Your anatomy is a blueprint. You are an architect.

Beneath your skin lie the plans for your fastest,

strongest, most powerful body. Built by Science will help you make those plans a reality. It's a six-
week course on the mechanics and intricacies of muscle building. You will learn muscular and
skeletal anatomy, muscle function, biomechanics, and the best exercises to build lean mass. You will
learn to harness mind and muscle so you can build your best self.

Built By Science

Overviews

Knowledge is power. To build your strongest possible body, you have to understand your body. Built
by Science begins with six body part-specific video courses on muscular anatomy, skeletal anatomy,
muscle function, and exercise application. This is where building muscle begins.
Core Training and Anatomy

When people talk about abdominals, the conversation usually doesn't go far beyond the six-pack, but
the core actually goes much deeper than any of the visible ab muscles. It's time to learn how and why
these muscles matter to the healthy movement and function of your body.

We're going to learn which muscles make up your core, what they do, and how they collectively work
to stabilize your trunk so you can move heavy weight. Your abdominal training is about to get a
serious pick-me-up. Here's how science can help you achieve stronger, healthier abs.

Muscular Anatomy

Despite popular belief, your abdominals are much deeper and more complicated than that superficial
six-pack you check out in the mirror. Let's get to the core of the issue.

Anterior Core

These are the abdominal muscles you'll find on the front of your body. They're comprised of three
layers: the deep layer, the intermediate layer, and the superficial layer.

Deep Layer

These three muscles work together to help pressurize your inner-core musculature. Without this
pressure, your core couldn't stabilize and allow you to do those heavy deadlifts, squats, or overhead
presses.
Thoracic Diaphragm
A lot of people don't talk about the diaphragm in terms of exercise, but it's critical to respiration. The
diaphragm starts on the front inside of the ribcage, comes up and around, and connects to the lower
back.

Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is made of muscles positioned below your pelvis. When you take a deep breath, your
diaphragm comes down, and your pelvic floor catches the breath. The thoracic diaphragm and the
pelvic floor pressurize and stabilize your spine.

Transverse Abdominus (TVA)

Your transverse abdominus is layered below your internal obliques and is another significant part of
stabilizing your pelvis. It starts on the linea alba—the connective tissue that runs down the center of
your torso—and attaches to the lower back.

Intermediate Layer

The internal layer of your core lies between the deep and the superficial layer. It's made up of a few
muscles, but the most important is the internal oblique.

Internal Oblique
This muscle runs from linea alba—a vertical line down the middle of your anterior trunk—and
attaches to the hip bone. It runs low to high, perpendicular to the external obliques. The internal
oblique is an important muscle in respiration and torso rotation.

Superficial Layer

These are the muscles everybody wants to talk about. If you're lean enough, the superficial layer of
abdominal muscles forms a visible six-pack.

External Oblique
The external oblique runs from the ribcage down to your hips. Most people think of the external
oblique as a trunk flexor or rotator, but it's also a crucial muscle for stability through the core and
midsection.

The external oblique helps posteriorly tilt the pelvis. A lot of people have the tendency to fall into
anterior pelvic tilt, in which the lower back is arched and the hips are back, which creates a lot of
pressure in the lower back. The external oblique is important for pulling the pelvis back to a neutral
position.

Rectus Abdominus
The rectus abdominus originates on the pubis and inserts on the fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs, as well
as the bottom portion of the sternum. It's separated vertically by the linea alba and horizontally by
three or four bands of connective tissue. These separations create six or eight muscle bellies that are
collectively called the six-pack.

Your abdominals are much deeper and more complicated than the six-pack in the mirror.
Posterior Core

Your core consists of more than just the muscles on the front of your body. It's important to know
what's happening on the back. We're going to focus on three specific muscle groups in this section:
the multifidus, quadratus lumborum, and erector spinae.

Multifidus

The multifidi are small muscles that span 2-4 segments of the spine. You'll never see them, but
they're important because they give your brain feedback about where your body is in space. These
muscles also help control little movements throughout your spine.
Quadratus Lumborum (QL)

This big muscle runs from the top of the hip all the way up to your lower back. It's important for side-
to-side movements, but it's even more important for preventing side movement. Your QL is necessary
for controlling or resisting motion.

Erector Spinae

This muscle group starts at the sacrum and the top of the hip and connects to the ribcage, the top of
your neck, and even as high as the base of your skull. These muscles are important for controlling
motion during squats and deadlifts. If you need to maintain a little extension, that's where erector
spinae come into play.

The erector spinae are important for controlling motion during squats and deadlifts.
Skeletal Anatomy

We many not think about them as often, but the bones and joints of your abdominal region are just as
crucial to your training and development as your muscles.
Pelvis

The pelvis has two major motions: anterior tilt, which is rolling the hips forward and popping the
tailbone back, and posterior tilt, which is rolling the pelvis underneath.

Lumbar Spine

Your lumbar spine is comprised of the five vertebrae between your rib cage and your pelvis. It moves
in lumbar flexion, or bending over forward; lumbar extension, which is arching backward; lateral
flexion, or bending to the side; and rotation, which is rotating your torso to one side or another.

As important as these movements are when it comes to training, resisting motion is just as important.
The lumbar spine doesn't move much, other than front to back, so the more you can control or resist
motion, the healthier your lumbar will be. A healthy lumbar means bigger, heavier lifts for a longer
period of time.

Muscular Function

The following are the exact movements your core is designed to do. A lot of people like talking about
big-bang exercise like crunches, sit-ups, and side bends. In reality, your abs do a lot more than just
flex. Here are the five motions you should know:

Intrathoracic Pressure

Take a deep breath in and hold it. That's your diaphragm pressing down into your pelvic floor and out
into your transverse abdominus. This pressure gives you a strong, stable spine to squat, deadlift, and
overhead press.
Anti-Extension

Most people think your abdominals are only made to flex your trunk. They also control extension
through the spine and lower back. Many people struggle to control arching backward. Your rectus
abdominus and your internal and external obliques connect to the front of your pelvis and help control
your lower back.

Lateral Flexion And Anti-Lateral Flexion

Internal and external obliques help you bend toward one side. This is called lateral flexion. The
obliques and the quadratus lumborum are also important for keeping your spine neutral, which is
called anti-lateral flexion. Imagine carrying a heavy bag of groceries. You need one side of your body
to stay strong to control the motion so the other side doesn't just drop to the side.

Anti-Rotation

The rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, and internal and external obliques are responsible for
keeping your body from rotating too far. Like anti-lateral flexion, anti-rotation helps keep the torso
neutral against pressure. To do any push or pull with one side of the body, you need anti-rotation.

Anti-Flexion

Your ability to bend forward is important, but if you're squatting or deadlifting, you better hope you
don't fall over forward. Your core's ability to keep your torso from rounding over is going to keep your
spine healthy and allow you to move more weight.

Key Exercises

Now that you understand the anatomy and biomechanics of your abdominals, it's time to put that
knowledge in action. It's time to move past endless crunches; here are some key movements that will
help you get the most out of your core training.

Exercise 1: Trx Fallout

The TRX fallout is a great exercise because it will help you sculpt that six-pack and create balance.
Many of my clients have a tight, stiff lower back. They need some core strength to help offset the
tension and build better anterior and posterior balance.
Set up on your toes with your hands under your shoulders, holding onto the TRX straps. Exhale to
keep your core tight and hold that position. From here, allow your hands to fall in front of your body.
Keep your core tight and your back straight and pull yourself back up.

