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!
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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
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Hey Tim, I was just wondering apart from protein powder where you using any other supplements? I used to be a personal trainer but have stopped training for a little while and thought id get back in to it and give this routine a try….any advice? Thanks in advance, James
I just wanted to know what types of workout exercises are involved. When I clicked the link of the Colorado Experiment it doesn't indicate any details. Is there a book I should buy? Thanks.
Julian, Maybe this will be a place to start for you. I found this post at by Casey Viator himself at http://www.drdarden.com/readTopic.do?id=409718. I knew about this experiment many years ago, but I didn't know that he had dieted down right before the study. I think that explains (at least partly) his massive gains. However, the genetics role is always key (you ought to see a picture of him when he won the Mr. America at age 19! Also note how near the end of the post, he stressed the importance of moderation as we age. Very wise words! Hope this helps. Chapter 14 The Colorado Experiment By Casey Viator There has been a lot of documentation and controversy regarding this entire operation. I would like to put my two cents worth in and tell everyone exactly how this went down for the record. Here is my (Casey Viator) accounting: I really had to diet hard to get my bodyweight down to 168 lbs. We calculated that my diet before the experiment was less than 800 calories per day. I remember flying to Colorado in one of Arthur Jones airplanes, a Cherokee Six. Arthur always flew very high in the Commercial Jet Lanes in a decompressed cabin which always gave me the worst headaches. Arriving from Florida to Fort Collins, Colorado, I had more to contend with than I had prepared myself for. I was one mile high and I had to aclimate quickly, but I knew food was coming soon. We arrived at the Lamplighter Inn, just outside of Fort Collins, where I was going to spend the next 28 days of working hard, training and eating, no fun, maybe a movie now and then, we were there to work not play. Think about it, every day for the next month – eating, training my brains out like an animal, sleeping – that was my job. The next step was the weigh in. Body Fat count at Colorado State University was a very complex process. We used the Merrimac BodyFat Counter. This is one of the best Veterinarian Colleges in the World. The BodyFat Machine, or counter, was contained in a solid lead room with a huge crystal that was placed over my body. The radioactivity from my muscles registered my lean body mass. Remember this was the 70's and this particular machine was considered State of the Art. I never questioned the accuracy, and still don't, of this equipment. This experiment actually showed me that even in my low bodyweight, I still gained weight and lost bodyfat. Eating was quite easy the first week after all my previous month and a half of dieting. With a healthy cash incentive per pound of muscle gain, I was raring to go. The next step was to convert the Physiology Lab into a training facility. We had about 20 pieces of Nautilus equipment and prototypes to move to the second floor. There was even talk about the structural integrity of the second floor accomodating these pieces. Many tons of equipment was moved to that floor. We had brought a new line of negative prototypes that we used for testing. For example, we moved the weight up into the contracted position for the muscle with our feet and lowered it with our biceps or triceps. We even had a negative bench press which worked in the same fashion. There were many other types of prototypes such as the single pad Squat Machine. This piece was a real workout but in the end the mechanism that locked you out of the machine could not be perfected, hence it never ended up as a production model – all considered, this was a great machine. The first week or so these training sessions were very difficult. I was untrained for 5 months and my hand had atrophied quite a bit. The first two sessions I ended up on the floor with a pulse rate close to fibrillation. But, as they say, "what won't kill you will only make you stronger." I tried to keep my fat content down during my 6-8 meals per day. During my workout sessions, Arthur would more or less sit in a chair and read the newspaper. If he figured I was slowing down my pace he would say something insulting and I would get mad and push even harder into the set, which made me achieve better gains. The only rule was keeping perfect form. This was a game he and I played for almost 10 years off and on. One thing about the man, he sure knows how to "piss" someone off to make them work harder through their workouts! My workload was so intense that my body absorbed everything I ate. My muscles were coming back rapidly. This was a true case of muscle memory. Many people have questioned the validity of this study. A lot of factors came into play, one of which is genetics. The average man would not have been able to gain 63 lbs. of raw muscle, which Arthur Jones and myself have been defending this study for years. There has been a lot of questions regarding steroid use. Many people claimed that I loaded up for this experiment. I can honestly say that there was no use of steroids during this study, which is a very important point. I was closely monitored in a closed door environment. Believe me, I would have done anything to have gained that weight, but I knew my rebound potential and I also knew I would make remarkable gains even before the study began. The rest factor is very important when an entire body workout is performed. Proper sleeping and eating habits are also very important factors. When you work your bodyparts three times a week briefly but intensely your body has to grow. Proper sequence of pre-exhausting exercises is very important also. The safety factor is observed very closely, especially during the first part of each movement. That is when you have the strength to injure your self. The last part of any exercise is usually not the most dangerous point, your muscles are simply too weak to injure at that point. Throwing a weight or dropping or lowering a weight too fast at any time can injure a subject. The Denver Broncos came in for training sessions and to watch us go through our fast paced training. Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears was also there training and observing what was going on. I was very proud of the results that took place in Colorado and feel that this study has contributed to the awareness of how much time is wasted in most individuals workouts. This experiment is still being studied in colleges across the country today and also can be found on the Internet. I must say that I have injured myself on many an occasion in the gym – with pectoral tears, lower inguinal hernias and many other injuries, however I really managed to stay injury free using this type of heavy training, so I felt I had to test out my boundaries. At my current age of 48, I feel this is not safe for the average man: 750 lbs. squat, 500 lbs. incline bench press, 1500 lbs. leg presses. As I mature, I feel moderation would have been better for my overall well being. Every injury was caused by bad form or explosive movements. If I can teach one person the hazards of this type of training, I would really be very happy. If any trainee is considering doing this type of training, I would make sure that you work at your individual pace and push yourself just enough so you can finish the entire body routine.
2 friends and I have just started with the system today. Last time I tried I made it to day 17. and put on a descent 15 pounds. This time I must go all the way. Current weight at 6"6" is 205 lbs. The other two friends have 6"2" and 158 lbs ( this one is critical 🙂 and 5"8" 155 lbs. I will report in in one month 🙂 Hope we can survive. Sincerely, Igor B.
Hey Tim, I can't believe how many haters you have. I just read your book (and ordered the extended edition!) and it was amazing. My family and I are going to be testing your fat loss and weight gain routines. I can't speak for the family but I will document my experiment profusely. From all the research I have done, it seems nobody has tested the method exactly right (except for you, of course). So I will be starting Monday, having researched All I need. I'll update upon completion. I wanted to also say thanks, for the motivation along with the wisdom. J
Just a tip for all you folks worried about the accuracy of body fat measurements: this article gives you all you need to test a formula for anthropometric (circumference of different body parts) body fat measurement. See, Tim's measurements in this article are spot-on. They were taken by professionals, including (correct me if I'm wrong here Tim) the use of highly accurate laboratory methods for measuring body fat percentage, as opposed to more fallible methods like calipers or anthropometric formulas. Therefore, any anthropometric formula should, if given Tim's measurements, produce Tim's body fat percentage. Simply look up a formula and enter into it both Tim's before measurements and his after measurements. If the formula correctly spits out 16-17% for for the first calculation and 12% for the second calculation, it has given an accurate result for two different sets of data points and can be considered reasonably accurate. One caveat:: This may only work for men due to differences in body proportions and formulas used for men and women.
