Build Muscle Calisthenics

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. ABOUT 3
2. HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE 5

-- Most common terms used 5
-- Muscle growth/hypertrophy 7
-- Factors of muscle growth 10
-- Nutrition 14
-- How to train for muscle growth 28
3. BEFORE YOU START THE PLAN 38

-- Posture test 39
-- 1RM testing 50
-- Core stability workouts 59
4. MUSCLE BUILDING PLAN 62

-- How to start the plan 64
5. WARM-UP AND STRETCHING ROUTINES 65

-- Warm up routine 66
-- Stretching routine 73
6. FAQ 76
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ABOUT
Just like with everything else in life,
in order to make a change, you need
a good starting point. This is exactly
what this guide offers. A great starting
point for your body transformation.
The guide contains the theory of

muscle growth as well as the practice,
in the form of a Muscle Building plan in the Madbarz
application. The theory will teach you various important facts
of muscle growth and how to train for muscle growth, while
the plan itself will be the very method of achieving the body
you want.
Of course, it goes without saying

that you must have already set
your main goal and that is to add
more size but also strength to your
muscles. By defining a goal, you’ve
already specified precisely what
skill set and knowledge you need
to have in order to reach your
goal but remember, the only thing
that can make your goals become
reality is a firm decision by you.
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If you’re reading this guide, you have made a firm decision
and a brave step towards reaching your goals. Make no
mistake, it is not an easy goal that you have set yourself to
achieve, but it’s worth your time and effort, no doubt about
it. Apart from what we will provide to you with this guide, time
and effort are the other two main ingredients to success. We
will give you all of the information and you will decide the best
way of using that information.
So, let’s have a look at what you need to do in order to start

your transformation as soon as possible.
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HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE
It is a simple question with a simple answer, and the answer
is ‘’train for muscle growth’’. However, there is still the
question of how to train for muscle growth?
This question will be answered in this chapter. Before you

have a clear picture of what you have to do and why, in order
to make improvements in your appearance and strength we
have to tackle the basics of muscle growth (hypertrophy), the
most important factors of muscle growth, as well as proper
nutrition and methods of resistance training.
To avoid any kind of confusion while reading the next few

chapters, let us first mention some of the most common
terms used when talking about growing muscle.
Most common terms used:

Training (exercise) program:
A planned and programmed longer period of multiple
weekly workouts that focus on increasing a skill, ability or
transforming the body’s appearance.
Workout:
A single unit of a training program consisting of exercises and
rest periods.
Sets:
Used to define the number of times a person does the same
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exercise in one workout.
Repetitions:
Used to define the number of times a person does the same
exercise in one set.
Rest periods:
The period between sets and exercises.
Resistance training:
Various training methods of growing muscle by using external
weights or one’s own body resistance.
Weight:
A piece of metal in a form of an exercise prop (dumbbell,
barbell, kettlebell) used in resistance training.
1RM:
The maximum amount of weight a person can lift only once.
Prime movers:
Muscles that contribute the most effort during an exercise.
Stabilizers: Muscles that help prime movers stabilize thebilize

movement and body position during an exercise.
Trainee: A person involved in a training program (a person

that works out).
Pedro Vasconcelos (sopedro01@gmail.com)

Distribution of this material can lead to lawsuits and financial penalties. 6
Muscle growth/hyperthrophy
The human body has an amazing ability to adapt and change
its physiological and physical attributes. The changes that the
body is able to make in response to a stimulant are part of
our survival capabilities.
Just think of a situation when you didn’t know how to

solve a math problem in school. We’re guessing everyone
experienced a lot of similar situations. What you needed to
do was to find a solution to the problem by learning how to
resolve it and then store it in your long-term memory.
So you’ve adapted in order to be able to progress and

develop as an individual. The stimulus was the information
and the adaptation was the knowledge you’ve gained. There
is nothing different about how your body makes adaptations.
If you give it a proper stimulant, it will make the adaptations
you need and want.
Hyperthrophy
An adaptation mechanism of the body that happens in
response to resistance training. Resistance training involves
exercises that require the muscle to contract against
an external resistance (weights, body weight, kettlebell,
resistance bands etc.). Simply said, if you train a certain way,
your body will start to build muscle.
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The way the muscle grows is by increasing the volume
of each individual muscle cell (hypertrophy), not by
multiplying them.
Each time you train by contracting your muscles against a

certain resistance by using a high enough intensity, your
muscle fibers will be damaged and torn. While resting and
recovering, your body is repairing your muscle cells, but they
are not just as good as new, they are better now, bigger
and stronger. While you were pumping away in the gym,
your body realized that in order to decrease the torn and
damage to the muscles, it needed to build stronger and more
durable muscle cells so that the next time you do those same
exercises, they wouldn’t cause the same damage.
Recap
The muscles react to the
external resistance by
growing bigger and stronger
while you rest and recover.
This causes the overall
volume of the muscle to
increase and gives you a
more muscular and athletic
appearance.
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When talking about hypertrophy training, it’s important to
mention the term supercompensation. Supercompensation
is the time window when you are completely recovered and
your muscles are repaired from the last workout - that is the
best time to repeat the workout in order to progress or to
maintain that higher state of fitness because you are in the
state of enhanced capabilities.
It is a term used whenever a certain trained physical

component or function is at a higher level than before the
training began. In the case of muscle building (hypertrophy)
training, that trained component would be the muscle size
and also strength.
The average time for achieving supercompensation for

strength and muscle growth would be 24-48 hours. This
means that 1-2 days after the workout you’ve done, your body
has recovered and is ready to do another workout.

Factors of muscle growth
It’s important to say that the ability to build muscle depends
on a variety of factors.
A very important factor to consider is the overall volume of

training. Volume can be defined in several different ways, but
the most common would be that it refers to the number of
repetitions and sets (rounds) done in a workout. It can also
be measured on a weekly basis. Volume may be increased
by either increasing the number of sets and/or exercises
performed or by increasing the training frequency.
Volume is closely related to the intensity of training,

meaning that the overall volume of the workout is inversely
proportional with the intensity. So if you have a lot of
repetitions and sets in a particular workout, you more likely
have a lesser intensity than in a workout with lower volume.
The intensity of a workout can be defined as the amount

of weight lifted divided with the number of repetitions in a
workout. Simply said, the intensity refers to how heavy weight
you are lifting when doing resistance training. Intensity is
definitely one of the most important factors of muscle
growth.
The resistance training itself will not result in progress unless

the proper intensity is used.
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There are many different theories of prescribing the best
amount of volume and intensity, but the most important thing
to remember is that it all depends on what your overall goal
is. Often suggested is having a training volume (per workout)
of 3-5 sets per muscle group with anywhere from 20 to 30
repetitions per set, depending on your current abilities and
the overall phase of training. The overall weekly volume
depends on the fitness level.
Rest
It’s very important when it comes to any kind of training-

induced adaptation. The rest is when the progress happens,
not the workout itself. So you can imagine that a proper
sleep and periods off workouts are an absolute prerequisite
to progress in the muscle building training. However, too
much rest is also not what you want. This refers to the
supercompensation mentioned earlier. There is a window
of rest that is needed in order to regenerate and progress
further at the same time.
Frequency
Training frequency has been discussed a lot in literature

and it refers to the weekly number of workouts in a training
program. The general suggestion is that beginners to
resistance training should have a frequency of 2-3 workouts a
week, intermediate trainee 3-4, and advanced 4-6 workouts
per week.
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Genetics
Often mentioned when talking about building muscle and

must be mentioned here as well as a very important factor
that determines the degree of muscle mass increase as well
as the shape and the overall appearance of your physique
when doing muscle building training. Your genetic profile
determines how well you will respond (react) to hypertrophy
training (building muscle).
Research has shown that based on their level of response

to the muscle building training, people can generally be
classified as low, moderate, or high responders.
In research, most studies classify:
15-20% 60-70% 15-20%

