What is an effective workout routine for someone who wants to gain size and strength while also achieving a ripped physique?
“I want to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club”.
That’s what my co-worker said when asked for his goals in our first gym session together.
I chuckled.
Not because he was dreaming but because it’s what all of us want. To have a bit more muscle and definition.
There were 3 keys to success:
Playing the long game
Focus on nutrition
Lift heavy
PLAYING THE LONG GAME
This is the most important as it requires a mindset shift.
Remove the belief that your dream physique can be achieved quickly and without hard work.
While celebrity transformations in 6 months are possible, this is a full-time process and unsustainable in the real world. For example, Chris Hemsworth needed to workout 3 times a day, 2 naps in between while stuffing himself with food he didn’t like to look like Thor. That’s just not a realistic option for everyone.
The most efficient way to gain size/strength AND achieve a ripped physique is accepting the path will be long and dedication will be required. Depending on your starting point, you should view the timeframe in years. Not months. Definitely not weeks!
FOCUS ON NUTRITION
Often overlooked but vitally important. What you eat plays a big factor in how your muscles grow.
There are a few fundamentals to begin with:
Calculate your maintenance calories. If you want to gain weight - ensure you have a caloric surplus on a consistent basis (missing one day is fine). Opposite if you want to lose weight (caloric deficit).
Protein is your friend. The building blocks of muscle. A steady diet of eggs, chicken, salmon and red meat for your main meals will ensure your muscles are well fed for growth.
Carbs on active days. Less so during rest. We need carbs for the energy required during a workout. But limit it during rest days.
Creatine and Water. Less controversial now compared to 10 years ago - creatine is now thoroughly researched to be a safe and effective supplement for both muscle hypertrophy and cognitive function. Staying hydrated throughout the day while supplementing with creatine creates thicker muscles creating the definition we all seek.
Depending on where you are in your strength journey, there may be some experimenting required to see how your body responds with your nutrition choices. You may need to stay at a caloric deficit to lower your body fat % but to the detriment of a good strength workout. Or alternatively, you may want to sacrifice definition for more hypertrophy.
LIFT HEAVY
The most effective workout for size, strength and definition is a consistent (and programmed) progressive overload program.
This means continually adding additional stressors to your movements through either increased weight, reduced rest time, time under tension, pause reps, myo reps…essentially anything lights that fire in your muscle contractions.
Once your body is accustomed to the movement patterns, a period of lifting heavy weights does wonders to your physique. The shock of the weight really fires up those fight or flight responses and your body adapts accordingly. It builds!
A favourite workout I always turn to is the 5x5 workout. This is 5 sets of 5 reps. Just make sure you pay attention to your recover needs as heavy workouts require heavy rest!
For example:
Day 1 - Upper
Barbell Bench Press 5/5/5/5/5 (90 sec rest)
Barbell Back Row 5/5/5/5/5 (90 sec rest)
Barbell Military Press 5/5/5/5/5 (90 sec rest)
Cable Flys/Standing Laterals Super Set 12/12/12 (60 sec rest)
Cable Face Pulls/Straight Arm Pull Downs 12/12/12 (60 sec rest)
Day 2 - Lower
Barbell Squat 5/5/5/5/5 (120 sec rest)
Barbell Lunges 12/12/12 (60 sec rest)
Leg Curls 12/12/12 (60 sec rest)
Standing Calf Raises 15/15/15 (60 sec rest)
Day 3 - Upper
Barbell Deadlift 5/5/5/5/5 (120 sec rest)
Incline Smith Press 5/5/5/5/5 (90 sec rest)
Smith Military Press 5/5/5/5/5 (90 sec rest)
Close Grip Pull Down 5/5/5/5/5 (90 sec rest)
Gaining size, strength and definition is achievable by anyone who commits for the long term and willing to put in the work.
By focusing on nutrition, recovery and heavy lifts the path to your dream physique will get you there faster.