HOW WOULD THIS WORK FOR A VEGETARIAN?
Hey Tim, I was just wondering if this program would work for a vegetarian. Are there certain tweaks that can be made to accommodate a vegetarian diet? Is there anything else you would recommend, exercise or food wise, for a vegetarian? Thanks!
I looked at your bodybuilding page and am very disappointed at the misleading title of these articles. You DID NOT gain 34 pounds of pure muscle. You gained 34 pounds in body weight. You were also consuming creatine (via NO-Xplode), which means 5-10 pounds is just water weight! Creatine also makes muscles look fuller, but it does not add dry muscle!
Wow! You improvement is very impressive!
wow 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks… if you write a book on bodybuilding i will definitely buy it, i think everyone here will
I've been into nutrition supplements since I met Emergen-C and FizzIt/Zip Fizz, and various multi-vitamins. Several members of my family are body builders and health nuts. My sister recommended the Dr. Max Powers Anabolic Stack to me. First off, I got the Dr Max Anabolic Stack for $99 at a local GNC store (with membership). I was surprised I could get the same stuff at their own website for only $60!! I usually take just one pack a day with a very tall glass of water after breakfast. You definitely will want to take this with food and PLENTY of water. One thing you will notice after taking this, your body will want water and lots of it. Throughout the entire day I feel a noticeable rise in energy as if I had a really dark cup of coffee. I recommend just one pack per day due to the insane percentage of vitamins and nutrients. One of the responses I get taking this stuff is that your body will pass most of this stuff through your system without absorbing it. This opinion is debatable from my research online. Through my own testing with an increase in Vitamin C intake: I haven't been sick for 6+ months. I used to take sick leave on a monthly basis… After a week of taking this supplement I noticed my energy levels were much higher and my workout results increased. Running several miles for a quick exercise is now easier than ever. I'm guessing each user's results will differ. I recommend taking this early in the day after a big breakfast. Drink plenty of fluids! Also, unless you are working out for hours and hours, fitness trainers I know recommend just 1 pack per day.
Hey Tim, As a former division 1 football player (Center) I had to figure out a great way to go from 305lbs (where i played at) to 215lbs (where i wanted to be for my 6'2" frame) without becoming a drippy, flabby mess. I did it in about 6 months while maintainging a bench/deadlift/squat of 350/430/500 I utilized the philosophy of VInce Gironda the "Iron Guru" for diet and weight training. His diet was very similar to yours, but my weight training almost exclusively for the past 2 years has utilized his "honest workout" also known as the 8×8 system. http://xtort.net/osw/vince-girondas-8-x-8-workout/ I'm curious as to your thoughts on your HIT method compared to Gironda's. I see many similarities (lower weights, little rest, efficient workout), and would certainly be willing to take the plunge. Your thoughts? Jonathan
I have to say after trying to work out like this for a week I am a believer, one set of the the 5/5 cadence felt like I just worked out my chest for an hour. I have been working out for a long time and I think where ome people may be going wrong with this is, not understanding just how much effort you have to put into your one set to failure. I just tried working my chest out 6 days after my last workout and I have still not fully recovered. Another fun challenge. Try just drinking water for a month, no other liquids. I have cut out booze, caffiene, artificial sweetener, juice, milk you name it. I have lost 10 lbs this month and havent changed a thing in my diet. (Actually I have been eating worse )
I have been to this level of training and beyond you can look at my website which is about how to survive all and we have org and net at the moment, I havee posted the size surge diet which references the LIATTLE KNOWN COLORADO EXPERIEMNT! Arthur Jones was awesome thinker and innovator Casey Viator was short and densely built and did take a boatlaod of AAS but that was what they knew then, I take HRT Mormone Replacement Therapy and use the Test and Deca as a way to become rebuilt and rejuvinated after a horrible beating I took as a first responder at Sept 11 2001 WTC Site, the clinic I use is legal and best of all they do care what happens they ship and they do blood work, this all combined with this information and you are more than on your way have fun, live life like there's no tomoorow but plan just in case it shows! Bestregards to all Sgt Matthew
http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=54641&page=2 i stumbled upon this post while on the forum. There's a lot of people refuting your claims…i was going to write a post in your support but thought a person more suitable to do that would be you
Hey Tim! Congratulations on the experiment! I read about your experiment the day after I signed up for a Nautilus based training and am excited and ready to test your training/food plan. Two quick questions for your valuable time: 1. I heard testosterone levels, the basis for muscle buildup, vary greatly during the day. What time of the day is the best to practice, in a high or in a low? At what time did you practice? 2. Is working on two alternating, full-body workout plans an option to gain even more muscle mass or will the results suffer? I thereby mean Monday Plan A, Wednesday Plan B, Friday Plan A, etc. with 7 different exercises each time. Thank you for your time!! Hans
Not wanting to put a downer on it but am I the only one that doesn't believe that someone added 5.5inches to their chest in only 8 workouts with in a 4 week period? Sorry not buying it.
Hi Tim, hi all I am totally curious to try out that program. I’m just not quite sure about a couple of things – could you please help me clarify? 1. What I still don’t understand is: eating such large amounts of food (You refer to eating between 5000-8000 calories a day!!) why don’t you just go fat? Especially if you only work out 2 times a week for 30min.??? I was pretty chubby 2 years ago and then lost a good 25lbs. I am kind of afraid that I will gain that weight back on… 2. In which order do you do your workout? On the bodybuilding.com site You refers to this: Favorite Exercises: * Conventional-stance deadlift * Pullover * thick-bar reverse curls * standing overhead press * incline dumbbell bench press Do you recommend this exercises in this particular order? 3. Is it still possible to get this kind of results without taking all of those supplements? I’d like to stick to a proper diet (eating like a horse) and Protein Shakes (Whey & Time Released)? Thanks a lot! With greetings from Germany Dennis
Can bodyweight exercises be used to the same effect? I don't have access to a gym for a while…
Avi Lehyani, a huge ripped vegan….but the most impressive thing is his diet : 65% carbs!! WTF?? http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_avi
well, this is my first post on this blog, i haven't really had the time typing, since i have been reading it, and just continued reading ALOT! Now i have decided that the belly gotta go, and i need to get back in shape (ex B class muay thai fighter) i will follow this workout+the diet for 1 full month, and my brother will be on it aswell. however i do have 1 question. in your diet page, you say: take 1 day off= pizza and coke day, which is cool. but then in this page you say that i should take 1 day per week with 50% less calories than usual, to prevent the body to get used to the new protein intake? if im correct? So should both be done, or should i only do one, and which one? and should they be away from eachother, like monday and thursday, or is it okay to place them next to eachother? I hope that someone can answer this, and im sorry if it has already been answered, couldn't find it anywhere, there will be taken measurements, pictures, and notes of everything, to see the transformation in 1 month. last thing, keep it up Tim, your book +blog has blown my mind away in ways i never could imagine, i have learned so much, and i am completely fascinated by your way of doing everything the "lazy way" only to be doing the very same as most others, only with 20% effort, i just love it, Like the article with david blaine, where you hold your breath, i remember back in my days where i was holding it for a min, which i found pretty okay. and with the exercises you gave i did it for 1min and 30 sec without having half the lung capacity of back when i was in shape, well just had to say, damn. keep it up my man!
hi everyone im 18 years old and am quite interested in trying this out for my self but i would like to do it the right way. i am a bit confused as to what it is i have to be doing. anyone who clearly understands the steps to this program i would MORE than appreiate it if you would email me explaining how do perform this miracle. my email is frongo123@gmail.com (thanks so much for anyone who helps)
This is a really interesting concept. It looks like you've got decent genetics to begin with but still very impressive results in such a short period of time. You are a genius at figuring things out very quickly. The 3 best things anyone can do to gain weight quickly: 1. Lift 3 days per week using compound lifts. 2. Eat 6 meals a day with the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fat. 3. Rest.
