Lean Mass: Edition 1 Ebook [PDF]

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Lean Mass Edition Ebook

Neil Hill’s

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LEAN MASS EDITIOn 1 Ebook

Lean Mass Edition Ebook

CONTENTS

Y3T MASS EDITION 1

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Key Fundamentals Of Building Muscle

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using y3t TRAINING for muscle mass

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Y3T Training Program

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Nutrition For Mass

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Learning How To Manipulate Food For Muscle Mass

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Your Nutrition Plan For Mass

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Supplementation For Mass

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Assessing Muscle Growth

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Y3T Mass Edition 1 The Y3T Mass Edition 1 eBook is my first ever book dedicated specifically to maximizing muscle growth. Throughout this book you’re going to learn exactly how I’ve helped some of the best athletes in the world grow further towards their genetic potential by packing on significant amounts of lean muscle mass. This book is also going to be very educational for you as I explain the key fundamentals to building muscle and what pitfalls to avoid. All you have to do is absorb this information and then apply it. One of the key frustrations for me as an educator and coach is seeing people fail to apply information that they learn. Please let me emphasize the importance of applying all of the information in this book. Reading it alone isn’t good enough!

YOU WILL GET A: FULL 12 week Y3T training programme specifically for optimising muscle mass MY FULL 12 week nutrition programme for optimal muscle growth FULL 12 week supplementation protocol to enhance your rate of muscle growth There is nothing which I haven’t covered in this book, covering factors including hormonal performance, nutrient manipulation and individualizing this information to personal circumstances.

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Key Fundamentals Of Building Muscle... My mantra has always been by educating somebody on the value of something they should appreciate the importance of it more. This is why I’ve written this section for you to learn about how you build muscle and why this 12 week guide has been set out in the way that it has. There are always valuable reasons as to why I prescribe certain protocols to maximise muscle growth. Please take the time to absorb the information given so you can benefit it from it fully! Here are 16 fundamental muscle building points I need you to understand. 1) Stimulate ALL Fiber Types Many physiques appear to have weak muscle groups whilst lacking fullness and thickness in certain areas, only to find they drastically improve once ALL muscle fiber types are stimulated correctly. The reality is muscle hypertrophy is nearly always optimized by using a wider spectrum of rep ranges. Generally, people limit their progress by sticking to the more usual 6-12 rep ranges. There are multiple reasons why using low, moderate and high rep ranges as part of a periodized training program can help maximise muscle growth. A) Within any given muscle group you will have a mixture of type 1 slow twitch muscle fibers along with type 2a and type 2b fast twitch muscle fibers. The ratio will be determined by the specific muscle group as well as your own personal DNA. Genetics do play a key role in the variety of fiber types you have and what sort of quantities. Each fiber type becomes “hyper responsive” within different training environments. For instance, slow twitch fibers will be more easily stimulated when doing moderate and high rep training. Fast twitch muscle fibers on the other hand will become more excited in lower and even moderate rep ranges. This is why by using a broad spectrum of rep ranges you’re able to maximise muscle growth, because you’re stimulating a bigger percentage of your overall muscle mass! For instance, if you find your deltoids have always been weak and you’ve never really trained above 15 reps, by going into 20, 30 or even 40 rep ranges they could suddenly

blow up! Why? Simply because that muscle group might predominately contain slow twitch fibers. The potential has always been there, you’ve just never targeted it correctly. It’s key to understand that there is cross-over between muscle fiber stimulation during training, partially because of the interaction taking place with energy systems and thresholds where fatigue sets in, along with recovery times. All muscle fiber types are different and therefore have their own unique attributes. By using a global approach to training with the correct application, you’re able to hit all muscle fiber types and ultimately avoid missing out on opportunities for growth. Yes, some rep ranges are going to be far more responsive for you personally than others. However, including rep ranges which hit all thresholds will still be beneficial. Remember, some people might have a 50:50 split of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers within a muscle, some may have 25:75 and others will be different again. My point is, by training in every threshold you’re now forcing hypertrophy to occur at every opportunity available to you. B) Take into account as well that there are two unique forms of hypertrophy: 1) Myofibrillar and 2) Sarcoplasmic. In order to appear as full as possible, adding dense muscle you must stimulate both forms. To achieve this properly you need to train with varied rep ranges. Myofibrillar hypertrophy is “functional” because as this process occurs there’s also an increase in contractile force within the muscle. Ultimately this means that focusing on this form of hypertrophy helps build strength as well as muscle, helping you sustain “progressive overload.” Myofibrillar hypertrophy is achieved within lower rep ranges. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy occurs much more in moderate and even higher rep ranges and it’s “non-functional” because it doesn’t equate to an increase in contractile force within the muscle. The reality is both forms of hypertrophy have cross-over during workouts, when you’re training within different thresholds. Myofibrillar hypertrophy usually appears more dense which is why power lifters don’t necessarily look as big but their muscle texture is very hard. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is more common among bodybuilders. Combining both forms together is definitely better for maximized muscle growth. C) By default, training all fiber types means that your weight selection will vary a lot over your 3 week Y3T training cycle. As the rep ranges increase in Week 2 and then peak in Week 3 your weight will obviously decrease because of the

Lean Mass Edition Ebook fatigue your muscles will experience. This means that whilst the target muscles are being broken down to stimulate hypertrophy in completely new thresholds you’ve potentially never faced before, the actual force required is less than usual. As a result your joints and connective tissues are faced with far less stress. When people aim to build mass they tend to go very heavy all of the time, which puts a lot of stress on the joints. Usually this is when they tend to become strained if not injured. Rotating rep ranges doesn’t just have a preferential effect on the way hypertrophy occurs, it also allows the joints to recover ready for Week 1 where your muscles are exposed to the heaviest poundages throughout the program. Instead, you’re only having to lift weight closest to your maximal strength levels once every three weeks, rather than weekly. Yes, you’re going as heavy as you possibly can during Week 2 and Week 3 for the stated rep ranges - however, that will naturally still be lighter than if you were in single digit rep ranges all of the time! D) One key fundamental I’ve always focused on during my own competitive bodybuilding career as well as with clients is staying conditioned, even during the off season where the focus is on gaining size. I’ll explain exactly why later on in this book, but for now I want to explain specifically why using a broader spectrum of rep ranges helps achieve this. Once you experience Y3T exactly as its meant to be done you’ll find that not only do your muscles appear fuller and grow quicker, you also appear more conditioned and become aerobically fitter. This is largely down to the Week 2 and Week 3 workouts which cause your cardiovascular system to work very hard. The byproduct of this is improved fat mobilization! E) Blood volumization is a key part of building fullness within a muscle. With the specific rep tempo prescription there is increased muscle recruitment which instantly drives more blood into the target area. During Week 2 and Week 3 the increase in rep ranges forces a lot more blood into the muscle compared to conventional hypertrophy training. This can help bring more nutrients into the muscle and stretch the fascia, which in some instances can be a limiting factor where muscle growth is concerned. 2) Focus On Overload Progressive overload is often overlooked and misunderstood. Many people totally forget about this fundamental muscle building mechanism which facilitates continued growth. Those who do claim to focus on progressive overload usually misinterpret what it means and more importantly, how they’re supposed to apply it to grow! For the sake of using Y3T correctly and getting the most from the principle of progressive overload, here is my definition: Progressive overload describes the process which continues to make a muscle work harder by exerting more force on to it, over a period of time. The progress isn’t always linear and can be throughout multiple different pathways. Sometimes you will lift more weight for the same amount of reps, other times you will lift the same weight for more reps. The important thing is that over a relatively short period of 16 weeks when aiming to build muscle you achieve progressive

5 overload. Progressive overload can and should be achieved in multiple different rep ranges, not just in the lower, heavier sets you find in Week 1. For instance if you achieve 30 reps with X weight on the leg press in Week 3, you need to achieve more in the next three week cycle to achieve overload. It’s very important that you keep the environment relative as well. This means rep tempo and rest periods are sustained respectively, so that when you do achieve more weight or reps it’s done under the same conditions. This is crucial to forcing the muscle into a position where it’s been exposed to true overload. Some exercises are more important than others in relation to progressive overload. For instance, on triceps it’s far more important to build your numbers on compound exercises like pushdowns and dips rather than something more isolated such as tricep kickbacks. Some exercises don’t lend themselves to continuously becoming more loaded, they serve a very different purpose. One of the most important things when forcing or creating a positive muscle building program is making sure you perform the exercises correctly. This is KEY, far too many people lift with ego and engage other muscle groups or joints into play. Ultimately this limits your ability to achieve progressive overload, let alone at a maximal level. 3) Avoid Plateaus You’re on this program because you want to build muscle and you’ve probably hit a plateau, if not now at some point during your training life. The reality is progress isn’t going to be linear, however most people do hit plateaus far too easily because of bad programming. Provided your diet, rest and supplementation are all in place programming should be done in a way which allows you to achieve “super compensation” on a frequent basis, by manipulating training volume and intensity. The central nervous system (CNS) is a very key part in all of this. This is the network in which muscle fibers are recruited, as you illicit stress onto a muscle the brain sends signals through the CNS to recruit X amount of muscle fibers to move the weight. Dependent on that stress, the CNS deploys a proportionate amount of force from the muscle. The issue is this process is taxing for the body and CNS, if it has to keep repeating this in large volumes without enough recovery time performance will suffer. As such there is no scope for progressive overload which makes the chances of building more muscle slim. So how does programming fix all of this? With Y3T, as your rep ranges increase over the three week training cycle your number of working sets decreases. Two things are happening because of that: 1) Overall training volume reduces 2) Training intensity increases

Due to these two variables operating alongside one another this allows for acute muscle trauma to occur, where the muscle is heavily stimulated and forced into a positive state of growth without you experiencing excess CNS fatigue.

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What you will find is as you come back to Week 1, starting the next three week training cycle you “super compensate” and are able to perform better, achieving more impressive numbers. Ultimately, this ties in perfectly with the other growth factors I’ve already discussed up until now.

because you’ll encourage imbalances to develop by working the same muscles in the same capacity. As weaker muscles become further distanced from developing muscles this is where a lot of injuries occur, due to pressure around joints in particular.

4) Manipulate Different Angles For Maximal Growth Along with correct programming and using various hypertrophy tools you must apply training correctly. One of the things involved in doing this is leveraging various angles to break each muscle group down, strategically. To truly maximise muscular hypertrophy you need to understand that most muscles are able to operate through a multitude of planes of motion, some more preferable than others where hypertrophy is concerned.

It’s really important that your training considers everything, which includes focusing on building a strong body which is robust enough to train with intensity. Building muscle requires intense training and at some point the body will find this very hard to cope with, building a strong foundation will see you through.

For instance, if you look at training chest there are endless options when it comes to pressing. Even if you take incline dumbbell press, there are many variants within that to choose from. It’s very important that you realize overloading the muscle through different planes of motion can help maximise growth because you’re creating more opportunities to recruit a wider range of muscle fibers within the target muscle. This isn’t about “shocking” a muscle with lots of angles, it’s about hitting as many fibers within an area as possible. Some angles are going to be naturally better for you than others because of individual biomechanics. You’ll be able to achieve a fuller muscle contraction with a particular muscle using a specific angle over the other, usually leading to better growth as a result. Don’t be afraid to analyze which angles connect with your muscles better. Just because an angle doesn’t feel right doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t work for you though. This might be down to: A) Form B) Over compensation C) Using too much weight D) Not mentally connecting with the muscle/area you’re training. E.g. Poor mind muscle connection E) Muscular impingement, skeletal misalignment

Usually by reducing the weight, slowing down your rep tempo and really focusing on your form you can quickly improve the connection you have with an exercise. Once you learn how to recruit the muscle properly, then you can increase the weight through that specific range of motion. 5) Avoid One Dimensional Training This point nicely summarizes some of the previous points because by failing to implement enough variation in regard to: A) Rep ranges B) Training volume C) Intensity levels D) Angles E) Range of motion

It’s likely you’ll stagnate quickly where building muscle is concerned. It’s also more likely that by having a one dimensional approach to training you could face injuries

How many people do you know complain of excessive joint pain or injuries all of the time, when training to build muscle? Most people I’d say! The point is, if you can focus on eliminating these weaknesses with smarter training you will progress faster. In regard to the differences in the Y3T training cycle it’s also worth mentioning how this effects your training psychology. Being stimulated by change and a new short term goal is usually a productive thing where building muscle is concerned. You are more focused and therefore become more fixated on making each workout count. If you imagine you have 4-5 workouts in that specific week with a totally new criteria to maximise it creates urgency because you don’t have many opportunities! However, if you just think of a 16 week period you suddenly feel more relaxed which can lead to training complacency. Each workout really, really needs to count! 6) Learn To Squeeze The Muscle If you were to come to one of my hypertrophy workshops one of the first things I’d teach you is that in order to make the muscle grow to its absolute capacity, you must learn to make the muscle work as hard as possible through the entire range of motion. To do this, you must connect with the muscle as hard as you can without letting up. As the set progresses this creates an awful lot of discomfort and pain because of the intense connection, leading to more lactic acid taking place within the muscle. However, this is just a byproduct of training correctly for optimized hypertrophy. In time your muscles will become conditioned to training at this maximal capacity. This will also improve mental conditioning which is key to pushing beyond your limits, achieving maximal levels of performance. To make sure you’re aware of what I mean I want to give you a really simple example of squeezing the muscle. Once you’re able to: A) Understand how this works B) Have the mental capacity to implement it for every rep of every set you will grow a lot quicker!

