The “Ten Secrets to Building Mass:”

First, although there are truly no real “secrets,” here is the overriding principle: Mass building, like fat loss, has to be done at the exclusion of everything else. A guy with 14 inch arms will ask me about a mass building program, but worry to death about his “six pack” (meth addicts have six packs, for the record), his cardio, his “game,” and about five other things. Once you get 16-18 inch arms, I will allow you to worry about all those other things.

Second, there is a need to spend time under the bar. This has been called a number of things in the past few years, but you have to find ways to load your body and move the weights for up to several minutes without releasing the load (putting the bar down or resting on a machine). This program is going to be based on this insight.

Third, Great White Sharks seem to be big and eat “big.” Killer Whales seem to eat big, too. Alpha predators don’t seem to count calories. You are now going to stop worrying about every calorie like a college cheerleader. On a mass gaining program, you must eat. When I put on forty pounds in four months my freshman year in college, I used to some sandwiches BEFORE dinner so “I wouldn’t be so hungry during dinner.” Think “Shark Week” when you sit down to eat and warn the others at the table not to reach across your plate.

Fourth, you must master “resting.” I know that there is this urge to do this and that and this after every workout, but for a mass building program you must learn that cardio is changing channels with the remote. If you don’t sleep eight plus hours a night, it is going to impact your mass gains. Many famous bodybuilders have advocated the “Muscle Nap,” a long nap in the afternoon to simple gain muscle. Remember, you grow while you rest. Pick up basketball games are not rest!

Fifth, this is a difficult point for many: bulking programs have very few movements. Well, let’s put this way: GOOD mass building programs have few movements. When I had my most success with mass building the number of movements is always around seven or eight TOTAL movements. Learn to love them.

Sixth, although people have gained amazing mass on lower reps (1-5) for most people (and mortals), the load needed to gain mass on a low rep program is “difficult.” So, until you handle a 400 bench, 500 squat and 600 deadlift, you are going to need reps to get your load into your workout. There is something magical about mass gains around the 5-10 range and the last century of strength enthusiasts will bear this out, too.

Seventh, I got good advice that I promptly ignored about two decades ago: never do less than ten reps in the Back Squat. There are people that can ignore this advice (powerlifters mainly) but for the bulk of the population this is wise advice: each and every time you load up the bar on your back, get ten reps in. It gives you your time under load and seems to stimulate the whole body…and the appetite!

Eighth, there is something that every experienced trainers know and few beginners: the answer to the question: “how long do you rest between sets?” The correct answer is “it depends.” An advanced lifter might take a year to recover from a record lift while a new lifter is recharged and ready to go literally seconds after doing a machine movement. For mass building, think “around” three minutes for the Squat and Bench and 90 seconds for the other movements. Again, your mileage may vary.

Ninth, I would always suggest leaving “one or two in the tank.” In nonlifters terms, always finish a set knowing you could have done a few more reps. We all love the images from “Pumping Iron” with all the forced reps, but for most guys who need mass, well, you just aren’t there yet. It’s better to get an additional set or two than it is to roast on exercise.

Tenth, finally, I have a bit of “old” old school advice: save yourself on a building program. Wear extra clothes so your body doesn’t have to use resources to stay warm. Park closer. Find shorter routes to everything. Sit more. Remember, this is not a lifetime plan but a short focused fiery attempt to gain mass. Keep your eye on the doughnut and, well, eat it.

The Program is based on an older successful concept of training that repeats the same exercises daily, but with focus on certain bodyparts each workout. For example, as you will be focusing on squats on Workout C (lucky you!), you still will be repeating the movements from Workouts A and B. There are several excellent reasons for this:

First, mastery of the movements is a key to mass building. You will not be making great gains if you have to tell yourself to “bend elbows” when you Bench Press, in fact, you may kill yourself.

Second, the best movements for mass building are a very short list and you need to do them. A lot. I wish it was more complex than that.

Finally, the best tonic for soreness is to do the movement that got you sore in the first place. Enjoy!

The Exercises:

Double Clean and Press:
Two dumbbells, one in each hand. Stand tall. With a bit of a hinge clean the bells to the shoulder. From the shoulders, press both to lockout overhead. Return to the bells to the shoulders and reclean the weight. Press and continue. Each “Clean and Press” is one repetition, so a set of ten is ten cleans and presses total. Do NOT do ten cleans THEN ten presses, you will gas out trying to do this.

