Writing About Writing Wardle Ebook
Here’s the deal: Getting into awesome shape isn’t nearly as complicated as the fitness industry wants you to believe. • You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars per month on the worthless supplements that steroid freaks shill in advertisements. • You don’t need to constantly change up your exercise routines to “confuse” your muscles. I’m pretty sure muscles lack cognitive abilities, but this approach is a good way to just confuse you instead.
• You don’t need to toil away in the gym for a couple of hours per day, doing tons of sets, supersets, drop sets, giant sets, etc. (As a matter of fact, this is a great way to stunt gains and get nowhere.) • You don’t need to grind out hours and hours of boring cardio to shed ugly belly fat and love handles and get a shredded six-pack. (How many flabby treadmillers have you come across over the years?) • You don’t need to obsess over “eating clean” to get ripped, and you don’t need to completely abstain from “cheat” foods while getting down to single-digit body fat percentages. Those are just a few of the harmful lies and myths that keep guys from ever achieving the lean, muscular, strong, and healthy bodies they truly desire. And in this book you’re going to learn something most guys will never know. The exact methods of diet and training that make putting on 10 to 15 pounds of quality lean mass a breezeand it only takes a few months.
Before I dive into how, though, let me introduce myself. “Oh Look, Another ‘Guru’ Claiming He Has All the ‘Secrets’ of Getting Shredded.” If that’s what you’re thinking, I totally understand. In fact, your skepticism is good. It will protect you from the thieves, liars, and shysters that run rampant in this industry (and in some cases, run this industry). But before you grab your pitchfork and come after me, allow me to introduce myself and explain why you should care about what I have to say.
You should listen to me because I’ve made every mistake in the book and know what works and what doesn’t I don’t have outstanding genetics and wasn’t ripped my entire life. I was your normal skinny kid that got into weightlifting to impress girls, and I had no clue what I was doing at first. Case in point? Here’s me after nearly 2 years of lifting, with no extended breaks due to injury, illness, or otherwise Sure, I had made some gains.but the type of gains you’d hope for after 2 years of lifting 5 to 6 days per week?
If you need to know about Middlewich, you need to know about The Middlewich Diary. Jan 10, 2014. Based on Wardle and Downs' research, the first edition of Writing about Writing marked a milestone in the field of composition. By showing students how to draw on what they know in order to contribute to ongoing conversations about writing and literacy, it helped them transfer their writing-related skills from.
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time taking fitness advice from someone that doesn’t look the part. I want to follow people that have done exactly what I want to do, not people that just talk about doing it. I don’t care how many degrees someone has or how smart they sound.if they haven’t achieved success with their own advice.or if they’re too lazy to do it.I’m skeptical. So, the bottom line is I know exactly what it’s like to be stuck in a rut.to have no clue if I’m training correctly.to boggle over how to eat to get lean.to deal with injuries.to want to give up.and to have just about every other problem most people grapple with.
And now, having overcome these problems myself.I know with 100% certainty what it takes to put them all to rest and finally achieve the type of physique and strength most guys in the gym have always wanted. I back my work up with scientifically proven knowledge and principles Fitness gurus and methodologies are a dime a dozen these days. Everywhere you look there’s another BSer claiming to have found special “shortcuts” to getting muscular, lean, and strong.
All for the low price of $97! Act now before it’s too late! Trying to figure out who’s lying and who’s not is hard enough, let alone who isn’t lying and actually knows what they’re talking about. Well, if you peruse my work, you’ll quickly see I’m a bit different.
In fact, much of what I teach was known decades ago and has since become buried beneath all the bullcrap. Some of what I teach seems “cutting edge” in terms of debunking long-standing fitness myths and mistakes, but these are hardly my discoveries. I’m just the messenger. That is, I’m simplifying what we’ve learned from good scientific research and showing how the underlying principles can be practically used to build muscle, lose fat, get strong, and improve health. And I’m not cherry-picking studies to sell my eBooks or supplements.
I’m interested in knowing how things actually work, not how I can spin research to get rich. Whenever you hear someone make a claim about how to best build muscle, lose fat, get strong, or improve health, your first thought should be, “Is there scientific research to support that statement?” I know that might sound overly skeptical and even cynical, it’s necessary if you’re to protect yourself from the staggering amount of bad advice in this industry.
Well, if you read any of my work, you’ll quickly notice that I cite a lot of scientific research in my writings. I don’t do this to try to impress--I do it because. • I myself want to make sure I understand things correctly and thus review a lot of scientific papers. • I don’t want you to just take my word--I want you to understand why and be able to review the research for yourself. • I want you to maintain a healthy skepticism and expect to see such scientific references.
While being able to cite a bunch of science doesn’t necessarily mean someone knows what they’re talking about, it’s a good sign. And if someone cites no science in their work, watch out. The old “teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” cliche comes to mind here. That is, I don’t want you to just blindly follow my advice or programs--I want you to gain a holistic understanding of the subjects of building muscle, losing fat, and getting strong. And I want you to enjoy the flexibility this type of understanding gives you. Yes, there are certain things that aren’t negotiable: energy balance, macronutrient ratios, progressive overload, and the relationship between training intensity, volume, and frequency, for example.
(And if all that sounds like gobbledygook to you, don’t worry--I explain it all in the book in simple, layman’s terms.) But within that framework is a ton of wiggle room for making it fit your needs, preferences, and lifestyle. When you know what you’re doing, you can eat foods you like, eat when you like, train anywhere from 3 to 6 times per week, rotate through each body part once or twice per week, and so forth. While I do share with you exact methods that most people do best with, I want you to be able to intelligently modify them to best fit your circumstances. I get real results with real people If you’ve ever wondered how some of the transformations you see on the Internet are actually possible, you should know something: Those crazy 3-month transformations you see all over the Internet are bullcrap. In many cases, what you’re actually seeing is the result of.
• Extensive training history that allowed for rapid re-gain of muscle. “Muscle memory” is very real and it generally takes about half the time to re-build muscle as it takes to build it from “scratch.” • Drugs, including anabolic steroids and fat loss agents. Some people are a bit shocked to learn how prevalent drugs are in this world, not just with the professionals but with the everyday gymgoers as well. They’re extremely easy to get, and cycle advice is only a forum post away.
Many people are also surprised how powerful the right cocktail of drugs actually is. When used properly (not necessarily safely, mind you, but effectively), steroids and cutting drugs can enable someone to do in 3 months what would normally take a year or longer.
Case in point? Here’s the 1-year, steroid-fueled transformation of Boston Lloyd, a bodybuilder that’s very open about his drug use. After As you can see, Boston had already been lifting for a couple of years and gained a lot of muscle (30 pounds, give or take) and got absolutely shredded.in just under a year.
And used a lot of drugs to do it. So when you see something similar on the Net, just know what you’re looking. Now, that isn’t to say that all impressive transformations are frauds. Anyone can dramatically transform their body naturally.but it takes time. For instance, research shows that the most natural muscle growth you can hope for in your first year of weightlifting is about 20 to 25 pounds. Here’s one of my many Bigger Leaner Stronger success stories that illustrates what this looks like.
Bigger Leaner Stronger is the single most thorough training and diet resource I've read. And by ‘thorough’ I mean all the information you need to know, and none of the info you don't. It's like a fitness tome.
