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Gains Anyone?

Hardgainer Bulking Workout Plan

By Kevin Dye

Even though I've been aware of the potential bulking for years, I mainly ignored its usage due to the way mainstream media frowns upon it. That isn't to say I haven't completed a couple of half-hearted bulk cycles over the years, but I psychologically down played its importance, as it was something they did in a bygone era, impractical for modern day gains. That was until I read Hardgainer #67, which completely changed the way I looked upon bulking. This is the story of my revelation, which will hopefully encourage others to obtain the gains that's eluded them for so long.

Discovery

On my first read of Gunnar Dahlin's article, 'If Hise can Do It, You Can Too', I overlooked its importance, it took a second read a fortnight later before I finally realised its potential to deliver serious results. With my curiosity peaked, I sought further confirrmation, with the Hardgainer Roundtable being my first port of call as I'm aware this was where my fellow Brothers in iron lurked, including Toohey and Dahlin. I posted with confidence, as I knew if anyone could help me confirm its worth, it would be the knowledgable people who frequented this site. It didn't take long to receive a reply, as the next day a post appeared confirming great gains on this routine, with a 3 kilo gain a week for three weeks, then a slow down of 1 or 2 kilos a week for the remaining 3 weeks.

This convinced me Dahlin's success wasn't just an isolated case, and it was definitely something I wanted to try myself as any gains at this stage of training would be a bonus, even if they weren't on par with what Dahlin or the e-mailer gained. That left the task of enticing my old training partner, Nick, to train with me, as I knew the routine made for some serious discomfort, and having someone to suffer along with me would make it that little bit easier. So, after letting him read Dahlin's article, explaining it's history all the way back to the 30's, and telling him of the e-mail I received confirming its potential, Nick responded just as I'd hoped he would, and a couple of days later we began bulking.

Initial Workout

Being the gentleman I am, and aware it would be wise to direct Nick on the details of how to perform the squats and Radar Chest Pulls between each rep, I let him go first. It "looked" quite easy, with Nick completing 20 single rep squats with only a slight sweat for his efforts. This increased my confidence, so I decided to use my maximum squat weight, as I'm stronger than he is, so if he could make all 20 then so could I! What a mistake, as 8 reps later I was struggling badly, doubting my ability to continue with each rep. Being wise to my plight and in-tune with my needs, Nick promptly dropped my poundage 20lbs so I could continue for the remaining 12 reps.

Finishing all 20 in pain and exhaustion, I knew immediately we were onto something, as anything this hard had to deliver results! After a 5-10 minute rest to recuperate and psyche up for the upper body work ahead, we completed 2 sets of bb presses and ez rows, 1 rep shy of failure, which was about all the energy I had remaining. Pleased with our efforts, we went to the local shopping mall to seek out some protein, with the deep-seated comfort of feeling like a "lifter", something I rarely feel except on odd occasions. This high can't be bought, it has to be earned, and Nick and I had earned it in abundance!

Expectations

Modified 20 rep squats, where 20 single reps are completed with 3 Radar Chest Pulls between, are slightly easier than regular 20 rep squats, but only just. I have tried 20 rep squats in the past, in the late 80's with the release of Super Squats, but didn't reap the gains I'd hoped for, with a continual painful lower back declining my enthusiasm to keep with them for extended periods. I thrive better on low reps, but it appealed to me having to concentrate on only one rep at a time. I felt confident that single reps with a brief rest between would deliver gains, how much I didn't know, so I remained open minded, letting fate dictate the outcome.

Startling Rewards!!!

Four days after starting Nick called, excited that he'd weighed himself to find a 2kg (nearly 5lbs) gain! Curious, I decided to check my results the following day, even though it was premature as 5 days is hardly time enough to assess a routine, but Nick's gains sounded hopeful so I wanted to know how I fared in comparison. As always, I weighed myself first thing in the morning, straight out of bed for accuracy, hoping to at least match Nick's gains, but as he's less advanced than I his gains could hardly be a used for comparison. What I saw was unbelievable, as I'd started at my normal weight of 100kgs (220lbs), yet was 105, a 4kg gain (nearly 9lbs) in just 5 days. Thoroughly delighted by this revelation, I had all the confirmation I needed to continue bulking on.