I am drinking a gallon of milk per day, plus my food intake. I've gained 7.5 lbs in 6 days on the diet. 3 days at the gym per week (been twice) heavy weights low reps. I am 6'3'' 145 now, working up to 180.
@ Colby Re: Matt Hey Colby, Thanks for reading my Post. Couple of things. 1. You are correct about my numbers not adding up **(. I went from 280 to 296, not 292 as stated. My mistake. 2. For the past 10ish years i have measured my body fat w/ skin calipers at that location. I don't mention % body fat, only MM as this is a direct measurement. I assumed that as long as the measurement stayed the same, the increased mass would be from lean muscle growth. very little would be fat. 3. I use GOMAD, as stated. Great for muscle gains! 4. I used this program twice. I weighed in at 305 the second time around. 5. Why gain more weight when I am 280? Good question. I played college football @265. I am atskinny 300 lbs @ 6' 6". People always comment that they have a relative that's my height, but much bigger. At 300lbs, I still look "thin". 6. I found Tim's Article to be interesting so I came up with a plan and committed to it. I posted my results because I was astonished and wanted to share them. I liked my body @ 280, 296, and 305. That was and is always the final test. 7. While I appreciate that this workout may not work for you, it did for me. Twice. Please note the expanded body measurements. I was asked repeatedly if I was on steriods. Also how come I don't workout anymore. 8. Try it. It is only a month, what do you have to lose? 9. What was your best month in the gym ever? Did you ever see similiar gains? If so publish your program. I would be willing to give it a try……
Tim, Not sure if you read comments here (or out-source comments ala 4HWW), but I was wondering… do you have any articles/experiments for rapidly increasing cardiovascular-endurance/VO-max? Thanks.
Hey Tim, I'm an 18 yr old college student that stumbled upon your site look for speed reading tips and have been HOOKED on your blog since! Your blog is AWESOME, you post stuff that I've incorporated in my life in A LOT of ways. Seeing that you're one of THE top productivity gurus of the internets, I have always been one to love to be able to get as much done as I can efficiently in the such little time I have it seems! I can't even get over it! My attempts to "gain" more time extended even to the point of trying the uberman sleep schedule (which I stopped after a week and got extremely sick i.e. 103 degree temp 🙁 ). I've bought your book and read it, LOVED it, as well as the many other people who have had the pleasure of reading it. And I've also bought many other books that you've recommended on your blog and can't wait to read them… once I have the time x.x I think that people who have the audacity to criticize your posts should be SLAPPED for their complete utter ignorance. Tim You're awesome and my hero, keep posting awesome/amazing stuff that helps people live life happier and more efficiently! Sincerely, Jon
Good God, are you people so blind that you actually believe this crap? Ask ANY (and I mean any) expert in phisology and they will tell you a genetically gifted individual would have a difficult time adding 35 pounds of muscle in a lifetime without steroids, let alone a skinny bastid adding that much in 28 days. This is CRAP people, utter crap, I woud not doubt the photos are doctored or represent the authors transformation after taking steroids and working out for at LEAST one year. And this is coming from a STRICT adherent to high intensity weight training principles. Crap guys, complete crap.
have followed you weight loss, but feel i am in a slumb now, i would apprieciate adivce o without fat gain , i have became lean but feel i have lost my muscle as well sadly , pls help king regards a passionate wannabe nutritionlist/ trainer your words are wisdom to me so please help me , i do 6 days a week trainng and would love if you can give me full advice
Tim – maybe you can help me… My son watched this video here called [removed]… and he just read your amazing article. Considering he's only 17 – would it be safer for him to do your program or this video or should he wait? please help – he's real desparate to start
@Paul: Did you actually read the above blog post??? 6 days a week of training??
I've been following this program for a while at my school gym and getting some results, but far less than you and some of your other readers. How important is it to use Nautilus or other cam-shafted machines? Also, how much does it hurt me if I occasionally eat a meal with medium-GI carbs like a burrito, or a low-carb high-fat meal?
Interesting studies going mainstream now about working out less but harder for better results. this link is to an article on msnbc news about how interval training can be twice as effective and get you way better results in a shorter amount of time: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35581793/ns/health-fitness/ Just reminded me of your advice, Tim, so I thought I'd throw the link at you guys. Cheers, James
I use casein both post-workout and pre-bed if I’m on a gaining program. Whey can be useful in combination, but it often results in a negative nitrogen balance shortly after ingestion due to it’s rapid gastric emptying and AA absorption. It is possible to do just fine with whole foods or just casein. I would not use whey in isolation unless you are eating something to slow its absorption. I know this contradicts many recommendations out there — just my experience. Hi Tim, Thinking out loud here. According to Loren Cordain, PhD., who you'll be familiar with as author of The Paleo Diet and probably the man most responsible for publicizing the Paleo/priman/hunter-gatherer lifestyle (although starting from a medical perspective your friend Michael Eades, M.D. sure did and does yeoman's work) Casein appears to be the protein in cow dairy which is carcinogenic, unlike whey which is both high quality and harmless. I'm not saying one should totally avoid dairy as I gather it's much more important to avoid grains and sugar: Plus dairy can be both economical, tasty, and a convenient simulation of the foods humans evolved on. (Eades and Kurt Harris, M.D., who blogs at PaleoNu.com both agree on this point.) However, in light of Cordain's and others' new research and conclusions, which has somewhat of a logical basis insofar as casein is produced by cows and not humans, is proactively supplementing with casein and recommending others do same still a good idea?
*primal
Afterthought: For what it's worth, pulling out my copy of The Paleo Diet I noticed Michael and Mary Dan Eades, M.D. are featured front and center on the cover endorsing Cordain's book. Cordain isn't without his detractors (some think he's too anti-dairy, for example, and too anti-fat) yet he's also a serious and respected scientist. His conclusions on casein wouldn't be enough to make me stop dairy outright, but I wouldn't supplement casein powder… out of prudence.
This is a cool experiment. I'm about to try and bulk up for two months starting in May this year. Are there any tips for eating more calories? I'm probably eating around 3000 calories right now, getting it up to 5 to 7000 looks like it could be difficult. In terms of food prep I should be fine, but actually consuming it might be hard. Are there any tips for being able to expand your calorie intake? I heard drinking lots of water can help expand your stomach which may allow you to eat more food over time. Cheers.