Before the set even begins you must engage the muscle by tensing it. This initiates more of the muscle fibers within the area, leading to improved fiber recruitment. This ultimately is the goal to build more muscle, faster. You will find that by doing this you fatigue faster and you may even have to use less weight, but this will quickly change as you learn to train the muscle properly! Remember, gaining size is about stimulating the muscle between point A and B (as well as at

Lean Mass Edition Ebook those points) rather than simply moving a weight. During the concentric part of the rep you must continue to squeeze the muscle, forcing it to contract as hard as you can. As you reach the first isometric phase make sure you continue to squeeze, static contractions are an extremely effective way of building muscle through improved stimulation and fiber recruitment. Moving into the eccentric phase which is where your muscle is strongest, you must keep squeezing the muscle so it resists the weight because this encourages muscle fiber breakdown. Depending on the exercise, the second isometric point might be suitable to implement a pause/squeeze. You can see just by imagining this approach the difference in training intensity and therefore muscle recruitment. Over time, this equates to significant increases in muscle gain. If you find you cannot “feel” a muscle working enough to truly squeeze it, use a light weight and practice. Another way is to use no weight, simply going through the motion slowly without any resistance. For example, somebody who is well rehearsed in initiating muscle engagement, squeezing the muscle hard through the whole rep would be able to experience a significant contraction without any weight whilst doing bicep curls. This is because they’re already able to squeeze that muscle, they don’t require the weight to make the muscle “fire.” This is where you need to get to in order to optimize hypertrophy. 7) Never Under Eat The last six points have really emphasized the importance of building muscle through intelligent training. However, to facilitate the effects of your training you must provide your body with: A) Enough fuel (calories) B) The correct fuel (right source of calories in correct ratios) C) At the right time (timing of specific nutrients) D) Making sure your adequately hydrated with key minerals

If you do not do this, your muscle gains will be severely limited if not completely stumped because in order to build metabolically active tissue the body requires a surplus of energy to do so. It also needs to be from the right nutrients, at the right time. In my coaching career I’ve come across countless examples of people who are trying to build muscle, training every single day and using a lot of supplements only to find out their actual diet is very limited in terms of quality and amounts of food. Usually, starting at around a 10-15% calorie surplus is a good starting point for most people when looking to build muscle. As time goes on and you build more muscle tissue and your metabolism adapts to the calorie intake, your nutrients will usually need to increase. In terms of the right nutrient sources and getting the timings correct, I’ll discuss that specifically in the nutrition section of this book. For now I just need you to remember that no matter what your training looks like, without the right amount of fuel you are not going to build as much muscle as you could. Remember, training actually causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. Only when food initiates the recovery

7 process, then if there is enough, are you able to gain muscle. When I say fuel I’m not just referring to carbs and fats, in a general term, the emphasis is always on high quality nutrients. This goes for protein, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and hydration agents including adequate amounts of fluids. 8) Avoid Gaining Too Much Fat Sometimes people under eat when trying to build muscle, other times I see people over eating which can be just as bad for very different reasons! By gaining too much body fat you are actually making it more difficult to build muscle because of two very specific reasons: A) Insulin resistance becomes more problematic as you get too fat, effecting the way in which your body is able to utilize nutrients for recovery and growth. B) Aromatization can occur more freely because the aromatase enzyme is housed in fat cells, as you become fatter your body is more likely to convert testosterone into estrogen. Ultimately you lose some of your “anabolic potential!”

Gaining excess body fat is most likely going to affect your gut health, which can effect nutrient uptake. It might also effect aerobic fitness which can detract from intensity in the gym, again becoming a limiting factor where building muscle is concerned. Ultimately it doesn’t make sense to let your body fat become too high during a mass gaining phase because it isn’t quality weight and it will have to come off at some point further down the line! Staying relatively lean is always better for building muscle because you’re able to build more quality tissue, train harder and it’s also healthier. Do not fall into the trap of trying to gain weight at all costs by eating junk! Sometimes people will read about 300lb pro bodybuilders who eat junk food to get their calories up and copy them. The thing is, at that weight if you’re lean then calorie turnover is exponentially higher than the average trained individual! These athletes require so many calories a day just to maintain weight, let alone gain it and they’re usually lean which helps them absorb the energy better. You need to keep things in context and focus on what your body needs. There is no case study that clearly shows or display’s that it’s easier to gain lean muscle tissue at 14% body fat over someone that’s 8% body fat. The reality is there’s simply no reason to be excessively over weight, or thinking it’s better to be carrying more excess body fat than what’s needed on a lean muscle mass building phase. I’m not saying you need to be a certain body fat percentage; I’m simply saying not to get into the false mindset that by having a bigger number on the scales automatically correlates with having more muscle. 9) Fight Catabolism And Support Anabolism 24/7 You are either “catabolic” or “anabolic” at any given moment. There’s no in-between. As obvious as it might sound you need to try and fight against catabolism and facilitate anabolism as frequently as possible to gain new muscle mass.

Lean Mass Edition Ebook This boils down to numerous factors. Some are influenced from lifestyle, others are driven from being in the gym and there is of course some genetic dependency as well. The main factors to consider are: A) Nutrition accuracy & consistency B) Training progression C) Supplementation D) Sleep E) Avoid excess stress F) Hormonal optimization G) Over training

The focus is firmly on doing everything possible to encourage anabolism at all times, and where that’s not possible (such as during training) provide the body with the necessary ingredients to remain anti-catabolic. In the nutrition and supplementation sections I’ll cover specific protocols in more detail, in order to help you achieve this. 10) Don’t Under Estimate Sleep Sleep is one of the key drivers behind building muscle, something which many people just don’t appreciate enough. During “deep sleep” this is where your anabolic hormones including testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1 all peak. Ensuring that these hormones are able to reach optimal levels on a regular basis is key in building more muscle tissue. Sleep is also the time where the central nervous system (CNS) is able to recover. Remember earlier in this book when explaining muscle recruitment and the importance of keeping the CNS fresh, so you don’t find there’s a negative trend in muscle performance. Sleep has a very big impact on this front. Not only is net sleep quantity important, it’s also critical that quality sleep is a key focus too. For instance, going to bed with stimulants active in your system will have a negative effect on CNS recovery and your energy levels in the future. Being distracted when trying to go to sleep can also ruin sleep, again effecting overall recovery. Make sleep a priority of yours and ensure you give it the attention it deserves. Later in the book I delve deeper into the intricacies of sleep optimization and how this directly effects anabolism, CNS performance and general progress in relation to building muscle. 11) Prioritize Hydration Nutrient transportation is almost as important as nutrition itself. Ensuring the body is readily equipped with enough water to transport nutrients around the body throughout the entire day is critical to building muscle mass. Staying hydrated helps carry nutrients to the muscle cell where the body can then make use of them, in whatever capacity required. It also helps the gut function much better along with key organs such as the kidneys and liver which are part of the renal system.

8 As somebody who is training with so much intensity on a regular basis I feel you need a minimum of 3 liters per day, in some instances much more. Factors including climate and how much you naturally sweat should also be taken into account. For instance, since living in Florida where it is much warmer and humid compared to the UK I have to drink more water. Make sure you’re always thinking of external factors like this. As you’re sweating you will lose essential electrolytes which need replacing. Along with supplementation you can also replace some of these by lightly salting your meals. This acts as a natural electrolyte, drawing water into the muscle cell which in turn can increase fullness as well as performance. 12) Condition Your Mind For Muscle Y3T is going to mentally challenge you like you’ve never felt before in the gym. This is especially true on Week 3, where your muscles will be burning so intensely you cannot get comfortable and you’re left shaking momentarily because of the intensity. It’s designed to be like this for a reason, it forces change! Before you get to the gym you will have butterflies in your stomach thinking about what’s ahead, and you need to be able to cope with this. Otherwise you will find that you become over whelmed and start training with less intensity to pace yourself. This is not how you should go about it, instead you need to accept that training with great intensity is a part of your journey. In time your body will become more conditioned to the intensity of Y3T, and then you keep building on that even more. You need to mentally prepare yourself enough though to push through the initial threshold where you will want to stop. Remember this, dig deep and make sure you get to the end of each workout. Everybody feels the same way; some are just willing to find a way to get through it. 13) Be Patient Building real quality muscle (not just “weight”) takes time, however this is not a negative thing. Adding 2-3lbs of real muscle to a physique can make a significant difference to the way your body looks from multiple angles. Just look at the meat you eat and the volume of tissue there is from one meal. Now apply that to 2-3lbs worth of muscle, that’s a lot of extra mass to go on to a physique! When we discuss fat loss on average you require an energy deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound of body fat. Although the goal is the exact opposite of building muscle, it gives some sort of perspective on how much additional energy might be required to gain muscle. Bear in mind, muscle is metabolically active so by adding more your energy requirements keep on rising as well!

Lean Mass Edition Ebook What I will say from experience is that in a 16 week period gains in muscle mass differ quite dramatically from one person to the next. Factors such as: A) Genetics B) Training age C) Intensity applied D) Stress levels E) Sleep quality F) Hormonal health G) Gender I) Natural or Enhanced

Can affect the amount of muscle gained. Obviously adherence to the program is a massive factor, but I’m going to presume you will follow it as prescribed! People who’ve trained for less time and have never really done a plan like this can expect to gain more because of all the hypertrophic stimulating factors their body is about to experience. If you’re somebody who’s trained properly for years then whilst the gains might be less, they will still be significant because applying the principles in this program will definitely illicit a positive response. You need to be patient so you don’t make irrational decisions or fail to stick to the plan. The muscle will come! 14) Focus On Quality Over Quantity This goes for everything! Do not be tempted to do extra in terms of training because this program has been designed to allow for progression, using the principles of overload and periodization to encourage continued growth. Adding additional workouts could affect CNS recovery, muscle performance and general progress. In terms of nutrition and supplementation the same rules apply. Eating extra calories or taking on additional dosages doesn’t always equate to a more anabolic environment. Sometimes it can be counter intuitive. You only need what your body requires, no more than that.

9 15) Stay Injury Free! This is such an important thing to focus on, staying healthy and free of injuries! Earlier in the book I already explained how Y3T training is designed to help minimize the risk of injury whilst maximizing your opportunity to build muscle. However, it is also down to you to make smart decisions. Do not be tempted to get drawn into ego lifting whereby you’re going heavier than you can handle. This usually means that to compensate your form becomes less strict and the exercise becomes more specific to connective tissue stress rather than muscle. This is how a lot of strength athletes train and whilst it has its place for building muscle it’s an unnecessary risk which could lead to a nasty injury. The other key consideration is warming up your target muscle and surrounding joints properly first. Do not go straight into your working sets, give yourself 4-5 sets to get the joints lubricated with synovial fluid and blood into the muscle. If there is an undetected injury gradually building the weight gives you the opportunity to notice before you’ve pushed the muscle too hard. Warming up properly isn’t just about injury prevention either. It allows the CNS to become properly stimulated before your first working set which means you’re going to recruit more muscle fibers, in turn generating more of a hypertrophic response! 16) Don’t Choose The Easy Route It’s very easy to pick exercises which you prefer when feeling fatigued. This enables you to stay within your comfort zone and ultimately avoid making a substantial effort to overcome fatigue. However, as a result progress becomes very slow if nonexistent. One of the key fundamentals of achieving maximal hypertrophy is creating an environment whereby your CNS, endocrine system, muscle fibers and energy pathways are constantly challenged. Do not fall into the very common habit of taking the easy route in the gym, doing things you know aren’t going to be too hard. This will become a very big limiting factor as far as building muscle is concerned. You’ve seen plenty of people in your gym doing the same things each week and failing to progress, this is one of the key reasons why!

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SUMMARY These 16 key points all contribute towards building muscle and ultimately helping you gain an understanding of why certain things are so pivotal to you building muscle. Not just over the next 12 weeks, but for the longer term as well! Fundamentally a lot of people do not follow a set program, they tend to pick up isolated workouts from different sources and amalgamate them together. The issue with this is that there’s no continuity or measurability. Ultimately, the key fundamentals which underpin the development of lean muscle mass are not present - at least to the extent they need to be in order to attain the best results possible. Referring back to the introductory 16 key fundamentals for building muscle, a fixed schedule which factors in overload, global muscle fiber stimulation and progression is critical. Now we’ve covered these points we’re going to get more specific with educational content. Some of the information you read in this book will require time to absorb because it does explore muscle growth at a more advanced level than perhaps you’ve read before. Having said that, do not let that concern you. Take the time to let this information settle in and keep reading it if necessary. By gaining a better understanding how the mechanisms at play effect muscle growth you’re definitely going to make better progress! With the introductory chapters out of the way, let’s get into the finer detail of muscle growth.

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using y3t TRAINING for muscle mass Overview Of Y3T Training Y3T training has a very unique approach to weight training which gives the potential to help you build muscle at optimal capacity. In order for you to get the most from it you need to understand exactly how Y3T works and the guidance I give to all of my clients when using it to build muscle. These are the very same protocols I use with the likes of 6 times 212 Mr. Olympia Flex Lewis and top 3 Mr. Olympia finisher, William Bonac. Now is your chance to learn how these things work at an advanced level and more importantly, how to apply this to your own body to achieve full genetic potential! Many people believe that Y3T training works exclusively on a three week cycle, however this is not the case! There are different applications of Y3T depending on the goal and emphasis at that time. In this ebook, you’re actually going to be following a four week, Y3T training cycle which will be broken down in greater detail for you. In this instance, you’ve got: Week 1A Week 1B Week 2 Week 3 Equating to a four week rotation which is then repeated three times, leaving you with a twelve week training schedule. To help you understand what differentiates each week of this training rotation I’ve given an overview beneath. This will help you appreciate the differences and why each part is important to helping you maximise muscle growth. Although I’ll continue to reiterate this throughout the ebook, I want to emphasize just how important sticking to the prescriptions given in this program are. This is particularly the case for rep tempo and rest periods because of the

effect these factors have on muscle fiber stimulation. They also have a critical impact on the way each energy system interacts during the workout. Ultimately these things effect your end result, so please be very stringent in your application of this training program! Here’s your overview of the four week Y3T training rotation. Week 1A & Week 1B… Low rep ranges, usually between 6-12 reps. The number of working sets will vary however usually it will be between 12-16 sets per muscle group. Exercise choices during Week 1 will predominately be multi-joint, compound lifts which are best suited to heavier poundages. Rest periods are around 90 seconds to allow the anaerobic energy systems to recover and ATP regeneration to take place, preparing the fast twitch muscle fibers for the next set. Rep tempo is a key part of training for muscle mass and there’s very specific prescriptions within Y3T! In the week 1A workouts your eccentrics are 2 seconds whereas in week 1B this number doubles, equating to 4 second negatives on each rep. The key difference this creates is the explosiveness of each rep. With the faster eccentrics you’re going to move the weight quicker and will therefore lift more weight! This is going to play a key part in developing: 1) Myofibrillar hypertrophy 2) Progressive overload During week 1B where the eccentrics are slower you’re still predominately focusing on myofibrillar hypertrophy, however there is more emphasis taking place on time under tension. Ultimately, you’ve got two forms of low rep training across this four week training cycle to help breakdown both types of fast twitch muscle fibers. With the extra freedom in the week 1A workouts to lift heavier weight you will also find that there’s a positive hormonal response, with the heaviest loads during the four week training rotation eliciting a “hyper” anabolic response across the endocrine system. Week 2… Moderate rep ranges, usually between 12-18 reps. The number of working sets will vary however usually it will be between 9-12 sets per muscle group. Exercise choices

Lean Mass Edition Ebook during week 2 will usually be a combination of compound and isolation exercises to maximise muscle breakdown and recruitment. With more reps there’s slightly more rest given, at around 110 seconds between sets in order to let the muscles recover. Rep tempo is prescribed at around 3 seconds per rep. During this week of training there’s a cross-over in muscle fiber stimulation between type 2a and type 2b fast twitch muscle fibers, along with your type 1 slow twitch muscle fibers. The increase in reps means that there’s a significant uplift in muscle tension which you’ll notice after the first two to three working sets into each workout. Blood volumization is also instantly increased! Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is definitely the emphasis on the rep ranges in this particular week. Week 3… High rep ranges, usually 20+ reps although this can go up to 60-80. The number of working sets will vary however usually it will be between 3-8 sets per muscle group. Exercise choices during week 3 are again a combination of compound and isolation. During week 3 intensity is significantly increased with the use of drop sets, super sets and giant sets so that the muscle is broken down quicker, with less overall working sets performed in each workout. Rest periods grow to 120 seconds between working sets because of the demands placed upon the aerobic system are so severe. As the rep ranges are much higher rep tempo is reduced to 2 seconds. Even though during this week of the training rotation rep ranges increase significantly, there is still cross-over between the muscle fiber populations which become stimulated. You will notice that there is a very specific set of guidelines in place as far as rest periods and rep tempo are concerned. These two factors are absolutely critical to making Y3T have maximal impact, it’s essential you understand this! Rep tempo By manipulating rep tempo speed you’re able to isolate specific muscle groups and fibers within that area much more effectively. Ultimately it reduces any external help as well, forcing the target muscle to work much harder. Whilst this usually means it is harder, more fatiguing and sometimes leads to a reduction in weight used it illicits a greater hypertrophic response. That is what we want, specifically! It doesn’t matter if you lift 10kg more, if the rep tempo and form isn’t correct then you probably won’t get the same results! The muscles only understand stress and workload, not numbers. Rest periods By being very specific with rest periods we’re able to increase the intensity of a workout. This also directly effects muscle fiber recruitment because of the fact certain fibers have different recovery times. The muscle needs to become conditioned to training under intensity, rest periods are one of the factors which governs this. Warming Up For Optimal Results Warming up properly to facilitate optimal performance is often overlooked in the gym! Implementing the correct warm up is there to:

12 - Reduce the risk of injury to the muscle and connective tissues within the area - Increase blood flow into the muscle - Enhance elasticity of the muscle along with connective tissues - Excite the CNS activity which is exactly how muscle fiber recruitment is achieved Ultimately, by doing a correct warm up routine before your first working set you’re in a better position to build muscle! This is how I’d recommend warming the target muscle up in preparation for your first working set: 1) Use your first exercise as the one you warm up with 2) Perform 4 warm up sets, incrementally getting heavier each time. - Set 1 is there to increase blood flow, do 15-20 reps NOT to failure - Set 2 is there to increase blood flow and muscle activation, do 15-20 reps NOT to failure - Set 3 is there to increase load on the muscle, do 10-12 reps with heavier weight NOT to failure - Set 4 is to prepare you for your first working set do 8-10 reps with around 80% of your working weight NOT to failure This ensures that the target muscle is sufficiently prepared for your first working set, with the CNS suitably initiated for maximal muscle fiber recruitment. However, it’s not going to cause unnecessary fatigue which could impact your working sets. Getting this balance right is key! Optimal Muscle Growth… As I’ve already alluded to above structuring your training in the format discussed helps maximize both forms of muscle hypertrophy, sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar! What you need to realize is that within every human body there will be a unique ratio of type 2a, type 2b fast twitch muscle fibers and type 1 slow twitch muscle fibers. The ratios will differ depending on genetics and there will also be differences from one muscle group to the next. With that being said, following a comprehensive training schedule which rotates rep ranges, volume and exercise selection with the sole intention of targeting all fiber types means you’re going to fulfill more of your potential. For instance, if you have 50% slow twitch muscle fibers within a muscle group that potential for growth won’t be realized until you implement training specifically for this fiber type! This training program will ensure that is taken care of. Yes, some muscle fibers are more hypertrophic than others however for maximal results you still need to stimulate every form. At this point you should have a clear understanding of how Y3T training is going to help build lean muscle mass and lead to overall improvements in body composition and performance. Now we’re going to go through your Y3T training program for the next 12 weeks.

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SUMMARY At this point you should have a clear understanding of how Y3T training is going to help build lean muscle mass and lead to overall improvements in body composition and performance. Now we’re going to go through your Y3T training programme for the next 12 weeks.

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y3t Training Programme Each working set is outlined in detail below, along with all relevant information to get the most from this plan! It’s imperative that you follow each prescription given and track the weights/reps you achieve in each four week rotation in order to facilitate progression. I’ll discuss this in more detail further along in the book. Below are some key points which you need to read before embarking upon the plan.

on factors including your preferred days to train and rate of recovery. Due to the sheer intensity of this program I’d highly recommend you don’t train for 5 consecutive days because it’s very likely the CNS will become over trained. As CNS fatigue sets in, muscle recruitment can become hindered thus reducing performance and hypertrophy potential. With that said, I’d personally recommend a split which allows you a day off every 2-3 days. This could be done with a 3 on, 1 off, 2 on split for instance. The main point is that you’re assessing how well you’re recovering and performing, then adjusting the training split appropriately.

This program follows a 5 day training split. The way in which you divide your training weeks and days will depend

It’s very likely that there might be some exercises in this program which require a piece of equipment you don’t

have or it’s in use during your workout. If this is the case do not panic, use your initiative to make a “like for like” substitution. For instance, if you cannot do lying leg curls do standing single leg curls using the leg extension machine. This is a prime example of making a “like for like” swap to isolate the same target muscle. If you’re suffering with an injury and you find a specific exercise on this program causes aggravation to the area please feel free to make a “like for like” swap. There’s no sense in irritating an area further! Pick an exercise which allows you to stimulate the muscle you’re training without causing aggravation. For example, you might have lower back pain therefore machine rows might be more appropriate versus bent over rows.

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Here is a brief reminder of key training protocols you must adhere to whilst following this Y3T program: 1

Remember to use rest/pause on every set! This is a key intensity amplification strategy which exposes the muscle to greater levels of stress, equating to improved stimulation.

2

Remember to adhere to the prescribed rep tempo for each rep on every working set - this will make an enormous difference to muscle activation and your results!

3

Remember to stick to the rest periods because this sets the tempo of the workout, increasing intensity.

4

Remember to use a full range of motion whilst sustaining maximal levels of muscle tension. Do not let your ego take over and go too heavy!

5

Remember to track every set in terms of weight/reps achieved. This provides analytical information to achieve progressive overload throughout the program. Remember to squeeze the muscle as hard as you can during every rep, maximizing the tension within the target area.

7

Remember your training partner is there for safety only, you should achieve all reps on your own. That’s all that counts! Remember all sets are to complete failure, partial and assisted reps are not required beyond this. In order to track progressive overload accurately we only want to track full reps which you’ve achieved yourself.

9

Remember to use lifting straps when training back because ultimately the forearm muscles are never going to be as strong as the back muscles. With that said the grip strength will become a limiting factor when looking to overload the back muscles. During the higher rep ranges in week 2 and week 3 this will become even more of an issue! Remember this is my personal training program, you can change the days around to suit your needs. Including training two different body parts on the same day as long as you adjust the training plan acordingly. Don’t train more than 3 days in a row, before taking a rest day.

11

Remember that the rep ranges in weeks 1 - 3 are target rep ranges which I would like you to try and reach at failure. If you reach failure before hitting the target rep range remember to adjust the weight accordingly. As you fatigue through the workout it’s normal for you to expereince a decline in strength levels. This means you will potentialy need to adjust the weight you are using as you fatigue, in order to meet the target rep ranges. In the same sense that if your able to perform more reps you need to increase the weight on your next working set.

WEEK 1A daY 1 MONDAY Thighs and Hamstring Warm up with 4 sets of Barbell Squats, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Barbell Squat

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Leg Press

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Hack Squats

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Leg Extensions

2 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Lying Leg Curls, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Lying Leg Curl

6 X 8 - 12

2 seconds

90 seconds

Single Leg Curl

3 X 8 - 12

2 seconds

90 seconds

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

3 X 8 - 12

2 seconds

90 seconds

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daY 2 TUESDAY chest AND Calves Warm up with 4 sets of Incline Dumbbell press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Incline Dumbbell Press

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Incline Machine Press

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Incline Dumbbell Flyes

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Flat Dumbbell Press

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Weighted Dips

2 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Standing Calf Raises, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Standing Calf Raise

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Calf Raise

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

daY 3 WEDNESDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

daY 4 THURSDAY BACK Warm up with 4 sets of T-Bar Rows, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

T-Bar Row

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Medium Grip Pulldown

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Narrow Grip Low Pulley Cable Row

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Hammer Row

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Barbell Rack Pulls

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

daY 5 FRIDAY Arms Warm up with 4 sets of Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Bent Over Straight Bar Cable Extensions

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Weight Dips

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

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Warm up with 4 sets of Alternating Dumbbell Curls, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Standing Barbell Curl

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Straight Bar Low Pulley Cable Curl

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

daY 6 SATURDAY shoulders AND CALVES Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Dumbbell Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Seated Dumbbell Press

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Standing Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Dumbbell Upright Rows

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Dumbbell Front Raise

3 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Bent Over Dumbbell Raise

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Standing Calf Raises, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Standing Calf Raise

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Calf Raise

4 X 6 - 10

2 seconds

90 seconds

daY 7 SUNDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

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WEEK 1B daY 1 MONDAY Thighs and Hamstring Warm up with 4 sets of Leg Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Leg Press

6 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Hack Squat

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

B-Bell Squat

2 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Lying Leg Curls, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Lying Leg Curl

6 X 8 - 12

2 seconds

90 seconds

Single Leg Curl

3 X 8 - 12

2 seconds

90 seconds

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

3 X 8 - 12

2 seconds

90 seconds

daY 2 TUESDAY chest AND Calves Warm up with 4 sets of Flat Barbell Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Flat Barbell Press

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Flat Dumbbell Flyes

3 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Incline Barbell Press

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Incline Dumbbell Flyes

3 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Hack Squat Calf Raises, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Hack Squat Calf Raise

3 X 14 - 18

4 seconds

90 seconds

Standing Calf Raise

3 X 14 - 18

4 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Calf Raise

2 X 14 - 18

4 seconds

90 seconds

daY 3 WEDNESDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

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daY 4 THURSDAY BACK Warm up with 4 sets of Medium Grip Pulldowns, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Medium Grip Pulldowns

3 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Medium Grip Low Pulley Cable Row

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Bent Over Dumbbell Row

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Barbell Deadlift

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

daY 5 FRIDAY Arms Warm up with 4 sets of Lying EZ-Bar Skull Crushers, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Lying EZ-Bar Skull Crushers

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Close Grip Smith Machine Press

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Straight Bar Cable Push Down

2 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Standing Close Grip EZ Bar Curls, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Standing Close Grip EZ-Bar Curls

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Dumbbell Alternating Curls

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Standing Wide Grip Barbell Curls

2 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

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daY 6 SATURDAY shoulders AND CALVES Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Smith Machine Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Seated Smith Machine Press

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Standing Barbell Front Raise

3 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

4 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Lying Incline Dumbbell Side Raise

5 X 8 - 12

4 seconds

90 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Hack Squat Calf Raises, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Hack Squat Calf Raise

3 X 14 - 18

4 seconds

90 seconds

Standing Calf Raise

3 X 14 - 18

4 seconds

90 seconds

Seated Calf Raise

2 X 14 - 18

4 seconds

90 seconds

daY 7 SUNDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

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WEEK 2 daY 1 MONDAY Thighs and Hamstrings Warm up with 4 sets of Barbell Squats, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Barbell Squats

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Hack Squats

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Leg Extensions

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Lying Leg Curl

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

2 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

daY 2 TUESDAY chest AND Calves Warm up with 4 sets of Flat Dumbbell Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Flat Dumbbell Press

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Incline Dumbbell Press

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Incline Dumbbell Flyes

4 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Pec-Dec

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Calf Raises, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Seated Calf Raise

4 X 14 - 18

3 seconds

110 seconds

Standing Calf Raise

4 X 14 - 18

3 seconds

110 seconds

daY 3 WEDNESDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

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daY 4 THURSDAY BACK Warm up with 4 sets of Narrow Grip Lat Pulldowns, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Narrow Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Single Arm Dumbbell Rows

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Medium Grip Low Pulley Cable Rows

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Bent Over Barbell Row

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Lying Incline Dumbbell Hyper Row

2 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

daY 5 FRIDAY Arms Warm up with 4 sets of Seated EZ Bar Overhead Extensions, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Seated EZ Bar Over Head Extension

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Weighted Dips

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Single Arm Dumbbell Kick Back

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Standing Wide Grip Barbell Curl, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Standing Wide Grip Barbell Curl

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Standing Single Arm Low Pulley Cable Curl

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

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daY 6 SATURDAY shoulders AND CALVES Warm up with 4 sets of Standing Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Standing Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Seated Dumbbell Arnold Press

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Standing Dumbbell Front Raise

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Standing Barbell Power Press

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Standing Over Head Reverse Cable Cross Overs

3 X 12 - 16

3 seconds

110 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Calf Raises, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set.

Exercise

Sets/Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Seated Calf Raise

4 X 14 - 18

3 seconds

110 seconds

Standing Calf Raise

4 X 14 - 18

3 seconds

110 seconds

daY 7 SUNDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

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During week 3 of Y3T there are a lot of additional training protocols including drop sets, super sets and giant sets. Please make sure you carefully read each workout so you don’t miss any of these key additions out because they are essential to optimizing your results! Here is a quick overview explaining what each training protocol means:

Drop Sets After reaching failure at the prescribed rep range you reduce the weight and perform the same exercise for a set number of reps (indicated in the plan). Usually the reduction of weight will be between 25-50% based upon the first set. You can also have triple drop sets which follow exactly the same format, with an additional drop set added equating to 3 total sets. Therefore if you’re asked to do 2 triple drop sets, you complete the process described above twice. Obviously, you will have the prescribed rest periods between each triple drop set. Super Sets Super sets describe the process of using two exercises back to back without any rest between. Giant Sets Giant sets are like super sets except you use 3 or more exercises without any rest in between.

WEEK 3 daY 1 MONDAY Thighs and Hamstrings Warm up with 4 sets of Leg Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Drop Sets: 2 Rotations On Each Drop Set

Exercise

SETS

Reps

Leg Press

2

Leg Extensions Smith Machine Squats

Exercise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo Rest periods

30 - 40 Leg Pres

2

30 - 40

2 seconds

120 seconds

2

15 - 20 Leg Extensions

2

15 - 20

2 seconds

120 seconds

2

15 - 20 Smith Machine Squats 2

15 - 20

2 seconds

120 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Super Sets: 2 Rotations On Each Super Set

Exercise

SETS Reps

Exercise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

2

15 - 20

Lying Barbell Hip Rise

2

15 - 20

2 seconds

120 seconds

Lying Leg Curl

2

15 - 20

Seated Leg Curl

2

15 - 20

2 seconds

120 seconds

High Stance Leg Press

2

15 - 20

Walking Lunges

2

15 - 20

2 seconds

120 seconds

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daY 2 TUESDAY chest AND Calves Warm up with 4 sets of Incline Machine Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Super Sets: 3 Rotations On Each Super Set

Exercise

Sets

Reps

Exercise

Sets Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Incline Machine Press

3

12 - 15 Flat Dumbbell Flyes

3

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

Flat Dumbbell Press

3

12 - 15 Incline Dumbbell Flyes 3

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

Weighted Dips

3

12 - 15 Cable Cross Overs

3

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Leg Press Calf Raise, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Super Sets: 5 Rotations On Each Super Set

Exercise

SETS Reps

Leg Press Calf Raise Toes Facing Out

5

Exercise

20 - 25 Seated Calf Raise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

5

2 seconds

120 seconds

20 - 25

daY 3 WEDNESDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

daY 4 THURSDAY BACK Warm up with 4 sets of T-Bar Row, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Super Sets: 2 Rotations On Each Super Set

Exercise

Sets Reps

T-Bar Rows

2

Exercise

Sets Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

12 - 15 Wide Grip Pulldowns

2

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

Bent Over Dumbbell Rows 2

12 - 15 Standing Straight Arm Pulldown

2

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

Lying Incline Dumbbell Hyper Row

2

12 - 15 Lying Back Close Grip Pulldow

2

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

Barbell Deadlift

2

12 - 15 Lying Dumbbell Pull Over

2

12 - 15

2 seconds

120 seconds

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daY 5 FRIDAY Arms Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Over Head Barbell Extension, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Drop Sets: 2 Rotations On Each Drop Set

Exercise

SETS Reps Exercise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

Seated Barbell Over Head Extension

2

20 - 25 Seated Barbell Over Head Extension

2

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

Straight Bar Cable Push Down

2

20 - 25 Straight Bar Cable Push Down

2

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

20 - 25 Straight Bar Bent Forward Cable Push Down

2

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

Straight Bar Bent Forward 2 Cable Push Down

Warm up with 4 sets of Standing EZ Bar Curl, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Drop Sets: 2 Rotations On Each Drop Set

Exercise

SETS

Reps

Standing EZ Bar Curls

2

Straight Bar Low Pulley Curl Standing Incline Bench Single Arm Curl

Exercise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

20 - 25 Standing EZ Bar Curls

2

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

2

20 - 25 Straight Bar Low Pulley Curl

2

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

2

20 - 25 Standing Incline Bench 2 Single Arm Curl

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

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daY 6 SATURDAY shoulders AND CALVES Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Dumbbell Press, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Super Sets: 3 Rotations On Each Super Set

Exercise

SETS

Reps

Seated Dumbbell Press

3

Seated Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise Lying Incline Dumbbell Raise

Exercise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

20 - 25 Seated Dumbbell Front Raise

3

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

3

20 - 25 Seated Dumbbell Partial Raise

3

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

3

20 - 25 Standing Cable Rope Face Pulls

3

20 - 25

2 seconds

120 seconds

Warm up with 4 sets of Leg Press Calf Raise, remember to progressively go heavier with each warm up set working your way up to around 80% of your “working weight” before the first working set. Super Sets: 5 Rotations On Each Super Set

Exercise

SETS Reps

Leg Press Calf Raise Toes Facing Out

5

Exercise

20 - 25 Seated Calf Raise

SETS Reps

Rep Tempo

Rest periods

5

2 seconds

120 seconds

20 - 25

daY 7 SUNDAY REST DAY It is important to make sure you let your body recover. I advise with the intensity that you will be training to not exceed 2 training days before having your rest day.

Lean Mass Edition Ebook

Maximizing Your Y3T Program For Muscle Mass! This four week Y3T training cycle gives you a very comprehensive approach to hitting every muscle fiber type over the course of the plan, optimizing your ability to build muscle. However, I want to quickly remind you of the key principles I started this book with and how some of them tie in to the plan I’ve just given you. Some of the key points I’ve discussed with you will naturally be applied by following this program, such as global muscle fiber stimulation. However, there are some which you need to apply yourself through analyzing progress and being mindful that it’s down to you to force progression. The main principle I’m referring to here is progressive overload. To make this program progressive, you must adhere to the rep tempos and rest periods as I’ve stated. This means that in each four week cycle you will be training on a “like for like” basis so all progress in terms of strength and performance becomes relative.

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One key part of implementing progressive overload within this Y3T plan is to track your: 1) Weight for each set 2) Reps achieved with the weight for each set Every four week cycle you’re aiming to improve upon these numbers whilst sustaining the rep tempo and rest period figures prescribed. Using a key principle called “rest/pause” is crucial to making this Y3T plan as effective as possible. This training strategy allows you to go beyond your natural point of failure. For instance, if you’re using a 10-12 rep range the aim would be to be nearing fatigue by rep 6-7. Rather than keep going until you fail, you’d stop for 2-3 seconds holding the weight before doing another 1-2 reps. You would repeat this until you get to complete failure! Usually this allows you to achieve more weight and reps, with each set. As rep ranges increase the point at which you need to implement rest/pause will come quicker. For instance, on a Week 3 leg press set where you’re doing 7080 reps you might start rest-pausing at around 30-35 reps into the set. In this instance you’d also expect each rest/ pause to achieve more than 1-2 reps before needing to rest again. As well as the programming in this Y3T plan, the diet and supplementation elements will have a huge impact upon progressing your performance. Provided you’re doing everything I’ve stated you will experience progression. Now its time to move on to your diet.

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Nutrition For Mass… Overview Of Nutrition For Mass… Building lean muscle mass requires a very specific approach to nutrition, in my near 30 years worth of experience I’ve definitely noticed certain protocols work better than others across many individuals. With that said I’m going to give you a complete overview of each nutritional principle and how these tie into your muscle building goals. Understanding The Importance Of Each Nutrient… Each macronutrient, protein, carbohydrates and fat all play a pivotal role in building muscle mass. I’m a big proponent of using all 3 macro nutrients in abundance, rather than eliminating fat or carbohydrates in favor of the other. Nutrition is about creating a synergistic plan which helps the body recover, perform and rebuild muscle tissue as effectively as possible. There are many different metabolic pathways in which the human body utilizes fuel, which is influenced by training stimulus, body composition and of course diet because they all directly impact hormonal output. In turn we’re going to explore the intricacies of multiple factors surrounding nutrition and their effects on muscle hypertrophy. Protein… Clearly protein plays an essential role in rebuilding and developing muscle tissue. Of the 100,000 different proteins in the body it provides a diverse range of amino acids (of which there are over 20) which are building blocks of muscle tissue. In my experience I’ve found in the region of 1.5-2g of protein per pound of lean body weight to be about the right ratio, although there are of course fluctuations within individuals based on factors including:

• Androgenic tendencies • Liver function • Muscle mass • Age • Gender • Training volume / frequency Often the term “positive nitrogen balance” is used when referring to protein intake. This is intrinsic to building muscle and cannot be argued against. However, some of the older studies pertaining to what I regard as lower protein intake are out dated in my opinion. Whilst these studies have shown a retention in a positive nitrogen balance I have to question the environment in which that person (s) has been exposed to and perhaps more importantly, the actual testing mechanism itself. I know from experience that if my athletes were consuming the lower levels of protein sited by various bodies, they would not experience: 1. Satisfactory recovery between workouts 2. Meaningful muscle growth One other key denominator for protein is of course the source and more specifically the leucine content. Leucine helps trigger muscle protein synthesis levels which in turn increases anabolism, boosting muscle regeneration and eventually growth. Whilst there are always fluctuations in the feedback from research it’s suggested that for optimal muscle protein synthesis consuming in the region of 0.05 grams per lean kilo of body mass. Please note how I emphasize “lean body mass” because this can dramatically effect the total number. By achieving this level of leucine across the day in intervals of 2-4 hours I believe you are best positioned to saturate the mTor pathway. mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) is the term used to describe a chain of metabolic processes that stimulate protein synthesis. mTOR is officially known as a serine protein kinase enzymatic complex that regulates cell growth; cell proliferation; cell motility; cell survival; protein synthesis; and transcription. There are two ‘complexes’ known as C1 and C2, however it is C1 which we’re interested in regarding muscle protein synthesis. mTORC1 is stimulated by insulin, IGF-1, resistance training, leucine (although all amino acids can contribute) and aerobic exercise. It’s worth noting in the absence of amino acids muscle protein synthesis cannot occur. Refer to my points below on amino acids and the importance of the correct quality/sources.

Lean Mass Edition Ebook In reality, by sticking to high quality leucine rich protein sources in the quantities I’ll share later across a high meal frequency plan, leucine requirements should be adequately met. It’s always advisable to stick to high biological value (HBV) protein sources for optimal muscle protein synthesis up-regulation. For anybody who’s followed my content for any length of time you’ll be familiar with my references to limiting catabolism and maximizing anabolism. Ultimately, this denotes the limitation of proteolysis and taking every effort possible to not only enhance muscle protein synthesis but sustain that higher output as well. Amino acid balance is a key part of building muscle and reducing catabolism. The continuous degradation and synthesis of amino acids either from dietary sources or metabolized from other amino acids will lead to either a net increase in protein synthesis, a decrease in protein synthesis or a balanced protein turnover. In total there are 20 amino acids. There are 9 Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) that are required from diet and cannot be synthesized. These include: • Phenylalanine • Valine • Threonine • Tryptophan • Methionine • Leucine • Isoleucine • Lysine • Histidine There are also 11 non-essential amino acids. These can be broken down into two independent segments. Conditionally non-essential: • Arginine • Cysteine • Glycine • Glutamine • Proline • Tyrosine

30 However you require a full spectrum of amino acids to build muscle, don’t just focus on leucine! As a passing note there is very little need for protein storage, most protein is either used for protein synthesis or converted to energy and excreted. This is why over consuming protein can become counter productive and pointless because beyond a certain threshold you’re simply “only” getting energy from the protein you’re eating. When you consider the cost of protein rich foods this is an inefficient way to fund your progress. Each gram of protein has 4 calories, the same as carbohydrates. Carbohydrates… Carbohydrates are officially a non-essential macronutrient group but that is only because the body can produce glucose from fat or protein via a process called gluconeogenesis. During my whole career as a bodybuilder and being a coach, I’ve always been a big proponent of using carbohydrates to build lean muscle mass. Carbohydrates are muscle sparing which means they can help fuel muscle growth, protecting your tissue against catabolism. They also bring extra volume to the muscle by drawing water into the muscle cell, as well as muscle glycogen. This in turn can enhance performance and over time, the results you experience. It’s important to remember that weight training is glycolytic especially within the rep ranges prescribed in your Y3T plan. As a result carbs are definitely going to help boost performance! Referring back to my point earlier in the book about avoiding becoming too fat, this is relevant to carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are best used for fueling performance, recovery and muscle growth when you’re able to sustain insulin sensitivity. Its key that you use quality sources along with enough fiber, in the correct ratios to prevent allowing insulin resistance to set in. There are four independent carbohydrate sources: • Disaccharides • Oligosaccharides • Polysaccharides • Monosaccharides

This means that they are usually synthesized in the body. However there are conditions where they required from the diet, in the case of muscle growth, usually when you’re stressed or training with great intensity.

As an addition you could also include Nucleotides!

Non-essential:

Disaccharides are have a two-sugar molecule structure and can be broken down into the following 3 categories:

• Alanine • Aspartic acid • Asparagine • Glutamic acid • Serine The aim is to get a broad range of all amino acids throughout your diet from the foods and supplements you consume. Clearly having already discussed leucine, it’s of particular interest to anybody looking to build muscle.

To give you some indication on what these groups are here’s a step by step breakdown of their structure:

1. Lactose which is formed from glucose and galactose 2. Sucrose which is formed from glucose and fructose 3. Maltose which is formed by two glucose molecules Oligosaccharides usually have a structure of between 3 and 10 units with combination of fructose, galactose and glucose. There are two important categories of this carbohydrate type which are:

Lean Mass Edition Ebook 1. Raffinose 2. Stachyose Polysaccharides can have thousands of glucose units which is where the term “complex carbohydrate” is derived from. This carbohydrate type is what is most commonly found in staple bodybuilding foods such as potatoes and rice. Monosaccharides are often referred to as “simple sugars” and can be broken down into 3 separate categories: 1. Glucose 2. Fructose 3. Galactose From this quick breakdown you can clearly see that polysaccharides are of the most importance to anybody looking to build muscle and enhance performance. Whilst the calorie contribution of 4 per gram is the same as other carbohydrate types, the multi-unit glucose structure offers the most favorable form of fuel for performance and recovery in most instances. Function Of Carbohydrates For Muscle Mass Whilst there are many unique functions which carbohydrates support in the human body, we can be more concise by focusing on muscle building exclusively. As I briefly alluded to in the introduction the main function of carbohydrates for muscle growth are: 1. Sparing proteins as fuel and therefore effectively serving as an anti-catabolic agent 2. Providing highly usable fuel before and during the workout for optimal performance 3. Supporting the recovery process by providing readily available fuel Although these points do contain expansions within their own right, these are fundamentally the key functions of carbohydrates as far as muscle growth is concerned. Here is an expansion on all three key points: 1. Protein Sparing Effect Carbohydrates help slow down gluconeogenesis which describes the breakdown of proteins as fuel. For somebody looking to build muscle the obvious issue with this is that it instantly increases net protein requirements to create that needed surplus of amino acids to build new muscle tissue. 2.Performance Enhancement It is imperative that when consuming carbohydrates for fuel the body is able to process them correctly. That’s everything from digestion, assimilation and of course distribution throughout the body to the relevant places where the energy will be expended, in this instance within the mitochondria of the muscle cell. Carbohydrates are the most natural source of energy for the human body, particularly in the context of intense resistance training because of the glycolytic nature of this endeavor. By keeping muscle glycogen and liver glycogen stores replenished performance should always remain optimized provided all other dietary needs are also facilitated, including hydration. Remember, hydration is

31 key to performance and the transportation of nutrients. Carbohydrates draw more water into the muscle therefore you require a higher fluid intake. 3. Recovery Facilitation Recovery always comes before muscle growth; the latter cannot ever occur with the former happening first. Carbohydrates play a pivotal role in muscle recovery. In the post-workout environment where glute-4 glucose transporting proteins are up-regulated the body is better positioned to leverage carbohydrates as energy. As such, carbohydrates are more readily used to facilitate muscle recovery and growth. Muscle and liver glycogen replenishment also occurs as part of the recovery process. Most carbohydrates are naturally insulinogenic therefore they also have a positive effect on nutrient transportation, indirectly facilitating faster recovery. By elevating insulin during a period where recovery is of primary concern through the ingestion of carbohydrates nutrients are shuttled faster to the muscle, thus speeding up recovery. Later in the book I’ll explain how insulin sensitivity is extremely crucial to this process, along with general carbohydrate metabolism.

Lean Mass Edition Ebook Fat… Fats are an essential macronutrient along with protein. There are several functions fats play a key role in where building muscle is concerned as well as health. Providing the necessary cholesterol to boost natural testosterone production is a key benefit, as is the extra energy it provides for cell regeneration and even performance via the glucagon pathway. In relation to injury prevention certain fats can also help with inflammation, omega 3s specifically. It’s also worth noting that fats help provide cushioning for the joints, something which is even more important during a lean mass building phase because as your strength levels improve so will the impact on your joints. Many people are either in favor of fat dominant diets or carbohydrate biased diets, however I prefer to leverage the impact of both macronutrient types. Not only do both have the capability to enhance muscle growth and recovery, they also work synergistically. There are times when one source of energy is preferable over the other in specific ratios. Remember, fats are the most calorie abundant nutrient with 9 calories per gram! Whilst this needs to be considered to avoid eating excessive calories it’s also very beneficial when trying to sustain a calorie surplus in order to gradually add quality lean muscle mass. Although there are many ways of categorizing fats, here is the simplest way: 1.Short chain fatty acids 2. Medium chain fatty acids 3. Long chain fatty acids

32 Alongside this you then have three further description types which are: 1. Mono-unsaturated fats 2. Poly-unsaturated fats 3. Saturated fats All of these unique fatty acids play different roles in energy production and muscle growth. For instance, saturated fats are particularly valuable in providing the cholesterol needed to produce testosterone. Those who follow a fat restricted diet for too long will notice a reduction in androgenic hormone profiles, not conducive to muscle growth! Mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats are generally regarded as “healthier” in larger quantities, responsible for supporting a multitude of metabolic pathways within the body. SUMMARY This in-depth overview of each macronutrient gives you the necessary information to absorb the next part of this book, assimilating the thought process behind the guidance I’m about to share with you. Remember, I don’t just want to show you how to build muscle I want you to understand why. This will improve accountability as well as facilitate longer term, sustainable progress.

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Learning How To Manipulate Food For Muscle Mass... There are many things which must be considered when developing a diet specifically for building muscle. It’s also very important to understand that each key point is as valuable as the next, with many working synergistically together. Do not listen to some points and forget about others, they all need to be applied together. Below I’ve highlighted the key points for building muscle mass. A) In order to develop new muscle mass you must be in a nutrient surplus. I’ve already explained how this particular rule works earlier in the book. However, what you must realize is that to sustain insulin sensitivity and avoid gaining excess fat there are times when it makes sense to taper calories down. It’s also worth noting that this works the other way too, for instance, on leg day it’s likely you will need more calories than on arm day. Having said that, there are going to be times when you need to increase calories on a rest day! Usually calorie intake is related to energy output on that specific day. On rest days it is normal to consume the least and on big training days it’s usual to eat at the highest end of the calorie spectrum within your target parameters. The reason why I wanted to raise this point is because if your body is in an environment whereby it feels overly fatigued and drained it could be a smart move to eat more on a rest day. On rest days it is likely that there is going to less cortisol in the system which means digestion will probably

be more efficient, leading to easier nutrient assimilation. During your day off where the body is in a state of fatigue it’s the perfect time for it to benefit from heightened nutrient intake. In terms of knowing when this is needed obvious indicators include suppressed libido, CNS fatigue (shaky hands) and feeling particularly physically drained for no other reason. In this instance having a “high” day could be a great way to speed up recovery. B) Protein intake will always differ slightly from one individual to the next, however I have undoubtedly seen the best results when clients of mine have consumed around 1.5-2g or above per pound of lean body weight. This amount is directed towards males, females will of course be lower. The key to this is subtracting your overall fat percentage from your body weight, leaving you with your lean body weight, you then multiply this by 1.5-2g for men. C) High meal frequency is definitely something I wholeheartedly believe in when it comes to building muscle as quickly as possible. The latest research is now also starting to back this theory up! Ideally I want my clients eating every 2-4 hours throughout the day. This enables muscle protein synthesis to be sustained for the entire day at an optimal level. It also helps keep energy levels balanced so that when it comes to train you are better fueled to perform, which ultimately is where the stimulus for growth comes from. D) With protein intake sorted the remainder of your net calories will come from fat and carbohydrates. Once your daily essential needs have been met from fat it’s my preference

to favor carbohydrates because they improve muscle fullness and provide a more readily available source of energy, making them perfect for boosting growth. For this particular program the starting metrics are 0.4-0.6 grams of fat per pound of lean body weight every day. Carbohydrate quantities will vary between approximately 1.5 grams and 2.5 grams per pound of lean body weight, with scope to increasing this on “high” refeed days where necessary. Please always bear in mind the parameters indicated for each macro nutrient can be both subjective and changeable depending on many factors which are discussed in this book. The key is having appropriate levels in place and then knowing how to analyze the effects they’re having on your recovery and muscle growth, making changes based upon this. E) Gut health is crucial to building muscle because ultimately this is where all of these nutrients are broken down and processed. Consuming enough fiber each day is crucial, with a daily guideline of 18-30g per day being my advice for this program mainly coming from green vegetables. This is one of the reasons why you won’t see me encouraging you to eat a lot of junk food because we must ensure the gut is able to operate at its highest capacity. Many clients of mine have come to me with constant bloating and badly performing guts. By optimizing this growth and recovery improves, as well as energy levels because the body is able to utilize nutrients far better! F) Hydration is another essential part of building muscle mass because the muscle is around 80% water! If you’re in any way dehydrated you will lose

Lean Mass Edition Ebook muscle fullness. Remember that water is also the transportation system for nutrients around the body. You need to ensure that there’s enough water to aid this function. Finally, your performance heavily relies on being hydrated otherwise you won’t be able to achieve the intensity levels required to force change. Refer back to my earlier points about hydration to remind yourself about external factors such as climate, when deciding exactly how much you need. As a guideline, a minimum of 4 liters per day is my advice.

Affecting Hormonal Performance For Muscle Mass All the way through this nutrition section I’ve made references to various key hormones and an overall state of anabolism, which is of course supported through the optimism of the endocrine system. In this section I’m going to explore the role of key hormones within the body, specifically in relation to building muscle mass. Some of the time I’ll refer back to points already covered across the topics of nutrition and training. Insulin Overview Insulin acts as the main regulatory system of blood glucose in the human body. It is produced by the beta cells within the pancreas. As food is ingested insulin is released into the bloodstream in order to regulate blood glucose. In order to maximise: 1.Muscle recovery 2.Muscle growth It’s imperative that insulin production within your body is optimized. To do this you need to focus on improving and sustaining “insulin sensitivity.” In short, this means that your body produces the right amount of insulin in relation to the food you’re eating. If insulin resistance has set in then it’s likely you’re not producing enough insulin to regulate blood glucose levels

34 and therefore effectively utilize this as energy. As a result recovery, growth and body composition can be effected along with energy output! Key Functions As I’ve already mentioned the key role of insulin is to regulate blood glucose levels. In regard to building muscle, insulin is highly anabolic by acting as a “storage hormone.” It effects nutrient transportation by shuttling glucose, amino acids and fats into the muscle cell where they can be processed via the mitochondria. Carbohydrates are generally the most insulinogenic food group therefore they are often more relevant to discussions surrounding insulin output. However, please remember that external dietary factors like fiber content, presence of fat, timing of meals and even carbohydrate type can all effect the insulinogenic impact of any given meal. Don’t look at things one dimensionally and believe that carbohydrates are the only dietary consideration as far as insulin is concerned, this is simply not true! Ultimately insulin helps prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue by acting as a storage hormone which is fundamentally important along the way to gaining lean mass. Optimization Before discussing the optimization of insulin output or more broadly speaking, improving insulin sensitivity you need to understand how this works and exactly what that means. For a perfectly healthy individual with a fully functioning pancreas who doesn’t suffer from excessive beta-cell dysfunction (most people will have some to an extent) it’s fair to estimate their body is going to produce approximately 1 unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbs. Those who are extremely insulin sensitive might have a slightly different reading, but this figure works as an approximation. In the context of building muscle you need to have good beta-cell function in place to justify moving into a calorie surplus. If you have impaired insulin health through lifestyle then you need to address this first otherwise you’re going to be prone to gaining excessive fat and making minimal gains. In short, once

somebody reaches stage 3 beta-cell dysfunction or worse, stage 4 and 5, they’re no longer able to funnel glucose effectively to the required destination. As a result the blood remains saturated with glucose yet there’s nowhere for it to go, further increasing insulin resistance. There are so many factors which influence the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) during the post-prandial phase. Following the ingestion of food the first phase of GSIS lasts for approximately 10 minutes. To quickly remind you of these common influencing factors will include: • Fiber intake • Fat content of meal • Timing of meal in relation to circadian rhythm • Timing of meal in relation to training as well as training volume/intensity/ duration • Body composition • Meal frequency It is widely reported the average person secrets between 30-50 units of insulin per day, clearly this can fluctuate dramatically depending of diet style amongst other factors we’ve already discussed. It’s also worth noting that the impact this has on general insulin health is entirely relative to that person’s muscle mass, energy output and genetics. It’s impossible to say one number is preferable and the other is not! One very interesting point to consider with daily insulin secretion is that on top of GSIS which is largely governed by carbohydrate intake, the body will produce over 5 extra units of insulin per meal consumed. Referring back to my point earlier in the book about the impact of high meal frequency diets for muscle growth, this is yet another valid reason why this diet formation is preferable for building muscle mass. We already know insulin helps prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue!

Lean Mass Edition Ebook In terms of optimizing insulin sensitivity for muscle mass, here are the key considerations I make when addressing a client’s diet especially for building muscle. To reiterate, by this point I’ve already pre-qualified them as being suitably equipped to cope with a high calorie diet. This means they will have reasonable insulin sensitivity in place and have the ability to dispose of glucose readily. Training Stimulus Before discussing diet I want to explain how training stimulus can have such a dramatic effect on insulin sensitivity. Logically the more intense the body works the more fuel it needs, therefore the metabolic pathways which control the usage of glucose (key fuel source) become more responsive. Glute-4 proteins become up-regulated after the most intense training sessions to help with the transportation of glucose to the muscle because there’s now a real “need” for this energy. Whilst this effect is enhanced in the post-workout window provided the training stimulus is sufficiently aggressive, the impact lasts for much longer. In the context of this Y3T training program, your ability to dispose of glucose will increase! Using the analogy of a sponge and water, with the muscle being the sponge and glucose being water, the training stimulus constantly “rings” the water (glycogen) out which means there’s more demand for the glucose circulating in your system. Fiber Intake The effect fiber can have on insulin sensitivity is significant and often overlooked. People tend to become fixated on macro nutrient intake but pay little attention to fiber, the very thing which allows the body to benefit from the protein, fats and carbohydrates which are being ingested! By consuming a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber, collectively achieving between 18-30 grams per day insulin sensitivity can be improved. Referring back to my earlier points on insulin and the interactions it has with carbohydrates in particular, if the pancreas becomes over worked and the demand becomes too much you can begin to become insulin resistant. One of the most simple ways to help

35 reduce the risk of this, especially whilst in a calorie surplus (which you’ll be in on this plan in order to build muscle) is to increase fiber intake. Why? Fiber helps mediate blood sugar and the impact food has upon it. For instance, a meal which is richer in fiber will generally have a lower glycemic load thus reducing the immediate demand for the secretion of insulin. There are times when this effect is more desirable and times where you actually don’t want so much fiber in place to blunt the insulinogenic effect of your meal. During the day you’d rather your blood sugar levels remain as steady as possible after each meal to sustain energy levels and avoid excess insulin secretion, fiber can help achieve this. However, after training where the demand for nutrients is more immediate reducing the fiber content in the post-workout meal can help you benefit from a more aggressive rise in insulin along with the benefits associated with that. Fat Intake Fats are twice as calorie dense as both proteins and carbohydrates, as such they take longer to digest. If they’re consumed with other meals in significant enough quantities they’ll slow down the rate at which that meal is digested. This can be leveraged to your advantage! By slowing down digestion you’re making the energy release from each meal more sustainable across a longer period of time, thus reducing the aggressive incline in insulin along with blood sugar levels. This indirectly helps sustain better insulin health. For this reason I wouldn’t recommend having fat immediately after training where you’ll be consuming an ultrafast digesting protein powder and potentially a carbohydrate powder too. Calorie Rotation Rotating calorie intake according with energy demands in the immediate future is a very sensible strategy for improving and protecting insulin sensitivity. The logic is simple, by putting in the amount of energy your body requires to:

1. Perform 2. Recover 3. Grow There’s less chance of being in an excessive surplus, often the main causation of insulin resistance due to an over whelming demand on the pancreas and more specifically beta-cells. For instance, on the day of your week 3 Y3T leg workout the need for carbohydrates will be extremely high. During a week 1 arm workout the demand will still be there, but not to the same level. Provided you’ve recovered correctly after training your demand for an immediate disposable source of glucose will be even less on rest days. As such your diet needs to reflect this to avoid excess weight gain and the onset of insulin resistance. Summarizing Insulin By understanding how nutrients interact within one another and the body you’re able to quickly take steps to improve insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of insulin resistance as well! As I’ve already alluded to, this is of extreme importance whilst on this program because you’re in a calorie surplus! An excess of energy is needed to build muscle and support constant improvements in performance to attain sufficient overload across all training thresholds. However, if that surplus is too great you’ll quickly find that as insulin resistance sets in you will lose the ability to benefit from your higher calorie diet which ultimately becomes a limiting factor!

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In summary you now know that Insulin is highly anabolic by acting as a storage hormone, preventing the breakdown of muscle tissue Insulin helps with the transportation of all nutrients Insulin is produced by beta-cells in the pancreas and this function can be effected both positively as well as negatively by nutrition / training programming Fiber and fats are very effective nutrient sources as far as controlling the impact of a meal on insulin secretion, depending on the desired outcome at any point during the day

Testosterone Overview Testosterone is an androgenic hormone and quite clearly plays an essential role in building lean muscle mass. The average male who has a fully functioning HPTA will produce in the region of 6 milligrams of testosterone per day, however this can indeed vary depending on other factors including diet, stress, training stimulus, sleep, age and genetics. For any females who are aiming to build muscle but are concerned about becoming too masculine, consider this, the average female naturally produces around 10% of the testosterone a man does. As a result women do not withhold the hormonal capabilities to build muscle at nearly the same rate. Whilst women can and will make great levels of progression, there’s no need to worry that nutrition and training alone will force excessive changes towards masculinity. In males testosterone is largely produced in the testicles. In brief, the process is as follows:

36 Stage 1 Once the need for additional testosterone is detected the hypothalamus releases a hormone known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone. This travels to the pituitary at the back of the brain. Stage 2 Via the bloodstream, folliclestimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone travels to the testicles. The release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulates this process. Stage 3 It’s the luteinizing hormone which signals the production of testosterone within the testicles by stimulating the Leydig cells.

Satellite Cells Testosterone is thought to help increase the number of satellite cells. These are precursory to muscle fibers, helping enhance the size of them or even create new ones via hyperplasia. Strength Increase There’s no denying testosterone helps increase strength, which in turn provides the opportunity to experience more muscle overload. Overload is undoubtedly a key stimulus from training which contributes towards hypertrophy. Testosterone is thought to support strength through increasing muscle size and calcium release within a muscle cell. This is known to increase/enhance the strength available with each muscle contraction.

Stage 4 Leydig cells convert cholesterol into testosterone. The testicles produce some cholesterol but for optimal testosterone production it’s critical enough healthy fats are in your diet. This is why I always warn people away from heavily fat restricted diets!

Optimization Optimizing testosterone production and perhaps more specifically the balance within your body is crucial for muscle mass. There are many factors which we can now discuss with the background knowledge in place.

Stage 5 Once the testosterone is produced it is released into the bloodstream where the majority attaches to sex hormone-binding globulin. In essence this nullifies the effects of that testosterone, however anything “left over” remains as “free testosterone.” It is this form of testosterone which is by far the most powerful when it comes to building muscle! Later on we’ll discuss the optimization of this hormonal environment.

Reduce Stress Acute stress levels over prolonged periods of time can and will effect testosterone production. Cortisol, the “stress hormone” leads to catabolism via gluconeogenesis. Whilst testosterone is trying to enhance anabolism, cortisol will do the opposite if the levels are too high. Although it is easier said than done, having better sleep, avoiding excessively stressful situations and people who bring negativity into your life can help control cortisol.

Key Functions Obviously testosterone has many functions within the human body. However, specifically to building muscle, the main role of testosterone is to increase muscle protein synthesis, increase satellite cells and increase strength. All of these functions lead to an increase in lean muscle mass over the course of a strategically planned program.

Consume Fats When breaking down the stages of testosterone production there was a very specific reference to utilization of cholesterol in that process, where the Leydig cells facilitated the conversion. In order to continuously produce adequate amounts of testosterone its key there is enough healthy fat across the diet. This is why I always emphasize the importance of this!

Protein Synthesis Elevation As testosterone supports an increase in protein synthesis muscle is able to recover and grow quicker, basically. This is the fundamental driver behind the growth of muscle.

Manage Estrogen Estrogen can lead to a reduction in testosterone because of the aromatase enzyme. The aromatase enzyme facilities aromatization, the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. Clearly, this is not desirable for building muscle!

Lean Mass Edition Ebook Managing this involves avoiding gaining excess body fat because the aromatase enzyme lives within fat cells. This is one of the key reasons why I always insist even during a lean mass phase it’s critical not to get too fat! It’s also the reason why I pre-qualified people earlier in this book for a plan like this by stating you should be relatively lean first! Consuming lots of greens which are rich in phytonutrients and metabolites can also help manage estrogen better. Reduce sex hormone-binding globulin As testosterone is circulated into the bloodstream most of it binds to sex hormone binding globulin, you now know how this inhibits its “androgenic” effects on the body. By trying to reduce (not stop) this process, in theory you’re left with more “free” testosterone which is where muscle growth really comes from. Supplementing with zinc and vitamin D can be a very effective way of reducing sex hormone-binding globulin. Magnesium can also enhance “free testosterone.” Training Stimulus Resistance training is known to enhance the production of testosterone, we know this. However that’s like saying “healthy eating” can do the same, there’s a broad spectrum to be considered here. With the Y3T training program in this book acute stress factors in the gym will be more apparent than in more traditional workouts. As such the body will be forced to produce additional testosterone, to its highest capacity in order to cope. Facilitating recovery as well as survival will be the trigger point! Don’t under estimate the power of training intensity and its relationship with testosterone.

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Growth Hormone & IGF-1

Optimization In theory, in order to optimize IGF-1 release the focus needs to be growth hormone because of its pre-cursory effects we’ve already discussed. Some of the best ways to naturally enhance growth hormone production are:

Overview Growth hormone definitely plays a key role in muscle growth, recovery and overall body composition changes. It is categorized as a stress hormone and a polypeptide. It is created (synthesized), stored and secreted by “somatotropic cells” within the anterior pituitary gland. It also enhances the secretion of IGF-1 which is known to support muscle growth and repair. IGF-1 is created and secreted from the liver.

Stay Lean Studies have shown individuals who are leaner enjoy better growth hormone output. This is yet another reason why I keep bringing you back to the point that even during a lean mass phase, you should not get too fat! As well as insulin resistance and potential estrogenic issues, growth hormone can also become inhibited which then effects IGF-1.

Key Functions The main role growth hormone plays within the context of muscle growth is enhancing cell regeneration and increasing the output of IGF-1. In fact, growth hormone is actually a precursor to IGF-1. As growth hormone is secreted into the bloodstream it signals the liver to release IGF-1. It is in fact IGF-1 which drives anabolism forward. The very interesting thing about IGF-1 is that it also has a positive effect on hyperplasia, the formation of new muscle cells. Many anabolic enhancing agents focus on supporting the hypertrophy of pre-existing tissue and facilitating its expansion. IGF-1 can actually help create new muscle cells via the process of hyperplasia. Another extremely relevant benefit of heightened growth hormone and IGF-1 output is the positive effect on connective tissues. Ligaments, tendons and cartilage are notoriously difficult to repair properly because of the poor blood flow into the area and as a result nutrient uptake is limited in comparison to muscle tissue. It has been reported that both growth hormone and IGF-1 can have a positive impact on collagen protein synthesis within connective tissues. It is collagen proteins which provide the strength to these connective tissues therefore enhancing the rate at which recovery occurs reduces the risk of injury, joint pain and even improves performance.

Insulin Management Based on the fact you’ve already read about insulin and how to improve insulin sensitivity, this should become a byproduct of those actions. However, I want to reiterate another reason why that’s critical for your progress. When insulin levels are not properly managed growth hormone and IGF-1 product can suffer. This is why taking the steps I outlined before are crucial. Supplementation Both beta-alanine and arginine, two natural amino acids have been shown to help increase growth hormone output in certain circumstances. Some people will be more responsive to this than others. Sleep Studies have shown that growth hormone levels peak during sleep. Specifically, deep sleep (stage REM sleep). Enhancing sleep can be helped by limiting caffeine during the second half of the day, avoiding stressful situations before bed and supplementing with magnesium. Taking melatonin and gaba before bed, can possibly increase your body’s ability to rise natural GH production. Training Stimulus Yet again, the importance of high intensity training is highlighted for optimal hormonal output. The Y3T training program you’ll be following in this book will certainly provide the stimulus to experience a positive outcome!

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Summary There is no denying that optimising hormonal output plays a pivotal role in building muscle and overall body composition for a myriad of reasons. Improved performance leads to increased muscle overload Heightened nutrient uptake supports recovery and growth Enhanced anabolism and decreased catabolism facilitates progression There’s a lot more, but by now you should have developed an appreciation for how this can all benefit you. The takeaway point really is that focusing on quality compositional changes versus “weight on scales” is the key to sustaining healthy hormone output. As I keep saying, whilst in a calorie surplus there’s more factors which can effect this in a negative way so you must remain in control!

