I am about to embark on a Mass Gain Mission that will last 16 weeks. It starts on May 4, 2014 and ends on August 23, 2014. The goal will be to gain as much mass as possible while also ridding myself of body fat. I will be following a very strict training and supplementation program. I will document the entire process for a future book on the topic of getting in shape after 40. The plan is outlined below.
The Weight Training Plan
| Monday | Back(t)/Biceps(p) |
| Tuesday | Shoulders |
| Wednesday | Biceps(h)/Triceps(h) |
| Thursday | Back(w)/Calves |
| Friday | Chest/Triceps(p) |
| Saturday | Hams/Quads |
| Sunday | Rest |
I am going to attack my body by using some techniques I've learned through the Experiment of One. I will hit my biceps and triceps twice a week, but one time will be for a pump workout (high reps and low weight) while the other time will be some heavy lifting. I am splitting my back into two workouts–one for thickness and one for width. I will hit my shoulders once a week, but will use a rotating exercise order to trick the muscles. I will be hitting my chest once a week and will focus on great squeezes and switching every other week between barbell centric workouts and dumbbell centric workouts. Finally, I will do my legs once a week.
This approach will allow me to really hit the muscles hard. The supplementation I will implement will help me to recover and go harder and harder.
The Cardio Training Plan
| Monday | 25 minutes HIIT |
| Tuesday | Rest |
| Wednesday | 25 minutes SS |
| Thursday | 25 minutes HIIT |
| Friday | 25 minutes HIIT |
| Saturday | Tabata 4 minutes |
| Sunday | Rest |
My plan is to do 3 25 minute HIIT sessions, 1 25 minute steady state session and then one 4 minute Tabata session every week. I can increase the time on the HIIT and steady state if necessary depending upon progress. I will have 2 days where I don't do any cardio and one of those is Sunday, which will be a rest day.
The Nutrition Plan
I am going to aim for 3700 calories at a 40/40/20 macronutrient ratio. This will break down as follows:
| Total Calories | 3700 |
| Protein | 370 g |
| Carbohydrates | 370 g |
| Fat | 82 g |
This should provide me with the energy to build the mass I am looking to build. I will eat the following protein sources: chicken, beef, whey, fish. I am going to focus on eating as clean as humanly possible and I will allow myself 2 cheat meals a week for the first 8 weeks and 1 cheat meal a week for the final 8 weeks of this Mass Gain Mission.
The Supplementation Plan
I will be using supplementation to make the maximum gains possible. I will be using the following supplements:
AH-D (natural testosterone booster)
Multi-Vitamin
Whey protein
ALA
CLA
L-Carnintine
Amino Energy
These things will assist me in shortening the recovery time between training sessions which will allow me to go into maximum beast mode. These are all over the counter supplements. They will be discussed in The Average Guy's Supplement Guide going to print very shortly.
The Conclusion
I have to take some measurements and set some very specific goals. I already have the general idea in my head as to what I need to accomplish, but I am going to get extremely specific. Watch this space and my Medium feed for more information.
