After holding off for nearly two years, I’m posting this because too many people have asked for it. The lasses should read it, too, as the same principles can be applied to bodyfat loss.
I weighed 152 lbs. for four years of high school, and after training in tango in Buenos Aires in 2005, that had withered to 146 lbs. Upon returning to the US, I performed an exhaustive analysis of muscular hypertrophy (growth) research and exercise protocols, ignoring what was popular to examine the hard science. The end result? I gained 34 lbs. of muscle, while losing 3 lbs. of fat, in 28 days.
Before and after measurements, including underwater hydrostatic weighings, were taken by Dr. Peggy Plato at the Human Performance Laboratory at the San Jose State University, and I had blood tests taken on September 30 and October 20. Though this ridiculous experiment might seem unhealthy, I also dropped my total cholesterol count from 222 to 147 without the use of statins. No joke.
Here are a few comparative shots. Oh, and I forgot to mention, all of this was done with two 30-minute workouts per week, for a total of 4 HOURS of gym time:
How did I do it?
First, some select stats on the 4-week change (9/21-10/23):
Bodyfat %- 16.72 to 12.23
Suit Size- 40 short to 44 regular (measured at Brooks Brothers at Santana Row in San Jose by a professional tailor)
Neck- 15.8″ to 18″
Chest- 37.5″ to 43″
Shoulders- 43″ to 52″
Thigh- 21.5″ to 25.5″
Calf- 13.5″ to 14.9″
Upper Arm- 12″ to 14.6
Forearm- 10.8″ to 12″
Waist- 29.5″ to 33.1″
Hips (Ass at widest)- 34″ to 38.23″
Here are the six basic principles that made it happen:
1. Follow Arthur Jones’ general recommendations for one-set-to-failure from the little-known Colorado Experiment, but with lower frequency (maximum of twice per week) and with at least 3 minutes between exercises.
2. Perform every repetition with a 5/5 cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) to eliminate momentum and ensure constant load.
3. Focus on no more than 4-7 multi-joint exercises (leg press, trap bar deadlift, overhead press, Yates bent row, dips, incline machine benchpress, etc.) and exercise your entire body each workout to elicit a maximal hormonal (testosterone, growth hormone + IGF-1) response.
4. Eat enormous quantities of protein (much like my current fat-loss diet) with low-glycemic index carbohydrates like quinoa, but drop calories by 50% one day per week to prevent protein uptake downregulation.
5. Exercise less frequently as you increase strength and size, as your recovery abilities can only increase 20-30%, while you can often increase fat-free muscle tissue up to 100% before reaching a genetic set-point.
6. Record every workout in detail, including date, time of day, order of exercises, reps, and weight. Remember that this is an experiment, and you need to control the variables to accurately assess progress and make adjustments.
For the ladies not interested in becoming the Hulk, if you follow a “slow-carb” diet and reduce rest periods to 30 seconds between exercises, this exact workout protocol can help you lose 10-20 pounds of fat in the same 28-day time span.
Once again, questioning assumptions leads to the conclusion: less is more. Detox from TV twice a week and put in your 4 hours a month!
###
If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: How to lose 20 pounds in 30 days (without exercise), how to triple your testosterone, techniques for producing 15-minute female orgasms, and more.
You can also pick up the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.
Related and Recommended Posts:
Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post
Tim Ferriss interview – common questions on lifestyle design and productivity
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
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[…] training plans that involve “training to failure”. There are several variations [Tim Ferriss’ experience has gotten a lot of attention], but the main gist is that you aren’t really doing x sets of y […]
Hey Tim,
I’m an admirer of the book etc etc. And I could go on with praise, however I am a stickler for time as I know you are.
With that said, I just have a couple quick observations.questions that I do wish you to answer and they are:
I’m a runner (ran in college 70 mile weeks) who wants to get a little bigger because I want to focus on the Decathlon/Triathlons, but don’t want to be that skinny guy. (Cardio cuts fat first, then muscle mass, as you know)
With this regimen, and getting back into running and doing other training (swimming, jumps, hurdles, etc) what would be a basic rate of muscle growth?
I know there are many variables, however, but I would like your input on a lot of cardio, the fact I really need carbs, and the diet needed for obtaining the muscle you did in 4 weeks.
I appreciate all that you are doing in paying it forward. The book is amazing and I’m applying the principles.
I want to recommend one book to you. That outside of your book has utterly changed my life. Harmonic Wealth by James Arthur Ray
Take Care,
Chris
P.S. Really do read that book!!
@Chris,
For a decathlete, I would suggest you test out Pavel’s 5×5 routine also on this blog. Just search “Pavel” and it will pop up.
Best of luck!
Tim
Hi Tim,
I’ve been cracking up reading all the angry comments people are leaving. Funny how some folks react when you challenge their ingrained thinking. (kind of reminds me of the scene in “Young Einstein” when they’re arguing about faster-than-light-travel).
I’ve been training off and on for years with no real results. Then I read 4HWW:
Whats the worst case scenario? – I don’t gain muscle mass (which I’m not doing anyway)
What do I stand to lose if it fails? – nothing.
What do I stand to gain if it works? – Get beefed up finally.
I’ve got a little more planning and research to do, but I will do my best to post again on March 9th with my results.
Thanks,
Pete
@PeteFloyd,
Thanks very much for the comment. It is incredible how personally some people seem to take this blog post! First, I wrote it to help people, not sell anything. Second, it almost seems like I’m killing sacred cows by suggesting anything other than their religion (training method) could work.
Like you said: what’s the worst-case scenario? 30-60 minutes of test time in the gym wasted and more lessons learned.
Good luck!
Tim
Tim:
Great article and I’m totally going to experiment myself with this program. I’m sure that this question has been asked a ton, but can you post the exact workout you used? From the article I know you use a 5/5 cadence but I’m not sure of the specific exercises. Please post so that I can start my four week program today! Thanks for everything. You truly are an inspiration.
Thanks,
Nathan
Tim,
After my workouts, I stay sore for 4+ days. Should I rest until my muscles are no longer sore?
Nathan
Wow Tim,
I don’t get it, I simply don’t get it. Where do you find the time to do all of this! I’ve read a bit of your book(didn’t find the time to finish it yet), read some of your posts and can see you have an extremely active lifestyle and yet you still have the time to post new articles and even reply to comments even though this post is a year old! Are you human? Anyway jokes aside you’re a great example of how people should benefit from life. I believe I speak for everyone here when I say YOU THE MAN!
Abdoul
Dear Tim,
i live in germany and read your book many times. I only can say that you live dream. Everything you describe is logical. I will try to do as you did but my profession doesn´t give me the possibility by now. But only sky is the limit 🙂
P.S.: Did you ever thought about to work as a coach or give lessons?
