The Alan Ritchson Workout Program
Alan Ritchson has one of the most impressive physiques of anyone in Hollywood right now. He is very muscular and lean without looking like a typical meat head. So I decided to put together the Alan Ritchson Workout you can use to build his type of physique!
I had no idea who this guy was until a few weeks ago when I started watching one of the funniest shows on television. Blue Mountain State! Alan Ritchson plays Thad Castle, the captain of the college football team who is almost like a Derrick Zoolander in terms of how full he is of himself and his lack of intelligence.
The show is centered around the college football team and it seems that they do a lot more partying than playing football. However, this is not the case off set because Alan Ritchson had to do some serious workouts to build an extremely fit and muscular physique.
Alan Ritchson Workout Routine to Build Muscle
Currently there is very little information on the Alan Ritchson Workout. I assume that will all change in the future as Alan Ritchson gains more notoriety. However, if you are looking to build a physique similar to that of Alan Ritchson then keep reading.
Build Muscle Quickly and Get the Alan Ritchson Body
When I was in first year university I was fortunate to lift weights with a couple x football player doormen. The two guys I worked out with were built just like Alan Ritchson and were totally jacked.
Over the 6 months that I trained with these guys I added some serious muscle. In fact when I came home from University my family was concerned I had taken steroids. We followed a 5 day workout split and it went like this:
Monday – Chest and Triceps
Tuesday – Back and Biceps
Wednesday – Shoulders and Legs
Thursday – REST
Friday – Chest, Back, Arms
Saturday – Shoulders and Legs
Sunday – Rest
Each muscle group was hit to oblivion 2x per week. This is much more effective than your typical bodybuilding split where you only hit each muscle group once per week.
Therefore, I modeled the Alan Ritchson Workout after this. Although, this type of workout routine requires a proper diet and rest for recovery, so make sure you eat enough food and supplement if necessary.
In addition, the muscle groups are spaced out perfectly throughout the week giving your muscles ample rest between workout sessions. Therefore your workouts effectiveness will be maximized.
The Specific Alan Ritchson Workout Plan
The first two exercises per muscle group in the Alan Ritchson Workout are geared towards heavy weight, lower reps and long rest periods. These are the lifts that you will be adding weight to every single workout. This will ensure long-term muscle growth from progressive overload.
The last exercise is going to be done for higher reps and with brief rest periods. This is called pump training and this will help increase fluid and glycogen in your muscles making them bigger and fuller. By combining these two different styles of weight training you can maximize muscle growth.
Workout 1 – Chest and Triceps
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 5 x 4-6 reps (2-3 minutes rest between sets)
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest between sets)
Incline Flyes: 4 x 8-12 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
Skull Crushers: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Over-head Dumb Bell Triceps Extensions: 4 x 8-10 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Cable Rope Extensions: 4 x 8-12 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
Day 2 – Back and Biceps
Weighted Pull Ups*: 5 x 5 reps (2-3 mins rest)
T Bar Rows: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 mins rest)
Seated Cable Rows: 4 x 8-12 / Super set with Bent Over Flyes: 4 x 10-12 (30-60 sec rest)
Barbell Curls: 4 x 4-6 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Incline Dumbbell Curls: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Cable Curls: 4 x 8-12 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
*Note: A high-quality weight belt is a MUST on weighted pull ups to prevent discomfort an distraction from training.
Day 3 – Shoulders and Legs
Barbell Squats: 5 x 5 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Leg Curls: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Calf Raises: 4 x 10-15 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
Seated DB Shoulder Press: 5 x 5 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Shrugs or Power Cleans: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Lateral Raises: 4 x 8-12 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Chest, Back, Arms
Flat Barbell Bench: 4 x 5 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Incline DB Bench: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Weighted Chin ups: 4 x 5 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Barbell Rows: 4 x 6-8 (2-3 minutes rest)
Standing DB Curls: 4 x 4-6 (2-3 minutes rest)
Cable Curls: 4 x 6-8 (2 minutes rest)
Lying DB Triceps Extensions: 4 x 6-8 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Rope Cable Extensions: 4 x 8-12 reps (2 minutes rest)
Day 6 – Shoulders and Legs
Dead-lifts: 5 x 5 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Reverse Lunges: 4 x 6-8 reps per leg (2-3 minutes rest)
Calf Raises: 4 x 10-15 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
Seated Barbell Shoulder Press: 5 x 5 reps (2-3 minutes rest)
Upright Row: 4 x 6-8 reps (2 minutes rest)
Lateral Raises: 4 x 8-12 reps (30-60 seconds rest)
Day 7 – Rest
Notes on the Alan Ritchson Workout:
- This is a high volume program. Make sure to stop a rep before failure on all of your sets to avoid burning out.