Form, training plans, no-hype supplementation advice, diet, and lifting paradigms. Everything's in here.
It's affordable and accessible and 100% badass. I've seen so many men and women go from being completely clueless (before reading) to being 100% empowered in their fitness journey after reading BLS. Mike's definitely on track to reach his goal to help a million people get fit, and this book is at the core.
I published the first edition of Bigger Leaner Stronger in January 2012 and it has quickly become of the most popular workout books out there, with over 100,000 copies already sold. The bottom line is no matter your age, training history, genetics, or.if you have just a few hours per week to give to it.you can get ripped faster than you ever thought possible and maintain it with ease.for the rest of your life.
Bold claims, I know, but Bigger Leaner Stronger delivers. If that’s the case, you might be wondering, why the second edition? Well, the success of the book has not only resulted in scores and scores of success stories from people that have applied its teachings, it has also gotten me a ton of great feedback from readers on its strengths and weaknesses and how it could be improved. Not only that, but as I continued to research, help others get in shape, and write for everyone here at Muscle for Life, I compiled my own long list of additions and clarifications to incorporate into Bigger Leaner Stronger to just make it the best possible book it can be and answer just about any question guys might have about building muscle, losing fat, getting strong, and staying healthy. The basic principles in the second edition of Bigger Leaner Stronger are the same as the first, but the book has been rewritten and re-organized from the ground up to make everything as concise and clear as possible.
This isn’t the same book with a few pages of additional content, relaunched as a second edition. It’s a complete overhaul of the first edition, with the things that made it good even better and the things that needed attention completely ironed out.
For example, many readers suggested that the book be organized differently.and they were right. Many people wanted more information on proper meal planning.so I added it. I received many requests for more information on how to build up the willpower and self-discipline required to get into great shape.so I’ve added an entire chapter on this.
When you count it all up, “BLS 2.0” (as I’ve been calling it) contains nearly 100 pages of additional content, with absolutely no unnecessary filler. Every single page I’ve added was guided by reader feedback and suggestions.
In short, I believe that with the help of all my readers and followers, I’ve created my masterpiece, and I can’t wait to get it into your hands and see what you think. And trust me--even if you’ve read the first edition of this book, the second edition is going to blow you away. There are MANY ways to mess things up the gym: do the wrong exercises, do too much in each workout, change up your routine too often, focus too much on higher rep ranges, and more. Well, in this book I’m going to show you exactly what you need to be doing in each workout and why, and it’s going to be very different than what you’re used to: short, intense workouts that you actually enjoy, and that build more muscle and strength than the grueling, knock-down-drag-out types of routines so many other people do. I’m talking about the Big Four: the Squat, Deadlift, Military Press, and Bench Press. These exercises, when performed correctly, are the foundation of every weightlifting program worth a lick. Unfortunately, however, most guys avoid all but the latter or do them all wrong, decreasing their effectiveness and increasing the risk of injury.
After reading this book, you won’t be one of these people. (If you can’t do these exercises due to injuries or other physical issues, don’t worry, I talk about how to work around this as well.).
Simply put, Bigger Leaner Stronger is 344 pages of neatly organized dietary and training lessons, insights, and principlesbacked by decades of anecdotal evidence and over 600 scientific studiesand 100% geared toward helping you build muscle, lose fat, get strong, and stay healthy.for life. So.imagine, just 12 weeks from now, being constantly complimented on how you look and asked what the heck you’re doing to make such startling gains. Imagine enjoying the added benefits of high energy levels, no aches and pains, better spirits, and knowing that you’re getting healthier every day. The success of the first edition of the book has not only resulted in scores and scores of success stories from people that have applied its teachings, it has also gotten me a ton of great feedback from readers on its strengths and weaknesses and how it could be improved. Furthermore, as I've continued to research, help others get in shape, and write for everyone here at Muscle for Life, I compiled my own long list of additions and clarifications to incorporate into Bigger Leaner Stronger to just make it the best possible book it can be and answer just about any question guys might have about building muscle, losing fat, getting strong, and staying healthy.
The basic principles in the second edition of Bigger Leaner Stronger are the same as the first, but the book has been rewritten and re-organized from the ground up to make everything as concise and clear as possible. This isn't the same book with a few pages of additional content, relaunched as a second edition. It's a complete overhaul of the first edition, with the things that made it good even better and the things that needed attention completely ironed out. For example, many readers suggested that the book be organized differently.and they were right. Many people wanted more information on proper meal planning.so I added it. I received many requests for more information on how to build up the willpower and self-discipline required to get into great shape.so I've added an entire chapter on this.
When you count it all up, 'BLS 2.0' (as I've been calling it) contains nearly 100 pages of additional content, with absolutely no unnecessary filler. Every single page I've added was guided by reader feedback and suggestions. In short, I believe that with the help of all my readers and followers, I've created my masterpiece, and I can't wait to get it into your hands and see what you think. And trust me--even if you've read the first edition of this book, the second edition is going to blow you away. Yes, and I actually share the same goal as you. I’m not interested in looking like a hulking bodybuilder--I want to look like a lean, muscular athlete. What many guys don’t realize is how much muscle they have to build and how much work and time it takes to actually achieve this look.
For most guys, it means gaining anywhere from 25 to 40 pounds of muscle, which takes 1.5 to 3 years of consistent, dedicated, heavy weightlifting (like I prescribe in Bigger Leaner Stronger). Trust me--there hasn’t been a single natural weightlifter in history that woke up one day “suddenly” too big or bulky. Building enough muscle to look like a cover model--even when you do everything right--is a slow process.
It’s a traditional body-part split with some additional pushing every week to ensure the upper body doesn’t fall behind the lower in overall development. If you’re worried that a body-part split is doomed to failure and that you have to train everything 2 to 3 times per week to make gains, I understand--I used to think the same thing. Massive bouts of overtraining taught me otherwise, though, and I’ve since learned that a body-part split can be incredibly effective if it’s programmed correctly.and many such programs just aren’t. Fortunately, you don’t have to take my word on it.
The scores and scores of Bigger Leaner Stronger success stories speak loud and clear: this program gets results. While many experts recommend new weightlifters begin with a few full-body workouts per week, which can work, but which also has a significant drawback: full-body workouts are very hard when you also emphasize heavy weightlifting. Just try performing heavy deadlifts, squats, and bench and military presses in the same workout and you’ll quickly see what I mean. Well, fortunately you can do just as well.if not better.on a well-designed body-part split program like Bigger Leaner Stronger. You can gain 20 to 25 pounds of muscle in your first year and triple and even quadruple your strength across the board (and I can say this with confidence because I’ve seen so many guys new to weightlifting do it on the program). I wish I had this program to start with when I began lifting 12 years ago--it would have saved me years of wasted efforts.
It depends where you’re. If you’ve been focusing on heavy (80+% of 1RM), compound weightlifting for several years and have built a solid foundation of size and strength.and if you know exactly how to set up and manipulate your diet so as to lose fat or build muscle as desired.then this book may not be for you. I say may not because even if you’re a seasoned veteran, I bet you’ll pick up some new insights in Bigger Leaner Stronger. It’s not written just for complete newbies. (I should also mention that experienced weightlifters should also check out my book for advanced weightlifters,.).
