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Jacked! Learn how MF's "Hard-Gainer" columnist Jason Ferruggia earned his muscle

Men's Fitness, June-July, 2006 by Sean Hyson

AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD TROUBLE PUTTING ON muscle: As a high school freshman, Jason Ferruggia was the embodiment of the 97-pound weakling, boasting a max bench press of only 75 pounds! Today, he's a 230-pound powerhouse and renowned strength coach who literally wrote the book on how to "get jacked." Now, tell us again why you "can't" get big?

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In the fall of 1988, Ferruggia, of Watchung, NJ., entered high school feeling like the scrawniest, sorriest kid around. Low on confidence, he desperately wanted to bulk up. "My cousin was dating a man who was a semi-pro football player and pro wrestler," says Ferruggia, "and he became like a big brother to me. He was the most jacked dude I ever saw, and I started lifting to be like him." At 13 years old, Ferruggia began following workouts the wrestler recommended to him, but his frail body couldn't handle the intensity. "The stuff that had worked for him worked terribly for me--like 20 sets for arms. I couldn't straighten my elbows for a month."

Overtraining and underfeeding frustrated Ferruggia, and for the next three years, his training was sporadic at best. "I was told I was too small to play on the football team," he says. "I played basketball, but a college recruiter said I would have to hit the weights hard or I would never make it." Though consistent training his senior year allowed him to bulk up to 145 pounds (at a height of 6'0"), it was too little, too late--his chance at being a star athlete had passed.

But while Ferruggia's athletic aspirations fell flat, his love of lifting only intensified. After graduation, he worked to earn a personal-training certification. Then, in the fall of 1994, he enrolled at Arizona State University as an exercise science major. Landing a job in the college weight room, Ferruggia got hands-on experience working with athletes, which helped him discover how to move his own training forward. He cut down the number of sets he was doing and varied his rep ranges. "I also started a see-food diet" he jokes. "I'd eat everything in sight. Entire packages of bacon, a box of doughnuts, and then some pancakes--just for breakfast." Though admittedly not healthy, the 6,000-plus-calorie diet was a brutally effective bulking plan--Ferruggia gained 20 pounds in six weeks.

However, his years of hard work were threatened when, upon returning to Arizona State his junior year, he contracted tuberculosis (thought to be brought into his dorm by a foreign student who hadn't been inoculated). Bedridden for a month and unable to train for six months due to a weakened immune system, Ferruggia lost 45 pounds.

Though devastating at first, the illness almost turned out to be a blessing. Unable to go to classes or spend rime out of the house, Ferruggia immersed himself in fitness texts, reading every fitness book or journal he could get his hands on and becoming a smarter trainer in the process. Needless to say, he also enjoyed gaining the weight back. "I don't care what anyone says--if you're a skinny hard-gainer like I was, you have to pound junk food sometimes. You can't eat chicken, rice, and broccoli all day and get big" (Nevertheless, Ferruggia generally recommends eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.)

At the age of 21 and between years of college, Ferruggia rented a space in Warren, N.J., where he opened his own hardcore gym. When word of his awesome transformational abilities got around, his business took off at an alarming rate. Work was going so well that he opted to finish his degree at home, rather than return to Arizona and risk losing momentum. "I never got the chance to be a great athlete, but I was glad I could help others get there."

Now 31, with a 405-pound best bench press and 565-pound deadliff, Ferruggia is not only jacked--he's one of the best in his field. In addition to writing MF's monthly "Hard-Gainer" column, as well as this month's summer-fitness guide (see "The T-shirt Body Workout" on page 117), he's also published an e-book, How to Get Jacked (available at j1strength.com). "I can outrun and outlift many of the pro athletes I train," he says. "I will also put my training methods and my results up against anyone else's in the field--anytime, anywhere."

RELATED ARTICLE: Don't try this at home.

MF columnist Jason Ferruggia reveals the top three time-wasters for anybody fighting to put on muscle

HIGH-REP TRAINING

"You've gotta go heavy," says Ferruggia. Performing sets with a weight that lets you get only six or fewer reps should always be a part of your program. Heavy, low-rep work builds greater strength and more muscle.

LOW-CARB DIETS

While cutting carbs is an effective fat-loss strategy, carbs are crucial for the hard-gainer. "You need carbs for recovery," he says, "and you won't eat enough calories without them."

BICEPS CURLS

Make them only a small part of your training, no matter what your goal. The same goes for other isolation moves such as lateral raises or pushdowns. You'll work more overall muscle by doing compound exercises like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. Instead of making an "arm day," hit your back with chinups and rows--your biceps will grow even faster.

Jacked! Learn how MF's "Hard-Gainer" columnist Jason Ferruggia earned his muscle

Men's Fitness, June-July, 2006 by Sean Hyson

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