Step One

Step One: Take one full week off from training.

    In Ellington Darden's book High Intensity Training he relates an anecdote about Arthur Jones, ht creator of Nautilus machines and a staunch proponent of brief, intense workouts, that has a lesson for every bodybuilder interested in rapid muscle hypertrophy. Years ago Jones wrote in Iron Man magazine that "from only one workout I'll put half an inch of permanent muscle size on your upper arms." That may sound preposterous, but Jones made good on his claim with almost every bodybuilder who challenged him. He did it by focusing on rest and recovery, right off the bat by ordering the athlete to rest completely for three full days to counter act the over trained state that most lifters are always in.
After this recovery period Jones put the lifter through a full body workout of 10 exercises, with the last four to six sets devoted to arm blasting. The next morning the bodybuilders arms were measured, and almost without fail there was a half an inch of extra muscle stretching the tape.

    If you've been training hard continuously for more than three months, you've no doubt overtrained, especially if you've been following the advice of one of the many genetically gifted, pharmaceutically aided bodybuilding stars. One week off from the gym will recharge your batteries, heal your recovery ability and set the stage for new growth. Stay out of the gym for a full seven days-no arguements. After the break you can move onto the high intensity regimen outlined later in this bulletin.

    If, on the other hand, you haven't been training hard for a few months and your using this bulletin as a guide to get back into bodybuilding, use this first week as a break in period. Go to the gym and follow the break in routine on the next page.

    Use poundages that allow you to reach the repetition ranges easily-no straining. That means shouldn't train to failure during this time.You want to feel energized after these workouts, not drained. Try to build your intensity slowly over the three sessions but not to an extreme, For example, you may add a little weight to certain exercises on Wednesday and push a little harder-to one or two steps short of positive failure during this time. You want to feel energized at the end of these workouts, not drained. Try to build your intensity of the three sessions but not to the extreme. For example, you may add a little weight to certain exercises on Wednesday and then push a little harder-to one or two reps short of positive failure-on Friday. This will prepare you for the intense to come as you enter the 10-week Size Surge program the following week.

    If you're out of shape and have gotten no solid training under your belt for more than a year, stick with this break-in workout for three to four weeks before moving on.

    See Break -in - Routine

    Note: If you need instructions on how to perform the exercises in this bulletin, get a copy of Bill Pearl's Keys to The Inner Universe. This 638 page-book describes every bodybuilding exercises, including illustrations, and it's available from IRONMAN Books for $35. Call 1 800 447 0008 Ext. 1

IRONMAN is headquartered at 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033 1-800-0008, ext. 1 please be sure and tell em Surviveall referred you.