I tried to purchase the 2nd edition of BLS only to find out that it updated automatically free of charge. Thank you so much. I have been a follower of yours since November 2014.
Since then, I have lost 40lbs (207lbs to 167lbs) going from 30% bodyfat to 10~12%. Listening to your podcasts, reading your articles, and books (BBLS, Shredded Chef, No-BS guide to supplements, etc) have helped me immensely in achieving my overall fitness goals.
As a newbie (started to workout since September 2014), I realize I have long ways to go in order to really achieve my ideal body, but I am glad to have met your podcasts and books so early. Remember me about the kickstarter campaign?
Well that’s old news now and I’ve decided not to buy that. So I had no clue about this and thought this was a regular survey of a kind (or something like that), I am gonna buy this new book (haven’t decided which number yet) even though I get kinda annoyed at the fact that I will get possible three books of which i’ve already got. I bought the Shredded Chef and bought a hard copy of 1 Year Challenge For Men about some days ago. Today I noticed this and after reading through each part (really interesting stuff) you got me hooked (as always ^^). So my questions for today is: Is it possible to get something else if i buy the new book and already an extra copy of the Shredded and One Year Challenge For Men. I have a Whey that is called “100% Micro Whey –>Active” it that an alright protein power to take when I gym in the future? Let me rephrase the first question.
I bought The Shredded Chef and the 1 Year Challenge For Men. And i’ve already got your first edition of Bigger Leaner Stronger on my kindle so as of now I’ve already got the books that i need.
So my question for you was that if it was a possbility to switch out one of the books that i would get an extra copy of and get some sort of protein or anything else instead. These are the only sites that I know of that sells what I own. My apologies, I could not find one in english, you may have to use some kind of translate tool. I’ll order a couple books before the giveaway ends (1 for me, 1 for my son). No rack, or cage, but, it does have a leverage squat/standing calf raise station opposite the bench press station (see pic).
I also have an Olympic bar for deadlifts, or, I have the option of lowering the bench press bar all the way, and attaching a straight bar across the center of that big horseshoe, for doing deadlifts. BTW, My wife and I luv The Shredded Chef. We’ve been cooking recipies out of it for several months now. Mike, this is a great book.
It’s been 3 weeks since I’ve started watching my macros better and following your 5-day workout schedule and I’ve dropped about 6 pounds (not sure how much of it is purely fat, I still need to get my numbers checked)! Definitely looking better in the mirror. I had a questioninstead of working out M-F and resting Sat and Sun, is it possible for me to rest on Monday and Wednesdays instead? And workout Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun?
I know it splits up the workout week, but my job schedule makes it more difficult to work out on Mondays and Wednesdays •. Hey there Mr.Matthews! To be quite honest, I don’t even know where to begin to start.
I have an insurmountable amount of praise that I want to overwhelm you with but I’ll stay relevant and stick to my preeminent reason for contacting you. Hopefully we may stay in touch regardless, you’re the single-most awe-inspiring man in the fitness field and it’d be an honor to come to you when in need? I’ll try not to bombard you too much. Anyways, enough covering the conversation with sweet doses of “ass-kissing”; I have an enormous favor to ask of you. I’ve been a dutiful supporter of your supplement line and just recently, everything you do. I’ve never felt more empowered to take my fitness goals by the reigns and shatter them. I’m in the exact same position as you were in your phase of “hard-gaining.” For a bit now I’ve been working my tail off, I’ve tried every split, regiment, and supplement on the market and my progress has been poignant in comparison to what I’ve always aspired to achieve.
I promised myself I’d keep this short, I’ll cut to the chase. I’m ready to arm myself with everything that has been handed to me through your work, I’m ready to turn a blind eye to the B.S and most of all I’m ready to commit myself to the best shape of my life. I’m by no means in the best situation money wise but just yesterday I was gifted with a pre-paid debit card and I was simply eager to put it towards something that would make a real positive impact on my life as a whole.
I spent the entirety of my day reading every single article on your page that enticed me and that has helped me shatter personal obstacle number one. Once again I’m rambling. I purchased what I felt would benefit me most for now from your supplement line Whey+ and Recharge (think those were the best two options?) and I also got my hands on a physical copy of BBLS. I’m ecstatic but there’s one little pitfall to my grand scheme; from what I have read, you state that it’s FAR more beneficial to first allot myself to BLS for a few years and thereafter put BBLS on the forefront. I’m still more than elated but if it’s a better option to direct attention to BLS for a bit, I’m willing to wait. What I’m honestly NOT willing to do is give up my copy of BBLS, I’m way too thrilled to sink my teeth into it. Here’s the kicker and why you’re hearing from me now.
My digital card is empty and I feel like without BLS first, I may be held back from my initial potential. It’s something I can’t seem to shake. I hope I’m not being too frivolous and I hate to disrespect you but I have to shoot for my gut feeling. The hypothetical rejection is worth it. What are the chances I could get a free physical copy of the new installment (edition) of BLS?
I know it’s a big favor but I’m desperate and I can assure you, it’d mean the world to me at this point. Thank you for all your work, all your indomitable effort, and sincerity through everything you do. Nobody goes beyond the call of duty like you have for the fitness world and by no means does it go unnoticed. It’s a privilege to be able to put your servitude to work and an even bigger honor to be able to exchange words with you.
Sincerely, -Matthew Strohmaier •. Hey Michael I found your website and I have to say I think there is a reason I found it. I’ve been lifting for several years and although I’ve gotten decently strong, I’m not happy with the way I look. I’ve done all the bodybuilding splits and I’ve ended up with PMS “Puffy Muscle Syndrome” and when I cut (like Im currently doing) I ended looking somewhat skinny fat. My question is, will this work for me?I’m truly interested and am willing to do what ever it takes to get into the shape I’m looking for. Also does the book come in physical form? My chat with the support.
Initial Question: There is a second edition of the book available from the author as an update. Unfortunately, your system doesn’t update the book in my kindle library. 10:43 AM BST Selvakumar(Amazon): Thank you for contacting Amazon. Free Download Games For Samsung Wave Y S5380k. co.uk Kindle support. My name is Selvakumar.
I am happy to help you today. 10:44 AM BST Selvakumar: Thanks, Alexander. May I know the book name, please? 10:45 AM BST Alexander: Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (The Build Muscle, Get Lean, and Stay Healthy Series Book 1) and Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body (The Women’s Fitness Series). 10:46 AM BST Selvakumar: I’ll update and resend the book to your device now. 10:47 AM BST Selvakumar: Are you referring to “Alexander’s Kindle” device? 10:47 AM BST Alexander: Yes, I need the updates on all my kindle readers including the online amazon reader.
10:47 AM BST Selvakumar: Is your device currently connected to wifi? 10:48 AM BST Alexander: yes I see the update on the first book now.
10:49 AM BST Selvakumar: I’ve updated and resent both the books to your device now. Please sync and check your device. 10:50 AM BST Alexander: A second. I’m checking. 10:50 AM BST Selvakumar: Okay.
