How to Get BIG

If you're looking to get stronger, there's proven ways of doing it. Too many guys train looking to get stronger, but are using suboptimal programming to get there. There's another group of guys who train purely to get bigger muscles, regardless of gaining strength. 95% of people in both of these groups would be better off following a strength-based program (such as 5-3-1) and eating to fuel gains in strength and size. I will go over training and diet information that will make your journey to getting huge a little bit simpler.

Let's start with the training aspect. To get stronger, one must place the entire body under a good deal of stress to force adaptations. When your body adapts to a stimulus, i.e. a loaded barbell, it gets stronger to be able to deal with the demands placed on it. The nervous system must be stimulated to work hard to move whatever object you are attempting to lift. The resulting systemic response will help add muscle to your entire body and make you stronger. The more stress that is put on the body as a whole, the more your muscles and nervous system will grow and adapt. The best way to stress the body like this is to use bigcompound movements in your training. The best examples are: squats, deadlifts, chin ups, overhead presses, rows, bench presses, and cleans(with sandbags, barbells, or dumbbells).

Big movements such as the ones I just listed allow you to use heavier weights than would a cable crossover or a back extension. The heavier the weight, the more muscles will be involved in the movement, and the more the nervous system will be activated. These movements also require the use of large quantities of muscles/muscle groups. For instance, a squat does not simply utilize the leg muscles (like a leg press). It also involves the lower back, upper back, and abs. Stress is placed across the entire body, which explains why heavy squats pack on so much muscle and produce so much strength. Isolation movements like curls and push downs have their place in any program, but these are not responsible for the type of growth that can occur due to squats. The isolation/single-joint movements can not be loaded heavy enough or involve enough muscles to force the same type of adaption as a squat or deadlift.

The other half of the BIG equation involves eating enough calories to fuel muscle growth. Part of getting stronger is physically putting on more muscle mass. In order for the body to build muscle, it must have enough calories to both repair damged muscle tissue as well as build new muscle tissue. If you train hard with heavy weights and big movements, you will need to eat alot of food so that your body can recover properly. If you're training hard and heavy, but are seeing no gains in strength or size, look at your diet. Are you really consuming enough protein and calories to support your training?

If the answer to the above question is no, then you need to start packing the food in! Make sure you're getting at least 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight per day. Seems pretty easy but with all the shitty food out there and the fact that protein foods aren't usually "convenience" foods, it can be tough. Skinny guys should definitely be drinking a gallon of whole milk every single day on top of a diet filled with lean meats, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. If you're 300lbs and 25% bodyfat, you don't necessarily qualify for the GOMAD, so use your best judgment. Some people gasp at a gallon of whole milk everyday, but it really isn't that hard, and it tastes deliciously. It's a shame that society wants guy to look like the cast of Twilight these days. Let's be honest, those guys are small and probably weak as shit. They need to be drinking a gallon of milk a day and so do alot of guys. If you're afraid of losing your 6-pack, then you don't have the courage to get big and strong. (N.B.: I'm not condoning getting fat as hell, but in order to get stronger you need more food, and this could result in a gain in bodyfat. But! if you've put on alot of muscle, nobody will care that you're not as defined because you can probably now kick more ass than ever before.)

It's all very simple. Strength and size can be attained through commitment and hard work. The hard work requires you to lift heavy shit and force your body to grow. To help you do this, you need to eat alot and drink your milk. I'll leave you with this: babies are born at around 7-8lbs. At two years old babies are about 28lbs. What did these babies eat to put on so much size? MILK!

Go Heavy, Go Hard, Drink Milk