In the bottom position, you use your rectus abdominus and internal and external obliques to control
the motion and force a neutral spine, neck, upper back, and butt.

TRX Fallout
Exercise 2: Dead Bugs

A lot like the TRX fallout, this movement will help you control and resist extension through your lower
back.

Lie on your back and reach your hands toward the ceiling. Bring your feet, knees, and hips up to 90
degrees. Exhale hard to bring your ribcage down and flatten your back to the floor. Hold this position
through the set.
From your starting position, extend and push through one heel and then bring it back up to 90
degrees. Your back is going to want to arch. Resist that tendency. Stay tight and reach long through
the heel.

Exercise 3: Pallof Press

This is a fantastic exercise for teaching your body how to resist and control rotation from side to side.

Grab a D-handle cable attachment and pull it to your chest. Stand up and extend the handle so that
your arms are straight. The weight will try to pull you back, but you can resist with your internal and
external obliques, transverse abdominus, and QL. These muscles will keep you from rotating toward
the weight. Hold the resisting position for 20-30 seconds, and then switch sides.

Exercise 4: Suitcase Deadlift

The suitcase deadlift will teach you how to control side-to-side motions through your core and the
spine. Pick up a dumbbell from a bench and stand straight up. From this position, shift your weight
back through your hips into a single-handed deadlift, and then pop back up. Keep your hips down and
your chin down. Progressively work through a greater range of motion.

Because that weight is on one side, you're going to work hard to keep the opposite side stable. So not
only is this exercise great for strength, it's also going to train those stability muscles like your obliques
and your QL.

Better Abs, Built By Science

At the end of the day, your abdominal muscles are everything to your core. They literally tie your
upper and lower body together. Whether you're doing this trainer for a better physique or you want to
lift more weight, you need a strong, stable midsection for optimal results.

Ab training is not about moving through your lumbar spine, but it's about being able to resist motion.
Understanding this aspect of your core can help you train it more effectively. All in all, this knowledge
will help you look and perform better.
Arm Training and Anatomy

Chances are, the very first time you stepped in a gym, you went straight through an arms workout.
Guys and girls alike want a killer set of arms because they're one of the most impressive and visible
muscle groups on your body. There's a reason you can't walk into a gym without seeing at least one
person doing biceps curls.

You might want great arms, but you might not be getting the most from your arms training. It's time to
train your biceps and triceps harder and smarter. I'm going to teach you how little things like muscular
attachment points, different grips, and specific positions can make a profound difference on your
results.

Muscular Anatomy

To train your arms effectively and efficiently, you need to understand how they're put together. Here's
what you need to know about the muscles in your arms.

Anterior Arms

To train the front of your arms and build a set of baseball biceps, you need to focus on three specific
muscles: the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the brachioradialis. The differences in these muscles
are important to note.
Biceps Brachii

Biceps means "two heads." You have two heads to your biceps muscles: the short head, which
originates at the front of your scapula and inserts at top of the radius (the forearm bone that ends
near your thumb) and the long head, which also originates at the scapula but takes a longer route to
insert on your radius.

Brachialis

The brachialis runs from the midpoint of your humerus, your upper-arm bone, to your ulna (the
forearm bone that ends near your pinky finger). Because the brachialis does not insert on the radius,
it does not help pronate or supinate your arm. The main role of the brachialis is to help flex the elbow
joint.

Brachioradialis

Your brachioradialis is a long forearm muscle. It originates on the humerus and attaches at the end of
the radial bone.

Build your set of baseball biceps by focusing on three specific muscles: the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the
brachioradialis.
Posterior Arms
Most people are focused on their biceps because they pop in the mirror, but your triceps brachii are
arguably up to 75 percent of your upper arm, so it's important to give them just as much attention.
Triceps means "three heads." To get that horseshoe shape, you need to hammer each head of your
triceps.

Lateral Head

The lateral head of your triceps originates on the upper humerus and attaches at your elbow, or
what's known as the olecranon process.

Medial Head

The medial head starts on the back side of the humerus and attaches to your elbow.

Long Head

The long head is a little different from the other triceps heads. The long head runs from your scapula
and attaches at your elbow. Because it attaches on the scapula, you can move the arm and shoulder
to isolate it, which I'll discuss in more detail below.

Skeletal Anatomy

Bones and joints play a critical role in how your arms are able to move. Understanding how your
bones and joints work will help you tweak exercises and target specific muscles.

Anterior Arms
 Two key joints influence your biceps training. The position of these joints can alter which muscles are
being trained.

Shoulder Joint

The shoulder joint, also called the glenohumeral joint, is important to training your arms because the
long head of your biceps brachii crosses it.

Elbow Joint

The elbow joint, or what's called your radioulnar joint, is important because the rotation of your arm
impacts which muscle you target. Moreover, to train your biceps, you must flex your elbow joint.

Posterior Arms

The same joints and bones are important to your triceps training, but for different reasons.

Shoulder Joint

The shoulder joint is important in training your triceps because of your triceps long head. To isolate
the long head, you have to elevate your arm overhead.

Elbow Joint

Elbow extension, or the straightening of the elbow joint, is relevant to almost every single triceps
move. Push-downs, kick-backs, and compound exercises like the close-grip bench press all require
elbow extension.

Muscle Function

Up to this point, we've covered muscles, bones, and joints involved in arm training. Let's take it a step
further and look at how all of those aspects work together to move your body. As you begin to
understand different shoulder and elbow positions, you'll learn how to maximize your arm growth and
you'll get more out of your arms training.

Arms Vocabulary

• Pronation: Rotational movement of the arm so that the palm faces down.
• Supination: Rotational movement of the arm so that the palm faces up.
Anterior Arms

Supinated Grip

The biceps brachii are important because they help create flexion and supination. To hit your biceps
most effectively, use a supinated grip.

Neutral Grip

As soon as you go into a neutral grip, like a hammer curl, you have a direct line of pull and will
maximize development of brachialis.

Pronated Grip

If you go into a fully pronated grip, you lose the mechanical advantage of your biceps. That's
important because, in this position, you have a direct line of pull to your brachioradialis. So when
you're doing a reverse curl, you're really going to isolate the brachioradialis.

Supinated, Neutral, and Pronated grip.

Posterior Arms

Elbow Extension

When you go from a flexed to an extended elbow position, you're working all three heads of the
triceps equally.
Overhead Elbow Extension

As soon as you move the weight over your head, you start to preferentially recruit the long head of
your triceps.

Key Exercises

This is where the rubber hits the road. These are the key exercises you'll need to carve a solid set of
arms. The video might make look these exercises look easy, but it's important to note that the
intensity of your training matters. You have to crank it up if you want to maximize your arm
development.

Anterior Arms

Add these biceps-enhancing movements to your training arsenal.

Exercise 1: EZ-Bar Biceps Curl

I like using the EZ-bar better than a barbell because it's slightly more forgiving. Many people aren't
quite symmetrical between their elbows and between their shoulders. A barbell tethers your shoulders
together and can give those people issues. EZ-bars are easier to use and more shoulder and elbow
friendly.
To get the most out of your EZ-bar curl, keep your abs and glutes tight. Those contracted muscles will
help you move more weight and will protect your lower back. Fully extend at the bottom of the
movement and squeeze at the top. Use a supinated grip to work those biceps hard.

