Gain reaction: spark fast muscle growth with this progressive four-week plan

Men's Fitness, August, 2004 by Thomas Incledon

Progressive thinking is the driving force behind most great achievements. Without it, you'd still be listening to 8-track tapes and flushing the toilet manually in airports. So, not surprisingly, it's also the key to blasting your muscle gains through the roof. If you gradually increase the challenge to your muscles, it will stimulate them to grow without overworking them. And that will lead to maximum increases in size and strength in minimum time.

In the four-week full-body plan that follows, you'll increase the total number of sets you do each workout, which will force your muscles to work increasingly harder each time. That will keep your rate of muscle growth at the highest levels. Need a real-life example? I use these same techniques in my own training program and recently set a national record in a strongman competition by pressing a 200-pound axle (almost an inch thicker than the bars you use in the gym) over my head 19 times.

The first two exercises of each session are the featured movements in that workout. These are the exercises you'll emphasize the most by doing an additional set each time you perform the workout. For the rest of the exercises in the workout, stick to two sets of each for all four weeks. These sets simply provide additional work and variety to the workout.

To guarantee fast results, combine this workout with the diet plan I created on page 134. It's designed specifically for this program and your schedule, complete with post-workout shake recipes to stimulate maximum muscle growth and speed recovery. Consider it your foolproof formula for packing on pure muscle.

Thomas Incledon is the president of Human Performance Specialists (thomasincledon.com) in Chandler, Ariz.