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Your Nutrition Plan For Mass Nutrition isn’t always complex, or at least it doesn’t have to be. However, it does require precision initially in making the right plan and then it heavily relies on consistency. Without these two factors building muscle will be very hard to achieve. This plan below will give you the precision you require; however you will need to provide the consistent effort. Something else which good nutrition heavily relies on is being analytic, knowing when change is needed. In the final chapter of this book I’ll cover this particular point in more detial. This program will have low, medium, high and re-feed days. The key reason for this as explained already, is to ensure you don’t gain excess body fat when you don’t require so much energy/calories yet you’ve got an abundance of fuel when it’s needed!

Even though I have listed my re-feed day is on day 6 which is my shoulder and calves training day, I will swap and change this if I feel I need to refeed before, or I may even remove my re-feed day and replace it if I feel I’m not needing the extra calories/macros. Remember you need to be instinctive at times. You need to listen to your body and the requirements and act upon them. Below is my personal current lean mass meal plan. Be aware my current lean mass weight is roughly 185lbs, but my actual body weight is 205lbs. You can simply follow my current diet and adjust the amounts in relationships to your lean mass, or you can change food types based on the preferred food type, but making sure you calculate the correct amount of macros that go hand in hand with your body weight and needs.

daY 1 High Day Thighs and Hamstrings MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

125g Dry Weight Oats, 3 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 1 Scoop of Whey, 100g Banana, 1 Teaspoon Almond Butter.

Meal 2

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Small Handful of Spinach, 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 3

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, 100g Broccoli, 75g Avocado.

Meal 4

300g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus , 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 5

300g Cooked White Potato, 150g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

3 Slices of Whole Wheat Toast, 2 Whole Organic Eggs, 8 Egg Whites.

daY 2 Medium Day Chest and Calves MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

100g Dry Weight Oats, 3 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 1 Scoop of Whey, 75g Banana.

Meal 2

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Handful of Spinach, 50g Avocado.

Meal 3

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, 10g Broccoli, 50g Avocado.

Meal 4

250g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus, 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Meal 5

300g Cooked White Potato, 130-140g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

2 Slices of Whole Wheat Toast, 2 Whole Organic Eggs, 8 Egg Whites.

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daY 3 Medium Day Rest MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

100g Dry Weight Oats, 3 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 1 Scoop of Whey, 75g Banana.

Meal 2

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Handful of Spinach, 50g Avocado.

Meal 3

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, 10g Broccoli, 50g Avocado.

Meal 4

250g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus, 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 5

300g Cooked White Potato, 130-140g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

2 Slices of Whole Wheat Toast, 2 Whole Organic Eggs, 8 Egg Whites.

daY 4 High Day Back MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

125g Dry Weight Oats, 3 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 1 Scoop of Whey, 100g Banana, 1 Teaspoon Almond Butter.

Meal 2

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Small Handful of Spinach, 1 Table-Spoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 3

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, 100g Broccoli, 75g Avocado.

Meal 4

300g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus, 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 5

300g Cooked White Potato, 150g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

3 Slices of Whole Wheat Toast, 2 Whole Organic Eggs, 8 Egg Whites.

daY 5 Medium Day Triceps and Biceps MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

100g Dry Weight Oats, 3 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 1 Scoop of Whey, 100g Banana.

Meal 2

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Handful of Spinach, 50g Avocado.

Meal 3

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, 100g Broccoli, 50g Avocado.

Meal 4

250g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus, 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 5

300g Cooked White Potato, 130-140g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

2 Slices of Whole Wheat Toast, 2 Whole Organic Eggs, 8 Egg Whites.

daY 6 Refeed Day Shoulders and Calves MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

75g Dry Weight Oats, 3 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 75-100g Smoked Salmon, 3 Slices of Whole Wheat Toast, 50-75g Fresh Pineapple, 30-40g Blueberries, 50-75g Organic Natural Low Fat Yogurt.

Meal 2

200g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Small Handful of Spinach, 1 Table-Spoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 3

2 Large Beef Burgers with Bun and Salad, Large Fries.

Meal 4

300g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus, 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 5

300g Cooked White Potato, 150g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

Sushi (I don’t measure or weigh anything, I just eat what I like off the menu) Plus I may have a dessert of some kind if I want, again I don’t measure or weigh.

Meal 7

50g Dry Weight Oats, 75g Banana, 1 Scoop Whey.

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daY 7 LOW REST day MEAL

FOOD

Meal 1

80g Dry Weight Oats, 2 Whole Organic Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 1 Scoop of Whey, 50g Banana.

Meal 2

150g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, Handful of Spinach.

Meal 3

150g Cooked Basmati Rice, 150g Cooked Chicken Breast, 100g Broccoli, 50g Avocado.

Meal 4

150g Cooked Sweet Potato, 150g Cooked Cod, 8 pieces of Asparagus, 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meal 5

200g Cooked White Potato, 130-140g Cooked Fillet Steak, 1 Whole Organic Egg, 40g Green Beans.

Meal 6

2 Whole Organic Eggs, 8 Egg Whites, Plus a Handful of Mixed Peppers.

Meal 7

50g Dry Weight Oats, 75g Banana, 1 Scoop Whey.

Remember, this is a template example to show you how your diet should look. You need to work out your lean mass by doing the following calculation: Full body weight - body fat mass = lean body weight Once you have this number you can then apply it to your daily macronutrient targets which are set below for you. Protein: Roughly 1.5 - 2g per pound of lean body weight Carbohydrates: Roughly 1.5 grams per pound of lean body weight on low days, 2 grams on medium days, 2.5 grams on high days and 3-4 grams on refeed days Fat: 0.4 - 0.6g per pound of lean body weight This plan is not just about hitting daily macronutrient numbers though, you’re aware that I’m extremely particular about nutrient quality as well. With that said, please use the list below to build your diet based on the foods you like. What I will say is that I like my clients to use a lot of variation so use at least 3 different protein sources per day, along with a wide range of carbohydrate and fat sources. This ultimately gives you more micro nutrition in your diet and it also helps reduce the chances of your gut developing sensitivities to specific foods.

Protein List

Carbohydrate List

Lean cuts of steak Buffalo Elk Bison Game meat Chicken breast Turkey breast Ostrich breast Egg whites Organic whole eggs Cod Tilapia Tuna Salmon Mackerel Bass Sardines Prawns Cottage cheese Natural yogurt Quark cheese Whey isolate Casein protein (before bed)

Wild rice Basmati rice Wholegrain rice Wholewheat pasta Wholegrain bread Ezekiel bread Rice noodles Quinoa Couscous White potato Sweet potato Oats Fruit

Fat List Nuts Natural nut butter Avocado Guacamole Organic coconut oil Extra virgin olive oil Seeds Organic eggs Red meat Oily fish

Once you have taken the nutritional information I’ve given you and created your diet, make sure you get into the habit of food prep. Ideally you want 2-3 days worth of food prepared at once, in your fridge so that you’re able to never miss a meal. Missing meals is going to be the downfall of your muscle building journey! Something else I’d also recommend is having meals which you keep the same throughout the week, so that you’re not left unsure what to have and therefore end up procrastinating. This can cause more stress when it comes to food prep, making the process harder and ultimately increasing the chance of failure.

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Supplementation For Mass... Supplementing For Mass… Training is there to illicit the hypertrophic response required to grow, whilst your diet is there to boost performance during training, support recovery then ultimately growth. So what exactly is supplementation meant to do for you? Supplementation is specifically there to support your diet and ultimately fill in the gaps which your diet cannot. As somebody who is going through an intensive training plan your body is under a lot of stress, sometimes your diet cannot cater for this. This is where using the right supplements at the right time can make a big difference. What I want to emphasize as I do when I deliver seminars is that supplements are not there to replace food or deliver unrealistic results.

They are there to improve the effects of your diet and training. The key goals with supplementation for muscle mass are to: A) Reduce catabolism B) Increase anabolism C) Optimize performance D) Improve recovery E) Support gut health By using high quality supplements which can aid you in all five areas you will find building muscle becomes easier. Below I’ve listed each supplement you will be using along with an explanation as to why I’ve made each recommendation.

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Your Supplement Plan For Mass… There are a wide variety of supplements which can aid in muscle recovery, performance along with muscle growth. Below is an extensive list of supplements which can help you achieve your goals. I’m not telling you to every single one listed, I’m simply giving you information on a wide spectrum of supplements. There could be times when some are more important to you than others, by having a broad understanding you can make a more informed decision.

Glutamine Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body and it’s a widely used supplement in the world of sports nutrition. One of the key factors people focus on with glutamine is its anticatabolic potential. This can certainly be an influential agent in terms of recovery. However, the real benefit of glutamine is in the way it helps the GI tract operate more efficiently. My recommendation is to take 12-20 grams of glutamine upon waking in the mornings. BCAAs BCAAs are one of the best anticatabolic agents available when it comes to supplementation. Leucine is one of the three branched chain amino acids present, capable of boosting muscle protein synthesis which can have a direct effect on recovery and muscle growth. My advice is to take them just before your workout as well as during. Dosages will vary from 6-12 grams depending in the person. Hydrolyzed Whey Isolate The fastest digesting protein supplement is hydrolyzed whey isolate, this is a key supplement for building muscle because it can clear the gut quickly and get into the bloodstream when it is most needed. In this instance this supplement is for immediately after training. This will go towards part of your daily protein intake, with around 30-40 grams coming from your postworkout shake. Multi-Blend Timed Release Protein During the day or even before bed having a multi-blend timed release protein powder is the perfect source of amino acids to help spike muscle protein synthesis levels as well as

prolong them for several hours. In the event that you cannot eat a solid meal, this would be a good meal replacement as your protein source. Omega 3s There are endless benefits to having a diet richer in Omega 3s. In regard to muscle mass they can help with testosterone production, cardiac performance and joint health. They are also linked with improved insulin sensitivity, a key part in maximizing your diet for muscle growth. Dosages will differ but I’d recommend between 4-8 grams per day, divided into 3 servings with food. Pro-Biotic & Digestive Enzymes Gut health is crucial to get the most from your diet and in turn build more muscle. Supplementing with a high quality pro-biotic and digestive enzyme can help increase the efficiency of the gut as they provide additional agents, associated with sustaining healthy gut flora and food processing. My recommendation is to take one of each with a meal, 3 times per day. Zinc Zinc is a great mineral which can actually become depleted in the human body due to intense activity, one of the reasons why I recommend you supplement with it. However, it also has the ability to help boost natural testosterone levels making it perfect for a lean mass program like this. Dosages can differ, but around 30-40mg with your evening meal is around where I’d recommend your dosage is. Magnesium Magnesium is a fantastic recovery mineral which can also be depleted

from intense exercise as well as a stressful lifestyle. Supplementing with magnesium can have a dramatic impact on CNS recovery, the pathway in which muscle fibers are recruited in the gym. Taking between 300-400mg with your last meal would be my recommendation. Beta-Alanine This amino acid has been proven to enhance muscle performance whilst training. The specific impact BetaAlanine has on performance is reducing fatigue because of its ability to increase muscle carnosine levels. By doing this the muscle is able to moderate the inducement of fatigue more affectively. The end result for you is being able to achieve more reps with the same weight before reaching complete failure. Beta-Alanine has been shown to also improve cardiovascular performance in endurance athletes, making it a great all round performance enhancing supplement. Creatine Creatine is one of the most scientifically proven supplements for improved muscle performance and growth. By supplementing with creatine you’re able to increase ATP regeneration during training, thus providing the ability to lift more weight and achieve more reps! Creatine does also act as a natural cell volumizer, drawing fluid into the muscle. There are many types of creatine on the market which all have different capabilities. One key area to focus on with creatine is the rate of absorption. For instance, many generic creatine supplements get stuck in the gut wall and fail to reach the muscle cell. As such this causes gastric issues and gives limited results.

Lean Mass Edition Ebook L-Citrulline This amino acid plays a key role in muscle performance whilst training. Once consumed L-Citrulline is converted into L-Arginine by the body, making it a precursor to L-Arginine. The key benefit of this is an increase in blood flow due to increased vasodilation of the capillary network. This allows for more oxygen rich blood to flow into the working muscle, increasing performance, reducing fatigue and also carrying more nutrients into the area. Interestingly it’s far better to supplement with L-Citrulline rather than L-Arginine because it is able to bypass liver and gut before being converted in the kidneys to L-Arginine. In contrast, L-Arginine supplementation can be stifled by the liver and gut before reaching the bloodstream. Vitamin C Vitamin C is very well known for its immune boosting capabilities which is key during a muscle building phase. This is because whilst under huge amounts of physical stress the body needs help to recover. If the immune system isn’t strong enough you’ll become more susceptible to illness, leading to a reduction in performance. Interestingly vitamin C has also been linked to keeping a healthier testosterone to cortisol ratio in men, making it perfect for a muscle building program. Vitamin C is also known to support the production of collagen protein as well as the recovery of connective tissues, another key attribute for anybody doing following extensive weight training. Vitamin D3 Is a very important micronutrient for general health with a huge proportion of the Western world being deficient due to a lacking exposure to sunlight during certain months of the year. However, in relation to building muscle vitamin D3 is known to impact protein synthesis. It’s also known for its contribution towards healthy neuromuscular function, a very important part of muscle recruitment in the gym. Finally, it plays a key role in supporting healthy bones which is something anybody who’s lifting heavy weight regularly needs to consider given the stress you’re being exposed to.