Sincerly
KIVANC
In reference to an earlier post, slow repetitions do not compromise explosiveness or speed, and they do not preferentially stimulate sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
If the most weight you can lift in a single attempt in an exercise is 100 pounds, you will not be able to move it very quickly. If you increase your strength enough that you can perform the exercise with 150 pounds, you will then be able to move 100 pounds very quickly. It doesn’t matter whether you became stronger using slow or fast reps – stronger muscles can produce more force, and accelerate a load more quickly.
The idea that you can preferentially train for sarcoplasmic versus myofibrillar hypertrophy is typical muscle magazine nonsense. Different speeds, rep ranges, etc. do not change this. Sarcoplasm will increase proportionally to the rest of the cell size.
Tim is absolutely on the right track with regards to repetition speed. While counterintuitive, the truth is, slower reps allow the muscles to produce more force, something referred to as the force/velocity curve. This means that, all else being equal (same set duration) you can handle a heavier weight, and heavier weight = more tension = more microtrauma = greater stimulus for hypertrophy.
The slower a muscle shortens, the more cross-bridges are able to be formed, which results in higher force production. Force production capability actually drops off exponentially as contraction speed increases. For a good read on this, check out Skeletal Muscle Structure, Function, & Plasticity: The Physiological Basis of Rehabilitation by Richard Lieber.
Faster reps only appear to allow one to handle a heavier weight because they tend to mask sloppy form, which involves the use of body movement other than the intended exercise movement (hip and spine extension to alter leverage in an arm flexion exercise, for example), because it typically results in a shorter set duration when compared with slow reps without consideration for the time factor, and because the initial acceleration (often possible due to the assistance of other muscle groups) imparts enough kinetic energy to the load to get it through sticking points.
If your goal is to stimulate muscular improvements, rather than simply cheat a heavy weight up for the sake of gym ego, slower repetitions are the way to go. I made a similar transformation to Tim’s back in college using the same general approach, although it took me closer to 6 months to put on 30 pounds, and it is not uncommon for my male clients to gain upwards of 10 pounds of muscle in the first few months of training.
Tim,
I’m very interested in the program you followed but after reading all the blog I’m more confused than clear as to what to do….so let me attempt a “hack ” here….can you refer me to a trainer here in the bay area that could coach me using a similar method to what you used? With a good coach I reckon I can hit the critical path asap and don’t have to stay up all night surfing and reading.
Love your stuff
Go raibh maith agat (pronounced ” guh – rev – moth – a gut” that’s gaelic for thank you)
Daniel
4 training days (11 days): 65 K => 68 K, height: 187 cm, very ectomorph!
(But probably a 1 cm increase in waist size :-(. I said probably b/c I’m not sure if I measured myself correctly the first time )
Tim, I have some questions for you:
1) Supplementation:
I’m taking
– two scoops of N.O. Xplode in the morning (on empty stomach)
– 3 tablets of Timed Release ALA (from Great Earth) – 300 mg
– nothing pre-workout!
1.1) Can I take N.O. Xplode again? 2 scoops? Will it result in water weight? Is it dangerous to take 4 scoops on training days?
– gainomax recovery (two training days so far). 40 carb, 20 protein, 250 ml. I mix 50% of it w/ 125 ml of water and sip on during the workout.
1.2) Do I need to drink any more recovery/post-workout drink? E.g. Cellmate, Casein, Whey, or just more gainomax?
– 3 scoops of Caseine before bed (usu. 1 h after last meal, mixed w/ milk).
Any other areas of improvement?
2) Diet:
2.1) I’m eating 4-5 meals a day, but the increase in my waist line (despite strength gain at gym) in worrying me. Should I split up the meals more to 6-8 perhaps?
2.2) Chicken thighs are really inexpensive where I live. Is it ok to have lots of them (after peeling off the skin and as much fat as possible)?
3) Workout:
3.1) How do you apply the 5/5 cadence to manual neck resistance?!
Can I replace it w/ sth like Barbell shrugs? Will that fit well with your routine (in BB page)?
3.2) I jog on the treadmill and stretch for a few minutes prior to the wo. Is it fine with HIT?
3.3) What do you think about stretching a muscle after it’s been worked?
BTW, I’m reading your book and calling it “The Book of Aha Moments” and recommending it to everyone!
Good job and thanks beforehand for the reply!
Supplements like N.O. Xplode have not been proven to provide any muscle building benefit. See http://baye.com/no-supplements-no-way-2/
“At present, there is no research published in peer-reviewed journals to support the assertion that an increase in nitric oxide levels promotes greater muscle protein synthesis or improves muscle strength. There is also no evidence that the arginine alpha-ketoglutarate in “nitric oxide” supplements have any effect on nitric oxide levels in muscles.”
Hi Tim,
I like your expirimentation approach, and am ready to try my own experiment. I am primarily interested in losing weight (need to drop from about 240 to 200) but want to put on some muscle in the process which should help with the weight loss and general improved health. Any recommendations regarding calorie intake for my goal, or an alternative program if this isn’t the best for weight loss and toning?
I enjoyed the book and have made improvements in my work (including one day at home and a goal of complete freedom by the end of the year). Look forward to the second edition!
Cheers,
Daniel
have a question. I’ve tried this system twice already, it really sounds nice, interesting and worth trying, but.
Before I used to train more like 5×5, MB 4×6, 3×8 with about 4-5 exericises 2 or 1 times a week. In order to do this slow motion with the right technique I had to lower my weights almost 2 times (plus I haven’t been training for about 4 month, and started ago only a month and a half ago).
For example, I was able to do one rep. of BP with 110kg, my maximum in SQ and DL were about 140 (one repetition) and 80 / 100 for about 5 repetitions.
I’m 23 and have been training for more than 4 years already (with a couple of breaks though). But now, my BP is 55kg, SQ and DL are about 70. It’s this way if I make it reaaaaly slow both ways: positive and negative, keep the perfect technique and aim for ~8 repetitions.
As a result of this weight decrease, I don’t feel any muscle sickness the day after. Earlier I felt it for about 5 days after training of the particular muscle group. And physiologically and intuitively it feels ineffective. But actually, earlier (despite this long muscle sickness) I didn’t seem to gain a lot in mass or strength.
That’s why the question is have you felt the muscle sickness the next (and next after next) day after training? And what are your weights and experience in bodybuilding or powerlifting?
Also, I wanted to ask if it would be a good idea to split this training into the 2 parts, leaving everything else the same and go to gym twice a week (while spending less time on every single training session)?
