The

super saiyan
six HOW TO BUILD A SHONEN PHYSIQUE
USING TRIED AND TESTED STRENGTH
TRAINING PRINCIPLES
W W W . C O S P L A Y M I N N E Y. C O M
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CONTENTS XX
1. Disclaimer. Page 3.
2. Building a body like a Saiyan. Page 4.
3. Why weight training? Page 5.
4. The Super Saiyan Six. Page 7.
5. The Program. Page 9.
6. Progression. Page 11.
7. Cardio. Page 16.
8. Nutrition. Page 18.
9. Closing Words. Page 19.
Acknowledgements:
#BEMORESHONEN

Front cover photo was taken by Jamie Flack. Other photos are taken by Skewed
Perspective, Donald Manning, Nomes Cosplay, and Guilherme Affonso.

A lot of the training concepts in this book are inspired by Starting Strength by
Mark Rippetoe and The Greyskull LP by Johnny Pain.

Thank you to all of my followers for giving me a purpose in life.

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I am not a doctor, nor am i
a brilliant scientist

BEFORE EMBARKING ON ANY

TRAINING OR NUTRITION
PROGRAM PLEASE CONSULT YOUR
PHYSICIAN.
#BEMORESHONEN

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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

Building a body like a saiyan 01

Many weebs have been inspired to train by the likes of Dragon Ball. The power on
display along with their aesthetic looking physiques was one of my biggest motivations
when I first got started and on a more personal level the character of Son Goku really
resonated with me. He’s an absolute weirdo, an outcast, yet just he’s the strongest
person in the world and a symbol to many.

It doesn’t even have to be Dragon Ball. The legions of bad anime training program
infographics that get circled around the internet show that our heroes have plenty of
inspiration to offer, along with plenty of muscle bound cosplayers using their favourite
characters as a goal.

#BEMORESHONEN

What I want to do with this book is cut straight through the noise and confusion of the
fitness industry and to give those that find themselves inspired by anime a fighting
chance with a solid scientifically backed routine.

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02 Why weight training?

Weight training should be the priority for
building a physique and a foundation for health.
Aesthetically, what most people call ‘toned’ is having enough muscle mass and being
lean enough to see it. And for that, resistance training and a calorie controlled diet is
king.

Health wise, correctly performed weight training means bigger muscles, stronger bones,
increased flexibility, and better heart health. For just one type of exercise it’s the closest
thing to a panacea we have, the biggest indicator of general health at times tends to be
muscle mass relative to a healthy body fat percentage.

#BEMORESHONEN

yEAR 0 yEAR 1 yEAR 5

MY TRANSFORMATION WAS bUILT BY A CALORIE CONTROLLED DIET & WEIGHT TRAINING 5

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02
Why weight training?
tRAINING IS THE FOUNTAIN
OF YOUTH

As you can see from the photo on the

left the benefits of training are plenty
and is easily one of the best things you
can do for yourself as you get older. It’s
also clear that these benefits derive from
additional muscle-mass, which is why we
choose weight training and strength as the
foundation of health in this book.
#BEMORESHONEN

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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX 03

Most people when they start training will split their body parts up. Chest day, back
day, leg day etc. I think this approach leaves something to be desired in that it
incorrectly treats the body like a stack of legos that can be isolated. Instead, I think
it would serve most trainees to train movement patterns as a priority. This has been
called ‘functional strength’ by some fitness practitioners, but that’s a definition that
causes contention for many and isn’t exactly standardised. So for my weeby audience,
I refer to these movements as ‘The Super Saiyan 6’.

The 6 movement patterns and their corresponding best exercises for most people are:

01 A lower body push: Barbell Squat

02 A lower body pull: Deadlift

03 A horizontal push: Bench Press

04 A horizontal pull: Barbell Row

#BEMORESHONEN

05 A vertical push: Overhead Press

06 A vertical pull: Chin Up/Pull Down*

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THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX 03

*A lot of people can’t do chin ups when they first start. If this is the case, pull
downs are a better option until you build up the strength to chin up.

These movements are the Super Saiyan 6 and serve as the foundation for this
routine. If you progressively get stronger on these key lifts you will build muscle
and look much better for it.

