How to gain 15 pounds of muscle in six months--naturally

Strength expert Brad Schoenfeld encourages scientific approach to building muscle

CHAMPAIGN, IL—Building muscle is never as simple as emulating the training methods of popular bodybuilders. The superhuman physiques of professional bodybuilders are often not achieved through innovative training, says leading strength and fitness expert Brad Schoenfeld, but through a combination of superior genetics and a great deal of chemical enhancement. They typically have little or no knowledge of the nuances of exercise science, and most people who follow their routines will only end up frustrated and overtrained.

Schoenfeld, the 2011 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year, argues that the real way for people maximize their muscle potential without any gimmicks or expensive supplements is through a six-month periodized program that systematically manipulates exercise variables. He has successfully used his unique program, detailed in the forthcoming The MAX Muscle Plan, with hundreds of private clients over the years, promising results if the protocol is followed as directed. “You can gain muscle by following pretty much any resistance training program, at least in the early phases of training,” Schoenfeld acknowledges. “Unfortunately, such an approach will take you only so far. Without a well-devised plan of action, you’ll soon reach a plateau and results will come crashing to a halt.”

What sets the MAX muscle plan apart from other programs is its scientific approach. Along with several years of practical experience, Schoenfeld spent nearly 20 years researching muscle development to create it, publishing his findings in a comprehensive review article in the prestigious Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. MAX is an acronym for “Mitogen-Activated Xtreme” training. Simply stated, mitogens are the chemical substances that encourage cells to remodel, a process essential for muscle growth. “As the name implies,” Schoenfeld says, “the ultimate goal of the program is to enhance mitogenic and other growth-oriented training responses in a manner that promotes optimal muscle development.”

Schoenfeld stresses that the results one achieves from the MAX muscle plan depend on two factors: training status and genetics. Those who have been training for less than a year can actually expect to see large increases in muscle size. In fact, from Schoenfeld’s experience, it’s not unusual for a novice lifter to gain 15 or more pounds of muscle over the initial six-month training period. However, another element that sets this plan apart is the way it helps highly experienced natural bodybuilders blast through training plateaus to continue progressing through their muscle-building efforts, so much so that they put on an additional 6 to 10 pounds of lean muscle by the end of the training cycle.

While some people may not have great muscle-building genetics, Schoenfeld reveals that genetics account for only about 25 to 50% of a person’s potential. “Although you may have a difficult time becoming the next Mr. Olympia,” Schoenfeld admits, “the MAX muscle plan will help you squeeze out every ounce of your genetic potential. You unquestionably can develop an impressive physique that is sure to turn heads at the beach.”

Featuring six months of targeted, periodized routines, The MAX Muscle Plan presents a scientifically proven, ready-to-use three-phase program for the entire body, with no scientific background required for understanding the basics.

For more information, see The MAX Muscle Plan.

About the Author

Brad Schoenfeld, MSc, CSCS, CPT, is widely regarded as one of the leading strength and fitness experts in the United States. The 2011 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder who has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles, including the All-Natural Physique and Power Conference (ANPPC) Tri-State Naturals and USA Mixed Pairs crowns. As a trainer, he has worked with numerous elite-level physique athletes, including many top pros.

Schoenfeld is the author of eight other fitness books, including Women’s Home Workout Bible, Sculpting Her Body Perfect, 28-Day Body Shapeover, and the best-seller Look Great Naked (Prentice Hall Press, 2001). He is a former columnist for FitnessRX for Women magazine, has been published or featured in virtually every major fitness magazine (including Muscle and Fitness, MuscleMag, Ironman, Oxygen, and Shape), and has appeared on hundreds of television shows and radio programs across the United States. He also serves as a fitness expert and contributor to bodybuilding.com, diet.com, and diet-to-go.com.

Certified as a strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and as a personal trainer by both the American Council on Exercise and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, Schoenfeld was awarded the distinction of master trainer by IDEA Health and Fitness Association. He is also a frequent lecturer on both the professional and consumer levels. He is currently pursuing his PhD in health science at Rocky Mountain University, where his research focuses on the mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training.

Contents

Chapter 1. The Science of Muscle Development

Chapter 2. MAX Periodization

Chapter 3. Exercises for the Back, Chest, and Abdomen

Chapter 4. Exercises for the Shoulders and Arms

Chapter 5. Exercises for the Lower Body

Chapter 6. Break-In Routine

Chapter 7. MAX Strength Phase

Chapter 8. MAX Metabolic Phase

Chapter 9. MAX Muscle Phase

Chapter 10. Nutrition Prescription

Chapter 11. The Cardio Connection

Sample questions for Brad Schoenfeld

• What are mitogens and why are they essential to muscle growth?