Once connected to Wi-Fi you will see black signal bars in the top right corner of your Kindle screen: -Press Home -Press Menu -Select “Sync and Check for Items” 10:51 AM BST Alexander: Yep, i see the updates. @Michael Matthews, please help I don’t know what I am doing wrong I am following everyone and everything you got on your book and blogs.my dyslexia!!! Is so bad might be culprit and I got the formula all bad please help I want to get cut I weigh in At 268 and 31 years of age I have a very high count of liver enzymes because of exesesive body fat around the mid section so the doctor says why’s cal should I consume protein,carbs,fat now the question is due to my high liver fat Is it ok to consume the.03 of fat per lbs. That you suggest please bro help me I want to loose the gut! Hi, I’ve been reading & re-reading BLS & it’s really helped over the last 2 months.
I’ve never been able to gain weight in the past, but I was coming at it all wrong & I had a huge fear of just getting fat! But since BLS my mindset has completely changed & have gone from 67kg to 75kg in those 2 months. I need to make some adjustments as some of that gain is, I think, fat (can’t check body fat in a very accurate way at the moment), but even so, I’m so happy with the changes and, to be honest, amazed that it’s happened!
I was a regular at the gym for about 4 years without much or any progress & it seems it was almost all down to nutrition. Since reading BLS & getting that fixed, I’ve managed to put on that weight, but also up the weights I’m using so fast – I’m being careful, but once I hit 6×3 reps I go up & it just keeps happening. Only weak spots are squats but I’m managing to go up a few lbs a week. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks & keep up the great work 🙂 •. Mike, Thank you for the book. I am a beginner at all this and it’s been an amazing starting point. I have purchased the meal plan as well as a hard and audible copy of BLS.
I’m stuck though trying to figure out which way to go with the meal plan. I am 6’0″ and weigh 145 pounds with a body fat around 28%. Not proud of where I’ve let myself get but I’m motivated and ready to do whatever it takes to get myself where I want to be. What do I do first?
The meal plan questionnaire asks if I’m trying to lose weight or bulk up. Where do I start? I apologize if a question like this should have been asked somewhere else. Thanks again.
Mike, My name is Devin I’m not having muscle building issues and with what I read in your sample version I’m following most of everything you are saying his far I’m not a big supplement fan but I do take protein shakes and I take amino acids and fatty acids supplements nothing to radical I don’t want to start those shenanigans. BUT I have a big issue my upper hips lower abs have a little pudge that I have not been able to shake EVER I’m a marine I’ve always came close but never found that miracle routine aka working out food blah blah blah yes I goto the gym for about 90 min to two hours at least 4 times a week. I haven’t a clue why I’m failing in gaining muscle mass not much but enough to keep me going I have a special workout routine for my upper body because of a shoulder injury and I cannot do a lot of workouts that most can do without wondering ok If I do this will I tear my shoulder again because of my surgery and I can’t lift above my head any ideas would be wonderful Thanks again, Devin P.s. I do believe I will invest in your book I’m trying to find someplace near by that has it in stock.
I like having a physical object to rely on not electronic I’m a little old school and I’m – 26 year old male •. I ordered Phoenix and Pulse. Hope to get them soon. It kind of pains to spend more on shipping than the price of the products 🙁 Any plans to start retailing in Singapore anytime soon?
On an unrelated note, recently while lifting weights, I experience a shooting pain in my head, like a throbing pain. It subsided soon after and I continued exercising with lesser intensity. I took a day off, and returned to the gym on the 3rd day to experience the same again (while doing my heaviest deadlift) and this time it persisted much longertill almost 12 hours.
I searched online and read about “exertion headache”, and that it’s kinda common. But my question is, do you think I should continue exercising or take a long break (1 or 2 weeks)? Bought your book on iTunes and it has been exactly what I needed to get new gains. I have been stuck on a plateau with my compound lifts due to following programs laden with giant sets and super sets. Thank you so much for writing this book and backing it up with evidence based science! My question is: I am one of those guys you speak of with lucky calf genetics, but I could use a little help in the bis/tris.
Can I substitute 1 end of a day calf workout for some arms, or would I risk overtraining them? I am doing the 5 day a week lifting regimen btw. What do you suggest? Well mix master mike, i wanted to share some diet results with you (keep in mind, I’ve never eaten or trained this way in my entire life until I started reading and applying your book in Feb 2015; I’m 34). I started on a cut as I was about 24% BF and 173lbs. My daily calories were about 1800.
I was losing a little too much weight too quickly so I increased calories to about 1950 and that seemed to be on the money. When I finished the diet, I was around 15% body fat and 158lbs and so I decided to bulk. I’m now finishing up a 3 month bulk and I’m about 172lbs now at 18% body fat. Since I’ve gained this muscle during this bulk, my calorie needs have soared to make up for it! When I start my diet this Monday I’ll be eating around 2900 calories a day and I’ll be losing weight on it! That’s crazy to me and it’s amazing how much weight lifting has done for me.
I’ve never been that strong (still working hard on it) but I remember when I started your program in Feb I was barely able to get 155lbs up for my bench press set. But this week I was able to rep 205lbs for 5 reps after I just did 195lbs for 8 reps (I know you like doing 6 reps, but I was excited, haha). I’ve never been this strong in my life! Thanks for your awesome book! Two of my co-workers, my sister and my mother are following your plan now, too. Feeling excited for my cut to see what the transformation will be; looking to get to 13% body fat this time •.
Hi Mike, I’m interested in your program, but I have recurrent pain from two disks in my cervical spine (C6-C7) and two in my lumbar spine (L4-L5) that have some mild bulging and herniation, and my doctor has suggested that I avoid heavy weight, explosive/ballistic movements (like plyometrics), exercises like squats and deadlifts, and overhead lifts that would compress my spine. It may be that I’m not a good candidate for your program, but I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on what someone with my issues could do to get similar results.
Thanks, Matt. Working out with only dumbbells is a bit tough because you can’t squat, deadlift, bench press, or military press (and these are the most important exercises in any program, really). My first standard recommendation is to get a proper home setup (a power cage or multi-press rack with an Olympic bar and plates), or work out in a gym instead. Here are the products I like: That said, if neither are possible, you can focus on the dumbbell exercises given in the “approved exercises” section of the book. For instance, a chest day would look like this: Incline dumbbell press: warm up and 6 sets 4-6 reps Flat dumbbell press: 3-6 sets of 4-6 reps While that might seem redundant and inefficient, it’s actually a great chest workout. I did that for nearly 6 months a couple years ago and was amazed by the gains I was able to make. You can also add a couple exercises to make your legs day more challenging: Goblet squats are decent, albeit limited.
One-legged squats are challenging even without weight. For your back, I recommend doing a lot of dumbbell rows and weighted wide-grip pull-ups. You also have the option of working in some modified body weight exercises, as discussed here: I hope this helps and let me know what you think! Is that possible for you to push this book being translated into other languages? I doubt that I could convince my wife to trust your book only through my words. Generally, it is very hard to convince the one who is very close to you. She has to read it.
I want her to have the book, but she only speaks Mandarin. Or, I can just wait 6 month, and let her ask me by herself.
There are a lot young people trying to get fit in China, but they are doing it all wrong. Ridiculous myth is everywhere, and there is much more myth in Mandarin society.
I hope you book could help more here. You wrote in the link that bodyweight is not effective in some cases. If I dont want to be Arnold, and dont want to become HUGE – is it good for me?
