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Skinny guys must play by different rules and figuring out a workout routine can be a source of confusion and frustration. Here are six reasons skinny guys must focus on strength and a sample training program with notes. Try it now for great
success!
It happens every year. The New Year comes and every scrawny twerp on the planet swears this is going to be the year that he slaps on an extra 20 pounds of muscle.
But if you didn't pack it on successfully last year, what makes you think this year is going to be any different? Seriously?
Did you spend hours in the gym with no results? Did you spend the last year blindly following the muscle magazines only to look the same as you do now? Did you
spend the year filling your body with mysterious supplements that only make you sick? Did you watch your friends train less than you but get twice as big? Sounds
familiar doesn't it? I thought so.
So the question is, how are we going to get a different result? The answer is simple. By doing something different. Would you agree the best way to get the same thing
is to do the same thing? And would you agree that the best way to get a different result is to do something different?
Give me an amen if you have decided that 2007 is going to be different. Give me a amen-hallelujah if you are prepared to be a different person and prepared to do
something different this year. Commit to having your best year, and I'll take care of you, providing you with the best skinny guy transformation program.
I read every piece of bodybuilding literature I could, got misguided by a slew of personal trainers, experimented with every legal supplement I could purchase, but
despite my efforts, my 12-week pictures looked nothing like the supplement advertisements. The cruel scale needle stayed the same like it was cast in stone. Perhaps I
was doomed to be skinny for life ...
Most skinny guys end up using routines designed and touted by those freaky monsters seen in the hardcore rags who have more than a little chemistry lab going on
inside of them. Programs that include hitting the gym more than five times a week, focusing on 1-2 exercises per workout, 12-24 sets per exercise and overemphasizing
isolation-type exercises.
None of these components of a program helps improve the underlying foundation of a hardgainers success. Training to get bigger and more muscular, that is - your
best body ever, must revolve around getting stronger and I mean really, really stronger. Increasing your strength remains the rock-solid foundation for defeating your
skinny genetics and getting a head-turning physique for 2007.
Since the vast array of exercise machines entered the market, along with infomercials, instant result programs and fancy dressed supplement ads, people are no longer
willing to spend the time in the gym to build the solid strength foundation that is critical for long-term progress. Since you've read this far, you won't be making that
mistake this year!
SEVEN REASONS SKINNY GUYS MUST FOCUS ON THE FORGOTTEN FACTOR: STRENGTH
1 STRENGTH TRAINING IS INCREDIBLY TAXING ON THE BODY'SCENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Increasing your central nervous system's work capacity through heavy and/or explosive movements; you directly increase the ability of your muscular system to
produce increased levels of strength.
The pure strength movements do not just benefit the larger muscle groups such as the chest, back and legs but the smaller ones as well.
An Example: A skinny guy increases the amount of weight he can do on the bent over row from 135 to 225. The heavier poundages will result in significantly
strengthening the assisting movers of the upper arm - brachialis and the brachioradialis - allowing him to curl much more weight on his curling exercises.
They would prefer to sleep this entire next year. They would prefer to stay small. They have zero interest in growing larger. That is something you want to do. The only
reason they will wake up (get bigger) is if they are attacked. If they are exposed to an assault (heavy weight) they have not experienced before. Out of survival, your
muscles will grow bigger to prevent the same assault from occurring again.
I would reply that strength training is a fundamental principle of muscle growth because it leads to progressive overload. The only way to make a muscle grow is to
subject it to unaccustomed stress. Progressive overload basically implies that when a muscle is subjected to an usual amount of unaccustomed stress and effort, the
muscle must respond by getting larger to manage and cope with the new stress.
There are many more reasons why strength training will help you defeat your muscle unfriendly genes and get the body you deserve this year, but I think you get the
point. If ever in doubt, just take a look at the biggest guys in your gym. I bet they are lifting 3-4 more times the weight as you!
1 BARBELL SQUAT
4 sets of 4 reps
1 BARBELL LUNGE
4 sets of 12-15 reps
2 STIFF-LEGGED BARBELL DEADLIFT
4 sets of 12-15 reps
5 WEIGHTED CRUNCHES
3 sets of 30 reps
WEEK 1-3 FRIDAY
1 BARBELL DEADLIFT
4 sets of 4 reps
4 BARBELL SHRUG
2 sets of 20 reps
5 STANDING CALF RAISES
2 sets of 20 reps
1 BARBELL SQUAT
5 sets of 5 reps
2 STIFF-LEGGED BARBELL DEADLIFT
5 sets of 5 reps
3 BARBELL CURL
5 sets of 5 reps
4 BARBELL SHRUG
3 sets of 30 reps
4 WEIGHTED CRUNCHES
3 sets of 30 reps
WEEKS 4-6 THURSDAY
1 BARBELL DEADLIFT
5 sets of 5 reps
2 BARBELL LUNGE
5 sets of 5 reps
3 CLOSE-GRIP BARBELL BENCH PRESS
5 sets of 5 reps
4 BARBELL SHRUG
3 sets of 30 reps
5 STANDING CALF RAISES
3 sets of 30 reps
1 BARBELL SQUAT
6 sets of 6 reps
2 BARBELL BENCH PRESS - MEDIUM GRIP
6 sets of 6 reps
1 BARBELL LUNGE
4 sets of 8-12 reps
4 CHIN-UP
4 sets to failure
5 WEIGHTED CRUNCHES
3 sets of 30 reps
1 BARBELL DEADLIFT
6 sets of 6 reps
2 STANDING MILITARY PRESS
6 sets of 6 reps
3 PULLUPS
6 sets of 6 reps
4 BARBELL SHRUG
3 sets of 15 reps
1 BARBELL SQUAT
7 sets of 7 reps
4 BARBELL SHRUG
3 sets of 30 reps
5 STANDING CALF RAISES
3 sets of 30 reps
1 BARBELL DEADLIFT
7 sets of 7 reps
2 BARBELL LUNGE
7 sets of 7 reps
4 WEIGHTED CRUNCHES
3 sets of 30 reps
WEIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM NOTES
You will notice Monday is a quad dominant day with horizontal pushing (chest) and horizontal pulling (rows). You will notice thattraps and calves are opposite
movements so have been paired up respectively.
