Spartacus Workout Plan!

                       Spartacus Workout Plan!

                                               day #2

Muscular Endurance & Functional Training

excersise                                        sets/distance      reps/time        rest/min

deadlift                                                3                        15                 none

pullup                                                  3                        15                 01:00

onearm-dumbbell roll                         3                        15                 none

inverted row                                       3                        15                 01:00

barbell curl                                         3                        15                 none

weight plate bench dip                       3                        15                 01:00

one-arm bent-overlong bar row        3                         30                 none

seat barbell twist                               3                         20                  01:00

Warm up  before beginning any workout. Aim for the number of reps recommended above but make sure to get at least 12  reps every set. Work to get as many pull-ups, inverted rows, and weight plate bench dips as possible each set (perform until failure each set as "15" is just the recommended number for those particular exercises). Remember enjoy warriors!

Spartacus Workout Plan!

                 4 Weeks / 5 Days per Week

       Gain strength! Get Ripped! Improve Cardio! Lose Weight!

 Week #1

 Day #1

Size, Strength,& power

 Exercise                 Sets/Distance            Reps/Time                Rest (min)

 Squat                              3                              15                            01:30 

Military Press                 3                               15                           01:30

Clap Push-Up                  3                              15                            01:30

Overhead Plate Press     3                              15                            01:30

Plate Front Raise           3                               12                            01:30

Single-Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise 3                  15                            01:30

 Stick Crunch                 3                                20                            01:30

Dumbbell Chop              3                                10                             01:30

Warm up thoroughly before beginning workout. Aim for the number of reps recommended above but without fail make sure to get at least 10 good reps every set. Shoot to get as many explosive (clapping) push-ups as possible each set (perform until failure each set as "15" is just the recommended number). 

check out these awe inspiring routines! 

 

Why My Muscles Won’t Grow? Cortisol Stress Hormone Destroy Muscle

                      Why My Muscles Won’t Grow? 

             Cortisol Stress Hormone Destroy Muscle Tissues

There are many reasons why your muscles wont grow or why your muscle growth is retarded. One main culprit for your muscle tissue to in a catabolic and not in an anabolic state is the stress hormone called cortisol. This stress hormone, cortisol, is produced by your body when you are under stressful situations.

Yes, any type of stress, whether they are mental stress, physical stress or just emotional stress will trigger off an increased in the production of cortisol hormones. A high level of cortisol is always a bane for bodybuilders and that in itself, is creating more stress.

When you exercise or especially weightlifting body building exercises, you are placing a tremendous stress on your body. This in turn will cause the cortisol hormone in your body to rise to unacceptable level which may destroy your muscle tissues, bone density and causes weight gain especially abdominal fat. Ohhh…that abdominal fat that would not go away.
This hormone hates your muscles and wants you to grow fat. It takes away protein from the muscles. However to be fair to this hormone, the cortisol hormone has its positive functions.

Cortisol is produced by the adrenal cortex and is commonly known as a stress hormone because the level of cortisol in your body rises sharply when you are under stress. This hormone plays an important role in your bodys metabolic function, itit facilitates cardiovascular function, carbohydrate metabolism and controls inflammation. After all, it is a steroid hormone.
As more cortisol is being produced, your muscle tissue breaks down further since the amino acids from your muscle protein is being converted into glucose for energy. This hormone also blocks new muscle tissues from growing because it interferes in protein synthesis in your muscles.
How to lower cortisol level?                                                

Get enough sleep Let your body recuperate from the days stress and let the body rebuild its wears and tears. A lack of sleep will put your body under further stress and thus increasing cortisol levels.
Avoid stress Take up yoga, read a book, take a break from whatever you are doing. Learn meditation and breathing techniques to reduce everyday stress. Take a week or so break from your exercise routine after 6-8 weeks of regular training. As your body learns how to relax, the level of cortisol hormone will fall correspondingly.