Low responders Moderate responders High responders
This is something that can approximately be applied to the

general population as well. This means that most people
have a ‘’moderate’’ (mediocre) reaction to the muscle building
training, while a smaller percentage of people have either a
very good or a very poor response. It’s important to point out
the obvious - your genetic potential can’t be changed. All the
other factors mentioned in this chapter can be manipulated to
some extent, but genetics is something you can’t change.
However, it must be said that anyone can improve strength,
skill and aesthetics.
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Gender
Also an important factor when it comes to the ability to

grow muscle. It is completely obvious that men and women
have different hormonal and overall biological potentials for
building muscle.
When talking in absolute numbers (regardless of body

size), it is true that men are able to grow more muscle mass
than women, but if we take into consideration the relative
increases (in relation to person’s weight), then these
differences are not very big. Simply said, research has shown
that men build more muscle mass, but women are able to
improve just as much as men are when taking their weight
into consideration.
Interestingly, when looking at strength increase, women

have a much larger relative strength increase than men. This
means that when training, women get stronger than men,
again, if we take individual weight into consideration.
Training experience
Training experience will also determine the rate at which you

build muscle and how much progress you are able to make.
Generally, people that have more training experience

also have a slower rate of progress in muscle growth and
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strength. So, a beginner trying to build muscle is going to
show more progress in a shorter time than somebody who’s
been training for years. This has to do with the body’s ability
to adapt to training over time. When you are just starting
working out, your body will react quickly and strongly because
it is not used to the stimulant.
A training technique
Refers to performing the exercises the proper way. There are

standardized movement patterns that increase the efficiency
of the exercise but also decrease the risk of any kind of injury.
Learning the proper technique of the exercises is a very
important, and often neglected, part of a resistance training.
Nutrition
Although technically it is one of the determinants of muscle
growth, nutrition is so important when it comes to muscle
growth that it deserves a section of its own.
Nutrition is something that absolutely has to be mentioned

as an important factor in any kind of physical transformation.
The first thing that needs to be clear when trying to build
muscle is that muscle building means gaining weight.
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?
Is it possible to build muscle and lose fat and weight at
the same time?
Yes, it is, but it is a very slow, hard and ineffective way

of building muscle for most people. This is a strategy that
professional athletes and bodybuilders use, and an average
person should not go through the same amount of pressure
and stress considering the huge difference in ambition,
training conditions, and guidance between a professional and
a non-professional.
It is very hard to build muscle and lose body fat at the same
time, so in order to build muscle, you have to gain weight and
not concentrate on losing fat at the same time.
In order to do this, we recommend increasing your daily

caloric intake above your daily requirements. The energy
we get from food and drink is measured in calories (kcal).
There is a certain amount of calories you have to consume
daily in order to maintain your current weight and to function
normally throughout the day (daily caloric needs).
Here is a calorie calculator to help you figure out how much

calories you need daily (how much you need to eat) in order
to keep your current weight, to lose, or gain weight (this is
your goal):
Use it now
Using this simple calculator will make things much easier for
you when trying to gain that extra muscle mass.
An even simpler method is to follow a guideline supported

by research, that an average amount of 44-50 kcal per kg of
body weight should be consumed during the day if you are
doing training for muscle growth. Take into consideration that
the numbers given by the calculator and calculated from the
mentioned guidelines may vary a bit.
When it comes to nutrition, along with calories, the

macronutrient intake is just as important.
There are three main macronutrients in food: protein,

carbohydrates, and fats.
Proteins are the building blocks of the body, carbohydrates

provide the energy for daily activities, and the fats support
the hormonal and nervous system, but also provide energy. 1
gram of protein contains 4 calories, as do the carbohydrates,
while 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
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It is important to have a proper ratio of these
macronutrients in your daily diet. So, even though eating a lot
of calories is the way to gain muscle, it is also an incomplete
statement.
The second part of that statement is that the source of

those calories is very important.
EXAMPLE
Height: 183 cm (6 feet)
Weight: 87 kg (191 lbs)
Years: 32-year-old
Daily calorie requirement: 3500 calories

for muscle gain
According to the calculator.
If those 3500 calories come mainly from high fat and high
carbohydrate sources, you probably won’t gain so much
muscle mass as you will fat mass. If your diet lacks proteins,
you won’t gain muscle. You need to have a certain amount
and ratio of protein, carbs, and fats in your food every day in
order to support your training requirements.
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It is hard to give an accurate practical recommendation for
daily macronutrient intake considering that it is something
very individual and varies quite a bit from person to person
depending on your weight, height, age, gender, activity level,
type of activity, and simply on how your own body functions.
But here are some guidelines for macronutrient intake

ratios (macronutrient daily percentages) that can help you
reach your goal.
1
When building muscle it is recommended to have
a 25-35% protein, 40-60% carbohydrate and 15-
25% fat ratio in your diet.
When maintaining your muscle mass and weight,
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it is best to decrease the amount of carbohydrate
in your diet, so we recommend a ratio of 25-35%
protein, 30-50% carbohydrate and 25-35% fat in
your diet.
When trying to lose body fat, it is recommended to
3 have a 40-50% protein, 10-30% carbohydrate and

30-40% fat ratio in your diet. The extra protein is
needed to maintain the muscle mass.

MACRONUTRIENT RATIOS
CARBS FATS PROTEINS
10-50%
25-35%
25-35%
30-50%
40-60% 40-50%
30-40%
15-25% 25-35%
HIGHER-CARB MODERATE-CARB LOWER-CARB

FOR MUSCLE BUILDING FOR MAINTENANCE FOR FAT LOSS
Here is an example of how to calculate your daily

macronutrient needs in grams.
Let’s take the same example as before.
EXAMPLE
Height: 183 cm (6 feet)
Weight: 87 kg (191 lbs)
Years: 32-year-old
Daily calorie requirement: 3500 calories

According to the calculator
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If we take the 25-35% protein ratio into consideration, then
we need to calculate how much grams that comes down to
daily. It’s very simple:
Using an online percentage calculator link, we know
1 that 25%-35% from 3500 is 875-1225 (calories).

These are the calories that need to come from
protein.
2
Since 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories all
you need to do now is divide the protein calories
calculated above with 4.
3
So the needed daily protein intake for this person
will be in a range from 218-306 grams of protein
per day.
Here are also simpler guidelines for your macronutrient intake

(the amount of nutrients in grams) if calculating is something
you don’t feel like doing:
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1
As far as proteins are concerned, it is generally
accepted that 0.6-0.8 g per kilogram of body weight
will be enough for daily requirements for most
people. When you start training for muscle growth,
your body requirements are not average anymore.
You need a higher protein intake.
The recommended daily protein intake for

people doing resistance training ranges from 1.2 to
2.0 g/kg, or even more.
2
As carbohydrates are the body’s source of energy,
it goes without question that you need a good
amount of carbs in your daily diet. A suggested
amount of 3-7 g/kg is often mentioned as the
proper amount for athletes and people involved in
resistance training.
3
Choose a low fat intake when building muscle,
so that while you are gaining weight, a very
small amount of that weight comes from the fat
mass and most of it comes from muscle. The fat
percentage should never go below 15% of your
daily caloric intake (see the guidelines above).

The ratio of macronutrients is not the only thing important
here but also the quality of the macronutrients. For
example, candy, cookies, and processed food sources in
general, will give you plenty calories but they have no real
macronutrient value - these are called empty calories,
and it’s a waste to consume these types of foods (from a
macronutrient point of view).
The best sources of protein can be found in meat, fish, dairy

products, eggs, beans, lentils, mixed nuts (almonds, cashews,
walnuts) or even different types of seeds (sunflower, chia,
hemp).
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As far as carbohydrates are concerned, more complex
carbohydrates are usually a better choice than simpler ones.
Simpler carbohydrates are digested faster and reach the
bloodstream much faster than the “complex” carbohydrates,
rising the insulin levels and increasing your hunger quickly
after consuming them. A significantly lesser amount of
energy is consumed with simpler carbs and a sense of
‘’fullness’’ can be achieved by eating only complex carbs. So a
person doing a resistance training program should consider
consuming unprocessed carb sources like whole grains
(bread, pasta, rice, bulgur, oatmeal) and fruits and vegetables.
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Last but definitely not least are the fats.
Fat sources that are healthy are olive oil, fatty fish (omega 3
fatty acids), nuts, avocados, high-quality peanut butter, flax
and chia seeds, coconut oil, dairy products (greek yogurt,
milk, cheese), and even dark chocolate..
Other than what to eat, there is also the question of when to

eat. This is very individual and depends on the type of a diet
you are on.

To read and learn more about
the types of diet, make sure to
check out our ‘’The Ultimate
Six Pack Guide’’ available
in the Madbarz Shop. The
Six Pack Guide also comes
with a macronutrient cheat
sheet that will give you more
detailed information about
the everyday foods you eat
contain (calories, protein etc.).
Here are a few most common nutrition myths that are linked
to muscle growth:
“ You have to eat every 2-3 hours.

“
This simply isn’t true. This statement was formed on a
premise that unless you eat all the time during the day, your
body is not going to get the protein for growth. We know now
that your body is not going to lose muscle if you haven’t had
a protein meal in a few hours. More important is the overall
calorie and protein intake during the day. Intermittent fasting
(see abs guide) is a perfect example of this. As long as you
are getting the overall daily requirements in calories and
macronutrients, it doesn’t matter if you are eating in
a window of 6 hours or eating every 2-3 hours.
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“ You have to eat a meal right after the workout
“
This statement is only half true. It is recommended to have
a high-quality protein meal after the workout, but it shouldn’t
be viewed as a fixed window, but rather as a period of time
in which your body will respond well to the nutrients you
provide. Simply said, it’s not a wasted opportunity if you don’t
have a protein meal within 1-2 hours after the workout, but
make sure to provide your body with enough protein during
the day.
“ You can only consume 30g of protein per meal

“
Again, not true. There is no such thing as a fixed limit to
how much protein you can digest in one meal. Theoretically,
there could be a limit for protein intake per meal, but it isn’t
30 grams of protein. Some researches suggest an intake of
0.4-0.5 g of protein/kg of your mass, as the best amount
for consuming during one meal. So feel free to eat higher
quantities of protein per meal.
“ Fat will make you fat

“
This again is half true. While fat is obviously something
that when consumed will be used in the body to form fat
storages (inner and outer), it is not exactly correct to assume
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that it makes you fat. If we look at the guidelines mentioned
earlier on the macronutrient intake ratios (page 19.), we
can see that a small amount comes from fat and a very high
amount comes from carbohydrates. It’s the cabs that actually
contribute more to gaining that extra fat rather than the fat
sources.
So, avoiding fat sources all together to minimize the increase

in body fat is not recommended. Not only are healthy fat
sources mentioned earlier very important in keeping the
proper hormonal balance in the body, but research has also
shown that consuming low-fat diets decreases testosterone
levels. Testosterone is one of the main anabolic (muscle
building) hormones in the body, so it’s not a good idea to
decrease its levels. As already mentioned, a level of 15-25%
(minimum 15%) of fat in the diet is recommended for people
involved in resistance training.
“
“ Dietary supplement can replace a meal
This statement is not true. A supplementary diet can include

proteins (whey, casein, soy protein etc.), vitamins, creatine etc.
and, to some extent, they can be a good addition to the diet.
But they can never replace real food. They are simply an extra
edge to an already complete and balanced diet of real food.
So don’t try and function or train on a diet of powders and
pills. It won’t work and you will not get the results you want.
How to train for muscle growth
So, we’ve already mentioned that resistance training is
necessary for muscle growth. There are different workout
systems and training methodologies that include the
element of resistance. These activities include resistance
based exercises that will result in muscle growth. Some of
the most common and best activities for muscle building
include calisthenics, bodybuilding, strength training, and
functional training.
Calisthenics is most commonly

known as a set of bodyweight
skills and exercises to improve
muscle strength, endurance
and also size. The specific focus
of calisthenics is not to build
muscle but this comes as a
secondary effect of the activity.
This is very true for beginners

to any kind of resistance
training. The muscles will
respond very well to the
calisthenic type of workout if
you are a beginner and it is also
often recommended as the
preferred type of training for
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individuals new to resistance training. But there are also ways
to make calisthenics workouts and exercises challenging even
for those with more experience in resistance training.
The benefits of calisthenics are not only increased strength,

muscle endurance, and size, but also joint stability. Often
when doing resistance-based exercises with external weights,
we are isolating a specific muscle and neglecting the very
important task of developing the smaller muscles that protect
the joint - by doing so, we are risking injuries or long-term
locomotor (muscles, bones, joints) problems.
This type of training should be taken seriously, even when

focusing mainly on building muscle. It will give you a great
foundation on top of which you can build upon further, in
case that’s what you aspire to do.
When it comes to building muscles, bodybuilding is arguably

the best way to go about it. The very name of the workout
system implies that you are building your body. One only has
to look at the top bodybuilders in history to realize that this
is the method of building muscle that allows you to take the
process to the extremes of what the body can look like, not
that it is something you should aim for.
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Bodybuilding uses
compound (multiple
joint) but mostly single
joint movements done
with external resistance. It
uses dumbbells, barbells,
and machines to produce
enough resistance against
which the muscle has
to contract in order to
produce enough force
to push, pull or lift that
resistance. Bodybuilders
use a specific training
technique and a specific
repetition range to make
the muscle grow. In
bodybuilding, it is generally
accepted that a repetition number of 6-12 repetitions is the

so-called hypertrophy (muscle building) range.
This means that when using a bodybuilding method, muscle

growth is most likely achieved when doing 60-80% of your
maximum effort (1RM-repetition maximum - see page 50)
So in any given exercise you are using the weight you are able
to lift for 6-12 repetitions. If the weight allows you to do more
repetitions, then the weight is not heavy enough and the
exercise will not produce the best results.
So, as you can see the biggest benefit of bodybuilding is

