Training your entire body, each time you suit up for a workout, is the fastest way for 99% of lifters to gain muscle. I can’t make it any simpler than that. Full body training (aka total body training) is as popular as ever because that’s what the vast majority of lifters out there need.

I’ve written countless articles and three books that revolve around full body training: Muscle Revolution, Huge in a Hurry, and Body of F.I.R.E. In fact, if you do a Google search for “full body training” or “total body training,” the T-nation article I wrote a few years back on the subject is the first to come up. (Out of 71.1 million possible results.)

It’s safe to say that my name is synonymous with the full body training philosophy, yet I still get frequent emails from avid lifters who want to try it but don’t know how to set up an effective plan.

So that’s why I decided to write this post. With the following information you’ll have all the tools you need to make full body training work for you.

First, let me explain why this type of training works so well. There are three reasons: exercise selection, hormonal response, and frequency.

Exercise Selection: when you train everything in one workout you must be wise with the exercises you choose. Of all the variables that make or break your muscle-gaining efforts, exercise selection is number one. Any body part split can be effective if it’s comprised of compound exercises. However, when you target specific muscle groups with body part split training you invariably do a bunch of isolation exercises that have little to no impact on adding muscle to your frame. With full body training, there’s no time to mess with concentration curls, kickbacks, and a host of other subpar exercises. By default, full body training steers you to compound exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. Continue reading →

I’ll bet you’re confused as ever when it comes to the simplest ways to build muscle. Many coaches and trainers have tried to convince you that you need to add a lot of fluff to your training program: tempo prescriptions, random progressions, and fluctuating training frequencies, just to name a few.

Well, I’m here to cut the B.S. and tell you what really works. So I’m passing on three ways to instantly boost your size and strength – the simplest way possible.

Method #1: 2 Lifts a Day

How to do it: pick two compound exercises – one for the upper body and one for the lower body. Perform those same two lifts three times per week.

Example: pair up the deadlift and standing military press. Out of all the exercise combos that you can pick from, the deadlift and standing military press are two that hit virtually every muscle group in your body. How many sets and reps? You can’t go wrong with 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise with the heaviest load possible. Do this workout on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

1A Deadlift for 5 reps
Rest
1B Standing military press for 5 reps
Rest and repeat 1A/1B combo four more times (5 rounds total)

Progression: focus on adding weight, even if it’s just 5 pounds each week.

Method #2: 3 Lifts a Day

How to do it: pick three compound exercises – an upper body push, an upper body pull, and a squat or deadlift. Perform those same three lifts three times per week.

Example: combine the squat, military press, and chin-up. These three exercises will hit every muscle group in your body. To this day it’s one of my favorite circuits. Again, you can’t go wrong with 5 sets of 5 reps per exercise. Perform this workout on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

1A Squat for 5 reps
Rest
1B Military press for 5 reps
Rest
1C Chin-up for 5 reps
Rest and repeat 1A-1C four more times (5 rounds total)

Method #3: 3 Lifts a Day with Changing Volume

How to do it: pick three compound exercises like you did for Method #2. Let’s choose the deadlift, military press, and chin-up. Another option is to perform the squat, incline bench press, and one-arm row. Perform those three exercises three times per week but decrease the number of reps for each set every two weeks.

Example: start with 4 sets of 8 reps (4×8) for the first two weeks. Then do 5×7 for another two weeks. Next is 6×5 for two weeks. Finally, finish up the cycle with two weeks of 9×3.

Weeks 1-2: 4×8
Weeks 3-4: 5×7
Weeks 5-6: 6×5
Weeks 7-8: 9×3

These three methods are used by hypertrophy expert, Jason Ferruggia, one of the best guys out there who can simplify your mass-training cycles for non-stop gains.

To find out just how easy it is to quickly gain muscle and strength just Click HERE.

Stay Focused,
CW