Exercise 2: Reverse-Grip EZ-Bar Preacher Curl

For this movement, we'll use a pronated grip so the biceps are inefficient and we work the
brachioradialis. Keep your elbows pinned to the pad and a neutral alignment in your wrist. Contract at
the peak of the movement and be sure to get a full extension. We're looking for a full range of motion.

This exercise offers more isolation than a barbell curl, so you won't be able to lift as much weight as
you would doing a regular EZ-bar curl. Put this movement at the end of your workout—it's icing on
your training cake.

This move is great for forearm development. Rather than using grip-specialization exercises, this
exercise works your upper and lower arms in one movement.

Exercise 3: Seated Hammer Curl

This movement will help you hit the brachialis. Keep your hands in a neutral grip, with your palms
facing each other. If you want to tweak this lift, add a little supinated twist at the top to recruit your
biceps brachii. Keep your abs tight to protect your back and prevent yourself from cheating.

Posterior Arms

Don't leave your triceps hanging! Add these movements to hit all three heads of your triceps with
intensity and efficiency.

Exercise 1: Close-Grip Bench Press

In my opinion, there's no better movement for triceps training than the close-grip bench press. Some
of you might think that, because we're dealing with a bench press, this is a chest exercise. That's
true, but you're still getting a ton of elbow extension, which is going to help build big triceps.

Take a shoulder-width grip on the bar. If you get too narrow, you'll put too much strain and torque on
your wrist at the bottom. Turn your knuckles up for neutral wrist alignment. Pull the bar down to your
chest while keeping your elbows close and tight to your body. Finish with your knuckles up.

A lot of people think that doing arm exercises means isolated, single-joint movements. But this big,
compound movement allows you to overload your muscles. You'll get help from your chest, and those
big joints help you push serious weight to develop larger and stronger muscles.

Exercise 2: Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

Putting your arms over your head isolates the long head of the triceps. This is a simple movement but
remember to keep the abs tight and concentrate on stretching into a full range of motion. Your elbows
should stay up.
 Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
Better Arms, Built By Science

Building great arms is more than just a combination of isolation exercises at the end of a workout. If
you want good arms, push yourself when you hit your compound movements.

Don't forget, you build your arms virtually all day. Your biceps and triceps are used on movements
like the pull-up and the bench press. Those back, chest, and shoulder days will indirectly help
develop your arms.

The addition of an arms-isolation day that includes the above exercises will help supercharge your
arms development.
Back Training and Anatomy

It's not uncommon to train the big, showy muscles on the front of your body when you first hit the
gym. Your arms, pecs, and abs look great in the mirror, which makes it easy to neglect your back as
a novice lifter. Your back, however, is just as important as the front of your body when it comes to
aesthetics, strength, power, and performance.

People who are serious about creating a great physique know that a thick, wide back is going to
distinguish them from other competitors, athletes, and lifters. Understanding the anatomy and
movement patterns of your body will make your back training more effective and efficient. I'm going to
teach you everything you need to know to build an unbelievable back.

Muscular Anatomy

Your back is made of multiple muscles. Although we can't go over every single one, I'm going to
cover the primary movers most people are interested in training. Here's what you should know to
build a barn-door back.

Latissimus Dorsi

The lats are probably the first muscles people think about when they talk about back training. They
originate at the humerus—the upper arm bone—and connect to the scapula, the lower thoracic spine,
and to the thoracolumbar fascia, which is a membrane covering the deep muscles of the back.
Because they span such a large portion of your upper back, your lats are critically important if you
want to build width and size.

Trapezius

Your traps are much bigger than you probably think they are. There are actually three distinct subsets
of your trapezius: the upper trap starts at the base of your skull, comes down, and attaches to your
clavicle; the middle trap starts on your spine in your upper-middle back and attaches to the scapula;
and the lower trap originates at your lower-middle spine and attaches to the scapula.

Rhomboids

The rhomboids are deep muscles that lie under the traps. They run at an angle from your thoracic
spine to your scapula. Even though they're not superficial, you want to put emphasis on them
because they're critical for front-to-back thickness.

Low Back?

For this lesson, we'll be talking about the upper back muscles. We break down many of those lower-
back muscles in the abdominals and core-training video.

Skeletal Anatomy

Your spine is incredibly important for any major movement, but training your back doesn't begin and
end with the spine. There are other important bones and joints that you should recognize and
understand.
Thoracic Spine

Your thoracic spine is your upper back. It's made of 12 unique bones and runs from the base of your
neck to your lower back. You don't lift through your spine, but your spine sets the stage for
surrounding motion. A stable upper back is vital to safe and effective back training.

Scapula

Your scapula is basically your shoulder blade. It's where your horizontal pull movements originate.
The scapula is a triangular bone that connects the humerus to the clavicle.

Glenohumeral Joint

Your glenohumeral joint, better known as the shoulder joint, is essential for any pulling motion. It's a
ball and socket joint that allows your arms to be highly mobile. Because it's so mobile, your shoulder
joint is relatively fragile. This makes smart training essential.

Muscle Function

As you begin to know and understand the muscles, bones, and joints in your back, you'll learn how
they create movement. Movement, as we all know, is the basis for our training. Understanding how
these movements work will help you develop a solid upper back and keep your shoulders healthy.

Lats
Your lats are responsible for moving your shoulder joint. Your shoulder can extend, adduct, and
internally rotate because of the lats. Strong, activated lats are especially important for pull-ups, heavy
deadlifts, and other big pulls.

Traps

Your traps also move your shoulders. When you reach up, your upper and lower traps and your
serratus work together to create upward scapular rotation. Your traps also have a role in pulling your
shoulders together and sliding your scapula down your ribcage. You also use your traps to slide your
scapula upward when shrugging.

Rhomboids

The rhomboids are responsible for your scapula's retraction and downward rotation.

Understanding how these movements work will help you develop a solid upper back and keep your shoulders
healthy.
Key Exercises

We don't train the back with jerky motions that bend and twist the spine. Instead, we use our muscles,
bones, and joints together to create smooth, efficient movement. These exercises will challenge the
components of your back to work in concert for maximal development.
It's also important for you to learn how your body works in different planes of motion. Each of these
exercises will challenge your back muscles on various planes, giving you a well-rounded physique
and solid overall athletic development.

Exercise 1: Chin-Up

Chin-ups are vertical pulls that target your lats. Execution is fairly basic, but these can be a tough
move to master. Once you manage to hit multiple reps with your own body weight, you can progress
this move by adding resistance.

Chin-Up
When executing a pull-up, make sure you move through a full range of motion. Extend at the bottom
to lengthen the muscle and finish by trying to pull your chest to the bar. This extra pull and squeeze
will help build those lower traps and your middle back.

Exercise 2: Dumbbell Row

This horizontal pull is fantastic for developing the rhomboids, middle traps, and balance between your
arms. It's a fairly simple exercise, but it's easy to bungle with poor form and excess weight.
 Dumbbell Row
To execute a dumbbell row, use whichever stance you prefer and set your upper back. Initiate the pull
through your elbow and squeeze the shoulder blade back. More motion isn't always good motion, so
don't let momentum take over. Lead with the elbow and finish with the shoulder blade.

Exercise 3: Dumbbell Pull-Over

This is a great movement for isolating the lats. It will also help you develop some anterior core
strength and additional shoulder mobility.

Dumbbell Pull-Over
To get the most out of this movement, lay on your back and exhale hard. Hold that abdominal
contraction so your lats get a good stretch. As the dumbbell goes overhead, you'll have to work hard
to maintain your position. If you arch your back too much, your lats will never get the stretch and you
won't get the same kind of growth, so keep your core tight.