Starting next week I am going to follow a hybrid of Tim's advice combined with Doug McGuff, M.D.'s "Body by Science" teachings and embark on my own version of this experiment, but more radical insofar as I'll do 1 workout a week (plus any other activity which appeals to me at the time). Yes, my initial couple dozen weeks' progress will be slower, but so will my time invested. Further it will be much longer before I hit a plateau and have to reduce frequency as Tim advises will become necessary. Mostly, I can do other interesting personal projects that also appeal to me on the other days of the week: 1 per day as it happens. I'll report back in a year on the outside, sooner if it's going well.
On one of these 4HWW posts you talked about a book you were writing about how to "hack" the human body for better performance. Has this book ever been finished/released?
I've been doing this program for the last four weeks. The first week I tried to get 5000 calories by only eating what you suggest on bodybuilding.com, but I just couldn't swallow that much, so for the last three weeks I've been on GOMAD as well, thus getting +5000 calories. My weight has increased from 77.8 kg to 85.8 kg – that's 8 kg gained. My measurements, before and after in cm: Biceps flexed: 33.3 to 36 Chest: 97 to 100.5 Thigh: 58 to 61.5 Shoulders: 117 to 122.5 Lower arm: 29 to 30 Waist: 83 to 90 Hips (ass at widest): 98 to 100.5 Calves: 38 to 38 Before and after pictures: http://i.imagehost.org/0637/beforeafter.jpg Unfortunately I don't have measurements of bodyfat before and after, but I think it's pretty clear from the pictures and from the increased waist size that I have gained fat. Might be because of the GOMAD? Besides GOMAD I ate quinoa, rice, whole wheat pasta, tuna, pork, chicken, lentils, beans and oat meal. I supplemented with B-vitamins for breakfeast and before bed, as well as lipoic acids and chromium for all meals. I ate four times a day. (I have decided to allow myself to eat other things as well now. I've gotten sick of eating the same few things every day for a month…) For the first two weeks, I worked out three times a week. Each workout lasted about 45 minutes. For the last two weeks I've been doing only two workouts each week. I have a casein protein shake after workout. I do the exact same exercises each time as suggested by Tim on bodybuilding.com: Pullover + Bent row Shoulder-width leg press Pec-deck + weighted dips Leg curl Reverse thick-bar curl (purchase cut 2" piping from Home Depot if needed) Seated calf raises Manual neck resistance Machine crunches I'm pretty sure I have gained muscle because I use heavier weights for my workouts, but I'm a little concerned about the extra fat. Is the increased amounts of fat to be expected, and I will just have to cut it off with cardio later? Suggestions and feedback is very much appreciated.
Personal Experience is the final arbiter of what you believe – I don't care about the theory; I've been doing this for 3 weeks and the results are insane. I've never been so torn up after the gym and I've never gained mass so fast. I'm only going once a week, and it's still working.
Tim i would love if you reply back to me i have done you how to lose weight fr 4 weeks and i am pretty lean and ready to bulk, so could you tell me exactly what to take now to staret bulking and reduce the amount of fat possbile, i amready to take this step just please tell me excactly what to eat i know what you said about your low carb, but i am 17 so maybe tell me what i can eat after workout more about them fast acting carbs and other foods to get my calories up! also if any supplements/vitamins to take as well please tim very excited to start this, cause i am impressing a good few with my leaness but feel lost abit of muscle , (not your fault just i love to run a fair bit lol) im ready to put myself through thisnew experiemnt, i also see this is one of my life style expierments, i am mostly strength core and interval trainer and have put resistance bands in my workut , i do alot of supersets and arrange of areobic and anerobice in my workouts pls get back to me tim asap want to start asap! btw if you cant understand this i suffer from a form of dyselix so i do apoligse and i know its not a excuse but pls reply to me tim :)ur one of my idols, ps also want my own service , but dont knw how to properly start, as personal trianer but thats for another forum lol:)
also when you say take quinoa, is that with every meal or just after gym! also finaly i talked to a powerliftr and he does no more than 30 minutes a day and before his event he takes the full wekk of and recovers and sits in sona and we have a right laugh although when he say what he squats i feel a tadd uncomfortable lol
Hello Tim .First Of: THX for all the inspiration, both in the book and on this page! I'm confused about how you spend just 30 min in the gym. Sow here is my ?: how many set off each excercise? (just one or 3-4?) and do u wait 2-3 min between each set or just between exerceises? Thx again for all the great stuf u putt on here(i can(and somethimes do…) spend hours here From Copenhagen Denmark Kent
Hey how yah doin. I just won a New Jersey state title for high school wrestling at 171 pounds. I don't really cut weight so i'm at like 175 right now. Anyway i wanna bulk up to at least 200 pounds before prom (May 14th). I'm 6 feet tall and basically lean muscle. Did alot of negatives at the gym today because of this article. but basically my question is what protein shake should i be taking and what exactly should i be eating for breakfast lunch dinner (i don't have much money for supplements unless they r absolutely necessary to hit my goal) and my familys not super rich so i doubt my mom will go shopping and buy expensive meals to suit my diet. please email me back or i will check back here frequently. Ryan Callahan
So, I am confused. I am wanting to do this, but you should not do it unless you lose your fat first? If you want to gain muscle? I was under the impression that you will burn fat WHILE gaining muscle on this program? Also, getting all my protien only from food scares me.. that's a lot of calories. I would think that only working out 2x a week while eating such enormous amounts of calories would pack on the pounds, no?
Opps, used my blog name. My bad. So, Tim, you don't take Casein anymore right? What would you suggest to get extra protein, I just can't wat that much food in a day!
i know i migh sound stupid but tim i really want to start do you take quinoa with every meal or just after gym? i dont mind eating more beans and meat with ever meal and just quinoa after post with my shake let me know asap Tim want to start this monday 🙂 finally i am very lean and hoping for some nice gains 😛
ok i know ims a busy guy and all so if anyone can help me should i take qinoa wth every meal or just post workout? is oats,pasta ok after workout and just stay on his diet through out i have no cocern eating 800 calories pasta after a workout every day , some help please asap i am starting monday!
If your protein is coming from relatively lean meat it is not difficult to get a lot of protein without going overboard on calories if you're trying to cut weight. A pound of relatively lean sirloin will give you about 140 grams of protein but only around 850 calories. A pound of cooked shrimp will give you about 95 grams of protein at only 450 calories. If you take some time to look up the values of different foods you'll find plenty of options to get adequate protein while still being able to keep your overall calorie intake low.
For my post workout drink I actually use maltodextrose and dextrose along with kool-aid for my carbs and a protein isolate shake for my protein. I skip the fat in this meal because it slows the digestion and absorption of the nutrients which need to get into your body fast after an intense workout.
Kent, I'm not Tim, of course, but my workouts last around 25 to 30 minutes on average. I do one set of each exercise using enough weight to achieve muscular failure after between 7 and 10 reps. Each of these reps takes an average of around 8 seconds (about 3 seconds to lift, a brief pause at the top, and about 3 to 4 seconds to lower) plus a few deep breaths in between reps on exercises like squats and deadlifts (rest-pause repetitions). A typical set lasts anywhere from 60 to 80 seconds, with the squats and deadlifts lasting longer due to the breathing pause between reps. I typically perform 8 exercises per workout, occasionally adding one or two grip exercises at the end. I currently alternate between the following two full body workouts, which are done at home with free weights. Workout A: 1. barbell squat 1×7-10 (1 set of 7 to 10 repetitions) 2. barbell bench press 1×7-10 3. bent-over barbell row 1×7-10 4. barbell stiff-legged deadlift 1×7-10 5. dumbbell lateral raise 1×7-10 6. barbell pullover 1×7-10 7. ez-curl bar french press 1×7-10 8. ez-curl bar curl 1×7-10 Workout B: 1. shrug bar deadlift 1×7-10 2. standing dumbbell press 1×7-10 3. weighted chin up 1×7-10 4. weighted sissy squat 1×7-10 5. weighted parallel-bar dip 1×7-10 6. ez-curl bar reverse curls 1×7-10 7. one-legged dumbbell calf raise 1×7-10 8. weighted crunch 1×7-10 At a max of around 80 seconds per exercise, plus extra time on the squats and deadlifts the actual cumulative exercise time is typically under 12 minutes. I take about one to two minutes between exercises – long enough to switch weights, put things back, etc., without rushing. I am currently timing each of my workouts as part of making a point of how little time is actually required in the gym, and my last two were 29:46 and 30:40
@ Drew Thx, only one ? left then: is it working for u to? 😉 how long have u been doing it, and what is the result? thx again Kent
@Kent, Yes, only one set per exercise. One set is all that is necessary. The majority of research shows no significant difference between single and multiple sets. Prior to the 1950's when steroids started ruining bodybuilding, the majority of bodybuilders trained this way, performing a single set of about a dozen exercises, 3 times per week. Although I've experimented with different repetition ranges, repetition speeds and methods (negative-only, negative-accentuated, hyper, Max Contraction, SuperSlow, rest-pause, etc.) and have varied the specific exercises performed, my workouts have all been basic, brief, single-set routines, performed no more than 3x weekly, and at some points I have trained only once weekly and still managed to improve. When I started I weighed about 150 pounds and I was able to build up to 180 while improving my definition over a period of about 6 months. This was back in '94. Since then, my heaviest weight in lean condition has been around 195, which doesn't sound like much if you compare it to the claims of today's competitive bodybuilders, but isn't bad for someone who is drug free and is about 5'8" with an ecto-mesomorphic frame.
hey all i am on day 4 of my bulk, i am pretty lean and have started bulking so hopefully better results, but tonight i ate 5000 calories all lean meats and vegatables etc hardest for me today i working up day 1 3000 day 2 3500 day3 4000 and now today 5000 very parnoid about the fat gain as its near summer but i will see it through! lol ill keep posting
Wow Tim. I get such great info from your book and this blog. The biggest thing I realize though is that some people just plain suck! I can't believe the amount of hate and disbelief. If they would simply do what you did, exactly as you did it – and then truly fail, they could disprove your results. For all the hot air blowing around here, I haven't see any takers yet. Which leads me to a good time saving tip for other regular readers out there: I used to read the blog posts and every response that followed. Now I just read the blog post and skim thru the comments to read Tim's responses. All killer, no filler! Thanks for kickin' ass Tim.
its been 5 days and my weight is now 168lbs i started 161 lbs wait line hasnt moved but very parnoid lol, i do feel already beefy
Impossible. The only way to gain this much mass in 4 weeks is to take enhancement drugs and even then you can't gain 8 lbs a week completely lean. Ludicrous. Not to mention your body fat level mysteriously drops as mass is gained. Its the no cutting cycle miracle. Besides its just not healthy to gain anymore than 2-3 lbs of mass per week and if you decide to take the short cut 4 lbs per week with a perfect diet.
This is actually a very dangerous program. Eating 5000-8000 calories a day and not working out enough and sleeping enough to allow muscle growth is stressing kidneys and other body functions. Not to mention how much fat your going to gain. There is no reason for anyone who is not an athlete to be eating this much even if the food is healthy. This kind of calorie intake is for professional athletes and military training. The transformation in these pictures on this website typically take at least 6-12 months and 3-4 times a week possibly more during the dieting phase at the gym if this person did not take any performance enhancing drugs. Don't be fooled by these guys. Building a great physique takes time, dedication, healthy food and hard training. Its a shame that so many try to fool people into thinking its easy and make money doing so.
WOW Tim, those are some impressive gains… That' Colorado Experiment is really interesting too I'm going to check that out…
before pictures better IMHO. too much muscle can be as unattractive as a fat belly. A swimmer body is the way to go.
Your claims are laughable Tim, anyone who knows anything about physiology understands you cant gain that much muscle that fast. Even on certain steroids, you could maybe gain 15-20lbs max that fast but it would be mostly water retention anyways. I guess a sucker is born every minute…
Ive written Dr Plato about your claims and asked her for verification. I'm sure she wants her professional reputation tied to such a miraculous discovery in protein synthesis.
Dr Plato replied and denies any such, before and after test were performed indicating what you said. You are a fraud, im not being rude, im being factual.
😀 I got such a good laugh out of what Don's written! It only takes a fraction of a second to know it would be stupid of Tim to mention such a name. Even a fraud wouldn't do that! Tim, keep up the good work and write more about the routines! We're backing you up. 🙂
Wow, great info, you give me inspiration to gain weight and muscle fast. I would like to thanks you on the info and I hope you can keep providing us with great info.
Hey you have been a great inspiration and I really enjoyed your book. I know you have mentioned before that you have recorded every workout you have done since a teenager. I was wondering if you could upload your workout from when you did this program. It would be a huge help.
There is a new post on "haters" that I just read and I thought to myself, no way does this really happen. I then stumbled onto this post and all I have to say is wow. As a personal trainer these results are actually pretty accurate. You would probably get a tan as well if you gained a significant amount of muscle and were willing to share your findings with the world. These are "secrets" in so many ways because they are not being used by many today. Why? Because this shit doesn't sell. Think about it, if you knew that you didn't have to over train and buy a million supplements a month would you keep your subscription or continue to purchase the newest "miracle pill" every time a new one was offered? Of course not. It's a billion dollar industry for a reason, always remember that. Do I believe Tim in that he gained this muscle, yes I do. Will everyone who follows this get the same results, not a chance. Genetics, age, lifestyle, consistency, etc. will play a part in it. Another fact worth noting is that the test subjects had worked out intensely throughout their lives and taken a break…then done this sort of training. A lot of muscle memory was involved. The most important aspect of this in my opinion is the latter of training principle #3, "exercise your entire body each workout to elicit a maximal hormonal (testosterone, growth hormone + IGF-1) response." When you train heavy and with compound movements that involve several large muscle groups, you increase your testosterone at an incredible rate. To put it another way, it is almost comparable to taking steroids but in a natural setting. That is how effective it is. The rest between workouts as well as adequate amounts of sleep will also increase growth hormone levels throughout the body. More testosterone and more gh will lead to bigger muscles and less fat, science baby! If I were starting out I would do a 6 week intense workout regiment to the point of almost over training but taking in an adequate amount of protein. Take 2-3 weeks off and then try this program. That should give the body enough time to start the process of muscle growth, hit a plateau, have plenty of rest for the upcoming 4 weeks and then be completely shocked and accelerate the system into growth. Great post Tim, I can't wait to try this workout!