Having struggled to add every pound of the 220lbs I usually weigh, fat or muscle, I knew this couldn't be all fat, as I've never seen a gain of any kind to match this increase. My diet was adjusted to meet the demands of this brutal routine, but instead of eating everything in site, I increased my protein consumption, keeping my carb intake as normal as I feared too much fat gain, which would then have to be dieted off come summer. The protein increase was achieved with a shake I'd used back in '86, consisting of a cup of milk, 4 tablespoons of powdered milk, an egg and 1/2 a banana. I consumed two of these a day on top of my normal meals, one mid-morning and mid-evening.

Bulking on

Nick and I persisted with our bulk program, each workout slightly harder than the last as we added a small weight increase each workout to every exercise. We seemed to cope quite well for a while; barely making it through but we were spurred on by what we'd already gained in the initial days of our endevour, which made it easier to cope. The 5th and 6th workouts were unbearable, and I had to reach a deeper level of psyche and keep re-psyching to get me through. The toll it took on the whole body was becoming more and more evident, and squatting twice a week was something I would usually avoid, as I normally need a week to recuperate.

With each passing workout I thankfully counted another one down, but after the 6th workout, the third week, Nick called saying he was burnt out and suffering knee pains. Analysing my own body's pains and discomforts I had to agree with him, my knees, back and hips were also aching, so we wisely called it quits. We'd already gained substantial size from the beginning, so we already proved it worked, and if we were going to soldier on and cause injuries it wasn't worth it any more. So I took my final body weight and measured myself to see the eventual overall gains, taking 9 days off to repair the damage and recuperate so I could resume the slow and steady way us advanced lifters train.

Psyche levels

The first factor that I noticed about performing 20 singles was the high level of psyche required to get through a set. This increased tremendously after the 1/2 way mark, and I had to keep re-psyching, getting angry, to complete the whole set. Luckily I can always get myself into the right frame of mind required to train intensely, which came in handy when I was wiped out, eyes glazed over and had 10 more of these left. Even the Radar Chest Pulls we did between each squat weren't easy, requiring effort after just a handful of reps when my breathing was taxed and I was rapidly tiring.

Analyse

Looking back in retrospect, I can see that I could have done things a lot better, more in line with what I need as an advanced trainee. I should have either squatted alone one day a week and done my upper body work later in the week, or done the whole routine three times in two weeks, to ensure better recuperation. I pride myself on being so intune with my body, so knowing my body this well it was foolish squatting twice a week when once usually leaves me destroyed for days. This is where I went wrong, as I no longer have the freedom to train when I like; I have to abide by my body's signals when it's 100% ready.

verall results

I ended up 105kgs, 231lbs, which is the most I've ever weighed, taking me to a whole new level I'd never been before. I gained 3/4" to my thighs and chest, 1/4" on my arms, and 1/2" on my waist. This was phenomenal gains for someone who'd trained so long, and gave me all the proof I ever needed that Hise, Toohey and Dahlin knew their stuff, methods of the 30's were still relevant in today to stimulate new gains.

Suggestions

As your needs aren't the same as mine, any suggestions I make are based on my opinion, not to be cast in stone or followed without adapting your own alterations. If you are an intermediate trainee then I assume you can get away with training twice a week, I could be wrong, that is something you have to assess. Advanced trainees would probably be better off adopting similar methods which I suggested above, as short-circuiting gains is one of the most prevalent mistakes trainees make. As advanced trainees don't have the convenience of making the mistakes a beginner or intermediate does, it's better to err on the side of caution and rest longer between workouts to ensure full recovery.

Conclusion

I learned quite a lot in that brief three week period, enough to show me that methods of old are still as revalant today as they were when they were first invented. Slow and steady had been giving me weekly progress, which would eventually add up to gains, but the shock of 20 rep squats did much more, delivering gains that might have taken me quite a while to achieve. I'm now training 3 times in 2 weeks on handful of exercises divided two ways. As always, I stop each one just short of failure, which enables weekly progress as regular as clockwork. I might try another bulk program next winter, using the lessons I learned from this one to guide me. I highly recommend you try a bulk cycle, adapting your own unique angle. If your gains are half as good as mine have been, and I suspect they would be better, then by all means bulk-away to higher levels of size and strength!

Note: For more information please read the book "Heavy Duty Memioir" by Kevin Dye.

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Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

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