Exercise 4: Face-Pull

This hybrid pull will get you out of the standard planes of motion and add some variety to your
training. The face-pull is a great option for building the upper and middle back.

Face Pull
When you perform the face-pull, hold a rope attachment with your thumbs up. If your thumbs are
down, there isn't much space for your rotator cuff to move. The thumbs-up grip is much friendlier for
your shoulders. Set your upper back, lead with your elbows, and squeeze your shoulder blades
together. Finish with your elbows in line with your body.

Better Back, Built By Science

The back works as a seamless, integrated system. You'll need a nice, stable spine, a strong
scapula, and a healthy shoulder joint to train your back effectively.
Chest Training and Anatomy

A lot of guys go to the gym to build a big, thick chest. It's not uncommon to see a novice hit the gym
and knock out 20, 30, or 40 sets of bench press in one workout. Doing that many sets of bench in one
workout can spell bad news for your shoulders, but it also neglects the many other effective chest
exercises available.

I'm going to teach you how to train your chest more effectively, how to target specific chest muscles,
and how to get the most from your hard work in the gym. It's time to harness the power of science
and apply it to your best body.

Muscular Anatomy

To better target and more effectively train your chest, it's important to understand how the muscles
are put together. Here's what you need to know about the muscles in your chest.

Pectoralis Major

This is the one you're probably most interested in training. Your pec major, which is your biggest
chest muscle, actually has three sub-heads: the clavicular head, the sternal head, and the abdominal
head. These heads are important to know because they can be specifically trained through particular
movements.

Clavicular Head
The clavicular head is the upper part of your pectoralis major. It runs from your clavicle—your
collarbone—down and across the top part of your chest. It attaches to your humerus, or upper arm.
Most people struggle to build the top portion of their chest, so we'll pay special attention to this area.

Sternal Head

The sternal head is quite a bit larger than the clavicular head. It runs from your sternum, comes
across your chest, and inserts at your humerus.

Abdominal Head

The abdominal head runs from your rectus sheath, which is a big piece of connective tissue that
surrounds your abdominal muscles, continues up and across the bottom portion of your chest, and
attaches to your humerus.

Pectoralis Minor

Your pec minor lies beneath the pec major. It's a really small muscle group that you're probably not
going to spend too much time trying to develop.

The pec minor runs from a little boney prominence at the top of your scapula (called the coracoid
process) and attaches to ribs three, four, and five. I want you to know that it's there, but you don't
need to worry about it too much. It's mostly there to help you breathe.

Serratus Anterior

The serratus anterior starts from the inside of your shoulder blade, wraps around your side, and
attaches onto the front of your ribcage. Really lean bodybuilders have great looking serratus muscles.

Although it's another muscle you probably won't spend a lot of time developing, it's crucial for a
balanced physique and healthy shoulders.
 Dumbbell Pullover
Skeletal Anatomy

Your bones and joints play a critical role in how your chest works and how you train it. You can't train
your chest without also thinking about your shoulders, back, and elbows.

Scapula

Your scapula is an important part of your pressing movements. When you set up on a bench press,
you want to pin the shoulders down and back to create a stable base from which to press. It might be
on the posterior side of your body, but your scapula is definitely going to come into play during chest
training.
Shoulder Joint

The scapula and humerus come together to form the glenohumeral joint. This joint is essential to
chest training. It's also the most prone to injury. If you don't set up well for your presses, you could do
some serious damage to your shoulders.

Elbow

A lot of people don't think about this, but every time you do a pressing exercise, you extend your
elbow. Your elbows have to function smoothly and pain-free for your chest training to be at its best.

Muscular Function

Let's put all the pieces together and see how your muscles and bones work together in real-world,
functional movements that you do every day.

Pectoralis Major

All three heads of your pec major work together to create internal rotation. If you put your arm out to
the side and rotate it down and forward, you're rotating your arm internally. Your arm can't do that
without the help of your pecs.

A lot of us aren't too worried about how functionally our chest can rotate our arm. Instead, we want to
see striations and learn how to get big and lean. One of the best exercises to do this is the incline
flye. This movement is called horizontal adduction—you pull across your body.
As you do the movement, those pec fibers elongate and then shorten and get tight. All the heads
must work together to perform horizontal adduction.

Clavicular Head

Your clavicular head is responsible for shoulder flexion, or raising your arm over your head. Incline
presses, when your arms go overhead, are going to hit that top portion of your chest.

Sternal And Abdominal Heads

To best hit the bottom portion of your chest, decline presses and dumbbell pull-overs are best. Your
torso position and the position of your shoulders make a huge difference in which portion of your
chest you train.

Serratus Anterior

Your serratus anterior is most noticeable when you do something which protracts your shoulder.
When you reach forward like you're doing a row, you protract your shoulder. The top part of a push-
up really works the serratus anterior. Push-ups may not make your chest massive, but they definitely
train that serratus.

The serratus is also one of three muscles which allow your shoulder blade to rotate upward so you
can put your arms over your head. Your serratus, lower traps, and upper traps work together to
create upward rotation. Visible serratus muscles look cool, but their function is critically important to
your shoulder health.

Key Exercises

These are the movements you'll see throughout Built by Science. They're some of the best options for
developing a strong, powerful chest.

Exercise 1: Dumbbell Incline Bench

 Dumbbell Incline Bench
Keep your legs and abs tight for this exercise. As you move the dumbbells overhead, tuck your
elbows down and in. Flared elbows put a lot of stress and torque on your shoulders.

Although you use all three heads of your pec major for this movement, putting your arms overhead
will especially tax your clavicular head. If you're having trouble filling out the top part of your chest,
make sure you add the incline bench or flye to your program.

If this movement bothers your shoulders, move to a neutral grip with your palms facing each other.
Having your hands this way will give your shoulders a little more breathing room and should make
you feel better.
Exercise 2: Dumbbell Fly

Dumbbell Fly
To hit the pecs and get that great horizontal adduction, dumbbell flyes are the way to go. Get a stable
base: abs tight, back tight, and legs tight. Keep your elbows soft and stretch through your pecs.

As you bring your hands together, those fibers will pull together and shorten. This movement hits all
three of your pec major heads evenly.

Exercise 3: Push-Up

Push-Up
I know, you've probably been doing push-ups for years and haven't noticed how they've trained your
chest. I want to give you a few subtle cues to and tricks to make your push-ups more effective.
This total-body lift connects your upper and lower body. Keep your abs tight, tuck your elbows on the
way down and then, to hit the serratus, exaggerate trying to push your body as far away from the floor
as possible. The upward squeeze will engage the serratus at the top of the push-up.

Better Chest, Built By Science

A good understanding of how the bones, joints, and muscles work together will help you build a
program to develop unbelievable pecs. Mixing up your movements, adding incline and decline
presses to your regular flat bench program, and swapping barbells for dumbbells influence how your
muscles work. The better you understand this, the better your physique is going to look.

Leg Training and Anatomy

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If you're serious about building an aesthetic, athletic physique, you simply have to develop your legs.
Training them not only helps them look great, but also gives you a strong, stable base for improved
performance and additional physical power. In my opinion, your legs are the most important muscle
group to train, hone, and build.

And let's be honest, there's no way you can build the size and strength you want without using your
legs. They're literally half of your body.

I'm here to teach you more about the muscular and skeletal anatomy of your legs. I'll also teach you
select exercises that can help you build a strong, shredded, and muscular lower body. This trainer
brings science and squats together to help you build the lower body you've always wanted!

