How would your friends react if you told them you were going to gain at least 6kg of lean muscle in the next 10 weeks? They’ll probably just laugh at you. There is no need to argue or prove anything, just smile meaningfully and go to the gym with a fighting spirit. Of course, the next ten weeks will be a real test, but you will certainly survive it. Just follow our advice step by step and you will achieve your goal.
In principle, we are not offering anything revolutionary. Surely you have drank protein shakes, creatine and amino acids before , often gave your best in the gym and, perhaps, even achieved quite decent results. Nevertheless, the plan to gain 6 kilos of muscle in 10 weeks has always seemed to you like something unrealistic, from the realm of tales about the miraculous properties of anabolic steroids.
But, as the song says, the impossible is possible! And soon you will prove it to yourself, and without any steroids. The main thing that is required of you is iron willpower to strictly follow the plan. Otherwise, everything is simple: adjust your training program according to our recommendations and add something new to your menu every week.
WEEK 1
Whey protein + leucine
Muscle gain: 0.5 kg
To ensure steady muscle growth, it is necessary that the body always has an excess of the material from which muscle fibers are constructed – protein. In other words, you need to consume more protein than your body uses. Considering that physical activity is accompanied by increased catabolic processes (protein breakdown), you should consume protein in much larger quantities than the average person who does not exercise.
Take 20-40g of whey protein before and after your workout. At this time, the body needs an increased influx of protein more than ever. By saturating your muscles with protein during this critical period of time, you solve two problems at once. The first is to compensate for the increased protein consumption caused by increased catabolic processes, and thereby protect muscle fiber proteins from breakdown. The second is to create a supply of protein, which will subsequently be used by the body for muscle growth.
Also, after your workout, fuel up with 5-8g of leucine. This amino acid extremely effectively protects muscles from destruction caused by catabolic processes, increases insulin production and triggers all key processes of muscle fiber growth.
WEEK 2
Eat 8-9 times a day
Muscle gain: 0.5-1 kg
Anabolic processes require an uninterrupted flow of nutrients. Therefore, we recommend switching to 8-9 meals a day and eating every 2 hours. However, the portion size should be smaller than with traditional 3 meals a day, otherwise you risk gaining not only muscle mass, but also fat.
To avoid spending all your free time in the kitchen, alternate main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with protein or protein-carbohydrate shakes. They are great meal replacements! In addition, they are quick to prepare, and they usually contain a minimum of fat and a lot of useful microelements and vitamins.
Keep in mind: eating more often does not mean eating just anything. Your menu should be based primarily on foods rich in protein and carbohydrates, but low in fat.
For example, for breakfast you can prepare two wholemeal toasts with jam, 7-8 egg whites and 3-4 yolks. Then, as a second breakfast, drink a protein shake containing 20 g of whey protein. After another two hours, you can treat yourself to chicken breast with baked potatoes. Then, after the next two hours – another cocktail, and so on.
WEEK 3
Impact dose of carbohydrates after training
Muscle gain: 0.5-1 kg
Carbohydrates are a real mystery. On the one hand, it is the main source of energy, the need for which increases sharply under conditions of intense training and the activation of all processes aimed at muscle growth. On the other hand, excess carbohydrates turn into fat deposits. The solution to the riddle is as follows: increase the daily intake of carbohydrates, but at the same time calculate the time of their intake so that muscle growth is not accompanied by an increase in body fat.
The most important time to hit carbohydrates is immediately after your workout. At this moment, the body needs energy more than ever to start recovery processes, and the likelihood of “overdoing it” with carbohydrates is almost zero.
Immediately after your workout, you should refuel with carbohydrates, based on the calculation: 1-1.6 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, your post-workout meal should contain at least 90-144 g of carbohydrates. This is approximately 2-3 cups of rice.
Keep in mind, from this week you should consume about 2.5-3 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of your body weight every day.