Do not over train Over training is a common issue amongst athletes of all types. This is especially so in bodybuilding and weight lifting. You are already damaging your muscles when you lift weights, dont let cortisol hormones rob your muscles of the much needed proteins and preventing muscle repair and growth.
Once your body and mind is free from stress, your cortisol production will be at a healthy level and you will once again see your muscles growing, provided that you are doing other things that are conducive to getting your muscles to grow.

8 Proven Strategies For Maximum Muscle Gains

Six Pack Rage says

There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to the topic of building muscle, and sometimes it can be very difficult to know where to start. If youre an average beginner looking for some basic guidelines to follow in the gym, the following 8 points will start you off on the right track.

1) Train With Weights and Focus On Compound, Free Weight Movements.

If you want to make solid, noteworthy gains in muscle size and strength, you absolutely must train with free weights and focus on basic, compound exercises. A compound exercise is any lift that stimulates more than one muscle group at a time. Examples of these lifts are the squat, deadlift, bench press, chin up, barbell row, overhead press, dip and lunge. Compound movements allow you to handle the most weight and will stimulate the greatest amount of total muscle fibers.

2) Be Prepared To Train Hard.

One of the biggest factors that separates those who make modest gains from those who make serious gains is their level of training intensity. In order to stimulate your muscle fibers to their utmost potential, you must be willing to take every set you perform in the gym to the point of muscular failure.

Muscular Failure: The point at which no further repetitions can be completed using proper form.

Sub-maximal training intensity will leave you with sub-maximal results, plain and simple.

3) Track Your Progress In The Gym From Week To Week.

Our bodies build muscle because of an adaptive response to the environment. When you go to the gym, you break down your muscle fibers by training with weights. Your body senses this as a potential threat to its survival and will react accordingly by rebuilding the damaged fibers larger and stronger in order to protect against any possible future threat. Therefore, in order to make continual gains in muscle size and strength, you must always focus on progressing in the gym from week to week. This could mean performing 1 or 2 more reps for each exercise or adding more weight to the bar. Keep a detailed training log to track your progress as your strength increases over time.

4) Avoid Overtraining.

Overtraining is your number one enemy when it comes to building muscle size and strength. When most people begin a workout program, they are stuck with the misguided notion that more is better. They naturally assume that the more time they spend in the gym, the better results they will achieve. When it comes to building muscle, nothing could be farther from the truth! If you spend too much time in the gym, you will actually take yourself farther away from your goals rather than closer to them. Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym; they grow out of the gym, while you are resting and eating. Recovery is absolutely vital to the muscle growth process. If you don’t provide your body with the proper recovery time in between workouts, your muscles will never have a chance to grow.

5) Eat More Frequently.

The main area where most people fail miserably on their muscle-building mission is on the all-too important task of proper nutrition. Training with weights is only half of the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don’t provide your body with the proper nutrients at the proper times, the muscle growth process will be next to impossible. You should be eating anywhere from 5-7 meals per day, spaced every 2-3 hours in order to keep your body in an anabolic, muscle-building state at all times. Each meal should consist of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates.

6) Increase Your Protein Intake.

Of the 3 major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is without a doubt the most important for those who are looking to gain muscle size and strength. Protein is found in literally every single one of the 30 trillion cells that your body is made up of and its main role is to build and repair body tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of lean muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of protein as the bricks. A general guideline is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day from high quality sources such as fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese.

5) Eat More Frequently.

The main area where most people fail miserably on their muscle-building mission is on the all-too important task of proper nutrition. Training with weights is only half of the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don’t provide your body with the proper nutrients at the proper times, the muscle growth process will be next to impossible. You should be eating anywhere from 5-7 meals per day, spaced every 2-3 hours in order to keep your body in an anabolic, muscle-building state at all times. Each meal should consist of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates.

6) Increase Your Protein Intake.

Of the 3 major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is without a doubt the most important for those who are looking to gain muscle size and strength. Protein is found in literally every single one of the 30 trillion cells that your body is made up of and its main role is to build and repair body tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of lean muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of protein as the bricks. A general guideline is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day from high quality sources such as fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese.

7) Increase Your Water Intake.

