Get big!

Men's Fitness, April, 1999 by Cory Sorensen

By now, you should be finishing up the first phase of the Millennium Program, presented in the January issue of Men's Fitness. If you've adhered to the workout on a consistent basis, you should have a solid enough base of muscle strength and endurance to see you into the mass-building second phase. The focus at this point is solely on gaining muscle. You should approach each lifting day with total intensity.

Training with heavy weights presents your body with some unique challenges. You'll need extra rest time for tissue repair, and your body will also have extra nutrition requirements. You have the weekends off, so get out and enjoy yourself. This time outside the gym helps your body recover mentally and physically and keeps you fresh for your ball-busting workouts during the week.

Building your body

When you're training hard, you've got to make sure you're getting enough calories. It's critical to counter the stress you're placing on your body with proper nutrition for maximum growth. Along with rest and recovery, eating is the key ingredient to getting big without feeling like a washed-out rag of sore muscles.

Generally, you need 2,000 to 2,500 extra calories for each one-pound increase in muscle. If you add 500 to 1,000 calories to your daily diet, you'll get the nutrients you need to support a weekly one- or two-pound gain in lean tissue, and you'll also have enough energy to power through heavy training sessions.

Instead of trying to cram down more food during lunch or dinner, simply add another meal or two during the day. Sneak in some protein-rich cottage cheese or yogurt, along with a bagel or piece of fruit, around 10 a.m. (This will also keep you from craving french fries and onion rings at lunch.) Between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., grab a couple of cans of tuna or a turkey sandwich - especially if you have to Fuel an after-work visit to the gym. Ideally, you want to eat twice after a workout to optimize growth. Try a protein shake immediately after you've finished lifting, then sit down to a well-balanced meal within two hours.

By watching your fat intake during this period, you'll ensure that the weight you gain will be in the form of lean muscle, not fat. If you're a snacker, check out our list of "damage-control" foods that will keep you on the program but still satisfy your palate.

If you don't have time to sit down and chow, add meals during the day with one of the many meal-replacement drinks (Metaform, Myoplex) or energy bars (Promax, Steel Pro) available.

Eating more, and more often, will demand a little extra effort and expense on your part. But a few extra minutes of prep-time each morning will seem worth it as your shoulders broaden and your biceps bulge.

* During the first week of this phase, focus on learning the new movements and preparing for the hard training to come. Perform 10 reps with a fairly light weight. The goal is to increase your near-maximum poundages as the weeks pass and the reps decrease. Do 10 reps for weeks two through four. Perform eight reps for weeks five through eight, increasing the weight to near maximum. Week nine is a light week; perform eight reps, but use 20 percent less weight than you did during week eight. During week 10, go back to eight reps and heavy weights. Weeks 11 and 12 are what you've been preparing your body for: an all-out iron assault. Perform only six reps of each exercise with the heaviest weights you can move. A good spotter is mandatory.

April through June

Day 1

Exercise                      Sets        Reps(*)

Barbell bench press            2          10, 8, 6
Incline dumbbell press         2          10, 8, 6
Triceps pressdown              3          10, 8, 6
Triceps kickback               2          10, 8, 6
Leg press (light)              2          10, 8, 6
Leg extension (light)          2          10, 8, 6
Lying leg curl (light)         2          10, 8, 6

Day 2

Active rest. Do 30 minutes of moderate cardiovascular activity (60 percent of your maximum heart rate).

Day 3

Exercise                              Sets     Reps(*)

Pec-deck flye (light)                  2       10, 8, 6
Machine military press                 3       10, 8, 6
Single-arm cable side raise            2       10, 8, 6
Rear-deltoid dumbbell raise            2       10, 8, 6
Standing barbell curl                  2       10, 8, 6
Incline alternating dumbbell curl      2       10, 8, 6
Standing calf raise                    2       10, 8, 6
Seated calf raise                      2       10, 8, 6

Note: This is a relatively quick workout day. It should take you 45
minutes to one hour to perform all the exercises.
Day 4

Active rest: In addition to the ab exercises outlined below, do 30
minutes of moderate cardiovascular activity (60 percent of your
maximum heart rate).

Exercise                  Sets        Reps

Crunch with weight         3          10-15
Hanging leg raise          2          to fatigue
Dumbbell side bend         2          10-15

Note: Rest 30 seconds to one minute between all ab sets.
Day 5

Exercise                   Sets     Reps(*)

Squat                        3      10, 8, 6
Walking power lunge          2      10, 8, 6
Single-leg extension         2      10, 8, 6
Romanian deadlift            2      10, 8, 6
Wide-grip pulldown           3      10, 8, 6
Dumbbell row                 2      10, 8, 6
Barbell shrug                3      10, 8, 6