7

CARDINAL SINS
OF MUSCLE
GROWTH
1
USING
CRAPPY
TECHNIQUE
If you’re feeling a movement in your joints, spine
or hips you’re not going to grow, but you will get
injured. You need to feel it in the belly of the muscle.
Here are the 5 components of a perfect muscle-building rep:
• Control the descent or lowering part of the rep
• Get a full stretch at the bottom
• Immediately reverse the movement (don't pause)
• Drive the weight up forcefully while squeezing target muscle
• Stop just shy of lockout and repeat without pausing
FOLLOWING AN
5
EXTREMELY
LOW CARB
DIET
You can’t train hard or do a lot of volume on a
low carb diet. Try and you’ll lose muscle, your
libido, your zest for life and your ability to sleep.
Carbs are the required fuel for intense workouts.
They aid recovery and boost muscle growth. Shoot for at
least one gram per pound of bodyweight daily. If you’re very
lean and skinny you'll need 2-3 grams.

6
BURNING
NOT USING
2 PROGRESSIVE
OVERLOAD
YOURSELF
OUT
It’s easy to get amped up about training
for a week. But what good is it if you get
It doesn't matter if you are using bodyweight exercises or lifting burnt out? Long term consistency is
weights, you have to use progressive overload. That means that you what produces real gains.
have to move on to more challenging, advanced variations of pushups,
chin ups and single leg squats. Or you have
to lift heavier dumbbells and kettlebells. You
To avoid burnout:
• Don’t train to failure
can also do more reps or more total sets.
• Don’t try to set PR’s on days you’re not feeling it
The key is to do a little bit more than last
• Don’t make every workout a competition
time. If you don't consistently challenge
• Don’t train hard for more than 12 weeks without de-loading
your body to do more than it is currently
capable of you'll never build muscle.

“STIMULATE;
DON’T ANHILATE”
GAINING
3
—8-TIME MR. OLYMPIA, LEE HANEY

MORE FAT
THAN MUSCLE
DECREASING
Do 1-2 high intensity cardio (HIIT) and 1-2 low intensity cardio sessions
per week. Don’t fear that cardio will kill your gains. You need it to
enhance recovery and stay lean.

The following exercises are great options:

7 YOUR OWN
TESTOSTERONE
•
•
Sled pushes and drags
Loaded carries
•
•
Hill sprints
Battling ropes
LEVELS
• Sledgehammer swings • Biking High testosterone leads to more muscle, less
• Macebell exercises • Hiking bodyfat, better mood, improved sleep, enhanced
• Kettlebell swings • Swimming sense of well being, and more self confidence.

To keep your testosterone levels high make sure you don’t:

• Train for more than 30-45 minutes

IGNORING
• Do too much cardio

4
• Get less than 7-8 hours of sleep per day

RECOVERY
Without paying attention to recovery you'll never
maximize your gains. You may even lose muscle and get
• Reduce your fat intake too much
• Reduce your carbohydrate intake too much
• Develop a zinc or vitamin D deficiency (get tested)
• Eat products containing soy

3
fatter and weaker. Nobody wants that.

REQUIREMENTS
The first key to recovery is sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours per night, with 9 being
even better. If you can't sleep you have to figure out why and prioritize

FOR MUSCLE
fixing it. This is the single most important factor in health, wellness and
muscle growth.

Some other great techniques to improve recovery are:

• Meditation • Cryotherapy
GROWTH
• Massage • Sauna

1
• Yoga • The ocean
•
•
Acupuncture
Float tanks
and salt air
• Walking in nature
MECHANICAL TENSION
—LIFTING HEAVY ENOUGH.

2 METABOLIC STRESS
—GETTING A PUMP.

3 MUSCULAR DAMAGE
—JUST ENOUGH TO FORCE GROWTH,
NOT SO MUCH THAT YOU CAN’T RECOVER.

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