If you want a simple, easy and highly effective way to maximize your muscle gains, drinking more water is it. Water plays so many vital roles in the body and its importance cannot be overstated. In fact, your muscles alone are made up of 70% water! Not only will drinking more water cause your muscles to appear fuller and more vascular, but it will also increase your strength as well. Research has shown that merely a 3-4% drop in your body’s water levels can impact muscle contractions by 10-20%! Aim to consume 0.6 ounces for every pound of bodyweight each day for optimal gains.

8) Be Consistent!

Consistency is everything. Those who make the greatest gains in muscular size and strength are the ones who are able to implement the proper techniques on a highly consistent basis. Simply knowing is not enough, you must apply!

Building muscle is a result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Sure, performing 1 extra rep on your bench press will not make a huge difference to your overall results, and neither will consuming a single meal. However, over the long haul, all of those extra reps you perform and all of those small meals you consume will decide your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your muscle-building tasks in a consistent fashion, all of those individual steps will equate to massive gains in overall size and strength.

10 Simple Rules To Teenage Mass

It wasn't until I started weight training to pack on some pounds that I found out the connection between my eating and my progress... Here are 10 rules that will help you make great muscle-building progress.
By: Brad Borland

                                                                         $15 off any order of $250 or more

10 Simple Rules To Teenage Mass

When I was a teen I didn't want to eat and it showed. I was an imposing six-foot-one and 125 pounds of skin and bones. I was highly active with energy to spare, but knew nothing about the benefits of eating enough of the right kind of foods.

It wasn't until I started weight training to pack on some pounds that I found out the connection between my eating and my progress of eating as it applied to my progress.

Once I discovered this eating took on a whole new meaning. I went through a lot of trial and error and not to mention growing up throughout those early years. Hugecalorie-laden weight shakes, countless hours (up to three per day) in the gym, and all the food I could get my hands on. Ah, those were the days, when I could eat whatever I wanted and burn it off just by chewing!

Of course, looking back I could have done things a little differently. Sure, I was fortunate that as a kid my mother cooked a lot of healthy food, unlike today whereas fast food has become a staple of the American diet. But I still could have focused a little more on a few things and backed off of others.

FAST FOOD

Click On Your Favorite Restaurant To Learn The Truth! © © © © © © © © ©

Now as I train many bodybuilders I see a lot of myself in them, especially the extremely thin ones who desperately want to pack on some serious muscle. It is always a great opportunity for me to show them the right ways to get there faster without some of the mistakes I have made.

I have been down that road and done that, so it is always a pleasure to show others that I did it and that I am a living testimonial of a major transformation.

Below are some simple rules to follow, or better yet, rules I wished I had followed. These are not hard and fast rules, just basic guidelines to take in and modify if needed. I do think, however, they are very important in your quest to build an impressive physique. As always, please talk to a health professional before starting any program.

Rule 1: Eat 

I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked by others on how to gain muscle. I always answer back with a question; what are your eating habits? Nine times out of ten they are poor. They either eat a ton of junk food or not nearly enough food, period.
In your mission to gain weight, you must EAT! You must eat enough all day every day and create a calorie surplus. This does not mean eat everything in sight, but just enough for your body to utilize for your rigorous workouts.

 Click Image To Enlarge.
In Your Mission To Gain
Weight, You Must Eat.

Rule 2

: Eat Right 

Make sure the food you intake is of healthy choices. Get in good carbohydrates such as cereals, oatmeal, rice, potatoes, pasta, wheat bread, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Choose healthy proteins such as turkey, chicken, beef, fish, skim milk, egg whites, and light cheeses. I would not worry too much about fats. If most of your diet is of the healthy variety and your goal is to gain weight, the fat content will take care of itself.

Protein Articles:



• Protein: Too Many Choices. - By Matt Weik
• Wake Up And Smell The Protein! - By Lisa Sutton
• Protein Powder: For More Than Just Shakes! - By Shannon Clark
• Other Protein Articles...