that it allows you to target specific muscle groups in order
to get the best possible improvements in muscle size. It is
very important to point out that although bodybuilding builds
strength, this is not the main purpose of the method.
Also, due to the specific slow motion of the movement, it

is not the best method for developing strength in sports. It is
considered that these slow movements don’t translate very
well to sports where most of the movements are performed
much faster.
“Downside
“
Another “downside” of bodybuilding was already mentioned
earlier when talking about calisthenics, and that is that
bodybuilding often focuses on developing the so-called
primary mover muscles. These muscles are the big muscle
groups involved in the movement during a certain exercise.
There are many smaller and also important muscles that
often get neglected as a result of this method of training.
This can result in injury or long-term locomotor problems.
However, this problem is easily fixed by combining
bodybuilding workouts with stability/prevention workouts, a
proper warm-up, and flexibility routines.
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Very similar to bodybuilding, strength training also uses
external weights to make improvements in muscle mass and
strength.
The main difference is the intensity of training, the

adaptation the body makes, and the overall goal of the
training method. Strength training uses heavier resistance
to produce the wanted body adaptations and, unlike
bodybuilding, the focus isn’t on increasing muscle mass and
esthetics but on developing the strength required for sports
disciplines.
Strength training, like any other form of resistance training,

has many benefits, like the already mentioned increase in
muscle mass, increase in bone density, decreasing the risk of
injuries in everyday life and competitive sports, slowing the
process of losing muscle mass that commonly occurs with
aging. We have already mentioned that strength
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training is vital in sports warm-ups, so it’s logical to assume
that it is a training method not recommended for beginners
in resistance training in general. Calisthenics and bodybuilding
are a much better choice when starting a muscle building
program for the first time.
Functional training has become very popular over the past

years. You will find many different definitions in the exercise
literature and the definition will depend on what the term
“functional” refers to in that particular type of literature.
When it comes to the human body, the term ‘’functional’’

can refer to the healthy or unhealthy functioning of joints,
muscles and the overall body.
Therefore, it is only logical to assume that any form of

training that can improve any of the mentioned body
functions can be called “functional training”.
This is one way of interpreting what functional training means.
Term “Functional” - In literature

Exercise training programs that imitate the activities
and movements of daily life or that occur during
athletic performance (in sports).
In regards to this definition, functional training exercises tend

to focus on developing technique, posture, core musculature
and not so much at increasing maximum strength or muscle
growth.
The main purpose of this form of functional training is to

improve health, everyday life quality, and performance
in sports (training is more specific and applicable to the
particular needs of the sport). The best part of functional
training is that it includes the development of a variety of
fitness components (strength, endurance, coordination, and
balance). So, functional training can include stabilization
exercises, balance exercises, flexibility exercises, and also
resistance training exercises.
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Functional resistance training most often involves multi joint
resistance exercises that imitate movements from everyday
life and sport. Any kind of training that doesn’t satisfy the
mentioned criteria would not be functional according to the
definition.
So, an isolated exercise that focuses on making the muscle

bigger and more stronger, like the dumbbell bicep curl, would
not be referred to as functional but as traditional resistance
training. A functional version of a biceps curl (exercise for the
biceps) would be a pull-up, bent over row, or a suspension
trainer curl, for example.
Remember that this is only one point of view as mentioned

earlier, and another point of view would be to look at any
exercise as functional as long as it develops and improves a
certain body function.
The main point is that it is possible to build muscle using

functional movements.
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?
Two most commonly asked questions when talking about
building muscle are:
Can you and how do you combine cardio with muscle

building training?
Although this is not a category like the previously mentioned

training methods, it deserves an honorable mention when
discussing what methods are the best for building muscle.
Research has shown that cardio training (longer duration

activity with lower intensity like running, cycling, rowing
etc.) can be a factor to losing muscle mass if a person does
only cardio training or it can even slow down progress if
a person is doing a cardio and muscle building program
simultaneously.
Physiological pathways that get triggered when doing cardio

can negatively affect the pathways that get triggered when
doing muscle building training. This is a very complex subject
and recommendations for training are limited. However, there
are some things we know for a fact.
Here are some practical recommendations:

1
Feel free to combine the two methods of training
as longs as there is a smart approach behind the
program.
2
It is recommended that you do the two different
types of workouts on separate days. Combining the
two workouts in one day is usually necessary only
for athletes that have to increase their performance
in a certain sport and thus have to take a much
more demanding approach to working out.
3
If you are combining the two workouts in one, it
is better to start with a muscle building workout
followed by a cardio workout. The logic behind
this is that you should still have enough energy to
do the cardio workout, which is a lower-intensity
workout, after you’ve finished with the muscle
building workout.
The “optimal” timing of the workouts and the rest

interval in between them is an individual factor that
depends on your personal preferences. You might
want to have a short rest period in between the
workouts or take a longer rest to recover.
37
BEFORE YOU START THE
PLAN
This chapter contains information on how to assess your
posture, how to test 1RM, and what exercises to do
before starting the plan. The 1RM test is not required for
the Madbarz plan, as you will not be using external weights,
but you’ll need it if sometimes in the future you’d like to start
a bodybuilding program with weights.
You are probably thinking “I just want to build muscle, so why

do I have to have good posture or test anything before?”.
The answer is - you don’t. There is nothing obligatory about
what is written in this chapter. Feel free to go straight to the
chapter about starting the plan on page 62.
However, there is a reason why there are 3 sections in

this guide about preparatory steps before the plan itself.
These 3 sections will give you an extra advantage during
the plan and can help you improve your overall fitness and
health. So, we strongly suggest that you invest that short
amount of time to read these segments before moving on to
the plan itself.
The sport of fitness is played long-term, not short-term,

meaning if you want results, it will take time and effort. If you
want to last longer, you have to invest some time and trust
the process.
38
Posture test
Whenever you are considering starting
a resistance training program, it is
recommended to do an assessment
of your posture. Posture refers to
the physical position of the spine and
the joints in relation to each other, as
well as the strength of the muscles
surrounding them. It can also refer to
the physical position of other parts of
the anatomy.
It’s very important to look at the body as a whole unit, a sum

of all parts, and not isolate separate parts of the anatomy
as if they can function independently, regardless of the
functionality of other body parts.
This is why it’s important to have a proper posture. Any kind

of improper form of the spine and its segments can have
a big impact on the functionality of other body parts, like
the hips, knees or even feet. This is called a compensation
pattern.
Simply put, when one part of the anatomy is not functioning

properly, the other parts of the body work extra hard to keep
the proper posture and their proper alignment.

This extra work puts a lot of strain on those body parts and,
over time, that stress starts to build up and manifest itself
through various symptoms, like discomfort, pain or lack of
function.
So, if your posture is bad to start with, be aware of the fact

that you can cause a lot of damage to your body if you start
doing exercises with high intensity and heavy resistance
that focus mainly on building muscle. Long-term, this kind of
approach to muscle building can lead to various problems
with the joints, muscle imbalances and injuries, like ankle
sprains, knee injuries, and back injuries.
For this reason it’s important to look at yourself in the mirror

or even better to have somebody else look at you and see
what your overall posture is.
This section is for informative purposes only and it shouldn’t

be used as a diagnostic method or to create any kind of a
rehabilitation program.
40
It is highly advised to
have an expert give you a
professional opinion, but
in the following part of the
guide, you can also find some
useful information about most
common types of bad posture
and muscle imbalances, so you
can possibly prevent future
injuries.
41
3 Most common types of bad posture and muscle
imbalances during a static standing position
To be able to notice any of the below mentioned types of bad

posture:
Stand in an upright position with feet shoulder-width apart, toes
facing forward. The arms are relaxed on the sides of the body.
1.
Pronation distortion syndrome (knocked knees)
Don’t bother remembering the name. The most important
thing to remember is that this type of posture is characterised
by the so called flat feet, internally rotated hips with knees
falling out of proper alignment.
This type of bad posture is caused by muscle imbalances of

the lower part of the body. This means that some muscles
have become too short (overactive) and others too long
(weak) to be able to do their role properly.
In this case, the shortened muscles (overactive) are the calf
muscles, inner thigh muscles, hip flexors, and a part of the
back thigh.
The lengthened muscles (weak) are the shin muscles (lower

leg,front side), part of the front thigh, the gluteus maximus
and medius, and the external rotators of the hip.
2.
Lower crossed syndrome (sway back)
This is one of the two most
common spine related problems
and it is characterized by the
excessive arching of the lower
back.
This type of bad posture is often

a cause of pain in the lower back
area and can lead eventually to
a herniated disk, amongst other
problems.
The muscles that are shortened (overactive) are the hip

flexors, lower back muscles, and the upper back muscles
mainly.
Lengthened (weak) muscles include gluteus medius,

maximus and the abdominal muscles.
43
3.
Upper crossed syndrome (Hunching over)
This is the second of the two most

common spine problems and it
is characterised by the excessive
forward head position and
rounded shoulders.
This type of bad posture is caused

by the muscle imbalances in the
upper part of the torso.
The shortened (overactive) muscles include the pectoral

muscles, side neck muscles, upper back muscles.
The lengthened (weak) muscles include side rib cage

muscles, scapular muscles, mid back, and back shoulder
muscles.
When starting a resistance based program, it’s important

to see what kind of a postural alignment you have during a
dynamic movement.
The 2 most common movement patterns in the Madbarz

muscle building plan are the pushing and the squatting
movement.
44
The pushing movements are used to increase the strength
and size of the upper body, while the squatting movement is
used to increase the strength and size of the lower body.
This doesn’t mean that there are no exercises that include

some other form of movement, but these two are very
common and many other exercises derive from these basic
movements.
SQUAT
While in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart,
raise your arms overhead with palms facing forward. Now
drop your body down in a squat, like you would when sitting
on a chair.
Correct form:
-- Feet in line with knees

-- Looking sideways:
the arms and tibia (lower
leg) should be in line with
the torso.
-- Back should be straight

Wrong form (front):
-- Knees move inward

-- Feet and knees turn out
Wrong form (side):
-- Lower back arch -- Arms and torso fall

forward too much
-- Lower back flexion
-- Spine is out of alignment
(backview)
46
PUSH-UP
This test is a way of measuring proper position in a push-up.
A push-up is performed by lowering the body from a plank
position with arms fully extended and body forming a straight
line from head to heel toward the floor and then pushing back
up.
Correct form in starting position:
-- Arms and legs extended

-- Hands little wider than shoulder-width
-- Back straight
-- Hips in line with the torso
-- Feet hip-width apart
47
Correct form in movement:
-- Back straight
-- Hips in line with the torso
-- Chest close to the floor
-- Elbows bent and turned out (45 degrees)
-- Head in line with the torso
Wrong form in starting position:
-- Hands-shoulder width apart or closer

-- Shoulder blades retract (move up and towards each other)
-- Hips above torso level
-- Lower back arching
-- Head goes back or too much forward
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48
Wrong form in movement:
-- Elbows to close the body

-- Lower body arching
-- Chest far from ground
All of the mentioned types of bad posture during a standing

position or during an exercise are a result of certain muscles
being weak and others being too tight.
This is why it is recommended to do our Madbarz routines

located in the core stability workouts section on page 59 in
order to strengthen the core muscles, as well as the most
commonly weakened muscles and minimize the risk of over-
stressing your body with heavy resistance exercises in our
plan or during any other training program.
49
1RM testing
!
This test is very useful but required only if you are doing an
exercise plan with weights.
It is not necessary to test your 1RM for the Muscle Building

Plan in this guide.
Simply said, by doing a 1RM testing you can determine the

amount of weight you have to lift in one set of exercise in
order to make the muscle grow.
This can be very useful when doing a muscle building

program with weights and trying to determine the weight
you need to lift in a shoulder press, for example, to make the
muscle grow.
1RM (repetition maximum)

Maximum amount of weight you can lift once in a single
set of exercise and by determining it, you can find the
correct repetition range for muscle growth by calculating the
percentage of your maximum effort (1RM).
50
This test is basically a test of your maximal strength at the
moment of testing.
There are two methods of testing 1RM and you can use
either of them. We will describe them one by one. Remember
that they have two very important things in common.
First, no matter what weight you are lifting in the test or how
many repetitions you have lifted the weight, the repetitions
have to be performed till failure (this means until you can’t
lift the weight anymore). If you stop the exercise at any
moment and still have a few repetitions “left in the tank”, the
testing will not be accurate.
The other important

thing is that both methods
are done by finding a
certain amount of weight
(maximal or submaximal)
by doing multiple sets of
the same exercise, starting
from the higher number
of repetitions, lowering the
repetitions with every set and, at the same time, increasing
the weight.
So, you have to find the weight yourself, we can’t give you
the numbers!
The first method of 1RM testing is performed by doing
multiple attempts (sets) of an exercise while you are gradually
increasing the weight you are lifting until you get to the
highest amount of weight you can lift only once. It’s quite
simple, however, this is something you can do if you have
previous experience working out with weights, but it’s not
recommended if you are a beginner.
Because in order to successfully find your maximum attempt,

you need to do exactly that, at one moment you have to
do the exercise with the maximum amount of weight for
one repetition. This can potentially be dangerous for an
inexperienced person. However, if you decide to follow this
method, here is a description of the testing protocol.
!
It’s very important not to do the first method of 1RM testing
method alone. Someone has to be your spotter.
Spotter
A person that is standing
close by in case you are not
able to lift the weight.
52
First method
First of all, have a proper warm-up that will increase the
body temperature and prepare the muscles for intensive
work. This can be achieved by spending 5-8 minutes on a
stationary bike, running (outdoors or on a treadmill), on a
rowing machine or simply doing a set of exercises that will do
the job.
After 5-8 minutes, try to focus on warming up the specific

body parts that are going to be active during the testing. You
can use the warm-up routine in this guide located on
page 65.
Secondly, it is recommended to do a couple of preparatory

sets with a low amount of weight to activate the specific
muscles that you are targeting with the 1RM test. An average
number of warm-up sets would be 2-3.
The preparatory sets should start with a very light weight, and
with 12-15 repetitions. In those first few sets, the weight you
choose is very individual, but it can be as light as just lifting an
empty bar when, for example, doing a bench press exercise.
Rest periods in-between the warm-up sets can be relatively

short (one to three minutes), but this should be increased to
three to five minutes for maximal attempts (work sets).
53
After the warm-up and preparatory sets comes the third
part and that is doing the exercise with a higher amount of
weight. We can refer to these sets as work sets.
The beginning of this part requires for you to find the

maximum weight that you are able to lift for 12 repetitions
(12RM). So if you’ve done the first few preparatory sets aiming
at doing 12-15 repetitions, by the start of the work sets you
should know approximately what your 12RM is. If you are
still not sure, then take a couple of extra attempts (do 1-2
sets until you find the correct weight), but be careful not to
overstrain yourself and cause fatigue too soon in the testing.
After you have successfully found your 12 repetition weight,

you need to add 5 or 10% more weight in every next set you
do until you come to the set in which you are able to lift the
weight only once through the full range of motion.
The number of work sets that you will do until you reach
the 1RM weight is completely individual. It depends on the
amount of weight you add to every set (5 or 10% increase)
and the effort you put into the exercise.
However, you should be able to get to the 1RM weight within

3 (10% increase) - 6 (5% increase) work set range.

? How to calculate the percentage of the weight?
Determine how much weight to add?
EXAMPLE - What is 5% of 120?
Convert 5% to a decimal by removing the percent sign and

dividing by 100: 5/100 = 0.05
Next multiply that number with 120: 0.05*120 = 6

Result: 5% of 120 is 6.
As mentioned earlier, this method is not recommended for

beginners.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing the first method, there

is a safer way (second method). We will describe the second
method before explaining how to determine a repetition
range based upon your 1RM.
55
Second method
The second method is safer but less precise as it requires
you to do the testing using only submaximal (lighter)
weights and calculating your 1RM from a submaximal effort.
This is a great way to test your maximal strength and

minimize the risk of injury. The protocol for the second
method is the same as for the first method except for the
difference in the number of work sets and the maximal
amount of weight you are lifting.
You still need to warm up, do a couple of preparatory

sets and then do 2-3 work sets. Target a repetition range
anywhere between 3 and 12 repetitions per set, going
from the higher to the lower number of repetitions per set,
off course.
It’s important to remember that the fewer repetitions you

do in a set, the more accurate your 1RM estimation will be.
So, for example, if you do a set of 3 repetitions it will be

more precise to calculate your 1RM than if you do a set of 12
repetitions. That being said, it is perfectly ok to target a range
of repetitions between 3-12 per set as mentioned previously.
56
Once you’ve done a set of repetitions with a weight you are
satisfied with and don’t want to go lower in the set range, you
can calculate the 1RM by looking up your repetition number
(for the last set you’ve done) in the table given below and
multiplying the weight you did with that repetition number by
the number given in the column to the far right.
Number of Percent of
Multiply Weight
Repetitions 1-Repetition
Lifted By:
Performed Maximum
1. 100 1.00
2. 95 1.05
3. 93 1.08
4. 90 1.11
5. 87 1.15
6. 85 1.18
7. 83 1.20
8. 80 1.25
9. 77 1.30
10. 75 1.33
11. 70 1.43
12. 67 1.49

For example:
If you’ve lifted 60kg (132 lbs) for 7 repetitions in your

last set, you can see in table 1 that this is estimated as
an 83% of your maximum effort (1RM).
Now simply multiply 60 kg (132 lbs) by 1.20 and you

get 72 kg (158 lbs).
That is your 1RM. It’s as simple as that.
Remember, 6-12 repetitions is a repetition range that is ideally

used for building muscle.
So, if we take the same example as before, 1RM max of 72

kg (158 lbs), we can determine the 6-12 repetition range by
calculating the percentage of our 1RM max. If we know that a
6-12 repetitions range is set as 85 - 75% (will vary in literature)
of 1RM max (100%), we can calculate 85 - 75% from 72 kg (158
lbs).
We can use the online calculator for this: Calculator
Based on the calculation, the repetition range of 6-12 comes

down to 63.75 kg (134.3 lbs)-52.5 kg(118.5 lbs).
This is the weight you have to train with to build muscle if
your 1RM is 72 kg (158 lbs).
58
Core stability workouts
Before you start doing the
Madbarz Muscle Building Plan, it
is recommended to spend some
time doing various exercises
that will help you build a stable
and strong foundation for more
intense exercises and workouts
in the Muscle Building Plan.
The bigger muscles or so-called

prime movers are the ones
activated during resistance
training in general. And in order
for them to be able to properly
perform their main function, other muscles (stabilizers) have
to be able to stabilize the other body parts not included in
the movements.
The stabilizers work as fixators during a movement and if

they are weak, the main muscles lose a lot of their strength
and effectiveness during an exercise. The core muscles
(abdominal, deep back, lower back, glute, and many other
muscles) are the muscles that primarily stabilize the
movements during exercise, transmit force from the lower to
the upper parts of the body and protect the joints around the
prime movers.
59
Simply put, a well-developed core musculature creates a
safe and solid base of support for the muscle groups active
during movements in the Madbarz Muscle Building plan and
is a good way to increase your chances for avoiding injuries,
making good progress and growing more muscle.
Here is a simple workout layout that includes 2 weeks

of 4 Madbarz workouts that target the core muscles
primarily:
Week 1 Week 2
MON: Core Slicer MON: Fine Cut

TUE: Rest TUE: Rest
WED: Core Slicer WED: Fine Cut
THU: Rest THU: Rest
FRI: Quickie - six pack FRI: Tough core
SAT: Rest SAT: Rest
SUN: Quickie - six pack SUN: Tough core
These 4 workouts are designed to prepare your body for

the main plan in the next chapter. These are low-intensity,
low-repetition workouts that will target the core musculature,
which is a weak point in most people - its weakness is often
the cause of the abovementioned bad posture and muscle
imbalances. The workouts have video demonstrations and
written explanations of the exercises.
K87AZ
60
Follow the workouts exactly the way prescribed for your
fitness level. If you feel like you can do more repetitions than
prescribed, feel free to do so. The workouts will allow you
to progress not by changing the number of repetitions or
rounds, or by adding more weight, but by introducing more
advanced movements and exercises. Even the Madbarz
Muscle Building plan will include similar workouts
designed to keep your core strong.
!
Don’t forget to warm-up before the workouts and stretch
after. Use our warm-up and stretching routine on page 65.
Concentrate on warming up the torso and stretching the abs
and lower back.
61
MUSCLE BUILDING PLAN
It’s time to put your knowledge and energy into action. This
chapter describes the Madbarz Muscle Building Plan found in
the application and instruction on how to activate the plan.
The plan is 8 weeks long and is adjusted to three levels of

fitness - beginner, intermediate and advanced. The intensity
of the included exercises will progressively increase during
the plan. This progressive increase in intensity will make the
muscles work harder than ever before and, as a result, grow
bigger.
The plan will use a

combination of traditional
calisthenic exercises and
exercises with the TRX
suspension trainer. So, to
use this plan, you will need a
pull-up bar and a TRX trainer.
It is not necessary to train
outdoors - if you have the
proper equipment, you can
also do the workouts indoors
or in a well-equipped gym.
62
Here are some practical recommendations before
starting the plan:
1
It is recommended that you take a before and
after picture to track your progress. This will allow
you to see the changes in the body over time.
2
After you’ve finished a certain level, move on to
the higher level of the plan or repeat the same
plan for further progress.
Do your best to follow the exact instructions in
3
the plan, but don’t feel discouraged if you can’t
do that at first. The body needs time to adapt to
the new training routine.
4
Make sure to warm-up before and stretch after
the workout. On page 65.
5
For any additional info, see the FAQ chapter on
page 76.
Train hard and trust the process!