Back Squat: we will be doing the Back Squat, “the King of Exercises,” each and every workout. There is no more important movement to master than this whole body movement in your search for mass.

Straight leg deadlift: this is a “tonic” throughout the program. With soft knees and a light weight, lower the weight down about “sock” height and stand back up. Try to feel it in the hamstrings, not the lower back. If you have any issues, don’t do this movement. It is a post squat tonic, not a training movement.

Pull Up: The Pull Up serves double duty as a great lat builder and perhaps the best ab machine I know. I have yet to find someone who can do 20 plus Pull Ups, but can’t dominate any test of abdominal strength.

Machine Back Row: in the past few years, I have changed my tune on my machines. The standard Barbell Bent Over Row is marvelous, done correctly. It’s that whole issue with “done correctly” that I find issues with in the gym. If your facility has a good machine that doesn’t stress your lower back, please use it.

Bench Press: with the dumbbell Clean and Press in the first part of the workout, the Bench will take care of all your other needs for upper body mass and pressing.

Barbell Curls: I hate how the barbell curl is maligned. I have always thought that the strict curl is a window into the general strength levels of an athlete. I once saw a guy strict curl…strict, no back bend or elbows sliding behind the lats…with 225 pounds. It remains burnt in to my vision. Funny thing, he also had really, really big arms. Go figure.

Farmer Walks: my answer to the world’s worst strength question: “if all you could do is one movement, what would it be?” If you have the courage to push the weights up to half bodyweight in each hand and trudge bravely “out there,” you will discover that there is not an inch of your body that won’t have an opinion about what you just did!!!

First Week Break In workout (Three workouts to familiarize you with the movements and get a sense of the poundages for the future)

General warm up. Keep it around five minutes and do what you need to do to get a little warmer, every joint a bit looser and have the general feeling that you are ready to go.

Dumbbell Clean and Press.
This is the lift that is going to sneak more results into this program than practically anything, save the Back Squats.
Go to the row of dumbbells and pick two very light bells. Do an easy set of five Clean and Press. With a short rest, slowly progress up the rack, grabbing heavier and heavier bells. Do not struggle with any of the presses as that would indicate we have gone too heavy. For most people, around 35-50 pounds is going to be the target weight for this movement in the beginning. Remember this top weight.

Back Squat: If you have no experience with this movement, find someone who can help and practice the movement. If all you do is master the Back Squat, you will magically find the mass you are looking for in your physique. If you do have some experience, I want you to do three sets of five with the weights going up each set, but well within your capabilities.

Straight leg deadlift: for most people, grab the empty 45 pound bar and perform one set of twenty reps after the squats. It should feel invigorating.

Machine Back Rows: again, we are practicing here. In three or four sets of five, find a weight you can do five solid reps without a bunch of hitching or tugging.

Pull Ups. Real pull ups are a great ab exercise and lat exercise. I would suggest jumping up on the bar and seeing how many sets it takes to get to ten. If it takes one, you are doing fine. It takes me two: a set of eight and then a double.

Bench Press: most people have an idea what a set of easy five reps should feel like in the Bench Press. Find a comfortable weight that you can do a set of probably eight reps without too much struggle.

Curls. Get a sense of what five strict reps are going to feel like with a barbell. Don’t do them in the squat rack, by the way. Add weight until you realize that curls with a barbell are much harder than you thought.

Farmer Walks. Grab two serious dumbbells. I have high school sophomores start with 85 pounders, but your mileage may vary. Simple stand talk, eyes neutral and go for a walk. Keep an eye on your surroundings. Be sure to put the dumbbells back into place at the end (this is the hard part!). I suggest learning to walk up to 100-200 yards.

After the initial break in week, strive for five weeks of the following.

Workout A, usually Monday, Back Focus.
Warm Up
Dumbbell Clean and Press
Strive for 3 x 5 with your manageable dumbbell. Keep the rest periods short.

Back Squat:
3 X 10, add weight to each set. Over the weeks, strive for bodyweight on the last set here.
Straight Leg Deadlifts:
1 x 20 with the empty barbell

Machine Back Rows:
5 x 5 really trying to hold the squeeze in the finished position. Go as heavy as you can get five reps in.

Pull Ups:
How many sets does it take you to get to 25 reps?

Bench Press:
3 x 5. The last set should still keep a couple of reps in the tank.