Rule 3: Eat Often

Looking back at my old habits, I was guilty of not eating often enough. I would many times skip breakfast and then eat a massive lunch and dinner. Two meals a day was not the best approach.
When I began weight training I started eating three solid meals per day with two homemade supplement shakes in between. Talk about crazy! I would mix about three or four heaping spoonfuls of non-fat yogurt, about 5 egg whites, three or four cups of milk and then two scoops of cement-tastingprotein powder. Blend it all up and I had myself a super mass 3000 muscle shake!
Now, I do not recommend that in particular, whereas now there are so many great products on the market. But the point is to eat frequently with most meals being actual food and possibly a shake or two added to the mix.

 Click Image To Enlarge.
Eat Frequently With Most
Meals Being From Actual Food.

A sample daily menu could look as simple as this:


Breakfast:

• 1 bowl of oatmeal or healthy whole grain cereal
• Milk
• Banana
• 1 glass of orange juice

Midmorning:

• Protein shake

Lunch:

• One or two turkey sandwiches
• Wheat bread
• Piece of fruit/granola bar

Afternoon:

• 1 Bowl of oatmeal/Whole grain cereal
• Glass of skim milk

Post workout:

• Protein shake

Dinner:

• Chicken, beef or fish
• Pasta, rice, or potatoes

Rule 4: TRAIN! 

You will not gain muscle if you do not train. Not only that, but you will not gain muscle if you do not train hard!
I cannot tell you how many times I look around the gym and see so many people playing on their cell phone and/or their MP3 player. So much time is wasted fooling with these devices that precious time is lost.

These are the same individuals that tell me that they have tried everything and just cannot gain any muscle weight. Others simply are there to mingle, socialize, or just plain hang out.
When you get to the gym show up with a goal, show up to train, show up to train hard! Love going to the gym, love training, have fun training, but train! I used to think to myself: the longer I waited between sets after a certain amount of time my muscles would start to shrink. True or not it fired me up to lift hard and heavy on my next set.

 Click Image To Enlarge.
You Will Not Gain Muscle If You Do Not Train.

Rule 5: Train Smart

Do not train just to train, train smart. When I started I was doing 30 plus sets per body part sometimes up to 40 while spending 3 to 3 1/2 hours per day in the gym. I was grossly overtraining, but that is how we all did it back then.
My training partner would do 40 plus sets for triceps alone! In this case more is definitely not better; however, I see a lot of guys barely do much in the gym worth anything. Not enough work, not enough intensity, and not enough attention to form and function.

Overtraining Articles:



• Overtrain If You Don't Want To Gain! - By Robert DiMaggio
• Overtraining: Signs & Solutions! - By Fawnia Dietrich
• High Frequency Training: Avoid Overtraining! - By Mike Mahler
• Other Overtraining Articles...
Do just enough to work the muscle properly and then leave. Too much of anything is bad for you so adjust your volume, reps, movements, and splits according to your specific needs.
I am a big believer of using your fast metabolism to your advantage. Whereas many have written before regarding "hardgainers" needing to train less often, rest a lot and so forth I am quite the opposite. I feel someone with a fast metabolism can workout more frequently due to there quick turn around to repair muscle tissue. If your nutrition is sound and consistent, there is no reason not to work every body part twice per week.
A good split can look like this:



• Chest/Back
• Shoulders/Arms
• Thighs/Calves
Or
• Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
• Thighs/Calves
• Back/Biceps

Rule 6: Leave Your Ego At The Door 

How much ya bench? Who cares! If your goals are not sport-specific then do not worry too much about being able to bench a lot of weight. Your goal should be to be strong all over. I was never a big bencher, but I could always curl a ton of weight. However I was never worried about what others thought of my strength.
My goals were to always push myself past my own limits, to challenge myself with every set and rep and to work toward realizing my own potential. Sure, push yourself, and sometimes max out and see where your strengths lie, but not at the expense of safety. Egos can sometimes get you hurt and cause an injury, taking months to repair.