- Record your weights and sets/reps every workout to track and ensure steady improvement in strength .
- This program is geared towards someone looking to gain muscle size. Therefore it is imperative that you consume adequate nutrition. You must eat a lot of food if you are going to benefit from this program. Your biggest meal should be consumed 1-3 hours after the workout to maximize muscle growth.
The Alan Ritchson Diet
Although I don’t know the exact diet Alan Ritchson followed, I can guess pretty accurately as to what it looked like. The Alan Ritchson Diet requires you to be in a calorie deficit so you can lean down and reveal the lean muscle you’ve built.
Alan Ritchson wasn’t eating thousands of calories to get his body, he built a decent foundation of muscle while leaning down. The key here is that you must be in a calorie deficit in order to lose the fat that is covering you’re hard earned muscle. If you want a complete workout and diet program that will help you achieve a body like Alan Ritchson, check out the Superhero Bulking Program
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Where does cardio come in to this?
It’s not needed. But you can do cardio on your rest days for 30-45 minutes.
Do you still believe this is a good workout it seams that some of your new stuff goes away from this method.
I mean it will work for sure, but you’d see better results and long term progress with one of my other articles focusing on my newer concepts. Check out dual pyramid training for example.
Ok I’m on the Greek god workout right now so I’ll probably just stick to that.
Hello..id appreciate a follow up reply of my previous query on fitness.an avid fan.thank you.
What’s your question?
how can i build muscle at home without standard gym equipment? i just use 14lb weights& i would like to put on solid muscle.also how can i add height? im 5’9& i want to hit 6’0..i heard there home-based workouts athletes use to get taller especially basketballers..thanks
Hi..im in my early twenties& im around 5’9..i normally do basic weights (14lbs)& push ups, but unfortunately,i dont have readily accessible gym equipment.how do i build muscle&strength at home& is there a way my home-based workout can increase my height to probably 6’0..upwards?
Would you recommend creatine and glutamine with this workout to help recovery?
Well glutamine hasn’t been shown to be effective. But creatine is helpful.
Hi Greg
I noticed Ryan (UK Bartender success story) followed this workout while losing fat. He looks awesome.
When incorporating this (and 2-3 days cardio) into a cut what sort of calories would you recommend? I assume also 1 refeed day?
I’m 29yo, 6’1, 215 18%BF
I wouldn’t do this routine while cutting. It’s overkill.
I’m overweight but have a decent amount of athleticism in me. My main priorities are, get rid off the excess fat in my body and get a decent body. Not too ripped but somewhat distinctive. I give my workouts a 100% and always push myself to go further. I’m gonna begin workouts soon so Will this workout help me achieve my goal ? Are you aware of any workout that would be suitable for me ?
Thanks in advance for your time and for your helpful reply.
I’d suggest doing one of my more up to date ‘minamilist’ routines. Check the ‘start here’ tab. The best thing you could do would be to get my fat loss program – http://shreddingprogram.com
I don’t have any access to a gym. Or any kind of weights. What do you think I could do to build muscle in my arms and lose weight and workout my abs. Like intensely for a 15 year old at my house?
push ups, chin ups, dips, lunges, pistols, leg raises.
greg we change the exersise every month ?
You don’t have to
Hey Greg,
Do you have any idea just how big Alan is? I find it really hard to get an idea from photos alone. I have been training hard for 4-5 years now naturally, I am 6’1 at 235lbs at maybe 17-18% body fat & 24 years old. Alan still looks bigger than me (maybe due to definition?) but I really want to match his physique. What do you think his stats are? I would pick 7-8% body fat at close to 220lbs in some of his photos, maybe there is still hope for me yet? I want to set a goal for December to match him. How long do you think it would take to cut down from 240lbs at 17-18% body fat down to 7% body fat without going too much smaller than 210lbs?
He’s 6’2 and around 195-200 lbs with a low body fat.
So im 17 and i have a body fat percentage of 20%. And i was just wondering how long would you say it would take to get 6-pack abs…. by the way i have been doing p90x3 for 5 weeks now and i have been seeing AMAZING results. thanks
It will probably take about 5 months to get to 6 pack abs.
Hey, i have 2 questions.
1: is it possible to take feks day1 and day3 togetter ?
2: is stretching out important ?
Thanks for answear!;)
I don’t know what you’re asking me. Feks?
Stretching is helpful, but most people do it completely wrong. read this article – https://kinobody.com/workouts-and-exercises/flexibility-training/
Hi, I’m 16.
My trainer always says that the first set of exercise should be with low weight just to warm up.
I’m corcerned of my safety because of my age, I don’t want to be hurt.