Hi Tim, After just 3 workouts, I'm officially a convert to the 5/5 method. (I was hooked after the first day, actually) I have always preferred HIT training and had good results with it, but pushing the weights higher and higher resulted in injuries that would set back my progress. I feel like the reduced weight load required with the 5/5 cadence will make injuries a thing of the past, and I am already seeing what seems like "instant" muscle growth. (Muscle memory may be a small factor, though) But of course, I have questions! If you can't answer them, that's ok. I have to ask anyhow. 🙂 1. What kind of warm-up do you do? 2. Do you do any warm up sets at the 5/5 cadence? 3. If so, how many and what percentage of the working weight and reps? 4. Please describe a typical workout from warm up to actual work sets including weights and reps used, as well as any variations on the 5/5 cadence that you may employ. 5. Do you ever “speed up” the positive when you are close to failure to get one or two more reps? 6. Do you ever “rest pause” in order to get more reps on a work set? (Example: Failure hits at the 7th rep. Rest for 20 seconds and grind out 2 more reps. Rest again for 25 seconds and complete 1-2 more reps.) 7. What kind of recovery aids do you use to make sure your muscles are ready for the next session? 8. Do you ever use heavier weights with a slightly faster cadence (i.e. 2/4 ala Arthur Jones) to build tendons/ligaments/bone strength? Thanks for this post — I found it searching for info on Jones & Darden, then bought your book because I'm ALL about working less while earning more. I already have one contractor in the Philippines and I plan to have myself fully replaced in my businesses in 6-12 months. All the best, Cameron Day
Hey Tim, Just started this workout and diet plan, going great so far. Side comment: please tell me your new book will cover efficient healing protocols from injuries such as bone fractures (e.g. nose, from fights), ankle sprains and other common injuries relating to weightlifting and ring fighting.
tim ferris i have tried your 4 weeks bulking however it took me 8 weeks to go from 70kg to 82kg i am very proud of this 😀 thanks tim i did it slowly working my calories up each week i did put on some fat however i did have a cheat day each week , however i am still lean, now to go back on your way or loosing weight time to reveal those gains thanks again tim 😀
Hey Tim, I love the fact that this routine not only gives me muscle, but also: 1) Made me taller 2) Shaved my chest for me 3) Gave me a tan 4) Made my eyes rotate and sink a tad bit deeper and lastly, 5) completely changed my jawshape Thanks a bunch!
Great to hear Tim. Thanks for the macaroni + salsa tip, this bulk meal is delicious and cheap. Does anyone else feel almost sick when performing this type of workout? The intensity is tough and certainly helps me condition my mind to the point of muscular failure, but midway through my last workout after a few sips of water I started to get a very uncomfortable sick feeling, the type you get when you're about to vomit but can't/don't. I don't think I'm timing my meals right. Perhaps I'm eating too close to my workout? Currently, my pre-workout full meal is 60 minutes before workout. I'll be extending this time to 120 minutes anyway, but any info on this from others would be great. P.S. for those struggling with the mass amount of eating: blender + oats + water. I take 200g of oats + 30g pea protein 5 times a day, which gives a me about 4,000 calories (I'm a vegan). Oats are cheap, low-GI and heavy in calories. May not be the tastiest, but it's worth it for a consumption time of <60 seconds.
Just finished 60% of my pre-workout meal – fucking hell, the amount of food I have to consume is insane. I thought I'd be able to quickly escalate from 2500 cals to about 7000 over a period of a week, but unfortunately, it's not happening. It will take me 2 weeks from now to fully adjust to 7000 cals. Anyone got any tips/hacks for consuming all this food?
OK. I solved all of my problemos. Counter-intuitively, I added more water to my shakes (200g oats + 36g pea protein) to make consumption much easier. To avoid the sick feeling during weight training, I've extended the time between my pre-workout meal and workout to 2.5 hours and drinking 500ml water 15-20 minutes before the workout. Now, my question is: how the hell do I minimize the…ahem, "anti-social" gas given off as a by-product of this diet.
Hi Tim, I've been following your program all this month, and I have two more workouts to go before it's over. I have seen some great increases in the amount that I can lift, but my body weight has barely changed at all. Is that typical? I'm doing the diet and it feels like I'm eating a lot more than I used to, so I'm kind of surprised. I'm by no means a bodybuilding expert, so it really helps to have a program like this. I don't think my results are going to be as dramatic as yours, but I can definitely see a change. For now I'm just focusing on maximizing my last two workouts. Then after a rest period, I'll probably do another month of HIT. (Now that I kind of know what I'm doing). Thanks a ton for posting this!
Tim I did this a while back, called it my January Project. Got pretty strong Ate to many "protein bars", no re-dubbed as Fat Sticks I start swimming tomorrow. I am terrified. See you later Joben
There is no way that this is even remotely possible. 34 pounds in four weeks. Ha ha… maybe if you practice magic or have a really good imagination. You couldn't even make those kinds of gains if you were cycling anabolic steriods. Good joke. I feel sorry for the saps that fall for this kind of hocus pocus BS.
Hi Tim, I bought the original Four Hour Workweek back in 2007, and really liked it… and just now discovered your blog. I am starting to do the '20 lbs in 30 days' diet of yours, and I'm also planning on incorporating this muscle building program as well… You mention in the '20 in 30' diet that you have one day a week of splurging, and in this muscle building program you mention having one day a week of cutting calories by 50%. Should one do splurging one one day, say on Saturdays, and then cut calories on another day, say on Wednesdays? Aside from this, the diet you mention seems to coincide pretty much with this program, so it seems like it wouldn't be counter-productive to cut and build at the same time this way, but I just want confirmation on that. Thanks Tim! -Shane
@Mac: That feeling happens to me every now and then. Make sure you are "slowly" sipping on a high-GI shake during the breaks (Tim's advice) and perhaps extend the breaks a little bit.
I'm going to give this my best shot. I believe it is possible. Let's see if muscle memory can stretch back 25 years! Back when I was 18 I put on a pile of muscle in my first 3 months of (volume) training and eating; anyone who hasn't heard of beginner gains knows little about this game. BTW, I met Dorian in 1985 and somewhere, somehow he put on some serious serious muscle, beyond the parameters some of the naysayers have mentioned. So I've joined the gym, bought the protein (the wrong kind apparently : whey); I need the casein stuff as well. Let's see if this will work for me.
@Shane: If your primary objective is fat loss, you should follow the 20 in 30 diet to the letter and for the training use the this routine but with 30 seconds-1 min of rest between the exercises. (it'll become extremely intense) If you want to gain muscle (which is best done after losing a lot of fat) then you can add slow-carb starches (pasta, quinoa,…) to the 20 in 30 diet (except dinner) and cut calories one day a week (instead of the free day) and then follow the above routine with 3-5 min of rest between workouts. If you want to gain muscle while maintaining body fat % then do as above but cut the starches out after 2 p.m.
I don't think this kind of progress can be made in just one month unless the guy has very favorable genetics and/or uses steroids. In 4-6 months though, no problem, if you do everything right (workout, nutrition, recovery).