You made a bodyweight workout of 6 days of work, built from the regular stuff (push ups, sit ups, pull ups etc.) and it requires additional equipment to be effective (weight suit, pull up bar.). Workouts like insanity max 30, spartacus, anarchy use just bodyweight/ one set of dumbbells, and promise results in a few week (4-8) Are there workouts similar? Do you think all those programs are true or scam? And – will the book helpful for my goals? Thanks a lot! I bought the book and it’s great and focused on target!!!,but i have a question – – Can I do all the 4 types of works with weighted suit/backpack with something heavy/something which is cheaper and requires less place (homemade maybe)? I know that squat I can do with weighted vest, but the bench press/military press / dead lifts – are there variation of pushups or something to get the same result?
– can you recommend on indoor cardio? – what do you think on resistance bands as a replacement to weights? Michael, ready to get going.
Should I start with just BLS? What else should I buy? I just started working out again (first time in 15 years) just over 3 months ago. Cardiovascular only at first.
Started lifting about 6 weeks ago. Have gone from 242 down to 208 and had great strength gains every time I work out which is 5 or 6 days a week. My diet has been strictly based of your articles. Ready to follow you to the letter. Tell me exactly what I need. First picture is from May 7th. The second picture is earlier this week.
Hi Michael, I have a couple of small questions regarding the ‘3 working sets’ (4-6 reps). Firstly, on set 1, I have a weight that on the 6th rep I fail – should I ensure that the final rep is failure (i.e. I cannot get the weight back to the starting position – I work in a rack alone so just let the wait come to rest on the pins). Is that correct, should I ‘fail’ on the last rep or stop one rep before I think I’m going to fail? Secondly, after the first working set, I find on the second working set I can only do about 4 reps, and on the third can only do about 2. Is that right, or should I lower the weight progressively on the ‘working sets’ so that I can still do 6 reps max on each of the sets – or am I already doing this correctly?
Thank you and best wishes J •. Mike, I’ve read your book and started your workout earlier in the summer. Things were going great for the first few weeks and then I messed up my back.
About nine years ago I had surgery for a herniated disc. For the most part my back is fine but after a few weeks of doing the workout it started killing me so I started icing and resting it, which usually does the trick.
This time it didn’t so I went to the doctors and he gave me steroids to reduce the inflammation. So now my back is felling good but I’m a little worried about starting the workout again.
I’m thinking the squats and deadlifts are what did it. Can you suggest a workout routine that would be a little more back friendly?
I have a bench, free weights, and a bow flex extreme in my garage. I have three kids so I don’t have time or the cash to join a gym. It’s easier for me to work out at home while the kids are doing their homework. Any help you could give would be appreciated.
Thanks, Gary •. Howdy, I’ve been following your BLS program for about 2 months now, strength progress is going well, I’m putting on around 400 grams per week which is in-line with what I would expect however my measurements seem to be increasing around 1cm per week / fortnight around my stomach, other measurements are much less however slowly increasing. I’d say I’m following your diet fairly closely too, approximately 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fats. Should I be concerned about the bulk belly? Or just continue as planned and assume it will come off when I start my first cut? In the past before starting your program I’ve always limited my carbs, carbs seem to go straight to my belly / love handles so I’ve always tried to limit them.
I was thinking of buying the book but I had a few questions for you. There are two things that keep me from making the progress I’d like (been lifting for years). One is recent and one has always been with me. Before I buy the book, I wanted to get your thoughts. 1) I have two herniated discs and I cannot do any exercises with weight on my shoulders (i.e. Squats) or exercises where I bend at the waist (i.e.
Deadlifts, bent over rows etc). 2) I simply cannot eat veggies. Corn, potatoes and occasionally peas are as far as I can go.
I’ve found no matter what diet macro profile I go for, I end up going off it because I get too hungry which the only solution I can see is eating more veggies which I cannot do. Is this something your program or knowledgebase can successfully address?
Hi Matt, I bought your book and I like it – I’d consider myself an advanced lifter, having already gained 40 pounds of muscle And I’ve been working out 3 or 4 days a week for some time now So I decided to try and take it up a notch by following your 5-day workout plan, but after 2 weeks of following the workout, I now feel like I’m unable to make it to the 4th and 5th workouts. For the first two weeks, I made it through, but now in the 3rd, 4th, 5th weeks and beyond, I’ve never been able to make it all 5 days because by the end of the week I just feel overtrained, tired, sore, etc. So I end up skipping the upper body day and leg day is this normal when first starting out on the 5-day program to feel this burnt out?
I’ve even increased my calories to compensate for the extra lifting. Hi Mike, I recently ordered BLS, and Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger. I’m beyond excited to read both and see more results. I’m an experienced lifter; however, lately I’ve slacked off in the gym just a little. I started working in a mill, and I average about 10-12 hours of work 5 days a week. I’m constantly shoveling, raking, walking, climbing, pushing, pulling, etc. All 10-12 hours, with the exception of 40 minutes total break time.
By the end of the day I’m exhausted. I started this job weighing 171, now I’m down to 160-165.
I’m trying to gain weight and ultimate have the same build as you. What can I do to better myself and also attain energy to go to the gym and lift powerfully? Thank you, Tobias •. Thanks for picking up my books, and I’m glad you’re excited!
I understand your issue with the amount you got going on. You may be better off with a 3-day BLS split due to how active you are. I don’t want you to be overtrained. Check this out: It’ll also be important to make sure you use the correct activity multiplier when calculating your intake because you’ll need to eat a lot more to keep up with your activity level.
It’ll also, of course, improve performance in the gym. Take a look at this: Hope these help. LMK how it goes. Hey Mike, I just bought your book and I’m enjoying it! I’m getting some conflicting advice about caloric intake however.
In one of your articles, you suggest eating at 20-25% deficit of TDEE. In your book, however, you provide a formula for macros to eat while on a cut. You also mention that you want to reduce your cut calories until you’re at your BMR but not lower. Which is the best way to go? 20-25% deficit or the calculation in the book?
Also, when I use the book calculation I arrive at 1696 calories on a cut. When I use the Katch-Mcardle calculator on your site, assuming a 15% BF level and 4-6 hours of exercise as your program prescribes, I arrive at 2302 TDEE and 1705 BMR. 20% deficit of 2302 is 1842 and 25% deficit is 1727. What confuses me is that these numbers are not the same as the macro calculation found in the book and what worries me is the macro calculation is already at the BMR level (1700), so I’m thinking it’s too low to start.
Can you please advise about which method for calculating calories is best and if starting at BMR as the calorie goal is too low? Hi Mike, I guess what I’m wondering is if you’ve found the book formula to work best with people compared to other calculations you write about in articles (and if it’s the book method that accounts for everyone’s success on your program). For example, if I want to increase my fat intake to 25% instead of 18-20% is that ok to do or will I get better results with the book method? And again, is it a concern that the book calculation gets me right at my BMR to begin with? You wrote in your article that you don’t like to hang around your BMR as your intake goal for too long.
Second thing – you say that you should weigh yourself and track if you’re losing weight at 0.5-2 lbs a week. But you also say that newbies may not lose any weight the first few weeks because of newbie gains. So how does one know if they are eating enough/too much?