If I do my first set with low weight-high reps -the same as the last one- , will it be too much different from the rutine?
Is this rutine too much for me?
Very useful information!!
I don’t count warm up sets. So yes, start with a light weight and just do 5 reps. Then move to a heavier weight and do 3 reps. Then go to your work set weight and go for as many reps as you can.
Were does cardio fit into this workout? How often should it be pro formed?
Cardio isn’t necessary.
Would this workout be safe for a 15 year old male to switch to? this is what i have been doing….
Squats once a week 5×5 not super heavy
5×5 bench rotating every workout with a 4 set bench 12 reps at a warmup weight, 6 reps at my usual, 2 reps at almost max, and 2 reps with assistance at heavier.
then 3×10 for military press, curls, and that exercise where you pull the bar up to your chest while bending over hink its called a row 3×10 as well.
I also do some smaller isolation excercises (pullups,pushups,dumbell rows, calf raises) as well.
I usually do all of this in one workout with a day inbetween to rest where i do cardio and abs, as well as a day or two of recovery time each week.
i would appreciate what you think of my current workout as I am 15, and if you think switching to this workout would benifit me or not.
I appreciate your time awnsering my question as I know it is alot
This workout routine is very high volume. I personally prefer a three day per week routine. Check out the Daniel Craig Skyfall Workout in the best of category.
Well im only 14 years old. So is this too tough workout for me?
This is a lot of training. I’d go with the patrick bateman american psycho workout in the ‘best of’ tab.
I have been using this workout for 1 full week now with my wife. And i love it! Can I loose weight with this program? I would like to get rid of around 9 pounds. I use to do 10 minutes on Crosstrainer before the program to warm up.
How can I do that including this program?
Thanks!
Well fat loss comes down to diet. It doesn’t happen in the gym. So you’re going to have to tighten up your diet and focus on keeping the calories lower to drop fat. Emphasize lots of protein, veggies and fruit and avoid foods/drinks that are high in calories and/or don’t fill you up.
I have been using this workout for about four weeks and I’m already seeing some serious results, thanks man.
Awesome to heare Kevin! Keep up the great work.
Well man,thanks to you and rusty i have a sixpack but i have a problem… i m always hungry and i love to eat … wouldn t it be possible eat 3 large healthy meals a day without counting calories and mantain the abs? ! Because i have a lot of friends who do that … u know italian food is pretty healthy and they eat like pasta (200 gr) 2 times a day and look great .. their muscles are fuller and girls see them eating a lotta and see me like the one who doesn t enjoy life ecc… u say someone can. T look great at his set point but girls love daniel craig in casinò Royal and the guy has totally no abs in that movie ….
I love your Web site! !!!!
Three big meals may be pushing it. I would maybe do two large meals and one smaller/moderate sized meal. You might need to test it out for yourself though.
hey man, i m 10 % bodyfat but I need some serious muscles like you and alan!!!!
u say ” u must eat a lot of food ” , but what do you mean by that?!?!
i ask you because I look better when I m a little bit bigger and maybe less chiseled , and girls dig more the ritchson ‘s body type than the fight club one… (at least here in italy)
so my question is, how should u eat in order to get this kind of look?!
because some actors and football players eat 5 000 calories a day but while it may be true for nfl players, I guess actors (see henry cavill interview) may be on steroids, cause otherwise it sounds strange…
how did u eat at the time u first tried this workout?!?!?!
thanks man, keep on this way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5000 calories is way too much! Focus on the lifting and getting stronger, naturally your appetite will increase to support the training. You can also track your calories and consume about 16 calories per pound of bodyweight. If you’re still not adding weight increase the calories by about 250. The goal should be to add 0.5 lbs per week. After one year of training this is about 26 lbs of muscle, not bad.
Hey,
I think this workout looks promising but I just have one question:
Should all of the exercises be performed explosively or in a more controlled manner.
If I were to use my common sense, I would think that you should lift slower with the higher weights-lower reps and then go more explosively at the end with the lower weight-higher reps?
Correct me if am wrong :)
Really depends on the exercise but focus on controlling when lowering and exploding when lifting.
Alright, thanks for the answer
What was your nutrition or supplements? If any!
Fish oils, vitamin d, multi vitamin and maybe creatine would be great. For a cheap and convenient protein source, whey protein is effective. Also 100-200mg of caffeine 30 minutes before training.
How long does this method take to show definition?
Give it a good 6 weeks.
i noticed on this workout routine there are no ab workouts, what up with that?
90% of the way your abs look are body fat percentage and genetics, 10% is training. You can add in some abs work to this program if you desire. 1-2 sessions for 10-15 minutes is sufficient per week.
