Copyright 2012 © by Meglio Performance Systems LLC. All Rights
Copyright 2012 © by Meglio Performance Systems LLC. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this manual may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including fax, photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use. This manual may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Joe Meglio, except in the case of a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine, newspaper, or journal – and these cases require written approval from Joe Meglio prior to publication. For more information, please contact: Meglio Performance Systems LLC 100 Snug Harbor Road Staten Island, New York 10310 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.joemeglio.com
1
Disclaimer: The information in this book is offered for educational purposes only; the reader should be cautioned that there is an inherent risk assumed by the participant with any form of physical activity and diet. With that in mind, those participating in strength and conditioning programs should check with their physician prior to initiating such activities. Anyone participating in these activities should understand that such training initiatives might be dangerous if performed incorrectly, and may not be appropriate for everyone. The author assumes no liability for injury; this is purely an educational manual to guide those already proficient with the demands of such programming.
2
1. Progressive Overload If you want to get bigger and stronger, progressive overload has to be a main principle in your training. Progressive overload is the principle that overtime you are adding weight to the bar. Simply put, if you want to get bigger, you have to get strong. Too often, I see lifters do the same amount of weight week in and week out and this is a huge mistake because there is no progressive overload. When there is no progressive overload, you will not get stronger and you will not get bigger. For beginners and intermediates, constantly adding weight to the bar isn’t too much of an issue if you play your cards right. The key is to make small jumps and aim to set new personal bests on big compound lifts.
3
At any point during a workout, you hit a new personal record on a big compound exercise (i.e squat, deadlift), cut it there and leave the rest in the tank. This will ensure that the next time you do this exercise, you will have even more strength left in the tank to establish a new record. While, this may work nicely for beginners and intermediate lifters, progressive overload is a bit harder for more advanced lifters. The key for more advanced lifters is to slow but steady progressions. While it’s not unusual for a beginner or intermediate lifter to put on 20,30 or even more lbs to one of their lifts in a relatively short time, the same cannot be said about an advanced lifter. The process is much slower and needs to be very well thought out. Advanced lifters should look at the big picture and gage their strength on a quarter system. So every 3-‐4 months you should gage your progress and see if you added weight to your lifts. So while you may not establish a personal record every week, you want to make sure you are getting stronger on a consistent basis. If you can increase your bench press from 225 to 275, squat 315 to 365, and deadlift 405 to 455 in a year, you will be stronger AND bigger. Getting big and strong won’t happen overnight but you will see dramatic results quickly if you follow the principle of progress overload.
4
2. Exercise Selection One of the most important factors when it comes to getting bigger and stronger is exercise selection. A program that includes exercises like squats, deadlifts, overhead presses and rows will get far greater results then one that consists of leg curls, triceps kickbacks and shoulder raises. Simply put, if you want to get big and strong you need to do big compound exercises that focus on the major muscle groups. Here are 6 killer exercises to get stronger and bigger: Squats are the king of all lower body exercises. If you want to build massive legs and want to prove to somebody that you “walk the walk” then you better start squatting. Deadlifts are the ultimate test of raw strength. This lift works every muscle in the body and is one of the best ways to develop thick lats, huge traps, a jacked up back and an impressive posterior chain. Overhead press is one of the best upper body exercises to build cannon ball like shoulders and improve vertical pressing power. The Bench Press is America’s lift for a reason. It is the ultimate way to add on slabs of muscle to your chest, shoulders and triceps.
5
Farmer Walks are an amazing exercise that will build your yoke and upper back like nothing else. There is a reason why this exercise is a staple in the training and testing of the world’s strong men-‐it flat out works. The Snatch is the ultimate test of raw power. What is more impressive then throwing heavy weight overhead? While the snatch is a great strength and power exercise, it is also a great exercise to build huge traps and your posterior chain.
If you want to get bigger and stronger, start doing more compound exercises and less isolation and machine exercises. Compound exercises trump isolation exercises because they give you a better bang for your buck.