Just visually? Thanks for your help so far. Hey Mike, thanks for the info. I just re-read your comments here and I realized you contradicted yourself. At first you said the book calculation should put me at 25% of cals for fat, then in another comment you said the formula in the book usually has fat around 18-20% of cals for fat and that I can raise it to 25% if I want but then I have to reduce carbs. So which number is better, 20% or 25%?
Or is the percentage irrelevant and I should just multiply my weight by 0.2 to find the grams of fat? I know I’m being annoying with all of these questions but I just want to make sure I’m doing the best thing I can, since I’ve tried so many things before and don’t want to screw up this time also. Also, you seem to be ignoring the question about the calculation putting me at my BMR. Is that a concern to start off at that caloric intake and stay there for the duration of the cutting program as opposed to starting higher and working my way down to my BMR? I really appreciate all of your help!! Hi Mike, I have a question, I have the book and probably I am doing something wrong but the math doesn’t make sense.
You said that it will take from 60 to 75 minutes in the gym with this routine, I am struggling on meeting that target even 90 minutes are not enough sometimes. For instance, I am following the 5 day routine described in the book but if you consider that for the 5th day you need to do shoulders, legs and calves the suggested routine has 7 different types of exercises per 3 sets there are a total of 21 sets if it is needed to rest an average of 3 minutes between sets I an resting a total of 63 minutes in the gym. So 12 minutes for working out and setting up the equipment is not realistic. Hopefully you can let me know what I am doing wrong. Hey Mike, another question, this time about progression.
If I get to 4 or 5 reps on the first set, and then 3 on the second set, do I drop weight for the third set or keep it as is? What if I get to 5, 4, 3 reps respectively for the 3 sets, do I keep the weight the same the next workout or drop weight because I ended with less than 4 reps? In other words, do you only drop weight if you get to 6 one set but then get below 4 on the next set with the additional weight or do you drop weight any time you get below 4 reps?
I hope that makes sense:). Thanks again for your help! Hey Mike, I am a younger guy, (high school Jr.) and just getting into entry level weight lifting.
(I know nothing 🙂 I am looking to building muscle for sports and to stand out at the beach. I am really interested in your book and would like to purchase it as soon as I am able, I did have a few questions however.
During the spring and summer I have a pretty solid baseball schedule. (25 games in the spring and 40 over the summer) And was wondering how I could fit this in without being drained for my games. I tried working out steadily this past summer and disliked being constantly sore/tired while playing. I also have limited access to equipment (A bodyfit home gym system is all I can get to as of now) Any help would be appreciated! Hi Micheal, I am in my lon journey to get a leaner and muscular body after losing 70 lbs in the last year and a half through workouts. I wanted to up my game and I stumbled into your book.
I felt on myself the increase of strength when reps are on the lower side compared on the 9/12 range. I purchased the audible but I do not hae any pdf attached in order to get the schemes of the workouts. Where can I get em?
Thanks and keep up the amazing job! (PS as much as I like your videos they are way too long XD) •. Hi Mike, I’m just about to finish Phase I of BLS. I’ve been doing the cutting diet too, and it’s working great. But recently there seems to be a problem. I built a spreadsheet to track amy body fat percent and daily weight changes, and to automatically update my, LBM and BMR.
In this way, as my body weight and body fat drop each week, my daily goals for calories, fat grams, etc. Are updated automatically. The spreadsheet also warns me if my daily calorie goal drops below my BMR.
I figured that would never happen, but it did within the last 10 days or so. I wasn’t sure what to do so I just stuck to my numbers. The last couple of days I’ve started experiencing tiredness and cravings, which I had not previously. I can only assume it’s because my calories are starting to drop below my BMR. How is this even happening? I’m 172 pounds and 13.8% body fat. My calculated BMR is 1,826 calories, but my calculated daily calorie goal is only 1,823 calories.
Did I miss something? Hi Mike I’ve read your book and been following the program for a little (with a few modifications!) for a little while now and made some good strength gains. I’d like to know wow important is rep timing in building muscle mass? For example you recommend a 2-1-2 timing however this can be difficult with a large amount of weight. If I reduced my poundage to be able to accomplish this timing and therefore make my reps/sets last longer would this improve the amount of lean muscle mass I can add? Thanks Craig •. I get what you’re trying to do!
I’d still recommend my book for women, TLS: It’ll lay out everything you need to know about training and dieting to build muscle and lose fat effectively. Most ladies focus on getting toned, but if your goal is more muscle and size, the book will give you the tools to do that.
🙂 Thanks for picking up TSC! No need to stay away from them (assuming you do fine with carbs) and you can go high-carb just fine. How many carbs you get depends on your weight, BF% and activity level. You can calculate it here: Hope this helps! I’m Following bigger leaner stronger program, but with 3-4 min breaks, 5 exercises, warm ups, adding and taking off weights, I cant seem to get my sessions below 1 hour? Am i doing something wrong?
Also in the book you provide a cutting plan for 220lbs male, but the target totals don’t match the calculation (bottom of page 118) you give in the book. For example 220lbs x1.2 grams of protein = 264, but cutting plan target is 207.7? Have i missed something out here? Sorry for the long question, I just want to get it correct.
I love the book! I’m doing a “mini-update” to the program to bring down the volume a little so you can complete in 60 minutes. Here’s a “sneak peek”: DAY 1 CHEST & ABS Incline Barbell Bench Press – Warm-up sets and then 3 working sets Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 working sets Flat Barbell Bench Press – 3 working sets Face Pull – 3 working sets of 8 to 10 reps per set with 1 to 2 minutes of rest in between these lighter sets 3 ab circuits The face pull isn’t an exercise you see many people doing but it’s one of my favorites for strengthening the rotator cuff muscles, which are heavily involved in pressing. DAY 2 BACK & CALVES Barbell Deadlift – Warm-up sets and then 3 working sets Barbell Row – 3 working sets Wide-Grip Pull-Up or Chin-Up – 3 working sets (weighted if possible) Optional: Close-Grip Lat Pulldown – 3 working sets Optional: Barbell Shrugs – 2 working sets Calf Workout A If you have lower-back issues, remember that you can swap the deadlift for a more lower-back-friendly variation like the sumo or hex deadlift, or you can drop it altogether and choose another “approved” exercise like the T-bar row. Hey Mike, I bought an older edition of your book, which has a workout plan at chapter 21 with day 1: chest and abs, day 2: back and calves, etc.
I was really impressed with the book and then discovered there’s a newer edition, so I bought that as well, but that has a very different starting workout plan, which appears much more intense and mixes things up quite a lot. I see you gave a “sneak peak” of a further workout plan below in the comments too. Which do you recommend I follow? I’m concerned if I just follow your older one I won’t be making much progress as it seems quite short (shoulders day is just 4 exercises, legs day just 3, only one calf workout a week, etc).
But maybe if it’s very intense using very heavy weights (for me) it would still be effective? Many thanks for your help! Hi Mike I am emailing you out of frustration with many programs I have tried and I have not made the gains I wanted. I made some noticeable gains the first 2 years of lifting, but the last 2 years, I have not noticed any changes – despite the fact that i have been exhausted doing each and every one of these workouts.