What kind of cardio should you do
I like to just do 45 minutes of walking on rest days as my cardio.
hi mister, i need your help… i m in phase 3 of visual impact,and summer is coming…
now,i guess I m about 10/11 percent of body fat % … but the problem is that i m not as muscular as i wish…
i d like to be leaner,but i think i d better concentrate on gaining musclerather than definition…
i still have to go through bonus phase…..
what would you do man??????
thanks a lot
from italy,your fan,umberto
Yah the bonus phase will be good for improving muscularity and definition.
Hi Greg!
Love your website and workouts. I’ve been trying this one for a rather short while and it feels really good. However resting 2-3 minutes between several of the sets really drags out the time. Is it possible to do a different exercise while resting and then go back again? Example on mondays; while resting between a two bench press sets go and do a skull crushers set?
I furthermore wonder if this wourkout routine suits somenone like me. Im 6’3, 170 lbs and have one year experience in the gym and eight years experience on the basketball field.
Thanks in advance and keep up the great work
No, don’t alternate between bench press and skull crushers. You don’t want to fatigue your triceps from skull crushers when you are doing bench press.
Resting 2-3 minutes is important so that you can lift heavy. If your rest periods are short, fatigue will amount and you’ll have to use lighter weights. If the workouts are too long, do only 2-3 sets for the compound movements. It’s better to do 2-3 sets with a heavy weight and longer rest than to rush through with submaximal weights.
Hey Greg,
Im really skinny but have been seriously working out for a good couple years and just cant seem to put on substantial mass. I just recently started this workout and am currently in the second week of it. Do you have any thoughts on what would be the best way to simply put mass on (with definition of course, no fat)? I only weigh 134 and can not seem to get that weight up while I have had noticeable rippage in most of my body, just not enough mass because I really would prefer to be bigger such as your current state. My bench for this workout on the first day is 165 and its 170 for the other chest day (since it isnt hindered by the work I put into the incline on the first day). Thanks for the site and tips! Just looking for some guidance on how to bulk up since it seems you have done so yourself!
oh and just curious, were you ever as skinny as me? Im 5’8 and 1/2. and weigh 134 lbs. Im was drinking whey isolate protien shakes but now drink monster mass (the mass gainer protein) but still havent gained any. Thanks again bro!
I was skinny in my early teens! There is not too much to say. Be very consistent with your strength training routine and keep increasing the weights on a weekly basis. As well, keep eating more. If you’re not gaining weight it’s because you’re not eating enough and you have a very fast metabolism. But remember you only want to gain about 2 lbs per month so don’t over do it and gain fat.
According to a video I saw on Youtube with Vince Gironda, his dumbell presses were more like dumbell flys. He says if your palms are not facing each other, then your hitting more front deltoid rather than the chest. What are your thoughts on this?
And also.. I am going to the beach in about a month.. I’ve been doing more inclines as of late to try and get that line up the center of my chest.. but I’ve been doing lower reps. Like 4-7 range. If I am going to the beach in a month, would it be better for me to go with higher rep training until then? From everything I read, the higher reps will make your muscles look bigger, but a lot of it is fluid within the muscle, not the muscle itself.
Also.. A question about shoulder workouts. I feel like the outer head of my deltoids need work. I want good definition between my shoulders to my arms, and i feel like I am lacking in that area. Are the lateral raises good for that?
The problem with many of the ways Gironda likes to perform exercises is that 1) They suck for building strength. His variation make it very difficult to apply the progressive overload principle. If you’re not gaining stronger then your muscle gains won’t last very long. 2) They generally put a lot of stress on the rotator cuff. Gironda bench presses are terribe for the shoulders. Sissy squats are damaging to the knees. 3) You can’t use heavy weight. Therefore naturally the tension on the muscle will be reduced.
For the lateral head, lateral raises are very effective. As well, upright rows with a wider grip and pulling only to the nipples.
Which different supply´s like whey protein, should i take during this workout to get most out of my training? And how many times/day and when? :)
Thanks for a great site man!
I wouldn’t worry to much about protein supplements. You want to make sure you’re getting enough protein to support muscle growth. This number tends to be 0.82-1g per pound of bodyweight. If you can get that purely from whole food then great, if you need whey shakes then that’s fine too. Other than protein you can consider taking 5g of creatine monohydrate per day, after workouts. Other than that, there’s not much else that will help you build muscle any faster.
Hey Greg!
You have a nice body! Are you aware of the different body types like ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph? What kind of body type you have? and Alan Ritchson?
Hey stefan!
Yes I am aware of the different body types. That said, no one is 100% ecto/meso/endo. It’s usually a range between them. As well, I don’t think they really make a huge difference once someone has been strength training for 3+ years and maintains a low body fat.