Curls:
3 x 5. Keep your eye on slowly increasing the weight on the bar here. Although adding reps is tempting (“I feel the pump!”), mass gaining is all about load.

Farmer Walks:
One set with heavy dumbbells. Try to make your walk end in front of the racks. You will thank me later.

Workout B, usually Wednesday, Press focus
Warm Up
Dumbbell Clean and Press
Strive for 5 x 5 with your manageable dumbbell. Keep the rest periods short.

Back Squat:
2 X 10, add weight to the second set. This is a set up workout for Workout C.
Straight Leg Deadlifts:
1 x 20 with the empty barbell

Machine Back Rows:
3 x 5 really trying to hold the squeeze in the finished position. Go just a little lighter than in Workout A.

Pull Ups:
How many sets does it take you to get to 15 reps?

Bench Press:
5 x 5. Warm up with a few easy reps before you start counting the sets. All five sets should be relatively heavy.

Curls:
3 x 10. It’s okay to feel the burn and pump today.

Farmer Walks:
Two sets today. Walk out as far as you can from the rack and put the weights down. Then, simply return them!

Workout C, usually Friday or Saturday
Warm Up
Dumbbell Clean and Press
Strive for 3 x 5 with your manageable dumbbell. Keep the rest periods short.

Back Squat:
5 X 10, add weight to each set. Plan the workout so that set four is bodyweight and set five is just a bit more. This last set is the one that makes or breaks your training.

Straight Leg Deadlifts:
1 x 20 with the empty barbell

Machine Back Rows:
2 x 5 really trying to hold the squeeze in the finished position. Go as heavy as you can get five reps in.

Pull Ups:
How many sets does it take you to get to 12 reps? The goal would be one set.

Bench Press:
3 x 5. The last set should still keep a couple of reps in the tank. Rein it in a little today.

Curls:
2 x 5 plus one set of ten. The best of both worlds in the curl today: a little strength and then finish off with getting some blood in the biceps.

Farmer Walks:
Strive for a heavier bell each week here. Make yourself push this movements to the limits here. Walk a long ways, stop, refresh and try to go a little farther. I always had a target or goal to get to. Now, of course, coming back…

After six weeks, one week of break in and five weeks of A/B/C workouts and lots of food, assess your progress. I strongly suggest you begin the program with a before picture and it is well advised to finish with an after. Bodyweight gains depend on a lot of factors, but I have seen common sense programs and approaches to be far better than some of the voodoo that I see often on the web.

Following that sound advice, scroll back through my blog here and look around. I am coming out with a written version of Intervention, probably for Kindle only (and a few hard copies for me…to be buried with me), but the bulk of it can be found in my blog…sorta.

The following is answers to emails, I hope it helps.

Dan, where do I start?
‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you come to the end: then stop.’
(Lewis Carroll, “Alice in Wonderland)

What about Stretching?
Joint Mobility is a must for Quadrant 1A (Think of “A” like Middle School or so). This is the time to work the joints. (Obviously, joint work probably will follow the same path as hypertrophy…well worth noting). In Quandrant 1B(High School aged kids), it would be appropriate to bring in “Relax into Stretch” concepts. Static Stretching still has its value in a program, it would “depend,” of course, on what we are doing, but any and all mobility work would be great. So, we want the neck rolls (a variation or two or three), traps, shoulders…you certainly know where I am heading. I would STILL include the Hip Flexor stretch in 1A because, and we need to talk about this, the amount of time kids and adults sit now. Moreover, if there is a “secret” to sport speed and jumping, it is a loose hip flexor

In 1B, it would be the time to introduce “flexibility.” When I was a young athlete, we “loosened up the joints.” Then, with the high carb, jogging craze, we had to add “stretching.” Honestly, as a kid, we did basic mobility moves and threw our arms this way and our legs that way. THAT WAS RIGHT! Relax into Stretch moves should include probably the big concepts (Create Space, using your strength to stretch) for only a few groups (If you have “Relax into Stretch,” it would be these one that I would encourage: 11. The Overhead Reach, 12. The Biceps and shoulder stretch, 16. The Wrist extension, 32 The lower calf stretch, 31 Hip Flexor/ Quad Stretch.)

So, Quadrant Two naturally will include Joint Mobility work and flexibility. It might be natural to say that a morning recharge of joint mobility is natural for all athletes and the post training tonic of Flexibility is well worth the time spent here.