And the last question. I really wonder if combining this with a strength training 5×5 would be a good idea or not? For example what if once or twice a week I train this 5+5 way and once a week I do the strength workout with heavy weights 5×5. Will it increase my strength and mass at the same time, or othervise slower the whole proccess?
Thank you very much!
Hey Tim,
I’ve been reading through your responses to comments and clicked through to bodybuilding.com, but have been unable to find your article or profile. Could you post a direct link? I’d really like to give this experiment a try.
Thanks,
Timothy
Dear Tim
Thanks for your sharing. It’s great and inspiring.
I did tried to apply your guidance to my practice. I gained 8-10 pounds within two months. I love it.
Now I am reading another sharing from your blog and hope that I can improve my life like this.
Wish you all the best, Tim
Cheers
To BB:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm
Hi 😎
Back in the 1990s, I trained hard for about two years (in my late 20’s); then got serious about the diet and won [3,1,2 places respectively] three shows in one month during which time my muscle mass was at it’s highest, and my body fat low. I am 6’2″ and have a medium frame, and competed in the heavyweight class. It was a powerful feeling to be big, but able to easily tie your sneakers. My diet was low carb; and the allowed carbs in whole oatmeal were eaten in the morning, with each meal having less carb.
– 1/2 c Oatmeal cooked with 2 c water, cinnamon sweet low & scrambeled egg whites
– snack – icy cold, watery thin high protein strawberry shake 60 gr or more
– grilled chicken breast, spinach,
– shake post workout
– grilled steak, broccoli, salad with balsamic vinegar [cuts cravings]
Why did I do this? Because my pain-in-the-A** mother-in-law said she didn’t think I could compete and win. In this great shape, my XXL/38×32 waist off season body was perfect in an XL and in a slim 36×32 Levis. Abs were perfect. My feet did not change. My son was thrilled with the trophys, ribbons, and photos
This is not, as Tim Ferris claims, a little known training secret; it is the training method that works. The real problem is people, err men, weren’t born knowing how to grow muscle. Bodybuilders (we wear our sport) do not over eat, do not eat the wrong food, take one MEAL a week off; and allow this regular nutrition and resting to be as important as intensity. With my coach, I a routine work out four days, alternating body parts so each was exhausted one day per week and did not do too many body parts at once. No warmup. Just start.
Men are likely candidates to grow muscle. Let’s discuss an unlikely candidate, Ms Olympia, Cory Everson. Cory was either in great shape or was not. It took her about to two months to get into competition shape and she refined her physique like an artist up to Ms Olympia competition. Her weight varied only ten pounds, and she used long stationary bike workouts to stay lean but big. Her husband, Jeff was on his way to an exercise PhD, and he understood and followed these principles you claim are little known. They [intense weight lifting to failure, and have always been know by those who train seriously to grow.
This muscle training is easily accomplished in home gyms. And this is how the fitness made simple infomercial guy – John Blazedale (is that his name) made his money. He was not growing muscle following modern training routines, and dumped them to concentrate on a major body part in four workouts a week, training to failure. To this day, he sells thousands of DVDs to the middle eastern countries. He paid off all his debt in about three months back in the early 1980s. Maybe the guys that wrote the book want to keep the special look for themselves, eh?
Dear Tim,
Im a firm believer in a lot of the things you said, having read them before from a variety of sources (mainly the old school stuff) and from doing something similar in high school (after reading “Super Squats”).
Is there ever a chance you’ll be writing a 2nd book with all your little hints and tricks for improving physically?
Thanks!
Luke
P.S.
The only thing I’d say that could help your case against the non-believers would be to better replicate the original photos.
I.e.
-The 2nd set of photos have less lighting (while the first one has more lighting, which blanches out muscle definition).
-Wear the same shorts the same way both times (wearing them down before hid the thighs, making it harder to compare)
-Same distance away from camera, every time
–
Tim,
I read all the details on your bodybuilding.com page. Fantastic stuff! My one question is: How did you modify your supplements/diet on the off-days?
Thanks!
Paul
@Paul:
IMO you can probably skip Casein before bed. The other supplements don’t seem to add many calories.
As for the food, I eat the same # of meals but cut them in half.
Update:
6 training days (22 days): 4.2 kg so far!
I am staying sore longer now and so have increased the rest to 5 days.
–Answers to some of my own questions:
I’m taking
– two scoops of N.O. Xplode in the morning (on empty stomach)
– 3 tablets of Timed Release ALA (from Great Earth) – 300 mg
– nothing pre-workout!
1.1) Can I take N.O. Xplode again? 2 scoops? Will it result in water weight? Is it dangerous to take 4 scoops on training days?
— It may not be dangerous but it caused a burning feeling in my chest. So now, I am just taking 1 scoop in the morning and 2 scoops on training days (1 in the morning and 1 pre-wo). I may increase it later.
1.2) Do I need to drink any more recovery/post-workout drink? E.g. Cellmate, Casein, Whey, or just more gainomax?
—Absolutely! I bought Serious Mass which has 1200 calories and is high on GI (250 out of 320 gr of Carb and 50 gram protein)
2) Diet:
2.1) I’m eating 4-5 meals a day, but the increase in my waist line (despite strength gain at gym) in worrying me. Should I split up the meals more to 6-8 perhaps?
— Maybe, I will need to use more of the supplements i.e. Slo Niacin and Picolinate and ALA (200 mcg) and eat more!
3) Workout:
3.1) How do you apply the 5/5 cadence to manual neck resistance?!
Can I replace it w/ sth like Barbell shrugs? Will that fit well with your routine (in BB page)?
— I was confused about this exercise b/c of the link on BB.com. Now I know how to do it using some sort of a band. Great!
3.2) I jog on the treadmill and stretch for a few minutes prior to the wo. Is it fine with HIT?
—– I quit the treadmill warm up as I’ve already taken a 5 minute walk to the gym but am continuing with the stretching.
Really impressive and inspiring stuff for those Hard Gainers 🙂
Nice job man!
Cheers!
Love this post Tim.
Btw have you checked out Body by Science?
[…] one of 28 of a new slow carb diet, paired with a high intensity training program. Inspired by many other people who’ve done a similar […]
Tim,
Question about your casein preference.
I recently read that “Casein has been implicated very strongly as a carcinogenic compound, possibly one of the most carcinogenic currently in the human diet, according to The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. Also mentioned is the incidence of higher cancer rates in countries that consume more dairy products, specifically cheese, which has more than 10 times the casein density of milk”.
From the China Study:
“In fact, the connection between casein and cancer was so profound that the scientists could literally turn cancer growth on and off in the laboratory animals, like a light switch, simply by altering the level of casein protein in their diets. Interestingly, they also found that feeding the animals the same levels of plant based protein (gluten and soy) did not at all promote cancer growth.”