Muscular Anatomy

Yours legs are a massive collection of muscle groups, joints, and bones. To better target specific
muscles and increase the overall strength and performance of your lower body, you need to know a
little bit about your anatomy and how each bone, joint, and muscle works. Let's start with the muscles.

Quadriceps Femoris

Your quads are made up of four main muscle groups—hence the prefix, "quad." These muscles are
the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris. These muscles work in
concert to extend your knee.
Vastus Lateralis

A lot of bodybuilders and fitness athletes covet an outer-thigh sweep. This sweep comes from
developing your vastus lateralis, which sits on the outside portion of your thigh. The muscle starts at
the top of your femur (thigh bone) and attaches to the patellar tendon in your knee joint.

Vastus Medialis

You want that tear-drop shape on your inner thigh? Then you want a big vastus medialis. The vastus
medialis starts at the top of the femur and attaches to the patellar tendon. The tear drop sits just
above your knee on the inside of your leg.

Vastus Intermedius

The vastus intermedius is deep in the middle of your thigh. You can't see it because it's covered by
the rectus femoris, but it also originates on the femur and attaches to the patellar tendon.
Rectus Femoris

This muscle is unique because it's the only one of your quadriceps muscles that crosses your hip. It
connects at the top of the pelvis and comes down all the way to insert at the patellar tendon in the
knee.

Hamstrings

If you want to develop big quads, you need to spend an equal amount of time developing the back of
your legs. The hamstrings have three main muscle groups: the biceps femoris, semimembranosus,
and the semitendinosus. These muscles work to flex your knee. In other words, they bring your heel
toward your butt.
Biceps Femoris

The biceps femoris is a two-headed muscle. The long head runs from the ischial tuberosity—or the
sitting bones—and attaches to the fibula. The short head originates on the back part of the femur and
attaches to the fibula.

Semimembranosus

This wide, flat, and deep muscle originates at the ischial tuberosity and attaches at the tibia. It's more
medial, or closer to the midline, than the semitendinosus.
Semitendinosus

The semitendinosus runs from the ischial tuberosity and also attaches to the tibia. This muscle is
notable for the length of its tendon insertion, which can be partially removed to replace a torn anterior
cruciate ligament (ACL).

Glutes

We like to talk about glutes because of their potential beauty, but it's important to note that the glute
muscles are hugely important for keeping our trunk upright. We don't have big butts just for looks,
after all. The gluteal muscles are made up of the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the
gluteus minimus.

Gluteus Maximus

The glute maximus is the most visible muscle and is what people spend the most time developing.
The glute max starts on your sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine) and your lumbar
fascia (connective tissue in your lower back) and attaches to your iliotibial tract, or your IT band. It
also attaches to your outer thigh.

Gluteus Medius

People aren't usually too concerned with the glute medius because it's deeper and you can't see it,
but the glute medius is an important muscle. It's a critical stabilizer of the hip and thigh. It runs from
the top of your hip bone (the iliac crest) and attaches to your outer thigh.

Gluteus Minimus

Even deeper than the glute medius is your glute minimus. It's a very small muscle that starts on the
outer portion of your hip and attaches to the outer thigh.

Adductors

We've all sat in the adductor-abductor machine and wondered, "Why am I doing this?" The adductors
are actually very important muscles. There are five muscle groups to discuss here, and all of them
originate at the inside of your hip (pubis) and attach to the inside of your thigh. The adductors are
layered, almost like the shape of a fan.

In terms of training, the adductors are important for stabilization. They don't get much use in common
movements, so it's important to work them specifically. Strong adductors help you stabilize during
unilateral movements and are essential to a good squat.

Pectineus

The pectineus begins on the pubis and attaches to top of femur.

Adductor Brevis

This muscle lies next to the pectineus and attaches lower on the femur.

Adductor Longus

The adductor longus runs from the pubis and attaches below the brevis.
Adductor Magnus

This is probably the biggest adductor. It runs from your pubis and has attachment points at the top of
your thigh and down a little lower on the inside of your mid thigh.

Gracilis

The gracilis is a long adductor. It originates on your pubis and attaches to the tibia, or the inside of
your lower leg bone.

Calves

You can't have great legs without a good set of calves. The two main muscles in your calves are the
gastrocnemius and the soleus. These muscles work to flex and point your foot.

Gastrocnemius

Your gastrocnemius is unique because it crosses the back of the knee joint. It has two heads, lateral
and medial, which converge and attach to your Achilles tendon in your ankle.
Soleus

The soleus is deeper than the gastrocnemius. It originates at the tibia and fibula and attaches to the
Achilles tendon.

Skeletal Anatomy

With a system as large as your legs, just knowing the muscles isn't enough. Learn more about the
bones and joints that are necessary for you to walk, run, and squat!

Pelvis

The pelvis is shaped like a bowl. It ties your lower body together and has two basic movements. Your
pelvis can roll the hips forward, which is called anterior tilt, and can roll the hips backward, which is
called posterior tilt.
Hips

Your hip joint is where your femur attaches to a socket in your pelvis. This ball-and-socket joint gives
you freedom of motion, which is why you can flex, extend, abduct, adduct, and internally and
externally rotate your legs.

Knees

The knee is a condyloid joint, which means that it does more than just flex and extend, it can also
rotate. The knee is critical in almost every leg exercise you do.

Ankles

Your ankles control two basic movements: Planar flexion, which is pointing your toe toward the
ground, and dorsi flexion, which is pulling your toes up toward your face.

Muscular Function

I want you to have a really good understanding of how your bones, joints, and muscles work
together to create seamless, fluid movement. Here's what these muscles do in the gym.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps muscles are responsible for extending your knee. Movements like squats and leg
extensions will bring out your quads. I'd like you to pay special attention to your rectus femoris
because it crosses two joints, the hip and the knee. The rectus femoris helps to flex your hip. You can
work it by doing step-ups or sprints.

Barbell Squat
Hamstrings

Your hamstrings come into play when you extend your hips. You'll hit your hamstrings doing any
deadlift variation. Your hammies are also used in movements with knee flexion. Leg curls, glute-ham
raises, and squats will all grow the back of your legs.

Glutes

Your glutes get worked when you load the hips. Heavy deadlifts can help build that glute max, while
unilateral exercises like split squats will engage the smaller glute muscles for stability.

Adductors

Your adductors are there for stability and control. Exercises like lunges will engage and strengthen
them.

Calves

To best train your gastrocnemius, do the standing calf-raise. Your soleus is better trained when the
knee is flexed, so perform seated calf-raises to work it.

Key Exercises

We can read about the muscles all day, but to actually change them, we have to do some work in the
gym. Here are some great exercises that will help you target and build those leg muscles for a
stronger base and a balanced physique.

Exercise 1: Front Squat

The cool thing about front squats is that you hit almost every muscle in your legs. As you sit down into
the squat, you lengthen the quads and load the hamstrings and glutes. When you stand up, you
extend the knee and fire your quads. If you're going to pick one exercise to start building your legs,
this is the one I recommend. It's an exercise that will give you a lot of bang for your buck.
 Front Squat
Set a barbell high on your sternum, almost against the bottom of your throat. It's uncomfortable, but
that's the best place for the bar. Your legs should be shoulder width apart, with your toes turned
slightly out. Keep your body weight in the mid foot, and then sit back. Keep your knees out. Sit down
to parallel or below and then come back up to a full extension.