HOW TO
START THE
PLANS IN THE
APP:
1. Download the Madbarz App
2. Start the app, and enter the information required for the
registration progress.
3. Once registered, click the profile icon in the bottom right

corner.
4. After your profile opens, in the top right corner you’ll see
the settings icon. Click on it, and scroll to the “Activate
Plan” button.
5. Click on it, type in the code listed below, and the plans
(How to Build Muscle - Begginer, Intermediate, Advance),
will open.
CODE K87AZ
64
Warm-up and stretching routines
A proper warm-up before and stretching routine after

the workout are very important when doing any kind of
resistance training. The muscles and joints need to be
prepared for the intensity of the workout. The warm-up
routine contains different dynamic exercises to get certain
body parts ready for work and to minimise the risk of injury.
Warm-up routine: Arm circles x20 (10F,10B)

1-2 rounds of
Body Rotations x20 (10L,10R)
Inch worms x10
Shoulder Blade
x10
Push Ups
Hip Circles x20 (10L, 10R)
Leg Swing x20 (10L, 10R)
Hip Stretch x20 (10L, 10R)
Stretch routine: Triceps Stretch 30sec (30 L, 30 R)

1-2 rounds of Chest Stretch 30sec (30 L, 30 R)
Wrist Stretch 30sec (30 L, 30 R)
Back Stretch 30sec
Abs Stretch 30sec
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65
Warm-up routine: 1-2 rounds of
Arm circles x20 (10F,10B)
From a standing position with feet

hip-width apart, start a circular
motion with your arms, first by raising
them to the sides of the body and
continuing the movement forward,
down again and a little bit back, and
then raise them to the sides of the
body again. Do the same movement
in a continuous loop without stopping,
up-forward-down-back. After you’ve
done the given amount of repetitions,
just continue doing the same
movement in reverse, by starting the
forward movement with the arms,
continuing up, back, and down again.
66
Body Rotations x20 (10L,10R)
From a standing position with feet hip-width apart, rotate

your body to the side, while opening your chest and extending
your arm to the same side. In the final position, your opposite
foot (opposite to the direction of rotation) should be rotated
inwards, so that the heel is facing outwards, while your head
is facing in the direction of the rotation. Use the momentum
to continue the movement and quickly switch sides, rotate the
torso to the other side. One rotation makes one repetition.
Repeat the movement for a given number of repetitions.
67
Inch worms x10
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. While keeping your legs
straight, stretch down and try to put the hands on the floor
in front of you. Walk with your hands slowly away from your
feet by bending in the hips only, until you reach the push-up
position. Now repeat the same movement but backward, until
you are in the standing position again. That is one repetition.
Try to keep the legs as straight as possible during the
movement. Repeat for the given number of repetitions.
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68
Shoulder Blade Push Ups x10
Go to the position of a plank. Your arms are extended, hands

beneath the shoulders, the back is straight and legs extended
and feet together. Make sure that your abs are active and
firm. From this position, bring your chest down while moving
the shoulder blades up. Now bring the chest back up and
the shoulder blades down against the ribs again by pushing
the floor with your arms. That is one repetition. During the
movement, your hips and lower back should not move too
much, the only movement is in the shoulder joint. Repeat for
the given amount of repetitions.

Hip Circles x20 (10L, 10R)
In a standing position with feet hip-width apart, place your

hands on your waist. Start by moving the hips to one side and
simply continue moving them forward, to the other side and
back until you’ve made a full circle. Continue the same circular
motion for the given number of repetitions on one side and
then on the other side.
70
Leg Swing x20 (10L, 10R)
Start in a standing position in front of a wall. Place both hands

on the wall and lift one leg from the floor. Stand a few feet
away from the wall and have both hands on the wall at about
shoulder-height. Start gently swinging the leg from side to
side while still firmly holding onto the wall and standing on the
other leg. The swinging leg should be extended in the knee.
Repeat for the given number of repetitions and switch legs.
71
Hip Stretch x20 (10L, 10R)
Assume a lunge position. Lower your rear knee to the floor

and place the opposite hand on the floor next to your front
leg. Now, lift the other hand and turn your torso in the same
direction, keeping your eyes on the hand. Now bring the same
arm down to the ground with the elbow close to the ground as
possible. Repeat the same movement for the given number of
repetitions and switch sides.

Stretching routine: 1-2 rounds of
Triceps Stretch 30 sec (30L, 30R)
From a standing position,

raise one arm up, flex the
elbow and try to bring the
palm of your hand close to
the shoulder blades. Place the
other hand on the elbow of
the upper (bent) arm. Gently
push the elbow down and to
the opposite side.
You should feel a stretch in the

outer part of the upper arm
(triceps). Hold the position for
the given amount of time and
then slowly release and extend
the arm again.
Repeat the stretch with the

other arm.
73
Chest Stretch 30 sec (30L, 30R)
Find any kind of a hard vertical

surface, such as a wall. From a
standing position, extend your
arm behind and to the side,
then place the palm of that arm
onto the hard surface. Take a
step forward with the opposite
foot for firm support.
Your body should still be

facing forward. The other arm
is relaxed. Feel a nice stretch
in your chest, shoulders,
and arms. Hold for a given
amount of time and release the
position.

other arm.
74
Wrist Stretch 30 sec (30L, 30R)
From a standing position,

simply raise one arm to the
shoulder height and turn the
arm so that the palm of the
hand is facing up. Completely
extend the arm. With your
other hand, grab the fingers of
the extended arm and gently
pull them down and back until
you feel a nice stretch in the
wrist and forearm. Hold the
stretch for a given amount of
time, then release the position.
other arm.
Back Stretch 30 sec
From the position on all fours, gently bring your sit bones
down and back and sit on your heels. The feet should be
extended, but if this doesn’t feel comfortable, you can keep
them flexed. Try to relax your chest onto your thighs and
the arms onto the floor. You should feel a gentle stretch of
your lower but also middle and upper back. Hold for a given
amount of time and release the position.

Abs Stretch 30 sec
Lie on your stomach and

bring the palms of your hands
beneath your shoulders.
Simply raise the chest and
stomach from the ground by
pushing off with your hands.
Your arms should be slightly
bent in the elbow and the
rest of the body should still
be on the ground. You will
feel a nice stretch in the abs.
Hold for a given amount of
time and release the position.
76
FAQ
How can I know if I made progress?
The most obvious way to know if you’ve made progress is to
look at yourself in the mirror. You will notice changes in your
appearance over time. To make tracking your progress easier,
take pictures of your progress. You should take the first
picture before starting the workout plan and the second one
after 2-3 weeks of training.
The last picture should be after you’ve finished the plan.