“An impressively consistent pattern was beginning to emerge. For two different organs, four different carcinogens and two different species, casein promotes cancer growth while using a highly integrated system of mechanisms. It is a powerful, convincing and consistent effect. For example, casein affects the way cells interact with carcinogens, the way DNA reacts wit carcinogens and the way cancerous cells grow. The depth and consistency of these findings strongly suggest that they are relevant for humans, for four reasons. First, rats and humans have an almost identical need for protein. Second, protein operates in human virtually the same way it does in rats. Third, the level of protein intake causing tumour growth is the same level that humans consume. And fourth, in both rodents and humans the initiation stage is far less important then the promotion stage of cancer. This is because we are very likely “dosed” with a certain amount of carcinogens in our everyday lives, but whether they lead to full tumours depends on their promotion, or lack thereof.”
“Casein promotes all stages of the cancer process”
I would love your input and opinion.
Thanks Tim Ferriss. We love youuuuuuu
@Mr. Jackson,
Great comment and thank you for the reference. I’ll look into this when I have a chance. In the meantime, do you know the amounts of casein per lb./ounce/gram bodyweight the rats were being fed daily, as well as how (orally vs. other)? I do have some issues with rat vs. human comparisons, but that’s another post for the future.
Thanks again for the good counter-argument. I hope to hear more of your findings!
Tim
Update:
Feb 25
Gained another 600 gr (4.8 kg so far)
I just found out that I’ve been taking only around 4000 calories a day! (In the first 2 weeks I probably had only around 3000)
BTW is it safe to take 1200 calories of post-workout drink (Hi-GI e.g. Serious Mass) after these workouts? I feel bloated for the following few hours although I drink it within 1-1.5 hour. I can hardly have a post-workout meal after 2 hours!
Tim,
Monday Mar. 2nd saw the beginning of week four for me on this regimen/diet. I recently took up gym based rock climbing and bouldering and felt it a good idea to start this in concert with my new found sport.
I’m happy to report fantastic results thus far on a scaled back version. I eat less for less drastic muscle gain but still an appropriate amount for full muscle repair. I also concentrate the weight training aspect to one day a week on Sunday evenings to allow the following Mon. and Tues. (when the gym is closed) for repair.
I’ve seen substantial fat loss and a solid gain in muscle, in some places where I’ve never really had much before, like the pecs. I’ve noticed tendon strengthening as well. I didn’t use supplements – no good sources near by.
Two things separate from above:
Do you run/jog? Are you familiar with POSE Method running? It’s sort of a hacked way to run that I think you’d appreciate.
Your RSS Feed link up in the browser’s address bar has a slightly faulty link. It lacks the “/feed” at the end that allows it to load the feed. feed://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/feed
[…] examined before how people can lose 20+ lbs. of bodyfat — or gain 34 lbs. of lean mass — within four weeks, replete with measurements and photographs, but there is still a chorus: […]
How much Test did you need daily for these results(I assume daily as the longer acting esters usually cause water retention)? Rather solid looking so I would guess you must also have a good anti-estrogen or maybe some Winstrol or Tren. Just curious what stack got you those results in 30 days, being that anyone with any sense knows this not possible without drugs. Anyway, nice work!
Nearly two years later and I am still in awe of this post. More people need to put it into action.
[…] to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less […]
[…] to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons […]
Hi Tim,
I have your book, The Four Hour Workweek and love reading it and applying the principles! I just found your 34 Lbs of Muscle in 28 Days article after Googling, “Tim Ferriss resistance training,” because of you mention of it in the book. What I am wondering is, what do you think of utilizing resistance bands (which I have been considering a purchase of) as a substitute for the gym when doing the 28 day regimen? Is it possible to get comparable results?
Thanks,
Chuck
Hi Chuck,
It is very difficult to get comparable results with bands, as you cannot progress in resistance as accurately or as long as with plate-loading weights.
Good luck!
Tim
wooow, is this possible?
great!
Update:
March 15
9.5 kilos (about 21 pounds)!
About 1.5 month (average of 1.5 hours a week of gym time!)
Have upped the calorie intake (around 4500 I think). But I’ve got Policosanol and Niacin (+ bodyQuicken) missing in my stack.
Can anyone suggest an accurate (and cheap enough) measure for body fat? A personal trainer at the gym estimated that I have a body fat of 15 % by pinching a few spots in my body. Is this normal?
[…] Gaining 34 pounds of lean mass in 28 days? Impossible, or so claim the skeptics. […]
Hi Tim,
It seems a workout like this would make one more susceptible to injury. Do you know if the risks for injury are higher doing these high intensity, short duration workouts?
Since we are all taught to inhale down, exhale up, how do you breathe on a 5/5 cadence?
Thanks.
What’s with the shaving of body hair? I keep mine and my wife loves it.
Hi Marc,
If I may reply in Tim’s stead:
My personal experience was that for the first few sessions, I could literally not focus on breathing at all as I was trying to keep track of the 5/5 cadence and form. But once you get the hang of this type of workout, the breathing almost falls into place though it may seem a little awkward (Just breathe in/out more slowly)
Hi Farid,
Thanks for replying. I guess putting on the focus on counting time would allow the breathing to come naturally – so long as I remember to breathe! Some people, I’d imagine, would hold their breath.
How has the workout been going for you?
Yes Marc,
I DID hold my breath the 1st few sessions (which is wrong but I had to learn to focus on good form and the cadence).
If you haven’t tried this, I HIGHLY recommend it. (No one believes that I’m working out only 1.5 hours a week)
Oh, I almost missed your last line.
Well, if you scroll up, you’ll see that I’ve posted updates on my progress. I made a few mistakes in the 1st few weeks (e.g. no high-GI post-workout drink, only 1 scoop of Xplode, only 3000-3500 calories a day, etc) but the progress has been so far so good. My pants are filling up and my shirts fit better and I keep discovering new muscle in my body. 🙂
(And as Tim puts it, the diet is a real bitch!)
Hi Tim, This article is very interesting. I am not interested in becoming the Hulk but I am going to try your method for women in gaining muscle mass. I would like to see the outcome and how this method would really affect me. I used a program and gained 10 pounds of muscle in 30 days. I am not the Hulk. I actually was at 35% body fat when I started so I am toned and not bulky at all. Thanks for sharing the great info.
Tim,
It would have been nice if you had provided citations for your study outside of the link to the CO Experiment site. It would also be nice if you would also provide more detail on the amount of calories you consumed and explain exactly what you mean by “4. Eat enormous quantities of protein….” Is that based on a persons weight, age, a specific amount of calories, etc? What was your eating schedule? Is there a reason why you didn’t put your workout in detail here? I guess I would believe it more if it was done in a more scientific manner but congrats on getting a great physique!