Dan, you say “armor building.” Can you expand on it?

For the Quadrant Two athlete, the strength and conditioning coach must balance some factors:
Hypertrophy and Speed/Jump Training
Armor Building and Mobility (Too much mobility can be a dangerous thing in a contact sport)
Performance of the sport and performance in strength and conditioning tests.

On the armor building, the Zercher Squat is an appropriate barbell lift. A “better” choice might be the Double Kettlebell Clean and Front Squat. It is an exercise best worked in ladders:
1 Clean and 1 Front Squat
2 Cleans and 2 Front Squats
3 Cleans and 3 Front Squat. Doing this up to Five is an excellent way to understand the intensity needed for hypertrophy. A fun “test” is to do this up to ten reps (55 Front Squats without putting the weights down?), but that might be a once in a lifetime training test.

Let’s look at each of these:
Ideally, in the perfect program with optimal facilities, coaching, resting and nutrition, one should find the athlete increasing lean body mass and increasing jump test scores and lowering sprint times. It does happen. Not often, especially in a non-steroid environment. To increase the qualities most important to contact athletes, to become “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” as Greg Shepard coined the phrase years ago, takes program that systematically focused on these qualities that literally are at odds with one another. Certainly, we can find many athletes that have blossomed under programs like BFS, however, there does seem to be a ceiling on constantly trying to get bigger and faster. The late Stefan Fernholm, whose life has recently been discussed in rather staggering detail in a Swedish documentary, ran a 4.3 forty yard meter time weighing around 125 kilos. He once stated that he had let himself get “too strong” to throw the discus as far as he wished.

Mobility work is important, but the whiplash effect of collision sports makes some worry that too much mobility is a dangerous thing. Like so many qualities, there must be an intelligent approach to this dilemma. Whether or not it is true, if the athlete believes that excessive

The great insight of Richard Marks, who coached many of the great San Jose based athletes including discus world record holders Ben Plunknett and John Powell, that the athlete should “become weaker” in terms of load and volume and max lifts in order to throw something farther or perform any given sports task. The athlete often will ignore this sane advice and strive to go heavier and heavier than the plan dictates. There is a psychological comfort in heavy training, even at the expense of all the other important qualities that probably determine success. Although it is hard to pin down, the feelings of “freshness” and “in the zone” usually are not the by-product of more loading rather these feelings tend to come in a relaxed and refreshed state.
Quadrant Two training should be where we discuss the development of Armor. Generally, I like these movements:
Zercher Squats
Suitcase Deadlifts
Snatch Grip Shrugs
Bench Press
Curls (with a thick bar)

For speed and jump training, these are some moves that Pavel and I discussed:
Spike Swings
Pullups
One legged hops barefoot
Target Standing Long Jumps (Have the athletic “aim” for targets and vary with each jump)
One arm/one leg planks
Three Jump (Boing-boing-boing method)
Deadlifts

Pavel liked the story of how Russ Hodges, former world record holder in the decathlon, explained to me the long jump: “It’s like you are running as fast as you can and you see a rattlesnake coiled in the path. You don’t gather up and go down, you just snap over it high and far and keep your legs from its fangs.”

Quadrant two is all about building qualities. It is the “this and this and this and this” time of a career. Moreover, those involved in games must also have specific prep with tactics over specific opponents, strategy for the program and extensive off-season preparation in technical aspects of the games. Individual athletes will quickly slide over into Quadrant Three naturally as the number of qualities that need to be mastered will obviously be less.

Dan, what about food?
Yes, eat.

It would also be appropriate to discuss some aspects of eating throughout a career.
Nutrition:
Quad 1A: Understand the basic food pyramid. Understand the need to use food as fuel. The importance of not eating crap.
Quad 1B: Understand the role of food in performance. Understand the need to eat balanced meals. The importance of water.
Quad 2: More Protein, More Fiber, More Fish Oil. The role of digestion and elimination in performance.
Quad 3: Understand the importance in meal planning in a daily, weekly and, perhaps, yearly fashion. The importance of avoiding fat gain. Eating to support a particular activity.
Quad 4: Understand the fact that diet WILL impact performance. (Weight classes in lifting; lean body mass issues in bodybuilding)

We focus on improvement. It can be technical issues, like a problem with a swing. Having a Senior RKC and several RKCs weekly seems to address these kinds of problems well. It can also be other physical issues and there is where I think we bloom. It seems that if someone has the courage to say “I need help here,” pretty soon some of us either admit we have the same issue or, perhaps better, show us a path to overcoming it.

