Train Like A Freak

As Promised, I wanted to give everyone my current training program. This is an advanced training program for people that have just hit a wall and can go no further. I have just recently switched to this schedule after hitting 205 lbs and around 12-14 pbf. For supplements I use BSN products almost exclusively. Pre-workout I use NO-Xplode about 30 minutes prior to workout. Post-workout I use Cell Mass, take 2 amino acids (optimum nutrition), and my multivitamins which are Opti-Men. Within thirty minutes of my workout I drink a protein shake, Muscle Milk, and take my Axis-HT. I also take Axis-HT with lunch and dinner. Around an hour before bed I use Cell Mass again and take two more amino acids. Just before bed I take one serving of Syntha-6 protein powder, it's sustained release blend and helps me recover through the night.

I try to eat at least six meals a day. Since I work out at 5:30 am, it's a little rough to eat pre workout, but it's important enough that I pull it off. I get up at 4 am and eat organic oats with fruit to give me plenty of complex carbs to get through my training session.

Meal Schedule

4am Organic Oatmeal, fruit, glass of skim milk

Post WO Muscle Milk Shake

10am Two servings of organic oatmeal with 2 scoops protein powder and 2 tablespoons of flax

1pm 8 ounces of lean meat, 2 servings of veggies, and two whole grain carb servings such as whole grain bread

4pm ¼ cup of nuts and ¼ cup of raisins

7pm 8 ounces of lean meat, 2 servings of veggies, and two whole grain carb servings, usually brown rice

9pm Syntha-6 time released protein shake

 

If I feel the need for a snack between meals, I usually grab a handful of nuts of dried fruit. I particularly love dried cranberries.

 

Now, on to my workout schedule. I always begin each workout with 10 minutes on a recumbent bike in order to get my heart rate up and to warm up my muscles. I aerobically pump up the muscle group I will be working for the session. Below is my schedule, though I will leave out the amount of weight I am using because when you train you should leave your ego at the door…form not mass. I don't want anyone to try more than they can manage. I start with Lower Weights to warm up and then do 4 additional sets of each movement, increasing the weight each set. I target 8-12 reps, but go till exhaustion. After each workout I do ten minutes of abs.

Monday: Chest- wide grip bench press, Incline Dumbell Press, Decline Dumbell press, Cable Crossovers, Cable Flys

Tuesday: Back- Wide Grip Lat Pulls, Cable Rows, Cable Stiff Leg Dead Lifts, One Arm Rows

Wednesday: Shoulders- Military Press, Upright Rowing, Reverse Cable Flys, Shrugs, Frontal Raises, Lateral Raises

Thursday: Legs- Deadlifts, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Lunges, Leg Press

Friday: Arms- Superset bi and tri- Curls/Close Grip Bench, Hammer Curls/EZ Bar Skull Crushers on Decline, Close Grip Curls/Reverse Cable Press, Reverse Curl/Cable Press, Wrist Curl/Reverse Wrist Curl

Saturday and Sunday are recovery days, time to play with the kiddo and with the wife.

I try to squeeze in a little cardio when I can, but honestly I don't have the calories to burn for cardio. During a cut session, I will do cardio for 30 minutes 3 times a week just to burn off some extra calories.

 

I hope this helps some people. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. Just remember what BSN says about training…Train Like A Freak…110% every time!

People are often misled when it comes to starting a resistance training program. They believe that all they will have to do is throw weights up into the air over and over to become a Herculean figure. There could be nothing further from the truth. Resistance training should be approached very seriously and scientifically. Of every sport out there, weight lifting has the highest injury rate. From pulled muscles and strains to blown tendons and slipped discs, lifting injuries range from painful to crippling.

The first rule in starting any training program is making sure you don't over do it. You can't just jump in and throw weights around. You have to take things slowly. Start out with calisthenics, push-ups, crunches, lots of stretching. After you have those muscles used to doing work and those tendons limbered up, you can start to do actual lifting. I recommend a solid six week period just getting ready for the weights.

The first six months is by far the most exciting. You will feel more strength every single time you work out. During this period you aren't really gaining any muscle, at least not much. You are training your nervous system to use the muscles that are already there. This is the period where you will go from a sixty pound bench press to over a hundred pounds. Nothing is more exciting. Just keep taking it slowly, make sure that you aren't lifting too much weight. Warm up before your workouts and stretch out thoroughly. The usual workout in this time period is upper body three times a week with one exercise per muscle group. Lower body should be done on the alternating days, twice a week. You can get away with this for the first six months because you aren't tearing down the muscle as much as training yourself how to lift.

After this period is over, you will usually start to hit walls. This is because your nervous system is trained and the muscle is starting to grow. At this point it's time to change your strategies. Stack on the weight a bit more heavily and shoot for exhaustion at around eight to ten reps. If you can do more than that you aren't breaking loose those muscle fibers. Also during this time period you will need to change your recovery strategy. On the average, it takes muscle around 72 hours to recover from a proper workout. This means that your three day a week program will cause you to loose muscle mass as your muscles will never heal from the prior workout.

Supplements while during these periods should be kept simple and to the basics. That is all you will need. A gallon of water a day, a good multi-vitamin such as Opti-Men, 1g of protein per pound of body weight, and a sensible diet filled with lean meats, healthy fats, fruits and veggies, and whole grains. Sticking to these few basics will give your body all it needs for maximum growth. Forget all the hype on the other supplements. They may work great for an advanced body builder with advanced needs, but you are still at the stage where your body has not hit its limits. Save your money and keep it simple.

Later I will post a nice, simple, intermediate workout to start at week six through month six. Until then, keep lifting.