• Why should people refrain from emulating the muscle-building routines of professional bodybuilders?

• How important are genetics to a person’s muscle-building potential?

• What sets the MAX muscle plan apart from other programs?

• How do the results one sees from the MAX muscle plan differ based on their training status?

• How can muscle soreness actually be beneficial to muscle development?

• What are “satellite cells,” how do they function in a similar way to stem cells, and why are they so important to maximizing muscle development?

• Why is the protein component of muscle tissue so important to muscle development?

• What are the three primary mechanisms involved in exercise-related muscle growth?

• What are some of the hormones and growth factors that have been shown to play a role in muscle development?

• Why do you consider planning to be the most important factor in a person reaching his or her muscle-building goals?

• How does periodization help a person structure an exercise program that allows him or her to make ongoing progress and avoid a dreaded training plateau? How does periodization figure into the MAX muscle plan?

• What are your thoughts on training to momentary muscle failure?

• How important is exercise selection to the MAX muscle plan?

• What are your thoughts on the use and perceived benefits of unstable-surface devices from a muscle-building standpoint?

Background Facts

• Muscle growth takes place only when a stress—such as lifting a weight—is imposed that challenges the muscles beyond their present capacity. This concept, called the principle of overload, is the most important tenet of muscle development. If muscles are not sufficiently overloaded on a regular basis, they have no impetus to develop.
• Although your body seeks homeostasis, it is actually in a constant state of flux that favors muscle atrophy unless you actively engage in challenging muscular activity.
• Although water makes up the majority of muscle tissue (approximately 70 percent of muscle weight), it is the protein component (approximately 25 percent of muscle weight) that is responsible for carrying out human movement. The extent of muscle development is predicated on the balance between muscle protein synthesis, or building, and muscle protein breakdown. When synthesis is greater than breakdown, you are in an anabolic (building up) state that’s conducive to building muscle.
• Contrary to popular belief, you don’t build your muscles when you work out. In fact, the opposite actually occurs. Muscle tissue breaks down at an accelerated rate during training, and protein synthesis is largely suppressed. Although this may seem counterintuitive, it is necessary for facilitating bigger, stronger muscles.
• The underlying processes responsible for muscle development are highly complex and not well understood. It is generally accepted that the regulation of muscle tissue is at least in part carried out through the signaling of various pathways associated with protein synthesis and breakdown. These pathways are diverse and provide a variety of ways for muscle to adapt to overload.
• A certain amount of soreness may indirectly benefit muscle development. Here’s why: The response to muscle damage can be likened to the acute inflammatory response to infection. Once the body perceives damage, immune cells (such as neutrophils and macrophages) migrate to the damaged tissue in order to remove cellular debris to help maintain the fiber’s ultrastructure. In the process, the body produces signaling molecules called cytokines that activate the release of growth factors involved in muscle development.
• The more you train at high levels of intensity, the greater your resistance to muscle soreness—even though you invariably inflict damage to fibers. This is why some of the world’s top bodybuilders never get sore after a workout, yet display impressive muscularity.
• Satellite cells are the muscle equivalent of stem cells. These nonspecialized cells reside close to the muscle fiber and remain dormant unless and until strenuous exercise wakes them up. Once aroused, satellite cells go into action. They multiply in number, become more specialized, and fuse to existing muscle fibers to provide the precursor materials needed for repair and subsequent growth of new muscle tissue. Perhaps more importantly, they donate their nuclei to the stimulated muscle fibers so that protein synthesis can increase and support growth.
• Although research shows that resistance training can increase muscle development in the absence of hormones, spiking hormonal production can potentially magnify muscle-building results. Brief hormonal spikes can act as potent signaling agents, turning on enzymes in the various muscle-building pathways. Once a given enzyme in the pathway is signaled, the cascade of effects proceeds like dominoes falling in a row.

Facts taken from The MAX Muscle Plan.

Endorsements 

"The MAX Muscle Plan is a rare combination of rigorous science and practical experience, without the hype or wishful thinking."
—Lou Schuler
Author of The New Rules of Lifting and The Book of Muscle

"Brad Schoenfeld knows muscle ’n’ might, where it comes from, and how it gets here because he’s studied it, practiced it, and insisted on it. Read his words and ideas in The MAX Muscle Plan, put them into action, and grow."

—Dave Draper

Mr. America and Mr. Universe

“The MAX Muscle Plan is based on the latest scientific research and will help anyone put on muscular size in a smart and productive way.”

—Joe Dowdell, CSCS

Founder and CEO of Peak Performance

"In The MAX Muscle Plan, Brad offers programs that are scientifically sound, giving you maximal results in minimal time."

—Tom Venuto

Author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle