First, A Spooky Story Once
upon a time, when people wanted to learn how to lose fat or get bigger
muscles, they had to buy these really scary things called bodybuilding magazines.
These mags focused mainly on a very select group of people who made a
living from their bodies, kinda like hookers. They were called
professional bodybuilders. (No, really.) At any one time,
there were only a handful of them who appeared again and again in the
pages of these frightening magazines. (Note: They were also known as bloated fetish objects,
but the name never really stuck.) Anyway, if you could get past the
ads, you'd occasionally find articles that attempted to teach you how
to get big, get lean, lift more, etc. The only problem was that most of
these articles used these "pro-bodybuilders" to formulate the
guidelines. What's wrong with that? Well, what worked for
these guys usually didn't work for everyone else. After all, the pros
were injecting so many different kinds of drugs and popping so many
pills that how they trained made very little difference in
their physiques. Take that much gear and you get big lifting any ol'
way, even when using really dumb training programs. Some
mags even let these pros write articles. Of course, it was usually a
ghostwriter actually writing the programs, not the pro himself, and
many of these ghosts had quite an imagination. What came out in print
was more fiction than training advice. (I may be wrong, but I think one
of these magazines was even called Muscle & Fiction.) Then things really got bad. The pros started using even more
bodybuilding drugs. Some even started getting fake implants and
artificially inflating their muscles with dangerous oils. As the
"sport" of bodybuilding was committing slow suicide, the smart
bodybuilding magazine reader gave up on these publications and turned
to other sources—sources that contained information for real people and was backed by science, not by what some talking hemorrhoid in a posing suit suggested. One of those sources was Testosterone.
For five years so far, T-mag has been publishing training programs for
real people. The programs are tough, effective, and represent a whole
new class of lifting, one backed by both science and real world results… and they're free. That's so cool… it's scary.

The Big Fat Program Guide With
close to 300 issues in the archives, someone new to T-mag could be
overwhelmed by all the choices. That's why we decided to put together
this little guide. Of course, if we tried to include every training program, this article would be roughly the size of the Houston phone book. So what we've done is focus on the major, full body
programs presented in T-mag over the last five years or so. There are
hundreds more free articles in our previous issues section focusing on
certain body parts or athletic goals, but we'll just concentrate here
on the "big" programs. Ready? Okay, deep breath, and… here we go!

Training With Maximal Weights by Charles Poliquin
This
is the very first training program published by T-mag. Basically, it's
a 12-week program where you cycle through four different variations of
heavy lifting. Why heavy weights? Well, most bodybuilders focus too
much on the higher rep ranges, making them too weak for their
cross-sectional muscle area and thus hindering gains.
Training
with maximal weights targets the nervous system by improving the link
between it and the muscular system. By using this method, you'll learn
to access a greater percentage of motor units in a given cross-section
of muscle tissue. The program does this by using 5 x 5, 6 x 4, failure
training, and the 5/4/3/2/1 method.
Throughout
the program, Poliquin uses the arms for sample workouts, but the
methods can be applied to any body part. The only thing to watch for
with this program is too much nervous system stimulation which could
lead to overtraining. While Poliquin changed the way most of us trained
with weights, generally speaking, many of his programs were a little
too much for us mere mortals.
Remember,
Poliquin works mostly with elite athletes who need size or increased
static strength, some of whom may even dabble in pharmacology (gasp!).
This may be the reason why some people find his programs lead to
overtraining. Just remember to use appropriate recovery techniques, a
good post-workout drink, and a diet that supports your goals. That goes
for every program we'll review today.
Overall,
Training with Maximal Weights is a great program, just what the doctor
ordered if you've been doing sets of 10 to 12 reps for too long. Wanna
give it a shot? You can find the program way the heck back in [url=javascript:void(0);]issue one[/url] of T-mag.

The Oscillating Wave Program by TC
Generally
speaking, there are three basic kinds of weight training: 1) strength
training, where you try to increase the maximal amount of weight you
can lift for a single rep. 2) hypertrophy training, where your main
goal is to make your muscles larger, and 3) muscular endurance, where
you increase the muscles' ability to do aerobic work.
Most
of you know that a periodization program where you incorporate all of
these methods at different times of the year can be very effective. The
Oscillating Wave Program takes that one step further by using all thee
methods at the same time.
TC uses
three varying rep schemes, three varying tempos, and three varying rest
periods, all in the same five-day split. So, on one week you'll train
your biceps with traditional strength building protocols; the next week
they'll get hit with bodybuilding-style rep and set schemes; and the
third week you'll focus on endurance training. All the other muscle
groups are rotated in the same fashion. You never use the same rep
range for the same body part twice in a row and you never do two
workouts of any kind in succession using the same rep ranges. Pretty
cool.
For those that have been stuck doing
three sets of ten on every exercise, this is the perfect program to
break you out of the rut. Here are the links:
[url=javascript:void(0);]Part 1[/url]
[url=javascript:void(0);]Part 2[/url]

The Beginner's Blast Off Program by Chris Shugart
While
T-mag usually attracts a more advanced audience, sometimes a newbie
wonders onto the site and is quickly overwhelmed by all the program
choices. This stuff can be downright scary for a newbie that's only
just learned the difference between a set and a rep! That's why we
wrote the Beginner's Blast-Off Program.
It's
a simple program using basic equipment but it fixes most newbie
mistakes, like overusing machines, skipping entire muscle groups, and
undertraining or overtraining. If you're new to weight training (real
weight training, not that BowFlex crap), then the Blast Off program is
a great place to start. While you're doing it, you can be reading about
the more advanced programs at T-mag so you'll be ready to take the next
step when it's time.
You can find the Beginner's Blast Off Program [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url].