Exercise 2: Romanian Deadlift

This fantastic exercise will isolate the glutes and hamstrings. Focus on pushing the hips back. Keep
your knees soft and your spine neutral. As you push your hips back, your glutes and hamstring
groups stretch out. Finish the movement by popping the hips forward and flexing your glutes. Full
range of motion will give you the growth and development you're looking for.

Romanian Deadlift
Exercise 3: Lunge
Training on one leg changes the stress on your muscles and forces your body to stabilize. Keep your
torso up nice and tall, step forward on one leg, and land on the heel. Push back up from the ground
and return to full extension.

We picked the lunge because it hits every muscle in your leg. Your quads will extend your knee as
you step out and back. Your hamstrings and glutes will pull you down and will also help you come
back out of the bottom. Yes, you're using those big muscles, but you also use those little muscles like
the glute minimus and adductors to stabilize your knee and control the movement.

Exercise 4: Standing Calf Raise

You can use your bodyweight, dumbbells, or a barbell with this movement. The best thing about calf
raises is that they're hard to mess up. Keep your knees nice and straight to stretch your
gastrocnemius and your Achilles. At the bottom of the movement, give the stretch a second or two
before coming up to a big squeeze at the top.

Better Legs, Built By Science

We've covered a lot of information, but I hope you understand how important your hips and legs are.
If you need to, go back and watch this video again. I want you to get as much out of this trainer as
you can. Put this all together and learn why we're spending time on our legs. As the saying goes:
Friends don't let friends skip leg day.
Shoulder Training and Anatomy

Men and women alike want to build an aesthetic set of shoulders. At the end of the day, if you want to
build round delts, you need to keep your shoulders healthy and injury-free. Because the shoulder is
crucial to so many movements, a shoulder injury is one of the worst you can encounter.

Knowing the anatomy of your muscles and bones, as well as the various functions of your shoulders,
can help you train and grow your shoulders more effectively. It can also help you keep them healthy
and mobile. I'm going to help you build a better, stronger, healthier set of shoulders.

Muscular Anatomy

Your shoulders are a complex, synergistic bunch of muscles that are responsible for a huge amount
of movement. Here are the muscles you should be concerned with.

Deltoids

One of the best ways to think about your shoulder muscles is to pretend you're peeling layers off an
onion. The first layer of muscle around your shoulder joint is called the deltoid. The deltoid has three
particular heads.

Anterior Head

The anterior head is the piece of your deltoid on the front of your shoulder. It starts on the front of the
clavicle, runs down and across, and attaches to your humerus.
Middle Head

This head lies next to the anterior head and is more central. It begins at the top of your scapula, or
the acromion process, and attaches to outer portion of the humerus.

Posterior Head

The posterior head starts on the back of the scapula on what's called the scapular spine. It attaches
on the humerus.

Rotator Cuff

If you peeled away the deltoids, underneath them you would find a deep layer called the rotator cuff.
We've all heard the term before, but not everybody is familiar with what those muscles actually are.

Your rotator cuff consists of four muscles. The main function of these muscles is to stabilize your
shoulder joint.

Infraspinatus

The infraspinatus is the big muscle that spans the outside portion of your scapula.

Teres Minor

Under the infraspinatus is a smaller muscle called the teres minor.

Supraspinatus

This muscle runs from the scapula and attaches to the inside of the humerus.

Subscapularis

The subscapularis muscle sits on the front of the shoulder blade.

Skeletal Anatomy

Bones and joints play a critical role in how your shoulders move. A solid grasp on how they work
together will help you care for your shoulders better and train them more effectively.

Thoracic Spine

The thoracic spine refers to the topmost 12 vertebrae. It starts at the base of the neck and ends at the
top of the lower back. These vertebrae attach to ribs.

Scapula

The scapula rests on top of the thoracic spine. For your scapula to move effectively during exercise,
your thoracic spine needs to be set strong and tight.

Humerus
The humerus is the long upper-arm bone. Most of the shoulder muscles insert into it.

Glenohumeral Joint

You can't move your shoulders without the shoulder joint. Your scapula and humerus work together to
create the movement of your shoulder and arms. Because the glenohumeral joint is a ball-and-socket
joint, your arm can flex, extend, abduct, adduct, and externally and internally rotate. Shoulder mobility
is critical.

Muscle Function

It's great to know anatomy, but that knowledge doesn't do us any good if it's not applicable. Here's
how those muscles, bones, and joints you just learned about move in the gym.

Deltoids

All three heads of your delts work together most of the time. For example, any time you take your arm
overhead—like you would for an overhead press—all three of your deltoid heads will move
synergistically. We can, however, perform movements to further isolate each head of the deltoids.
Anterior Delt

One of the roles of the anterior delt is creating shoulder flexion. Shoulder flexion is raising your arm in
front of your body … picture doing a front raise.

Middle Delt

Your middle or lateral delts create shoulder flexion, but they also help create shoulder abduction.
Shoulder abduction occurs when you bring your arms away laterally from the midline of your body.

Posterior Delt

Your posterior delts are responsible for shoulder extension. Shoulder extension occurs when you
bring your humerus back behind your body.

Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff primarily creates stability. In other words, those muscles are always working to keep
your humerus in the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff is also responsible for the internal and external
rotation of your humerus.

If your shoulder and rotator cuff do what they're supposed to, you don't need a lot of isolated training
to get the results you're looking for.

Internal Rotation

Your subscapularis starts on inside of shoulder blade and turns your shoulder inward.

External Rotation

On the backside of your shoulder blade lie your infraspinatus and your teres minor. These muscles
externally rotate your humerus.

Shoulder Abduction

The supraspinatus is there to lift your arm away from your side. If you read the research, you'll learn
that the supraspinatus is responsible for the first 30 degrees of movement away from the body's
midline.
Key Exercises

Apply what you've learned! Here are some great shoulders exercises that will help you develop those
boulder shoulders and keep all the bones and joints healthy and mobile. Don't forget to train heavy
and hard. Your muscles won't grow unless you stress them!

Keep in mind that you don't need to do a lot of isolation exercise for your shoulders. Your shoulders
get a workout doing big, compound movements like the overhead and bench press.

Exercise 1: Overhead Press

This is a great movement because you're literally using all three heads of your deltoid muscle to
create the movement.

The most important aspect of this lift is the setup. Keep your hips shoulder-width apart and your abs
and your butt tight. A solid foundation will help you move more weight and keep your lower back
healthy.

Overhead Press
Bring the weight to your shoulders and then press it straight over your head. Use a nice, controlled
motion. Some people don't move too well when the weight is overhead, so make sure your overhead
range of motion is solid before you go full steam and pound heavy weight.

Exercise 2: Bent-Over Lateral Raise

I like this exercise because it isolates the posterior delt on the back of the shoulder. Keep your knees
soft and your hips back like you would for a Romanian deadlift. From this position, lift your arms up
and out to the side. That's where you'll hit that posterior delt.

Bent-Over Lateral Raise

Too often people do this movement with excess momentum. Slow down. Use your muscles to move
the weight. If you can't, it's a sure sign that you need to reduce the weight.

Better Shoulders, Built By Science

It's great to have aesthetic shoulders, but if you injure these guys, you're in big trouble. You can't train
your chest, back, or arms—heck, even leg training can be a chore if your shoulders are hurt. It's
important to train your shoulders for strength, physique, and health.
Take the time to warm up before you go through the workouts. If your shoulder muscles are weak, go
lighter and do the exercises correctly. You'll get more out of the exercise that way.
Nutrition

If your goal is to build a big, strong, and lean body, all the training expertise in the world won't help if
you aren't ingesting the right fuel in the right amounts. Your body needs specific nutrients to recover
and grow after intense workouts. Simply put, if you want to build muscle and gain strength, you have
to eat like it.

The Built by Science nutrition program is effective, progressive, and easy to implement. It's the
perfect complement to the Built by Science training program and is based on the latest nutritional
science. This is a mass-building nutrition plan, but don't mistake it for some free-for-all "dirty bulk."
I've engineered this system to help you get big without adding excessive body fat.

The problem with the way most people bulk is that the fat they pack on negatively impacts insulin-
sensitivity, making it harder for them to develop the body they desire. This plan is different. It helps
you progressively eat larger amounts, so your body has time to adjust to the extra calories. This way,
your body won't freak out metabolically and store the extra energy as fat.

All the training expertise in the world won't help if you aren't ingesting the right fuel in the right amounts.
 Your Caloric Game Plan

Let's get started by establishing your baseline diet. Because of the individual variations in metabolism
and activity levels, I prefer not to use predictive calorie equations. Instead, I find it more effective to
start by determining how many calories you're eating now, and adjust the diet from there.

This nutrition plan will require you to track both calories and macronutrients down to precise numbers
for the next six weeks. If this is new to you or you're not confident in your ability, take the time to
educate yourself. Invest in an app, get to know websites like the USDA's National Nutrient
Database or NutritionData.com, or read a guide on how to calculate and track your nutrition.

If you already know your daily calorie intake, you're ahead of the curve. If you don't know your
average calorie intake, keep a food diary or use online software to log all the food you eat for the first
three days of Built by Science. Some smartphone apps will determine your three-day average calorie
intake for you. If you're going manual, you can use an estimated average as your base diet number.

To jumpstart the muscle-building process, you're going to add 300 calories to your base calorie
intake. Over the next two weeks, monitor your body weight, measurements (chest, neck, arms, etc.),
and body fat skin folds if you have access to calipers. At that point:

• If your body is growing and you are gaining weight but not excessive fat, add another 300 calories to
your daily intake.
• If, on the other hand, you are not gaining weight, add 500 calories.

Repeat this process every two weeks, adding more and more calories.

That Sounds Like A Lot Of Calories...

It's true: As your calorie intake gets higher, you will eventually start to gain more fat. At this point, you
can do one of two things.

One option would be to stop adding calories. However, I'm in favor of a technique I learned from Dr.
Layne Norton. He recommends simply adding much lower amounts of calories. In this case, we're
going to add just 50 calories to your daily intake each two weeks.

This small number of calories will essentially get absorbed in daily activity, but over the course of a
couple of months, the 50 calorie incremental increase will add up to a significant number of calories
for your body to use in muscle production.
 Divide your calories into 3-4 meals a day, spaced out by approximately 4 hours. For simplicity's sake,
keep your meals approximately equal in size, with one exception: your post-workout meal. This
crucial meal should contain around 20 percent more calories than your other meals.

I hear your question: What kind of calories should I be eating? So let's get into the macros.

Protein

Keep your protein intake at around .75-1.0 grams per pound of bodyweight throughout the next six
weeks. This may actually be less than some bodybuilders are ingesting now. My advice is to take the
money you'll be saving and put it toward higher-quality food.

Why so low? Research shows that approximately 0.75 g/lb is the threshold for muscular hypertrophy
to occur. We're trying to optimize your protein intake for growth in Built By Science, and I'm simply not
convinced that if you're eating high-quality protein, excessive amounts do any good.

Space your protein intake out across your meals in a relatively even fashion, with a minimum of 30 g
at each meal. Use a variety of protein sources. Here are my favorites:

• Chicken thighs • Pork loin

• Chicken breast • Chicken sausage
• Turkey breast • Turkey bacon
• Salmon • Eggs
• Mussels • Whey protein
• Tuna • Casein protein
• Shrimp • Greek yogurt
• Lean beef • Cottage cheese
 Fat

Dietary fat serves a number of crucial purposes. One is to provide a concentrated form of energy.
Certain fats also act as signaling molecules for hormones in the body. For your continued health and
growth, it's crucial that you get enough fat during the next six weeks of intense physical training.

Once you've established your baseline caloric level, calculate your fat intake so that it makes up
around 30 percent of your total calories. From there, the percentage will increase. As you add more
calories to your diet, make 150 of every 300 extra calories come from fat. There are 9 calories per 1
gram of fat, so if you're making a 300 calorie leap, you'll add 15-17 g of fat. For a 50-calorie jump, add
around 5 g.

Unlike protein, which is more or less constant throughout the day, strategize your fat intake to be
inversely proportional to the total amount of carbohydrates in a meal. In other words, higher-carb
meals will have less fat, and lower-carb meals will have more fat.

There are 3 main types of fat: polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated. Don't
overemphasize one over the others, but rather eat a full variety of fats. Some of my favorite fat
sources are:

• Olive oil
• Canola oil
• Avocado
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Macadamia nuts
• Butter
• Coconut oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Cheese
 Carbohydrates

The final piece to the macronutrient puzzle, and probably the most confusing, is carbohydrates. In
order to take advantage of different foods' caloric densities and use nutrient timing to our benefit, I like
to separate carbohydrates into two groups.

1. Starches

Starches are faster-digesting, calorie-dense carbohydrate foods like:

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• Rice (white or brown)
• Sprouted grain bread
• Oats (rolled or steel cut)
• Pasta/noodles
• Tortillas
• Kalmut
• Wheat berries
 2. Fruits And Vegetables

The fruits and vegetables group, on the other hand, contains slower-digesting, higher-fiber foods that
have a smaller amount of carbohydrates and less caloric density. I place beans and legumes such as
lentils in this group. Other foods to choose from here include:

• Blueberries • Lettuce and greens

• Raspberries • Green beans
• Strawberries • Carrots
• Apples • Scallions
• Oranges • Mushrooms
• Pears • Onions
• Spinach • Tomatoes
• Cabbage • Lentils
• Broccoli • Black beans
• Cucumbers • Kidney beans
• Peppers • Chickpeas
• Brussels sprouts
 Properly integrating these foods into your daily meals is simple. Here are the general rules I use to
guide carbohydrate consumption:

1. Eat fruits or vegetables at every meal.

2. At breakfast and directly following your workout, add in starchy carbohydrates.
3. At meals where you don't eat starchy carbohydrates, eat more fat and more fruits and vegetables.

After accounting for protein and fat in your baseline calories, you'll make up the remaining calories
through carbohydrates. And when you add more calories to your meal plan, as previously discussed,
add 150 calories of carbohydrates per 300 calories, to go along with the 150 calories of fat.