And my favorite thing is when both happens: we have a technical issue that helps with a physical problem or vice versa. Our foundational movements are the Swing, the Goblet Squat and the Turkish Get Up. If is sounds like an HKC, well, in my humble opinion, that’s all most people need.

In the Turkish Get Up, we discover “issues.” Now, we do literally dozens of partial movements in our weekly gatherings. As Brett Jones said at the San Diego RKC, “this is a drill, not the skill.” In my vision, adults need to do many more drills than we often give them. So, we break down the Get Up in many ways that might often never seem to actually lead anywhere. Well, it doesn’t lead any where until the participant moves flawlessly, nearly mindlessly, through the whole movement.

There is one movement that stands out so well as a training tool that Pavel asked me to write about it. Now, it is subtle and it might not translate perfectly the first time you read it, think about it and try it. As a segue, I am reminded of a recent article where I describe the “Bat Wing,” an isometric move for the Rhomboids. An emailer asked me to send a video, as the picture wasn’t helping them see “the movement.”

It is an isometric movement. The video would look a lot like the picture, I think!

First, let’s describe my terms: I use the word “Cuddle” for the position where you begin the Turkish Get Up on your side. I like the phrase as it describes so much more that something like “Assume a lateral transitional position with the Kettlebell apexing across the tranverse spinae.” Somehow, people “get” the word “cuddle” and we move on. I want you on your side with a big bell with your hands deep into the handle, the knees bent and close to the bell and in a position that you could sleep for a while.

Then, we change the drill a bit: take both feet off the ground. Next, be sure your knees squeeze together. Recently, after my total hip replacement, I had to spend several days with a huge wedge looped between my thighs. I learned that when the legs were locked down, the abdominal core had to work harder to compensate for the loss of that wonderfully favorable moment of physics where the weight of the leg or legs can pull you into position.

The bell will need to be hugged “high.” So, if it is on your right side, you will find that the bell, especially a heavy one, will be over the left side of the chest, more or less. I am also working on doing this drills with both knees up, too, as it protects my recovering hip, so don’t be afraid to make it harder.

So, feet up. Knees up in the Cuddle, squeezed together AND perhaps off the ground. Hug the bell high. Now, without pushing off the elbow, roll to your back.

A good question arises: “How?” That’s the million dollar point of all of this drill. Pavel described this initial movement as “rooting” and I found it to be the same “non classroom friendly” part of “Power to the People:” the anal lock. (Yes, I said it: now, giggle away like my students for a minute, push your neighbor in the back. check the clock and then get back to full attention). This amazing pressurization of the whole area from hip to shoulder simply awakens you the first time you do it right. It is an amazing exercise for anyone who throws, kicks or strikes as, literally, this IS how you feel when you do those big aggressive movements.

When you roll to your back, relax for a moment, repressurize and go back to the start. Now, for some, this is easier. I caution you on this: did you let your legs flop over and pull yourself to the ground. If you take this part of the movement seriously, it can train the “Cuddle to Back” part of the drill. Don’t give in to flopping to the ground. Lock down and PULL yourself over using the pressure built into your body. This is what I mean by “subtle.” If you do it right once, you will have a new skill that can aid in every sport and training movement. Moreover, it will put a line in the sand between two movements:

The Turkish GET Up versus the Turkish SIT Up.

I have no problem with variations, but once you learn this “Loaded Cuddle,” you will appreciate the RKC method of rolling through the Get Up and the importance of where your upper chest (thorax) should be through the movement.

Work a set of eight to thirteen reps per side before you move on. Think of the reps as “Eight sets of One,” versus the notion of “One, two, three…boom, boom, boom.” Take your time to reset and rethink and rediscover every rep.

I also suggest going “heavy-er.” So, what does that mean? There is going to be some who just lay down and pop up and down with too light a weight. Many, like myself, will rush off to try too big a bell. It should be probably your snatch test bell or one heavier. I find that the 28 kilo makes me really have to put the bell higher and higher on the opposite side chest to hold it as we start. Too heavy? Well, no, as I am controlling the movement without these “sins:”
Push off with my knees.
Push off with my elbows or shoulders (you will learn this trick quickly. Unlearn it quicker!)

