Sunday, January 21, 2018

Winter Size and Strength - Andrew Gutman and Anthony Presciano




Not Taken From This Issue
But the two magazines are definitely connected.

From This Issue (October 2017)


More by Anthony Gutman:

Workout by Anthony Presciano



Many lifters prioritize size gains during the winter months. It makes sense. Chillier temps and added layers of clothing make it an ideal time to consume more calories and adjust your lifts to add muscle. 

Unfortunately, achieving success involves strategic planning. Otherwise, you risk blowing up your waistline, not your biceps.  Without a plan of attack, it's easy to get lazy as the weather gets colder. But your nutritional goals must be prioritized or you won't achieve your goals, or even worse, you'll have to combat unwanted weight gain. 

To add strength without acquiring a spare tire, Step One is to start counting your calories. Yeah, it sucks, but apps like FatSecret make it slightly less annoying. Aim to consume the following per pound of body weight: 

14-19 calories
2 grams of carbs
1 to 1.5 grams of protein
.4 grams of fat.

If you're dropping or gaining too much weight, subtract 250 calories' worth of carbs and reassess. Remove cheats until you've found the right balance, then strategically (and occasionally) work them back into your meal plan.

Pair that eating plan with this routine created by former bodybuilder and all-around savage Anthony Presciano and you're programmed for success. Presciano's meat and potatoes approach helped him knock out 495 pounds for 2 reps on the bench press, overhead press 315, and deadlift 675 for 3 reps. 

The plan is tough but not complex. All you need is a barbell, a couple of machines, a Swiss ball, and dedication. Think you can handle that? 


Mass Gain Rules

1) Your first set should never require a spotter; your last set should.

2) Strictly adhere to the rest times. The idea is to eliminate as many variables as possible from this program, and resting longer or shorter than prescribed will vary your level of energy for each set, workout to workout.

3) You'll follow a two days on, two days off schedule, training on Day 1 and Day 2 an taking day 3 and Day 5 off, and then repeating the cycle. This is not a traditional seven-day split.

4) Steady cardio or HIIT can be thrown in on off days. 

5) Eat big. This is not a get lean workout plan. Your food intake should reflect your activity levels. These workouts can last up to two hours. Make sure you're consuming enough calories - between 3,000 and 4,000, in the form of many small meals - to keep your energy high. 


How to Progress

For this program you'll be using the RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale. It sounds fancier than it really is. A rating of 1 means that if felt like you could have performed another 9 reps, while a 10 means that you couldn't have done another rep if your life depended on it.

For the last two sets you should be using a weight that has you at an RPE of 8-9. When that weight starts to feel like a 6-7 rating, add 5 pounds - or less if you have half-pound or one-pound plates. Small progression is safe, long progression. 

However, Presciano also urges you not to push it too hard. This program is meant to challenge you, not break you, so if you want to stick with pretty much the same weight for the entire program, that's cool too. You'll still grease the groove with your lifts, in regards to mastering the form of the movement. And once you become efficient at moving the weight, the pounds will start to pile on.

for novice lifters, take one set off everything for the first 8-day cycle. "Back in the day," there were workouts so excruciating that we would do only 2-3 sets of the last few exercises."     


Day One

Barbell Bench Press, 5 sets of 6,5,4,3,2. 120 seconds rest between sets.
Incline Bench Press, 4 x 8,6,4,3. 60 secs rest.
Weighted Dip, 4 x as many reps as possible (AMRAP). 60 secs rest.
Overhead One-Dumbbell Two-Hand Extension, 4 x 8, 60 secs rest.
Barbell Overhead Press, 4 x 10,8,6,4. 90 secs rest.
Seated Dumbbell Press, 3 x 8,6,5. 90 secs rest.
Barbell High Pull, 4 x 10. 60 secs rest.
Dumbbell Shrug, 4 x 8. 60 secs rest.
Swiss Ball Jack Knife, 4 x 15. 60 secs rest.
Plank, 4 x 30 seconds. 30 secs rest.   


Day Two 

Bentover Barbell Row, 4 x 10,8,6,4. 60 secs rest.
Pullup, 4 x 15. 60 secs rest.
Close Grip Front Pulldown, 3 x 10. 60 secs rest.
Barbell Curl, 4 x 10,8,6,4. 60 secs rest.
Hammer Curl, 4 x 6. 60 secs rest.
Back Squat, 5 x 10,8,6,4,3. 120 secs rest.
Hack Squat, 4 x 8. 60 secs rest.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift, 5 x 10. 60 secs rest.
Seated Calf Raise, 10 x 10. 60 secs rest.
Run in Place, 4 x 30 secs. 30 secs rest.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive