Getting Big - George Puckett

Jack Barnes

Mike Mentzer

Getting Big
by George Puckett (1981)


To gain weight you've got to eat. To get muscles you've got to lift weights. To combine the two effectively you've got to use your head.

Eat.

Eat three square meals a day and a couple of in-between snacks. Drink a few quarts of milk a day. Take a multivitamin tablet and some fish oil. Mix protein powder into your milk or fruit juice. Eat fresh fruits, nuts, raisins and seeds. Eat beef, fish, pork and chicken. Eat cheese and eggs and other dairy products. Stay away from white flour, sodas, potato chips and other packaged crap. Don't fret or worry. Remain tranquil.

Lift weights.

Work out three times per week for about 50-60 minutes.
Use heavy weights and 6 to 10 reps.
DON'T ADD SETS, ADD WEIGHT.
Don't worry, it'll work.

Start with a warmup exercise - leg raises, hyperextensions, run in place, light power cleans, whatever.
Do a set warmup set of squats for 10 reps. Follow with a moderate weight set for 10 more reps. Do a hard set of 15-20 reps.
Now bench presses. 8-12 reps with a moderate weight. Then your best weight for 6-8 reps.
Two hands curl. A ten rep warmup then 6-8 hard reps.
Overhead press. Same sets and reps as the curl.
Shrugs. Two sets of 8-10 reps.
Bentover rows. 2 sets of 6-8 reps.
Deadlift. Use heavy weight for somewhere around 8-12 reps. One hard set.
Take an easy week after every three hard weeks of training. Three hard, one easy.

Go home and rest. Do not jog. Do not play other sports. Do not exert yourself unless necessary. If you don't gain 2 to 5 pounds in two weeks there's something wrong. But I caution you here and now - don't push for more than two or three pounds in a week. And don't gain more than 25 pounds during a 4-6 week period.

Some of the weight you gain will be fat. You can work that off later. SOME of the weight should be fat. Not half of it. Remember, you'll be losing it later so why accumulate more than the minimum needed to bring muscle gains?

Give yourself plenty of sleep, 8-10 hours a night.

Don't attempt to gain too much weight too quickly. It ain't healthy! Have patience and you'll get there in one piece.

Remember to follow only these exercises. Don't add more sets and reps. Don't be overly concerned with adding weight in an unreal continuous upward line. It won't happen. There will be days when 'light' weights feel heavy. There will be days when your 'heavy' weights seem easy. Train according to the day.

DON'T ADD SETS, ADD WEIGHT.