You will notice Friday is a hip dominant day with vertical pushing (shoulders) and vertical pulling (Lats). You will notice traps and calves are opposite movements
so have been paired up respectively.
You will notice slight variation on some of the exercise selection. The exercise selection is not as critical as the load and set protocol. Feel free to tweak the
exercises based on your personal preference. For example, if a trap bar deadlift feels better for you than a normal deadlift - go for it.
If you know you will get better results with dumbbells instead of barbells - don't be afraid to follow your instincts and be involved in the training process.
For some, the 6 x 6 phase and 7 x7 phase will be too much volume on muscle groups like biceps and triceps. Feel free to modify these to only 3-5 sets. The goal
is to keep the weight the same the entire workout. If your weights start to drop then simply record the number of sets you were able to do and try to beat it next
week.
I am guessing 4 x 4 will be your first exposure to heavy lifting. Remember, next phase, you will be focusing on adding one extra rep to the same weight with one
extra set hence the 1 + 1 program. This program is based on increasing the amount of work you are capable of performing over a 12-week period.
Let's say you can do 185 lbs for 4 x 4 in phase one. Next phase, you will be aiming to do 185 pounds for 5 x 5. You might even be able to slip a few extra pounds
on the bar, depending on the rate that you super compensate, which will be bonus.
For time efficiency, opposing muscle groups like shoulders and lats, chest and rows and shrugs and calves can be superset together. I would not recommend
super setting your legs. This is your personal choice though.
The 2 x 20 and 2 x 30 are unique additions I have added from my own personal experience. I have found, generally, that skinny guys respond better to higher
rep ranges for the calves and traps.
You will notice that Monday and Friday can be classified as your heavy days and Wednesday is an opportunity to increase your body weight strength and
prevent your metabolic system from de-training. These higher rep exercises will counteract and help balance out the dominance of central nervous system
training occurring.
The weighted abdominal work should come from hanging leg raises, weighted ball sit-ups, or cable crunches.
You will notice this is a three day program which will be alternated every three weeks with a 4-day program. I might suggest taking a 1/2 week off at the 6-week
mark if any symptoms of overtraining are suspected. Take at least one week off from the gym at the completion of this 12-week program.
At least two or three 20-30 minute cardio sessions placed either on your non-workout days or immediately after you weight training workouts.
Use the form of cardio that, in your experience, holds the most muscle on your body. For some, this will mean doing shorter interval cardio sessions. For some,
this will mean going for a easy run or swim.
Incorporate the cardio work to enhance your muscle gain goals - not detract. For example, you might benefit from an easy swim workout after a heavy upper
body day. You might benefit from an easy bike ride to loosen up from a heavy lower body workout. Use common sense when choosing your cardio activities.
For example, don't try out for the soccer team at the same time you are trying to transform your body!
Incorporate your cardio based on your nutrition intake. Remember, your muscles grow on calories so the more cardio you incorporate, the more overall calories
you will need to counteract the loss.
Try to stretch at least 1/2 the amount that you lift. Heavy lifting requires long and lengthened muscles to allow full range of motion. Shortened muscles perform
weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injury.
If you are weight lifting 4 hours in the week, you should be stretching at least two. This means at least 1/2 hour of stretching before or after you weight training
workout. This is my personal recommendation, any less and your body will be screaming for a injury.
TAKE THE CHALLENGE
Give the 1 + 1 Skinny Guy Strength Program a honest effort for the next 12 weeks and commit to making 2007 the year you defeat your skinny genetics and build a body
you can be proud of without spending any more time in the gym than you have to. Believe that you can do it. It can be done and it will!
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46 COMMENTS
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Comments
rickmann08 (Rick)
Great article! I was wondering if it is ok to keep doing some of my regular weight training while also doing these. For example I work on my chest and shoulders on Mondays, arm ons Wednesday and chest and shoulders again on
Friday. Can I keep doing these on the same days as the schedule you created?
advinque (aditya)
hy guys
i just started on this program
i just cant do dips, chin up, and pull up at all
zehero (Avi)
Try to put a chair under while doing chin ups. Just rest one leg on the chair and carry on as usual. Push the chair further away for more tension.
advinque (aditya)
thanks sir ill try my best
tonnykras (jeton)
My body weight is 66-68 kg ,but my program is like old school programs :
Monday-chest
Tuesday-legs
Wendsday-rest
Thursday-back
Friday-shoulders
Saturday-biceps & triceps
Sunday -rest
This program by 3 days a week trainig weight it's better for bulkin cuz i never tried to mix the exercises
Jeffxx035 (Jeff)
look.. i drink protein shakes... at 50 gram of protein after workout.. i just started this today.. on my rest day.. should i drink my protein shakes or just only my training day?
Alosaimi96 (Abdullah)
Everyday
Should I just go and do trial and error and explore which weight will challenge me the most yet still maintain proper form and all?
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