The 1-6 Principle by Charles Poliquin
This type of training originated with elite Romanian and Hungarian weightlifters who called it mixed neural drive/hypertrophy program. The system is based on what's called neurological post-tetanic facilitation phenomenon.
Basically,
you perform a maximal rep of an exercise, rest, drop the weight, then
perform six maximal reps. By a cool trick of the nervous system, you'll
be able to lift a greater weight in the six-rep set than you could have
if you hadn't performed the 1RM set. Some even notice their poundages
improving each "wave." For example, a typical wave for someone who can
do six reps with 220 pounds on the bench press would look like this:

Set 1) 1 rep with 265 pounds
Set 2) 6 reps with 220 pounds
Set 3) 1 rep with 270 pounds
Set 4) 6 reps with 225 pounds
Set 5) 1 rep with 272.5 pounds
Set 6) 6 reps with 230 pounds

The basic premise is to use maximal loads to potentiate
the nervous system. Because of this newly increased, more efficient
neural drive, you can use a greater load for six reps which ends up
building bigger and stronger muscles.
The
program seems to be very effective based on the feedback we’ve seen,
but keep in mind that some strength coaches, such as Ian King, have
also had success with a 6-1 setup instead of a 1-6. King and Poliquin
learned of this technique from the same person but have interpreted it
differently in their programs. But, all in all, this is another good
choice for those that have only used higher reps previously. You can
find the program [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url].

German Body Comp, a.ka. The Bowlful of Jelly Program by TC
This
is TC's simplified version of Poliquin's German Body Comp program. This
entire fat loss program can be summarized in one sentence: alternate
upper body and lower body exercises while keeping your rep ranges high
and your rest intervals short. Supersets are used to achieve this goal.

How does it work? Many believe there's a
direct relationship between lactate and growth hormones. If you elevate
your lactate levels by doing lots of work in a short amount of time,
you'll cause your pituitary gland to pump out GH. This GH will, in
turn, cause an overall decrease in fat mass.
Maybe
all that's true, or maybe this program is effective for fat loss simply
because you burn a buttload of calories doing it. Whichever, it's an
effective workout if your primary goal is to lose the blubber. Check it
out [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url].

Twelve Weeks to Super Strength and the "Limping" Series by Ian King
We
didn't want to write about body-part specific programs here, but these
two programs by Ian King can be used together as one killer
routine. Both of these programs serve as an introduction to King's
methods, which may be totally different than anything you've tried
before— and that may be just what you need!
Prepare
for the unexpected with these workouts. For example, although this
program will greatly increase your bench press strength, Ian has you
benching at the end of the workout. But there's a method to his
madness. Also, get ready to perform some odd exercises using what may
seem like strange techniques, like dumbbell rows performed lying on
your belly on a bench. You'll also be performing some very painful leg
exercises that require no weights.
Some
let the quirkiness of these programs throw them off. Don't. Most report
great results and everyone learns a lot along the way. We sure did.
Don't be a mental wussy. Try something new!
The first phase of the Super Strength program can be found [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url] and part one of the lower body program can be found [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url].

X-Comp Training by Doug Santillo
This program uses a type of CAT or compensatory acceleration training.
Basically, that means you lower the weight slowly, but really explode
up the concentric or lifting portion of the exercise. Typically, you
use a weight that's 70% of your one-rep maximum and focus on powering
through the lift at max concentric speed. The idea here is to condition
your nervous system and tap into those elusive Type II-B fibers.
One
nice thing about this program is that it only takes three days a week,
where most T-mag programs are four or more. After four weeks on this
program, most experience better strength and hypertrophy increases
because of the neural adaptation taking place. Cool program. You can
read more about it [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url].

Tsunami Training by TC
TC
is sort of like a mad scientist. He likes to take a couple of effective
weight training tricks and combine them into a muscle-building monster.
Then he straps the new training program down to a table, opens the roof
and lets lightening strike it a couple of times, just for good measure.
Sometimes his training programs get loose and terrorize small towns,
then there are mobs and torches and, well, it just gets ugly after
that.
With Tsunami Training, TC combines
two types of "wave loading" which involves using maximal loads to
potentiate, or activate, the nervous system. He uses elements of
Poliquin's 1-6 training and Ian King's version of 4,3,2 wave-loading.
TC's
program revolves around four major exercises: the bench press, squat,
pull-up, and deadlift. Essentially, you do a set of 5RM or 6RM (the
most weight you can lift for five or six reps) within a few minutes of
doing a 1RM. This allows you to be able to lift more weight than if you
hadn't done the 1RM set.
If you then repeat
this 6RM/1RM combo, you'll be able to use even more weight than the
first time you did the combo. This, in essence, constitutes a wave. If you follow the program, you'll be surfing these waves all the way to new strength and size gains.
If you don't mind changing the weights a lot, this can be a very effective program. For all the details, click [url=javascript:void(0);]here[/url].