It’s hard to classify myself as I started lifting at a young age as I was maturing. For a long time I would get labelled ecto but that was when I was barely developed. As I started to workout and mature I added a decent amount of muscle and all of the sudden I was considered a meso. So I would have to say I am a mix between a meso and ecto. Now a days I would have to say I’m more of a meso because I easily gain weight if I’m not careful with my diet.
Alan Ritchson seems to be more of a meso but honestly I don’t feel it’s important to even dignify these body types.
Hey Greg
I have a question about your routine. You said ” If you want to gain muscle then do the Alan Ritchson Workout”. Now you dont have any ab workouts in your routine. What do you recommend for an ab workouts and what days should i do
You can do one of the abs workout routines on my site. Check out the ‘v abs workout’.
can you send me the link of the v abs workout, how did you get those abs that i saw in your video? was is from the v abs workout or something else? another thing how many days did you workout your abs durning the week?
Yes from training abs and having a low body fat. Here’s the workout – V abs link
I work by abs 2-3 days per week for 10-15 minutes max.
Hey Greg,
Long time listener first time caller…. Or equivalent.
Just starting this workout and there seems to be a lot of issues regarding the lack of ab attention being brought up on these comments.
I’m thinking that I will need to be eating so many calories in order to support this level of workout that it will naturally increase by body fat and thus be difficult to have visual abs alongside the goal of muscle building.
Basically, am I okay to use this to bulk and add muscle and then concentrate on abs as i strip down?
Love the site bro,
Al
At the same time this workout will require a lot of energy to recover and fuel itself for so you won’t gain that much fat. If you’re careful you should maintain your body fat or you may get slightly leaner.
Hi Greg!
I’ve been going to gym for 4 months now and thinking of starting this workout program! Just one question. Do you recommend using some kind of mass growth supplement for me since i’m pretty skinny? I’m eating lots of lots of food but not gaining any fat.
Nope. Mass gaining supplements are overrated, overpriced and generally lead to fat gain.
hey Greg can you make a video about Bent Over Flyes?
It’s a fairly simple exercise. I’m sure you can watch a video on youtube on how to perform it.
Hi greg, I gotta question that could be useful to everyone… I’m at phase 1 of Visual impact (just finished the first month) , should I finish that phase and than follow this workout in order to get bigger, or should I do this alan’s workout after finished phase 2?? or maybe just leave phase 1 right now and start this program??
what would you do in order to increase muscle size??
thank u man!!!
Finish phase one and two and then do this workout which combines the both.
Hey Greg awsome website man. So I’ve been doing this workout quite a bit and I’ve certainly gained size. The only thing is I want a bigger bone structure. I’m 16 and I was wondering if there’s anyway I can get bigger bones as I’m growing? Do I need bigger bones to appear bigger or is muscle enough?
I assume you have a rather small frame. Since you’re only 16 you will likely experience continued growth. In addition building solid muscle overtime will give you a much larger build. My three brothers and I probably have similar bone structures but I appear much bigger since I have about 20 lbs of more muscle.
hey greg, amazing post.. your site is great, too bad I ve already read it a hundred of times..
actually I m in phase 1 of visual impact, but (maybe) i would like to do this workout to add more mass after phase 2.. I was wondering, since i don’t wanna get bigger legs, what could i do instead of theM??
hope you answer, keep on this way dude!!!!!!!!
I would recommend just cutting out all leg work. You can leave in calf raises if you’d like. 1-2 interval cardio sessions per week to slim up your legs and keep them fit.
Hi Greg
I am looking to gain some Lean muscle tissue and was wondering would this routine be ok to do with my judo training to gain muscle or is it to much volume for recovery?
I do judo 3 nights a week !
Best Regards
It should be fine. You may find it more sustainable to follow one of my other workout programs though.
Alan Ritchson also has incredible abs, for this to work, a strong ab workout needs to be done atleast three times a week along with cardio atleast three times a week. I have seen many people who try to get a body like Alan’s who end up having very strong big muscles but also have a completely undefined stomach. I would like to see cardio and abs put into the workout somehow
Hi there,
This is the original post of the Alan Ritchson Workout?I’m asking because I’ve seen it almost on every so-called “fitness sites”.Have you followed this routine?Did it work for you?
This is how I would go about building a physique similar to Alan Ritchson’s. If you are lean already but need to pack on muscle this will work terrifically well. I followed this routine to build muscle and get that Alan Ritchson look and I know many others who have too.
Hey Greg
Great post, just a few questions. 17 6’2 165 pounds and have been lifting consistently for the past year using at first a full body 3-4 x per week workout, and now a 5 day one body part a day split, and gained little (most likely due to not eating enough). Do you think this routine would be more beneficial to me than the two type I listed above?