Dude, face it.
Genetically normal, and without taking any enhancing drugs, you can put on 1 kg of lean meat to your frame per month.
Either you have taken something else, other than food and supplements, or these pix are not 4 weeks apart, but rather 4 years apart.
In fact looking at the face in these pix, it indeed looks like there is at least a year or two between the two pix.
I have trained genetically average men from their 20s to their 40s who’ve gained much more than 1kg of muscle per month using methods very similar to what Tim used.
I just did measurements on a client last Friday, a male in his mid 30’s, who has gained 6 pounds in the past month while reducing his skinfold measurements.
I had a male client in his mid 20’s gain 8 pounds with no significant change in skinfold measurements in his first month of training.
I had a 39 year old male client gain 12 pounds of muscle in 3 months.
All of these people performed very brief, high intensity training routines, typically consisting of a single set to failure of between 6 and 8 exercises, performed with slow, controlled reps. These workouts typically lasted under 20 min, including rest between exercises, and were only performed twice weekly.
These are genetically average people. They are not exceptions. I personally know trainers all over the US using similar methods and getting similar results. Some using even briefer workouts and lower training frequency.
I don’t know where you got your 1kg/month figure, but it is wrong.
@Shadab khan,
Since Tim has completely stopped answering such posts, I’ll do it 😉
Please first TRY the workout for 2-3 sessions (eating enough) and then judge!
What will you lose? 2-3 hours of gym time (at most) and a few days of eating (?)
Trust me, you’ll be amazed at the results.
I have been lurking and following this thread for about a year. Did this for a month trying to lose weight (20 pounds in 30 days) and it worked. I lost about 15 lbs and got much stronger. I had to stop, I injured myself.
Farid, I found the US Navy method for measuring body fat (http://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Body-Fat-Using-the-US-Navy-Method) as a easy way to track gains and losses.
Good luck and keep the updates coming
Yikes! sorry to say this but… you looked much better before! Now you you look like a bulldozer-schwarzy-bulky-cannot keep my legs together-cannot keep my arms along my chest-kinda monster…oops!
I know this may do wonders for your male ego but from a female-look at you-hug me perspective… you were much more attractive before: slim long and lean and yet still fit and good-looking.
Anyway, if you are happy & just wanted to test (as usual) if you could achieve yet another result, good for you… (I cannot think though of how much training and sacrifices you must have done to get there… for what?!) 🙂
PS. kudos for the tan and shaving, post – those alone were enough to enhance your basic good looks-dna! ;P
PS: btw, may I suggest you resize your pics to fit the proportions of overall height, so you don’t look like a giant or dwarf in the before-after (as if the workout also changed your body length!) 😉
and sorry if I sounded a bit “harsh” with my previous comment, it’s just my opinion after all,… many other ppl may like your new pumped-up body like you do – and in general, I cannot compliment you enough for all the rest (book & blog, both of which I am eagerly reading and hoping to get good tips out of them, here and there, to apply to my own life).
Cheers & best,
Lib
“I have been lurking and following this thread for about a year. Did this for a month trying to lose weight (20 pounds in 30 days) and it worked. I lost about 15 lbs and got much stronger. I had to stop, I injured myself.
Farid, I found the US Navy method for measuring body fat (http://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Body-Fat-Using-the-US-Navy-Method) as a easy way to track gains and losses.
Good luck and keep the updates coming”
I find it funny that anyone would suggest a formula using logarithms is an easy way to track bodyfat.
@ Viking Dan
Excel is a wonderful program. Type in the formula and reference fields for your measurements. If you need I can send you a file with the formula in it.
Take it from an amateur bodybuilder who uses steroids. There is no secret to gaining muscle just science and the science behind gaining 34 pounds in 30 days is impossible UNLESS:
1. You stopped working out and dropped a significant amount of weight and starved yourself for a few weeks before beginning your routine.
OR
2. Steroids. Sorry to burst your bubble folks but this guy is a fraud. If you wanna juice go ahead but don’t lie to people and say it’s natural that’s just fucked up. Ask any bodybuilder/personal trainer 34 lbs in 30 days is not possible without the help of anabolic agents.
For a person regaining muscular weight, this is not impossible.
I like your blog. Your enthusiasm for life is quite evident, and you are skilled marketer. However, the information in this post is just not accurate. I will not claim it is a lie, because I don’t know you or how much you truly understand about human physiology.
Can you make the transformation you made and look bigger and more muscular in 4 weeks? Sure! You were already quite fit, and your photos are slightly misleading (scaling, poses, angles, stance, etc.), but by shaving, tanning, doing 2 hours of solid lifting (you need to update your post, by the way, given you said it yourself in the comments), eating well, and using creatine, you can look more muscular in a short amount of time. The shaving and tanning part is essentially a helpful illusion. The creatine fills your muscles with water and will give you that “ripped”, blood-vessel-popping look (for readers considering this, read up on the right way to use creatine). A good diet and work out will give you, max, about 1.5 pounds of muscle a week (this is if you are naturally athletic).
34 pounds of muscle in a month though? It really draws from the legitimacy of your blog.
For the readers inspired to try this, you should still do so! But absolutely do not expect 34 pounds of muscle. However, do expect to look and feel better.
Cheers.
It really all depends on what he looks like NOW after his program (steroid cycle). If he really does have this perfect workout routine would his progress not continue? From recent pictures i’ve seen (granted he’s wearing clothes) he looks a bit smaller because when you end your cycle you do loose some weight.
I would love to say “congratulations either way Tim even if you did do steroids your results are amazing!” but I can’t get over the fact that he’s hiding the truth from people and letting them believe he gained 34lbs in 28days. You can even tell by the structure of his face, steroids tend to square it out and give it a fuller more manly look.
###
From Tim: Guys, c’mon. Add a few thousand calories a day to your intake, including starches, and see how much water you retain everywhere, including the face and head. RegardHGH, perhaps, but AAS don’t have as significant an effect on bone growth.
Cheers,
TIm
Great post ~ Some questions, comments. In one interview (http://iinnovate.blogspot.com/2007/07/tim-ferris.html) you mention that you arrived in Buenos Aires, and the teacher said you were built like a mountain of muscle, also saying you wrestled in high school or college. All that contrasts to your lead-in to this article. I have been studying you a bit lately, so naturally inconsistencies will emerge. I was trained under a very similar workout plan to this and can vouch for it. Kudos for streamlining it so clearly.
One of my favorite quotes, by Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — ‘Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.’ — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”
P.S. Please do post this comment.