WEEK 4
Creatine
Muscle Gain: 1 kg
Now it’s time to throw the big artillery into battle – creatine. It acts on the muscles like a spark plug acts on an engine: it provides an instant injection of energy. This impulse dramatically increases the force of muscle contraction, thereby allowing you to increase the intensity of training – the main factor stimulating muscle growth. Creatine also saturates muscles with water, which significantly accelerates all anabolic processes occurring in the muscle cell.
It is advisable to start taking creatine from this week, since, according to scientific research, the maximum anabolic effect from taking creatine is observed just after 3-4 weeks of intense strength training, when the muscles’ own reserves of creatine are already fairly depleted. During this and subsequent weeks, take 3-5 g of creatine before and after training.
WEEK 5
Glutamine + taurine
Muscle gain: 0.5-1 kg
The more intense the workout, the more energy is required to provide it. If you miscalculate a little when filling your fuel tanks with carbohydrates, your body will immediately begin to look for alternative sources of energy. And if you think that in this case he will opt for fat reserves, then you are deeply mistaken. From the body’s point of view, muscle protein is a more preferable source of energy.
To avoid this, start taking glutamine . The content of this amino acid in muscles is much higher than the content of all other amino acids. In addition, a month of intensive training will significantly deplete the body’s own reserves of glutamine.
Glutamine actively prevents the formation of cartisol (a catabolic hormone that destroys muscles), significantly reduces the breakdown of leucine for energy production, saturates muscles with water and stimulates the production of anabolic hormones.
Take 5 g of glutamine in the morning and another 5 g before and after training. It is advisable to take glutamine along with a carbohydrate drink.
Taurine is another amino acid that actively saturates muscles with water and accelerates their growth. Take 1-2 g of taurine before and after training.
WEEK 6
Carbohydrate Bath
Muscle Gain: 0.5 kg
This week we double our daily carbohydrate intake and dramatically increase muscle glycogen storage. Due to this, they will not just swell, but will become much stronger and harder. But keep in mind: excess carbohydrates can easily turn into fat. To avoid this, increase the intensity of your training. During the sixth week, try to ensure that your body receives at least 5-6 g of carbohydrates daily for every kilogram of your body weight. We consume rice, potatoes, oatmeal, millet porridge and whole grain bread in heavy doses.
By sharply increasing your carbohydrate intake, you will also increase the flow of water into the muscles and speed up all metabolic processes in the body.
But be careful! Take a “carbohydrate bath” only this week, no longer. This is a critical period during which training-depleted muscles will absorb glycogen like a sponge. Then they will be full and, if you continue to eat carbohydrates without measure, their excess will begin to turn into fat. Therefore, at the beginning of the seventh week, return to your usual daily carbohydrate intake: 2.5-3 g per kilogram of your body weight.
WEEK 7
Increasing testosterone levels
Muscle gain: 0.5 kg
Strength training increases the secretion of testosterone and increases the sensitivity of cellular receptors to this, perhaps the most important hormone, responsible for muscle growth.
On the other hand, exhausting training for six weeks will thoroughly torture the body, and testosterone levels may drop slightly. This can be prevented by starting to take the herbal extract of Tribulus terrestris (500-1000 mg per day, divided into two doses so that one of them is taken an hour before training).
This drug was developed by Bulgarian scientists back in Soviet times to increase “male” strength among senior officials of the Communist Party. During the development of the drug, it also turned out that tribulus terrestris, in addition to potency, also increases testosterone production.
Another way to increase the level of this hormone is to take vitamin C in loading doses: 1000 mg per day, immediately after training. It lowers cortisol levels, which actively interferes with the delivery of testosterone to the muscles.
WEEK 8
Shock therapy
Muscle gain: 1 kg
No matter how effective the training is, sooner or later it will stop bearing fruit: the muscles will get used to the same type of load and will not grow.
Waiting for muscle growth to stop and then doing something is a losing strategy. Therefore, we will be proactive and make changes in the training process right this week, and they will be the most radical ones.