Is it okay to swap these lifts for

another exercise?
Yes, as long as it still fits that movement pattern. For example a squat can be
swapped with a front squat or a leg press, not a leg extension. A bench press can
be swapped with a chest press or incline dumbbell bench, not a pec dec machine.

#BEMORESHONEN

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 04
THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

THE PROGRAM
Weight training is Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Alternate between workouts A
and B each weight training day.

Goku doing a horizontal press in the gravity chamber. The next best thing is
overloading the bench press.

Workout A WORKOUT b
barbell squat
2x6, 1x6+ Barbell Squat 1x6
(same weight as workout a)

2x6, 1x6+ BENCH PRESS 1x6+ deadlift

2x6, 1x6+ BARBELL ROW 2x6, 1x6+ overhead press

2x8-10 oPTIONAL ACCESSORY 2x6, 1x6+ CHIN UP/PULL DOWN

2x8-10 oPTIONAL ACCESSORY 2x8-10 oPTIONAL ACCESSORY

2x8-10 oPTIONAL ACCESSORY

What does 2x6, 1x6+ mean?
#BEMORESHONEN

To start off with, pick a weight that you can easily control. Cap the first two
sets of the exercise at 6 reps. On the last set, do as many reps as you can whilst
maintaining good form. It could be 6, 10, 15, or 20 reps. This is a combination of
traditional american strength training programs and a degree of auto-regulation
so you can set personal records in both weight and reps when you’re able.

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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

04
example
So lets say you started off squatting 50kg for
your first workout, it might look like this:

Set 1: 6 reps
(3 minutes rest)
Set 2: 6 reps
(3 minutes rest)
Set 3: 10 reps

The last set is the money maker, try to beat that

record every time you work out.

How long should I rest in-between sets?

3-5 minutes if you’re training hard
(you should be). Low rest periods
have been shown in the scientific
literature to be inferior for both
performance and muscle mass
because it gets in the way of how
much volume you can actually do
in a given session.
#BEMORESHONEN

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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

Why 2x6, 1X6+? 04

Reps are capped at 6 for the most part because for the novice lifter fatigue starts to
cause significant technique breakdown with higher rep ranges. How does one define
a novice? A novice is defined as somebody who can still progress by simply adding
weight to the bar. This is by far the majoirty of gym goers and this routine is focussed
on smashing it’s trainees through that classification. It will serve a trainee in the long
run if the majority of their sets are done with proper form.

As reps increase motor control detereoration follows suit

Photo: Practical Programming by Mark Rippetoe

For the final set however I still want you to go all out. The explosive final set will not
considerably effect your long term movement patterns since the bulk of your volume
is capped at 6 reps. Go all out, get as many reps as you possibly can without greatly
butchering your technique. I want you to leave nothing on the table, I want you to
prove who you are as a person, I want you to become a Super Saiyan.
#BEMORESHONEN

There’s technical reasons why the last set is as many reps as possible such as auto-
regulation and periodisation (more on that later) however I think the main benefit of
the 6+ sets is that it builds character. On a frequent basis you get the chance to prove
to yourself what you’re made of.

Don’t let yourself down.

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PROGRESSION 04
I can’t state this enough, not properly planning for progression is easily the biggest
way people screw up when it comes to training. There’s a lot of talk on what the
primary driver for muscle growth is but to me the answer is simple; progressive
overload. Aka adding weight to the bar every time you do a lift.

Strength and muscle gain for a natural athlete cannot be seperated dramatically.
Growing muscle is a slow grinding process, therefore it’s best to focus on adding
weight to the bar as an objective measure of progress. Men are to add 2.5kg to a lift
every time they train it, women should increase it every other time. The only exception
is the squat session on workout A. The squat is a complicated movement pattern
that requires frequent practice to be good at, therefore the squat set on workout B
is simply there for practice and it isn’t to be progressed with it’s load being entirely
dependent on workout A.

Keep a training log on paper or on your phone so you remember what you did last
workout and you have a record to beat.