Hi Lev,
Thanks for the comment. Related to the intro and interview: I did wrestle at 152, but I landed in BsAs at between 165-170, then dropped the lower weight I indicated. A lean 170 on a 5′ 8″-9″ frame — that’s me — is certainly a “mountain of muscle” to most Argentines. They are not a fit people in general, and muscles aren’t a high priority for either gender. Had it been Brazil, they might have referred to me a “puny skeleton”. It’s all relative 🙂
All the best,
Tim
Update: March 26th
Well, I haven’t gained significantly (half a pound only). Reason: Either I have plateaued or it’s because I missed several meals (hence reducing my calorie intake to 3500/day) as well as spending several hours in the sauna, pool and dancing!
BUT I have had significant gains on the weights. 🙂
Seems like this is mainly a workout for the fellas but for women if we really want to avoid getting bulky should we do one-set-to-failure with exercises that don’t have added weight especially for the abs? For example I could do machines for upper body strength, crunches for abs, and squats or something similar for lower body but follow the same pattern? I’ve been doing a low-carb diet for the past month without some success so I’ll begin implementing the “slow-carb” diet. Plus I get a day to totally pig out on this diet. What could be better?
Tim, this is a Great post. I’m really feeling inspired now!
Thanks to (most) everyone that posted.
Paul B
I’m currently on a fat loss phase, but in a few weeks I will be starting my muscle building phase. 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days is absolutely amazing, in fact it’s almost sounds to good to be true.
I’ve heard of results similar to this by taking banned substances, but if you achieved this naturally this is truly amazing and we should all applaud you for it.
Going to try the 5 seconds up 5 seconds down method, see if it improves my results.
I tried a similar program from Mens Health. I spent a great deal of time doing balancing workouts to get my left/right and push/pull muscle groups ready. The one thing I didn’t prep was my wrists. Didn’t even think about it.
I gained around 14 lbs in around 6 weeks and it was all muscle. But, I went from a very skinny 128 to 142lbs (I’m 5’8″).
Tim is correct, the food is the hardest part. For me it was twice as hard. I’m allergic to nuts and dairy. So, I was using egg protein and soy. I believe now that the soy was a mistake. I’m one of those nuts that thinks soy is a testosterone inhibitor (due to blood before and tests after restricting it in all forms). I got my caloric intake up to around 3200 a day… getting more proved tough without relying on carbs (no dairy is a bitch).
I was working most of the time to find new ways to prepare food to increase my intake of calories and stay on the protein/carb profile. Around week 9 the whole thing fell apart one Sunday morning. I woke up and it felt like my wrists were broken. I had done something to my forearms/wrists. All I had done the day before was a light (15 min) but vigorous warm-up on an elliptical. That was over a year ago. Now I’m back down to 134 and fatter 🙁
Just last month my wrists started to feel better. I spent a lot of time in physical therapy. I even visited a neurologist to test to make sure I hadn’t done any permanent damage.
Two recommendations for people look at this.
1. You need to be ready for the types of lifts you will do in this type of workout (dead lifts, etc.). My wrists weren’t.
2. Plan and test the diet before you start unless you have an iron stomach and don’t care what you eat. 5k calories is a lot of food and a lot of trips to the bathroom. 😉
Tim, thanks for posting this. I still wonder if I made the gains quickly because I had been at that weight 5 years earlier when I was working out regularly and had gotten close to that weight over a period of two years. Regardless, it was a good 6 weeks spent, I just wish I had thought out the wrists (mine are pretty thin) when I was prepping to start.
SLOWB
Anyone know how many reps max we should be doing before we go up in weight?
For example I did 17 reps at 170lbs for leg press.
Should I go to higher weight or stay at that weight?
Is there a rule of thumb, if you get past a certain number of reps that the next time you do the same exercise you go up in?
This training program seems amazing! I have started the program and I’m already gaining muscle from it. It’s unreal!
Tim, out of curiosity what is the physiology behind this whole training method? Are we recruiting all the muscle fibers of each muscle to stimulate this much growth?
(Usually with a 5 second cadence on the concentric and eccentric motions you would be building lactic acid in your muscles, otherwise training muscular endurance but…were building size here?)
Please help and explain
Much Appreciated Tim!
Nemanja Z
To Gonzalo,
I usually up the weight when I have passed the threshold of 120 seconds of an exercise. Try a slightly heavier weight next time. Sometimes I can only do 65-70 seconds if I up the weight but it increases by 5-15 seconds the next time.
1 basic question that I hope somebody answers:
Does increasing strength (heavier weights/higher reps) indicate muscle growth despite no change in body weight?
Ive been working out for twelve years. Everthing he has spoken of in his workouts i believe from my life experiences. i wish i wouldve taken longer breaks and done less reps and ate properly right from the get go. The results are endless. Im sure of it and i wish i wouldve read this when i first started lifting. If you havent started this routine start it now no joke
[…] and life style experimenter Tim Ferriss thinks so. See his six basic principals for bulking up fast. Share […]
I don’t see where the actual workout is posted here. The C.E. link is worthless. A little help…
[…] needs he’s able to dive into a number of different areas, and he does. Writing about how he gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks or how to tie the perfect tie every time and everything in between Tim brings his personality out […]
[…] also mentioned the Colorado Experiment and CrossFit to Joe M and Eddie C, and Joe M in particular seemed very interested. Michow, of […]
@Farid
It is certainly possible to gain strength and yes, muscle mass, without any change in body weight, by altering body composition. The best way to record gains in muscles is by keeping track of your body fat % in addition to your body weight. So, if you’re noticing strength gains, chances are you’re gaining muscle but decreasing bf%, which is why your scale reads the same.
Why are your feet so turned out in the “After” shots? Might want to work your internal rotators and stretch out those externals, buddy.
Hi Tim. I read the post and all the comments but I don’t think you mentioned what your training routine includes. What I mean is, which exercises do you perform and in which order? You said don’t do more than 4-7 multi-joint exercises per day but which ones did you do?
Hey Tim — didn’t realize you were 5’8″, uh, 9!
If you ever need to track down clothes that fit you “puny skeleton”, I write a blog on the subject: Short Shrifted. Please stop by!
Cheers,
J
[…] en period sedan hittade jag ett blogginlägg effektivitetsexperten Timothy Ferriss; From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks, dvs. en guide om hur man på ett naturligt sätt ökar 16 kg i muskler på 4 […]
[…] I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia. [Source: From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks] […]
This is awesome Tim. As someone who has been struggling to put on lean muscle mass, unless I spend hours in the gym each week, I’m going to give this a shot. Looking forward to the results.