I have gone very heavy, heavier than some of my friends, who look a lot better than me – and now I don’t know what to think. I am interested in your book, but I guess I am looking for assurance that this is the right approach to take? Are you confident that if I follow your program properly I will be able to make SIGNIFICANT gains (in a reasonable amount of time?) What makes your programs different to any other – there aren’t really any magical rep schemes or sets or anything. I realise you cannot summarise your entire book below, I just don’t wish to waste any more time Thank you so much for considering my question •.
Mike, been doing you workout and meal for about 12 weeks. I have made great strength gains and lots of people telling me how much bigger I look, the only thing is is I have been eating on a cut based calorie and I have been gaining weight and put on some body fat.
I’m up to about 15% BF and wondering what direction to take on my diet to cut my body fat without losing much of the muscle gains I have made. I would recommend the workout to everyone. I have made great strength gains with about half of the time and reps I use to do. Hi Mike, I have been doing beachbody. Com work outs and got awesome results for the past 2 years.
I became disciplined and self motivated. I have a small gym at home with dumbells, bench press, pull up bar. I decided in 2016 to explore and read and educate my self instead of watching dvd homework out videos. Recently, I bought your book and loved the first couple of chapters. My question is, if I followed your book to the t, however used my home gym, will I be able to progress further more. Regarding weights, I can purchase more weights the more I progress,but limited equipment. I want to note that I don’t have time at all to go to a local gym and, my progress over the last 3 years match people with 5 or more years in our local gyms.
I crave for more. And hope by the end of your book I will have a better mind set and bigger zone. Awesome to hear you got results on the BeachBody program. Thanks for picking up my book, and I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it so far.
🙂 Working out without a barbell and rack is a bit tough because you can’t squat, deadlift, bench press, or military press (and these are the most important exercises in any program, really). My first standard recommendation is to get a proper home setup (a power cage or multi-press rack with an Olympic bar and plates). Here are the products I like: That said, if it isn’t possible, you can focus on the dumbbell exercises given in the “approved exercises” section of the book. You can also add a couple exercises to make your legs day more challenging: Goblet squats are decent, albeit limited. One-legged squats are challenging even without weight. For your back, I recommend doing a lot of dumbbell rows and weighted wide-grip pull-ups.
You also have the option of working in some modified body weight exercises, as discussed here: Hope this helps! Awesome on your progress. You must have great genetics. LMK what you think of the book when you finish it! Hey Mike – I downloaded your book and am making it my 2016 program.
I’m really excited. I’ve been building a pretty complete gym in my barn and am a bit limited on some of your 5 day program workouts.
I got an incline bench on order so i can focus on inclines instead of flat bench and I’m adding some dumbells. One problem I’m really going to have is with calf work I think. It’s one of your few recommendations that involve machines. I’m doing the barbell raises and I’m trying the seated variation. Any options you’d suggest here? Another unanticipated problem seems to be the weight I have to load onto the bar to tax even my skinny calves 🙂 Calves are strong suckers relatively speaking.
I’ve up to 225 on the bar and can easily crank 6 reps afraid I’m going to run out of plates? On machines at the gym you can add incredible weight of course? Thanks for any advice you can provide •. Glad to hear it! If you’re able to pick up a squat rack or stand and something for you to do pull-ups on, you’d have pretty much everything you need for the program.
Could you pick those things up? If not, we’ll have to make some adjustments. For legs, you can do goblet squats and one-legged squats. For your back, you can do the deadlift as usual and then barbell row and one-arm dumbbell rows. For shoulders, you can do standing dumbbell press and the rest of the shoulder routine like normal.
Other than those, you can work in some body weight exercises as needed: Thoughts? Michael I read the book and am very exited to get started. I’ve not been doing many barbell squats or dead lifts in my workout. About a month ago I pulled a muscle in my lower back.
Although It almost back to 100 percent I still feel a little soreness in that area. I tried to do a few squats at a lighter weight of 95 pounds today. If felt as if maybe I could injure this area again if I push too much. Should I just continue squats at a lower weight until I feel completely comfortable or is there another lift you would recommend until I can feel 100 percent comfortable. Maybe squats on a smith machine?
Really eager to get started but concerned in the short term. Hi Mike – I’ll spare you the long story, but I recently purchased your book and just before I finished planning out my schedule, I had a very serious accident that virtually destroyed my shoulder. Broken Humerus in multiple locations as well as a broken bone at the lateral head of the tricep. I am scheduled for surgery in a little less than a week – but I will be out of commission for a while. I’m concerned about gaining weight during my recovery.
Can I implement your cutting diet plan to help drop fat until I can return to the gym? Mike, I just finished reading BLS and wanted to let you know that I thought I was great! I am about to start the one year challenge, my goal to do the 5-Day plan. I already know that my challenge will be with the diet and nutrition: I usually don’t eat enough or don’t eat enough of the right things. Aside from that, I want to thank you for what you do through your books, responding to individual comments/emails, and working to help people achieve their goals!
Those are all things that make you a person that myself and others like to trust. Hi Mike, my girlfriend and I have been doing the 5 day BLS workout for about 5 weeks now.
Before this we were doing a heavy, 6-8 rep workout for 8 weeks. We’ve both seen really great muscle and strength gains but in the last couple weeks we’ve really plateaud and have went backwards by 5-10 lbs on multiple exercises.
We’re both in a calorie surplus with good macronutrient intakes and working on getting more sleep. Hp Laserjet 2100 Driver Windows Vista there. We’re both naturally thin and are bulking now.
Not doing much cardio currently. Our last week off was 5 weeks ago before our workout switch. Do you think we stick it out and take a rest at the 8 week mark again? Any other thoughts? She read TLS and I read BLS and you did an amazing job. Thank you very much.
Hi Mike, I’ve finished reading your book and I think it is a terrific piece of work. However, I am a but stumped about why you specifically advocate for a 4-6 rep range when the evidence you provided doesn’t explicitly say this is the best to use for hypertrophy. I haven’t gone to the studies themselves as I don’t have access to journal subscriptions at my workplace, but the evidence as far as I see, says that weights between 70-85% of 1RM produce the greatest hypertrophy. However 70-85% of 1RM encompasses the rep range between 12-5 (and not even 4) according to numerous books I have read on strength training. The 4-6 rep range is actually 88-83% of 1RM. So why is 10 reps so bad, why is 4-6 better than 8? The second bit of evdience is about the total number of reps which doesnt say anything about 4-6 in it.
The other evidence you provided specifically says 5-6 was best for strength – strength is not equivalent to hypertrophy, but I am not an exercise physiologist, so I don’t know if there is a direct 1:1 correlation between these two variables. The summary you provided about Ohio university is not fully correct. I haven’t read the full article, but the abstract specifically says “All three major fiber types (types I, IIA, and IIB) hypertrophied for the Low Rep (3-5) and Int (9-11) Rep groups, whereas no significant increases were demonstrated for either the High Rep or Con groups” “Although all three training regimens resulted in similar fiber-type transformations (IIB to IIA), the low to intermediate repetition resistance-training programs induced a greater hypertrophic effect compared to the high repetition regimen.” In other words the hypertrophy is equivalent in the low and intermediate groups. They concluded “Thus, low and intermediate RM training appears to induce similar muscular adaptations”. Again the only advantage the 3-5 group had was more strength. In light of this I am not convinced that 4-6 is the ONLY rep range that is suited to muscle growth – it seems to me, that it would be best to periodise (even in the same week) the reps to take advantage of each benefit, without severely taxing the body as 4-6 is very heavy and injuries are a lot easier. Is there any definitive evidence that 4-6 is in fact the best.