So, when I tried this with the 32, I became a shoulder and elbow driver. So, my movements should be with the 20, the 24 and the 28. You will discover that once you begin doing the movement that the weight has to be “enough” and then the actual weight’s importance diminishes vis-à-vis the feeling in the body.

The upside of this “Loaded Cuddle” is that the teaching progression of the Get Up is improved as the person learns early that the core is between the hips and shoulders and not the front of the neck and the kicking foot! Also, this is a simple way to train rotary movements inside of our Kettlebell community. As I wrote probably 15 years ago in an article, I have been searching my entire career for the answer to the question of how to train rotation in the weightroom. I think the Loaded Cuddle is going to be part of my toolkit from now on.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You see, it comes to this sometimes: people ask me questions because their mouths can formulate noises and these noises can heard by my ears to make my brain work. The questioner has the ability to literally ask anything as my friend Crazy Jerry used to say: “You have a Toyota in your nose.” You can say the sentence, but it means nothing.

I have this believe that you can only train HARD in blocks of two, four, six and, maybe, eight weeks. Then, you slide back to “medium.” For dieting purposes, the great ones get it: Atkins Two Week Induction is genius. Chris Shugart’s Velocity Diet of 28 days of practically nothing but protein shakes works. After those short intense bouts with food, you are different: celery becomes butter and carrots are candy. It’s hard to live normally like that. Now, we all know that the best diet and exercise program for fat loss is found in the book, “The Road.” I enjoy telling people it is a delightful comedy…

Most of the time, you need to do those wonderful workouts that I love to call “Punch the Clock” workouts. I suggest doing all the basic human movements, work on your issues with corrective work as you need it, improve your technique on one or two exercises, break a good solid sweat and get the heart rate up and pat yourself wisely on the back. As I said in a recent interview, most people have three hard workouts a year: Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the first week of January and they put it off again until next New Year’s Day.

I think 200 easy workouts a year or even as few as 150 (three times a week with a little vacation) trumps those three hard ones each and every time. Of course, with “easy” and “hard” and “medium, your mileage may vary, but you get the point.

Oh, I LOVE hard workouts. I have dozens of them that I can give you. But, well, that’s the issue. My program, Mass Made Simple, is NOT the kind of thing one should attempt lightly. I get emails with “I can’t squat,” “I don’t have a bar,” or “I don’t want to lift heavy” and, frankly, this is not the Mass Made Simple Mentality. I think it would be possible to do MMS twice a year as a teen. After that, once a year would be a lot. It takes a lot of time, energy and discipline to do this program and it is a sell out system for six weeks.

I’m not sure you can do this and recover from hip surgery. I’m just guessing here, of course. This would be hard to do when on vacation. It would be really hard to do if you have six kids during Christmas.

What’s my point. There are natural times in the calendar year where you should train HARD. Find them on your calendar and highlight them. I don’t think it should be more than four months a year with the months broken up somehow (two blocks of two, for example). Maybe it is only two months a year for some of you, too.

It doesn’t mean that you don’t train the other eight (or whatever) months a year! Those other months you literally “train” not “work out.” This is Punch the Clock time!

What brought out this rant? Well, this weekend, a guy asked me the classic question: “Dan, if the Big 21 (see below) is such a good workout, why don’t you do it all the time?” I laughed out loud and answered with the title of this blog. There is NO way you can do the program “all the time.” It is 63 reps PER workout of the Olympic LIfts. The hands are stunned during Workout Seven to the point that some of my athletes hands get an orange hue. The traps are so sore the second week that a pat on the back can feel like a taser.

Having said that, when I get athletes to actually do the program, amazing and stunning things happen a few weeks later. When I announce to the kids that the “Big 21″ is coming up, the experienced kids know to wipe their slates clean.

Folks, this is what a hard program should be about. I’m in good company on this. In the past year, I have had the chance to sit with the best minds in strength and, to a person, there is an agreement that you can only train “hard” in narrow windows. Oh, you can train and it is great to do it. But, to really ramp it up, we have to ease up a lot of other things…like life. How long does it take to get this knowledge? Jamie Jones shared this photo:

You must begin at an early age.