What happens if I get less

than 6 reps on a set?
Reset the weight 10%. This will help alleviate short term fatigue whilst allowing you to
get higher reps on your 6+ sets. This is a simple form of periodisation and will have
you progressing for a long time. In this scenario, going backwards will help bring
you forwards. After your second 10% reset I’d consider halving your progression by
using microplates. A 2.5kg jump every workout or every workout eventually becomes
#BEMORESHONEN

unsustainable, otherwise everyone who trained would be a thousand pound squatter

by now. Instead, buy microplates and halve your progression after every second reset
until eventually you’re adding 0.5kg every time you lift.

This might seem slow but it’s still the fastest way to make progress and really milk this
program for what it’s worth. Be patient and you will be rewarded if your work ethic,
nutrition, and recovery are on point.
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04
WHY ARE DEADLIFTS 1X6+?
Recovering from deadlifts is quite a bit more
challenging thaN recovering from squats AND
THERE’S A BIGGER INJURY POTENTIAL WHEN FATIGUED.
LESS IS MORE IN THIS CONTEXT.

My most impressive deadlift was likely this little number here. 200kg for 8 reps. I got
#BEMORESHONEN

to this point primarily training the deadlift for two hard sets a week.
To a point, less is more.

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 04
THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

WHAT ABOUT ACCESSORY WORK?

You can choose any 2 accessory movements you like to do after the main
workout, but you are not to replace the main 6 movements.

Arms ShoulderS LEGS

Bicep curls SIDE LATERAL RAISES LEG EXTENSIONS

tricep extensions FACE PULLS LEG CURLS

forearm curls NECK CURLS CALVE RAISES

For accessories I recommend 2 sets of 8-10. Increase the weight when you get 10 for both
sets. However, I think it’s wise to limit how much accessory work you add to a workout as
it starts to dilute the focus of training the movements that really matter. Limit yourself to
2 accessories every workout. My favourite accessory movements are bicep curls, tricep
extensions, calve raises, and side lateral raises, I feel that they can really help rounding off
a physique built on the Super Saiyan 6.

However, feel free to add your own and experiment. Want a bigger butt? Give barbell hip
thrusts a go. Chesticles lacking despite solid benching? Try some incline dumbbell flyes.
#BEMORESHONEN

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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

WHAT ABOUT WARM UPS? 04

Do 2-3 sets with around 50% of your target weight for the minimum reps. The main
goal with warming up is to increase body temperature and to grease the groove for the
movement. If flexibility is an issue, perform some dynamic stretches prior to loading the
bar. The key to a successful warm up is to keep them as warm ups and making sure that
they’re relatively easy and don’t take away from your main sets.

Can i DO THIS WORKOUT WITH

BODYWEIGHT MOVEMENTS?
As mentioned earlier in the book any exercise substitution is allowed as long as it follows
the same movement pattern as the exercise it’s replacing. That allows for a wide variety
of exercises to be used, including bodyweight movements.

Bodyweight movements are attractive to a lot of people as they can be done almost
anywhere, are for the most part free, and they dont involve any gym anxiety. However
they are inferior to weight training in one regard: progressive overload. Therefore we
have to tweak the plan to make long term progress.

Instead of our 2x6, 1x6+ and adding weight every workout, for a bodyweight training
program I would use ‘maxmimum reps in 7 minutes’ instead and try to beat the reps
each workout.

So for example lets say you replaced the bench press with the push up as your horizontal
push, one workout you might get something like 25 reps in 7 minutes. The next workout
#BEMORESHONEN

you’d aim to beat that number by as many as you possibly could. When you hit 100 reps
in total for your 7 minutes, you’d switch to a harder variant such as the one armed push
up.

This form of progressive overload, although inferior to barbell training, is a great way to
get stronger by only using bodyweight exercises. The only equipment I’d recommend
for this is a bar for your horizontal and vertical pull.
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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

05
CARDIO
Cardio can be as simple as a brisk walk on the days you don’t weight train. If you’re
going for something more intense it needs to be programmed correctly so it doesn’t
interfere with training.

An easy way of dealing with this is to treat high intensity cardio as if it’s weight training
and do it at the end of a weight training workout. If you want to do long distance
cardio you shouldn’t do it on the same day as a weight training session (interferes with
muscle building) and you have to be careful that you’re still recovered for squatting
and deadlifting, so I recommend Saturday for this.