I don’t mean to be difficult, but I have wasted a lot of time with deceptive books and advice and 4-6 is only half the story and not the be-all and end-all so it seems. Thank you for answering all my previous questions Steve •.
Hey Mike, I am currently reading your book “Bigger, Leaner, Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body” and I have hit a wall. On page 10, chapter 2, you state that saturated fats do not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. After reading so, I began to do more research but found myself baffled at how ambiguous this topic is. I was reading several articles that about this ongoing debate but couldn’t get an official answer. Could you elaborate on how it doesn’t increase cardiovascular disease?
I would just like to know more. Hey Mike.I am 190 cm tall,maybe a bit taller,and I have 98 kg Could I ask you some questions?But first of all I must say that i didn’t buy the book,but I’ve seen a bit of your site. First of all,I really lack strenght.I can’t even do a single pushup,or pullups someone takes something from me I can’t pull it back.Could you suggest some basic exercises that will help me develop the strenght necesarry to do them?(Or your workout either from your site,or your book).Also I’m not that flexible. And also,I have scoliosis,so I can’t do deadlifts,squats,and the alike.Could you suggest some exercises(the names) that will work the muscles targeted by the deadlifts,squads,and the alike?
I’m sorry if I asked you too much,and thank you in advance for helping and listening me 🙂 •. Hi Mike, I have 3 questions for you, One of them is About intermittent fasting, Does it work for fat lose and muscle growth? I replied to your earlier post. Check it out. Yep, weightlifting will definitely help improve those things. Yeah, you should. You may not be ready for the training yet, but you still want to be dieting properly and the book will lay out everything you need to know about the diet.
Then, once you are ready to follow the routine in the book, you’ll have already read it! For any other questions, please shoot me an email. It’s a bit tough to track the conversation in the comments! Hello Mike.I saw on your site that you suggest to do 3 sets with the 6 rep range,or in case of the bodyweight,do 2 sets.Also I would like to note that I didn’t buy the book yet.So my questions are: 1.You suggest in your book to do 3 sets or as I saw you saying in other places,8-9 sets? 2.Are the 3 sets for beginners,or just to see if we like it? 3.Taking these things in consideration,how many sets should I do if I’m weak,in order get results and to advance in sets?(Practically,getting power,strenght,and maybe a bit muscle size.)I can do little sets with 8 kg weights. And thanks in advance for answering these questions.
It’s 3 sets per exercise. I recommend doing 3-4 exercises per workout which comes out to 9-12 sets per workout.
4-6 reps each set unless otherwise stated. Beginners would do same as above. You’d do the same amount of sets as I stated above.
You’d just work with less weight. If you plan on doing a bodyweight routine, check this out: 5. For a bodyweight routine, you can put one together using the bodyweight article above. For a routine with weights, you should follow one of the ones I lay out in the book. Or you can put together your own workout routine here: My pleasure. Hope this helps!
I think these questions might be the last for now.I have some questions about the diet 1.How can I measure my body fat percentage without instruments?I saw on your forums that you suggest to track your body fat percentage for the TDEE.I cannot buy things,and I saw that you also suggest to look at the photos,but I think I’m not that fat for my height 1.92 meters and 97 kilograms,but I have more bellyfat,so I don’t know what my body fat percentage is.Should I ask my family to compare me to the photos?Would that be effective? Hi Michael, I purchased the Kindle version from Amazon UK Kindle Store but I did not get the 199-page free special report as you highlighted on this website. Can you show me how to get the free special report? SPECIAL BONUS REPORT FOR READERS With this book you’ll also get a free 119-page bonus report from me called The Year One Challenge for Men.
In this bonus report, you’ll not only find an entire year’s worth of workouts for the program but you’ll also find my personal product and supplement recommendations and recipes from my bestselling cookbooks! After all the scoliosis isn’t that bad,but I will do the replacements that you suggested to the other guy from this site.But I have questions of my own. How does the hyperextension fit in your ”progresive overload”?I can’t afford things like vests or something,so I should only increase the reps and do the rest of the exercises?(because I can,exepct of deadlift and maybe barbell row and also because I llke this exercise) And also,is the barbell row good?Or what alternative could I do? And now I think this will be actually the last question/questions for the moment.I’m asking so much questions because I want to be prepared to be able to do what is in the book,so sorry If I’m annoying. 6.I think that I’ll look ridiculous if I do the cable crunch,is it really that good?Aren’t there alternatives? 7.I really can’t do the ab circuit that easy.I pretty much can’t do captain’s chair leg raise and hanging leg raise and also we don’t have the wheel in our gyms.So my question:What am I supposed to do?Should I try to advance with seconds everyday with the unweighted ab exercises? 8.Or maybe,can you suggest me some regressions,in order to advance?
You’d count the hours you’re going to be spending of activity for the week (weightlifting and cardio included) and select the correct activity multiplier for it to determine your intake. A lot of calculators over-estimate what your cal intake should be. We just use the calculator to give us idea of where your intake should be. From there we adjust intake based off results. When cutting the goal is to lose 1-2 pounds a week. When bulking the goal is to gain 1/2-1 pound a week. Just start with the numbers you get from mine and adjust intake based off results.
LMK how it goes!
A milestone in the field of composition, Writing about Writing continues to be the only textbook to provide an approach that makes writing studies the center of the introductory writing course. Based on Wardle and Downs’s research and organized around major threshold concepts of writing, this groundbreaking book empowers students in all majors by showing them how to draw on what they know and engage with ongoing conversations about writing and literacy.
The accessible writing studies research in Writing about Writing includes foundational research by scholars such as Nancy Sommers and Donald Murray, popular commentary on writing by authors such as Malcolm X and Anne Lamott, and emerging research from both scholars and student writers. Accessible explanations, scaffolded activities, and thoughtful questions help students connect to the readings and transfer their writing-related skills from first-year composition to writing situations in other college courses, work, and their everyday lives. The third edition makes studying writing even more accessible and teachable, with a new overview of rhetoric, a stronger focus on key threshold concepts, scaffolded reading guidance for challenging selections, and a new section in the instructor's manual with responses to frequently asked questions. The conversation on writing about writing continues on the authors' blog, Write On: Notes on Writing about Writing (a channel on Bedford Bits, the Bedford/St. Martin's blog for teachers of writing).
Go to community.macmillan.com. Elizabeth Wardle is Professor and Director of the Roger and Joyce Howe Center for Writing Excellence at Miami University (OH). She was Chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Central Florida (UCF), and Director of Writing Programs at UCF and University of Dayton. These experiences fed her interest in how students learn and repurpose what they know in new settings. With Linda Adler-Kassner, she is co-editor of Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies, winner of the WPA Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline (2016). Doug Downs is an associate professor of rhetoric and composition in the Department of English at Montana State University.
His research interests center on research-writing pedagogy both in first-year composition and across the undergraduate curriculum. He continues to work extensively with Elizabeth Wardle on writing-about-writing pedagogies and is currently studying problems of researcher authority in undergraduate research in the humanities.