So, what I am I saying? Get a twelve month calendar. Find your “crazy” months and “X” them out. Find the months that you can devote a lot of emotional energy and time to train and highlight them with a green highlighter (yellow is fine, too). The months you aren’t sure about? X them out, too! Find those “best” months to train hard and think about how you are going to attack it. Diet? A program? A challenge? I don’t care, but it is nice to have a month to prep for a hard month (as you will see if you take this advice).

When that time approaches, attack it with everything you have KNOWING that the program has an end point. Enjoy the fruits of your labors when you finish. Then, come back to the gym and “keep on keeping on” for a while. If you do the “Big 21,” the first time your weights will be either way too light or way too heavy. Take a couple of weeks to recharge and try it one more time. If you think you will want to do it again THIS year, you are a better man than me, Gunga Din.

I will include the Big 21 from my book, Never Let Go
Cinderella’s Stepsister Syndrome

I call this problem — the problem of trying to follow a program that fails to fit any of your equipment needs, exercise issues, volume or intensity issues, or your personality — the Cinderella’s Stepsister Syndrome. In other words, the shoe don’t fit!

A few years ago, I spent far too much of my life trying to explain to a father that his daughter couldn’t possibly follow a program I use for my athletes called “The Big 21.” She wasn’t strong enough to do the basic program. But, since my athletes did it, his daughter should be able to do it, too. First, let’s look at the program.

The athlete does three exercises (each and every day) for three workouts a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for three weeks (week one, week two, week three) for a total of nine workouts. The three exercises are: clean and press (you clean the weight and press the weight for every rep), snatch, and clean & jerk (you clean the weight and jerk the weight for every rep.)

It’s so simple that it confuses people. You do all three lifts, in that order, every workout. I’ve probably lost the bulk of my audience, but this is so important. The key to the workout is the rep and set scheme, and the built-in weight increases.

The most confusing part is this: each workout, add five pounds to the opening weight. After three weeks, opening weight will be 45 pounds more.

Reps and Sets

Opening weight x 5
Add five pounds x 5
Add five pounds x 5
Add five pounds x 1
Add five pounds x 1
Add five pounds x 1
Add five pounds x 1
Add five pounds x 1
Add five pounds x 1
Total Repetitions: 21 (You see: The Big 21!)

So, and this is all math related now, if you want to finish with 225 on the last workout’s last rep, you start with 145 on day one. Let’s look at those two bookend workouts:

Day One:

145 x 5
150 x 5
155 x 5
160 x 1
165 x 1
170 x 1
175 x 1
180 x 1
185 x 1

Day Nine:

185 x 5
190 x 5
195 x 5
200 x 1
205 x 1
210 x 1
215 x 1
220 x 1
225 x 1

For the psychos out there:

Day two starts with 150 and ends with 190
Day three starts with 155 and ends with 195
Day four starts with 160 and ends with 200
Day five starts with 165 and ends with 205
Day six starts with 170 and ends with 210
Day seven starts with 175 and ends with 215
Day eight starts with 180 and ends with 220

Here’s what you’re still missing: that’s for one lift! You still have to do two more each day! The Big 21 is 63 reps of full body, explosive, big lifting. Just writing it down gives me wrist cramps.

What kind of Physical Capital does it take to do this workout? Let’s look:

1. Equipment: One bar, a 310 pound set. So, it’s easy and cheap for equipment.

2. Do you know how to do the lifts: the clean and press, the snatch, and the clean and jerk? If you don’t, honestly, please, don’t do The Big 21 workout!

3. If you answer “yes” to both questions, can you do them with the weights suggested?

4. Finally, do you have the ability to stick to a program for nine workouts and hate the last three?

As a lark, I figured out the lightest a person could do this workout with a traditional Olympic bar set up:

Day One:

45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
60 x 1
65 x 1
70 x 1
75 x 1
80 x 1
85 x 1

Day Nine:

85 x 5
90 x 5
95 x 5
100 x 1
105 x 1
110 x 1
115 x 1
120 x 1
125 x1

For the record, the dad who wanted his daughter to do this workout couldn’t figure out how “to make it work when she can’t snatch 85; so how will she snatch 110 in a few weeks?” You see, Mr. Cinderella’s StepSister, the shoe don’t fit.