[…] this guy gained 30 pounds of muscle in 30 days… try following his recommendations outlined here: From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks […]
Farid —
First off, congrats on your impressive gains. Gaining over 20 lbs of mostly muscle in under 2 months is something to be proud of. Where most people fail is by cheating in seemingly small ways — disregarding a particular dietary aspect, not putting forth a truly intense effort each workout, not keeping very close track of their progress, etc. Then, when the sum of those cheats results in a lack of significant progress within the prescribed time period (say, a gain of only 2 lbs at the end of the month), they give up and blame the program or its author. You, on the other hand, appear to have really embraced the system and followed it to the detail, resulting in some excellent progress.
Anyhow, I wanted to address the question you raised about strength vs. size and general plateauing.
First, you may need to consider taking some time off. The body can adjust to nearly any type of stimulus, including even very high-intensity exercise, and you need to allow your body to “decondition” in order to get back to the sort of fast gains you had a couple months ago. You’ve been following Tim’s program for almost three months now, right? If you haven’t had a break yet, you should take off 7-10 days. During that time, maintain your diet (albeit with a slight drop in caloric intake) and remain active, but do not do any weightlifting.
Second, what are the rep ranges you’re using in your workouts? Most of the sources Tim cites recommend around 8-12 reps per set. If you are falling below this, then you may be emphasizing strength to the detriment of size. (Though there is certainly nothing wrong with increasing your strength!)
Third, you mentioned concerns over increased bodyfat. There are several ways to measure BF: the Navy method mentioned above and similar formulas; special weight scales that measure BF by sending electronic pulses through you body; the “pinch” method using a special protractor-like device; etc. In my experience, however, measuring BF is just very hard to do consistently and accurately without employing professional help. What I do instead is keep close track of my weight and body measurements, which is all the information you really need. Get a tailor’s measuring tape and keep track of the same types of stats Tim lists in his original post (and of course you can convert these to BF using the formulas on the web). Pay close attention to (1) your waist and hip measurements as well as (2) your upper-arm, chest and thigh measurements. If the former are increasing while the latter are stagnant, then you’re doing something wrong and you need to change up your diet and/or exercise routine immediately. Probably you’re just taking in more calories than you need. Remember that the goal should be to consume just enough calories to recover and grow — any excess will be converted to fat.
CRSB:
Thanks a lot for your encouragement and insightful comments!
Well, the gains are back and I’ve gained over 14 kilos so far (in 3 months). But right now I prefer to maintain this weight, lower body fat and get flat abs. My biggest question is HOW? Should I continue the same diet (meat/starches/legumes) but with less calories e.g. 3000? or exclude starches from my diet?
How should the frequency of my workouts change? I’m hitting the gym almost once a week now.
And last, what supplements should I use?
Tim-
What’s your favorite song on Tweekend? Just Curious…
Farid–
Congratulations, you have now reached the easy part of the “geek to freak” process! For ectomorphs like us, burning fat is no problem.
Regarding diet, you want to maintain Tim’s basic “slow-carb” diet with 4+ meals per day, but gradually reduce your carb intake. Also keep in mind the following points:
1. The decrease in carbs should be GRADUAL. If you try to immediately and drastically reduce your caloric intake, you will surely lose some of that hard-earned muscle (not mention making yourself feel awful). Start by cutting back on the starches/carbs in the meals other than breakfast and your post-workout meal.
2. Do NOT reduce your daily protein intake. You still need massive daily amounts of protein in order to preserve the muscle mass you have gained. You may actually want to consider drinking MORE protein shakes than you did before to make up for any protein lost in your meals.
3. Be more mindful of your fat intake. The slow-carb diet is pretty low on fat to begin with, but just keep in mind that chicken is better (i.e., lower-fat) than beef, cheese and milk should be avoided, and so on. Get your fat from the healthy sources: fish, oil, nuts, etc.
Regarding exercise, your goal here is two-fold: first, to increase the volume of workouts (to burn more calories); and second, to increase the volume of sets and reps during your workouts (to harden your muscles).
Full-body workouts can still be effective here, but I would recommend switching to a traditional 3- or 4-day weekly split. Push-legs-pull is great, as is chest-legs-shoulders-back. Each week, gradually increase the number of sets per exercise and reps per set, and decrease your rest time between sets. The end goal (after maybe 6-8 weeks) is to be doing 25-35 total sets per workout and 10-15+ reps per set, with only 30-60 seconds of rest time between sets. I would also consider starting each exercise with 1-2 low-rep sets in order to maintain strength. The duration of your workouts should still be 60 minutes or less (though you may have to allow up to 75 during the adjustment period).
You will also want to introduce a consistent dose of cardio into your routine. Start with 1-2 days of cardio per week (on your non-lifting days), and gradually increase to 4-6 days per week (which may have to overlap with lifting). Personally I prefer HIT cardio rather than long periods of treadmill work. A 30-second all-out sprint followed by 90 seconds of jogging, then repeat, is a great formula. Also consider non-running cardio activities such as jump rope, rowing and box-jumping.
During this transition to more high-volume exercise, be careful of overtraining, which is something you want to avoid even when your goal is fat-loss rather than mass-gain. If you have a day in the gym when suddenly you can’t lift as much weight as you had in the previous week, just quit and take that day off. As long as you’re maintaining a proper diet, you will be fine.
Regarding supplements, there are plenty of popular fat-burning choices out there (ECA stack, clenbuterol, Lipo-6, Hydroxycut, etc.), but personally I think they are mostly overrated and overpriced, and also unnecessary for someone who is already genetically inclined to have low body fat. A reasonable amount of caffein in the mornings and before workouts is really all you need (or if you prefer NO Xplode, stick with that).
One overall caveat: think long and hard about your size goals before switching to a “cutting” phase. I recently went through a transition similar to yours — I gained about 30 lbs over a 3-month span and then, unhappy with the amount of fat I had gained, switched to a cutting phase. I burned off the fat easily, but I didn’t realize how much of the mass in my arms, chest and legs depended on fat. Although your arms may be hard and your belly soft, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your belly is the only thing that will shrink when you start to burn fat. Point being, I quickly became too skinny during my cutting phase and regretted not putting on more mass first.
Farid —
Just to follow up on my long post about how to get lean and cut while maintaining muscle mass, I realize that my suggestions are time-intensive and not exactly in keeping with the “4-Hour” philosophy. If you don’t have time to be in the gym 4-6 days per week, then I would recommend (1) being slightly more aggressive with the changes to your diet, and (2) gearing your workouts more toward overall fitness and very high intensity rather than the traditional lifting+cardio routine.
Below is an example of the type of workout I mean. It’s simple, intense and only takes 25-30 minutes. You could do this 3-4 days per week and it would be pretty effective for cutting purposes when combined with the proper diet. Just keep in mind that it may not be quite as effective for preserving muscle mass as the time-intensive routine I suggested earlier.