44 Choline Within the body there is a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is required for muscle signaling/ activation. Choline is required to activate this neurotransmitter, supporting the overall movement of muscles. Logically, by supplementing with choline you’re able to help reduce mechanical fatigue. If there’s a choline deficiency then fatigue in the gym will become more apparent. The more intense your training program the more you need to focus on looking after the health of your CNS. Choline is a great way to do this! Chromium This is a very affective trace mineral when it comes to improving the usage of glucose within the body. Chromium helps improve your ability to dispose of glucose because of its impact on insulin. This means that during a muscle building phase you’re going to utilize the carbohydrates you take on board much more affectively, leading to improved performance and muscle growth. Calcium Calcium helps improve the quality of muscle contraction you experience in the gym due to its affect on myosin and actin, a key part of stimulating as much breakdown in the gym as possible. Calcium is also the most abundant mineral within the body with 99% of it stored within bones/teeth. It clearly plays a pivotal role in bone health, a very key point for anybody who lifts heavy weights regularly. Iron Iron helps regulate cell growth and oxygen distribution within the body. As you develop more muscle mass there’s an increased need for additional Iron because of the role it plays in binding oxygen. Ultimately, without enough Iron in your body as an active individual it’s likely you’ll suffer premature fatigue. There are also two forms of iron, heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is more absorbent and comes from animal proteins. Non-heme iron is less absorbent and comes from plants. Vitargo Having access to a carbohydrate source with very fast digestion and high gastric clearing properties is desirable for faster recovery and muscle growth. In the post workout window where cortisol

levels are naturally higher it means gut function will usually be suppressed, leading to bloating in the event of consuming too much solid food. Vitargo is the perfect way to get carbohydrates in after training for fast nutrient replenishment. Y3T is a particularly demanding training regime which puts the body under great stress, therefore I feel it’s important to consume fast acting carbohydrates after training to help the recovery process. Potassium Potassium is a key mineral as far as muscle performance and growth is concerned because it helps the muscle fibers “fire” properly. If you’re deficient in potassium you will find that your ability to “feel” the muscle work is quickly reduced. Muscle cramps also become far more common whilst being deficient in potassium. Phosphorous This mineral can help with muscle growth as its pivotal in the process of recovery, growth and maintenance. If you are low on vitamin D3 and calcium along with phosphorous your bones also become more vulnerable to becoming softer. It’s a very good mineral to supplement with for overall health and recovery, including the reduction of muscle soreness. Sodium Sodium is an extremely important mineral and natural electrolyte as far as muscle performance is concerned. By sweating you naturally lose sodium which can increase your chances of muscle fatigue, poor muscular contractions and even cramps. Sodium also helps draw water into the muscle cell, another very important role for performance enhancement. Using a natural electrolyte and mineral supplement inclusive of sodium can therefore have many benefits.

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Enhancing Muscle Growth Outside Of The Gym… There are many factors away from the gym and kitchen which can effect muscle growth. When I work with a client I will always take the necessary steps to ensure they’re doing as much as possible to create an environment where they're able to grow optimally. This doesn’t just mean building muscle, it also means taking better care of their health and enhancing overall quality of life. Below are three key areas I’d recommend you focus on as part of your muscle building endeavors. Enhancing Sleep There are 5 separate stages of sleep which can be categorized as follows: Stage 1 This typically lasts for the first 1-10 minutes after trying to sleep, depending how fatigued you are and how stimulated your mind is. During this time brain activity slows down and blood pressure decreases. Sometimes you will experience sudden involuntary muscle spasms/jerks. At this stage you're still partially awake and can be easily woken. Stage 2 This is the final stage of “light sleep” and can last between 20-25 minutes. During this stage the heart rate slows down further, the brain begins to “shut off” more and blood pressure decreases further. Core body temperature also decreases. This is the final stage before falling into a deeper sleep. It is thought nearly half of our sleep is spent in this stage. Stages 3 & 4 Often referred to as “delta sleep” and “slow wave sleep” brain activity has slowed down dramatically by this point. Studies actually show this, which is why if something was to wake you up during this stage you'd feel a sense of disorientation. It also explains why sometimes when you wake up you're totally aware and other times you're not, dependent on the stage you were in at that precise moment! Stage 5 The final stage of the sleep cycle is generally referred to as “REM sleep”, indicating rapid eye movement. This is the “deep sleep” stage however brain activity appears to speed up rather than slow down, whilst the muscles are in a temporary state of paralysis. The first REM stage during the night lasts about 10 minutes, the final can be up to 60 minutes. It is during this particular stage that growth hormone and IGF-1 release peaks, along with testosterone. It’s also worth noting that cortisol levels should be at their lowest during sleep in healthy individuals. From this you can see that at different points during the night the body is being exposed to different physiological outcomes. It also displays the importance of a healthy sleep cycle in

45 order to benefit from optimal hormonal output. Many people who have poor sleep patterns suffer with a suppression in testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1 whilst having chronic cortisol levels. Hormonally, this is a nightmare for muscle growth! In case you'd ever under estimated the power of sleep, this should have made you much more aware! There are many steps you can take to improve sleep quality, some of which will be more relevant than others. Magnesium Magnesium is a natural mineral which has the capacity to significantly improve sleep. It is able to do this by reducing CNS (central nervous system) activity, which means muscle activation is “shut off.” As such, the muscles are able to recover better and the brain is also able to enjoy higher quality sleep. Of course, the potency of this supplement will also rely upon lifestyle choices which are conducive to a good night’s sleep. Caffeine Moderation Caffeine consumption has never been higher across the globe because of the coffee boom. In trained demographics pre-workouts and energy drinks are also contributing to this rapidly rising phenomenon too! Caffeine is a highly effective natural ergogenic aid which can enhance performance. However, when consumed in excessive amounts it over stimulates the CNS. As a result, this makes it very difficult to “switch off” and get a proper night’s sleep. Timing is also relevant because of the half-life of caffeine is usually around 6 hours, therefore consuming anything rich in caffeine within 6 hours of bed can upset sleep quality. It’s worth noting taking vitamin C after a workout can help drain your system of stimulants, acting as a natural diuretic. Stress Management The first points were more factual, this point is far more subjective. Everybody will deal with stress but you really need to avoid it later in the day leading up to bed time. By becoming stressed before bed cortisol levels immediately increase, your heart rate goes up as well as blood pressure. These are all things which oppose the body’s natural sleeping environment if you refer back to the stages of sleep previously discussed. Do not check emails, your phone or complete work related tasks within 2 hours of bed where possible! Brain Stimulation It is good to have a stimulated brain but there comes a time where you need to shut off. Regard this as a period where you're helping your body prepare to sleep, in the same way you actively try and think more aggressively before the gym to perform better. Read a book, do something quiet and avoid electronic devices leading up to bed time. These have been shown to upset REM sleep.

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Summary In summary I’d suggest that you start analyzing your sleeping habits in more depth and act upon the information given above. Ideally your body prefers to have a set bed time, as well as getting up in the morning. Habits like this support the internal system of the body, known as the circadian rhythm.

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Muscle Tissue Therapy Soft tissue massage is something which I definitely grew to appreciate more as my training age increased. It’s very easy to get caught up in the idea that training intensity is the only concern, it is not! There’s only so much training and nutrition can do for the body. At some point external help will be required. Soft tissue massage is a key part of this process. When muscles are trained there is a breakdown of tissue and during the regeneration process which leads to growth, there is often scar tissue as well. Over time this can accumulate and become problematic, effecting the way a muscle is able to function in different ways. There is often a reduction in neurological connectivity within the muscle if excess scar tissue is present, thus reducing blood flow and fiber recruitment. Ultimately impinging upon your ability to build size in the area! It also physically effects the way a muscle moves, again reducing performance and restricting progress. Using the analogy of kneading dough, the goal is to make it as elastic and subtle as possible by constantly breaking it down by hand and reworking it. This is very much how soft tissue works on the muscle. The aim is to trigger certain points of the affected area, gradually breaking down scar tissue. As this happens the muscle is able to move with less resistance and blood can once again flow more freely into the area. All of a sudden there is more neurological activity taking place within the muscle giving you more “feel” in the gym, leading to a better pump and improved muscle recruitment. Nutrient uptake can also improve which facilitates faster recovery and progression. As an example, the inside region of the scapula is a very commonly effected area with scar tissue. As this scar tissue builds up the movement pattern of the scapula becomes effected. Usually, this leads to: • Shoulder pain • Loss of strength on pressing and pulling exercises • Reduction in shoulder joint stability • Unequal muscle development across areas of the posterior chain •Compensation patterns developing which can cause longer term imbalances • Neck pain In this particular instance there would come a time where training would become almost unbearable, if left unattended. From this, more serious injuries could also then occur. Amazingly, having a handful of soft tissue massages done by the right expert could alleviate most of this pain relatively quickly! People who haven't had a soft tissue massage before will often comment on how “free” their muscle feels after their

47 first session of therapy. All of a sudden the muscle responds better, there’s less resistance and everything seems to “fire” better. This is no coincidence which is why I’d highly recommend you have regular treatment - ideally on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. There are several forms of soft tissue massage and some will be more suitable than others for your needs. However, for somebody with relatively high muscle density and almost certain highly restricted mobility due to muscle mass it’s essential the treatment is intrusive enough. It should be very uncomfortable during treatment because breaking scar tissue down requires a lot of downward pressure within the affected area! Skeletal Alignment Therapy Undergoing skeletal realignment therapy is also a crucial part of optimizing performance, building muscle and staying healthy. Remember, a big part of continuously improving in the gym is being fit enough to do so - this requires a pain free body! Soft tissue massage focuses on the muscles and scar tissue within them. Skeletal correctional work focuses on bringing the skeleton back in-line, including bones and connective tissues. The back and neck are very commonly affected areas from resistance training due to the suppression caused by bearing heavy weight. By having a build-up of scar tissue within the muscle it will almost certainly have affected the alignment of your skeleton too. Imbalances within muscles are generally the reason people suffer with injuries, putting excess pressure on joints especially through certain planes of motion. This is why it’s imperative to have correctional work done on the skeleton and soft tissue at the same time. They are highly complementary of one another. One without the other will have limited impact on long term results because unless all issues are addressed, pre-existing problems will undermine any work which is done going forward. One key area skeletal manipulation can help with is nerve impingements. Having a chiropractor manipulate your back and neck can very quickly alleviate pain within the shoulders as well as areas of the back. One of the most common causations of pain in these areas is the pressing of vertebrae on nerves which can quite literally radiate pain in specific pockets across the body. Again, this goes hand in hand with soft tissue massage because often vertebras press on nerves because of imbalances.

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Summary Now you can begin to see how both forms of treatment complement one another and perhaps more importantly, are both essential to long term progress. In my experience many injuries and niggles are treatable and totally unnecessary - if only people would invest in regular treatment like this! The crazy thing is long term serious injuries often happen because of less serious issues which weren’t addressed at the time they occurred. Even if you’re not in pain prevention is far better than having to react. By regularly having a specialist work on imbalances, correcting them and breaking down scar tissue you will be far less vulnerable to injuries. Strength and performance levels will also increase dramatically, leading to better muscle growth!

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Assessing Muscle Growth... Now you have the information required to achieve amazing results over the next 12 weeks I want to leave you with one final piece of guidance. Monitoring your results and knowing when to make the right changes is key to maximizing your experience with my Y3T Mass Edition 1 eBook. With that said I’ve given you the information you need to do this, using my experience. Analyze Your Stats… The first thing you need to do is consistently take your weight first thing in the morning, fasted. This will give you the feedback you need to know if the right changes are taking place. As well as this take your waist measurement so you can see if your body fat levels are going up too quickly. This is the place which will usually increase first if you’re gaining too much fat before most other site measurements. This is therefore a good marker of body compositional changes where fat is concerned. Take progress photos as well every week, this will give you a clear picture of how your condition is changing along with muscle fullness in certain areas. Make sure they’re taken in the same light, under the same conditions. Assessing these things on a regular basis will keep you in touch with your rate of progress and therefore make you aware of any changes needed.

Make Incremental Changes… There are multiple factors which could lead to you needing to make adjustments to the starting diet I’ve prescribed in this plan. Examples are: A) Daily work commitments. If you’ve got an active job then you will be burning more calories than somebody who sits at an office desk all day. As such you might find depending on your genetics than you need to increase calories to compensate for this. B) Metabolic adaptations. As your body becomes accustomed to the training intensity and calorie intake it will try and become more efficient with fuel usage, as it always does. Over the course of the program you will need to gradually increase calories to combat this natural adaptation. In terms of making the changes you must remember that your current calorie intake (once you’ve started the plan that is) and training program set the baseline, along with any other daily activity you do. Your calorie increases are based on all of these variables remaining equal. My recommendation is to make small incremental changes to your diet because ultimately there is always a point of saturation and if you make too many changes too soon to then realize they were wrong in hindsight it’s harder to go backwards from this new baseline you’ve created. When increasing calories always do so from carbohydrates first on this plan. Protein will never need to go higher and fats aren’t necessarily required

to go much higher, however you can make small increases if the need arises. In terms of quantities, look at a 10-15% increase in calories when you make changes. Then give it at least five to seven days before deciding if you need to make more changes again because things to take time to work! Like I said, patience is key.

It’s Time To Build Muscle! That concludes my Y3T Mass Edition 1 eBook. Now you need to absorb all of this information and then go about applying the diet plan to your personal stats. Get all of the food and supplements you need bought and start doing food prep. Make sure your gym is able to accommodate your training needs so there’s no excuses for lacking results over the next 12 weeks! Smash it up Y3T style!

Neil Hill

Lean Mass Edition Ebook

I want to Thank EVERYONE WHO HAS purchasED the OFFIcial Y3T LEAN MASS EDITION 1 E-book. I hope that it gives you a great insight into furthering your performance in the gym.

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