Thanks
It very well could! I prefer to hit each muscle group 2x per week or once every 5 days. I find my muscles respond better to that frequency instead of only once per week. Also full body 3-4x per week is way to frequent.
Hi Greg
I have been following the How to Add Muscle Mass Like a Hollywood Action Star since February now, and I have improved a lot. I’m 6’7″ and 190 lbs, which means I’m a bit skinny. I don’t need to lose weight, I need to build more muscle mass so shouldn’t I just keep doing this program for a long time?
Also, when I do 3 or 4 sets I always start low and then increase the weight after each set. Isn’t that the best way to do it?
Best
Seb from Denmark
Yah you can definitely keep doing that routine if you still want to build muscle. I actually recommend using the same weight for all 3 or 4 sets. Adding weight each set will fatigue before you get to the heavy weight. This will reduce strength and muscle growth. Try just performing 2-3 build up sets for 5 reps before starting your work sets.
Great. So I should use the same weights during the sets. What about the reps? The right weight is the one at which, when you do your target number of reps, you can barely do the last rep, right? But if I use the same weight for each set, I would have an easy time lifting it on the first set and I might find it impossible to even complete my fourth set. Should I reduce my reps each time, or should I use a weight that is easy in the beginning so I can complete all 4 sets with 8 reps?
Hope you understand my question
Try resting longer if the weight feels heavy near the end. The other option is to do reverse pyramiding. So reduce the weight after each set to stay within the rep range.
Do you increase the weight after each set? Or use the same weight every set and then the next week increase the weight?
@Josh
Stick to the same weight for all work sets. Try and increase the weight every week.
Hey Greg, I’m 14 and I weigh about 110 pounds and i’m about 5 5′. Im kind of skinny but I really want to pack on some more muscle for hockey. I eat a lot my can’t seem to pack a lot of size. My bone structure isn’t that big so I was wondering if there was any way to increase my size and maybe my bone structure. I also don’t want to stunt my growth so I was wondering what you recommend to do. Should I be working out at this age? If so, what workout do you recommend for me to really pack on some size? Thanks a lot I hope to hear back from you soon!
What’s the rest-pause between each exercise?
@Tor-Inge
As long as it takes you to get set up at the next exercise. 2-3 minutes is usually enough time between exercises.
Hi!
Great post as well as Alan Ritchsons physique. I was wondering can I use more supersets with this workout and still benefit with great results?
@Marko
You can add a super set near the end of the workout. Just keep in mind the real growth is going to come from gradually building your strength on the compound movements.
Hey so I am looking at really sticking to a program (diet, cardio, lifting, ect.) and was wondering if this or the visual impact would be best for me. I’m 21 around 6′ 2″ and about 175 and considered skinny. I workout around 4 times a week right now and just started to do some HIIT. Which program would you suggest for a guy like me? Thanks!
@Brian
Well Visual Impact is a complete workout system and you will get a lot more out of it. The Alan Ritchson Workout can be used for 4-6 weeks to build muscle.
so i have problems with time managing here. i can only do 3 times of workout per week, because i got college homework. can i still achieve a great look only by working out 3 times a week?
@Jefry
I actually fancy 3 workouts per week now. Check out my other article – https://kinobody.com/1477/my-current-workout-routine-for-incredible-strength-muscle-density/
benches at my gym suck ass and don’t adjust……..gym got them locked so you can’t even move them…….ughhhhhh 24 hour fitness!!!!!!!
@Black Mamba
Don’t worry about it too much. Make the most out of what you have.
Hi Greg,
Thanks for replying to Adriano’s question–I was just about to ask a similar question lol. I am currently following a 3×5 barbell workout to re-establish a strength base after I was struck with a shoulder injury last summer. I plan to follow the program till the end of the year, and come January 2012 I will start with the Visual Impact Program. I am slightly overweight too (5’3″, 165 lbs, 23% bf), but Nathan (from Nathan’s Guide to Your Transformation) recommended that I start with Phase I of the program. I was a little hesitant about this until I came across your reply to Adriano’s post. Does it matter what Phase I start with? Bulking up while being overweight worries me.
@Nathan
Get that diet fine tuned so you’re losing 1-2 lbs per week. Lift 2-3x per week (no more then 3x per week). Spend the rest of the time doing low intensity cardio to help create the deficit.
Hey how many months or pounds of muscle would a guy have to gain to have a body like his
@Santino
Someone with an average size build – Ex: 165 lbs and 6 feet – would have to gain around 30 lbs of muscle.