And that’s the whole point: all too often, the shoe doesn’t fit!
:

I am never going to tell you that pain is bad altogether. It is the body (and the Universe!) warning you that you need to take a moment to rethink a few things. In the past few years, there has been a surge of people giving advice about eliminating pain. All too often, when you start trying to eliminate pain “here,” you discover a ton of pain “there.” And, “there” and “there” and “there.” Moreover, I recently had some great insights from an Orthopedic surgeon who laughed at this idea that you can go to a workshop and dispense advice about hip, shoulder, neck, back and finger pain in a weekend. I think it is also illegal in most states.

So, be careful here: I DO think that we can do more than just cut the body open. Two excellent new products are on the market that reflect the kinds of things I believe in. For example, I have discussed the role of yoga, especially Bikram Yoga, in aiding most of us with mobility and flexibility. Bikram Yoga also seems to be an excellent sleep aid and did wonders for me as I approached my surgery. Post surgery, I discovered that I am banned from a number of the movements, so I have found some other forms that work just as well. This kind called “Gentle Yoga,” where I hold a pose for up to five minutes, is as misnamed as “Tough Love” in the RKC.

I still find rolling on my little “rumble roller” to help all kinds of things. I am doing Kettlebell Fever’s One Month Swing Program and Day One ended up being 315 Hinge movements and 245 Squats. So, any and all correctives will be part of the other days: Ocean dips, Hot Tubs, Rolling, Get Ups, and various easy stretches.

Gray Cook and my good friend, Laree Draper, along with Brett Jones and Doctor Mark Cheng among others, have packaged a great summary of the Functional Movement System. As most know, I am a big fan of the FMS (and the world of correctives that support the findings of the assessment). What Gray provides us here is the “Connected Dots” between the FMS assessment (you are asymmetrical, you lack this here and that there) and what to do about it. As always, Laree went the extra mile(s) and Disc Four is my favorite. Here are the DVDs:
4-disc DVD set–nearly 4 hours, plus bonus material
Filmed live at a Perform Better Summit Workshop
Disk One
Introduction
Standard Operating Procedures
Movement Matters
Squat Discussion
Stabilization and Repatterning
Our Movement History

Disk Two
Functional Movement Screen Review
Scoring the Screens
Filters and Key Points
Live Screens
Scoring Criteria
Programming the Results

Disk Three
Screen Results Analysis
Order of Screen Priority
Hip Hinge and Deadlift Strategies
Movement Motor Learning
Movement Principles
Self-Limiting Exercise

Disk Four
Extra corrective strategies footage
Full lecture in MP3 audio format for listening in your car or on your portable device
A 61-page typeset transcript of the lecture
Movement Principles excerpt from the Movement book
FMS scoring criteria and verbal instructions
Presentation slides PDF
Video clips from Gray’s Powerpoint presentation
Self-limiting activities chart

After Laree put together my Intervention DVD, most people tell me that the MP3 and the PDFs are the glue that make everything make sense. I think the FMS’s key importance is this:

Like a Pull Up test, you are “here.” When we test you again, we can see where you have gone. If things get “better,” well, you are doing things right. If not, let’s talk.

Oh…that is so simple. Right? Then, why don’t we all do it?

On the same front, Martha Peterson’s new book, “Move without Pain,” is out. Martha has taught me the Green Light, Red Light and Trauma Reflexes and once I looked at this, all of Janda’s work made sense. And Alexander’s. And Gockhale’s. And…and…and.

Listen, there were a lot of geniuses in the middle of the last century when it came to movement. Thomas Hanna’s work was often overlooked (Somatics), but when you study Martha’s book, you will see that pandiculation is a superior technique for flexibility. No, I am not tossing Pavel’s “Relax into Stretch” away as both Martha and Pavel say the same things. I’m clearly out of my water when I talk about mobility and flexibility, but I know what works. I have been doing many of these safe and easy movements in my personal and group work and I like how it opens my hips up. Hips? Yup, if you want insights into an issue, ask somebody who has been exploring pain, surgery and rehab for a while.

So, you find an odd blog post here. I am telling you to do a lot of swings and squats this year, check your FMS and start doing Martha’s drills. To me, the whole thing is a “system.” Be sure to read the mistakes that I have made the past four or five decades (overtraining!). Then, look at the mistakes Martha has made (too much emphasis on stretching!). I’m sure Gray has some insights about his shortcomings, too.

My point? Let us help you (Help me…help you!). Train hard, but ease off as appropriate. Know your shortcomings and address them. Keep a balance between strength and stretching, power and mobility. Strive for as much strength as you can hold, but have keep your body in alignment.

Let’s all improve in 2012.