Jump rope — 3 minutes
Push-ups — 1 minute
Air Squats (no weight — just clasp hands behind head) — 1 minute
Sit-ups — 1 minute
Pull-ups — to failure
Rest 30 seconds, then repeat cycle 2 times
Take no rest between sets other than the break between cycles. I guarantee this will have you drenched in sweat. If you need time to adjust to the intensity, start by doing the cycle just twice, and work your way up to 3 cycles.
[…] loosely follows Tim Ferris’ tips: basically 4-7 multi-joint exercises, once a week, in a 5/5 cadence with plenty of […]
hello tim. my traps grow like weeds and I was wondering if their were any other exercises I could do other than trap bar dead lift to work the other muscles included (the traps will grow on their own). thank you ;D
hi tim,
great fundas, i’ll surely try these. i work out regularly, but the main thing is i’ve got a lot of fat around my tummy which are proving pretty stubborn to lose 🙁
could u plz tell how can i adapt your program so dat i can lose the fat as well as gain muscles ??
waiting for your reply.
Hi TIm-
I gave this one a good shot just for the hell of it, here’s my workout and results;
Workout was all 8-10 reps, 5-0-5 tempo……2x per week/8 total workouts
1.Sumo deadlift
2. Back Squat
3. Push Press
4. Pull-up
5. Weighted Push up
Starting weight 169 (sorry, no bodyfat %’s)
Ending weight 173
My bodyfat definitely went down, and muscle is noticeably up……but not by too much.
However, I added a solid 100lbs on my big lifts (dead and squat)
So……despite not having any goals for this experiment, I’d call it a success!
Thanks for posting this info-
Mike
Little misleading – so you’ve been training since you were 15 years old and only now, finally went from geek to freak in 30 days gaining 34 pounds of muscle?! You must have had an epiphany! You possibly made the those gains in 30 days, but only if you previously had built your body up to that level and then lost it – please explain muscle memory to your readers. Once gained and lost you can regain that muscle in a fraction of the time it takes to achieve previously unattained gains. By the way – I’m a 13 year health club manager, personal trainer… Also, not wise to recommend extreme diets such as loading up on protein in lieu of other foods – this type of diet is unsustainable, unhealthy, and guarantees eventual failure and loss of gains, resulting in disappointment and surrender to unhealthy and unfit lifestyles. Sustainable results with a diet that supports not just muscle growth but immune system and cardiovascular health is more advisable.
Greg,
Perhaps you missed where Tim said “Though this ridiculous experiment might seem unhealthy, I also dropped my total cholesterol count from 222 to 147 without the use of statins.”
Farid,
For cutting, it is not necessary to increase the volume of work, to add workout days, sets, increase reps, etc. – the same program that works for building muscle works well for reducing bodyfat – it is the diet which needs to be changed. I have gotten down to low single-digit bodyfat percentages using a program very similar to what Tim used here, just by reducing overall calorie intake to below maintenance levels while keeping protein intake high.
Tim! How can I catch you? 🙂 employment on this system are necessary to me.
But I never in a life went in for sports and, I am afraid, I can not precisely calculate necessary loadings and exercises. I could address directly in Colorado State University, but I do not know, where it and whether they train with extraneous people.
I know that you deal with athletes? Tell, how many there is a training under your control?
And if it is not interesting to you who else trains on this system? I harmonous and me am not necessary a heap of muscles, therefore it will occupy not enough time.
I know, I an impudent which wishes to catch time of one of the most class people in the world:) But I know also that this experience will be useful and interesting not only me, but also you too.
By the way, thanks you for The 4-Hour Workweek:)
You inspire me.
And for that you live, present, also have not died 150 years ago:)
By the way, forgive for my English. I know that it is awful:)
P.S. I shall wait your positive answer on e-mail 😉
thanks for the tips, i will try that 5/5 cadence.
[…] Training – The Colorado Experiment I came across this not too long ago: From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Decided to give it a shot. I’ve spent most of my life as a scrawny little nerd who got winded […]
Basic question about these one sets to failure: are we talking about drop sets, where you’ll do, say, barbell curls to positive failure, toss off a plate on each side, do another few reps to failure, etc.? Or are you doing the same weight for the whole set? Also, do you do the same workout each time, or is it better to switch exercises (e.g., doing military presses for shoulders one workout and then doing lat raises instead next workout)?
Hi Dave,
Just one set, one weight. No drop sets required. I will generally only swap main exercises when progress begins to slow substantially, less than 5-10% weight added per workout, depending on exercise and caloric intake.
Good luck!
Tim
Bro
Finished the work out months ago, but posting pictures on word press is a 4 hour nightmare.
In summary:
I got stronger than I’ve ever been
Fatter than I’ve ever been
Enjoyed the gym more than I ever have (i hate gyms)
Ate more food than I’ve ever dreamed of
Had a good time hanging out w/ an old pal
Thanks for the inspiration, I always appreciate a new perspective on things
Mark
[…] read an article by Tim Ferris that described his "arguably exaggerated" journey in gaining 34-lbs of muscle in 28 […]
Hi Tim,
It was great to meet you a few weeks ago at the USC event.
From a active 5’10” guy that’s always hovered between 135-145lbs, this sounds great.
Thanks for the success stories and positivity – your example inspires others (myself included) to challenge themselves and exceed their own expectations.
Marcel C.
Tim,
Thanks for the response. I’m going to try this out 2x per week and I’ll post my results here after a month or so.
BTW, thanks also for writing the 4HWW. Reading your descriptions of your recommended reading list, I understand how those books inspired you to action. Your book has had a similar effect on me. I can’t say I’ve followed all of your suggestions verbatim (still struggling with the low-information diet, for one), but I’m in the process of starting a couple of web-based businesses now, and the advice in your book (both in terms of broad strokes and specific suggestions) has been quite helpful. Thanks again.
Hey Tim,
My buddy and I are putting this one to the test. We are going for the glory in terms of diet – I am downing 12 raw eggs/day and he has elected to serve up a gallon of milk for himself each day. That, of course, is in addition to the hyper-caloric indulgence found in the 10 lbs of additional food we eat per day. Funny enough, we’ve made a habit of consuming whole chickens (if you’re ever in Ottawa, Canada we’ve got the bbq chicken market dialed). Anyway, tomorrow is day #4, workout #2. We’ll keep you posted~
Iamtheeggman
@Iamtheeggman,
Sound like a man plan! Please keep us posted on your progress!
Best of luck and appetite,
Tim
Hey Tim, I hate to be another skeptic… but is this for real? Did you really do all this with only 4 hours of work? I saw the Colorado Experiment post somewhere on the intertubes, but it just seemed too good to be true!