Rule 7: Supplement Wisely 

You see them everywhere: supplement ads. A supplement is just that: items in addition to your already well-rounded eating plan of solid food.
Do not go overboard with powders, pills, and potions. They have their place in a program, but as a teen you may want to see how your body reacts first to good nutrition and hard training.

 Click Image To Enlarge.
Don't Go Overboard With Supplements.

After several years you may want to experiment to see which supplements will work for you. Rule of thumb: if you do decide to try a supplement do so one at a time, read the labels and take accordingly. If you have any questions ask a healthcare professional.

Rule 8: Rest 

You grow when you are adequately rested. This means getting the recommended eight hours of sleep per night if not more. When your body is asleep it has the opportunity to repair and grow from that intense training session you did earlier.                                                                                                                                                                        click image
Lack of sleep equals less growth and improvement. Also, try getting in a 15 to 20 minute power nap before hitting the gym. It will recharge you and do wonders for your performance in the gym.

Rule 9: Seek Knowledge 

Read about training, do your research and scrutinize everything. Just because it is written or said does not mean it is golden fact. Read articles on Bodybuilding.com, email the Teen Bodybuilder of the Week, get aBodySpace, and ask questions in the forums. While ingesting all of this information you will form your own opinions, ideals and programs to fit your body and goals. Always seek to learn more.

Rule 10: Have Fun 

Do not be a prisoner to the gym. Have fun. If you find yourself dreading the gym then back off a little, cut back on days per week you train for a while, relax a little more, and do whatever it takes to get that fire back.
Your teen years should be great years to be spent being with your friends and being involved with school not living in the gym. Find a balance. Rely on your friends for support and invite them to train with you, but by all means have fun with it!

Define Your Delts: 5 Must-Do Shoulder Exercises

Improve the appearance and strength of your delts with these science-based exercise tips that will put you head, and shoulders, above the rest.

by Alex Savva Aug 30, 2013

The shoulders play a key role in nearly every upper body exercise. Because of their critical function, extreme range of motion, and potential to bulge under your shirt like two stolen cannonballs, strong shoulders are essential for maximum performance and a well-rounded, fit physique. This article will help you maximize your shoulder development with a science-based exercise attack.

Shoulder Structure and Function ///

Before you train, it's important to understand the muscles you're targeting. Your shoulders are composed of the larger deltoid muscles—anterior, medial, posterior—and smaller rotator cuff muscles that support the ball and socket joint. The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles—the teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and subscapularis—which aid in all overhead and rotational movements at the shoulder.

The deltoid muscles are the prime mover of arm abduction—moving the arm away from the body—along the frontal plane. The front (anterior) muscles are involved in shoulder abduction when the shoulder is externally rotated—think lateral raises with your thumbs turned up. The anterior deltoid also works with the subscapularis, pectorals, and lats to internally rotate the humerus bone, effectively turning your thumbs in and towards the center of the body so your palms face back.1

The rear (posterior) fibers are strongly involved in transverse extension, as in cable back rows.2The lateral fibers perform basic shoulder abduction when the shoulder is internally rotated, like in lateral raises. They also perform shoulder transverse abduction, as in a reverse flye, when the shoulder is externally rotated.3 An important function of the deltoid muscles is also to support the humeral head to prevent dislocation when carrying heavy loads, as in a heavy farmer's carry.4

Must-Do Movements ///

1 / Standing Dumbbell Press

Sitting is overrated. While it might cause you to have a lower one-rep max, a standing dumbbell press better stimulates shoulder growth than a seated press. Though you'll be lifting less weight, the standing shoulder press requires more stability, so you'll be actively strengthening your core and adding balance to your physique while you smoke your shoulders.5

There's no doubt that the standing dumbbell press performed with a full range of motion is the best exercise you can do for maximum deltoid recruitment. A study from the University of Padova found that using the widest range of motion when performing the military shoulder press—elbows fully extended at 180 degrees—resulted in a significant increase in electromyogram (EMG) activation of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, upper trapezius, middle trapezius, long head of triceps, and teres minor.6

Execution

If you haven't been fully extending your elbows during your shoulder presses, you're in for a surprise. Check your ego at the door, drop the weight, use a full range of motion, and reap the rewards of working smarter and harder with the following steps:

1. With your feet shoulder-width apart, take a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Raise the dumbbells to eye level with your elbows bent to about 90 degrees.
3. Brace your core and drive the dumbbells up and together, extending the elbows to 180 degrees.
4. Pause, and slowly return the weight to the starting position.

