I’ve added another Ripptoe workout voted best program to stack muscle on lean bodies on bodybuilding.com forums!  It works!

Remember: If you’re new to lifting, get some good training advice and learn good technique!  You’ll get more out of your training, and you’ll avoid injuries.

On to the good stuff (btw, it’s also published on the site here:    http://westysworkouts.com/i/ripptoe-2-bulk-building-mass-gaining-muscle-makers )

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Authors Note: This workout was originally posted on the Bodybuilding.com Forums by the following member: MATTA114. It is based on a program from the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe & Lon Kilgore.

Example:

Week 1:

o Monday – Workout A
o Wednesday -Workout B
o Friday – Workout A

Week 2:

o Monday – Workout B
o Wednesday – Workout A
o Friday – Workout B

Etc. For the actual workouts read below:

Workout A:

* 3×5 Squat
* 3×5 Bench Press
* 1×5 Deadlifts
* **2×8 Dips (if you cant do these or no assist machine then do Decline Dumbbell Bench Press with your hands Facing each other)

print Click Here For A Printable Log Of Workout A.

Workout B:

* 3×5 Squat
* 3×5 Standing military press
* 3×5 Bent Rows (or power cleans)
* **2×8 Chin-ups (recommended mainly if doing the cleans)

Note: This doesn’t include warm-up sets (**)Means this is OPTIONAL

print Click Here For A Printable Log Of Workout B.

Assistance Work:

Most people cant get it through there head that compound lifts also work your arms plenty and always insist on direct arm work. As quoted by Madcow2,

“Don’t **** with this. Every bodybuilder seems to have
Attention Deficit Disorder and an overwhelming desire
to customize everything.”

If you are one of these people note that you have the option of doing the dips and chins which give PLENTY of arm work. Abdominal work is fine to do also if needed.

I recommend weighted decline sit-ups and/or Hanging Leg Raises at 2×8-10.

Weight:

As for the weight, make sure that you use the SAME weight throughout the sets. For example if I do the first set if Squats with 200lbs then I do the other 2 sets of squats with 200lbs.

Every week make it a goal to increase each of your lifts by 2.5%. Meaning if I lifted 100lbs for my Bench Week 1 then Week 2 I would try for 102.5lbs. If I did 200lb Squats Week 1 I would try for 205lbs in Week 2. Sometimes you will be able to do more but don’t mess with your form just to lift more.

Warm-up Sets:

Before all your working sets it is best to do a few warm-up sets. Specifically for your first lift. You don’t have to do the whole thing for the other lifts but definitely the first.

What you do is you ramp your weight up to your working sets.

For Example:

o 2×5xbar (sets x reps x weight)
o 1×5x85
o 1×3x125
o 1×2x155

And the working set weight would be 175.

If you are lifting you’re working sets fewer than 150 I would cut out the 3rd warm-up set of 1×5 because it won’t be needed.

The Lifts:

Barbell Squat:

These should be full range Olympic style squats. Use the full range of your body – that means as low as you can go which for almost everyone is past parallel. If the top of your thighs aren’t at least parallel it’s for sh!t. If you think this is bad for your knees going low, you and whoever told you that are relying on an old wives tale.

Anyone who knows the human body will tell you that below parallel is MUCH safer on the knees whereas parallel and above put all the sheer right on them and doesn’t allow proper transfer of the load to the rest of your body (this is how your body was designed).

Rest a barbell on the upper portion of your back, not your neck. Firmly grip the bar with your hands almost twice your shoulder width apart.

Position your feet about shoulder width apart and your toes should be pointing just a little outward with your knees in the same direction. Keep your back as straight as possible and your chin up, bend your knees and slowly lower your hips straight down until your THIGHS ARE AT LEAST PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR. Once you reach the bottom position, press the weight up back to the starting position.

To be honest ATG (@ss to the Grass) squats work the best IMO. What you do is you go ALL the way down until your hamstrings touch your calves and keep the same Olympic squat form.

Barbell Deadlifts:

Each rep is deweighted fully on the floor. No touch and go. This is called the ‘dead’ lift because the weight is ‘dead’ on the ground. You can touch and go warm ups but that’s it.

