The Big 6 Movements for Mass Gain

In the early days of bodybuilding, trainers entered the gym on Monday morning and they trained for MASS.  Lots of compound sets, lots of heavy weights, and they trained the entire body.  They went to lunch and the gym afterwards, and then they took the next day off.  They returned Wednesday, then Friday, and they did it again!  Very popular in those days were the “Golden Six”, a group of six compound movements which essentially trained the whole body using mostly free weights, and lots of heavy weight.  Here is a sample workout using the Golden Six movements.

• Bench Press = 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions

• Squat = 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions

• Military Press = 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions

• Deadlift = 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions

• Barbell Curls = 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions

• Cable Pressdowns = 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions

Normally, a bodybuilding routine would assign one body part per day, with 12 to 20 sets being used for each body part.  This routine uses far less volume of sets (only 4 sets for your two major lifts, and 3 sets for back sections and arm groups).  The use of fewer sets, coupled with more recovery for the entire body (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are complete rest days) usually allows the muscle groups to recover.  If you do notice that your chest is still sore on Wednesday from the Monday bench pressing, skip that movement and make it the “Golden Five” for that day.  Any body parts with slower recovery abilities should catch up with the others after a week or two of training in this manner.

When training with the Golden Six, keep a few things in mind. This is very close to being a powerlifting routine. You should be lifting as heavy as possible. The goal is to bring as much blood into the various muscle groups as possible in order to stimulate new growth. Use a training partner. Use forced repetitions. And when you’re in the gym, train like a madman. Train very hard. The fact of the matter is that volume is low, so every set and rep must count. When you’re devoting 27 sets to chest on a Monday, you’re allowed to have some sub-par sets, because you know the muscle will get plenty of stimulation. Not anymore. Every rep and set must be completed to the best of your ability.

This program does neglect hamstrings, calves, and forearms.  Any successful long-term bodybuilding program will include exercises for those body parts.  However, if you and a few friends are looking for a mass-building routine for a 6-week period to add muscle and thickness all over, then the Golden Six might be for you.  Be sure to keep this strictly as an off-season routine, when you’re looking to pile on the beef at all costs.   Using a calorie-restrictive diet with a routine like this will result in your central nervous system (CNS) not receiving adequate resources for recovery and growth.  If you add a few pounds of fat and water with this routine, don’t fret.  You’ll be able to diet it off before your next show, but your newly built slabs of muscle will 

Source: pmxfit