Every sequential step of the Maximize Your Muscle program, every new phase, is one piece in a carefully designed jigsaw puzzle. Each phase is a different type of specialized tool that, used in sequence or in conjunction with the other tools (phases), will attack every area of your bodybuilding. While the overall goal is incredible muscle gain, each phase has a different method by which it addresses more specific goals - such as creating symmetry, boosting recovery or increasing strength or explosiveness.
Phase 9 of the Maximize Your Muscle program is all about advanced bodyweight training and its specific targets are increasing strength and endurance and boosting recovery. Notice that I said this is advanced bodyweight training. Bodyweight training gets a bad rap because people think that it doesn't do anything for you as far as size, at least not if you're an experienced bodybuilder. Why would you (as a 200-pound guy) push 200 pounds when you can press 2507
An Overview of Advanced Bodyweight Training
The fact is that our bodies adapt in different ways to different stimuli and those different types of adaptation might not seem to increase your size, but they do lead to growth in the long run.
Back in 2002, a study was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology that explored the strength-endurance continuum or the point at which a workout goes from building strength and size to being an endurance exercise. What the study showed was that bodyweight exercise may not result in size gains on par with weighted workouts, but it does increase strength and endurance, which improves your performance during your weighted workout, and that leads to increased size.
Another thing they showed was that the right bodyweight exercises also boost your recovery time, which also gets you better results from your weighted program.
Bodyweight training isn't as good for gains as lifting weights, but when done correctly, it improves your endur- ance and your recovery rate so that you can realize better gains in size from your weight-lifting program. In the four months leading up to the World Fitness Model Champion- ship, I did 200 push-ups and 50 pull-ups every single day and saw incredible changes in my arms, chest and back.
Bodyweight training isn't as good for gains as lifting weights, but when done correctly, it improves your en· durance and your recovery rate so that you can realize bet· ter gains in size from your weight·lifting program.
How to Do Advanced Bodyweight Training
The study by Campos, et al and my own personal expe- rience as a bodybuilder and a mentor have shown that performing advanced bodyweight moves in the 13 to 20 rep range are best for experiencing serious improvements in strength and endurance and in shortening recovery time. But you don't have to limit your results to strength, endurance and recovery. By carefully choosing the moves you do, you can also work on size and definition. In just a bit, I'll share the top 20 moves for building mass with advanced body- weight training.
Notice that I said "advanced" bodyweight training. I'm not talking about calisthenics or a handful of moderately enthusiastic push-ups and chin-ups. I'm talking about serious work here. You will feel it and you will earn your results.
Advanced bodyweight training isn't just a standalone tool - it's great to use as a finisher and is an excellent way to incorporate pre-exhaustion training or to use alongside high-fr