Hey greg i was thinking about something which i think you might have the answer for it
The thing is that everytime a diet comes up, it would be a low calorie diet and a small amount of strength training to maintain the muscle
so my question was cant i train as i would normally (lots of exercises and intensity) and eat the majority of my calories AFTER my workout so that almost all my carb intake and protein etc goes to my muscles
cause each time i do a diet i want to train more and more, for instance when i did the ”Get shredded and sliced diet/workout” i didnt had any problems with being hungry or eating less but was just bored of not training as much as i normally would.
so basicly if i would eat 1500 calories a day it would be like this
7am – wake up go to school etc (skipping breakfast)
3pm – a protein shake with some healthy carbs (around 300cal)
4pm -school is over-
5pm – working out (so not just a couple of exercises but 30-40mins of intense strength training)
6pm – meal around 1000-1200 calories (fish, chicken breast, salad, complex carbs etc)
8pm protein shake with water so olmost no calories
so basicly could i train as normally (an intense strength training workout) while being on a low calorie diet?
@Onur
If you have the time and enjoy to workout more then by all means go right ahead. Allow your self an extra 300 calories per hour of exercise. This will allow you to get the fat loss benefits from the workout. You could give yourself an extra 500 calories for an hour of exercise but then the workout wouldn’t have any fat loss benefits.
So I recommend 10 calories per pound of goal body-weight if you are working out for 1 hour 4-5 days per week.
If you want to workout 2 hours per day then do 10 calories per pound of goal bodyweight + 300-500 caloires.
For the greek god program do you mean the one at https://kinobody.com/48/the-perfect-male-body/ or the greek god program you made(a split)?
Hey Greg
would you recommend counting calories on a bulk? did you gain any fat when gaining muscle and not counting cals, and if not what was your method for gaining 0.5-1 pound a week without overshooting?
Counting calories when you are dieting is pretty simple because you are not eating very much food. Counting calories while bulking would be a major headache.
If you are lifting weights 4-5x per week and eating a high protein diet then it will be very difficult to gain more then a pound per week. My recommendation is to consume plenty of protein and save the carbs for post workout meals. I like to eat the carbs at the end of my meals too. This way I eat less carbs.
How much weight could a really skinny 14 year old gain with this workout in 3 months?
Assuming I have a high caloric diet
This is more of an advanced workout routine. Start with something more basic first. You will make better progress in the first 3 months with the Greek God Workout – https://kinobody.com/48/the-perfect-male-body/
You can gain 15 lbs in 3 months.
Hey greg, was just wondering how many calories were you consming personally during the 3 phases of Visual Impact when you gained your 10lbs of muscle
also, in one of the comments above you mentioned that you never go to failure, even when your building mass. I thought that in order to break down the muscle for it to grow you had to hit failure or near to failure. could you possibly clear this up. Thanks greg. great site!
I didn’t count calories when I was bulking. Instead I just adjusted until I was gaining about 0.5-1 lbs per week.
Training to failure taxes out your nervous system and causes you strength to stall very quickly. You should never miss a rep. As long as you perform several sets per muscle group you can build muscle effectively without reaching failure.
Hey Greg ,
Great post like always , i want to know how much body fat can u drop in one month with good diet (your shake salad diet + 1 meal per day) and good workout program like christian bale workout ?
After reading all your post’s i became mentally strong and my will power is up too !
Thank you !
Keep up the good work !
In one month you can drop 10 lbs of fat. Though you will likely lose more weight then this due to less water storage.
Hey Greg,
Loving your site! Found it recently cant remember how, but i have read all of it and now just keep waiting for the new posts!
Let me ask you a question, hopefully you could shine some thought. I have been working out for 4 months give or take, and i want to get lean. I have a high body fat % right now and was wondering if i should choose to do one of your workouts as my next routine, one of the ones you suggest such as visual impact, or if i should tackle a round of p90x. Personally i dont know anyone who has done it and i have only read about it online, so it would be great to hear an experts opinion on !
@Adriano
Hey man! Glad you enjoy the site.
First off if you want to lose fat then the first step is to get your diet under control. You can workout for 2 hours everyday and not lose any weight if you don’t control your diet.
I like to cut calories to 10 calories per pound of goal bodyweight. So if you want to be 150 lbs then that would mean you would eat 1500 calories per day. Mostly from protein sources, veggies, some healthy fat and a few pieces of fruit. This will give you the most satisfaction.
After your have got your diet under control then you will lose fat and get lean no matter what. Make-sure to do some strength training at-least 3x per week. This will ensure you hold onto your muscle and only burn fat. If you want to speed up the fat loss process then you should add 30-45 minutes of cardio 3-5x per week.
I strongly recommend the visual impact muscle building program.
