;”,”title”:””,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”wysiwyg”,”fid”:”437191″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 612px; height: 243px; margin: 4px;”,”title”:””,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”wysiwyg”,”fid”:”437196″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 400px; margin: 4px; height: 668px;”,”title”:””,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]