6
Instead of doing front raises, lateral raises and rear delt raises, why not train the shoulders in one shot with the overhead press? You will get better results in a shorter amount of time. Is there a place for isolation exercise? Beginners should stick to compound lifts like the ones mentioned above and other compound lifts like push-‐ups, pull-‐ups, dips, barbell glute bridges and various rowing exercises. Doing isolation exercises is just about pointless for beginners because they don’t have a solid foundation of size and strength. All the focus needs to be on what will get YOU the results YOU want. For intermediate and advanced lifters doing some isolation exercises okay as long as the focus of their training is on big compound lifts. In this case there is nothing wrong with doing some curls or side raises at the end of your workout. Just make sure you are focused on the big picture about what is going to get you bigger and stronger.
7
3. Eat More, Grow More Getting big and strong is about more then just lifting heavy weight and getting after it at the gym. If you truly want to add 10,15 or even 20lbs to your frame, you have to dial in your nutrition. If you are not gaining weight or are having problems getting bigger and stronger you have to take a look at your nutrition because chances are: • You are not eating enough • You aren’t eating the right type of foods. You are what you eat. If you eat like a brick shithouse you will look like a brick shithouse and if you are eating like a young boy you will look like a young boy. So if you are not getting bigger and stronger, what your eating now isn’t enough. You need to start making some changes to your nutrition and you can start by eating more.
8
So what foods should you eat if you want to build muscle and get stronger? Think about eating like a caveman. If it doesn’t walk on land, swim in the sea or grow in the ground chances are you probably shouldn’t eat it. Here are my top 10 foods: • Fish • Meat • Chicken • Eggs • Whole Milk • Fruit • Veggies • Oatmeal • Rice • Potatoes If you want to start gaining weight and putting on stabs of muscle do a 1 weeklong food log. In this food log you should track everything that you eat, how much of it, at what time etc… The more specific you are, the more it will help you moving forward. This food log will give you an idea of where you are at right now and will tell you what changes you need to make moving forward.
9
Here are 2 tips that will help you put on more muscle fast: • Eat leftovers before bed. Consuming a large amount of quality calories before bed is a great away to up your calorie intake. • Make a homemade weight gainer shake once a day. Making your own weight gainer shakes are very easy to do and extremely cheap. All you need is protein powder, nut butter, olive oil and frozen fruit. 4. The Muscle Is In The Details Aside from lifting and nutrition, the other major area that needs to be addressed is your mindset and attitude. One of the main reasons why guys don’t see any results is because they don’t have a clear vision in mind. Their goals are very broad like “cut fat and put on muscle mass” or some variation of this goal. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, you need to make sure your actions are in line with these goals. If doing HIIT workouts, metabolic workouts and cardio are not going to build muscle and get stronger, then why do it?
10
From now on, I want you to write your goals down on paper and be specific as possible about what you want to achieve. While doing this, think of some benchmarks you can use to gauge your progress. For example, a good goal would be to add 15 lbs to your frame and add 50lbs to your deadlift over the next 3 months. In order to gauge your progress, your benchmarks may be when you gain 5 lbs and then 10lbs or when you set a new 15 and 30lb personal record on the deadlift. Setting benchmarks for your goals are critical because they let you know weather or not what you are doing is working. If it’s not working you may need to give it some more time to marinate or you may need to switch things up a bit.
11
When you start to think about what you really want, make sure your goals are attainable. If you bench press 275, your goal should be to bench 315 before you aim for 405. Be realistic with yourself and remember the goal is progression! For now on I want you to start holding yourself accountable for your actions and your goals. This starts with writing down each one of your workouts on a pad. Doing so will allow you to see how you are progressing towards your goals. Detail these workouts with the exact set and reps you did along with how you felt during the workout. 5. Built Like Rome So you want to know the number one way to really add serious muscle and get stronger? Be consistent. When it comes to fat loss, adding muscle, training for a sport etc… the key is consistency. Simply put, if you aren’t consistent, don’t expect to get good results. Rome wasn’t built in one day and neither is muscle. Muscle building is a long process and it takes time to build quality, sustainable muscle but if you dedicate yourself to training, nutrition and recovery you will see amazing results.
12
Being consistent means being on point with every meal, ever workout and your recovery. If you skip meals, skip workouts and don’t do anything on your off days, then don’t be surprised why your results are subpar. Slow, steady and consistent progress is the key to success. Don’t expect to get good results with inconsistent effort. If you want to start kicking ass, you need to go above and beyond the call or duty. This means really dialing in your nutrition, getting 8 hours of sleep every night, pushing out that extra rep in the gym, spending time on your off days to do recovery work.