So, “shock therapy”: slightly reduce the working weight and double (!) the total number of sets in training. But only for 7 days, no longer, otherwise you risk falling into a state of chronic overtraining!
Also, keep in mind that suddenly increasing your training volume is a serious challenge to your joints and immune system. Therefore, during this difficult period, you must provide them with additional support.
Arginine and gamma-amino-butyric acid ( GABA ) are two amino acids on which the normal functioning of the immune system directly depends.
Arginine increases blood circulation, activates the production of growth hormone and extremely effectively protects muscles from destruction by catabolic processes. Take 5-6 g of arginine 30-45 minutes before training and 5-6 g half an hour before bed.
GABA also increases the release of growth hormone into the blood, but, in addition, relaxes muscles and eliminates painful symptoms of soreness. Take 3-5 g of GABA half an hour before bed, along with arginine.
To protect your joints, take glucosamine (1500-2000 mg) in combination with chondroitin sulfate (800-1200 mg) daily. The optimal content of these compounds is presented in Schiff Move Free.
WEEK 9
Healthy Fats
Muscle Gain: <0.5 kg
By this time, you have reached or are close to your goal and have probably gained almost 5 kg. As you know, the more muscle mass, the more fat your body burns even at rest. Therefore, at this stage, you can slightly increase your fat intake due to the so-called healthy fats, which, unlike their counterparts, are not deposited under the skin.
These healthy fats primarily include medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). They are actively used by the body as fuel for energy production, along with leucine and glutamine, thereby saving these amino acids for muscle building. In addition, the burning of MCTs is accompanied by the formation of ketones, which in turn are a powerful source of energy for the body.
Take one tablespoon of triglycerides before exercise and 4 times daily with meals.
Taking 2-6 g of fish oil before training will saturate the body with healthy Omega-3 fats, which strengthen joints, support the immune system, eliminate muscle burning, and also accelerate muscle recovery and growth.
WEEK 10
Active rest
Muscle gain: 1-1.5 kg
Get ready: the maximum increase in muscle mass will occur this week.
As you know, muscles do not grow during training, but just when you rest or ease the load on them. Therefore, we conclude our program with a week of active recreation. However, this does not mean that you will lie on the couch all week and wait for the “arrival” of muscles. Continue training as last week, just reduce the load slightly. During this period, reduce the intensity of your training – reduce the working weight by 25% compared to what you lifted last week, and also lengthen the rest between sets. But the total number of sets should remain the same. As for nutrition, there is no need to change anything – eat the same as last week.
A week of such active recreation and, looking in the mirror, you simply do not recognize yourself. Almost all muscles will grow and your overall health will improve dramatically.
CHANGE YOUR TRAINING
BASIC EXERCISES should be the core of every workout. Only in exercises such as deadlifts, presses, and squats, can you load your muscles with truly impact weight. And, as you know, it is the weight of the load that directly determines success in building muscle volume. Remember, an increase of 5 kg of pure muscle mass is a plus of 2 cm in biceps girth.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SETS
per workout for each major muscle group (chest, back, shoulders, legs) should be about 12-16. For smaller muscles (calves, biceps, triceps and abs) there should be 9-12 sets.
The working weight should be really heavy, allowing you to do no more than 6-8 repetitions per set. And don’t go overboard with repetitions. Remember, fast pace has no effect on muscle growth, but only incredibly increases energy expenditure, thereby forcing you to consume more and more calories. Therefore, perform the exercises at a particularly smooth pace, allocating 3-4 minutes for rest between sets.
DON’T OVERDO IT WITH CARDIO
Aerobic exercise uses a lot of energy and can be a serious obstacle to building bigger muscles. Therefore, during the period of muscle building, do no more than 2-3 cardio workouts per week. Moreover, the duration of the cardio session should not exceed 20 minutes.
And finally: do not do cardio immediately after strength training – you risk losing muscle.