This is a very complicated exercise so here is Bodybuilding.com’s detailed instructions on this lift.

Flat Barbell Bench Press:

Lie on a flat bench and firmly position your feet flat on the floor a little more than shoulder width apart. Keep your back flat on the bench! Using a grip broader than shoulder width, hold the barbell above your body, then lower slowly to the middle of your chest. Without bouncing the weight off your chest, drive the barbell up over the middle of your chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked. Lower the bar down slowly.

Standing Barbell Military Press:

Standing overhead presses. Supporting weight overhead is a fundamental exercise and stimulates the whole body. Raise barbell to your chest with your hands shoulder width apart. Lock your legs and hips. Keep your elbows in, slightly under your bar. Press bar to arm’s length overhead. Lower to your upper chest or chin (depending on what is comfortable).

Bent Barbell Row:

Raise barbell to your chest with your hands shoulder width apart. Lock your legs and hips. Keep your elbows in, slightly under your bar. Press bar to arm’s length overhead. Lower to your upper chest or chin (depending on what is comfortable).

Chin-Up:

Hold the chin-up bar with a supinated grip (palms facing you) with your hands about 6 to 8 inches apart. Pull yourself up and try to touch either your chin or upper chest to the bar. Return slowly to the starting position. Do NOT swing back and forth! Using this grip works more of your biceps than your back or lats.

Dip:

Using the parallel bars, grip the handles and push yourself up to your starting position. With elbows close to body and hips straight, lower body until shoulders are slightly stretched. Push body up in same posture and repeat. You can bend and cross your legs or keep them straight.

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That’s it for today, if you’re looking for more info on these exercises, google is your friend

Train hard, eat big… and keep moving forward!

Westy

If you’re looking to gain muscle, you’ll find this workout is one of the best ever described.  (p.s. It’s also published on the website here:  http://westysworkouts.com/i/welcome-to-westys-workouts-ripptoe-101 )  Even if you’re an experienced weight trainer, if you like this workout, print it up and follow it letter for letter… then track your results.  How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been?

NOTE: Make sure to get professional advice on correct lifting techniques before beginning any weight training program.  If you know what you’re doing, you’re less likely to get hurt.

*****************************************************************************

This routine is Mark Rippetoe’s variation of Bill Starr’s 5×5.

Muscle gains of 30-40lb in six months are possible for a well fed lifter as well as massive strength gains in the major lifts.

The Routine:-

Workout A

3×5 Squat
3×5 Bench Press
3×5 Deadlift / Power Clean 5×3, alternate every workout ”A”

Workout B

3×5 Squat
3×5 Incline Bench Press / Military Press, alternate every workout “B”
3×5 Chin-ups / Lat Pull Downs, alternate every workout “B”
3×8 Weighted Hyperextensions / Good Mornings

How to Warm-up?

Warm up using several sets before doing the 3 work sets. If you’re using 175, for example, it would look like this:

Warm up sets

2×5xbar (sets x reps x weight)
1×5x85
1×3x125
1×2x155

Work sets

3×5x175

What is the frequency of training?

You alternate workout A and B, 3 non-consecutive days per week. So you might do:

Week 1
M – Workout A
W – Workout B
F – Workout A Week 2
M – Workout B
W – Workout A
F – Workout B

What about load progression?

Add weight to the bar whenever possible. If you’re very new to lifting weights, or if most of your lifting has focused on curls and other isolation movements, you’ll probably be able to add some weight each workout. You will probably be able to increase the weights by 5-10 kgs each time in the Squat and Deadlift, and about 5 kgs in the other three lifts.

Is it possible to add direct arm-work into the program?

It’s fine to add some assistance work such as Abdominals, Hyperextensions, or maybe some direct Biceps and Triceps work, but don’t overdo it. For direct arm work, 3 sets of 8 of one lift for each muscle at the end of your last workout of the week will be plenty. Your arms are getting hit hard all week on this routine, so you don’t want to blast them with iso stuff as well.

It is more advisable however to add exercises such as Chin-ups (with varied grips) and Parallel Bar Dips for better arm growth. Your arms may not be very strong by doing this, but they will definitely become big.

What about nutrition?

Eat a whole lot of food.

The part about food is important. You MUST eat big to get big. Rippetoe recommends 4 meals per day, plus a gallon of milk spread throughout the day.”

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That’s it.  Watch out for the next few days when I’ll be introducing some more advanced Ripptoe training programs so you’ve got somewhere to go.

Remember, work hard, eat big and move forward!

Westy

Building Muscle Tips

Are you sick and tired of everyone telling you they know the best way to build muscle? Are you unhappy with how your body looks in the mirror? Are you making slow progress in the gym and feeling frustrated? Are you ready to learn the building muscle tips that will show you how you can build muscle safely and effectively starting today?

There’s a good chance that if you’re not achieving your muscle building goals you’re not doing one of the methods mentioned in these 5 building muscle tips. Your best course of action is to correct these essential steps before you have any chance of getting a bigger, stronger and leaner physique easily.

Read on to learn how these building muscle tips in 5 steps can help you get strong and hard in less time, without drugs and money wasting supplements.

Building Muscle Tips #1 ~ Workout 3-4 Times A Week

The human body is an amazing thing. It can repair and rebuild itself under extraordinary stress and accomplish the most intense activities when given then chance to adapt to it’s load. This is the main principle of building muscle.

You must stress your muscles regularly if you want to gain size and strength. The reason why is that your body will adapt and grow to accommodate the work load. Each time you work out and lift weights, your muscles will incur small tears to the fibers. As you rest and eat well (other essential building muscle tips!) your body will repair itself and you’ll gain not only strength, but size too.

Commit to working out 3-4 times a week lifting heavy weights. To gain MAXIMUM growth I recommend lifting as much as you can for at least 5-7 reps. If you cannot lift for 5 reps, lower the weight, if you can lift for 7 or more, next session you must increase the weight.

The goal of this building muscle tip is to teach you the importance of increasing the weight each workout, but only if you are able. So don’t slack off. If you want to build muscle, you must stress your body! It’s hard work, so work hard!

Working out this way will stress you muscles and stimulate your body hormones (testosterone) to encourage your body to grow, and grow fast!

There are no shortcuts, even people using steroids need to workout in order to achieve their gains. So if you’re afraid of a little discomfort and a little pain then building muscle is not for you.

Get ready to push yourself harder than you ever have before. The effort is worth it when you finally look back at the weights and say “Holy S#!T! I AM TOUGH!”

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ACHIEVE STEROID LIKE
RESULTS WITH THESE MASS GAINING SECRETS FROM A MASTER

Jeff Anderson nicknamed “muscle nerd”
has authored Optimum Anabolics. He got the nickname
from his habit of dutifully writing down every minute detail of all
that he did at the gym.

So can he help you? If yes then how?

This “Muscle Nerd” can
definitely help you to realize your goal of body building because
he knows every fact and detail of mass building. He has dedicated
an enormous amount of effort and time to study everything on mass
building. He shares this secret information with you in Optimum
Anabolics.

While you’re reading it, you too like Jeff will come
to know everything relating to the topic of gaining muscle. Jeff not
only shares all that he knows with you but will also teach you to
understand it all.

This is a very unique
book. It is animated and brought alive by a character
Joe Hardgainer. Who is this: "Joe Hardgainer", you ask?
It is you (well not literally) but you will surely see yourself in
him. He’s a guy who wants to desperately gain muscle weight. He has
hit the gym, spoken to the biggest guy, tried the much-hyped supplements,
scanned the muscle magazines and the professional bodybuilders for
help. He is remotely successfully in his endeavour, but is still fighting
those plateaus unsuccessfully. He has not been able to pull across
the plateaus that constantly stall the progress of the most dedicated
trainers.

Through this character, Jeff exactly knows who his audience
are. It may be you. He writes well, and it’s a very motivating read.

However this program is not for the undetermined. This program
requires discipline. Be it the diet, the five day a week
one-hour workout. You will need to adhere to all points of the training
for it to bear fruits.

Does this scare you? Well it is a very intense
program, but nobody’s gained anything without sweat and hardwork.

The Program is based on "8 anabolic factors."
These are the 8 keys to gain max muscle. They form the crux of the
whole program and understanding them fully is pivotal. To help you
at it, Jeff has gone ahead and included MP3 downloads
for these factors. So that you can listen to them anytime!