13
1
Disclaimer: The information in this book is offered for educational purposes only; the reader should be cautioned that there is an inherent risk assumed by the participant with any form of physical activity and diet. With that in mind, those participating in strength and conditioning programs should check with their physician prior to initiating such activities. Anyone participating in these activities should understand that such training initiatives might be dangerous if performed incorrectly, and may not be appropriate for everyone. The author assumes no liability for injury; this is purely an educational manual to guide those already proficient with the demands of such programming.
2
1. Progressive Overload If you want to get bigger and stronger, progressive overload has to be a main principle in your training. Progressive overload is the principle that overtime you are adding weight to the bar. Simply put, if you want to get bigger, you have to get strong. Too often, I see lifters do the same amount of weight week in and week out and this is a huge mistake because there is no progressive overload. When there is no progressive overload, you will not get stronger and you will not get bigger. For beginners and intermediates, constantly adding weight to the bar isn’t too much of an issue if you play your cards right. The key is to make small jumps and aim to set new personal bests on big compound lifts.
3
At any point during a workout, you hit a new personal record on a big compound exercise (i.e squat, deadlift), cut it there and leave the rest in the tank. This will ensure that the next time you do this exercise, you will have even more strength left in the tank to establish a new record. While, this may work nicely for beginners and intermediate lifters, progressive overload is a bit harder for more advanced lifters. The key for more advanced lifters is to slow but steady progressions. While it’s not unusual for a beginner or intermediate lifter to put on 20,30 or even more lbs to one of their lifts in a relatively short time, the same cannot be said about an advanced lifter. The process is much slower and needs to be very well thought out. Advanced lifters should look at the big picture and gage their strength on a quarter system. So every 3-‐4 months you should gage your progress and see if you added weight to your lifts. So while you may not establish a personal record every week, you want to make sure you are getting stronger on a consistent basis. If you can increase your bench press from 225 to 275, squat 315 to 365, and deadlift 405 to 455 in a year, you will be stronger AND bigger. Getting big and strong won’t happen overnight but you will see dramatic results quickly if you follow the principle of progress overload.
4
2. Exercise Selection One of the most important factors when it comes to getting bigger and stronger is exercise selection. A program that includes exercises like squats, deadlifts, overhead presses and rows will get far greater results then one that consists of leg curls, triceps kickbacks and shoulder raises. Simply put, if you want to get big and strong you need to do big compound exercises that focus on the major muscle groups. Here are 6 killer exercises to get stronger and bigger: Squats are the king of all lower body exercises. If you want to build massive legs and want to prove to somebody that you “walk the walk” then you better start squatting. Deadlifts are the ultimate test of raw strength. This lift works every muscle in the body and is one of the best ways to develop thick lats, huge traps, a jacked up back and an impressive posterior chain. Overhead press is one of the best upper body exercises to build cannon ball like shoulders and improve vertical pressing power. The Bench Press is America’s lift for a reason. It is the ultimate way to add on slabs of muscle to your chest, shoulders and triceps.
5
Farmer Walks are an amazing exercise that will build your yoke and upper back like nothing else. There is a reason why this exercise is a staple in the training and testing of the world’s strong men-‐it flat out works. The Snatch is the ultimate test of raw power. What is more impressive then throwing heavy weight overhead? While the snatch is a great strength and power exercise, it is also a great exercise to build huge traps and your posterior chain.
If you want to get bigger and stronger, start doing more compound exercises and less isolation and machine exercises. Compound exercises trump isolation exercises because they give you a better bang for your buck.
6
Instead of doing front raises, lateral raises and rear delt raises, why not train the shoulders in one shot with the overhead press? You will get better results in a shorter amount of time. Is there a place for isolation exercise? Beginners should stick to compound lifts like the ones mentioned above and other compound lifts like push-‐ups, pull-‐ups, dips, barbell glute bridges and various rowing exercises. Doing isolation exercises is just about pointless for beginners because they don’t have a solid foundation of size and strength. All the focus needs to be on what will get YOU the results YOU want. For intermediate and advanced lifters doing some isolation exercises okay as long as the focus of their training is on big compound lifts. In this case there is nothing wrong with doing some curls or side raises at the end of your workout. Just make sure you are focused on the big picture about what is going to get you bigger and stronger.