Otherwise you can do the christian bale workout – https://kinobody.com/1221/christian-bale-american-psycho-workout/
or
sliced and shredded program – https://kinobody.com/717/3-day-workout-split/
Hey Greg, Stumbled upon your site and there is a ton of great and useful info! Best part is that its free! A question on this workout: How would you work out the weight of each exercise to ensure you are making the most of the workout? I realize heavier weights for the first 2 exercises and lighter for the “pump”, but is it a situation where you would go to failure on each exercise no matter what?
Thanks in advance and keep up the awesome work!
@ Dan
I avoid failure at all costs. You should never miss a rep or need assistance with a rep.
When your starting out I recommend stopping 1-2 reps before you think you are going to fail. As you gain experience you can try and do as many reps as possible on your last set without failing.
Hey great site, I think you have a better physique then this guy. What are your current stats height and weight? How wide are your shoulders, waist etc?
Hey greg,
I’ve been slightly confused about some of these posts on muscle building, since you have a few out there. Currently, I’m working on cutting fat so it’s not an issue yet but when I start on the muscle building phase I have a few questions. Should I follow this workout you just posted here, the “Build Muscle like a Greek God” workout, the workout from your post of “Workout for Muscle mass”, or follow Visual impact muscle building which I bought a while back? The amount of workouts per week isn’t a concern, I can workout any day really and have the time as well. Which one of those four should I follow to get optimal gains?
Thanks and love your site, it’s made a lot of things a lot clearer.
@Jack
The workouts I provide on my site are great to use to spice up your training routine and produce great gains. If you have visual impact muscle building then stick to those workouts. Down the road if you want to try something new than you can choose one of the workotus on my site that corresponds with your goals.
Thanks!
I will do this for next summer, kind of to follow a similar set up as Visual Impact. How long would you recommend doing this say for a little bit more mass?
I would recommend 4-6 weeks to gain some noticeable muscle.
Hey Greg. Great post. And I think you should NMR a post about coming out of a diet cuz I know going back to regular habits will bring the weight back. So if you have no idea for a post there you go! :)
@Marcus
Yes I will do a post on that soon. Maintaining a low body fat can be just as tough as losing weight. It seems that when I go from a diet to maintaining I have an extremely hard time not overeating. This is because I believe your body likes to have more fat. Remember there is a reason we store body fat. Its stored energy in case we must go without food for an extended period of time.
What I have found to be a great way to maintain a low body fat is fasting. I like to fast 16-20 hours every single day. And maybe 1-2 days off per week. Fasting keeps you mentally tough and I find it makes it much easier to eat healthier.
The other option is to eat normally 5 days per week and do a full 24 hour fast 2x per week.
Should we include core with this? Because it doesnt seem to be included above.
Yes you can include some core training. Hanging Leg Raises and ab wheel roll outs are my favorite for the abs.
Hey
Great post again, you post too many great workouts, I wanna try them all!
Currently doing the American Psycho one you posted, however this seems very interesting. I’m thinking about doing this while combined with Leangains.
Between this and the American Psycho post, which workout do you think will be more effective?
Cheers again
Lloyd
If you want to drop fat and get super lean and defined then do the american psycho workout with a low calorie diet.
If you want to gain muscle then do the Alan Ritchson Workout with a higher calorie diet.
Hey mate your website is really great :) just basically asking for some advice really. I’ve been working out for last 7 months or so and improved my physique quite alot. I still however want to get my chest bigger and more defined etc plus my stomach still has to much fat on it esp round the sides and lower back. I was just wondering what you thought would be the best kinda weekly/workout plan to cut stomach fat but still able to build some good muscle? My mate reckons working out without rests in big circuits. Cheers mate
I recommend focusing more on diet and cardio to lean up! You shouldn’t change your workout routine too much. You want to be lifting heavy for strength gains. If you don’t keep lifting heavy weights then you will lose strength and muscle. Therefore I’d recommend 3 strength workouts per week and intervals and cardio on the other days.
Thanks alot mate :)
Hey Greg, ty for the best training-site i’ve ever seen! I’m doing the Alan Ritchson workout atm. But i’ve just some question, sometimes when I’m doing for example “Back & biceps” and also includes 5-6 core and abs exorcises i’ll be at the gym for more than 1,5 hours. My friends says that’s way to long workout, is it? And if it is, what can I do to make the workout shorter? I’m doing everything very strictly, no extra rest or something. :)
There’s nothing wrong with training for 1.5 hours. However, it’s definitely not necessary. I prefer shorter workouts lasting 45-60 minutes. Try and cut back on the number of abs exercises to 1-2. Also only take warm up sets for the first exercise of the workout.