If you’ve done the work and put in the time and effort,
those three pictures should show a clear difference in
your physique. There is one more relatively simple way of
tracking your progress that includes measuring your body fat
percentage and lean mass (muscles). By calculating your body
fat with a skin caliper, you can track the changes in your lean
mass (muscles). The increase in lean mass means an increase
in muscle.
So, measure your body fat using formulas you can find
following the link below, and then calculate your lean mass
using this formula:
Body Weight - (body weight x fat percentage) = Lean mass.
calculator
77
Can I train too much?
A very common question asked is if there is such a thing as
training too much. The fact is that if you put your body under
a sufficient amount of stress, you can potentially experience a
state called overreaching or overtraining. Overreaching refers
to a state of over-prolonged decreased performance caused
by too much intensity or volume of training (any kind).
It can last from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. It is

quite common with people who don’t have much experience
in exercising in general and are not so in tune with their own
body to know the right amount of exercise for their current
fitness level.
However, overtraining is a much more long-term and serious

state that usually professional athletes have problems with.
It is also caused by overloading the body with too much
intensity or training volume. It can last up to a couple of
months. So, unless you are an athlete, you more or less don’t
need to worry about overtraining, but be aware that it’s very
likely you will experience overreaching at some point. There
are certain symptoms to pay attention to. Some of them
include not getting enough sleep, low energy levels not only
during workouts but in other everyday activities, aching in
muscles and joints, and low performance in the workouts. If
you start to notice these symptoms it’s time to take a couple
of days off training until you notice a change to the better.
K87AZ
78
What is the best way to train for building muscle?
There is no universal way that will work for everybody. The

best resistance workout system (calisthenics, bodybuilding,
strength, etc.) is the one you can sustain for a longer period
of time.
If you’ve found something you are passionate about and

enjoy doing, then stick to it.
The best workout program is the one that works for you,
but that doesn’t mean it’s going to work for someone else.
Don’t get us wrong, there is a lot of science and evidence-
based information on the most efficient ways of training for
hypertrophy. A good amount of that information has been
mentioned in this guide, but there is still room for individual
tuning. Meaning, you still have to find what works best for
you. Also, try not to think of resistance workout systems as
a separate unit. They are very much complementary to each
other and it is possible to combine them or mix different
approaches at the same time.
Can I skip a workout?
The answer is - yes you can.
It is sometimes a very good idea to skip a workout if you feel

like you don’t have the energy or even the motivation to do
the workout. It is normal to want to skip because you just
79
don’t feel like it, so don’t start questioning yourself or the
whole process if that happens.
There will be good days for working out and not so good
days. The important thing is that there are more good days
than bad ones in your training plan. If skipping of workouts
becomes a habit and happens too often, then the results of
the training process will not be as desired and expected.
Will I lose muscle if I stop training?
This question is related to the previous one. As said earlier,

taking days off is not a bad thing, but linking those days
together can result in detraining (losing muscle mass). As long
as you have a certain continuity in your training, meaning you
workout 3-5 days per week with high enough intensity and
proper form, have good nutrition, you will progress or at least
maintain a level of muscle mass.
If for any reason you quit training for a certain period of time,
you will notice a small decrease in your muscle mass in 1-4
weeks.
If you maintain a proper calorie and protein intake in your

diet, there should be no significant decrease. After 4-5 weeks,
this decrease will start to be much more noticeable. Keep in
mind that this is very individual and varies from person to
person and depends on your diet quite a bit.
80
How important is nutrition?
It is definitely very important. You can look at gaining muscle

as an equation:
muscle gain = training (30%) + recovery (30%) + nutrition

(40%).
These numbers are just an approximation to give you an

idea on just how much nutrition is important. Training and
recovery are equally important when it comes to progress.
Without a proper rest, the body will not be able to repair the
damage made by the resistance and intensity used in the
workouts. The same goes for nutrition.
You can have a perfect workout and more than enough rest,
but you will not progress if you eat a low amount of calories
and proteins daily and neglect the intake of other important
nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates).

How important is recovery?
As we mentioned in the previous answer, recovery is an

absolute prerequisite to building muscle. It is where the body
repairs and upgrades the physical components you trained
(in this case, size of the muscle and strength).
There is a window of time in which this happens (see

supercompensation on page XX) and it is best to do a
workout after you have recovered from the previous one. 24-
48 hours is usually a recommended time for rest between
resistance workouts.
This is very individual and can easily be a day more or less,

depending on how fast you can recover from a high-intensity
workout.
82
Disclaimer
All of the information in this document is supplied without
liability. You should consult a physician before beginning
a new fitness or nutrition program. Our recommended
workout plans and exercises, even though they are tailored
to individual users, should not be misconstrued as medical
advice, diagnosis or treatment.
If you have any concerns or questions about your health,

you should always consult a healthcare professional before
starting a program or trying out individual exercises.
The use of any information or programs provided in these

materials is solely at your own risk. We cannot guarantee that
any results in the form of physical or health transformation,
weight loss or fitness results or improvements shall arise
from using Madbarz’s “How to build muscle” or the associated
products, whether provided by Madbarz or third parties
associated to Madbarz.
Copyright
Madbarz’s “How to build muscle” is copyrighted. Without
written permission from Madbarz, it is forbidden to publish,
broadcast, rewrite for broadcast or publication or redistribute
these materials directly or indirectly by means of any
medium. Neither Madbarz’s “How to build muscle?” nor any
portion thereof may be stored or used on a computer except
for personal use.
83

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1

2. HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE 5

3. BEFORE YOU START THE PLAN 38

4. MUSCLE BUILDING PLAN 62

5. WARM-UP AND STRETCHING ROUTINES 65

The guide contains the theory of

Of course, it goes without saying

So, let’s have a look at what you need to do in order to start

This question will be answered in this chapter. Before you

To avoid any kind of confusion while reading the next few

Most common terms used:

Stabilizers: Muscles that help prime movers stabilize thebilize

Trainee: A person involved in a training program (a person

Pedro Vasconcelos (sopedro01@gmail.com)

Just think of a situation when you didn’t know how to

So you’ve adapted in order to be able to progress and

Each time you train by contracting your muscles against a

It is a term used whenever a certain trained physical

The average time for achieving supercompensation for

Pedro Vasconcelos (sopedro01@gmail.com)

A very important factor to consider is the overall volume of

Volume is closely related to the intensity of training,

The intensity of a workout can be defined as the amount

The resistance training itself will not result in progress unless

It’s very important when it comes to any kind of training-

Training frequency has been discussed a lot in literature

Often mentioned when talking about building muscle and

Research has shown that based on their level of response

In research, most studies classify:

15-20% 60-70% 15-20%

This is something that can approximately be applied to the

Also an important factor when it comes to the ability to

When talking in absolute numbers (regardless of body

Interestingly, when looking at strength increase, women

Training experience will also determine the rate at which you

Generally, people that have more training experience

Refers to performing the exercises the proper way. There are

Nutrition is something that absolutely has to be mentioned

Yes, it is, but it is a very slow, hard and ineffective way

In order to do this, we recommend increasing your daily

Here is a calorie calculator to help you figure out how much

An even simpler method is to follow a guideline supported

When it comes to nutrition, along with calories, the

There are three main macronutrients in food: protein,

Proteins are the building blocks of the body, carbohydrates

The second part of that statement is that the source of

Daily calorie requirement: 3500 calories

But here are some guidelines for macronutrient intake

When maintaining your muscle mass and weight,

When trying to lose body fat, it is recommended to

3 have a 40-50% protein, 10-30% carbohydrate and

Pedro Vasconcelos (sopedro01@gmail.com)

CARBS FATS PROTEINS

HIGHER-CARB MODERATE-CARB LOWER-CARB

Here is an example of how to calculate your daily

Let’s take the same example as before.

Daily calorie requirement: 3500 calories

Using an online percentage calculator link, we know

1 that 25%-35% from 3500 is 875-1225 (calories).