Tim, I didn't come across Pete Sisco's name at all when I was reading the comments. Are you familiar with his books? Train Smart! is his most recent. I was curious if you had heard or tried any of his techniques? As a man of efficiency myself – I think you would appreciate his philosophies as well. Also – I am a Raw Vegan and I had very good results doing the Geek to Freak workout – I gained 12 pounds and saw very good size gains too. Spirulina is the shit! Best of luck, Leland
The real difference that an average man sees in that transformation is a pose and flexing with a good deal of lighting, shaving the body and sunbathing. Wheter Tim did gain 34 its not what we see on these pictures. I mean even if it is what we see on the pictures you can easily get similar effect by using what i have mentioned.
Emm… This seems like something I'd be willing to try, just one thing in order to have everything accurate: Is there a ''Complete Idiot's Guide to Gaining Insane Amounts of Muscle in a Short Time''? I'm not that familiar with any fitness suplements and would certainly not want to buy the wrong stuff, though the ''Little-know Colorado experiment'' states that no special supplements or diet is required. Also, what about water consumption and cardio – how do these things fit into all of this? And what about the weights, what would be the necessery amount? And just to be clear, I'm a little drunk right now and this seems like a good idea to post this, hopefully I won't regret this in the morning and will still want to go through with this… 😀
Mea culpa on my procrastination. I said I would start working out some time ago. In fact, I started last Monday and Tuesday. So I will be months late reporting back my 1-year results. For the record, my program is similar to Body by Science, but with a twist thrown in from Doug McGuff's article on how workout recovery MAY (emphasize may) be similar to how the body responds to an antigen. I.e., similar to an immune response. Therefore I am working out, then working out again approximately 24-48 hours later (providing something similar to an immune system booster shot's effect on my body), then work out again approximately 7-10 days later, then approximately 24-48 hours after that, and approximately 7-10 days later. Et cetera. This will provide a non-linear stimulus with underlying form and structure, not too distant from, say, a human heartbeat. (Or any other biological function.) It may or may not be more effective than simply working out every x days, but regardless, it is my program. Doing the math, it should AVERAGE 1 workout every 4-6 days. Workouts are 5 exercises of 1 set each designated "A" and "B". While subject to change, Workout A has 3 multi-joint and 2 "isolation" exercises (4 upper body, 1 lower total), and Workout B has 2 multi-joint and 3 "isolation" exercises (2 upper body, 3 lower total). Generally I do 2 Workouts A, then 2 Workouts B, then repeat that cycle. Am using Tim's 5/5 cadence for now. Will report back in just under a year. Best wishes to you all for health and (not supposed to say happiness) excitement!
How did you get shorter?
Tim: I don't expect this to be published … but I was wondering if your lean mass gain was due to you "super dehydrating" prior to your first weigh in and then your final weigh in was a result of water weight – which is still considered "lean mass". Colby
Hi Tim Interesting read. I tried a HIT routine in which I trained using 8 lifts split over 2 sessions a week. But only 4 work sets a week were taken to (and occassionally) beyond failure. Did I make any gains? No. I just regressed whilst gaining fat on a very clean diet. I lost strength. Looking at your routine, you are obviously using a lower percentage of your one rep max than I was whilst staying within the same rep range, so do you think I could have some sucess with this or do you think the intensity of this will just hammer me into the ground like the routine I used?
Why are you taller in some of the pictures than others?
Well, I did this program for a month, and saw steady gains in my strength and muscle size, along with steady fat loss, going from 176 at 14.4% bodyfat to 172 (at 12% bodyfat when I checked two weeks ago). I didn't get Tim's massive results, but probably because I was not taking supplements or sticking as rigorously to the diet (the first few weeks I was eating quinoa and protein shakes). Still, I am well on my way to a six-pack, and several female friends have commented on my slimmer look. I'm going to stick with this program at least until the end of summer. To all the people who doubt this: If you are already in good shape, your gains won't be as drastic as Tim claims. I started out in good physical condition, but with room to improve. I think if I had started this when I was fresh out of high school and weighed 135 lbs, I would certainly gain 34lbs of muscle in 4 weeks with this alone (with minimal work I went from 135 to 155 just by doing martial arts– I didn't even touch weights). -Shane
I started doing this myself March 5th 2010 and since then I've gained 25lbs and lost 7% body fat, although I did hit the wall about mid May. To change things up I did the intro program for 3 weeks from New Rules of Lifting (awesome book by the way) and have since been doing Crossfit style circuit training for my military PT–I need to ramp up my cardio for testing requirements and would like to drop my body fat in half from where I'm at now. Anyway, for bulking G2F is absolutely a great routine. And yes, I've done the research myself and admit there's little supporting literature and studies to back up the Colorado experiment's findings. That being said, the proof is in the pudding!
The only thing I can think of before attempting this is will my 2x a week Brazilian Jujitsu training screw up the recovery that is apparently needed? I want to get stronger but I'd like to avoid cutting out marital arts out of my life in the process, even temporarily (I just started BJJ this year). I want to be clear that my primary motivation is strength gain – but I don't mind gaining weight to increase my strength, especially if it allows fat loss in the process, as Tim's case study clearly demonstrated is possible. Is there a compromise of sort where I can utilize the HIT/Aurthur Jones principles to gain strength but also keep up my BJJ lessons on the off days, which I need to note leave my muscles considerably taxed/sore the next day as it is. What if I don't go to "monumental failure" and just…eh…"slightly less than monumental failure"…Just thinking out loud here. Tim or anyone else out there lend me advice I'd greatly appreciate it.
A simplification of the recommendations of the Colorado Experiment mentions that what is required is that the muscle is exercised, said simply, throughout it's full range of motion with high intensity for low periods. There is a cheaper way to do this than with using N equipment, or even weights and a spotter. Elastic bands, which keeps a constant level of resistance and even has an increase in resistance at the strongest point of the muscle. The problem, of course, is having high-level resistance bands with set resistance in which resistance can be added, much like adjustable dumbbells. There is a set that has this ability, with labeled resistance and the ability to clip multiple bands upon a handle. Thus I propose that instead of using weights or N equipment the 100$ Bodylastics set would be more effective in cost and practicality. I have ordered mine, so I will be trying this.
@Eric: For pure strength-training Tim recommends a different routine by Pavel. Search for Pavel: 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts on this blog.
@Eric: For strength-training Tim recommends a different routine by Pavel. Search for Pavel: 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts on this blog.