There are approximately 4 calories in every gram of carbohydrate, so this means you will add 35-40 g
of carbs to your meal plan with each 300-calorie jump. If you're down to a 50-calorie jump, scale back
to 12 g of additional carbs.
Workout Plan

WEEK 1-2

Day 1: Legs

Barbell Squat
Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Romanian Deadlift
Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Barbell Lunge
Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Kettlebell One-Legged Deadlift

Tempo: 3-1-1.
3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Seated Calf Raise

Tempo: 3-2-1.
3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)
Day 2: Chest Day 3: Back
Barbell Incline Bench Press Medium-Grip Chin-Up
Tempo: 3-0-1. Tempo: 3-1-1.
4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds) 4 sets, AMRAP (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Tempo: 3-0-1. Rest: 60 seconds 3-4 sets. Tempo: 3-1-1.
4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds) 3-4 sets, 10 reps per arm (Rest: 60 seconds)

Pushups Dumbbell Incline Row

Tempo: 3-0-1. Tempo: 3-1-1.
4 sets, 15 reps (Rest: 60 seconds) 3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Flat Bench Cable Flyes Face Pull

Tempo: 2-2-1. Single arm.Tempo: 2-1-1.
4 sets, 15 reps (Rest: 60 seconds) 3-4 sets, 10 reps per arm (Rest: 60 seconds)

Day 4 - Active Rest

If you're serious about your time in the gym, you need to be just as serious about your time outside
the gym. Adequate rest is essential for muscle recovery, repair, growth, and development. Without
ample rest and smart nutrition, you simply won't build the body you want. Use these tips to turbo-
charge your rest days.
Downshift, But Stay Active

One of the best things you can do to facilitate recovery between training sessions is low-intensity
cardio. Not only does this help flush metabolic waste from your muscles, but it also builds capillary
beds to the muscles.

If you want to build a big, strong physique, low-intensity cardio can give help give your muscles the
nourishment and the blood supply they need to thrive. Perform one 30-45 minute session of low-
intensity cardio on your rest days.

Get Some Sleep!

Recovery begins and ends with sleep. If you aren't getting at least seven hours of sleep per night,
you're not going to recover adequately. Make this a priority going forward.

Hydrate

Hydration is essential for performance and recovery. A good goal is to get half an ounce of water per
pound of body weight per day, or one ounce per kilogram. If you're a 200-pound guy, that means you
need to drink 100 ounces of water or more per day.
Take A Power Nap

If you struggle sleeping enough at night, or you simply want to augment repair, try taking a 30-45
minute nap during the day. Not only will it expedite recovery, but you'll also be more focused and alert
for the second half of your day!

Recover With Mini-Circuits

To maximize repair between training sessions, do little things at night to help you feel better and
recover faster. This could be light static stretching, foam rolling, or even some light yoga.
Day 4: Shoulders
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press
Tempo: 3-0-1.
4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

Tempo: 2-1-1.
4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Standing Cable Wood Chop

Tempo: 2-1-1.
4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Farmer's Walk
Or Loaded Dumbbell Carry. Rest: 60 seconds
4 sets, 100 ft (Rest: 60 seconds)
Day 5: Arms and Abs
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Ab Roller
2-3 sets. Tempo: 3-0-1.
2-3 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension

Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Pallof Press
2-3 sets.
2-3 sets, 20 seconds (Rest: 60 seconds)

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Exercise Ball Pull-In

Tempo: 3-0-1.
2-3 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Hammer Curls
Tempo: 3-0-1. Perform seated.
3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

One-Arm Side Deadlift

Tempo: 2-0-1.
2-3 sets, 10 reps per arm (Rest: 60 seconds)
Week 3-4

Day 1: Legs
Barbell Squat
Tempo: 3-0-1.
6 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Kettlebell One-Legged Deadlift

Tempo: 3-1-1. Rest: 60 seconds
4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Romanian Deadlift
Tempo: 3-0-1.
4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Seated Calf Raise

Tempo: 3-2-1.
4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Barbell Lunge
Tempo: 3-0-1.
4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)
Day 2: Chest Day 3: Back
Barbell Incline Bench Press Medium-Grip Chin-Up
Tempo: 3-0-1. Tempo: 3-1-1.
6 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds) 6 sets, AMRAP (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Tempo: 3-0-1. Tempo: 3-1-1.
3-4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60 seconds) 3-4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Pushups Dumbbell Incline Row

Tempo: 3-0-1. Tempo: 3-1-1.
3-4 sets, 15 reps (Rest: 60 seconds) 3-4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Flat Bench Cable Flyes Face Pull

Tempo: 2-2-1. Single arm. Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds) 3-4 sets, 12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Day 4: Active Rest

Day 5: Shoulders
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press
Tempo: 3-0-1.
6 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Standing Cable Wood Chop

Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Farmer's Walk
Or Loaded Dumbbell Carry.
3-4 sets, 100 feet (Rest: 60 seconds)
Day 6: Arms and Abs
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Ab Roller
Tempo: 3-0-1.
2-3 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension

Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Pallof Press
2-3 sets, 30 seconds (Rest: 60 seconds)

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 8 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Exercise Ball Pull-In

Tempo: 3-0-1.
2-3 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Hammer Curls
Perform seated. Tempo: 3-0-1.
3-4 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

One-Arm Side Deadlift

Tempo: 2-0-1.
2-3 sets, 8 reps per arm (Rest: 60 seconds)
Week 5-6
Day 1: Legs
Barbell Deadlift
5 sets, 5 reps (Rest: 3-4 minutes)

Front Barbell Squat

Tempo: 2-0-1.
4 sets, 4 reps (Rest: 2-3 minutes)

Dumbbell Rear Lunge

3-4 sets, 8-10 reps per leg (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Floor Glute-Ham Raise

Tempo: 2-0-1.
3-4 sets, 6-8 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Standing Calf Raises

Tempo: 2-2-1.
3-4 sets, 8-10 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)
Day 2: Chest Day 3: Back
Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Pullups
Tempo: 2-0-1. Tempo: 2-1-1.
5 sets, 5 reps (Rest: 3 minutes) 4 sets, AMRAP (Rest: 120-150 seconds)

Incline Dumbbell Press Seated Cable Rows

Tempo: 2-0-1. Tempo: 2-1-1.
4-5 sets, 6-8 reps (Rest: 90-120 seconds) 4-5 sets, 6-8 reps (Rest: 90-120 seconds)

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press T-Bar Row with Handle

Tempo: 2-1-1. Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 6-8 reps (Rest: 90-120 seconds) 3-4 sets, 6 reps (Rest: 90-120 seconds)

Dumbbell Flyes Face Pull

Tempo: 2-2-1. Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 8-10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds) 3-4 sets, 10-12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Day 4: Active Rest

Day 5: Shoulders
Barbell Shoulder Press
Tempo: 2-0-1.
5 sets, 6 reps (Rest: 180 seconds)

Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral

Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 10-12 reps (Rest: 90 seconds)

Side Lateral Raise

Tempo: 2-1-1.
3-4 sets, 10-12 reps (Rest: 60 seconds)

Farmer's Walk
Or Loaded Dumbbell Carry.
3-4 sets, 100 feet (Rest: 60 seconds)
Day 6: Arms and Abs
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Tempo: 2-0-1.
3-4 sets, 6-8 reps (Rest: 120 seconds)

Suspended Fallout
Tempo: 3-0-1.
2-3 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Dumbbell One-Arm Triceps Extension

Tempo: 2-0-1.
3-4 sets, 8-10 reps per arm (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Pallof Press
Perform kneeling.
2-3 sets, 30 seconds

Barbell Curl
Tempo: 2-0-1.
3-4 sets, 6-8 reps (Rest: 90-120 seconds)

Dead Bug
Tempo: 3-0-1.
2-3 sets, 10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Reverse Barbell Curl

Using EZ-Bar. Tempo: 2-0-1.
3-4 sets, 8-10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)

Kettlebell Windmill
Tempo: 2-0-1.
2-3 sets, 8-10 reps (Rest: 60-90 seconds)