Its factors like
tempo, frequency of your training and diets. However, the base of the
program is Hyper-Adaptive Cycling. This is the real guts
of the whole program. This is the basis of Anderson’s claim his
system is not like anything that you have seen before.

His technique is workable, reasonable and detailed not only on breaking
down plateaus but prevents them from happening in the beginning.

How does it work?

For this you need to understand how the body grows muscles. Once you
understand this you will realize how effective Hyper-Adaptive Cycling
is to prevent plateaus.

As a beginner you will notice that your body does not respond to your
training once it hits its first plateau. The plateau occurs when the body
recognizes your workouts and stops adding the muscles to endure your workouts.
In short it gets accustomed to the workouts and stops building the muscles.

It is important to get your muscles to react to add new muscles. Therefore,
bodybuilders constantly introduce alterations to their training and keep
their body guessing to never enter a comfort zone.

Hyper-Adaptive Cycling is not about bringing classic changes that keeps
the body guessing it goes much beyond that.

Hyper-Adaptive Cycling = Massive change

Jeff shows you how the body is naturally designed to work against building
the new muscles you desire. He shows you how to re-program your body to
use the naturally occuring defence mechanisms that can stop you from gaining
and, using special strategies, actually cause those mechanisms to gain
extraordinary amounts of muscle.

Hyper-Adaptive Cycling is a "never-ending anabolic guessing
game where it’s only option is to grow."

Jeff is thorough and takes you through an additional 7 Anabolic factors
and demonstrates the application of the hyper-adaptive process to these
seven factors to create and sustain an optimum anabolic environment.

Although you may be familiar with these factors, Jeff will help you
re-learn this.

Dieting section: It is detailed and helps you designed
to achieve your primary goals be it gain muscle weight, burn fat or improve
on all areas.

Exercise section: There is a lot to choose from. If
you get bored of doing the same thing repeatedly, you find a lot of variety
to help you keep at your workout.

Once you’ve finished the book, plateaus will be only a memory.

Bonuses

In the "The Workout" book Jeff takes you
through a 24 week Optimum Anabolics program. It also
has a workout log for each day which you can print.

One of the other features is a year’s membership to the
Muscle Nerd University which is an online forum, featuring stuff
like training videos, exercise videos and other stuff. Also included is
a monthly training session that’s shown live to members only. The uniqueness
of it is that it talks on a particular subject and then fields questions
from members.

The live sessions give you a chance to take a break from reading and
provide you with some good body building info.

Do any of you have any Questions? No problem.

Jeff has already thought of this. He has put a Virtual Online
Trainer for you to use which is a search engine that turns up
answers to almost any program-related query you might have. If any question
is not covered, he does it in the training sessions.

Next included is the tracking software to enable you to see how you’re
going at any time. A Body Fat Ebook shows you how you
can get an idea of how much your body fat percentage is with just a tape
measure. You can get further information if you want to get a more specific
feedback using body fat calipers. (he recommends these)

Further, you get 5 Micro-Burst Programs (Chest, Shoulders, Back,
Legs, Arms) to help you target the areas that might not be getting
the results you would like them to be.

Complaints?

Previously only 1 month member’s area access was provided. Now, however,
Jeff has increased it to a full year. Nothing to complain about now.

A private forum for members would be good for this program because it
includes so many intense training techniques and concepts.

Finally, there isn’t anything to complain about. It is organized,
written and helps make a complex program simple.

Conclusion

Optimum Anabolics makes you takes you much further than
your traditional training program.

Loads of thought has gone into this program. This is a well-written,
well-tested and very well-presented program for preventing plateaus.

The main ingredient of it is cycling which manipulates the
body’s defence mechanisms to discover muscle growth. Jeff shows you how
to use this program’s interesting approach to cycling to help bring you
constant growth.

The program requires dedication, discipline and hard work.
It is designed for people who’ve got some experience, intermediate to
advanced trainers

If you’ve got the dedication you’ll find the program delivers
beyond your expectations. Jeff’s incredible attention to detail
and his teaching abilities turns the complex and specific approach to
body building into a great advanced muscle mass building program that’s
understandable and easily applicable.