7
3. Eat More, Grow More Getting big and strong is about more then just lifting heavy weight and getting after it at the gym. If you truly want to add 10,15 or even 20lbs to your frame, you have to dial in your nutrition. If you are not gaining weight or are having problems getting bigger and stronger you have to take a look at your nutrition because chances are: • You are not eating enough • You aren’t eating the right type of foods. You are what you eat. If you eat like a brick shithouse you will look like a brick shithouse and if you are eating like a young boy you will look like a young boy. So if you are not getting bigger and stronger, what your eating now isn’t enough. You need to start making some changes to your nutrition and you can start by eating more.
8
So what foods should you eat if you want to build muscle and get stronger? Think about eating like a caveman. If it doesn’t walk on land, swim in the sea or grow in the ground chances are you probably shouldn’t eat it. Here are my top 10 foods: • Fish • Meat • Chicken • Eggs • Whole Milk • Fruit • Veggies • Oatmeal • Rice • Potatoes If you want to start gaining weight and putting on stabs of muscle do a 1 weeklong food log. In this food log you should track everything that you eat, how much of it, at what time etc… The more specific you are, the more it will help you moving forward. This food log will give you an idea of where you are at right now and will tell you what changes you need to make moving forward.
9
Here are 2 tips that will help you put on more muscle fast: • Eat leftovers before bed. Consuming a large amount of quality calories before bed is a great away to up your calorie intake. • Make a homemade weight gainer shake once a day. Making your own weight gainer shakes are very easy to do and extremely cheap. All you need is protein powder, nut butter, olive oil and frozen fruit. 4. The Muscle Is In The Details Aside from lifting and nutrition, the other major area that needs to be addressed is your mindset and attitude. One of the main reasons why guys don’t see any results is because they don’t have a clear vision in mind. Their goals are very broad like “cut fat and put on muscle mass” or some variation of this goal. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, you need to make sure your actions are in line with these goals. If doing HIIT workouts, metabolic workouts and cardio are not going to build muscle and get stronger, then why do it?
10
From now on, I want you to write your goals down on paper and be specific as possible about what you want to achieve. While doing this, think of some benchmarks you can use to gauge your progress. For example, a good goal would be to add 15 lbs to your frame and add 50lbs to your deadlift over the next 3 months. In order to gauge your progress, your benchmarks may be when you gain 5 lbs and then 10lbs or when you set a new 15 and 30lb personal record on the deadlift. Setting benchmarks for your goals are critical because they let you know weather or not what you are doing is working. If it’s not working you may need to give it some more time to marinate or you may need to switch things up a bit.
11
When you start to think about what you really want, make sure your goals are attainable. If you bench press 275, your goal should be to bench 315 before you aim for 405. Be realistic with yourself and remember the goal is progression! For now on I want you to start holding yourself accountable for your actions and your goals. This starts with writing down each one of your workouts on a pad. Doing so will allow you to see how you are progressing towards your goals. Detail these workouts with the exact set and reps you did along with how you felt during the workout. 5. Built Like Rome So you want to know the number one way to really add serious muscle and get stronger? Be consistent. When it comes to fat loss, adding muscle, training for a sport etc… the key is consistency. Simply put, if you aren’t consistent, don’t expect to get good results. Rome wasn’t built in one day and neither is muscle. Muscle building is a long process and it takes time to build quality, sustainable muscle but if you dedicate yourself to training, nutrition and recovery you will see amazing results.
12
Being consistent means being on point with every meal, ever workout and your recovery. If you skip meals, skip workouts and don’t do anything on your off days, then don’t be surprised why your results are subpar. Slow, steady and consistent progress is the key to success. Don’t expect to get good results with inconsistent effort. If you want to start kicking ass, you need to go above and beyond the call or duty. This means really dialing in your nutrition, getting 8 hours of sleep every night, pushing out that extra rep in the gym, spending time on your off days to do recovery work.
13