I remember back when I was 24, I had not exercised or engaged in sports for a couple of years. due to a bad wrist fracture which put me off any physical activity due to the pain and altered sensation from the injury. I'd never trained with weights and thought my lower body was naturally strong and reasonably muscular, my upper body was pretty scrawny 11.75'' arms, 36'' chest and I had pudgy 34'' waist, my body weight was around 145lbs. I finally came to the realisation that I ought to do something to get into shape, and after speaking to a guy I worked with who trained, he suggested as a beginner I should workout using basic exercises 3 times a week on non consecutive days 3 sets per muscle group. the routine would have looked something , if not exactly like: Back Squats 3×10 Bent Rows 3×10 Bench Press 3×10 Lying Triceps Extensions 2×10 Biceps Curls 2×10 I trained fairly hard, to be honest I was so weak in my upper body that training to failure was that unpleasant. I was also advised with regards to diet, that advice was to eat a lot, then eat some more, when I'd had my fill I was to drink a pint of milk or a protein shake…all of which I was more then happy to do. After a month on this exercise and diet routine my body weight had risen to 160lbs and my waist measurement had decreased to 32'', while my arm measurement increase and inch and a quarter.. The next month I gained another 8 pounds with a commensurate increase in arm size and decrease in my waist measurement. It was at this point after seeing my progress I was taken under the wing of the guy who advised me initially. I started attening a local gym with him and did the exersises and reps he did, we trained 4 times a week on a split system mon/tue/thur/fri 9-12 sets per body part…and what do you know in 3 months i'd gained virtually nothing, I was assured this was common and was just a sticking point, it was at this point I became aware of the writings of Mike Mentzer, he had been retired from competition for some 4 years at this point but was still contributing articles to various magazines. What he wrote made sense to me and so I resloved to put his advice into practise. The way I did this was a little half hearted I mearly reduced the total sets I was doing per muscle group to about 6 (yeah with hind site this was still far to much) but I was under pressure from my training partner who thought I should train exactly as he was training. But what do you know I imeadiatly started to gain again, this continued for several months of slow but consistant progress. Buy the time I hit the "sticking point" again I was even more convinced that Mentzer's form of training was more benifical…to me a least. It was at this point my training partner and I amicably parted ways. Thought I was convinced doing less exercise with greater intensity was the way forward, it took many years to accept just how little was optimal for muscular gains to be stimulated and to provide adequate recovery time to allow them to take place. To summerise what i've learned from how my own body and everyone elses i've trained with over the last 26 years responds to resistance exersive for the purpose of gaining muscular body weight: 1. Muscular gains can be rapid and dramatic under the right circumstances (I'm taling about natural gains here, not drug enhanced training which i'm entirly opposed to). 2.Adding additional set of exersise above whats needed to stimulate muscle growth is counter productive. The minimum needed to do this is one set per muscle group, thougth with exercises such as dead lifts one set can actually stimulate growth in several mucle groups, if not the body as a whole. 3.Don't worry your training to hard, In 26 years of training I've seen many many people training to much, but practically no one training to hard. Few if any actually train to real positive failure. 4. If in doubt do less exercise rather then more. I'm pretty sure if I had folowed a Colorade experiment, HD or HIT type routine from the start of my training I would have achived gains similar to Mr Ferris in the same time period, so I'm in no doubt as to the fact that his claims are genuine, and I'm far from being genetically gifted in the area of muscle development.
Hi all! Im experiencing some difficulties gaining all this musclemass that is promised. Ive been doing one-set-to-failure workouts for atleast two months now and have gained perhaps 5-7 lbs. of muscle at most. My last workout felt the best, because I felt completely exhausted for OVER A WEEK, and all I had to do was rest and eat. Im not sure how many calories I eat per day but it is far excessive of my "normal" diet, but I use no protein-shakes, unfortunately. I am 6" 38 and currently weigh in at 174. Can mr Ferris or anybody else whos had these extreme results advice me as to what Im clearly doing wrong?
I've addressed this and listed the names (Yuki Nakai, Yamada Manabu, Rumina Sato, etc.) elsewhere on the blog, but these pages don't stop coming up. Rightly, it was on mats or in a ring, not in a cage, but editing leads to wording so people understand. "Submit" would also be much more appropriate to "vanquish", but few people in the general public get "submit". It doesn't bother me if they don't believe me. Hopefully it doesn't bother you either. If they think I'm confident I could win in current MMA, they are wrong. I'd get destroyed. The sport has evolved a lot over the last 10 years. I started with Shooto and submission wrestling at Kiguchi dojo in 1992/93. Ancient history. Best, Tim
Hi Megan, Sorry — wasn't sure if the link was spam or not, as it seemed to be a big sales video. Avoid the ballistic moves and use what I suggest at a 5/5 lifting speed. It should be safer for him to use the exercise protocol I suggest. Best, Tim
Hi Christoph, I no longer consume casein isolate. I believe that most proteins are best consumed from whole food sources. There are just too many things we have yet to identify that work in conjunction with the protein we're so eager to hack out and make taste like chocolate 🙂 Good comment. Kudos. Tim
Coming in Sept 2010 🙂
Hi Don, Why would I use Dr. Plato's name if I weren't prepared for this contact? I know a lot of people out there want to see me as a fraud, but it would just be silly of me to include her name falsely. I was there and have the measurement sheets she filled out. I'm fine with you believing I'm not telling the truth, and that's unavoidable given the stats I'm offering, but I'm not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. What would i have to benefit? I'm not selling any products on this post. Best, Tim
Oh, yes. I have too many injuries not to write about fixing them 🙂
Hi Dan, It's not unusual at all, especially if you're not tracking body composition. It's very common to lose bodyfat at the same time, so the scale is often not a good indicator of real muscle gain. If you're gaining strength, you're doing your job. Just eat enough and the scale will move 🙂 Good luck! Tim
The blender is your friend!
Drew, Thank you for posting all this great info. I'm collecting everything you've written about and combing thru your site. I'm going into this 7 week body recomposition contest. I want to gaint the most muscle as possible in that short time. SO Here I am. I'll likely steal the above workout. But I tell you this. I'm about 5'7, 160, not skinny, but a PUNK. I just joined a gym and I stared doign the Bench press. I almost killed myself lifting 135. WTF. I need to find a girl gym. Anyway, if you have any more specific advice, I'd be very VERY intersted. Good Stuff. -MoMacAttack
Drew, I was trying to figure out how to thank you for your time and good advice. I'm not going to do anything STOOPID, and that's a big thanks to you and your site. Dude, its really awesome. I'm combing through it right now, and I'm sure to try a lot of stuff… Chin-UPS **BUMMBERCLATT** me have trouble do 10… =) You really have good taste. I remember that in '92 when I was first interested in looking good, Frank Zane and Mike Mentzer were my favorite. Great size, definition and balance. I'm learning a lot and I'll be incorporate all your great advice. I'm going work towards that bike guy improvement; go from 165 lbs – 173 lbs
Moe, Best advice I can give you as a beginner is to start with a weight that is only moderately difficult and focus on form first. Once you are confident you are capable of using more weight in good form, increase by 5% or 5 pounds, whichever is less. Always try to do a little better than you did previously. Progression is key. Resist the temptation to do more exercises, more often. If you train hard enough very little exercise is required to STIMULATE improvements, and adequate rest is necessary for the body to PRODUCE improvements. More exercise will not stimulate a proportionally greater degree of improvement and can prevent the body from producing what improvements are stimulated. Train hard, but briefly and infrequently, eat well, get plenty of sleep, and minimize your stress and you will be surprised at how your body changes.
Hey Tim– There seems to be a lot of chatter about the measurements taken by Dr. Plato. I was hoping you could address this. Part of the reason the book is interesting is the evidence you offer, and this seems like such an important part of your argument it would be a shame to neglect it. You mentioned earlier that you have copies of the measurement sheets she filled out; are we going to be able to see those at some point? — Jacob