2 / Prone Reverse Flye

Skip the machines. A recent study showed that the EMG activity for the posterior deltoid and infraspinaturs was greatest when performing a reverse flye with a neutral hand position (palms facing each other) compared to a pronated grip (palms down). While you might be tempted to hop onto the seated reverse flye machine, you're better off using free weights and a bench to perform the prone reverse dumbbell flye. Not only do free weights allow you to get in the optimal hand position, the movement also better isolates the rear delts and recruits more stabilizers than the machines.7

Execution

1. Lie face down on a flat bench with the balls of your feet firmly planted into the ground for support. You can roll up a towel and place it under your forehead for comfort.
2. Grasp the dumbbells with your arms angled out and a slight bend in your elbows.
3. Retract your shoulder blades as you bring the weight up, squeeze, and then lower the weight under control.
4. Repeat. Maintain constant control and tension throughout each rep.

3 / Bent-Over Reverse Fly 21s

This triset targets the rear delts while hitting the medial and front heads as well. It's a great variation to throw into the end of your routine. Remember to keep the weight light in order to maintain proper form and keep the mind-muscle connection you need to maximize every rep.

Execution

1. Start in a bent-over position with your core tight and knees slightly bent.
2. Perform the first seven reps with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Retract the scapula, squeeze, and slowly resist the negative.
3. Perform the next seven reps with a prone grip (palms facing down). Lead with the pinkies out as you squeeze the rear delts during each rep.
4. For the last seven reps, turn the palms back to a neutral grip and perform a forward raise. Keep the shoulders down as your raise the dumbbells and slowly lower them with control.

4 / Lateral Raises with Kettlebells

Take your standard dumbbell lateral raises to a new level. Using kettlebells will add an extra challenge for your forearms and shoulder stabilizers since you really need to control each rep's weight, which isn't directly in your palms. It is important to focus on squeezing the deltoids instead of allowing momentum to take over the movement.

Execution

1. Grab a pair of kettlebells and hold them at your sides.
2. With your elbows slightly bent and your wrists locked, lift each kettlebell up and out to the side until your arms are parallel to the ground. Turn your thumbs down at the peak contraction to better target your side delts.
3. Pause for a second and slowly lower back to starting position.

Advanced Variation: Perform this with the weight hanging directly underneath the handle and go heavier.

5 / Neutral-Grip Sternum Chin-Up

If you've never performed this version of a chin-up, you're missing out. Give it a shot. Not only does it hit your lats and rear delts harder than a traditional chin-up, it also blasts your core.

Execution

1. Start with a neutral grip on the chin-up bars. Pull your shoulder blades together and drive yourself up until your chest reaches the bar.
2. Keep your chest and shoulders open as you pull yourself up. Focuson the rear delt squeeze at the peak contraction. At the top of the move, your body should be at a 45 degree angle from the ground.
3. Brace your entire body as you slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with your torso upright.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      http://www.bodybuilding.com

Workout: Ready, Set, Grow!

Hardgainer Workout: Ready, Set, Grow!

Think the nickname 'pencil neck' was written in your genes? No way! This compound workout will pack mass on even the scrawniest hardgainers.

                                                                                                             click image

by Matt Biss Jul 10, 2012

Confession: I hate the term "hardgainer." It's generally applied to novices disappointed they didn't gain 50 pounds of muscle in 6 months, or the skinny kid who didn't transform into Mr. America overnight. Guess what? Gaining muscle is hard. It takes time. If you think it's harder for you than most, then you better make sure that

1. your training program is appropriate and
2. you're eating enough food.