EXAMPLE cardio SET UP

Monday Weight workout a/b + 7 hiit sprints

Tuesday 60 minute brisk walk

Wednesday weight workout a/b + 7 HIIT SPRINTS

Thursday 60 minute brisk walk

#BEMORESHONEN

Friday weight workout a/b

Saturday 5K RUN

Sunday OFF
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 THE SUPER SAIYAN 6

Nutrition

06
This is primarily a bare-bones training
E-book. However, I think I’d be doing people
a disservice if I didn’t talk about the basics
of nutrition.

CALORIES
Calories are the energy we consume, when we consume too
many of them we store the energy as fat. You can’t gain fat
without a caloric surplus and you can’t lose fat without a caloric
deficit. Count calories. A good app to get yourself a starting
CARBS/FATS
point and to help you log your food is MyFitnessPal. My quick Carbs help you build muscle along with aiding in performance and
recommendations for the sedentary however are: fats help you absorb certain nutrients and support cell growth.
Carbs are 4 calories per gram and fats are 9 calories per gram.
Men: bodyweight in kilos x 28 In my opinion, it’s not worth worrying about specific amounts of
Women: bodyweight in kilos x 26 these. Once calories and proteins are set up, fill the rest of your
calories with carbs and fats up to your own preference. They are
If you want to lose weight a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories largely interchangeable as far as body composition is concerned.
a day will have you losing a pound of fat a week. If you want

FIBRE
to build muscle, a daily surplus of 250 calories will have you
gaining half a pound a week whilst limiting the amount of fat
gained. Of course, these amounts are just estimates and will
require some tinkering on the users part.
Fibre helps you poop and as it comes from plant sources a high
fibre diet USUALLY means a diet full of fruits and vegetables. At a

MACRO-NUTRIENTS minimum, you want 10 grams of fibre & two servings of fruits and
vegetables for every 1,000 calories consumed. I’d cap fibre at 45
grams for men and 30 grams for women to prevent bloating and
other issues.
#BEMORESHONEN

PROTEIN
Protein is what creates and spares muscle mass. 1 gram
of protein is roughly equal to 4 calories. Without enough
protein on a diet you will begin to metabolise muscle tissue
instead of fat tissue, we want to lose fat and not muscle. On
a diet, consume 1.1-1.4 grams of protein per pound of your
bodyweight per day. On a muscle building phase, consume 0.8-
1g of protein per pound of your bodyweight.
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 THE SUPER SAIYAN SIX

sUPPLEMENTS
Almost none of them are worth their salt.
Creatine helps with performance (5 grams
06
a day), a multivitamin can help blanket a lot
of nutrient deficiencies, Vitamin D in cloudy
dark countries is a good shout (2,000 iui a
day), and a protein powder if you struggle to
eat enough protein in your diet.

HOW TO TRACK WEIGHT LOSS

Many people will weigh themselves once a week and compare themselves on a weekly
basis. This isn’t a great idea long term, thanks to water fluctuations and simply the types
of food you eat the day before your bodyweight can change significantly enough to
mask any weight loss.

So instead I recommend weighing yourself at the same time every day after going to
#BEMORESHONEN

the bathroom and tracking the average weight over two weeks, then compare it to the
following two weeks. That way, you have a much wider data pool to pull from. Don’t
underestimate this, many people have told me that ‘calories don’t work for me’ (which is
impossible) until I’ve had them use this protocol. A good app to track this is HappyScale.

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YOUR REAL JOURNEY
BEGINS NOW
YOU’RE ARMED WITH ALL YOU NEED TO
BUILD A TRULY IMPRESSIVE PHYSIQUE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING
THIS PROGRAM PLEASE CONTACT ME ON
SOCIAL MEDIA OR E-MAIL ME AT:
MINNEY@COSPLAYMINNEY.COM

I hope you guys found this E-book informative.

I have spent a long time trying to figure out
how to deliver this book and I decided that
releasing it for free would provide the most
value. If you wish to support me please click
here and make a donation to my Ko-FI account.
#BEMORESHONEN

and as always my friends

#BEMORESHONEN
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