Many hardgainers believe more is better, so they imitate the high-volume routines of the pros they see in the muscle magazines. In reality, hardgainers just need to follow the barbell basics and eat enough food - probably more than they are now.

Simplify Your Workouts

When a program isn't working, one of the first things you should do is simplify. Good training doesn't need to be complex. In fact, complex routines often impede real results.

Consider the first 15 minutes of your workouts. Which exercises do you perform? I'm not talking about general warm-ups, dynamic stretching or foam rolling. I'm referring to the first 15 minutes of actual training with working weights.

Your answer should be, "Compound lifts."

Consider this: If you had ONLY 15 minutes to train each day, what would you do? Would you bother with 12 variations of biceps curls, leg extensions and accessory lifts to fill your workout? No. You'd focus on the compound moves.

Take The Compound Challenge

Your training should revolve around the first one or two movements in your program. These moves are the most beneficial. If you put your entire nut-sack into your first movement and don't hold back, you'll be better off than the Nancys who stuff an hour with less-than-useful movements so they can pat themselves on the back.

The hardgainer needs to simplify and try this program on for size. It's one of the most effective programs I've ever used, but it's brutally tough. It's different from your usual specialized bodybuilding workout. It isn't "sexy," but it will break your hardgainer plateau.

Combined with the right nutrition and effort, this program will make you bigger, stronger and tougher than anyone at your nearest Planet Fitness. You do it right, and you could leave your puny caterpillar body behind and emerge as one bad motherf#ckin' butterfly.

The Power Of One

So what is this mysterious program? The simplicity will taunt you: one movement per day. That's it. We're going to select the most productive movements possible, and then wreck ourselves with them. There will be no skipping squats and deadlifts so you can sneak over to the hack squat and leg curl. There are no excuses, no jumping things you don't like to do. Destroy one lift for the entire training session and get out.

Monday: Squat
Tuesday: Incline Press
Wednesday: Chest-Supported Row
Thursday: Deadlift
Friday: Clean and Press
Saturday: Pull-up
Sunday: Rest

"But Matt," you whine, "I don't see any biceps curls or triceps kickbacks!"

Listen, you little pansy, after you've spent 45 minutes doing rows, come back and whine again. Oh, wait, you won't be able to because you'll be in the fetal position clutching yourself. Seriously, with such a big focus on heavy, compound lifts, the little things will take care of themselves. This is the fastest way we can put on some serious size. Leave the glitter work for the prom.

The "Ready, Set, Grow!" Workout

Take 3-to-6 sets to gradually move into working weight, and avoiding working to fatigue on these sets. Aim to do at least 10 (real men and women will do more) working sets of 6-to-10 repetitions. Pyramid the weight up to the heaviest you can handle for 6 reps, and then continue the pyramid back down.

Rest as long as necessary between sets. If you have the guts, add a finishing set to complete your sacrifice. Adjust the weight to about 50% of your one-rep max, and complete a set for as many repetitions as possible. Monday

•  

  Barbell Squat

  3-6 warm-up sets
•  

  Barbell Squat

  10 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 reps
•  

  Barbell Squat

  1 set to failure: 50% of 1RM

Tuesday

•  

  Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

  3-6 warm-up sets
•  

  Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

  10 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 reps
•  

  Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

  1 set to failure: 50% of 1RM

Wednesday

•  

  Chest-Supported Row

  3-6 warm-up sets
•  

  Chest-Supported Row

  10 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 reps
•  

  Chest-Supported Row

  1 set to failure: 50% of 1RM

Thursday

•  

  Barbell Deadlift

  3-6 warm-up sets
•  

  Barbell Deadlift

  10 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 reps
•  

  Barbell Deadlift

  1 set to failure: 50% of 1RM

Friday

•  

  Clean and Press

  3-6 warm-up sets
•  

  Clean and Press

  10 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 reps
•  

  Clean and Press

  1 set to failure: 50% of 1RM

Saturday

•  

  Pullups

  3-6 warm-up sets
•  

  Pullups

  10 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 reps
•  

  Pullups

  1 set to failure

http://www.bodybuilding.com