big muscles in 28 days

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1Dumbbell cleanandpressHold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length, palms facing eachother. Bend your hips and knees so that the dumbbells hangat knee level [A]. In one move, explosively pull the dumbbellsupwards as you thrust your hips forwards, then “catch” thedumbbells at shoulder height [B]. Stand tall [C] and press theweights above your head [D]. Return to the starting position.Make sure to use a manageable weight: 15 to 20kg dumbbellsare about right for most guys.

5Pull-upHang at arm’s length froma pull-up bar using anoverhand grip that’s justgreater than shoulder width[A]. Pull your chest up tothe bar as you squeeze yourshoulder blades together[B]. Pause and slowlylower your body back tothe starting position.

8Farmer’swalkGrab a pair of heavydumbbells and let themhang naturally at arm’slength. Walk for about 100min Workout A (if you’re in agym, you’ll obviously needto walk back and forth). InWorkouts B and C, walkas far as you can withoutdropping the weights.

2Barbell squatHold a bar across your upperback [A]. Extend your hipsbackwards and squat untilyour thighs are at leastparallel to the floor [B].Strive to use a weight equalto your body weight on thelast set of Workout A. Try togo a little heavier than thaton your last set of Workout C.

3Straight-legdead liftDo this exercise with just anempty 20kg barbell. Grabthe bar with an overhandgrip that’s just greater thanshoulder width and hold itat arm’s length in front ofyour thighs [A]. Bend at yourhips and lower your torsountil it’s nearly parallel tothe floor [B].

6Barbell benchpressGrab a barbell and lie on abench. Using an overhandgrip that’s just greater thanshoulder width, hold the barabove your sternum, keepingyour arms straight [A].Lower the bar to your chest[B], then push it back to thestarting position.

7Barbell curlUsing an underhand,shoulder-width grip, hold thebar at arm’s length in front ofyour hips [A]. Keeping yourelbows close to your body,curl the bar up to shoulderlevel [B]. Pause, lower thebar and repeat.

4Chest-supported rowSet an adjustable bench to alow incline. Then grab a pairof dumbbells and lie withyour chest on the bench. Letthe dumbbells hang straightdown from your shoulders[A]. Pull the dumbbells tothe sides of your chest [B].

A A A A A A AA

B B B B B BB

B

C D

You build muscle with hard work and sweat. And that’s exactly what this work-out requires. The cool part: while you’ll do the same exercises every workout, you’llvary the sets and reps so it won’t become boring. More importantly, this allows youto work one area of your body a little harder while still hitting every muscle duringevery workout. Don’t worry if you’re not sure which muscles a certain workoutfocuses on; your question will be answered the next day.

The mAximummAss workouTYoUR BLUEPRInT foR SERIoUS GAInS In STREnGTH AnD MUSCLE

Do this workout three days a week, with at least a dayof rest between each session. Note that each workout– designated as Workout A, Workout B and WorkoutC – recommends a different number for sets and reps

of each exercise (see the chart below each move). So you may do Workout Aon Monday, Workout B on Wednesday and Workout C on Friday. Do the exer-cises in the order shown. Warm up for five to 10 minutes before you begin.

DireCTioNs

Do 3 sets of 5 repetitions with 90 seconds of rest

Do 5 sets of 5 repetitions with 90 seconds of rest

Do 3 sets of 5 repetitions with 90 seconds of rest

Do 3 sets of 10 reps,with 3 minutes of rest

Do 2 sets of 10 reps,with 3 minutes of rest

Do 5 sets of 10 reps,with 3 minutes of rest

Do 1 set of 20 reps, and moveimmediately to the next exercise

Do 1 set of 20 reps, and moveimmediately to the next exercise

Do 1 set of 20 reps, and moveimmediately to the next exercise

Do 5 sets of 5 reps,with 90 seconds of rest

Do 3 sets of 5 reps,with 90 seconds of rest

Do 2 sets of 5 reps,with 90 seconds of rest

Do as many sets as it takes to getto 25 reps total. Rest as needed

Do as many sets as it takes to getto 15 reps total. Rest as needed

Do 1 set of 12 reps. (or do 12 repsin as few sets as possible)

Do 3 sets of 5 reps,with 3 minutes of rest

Do 5 sets of 5 reps,with 3 minutes of rest

Do 2 sets of 5 reps,with 3 minutes of rest

Do 3 sets of 5 reps,with 90 seconds of rest

Do 3 sets of 10 reps,with 90 seconds of rest

Do 2 sets of 5 reps,with 90 seconds of rest

Do 1 set

Do 2 sets, with 90 secondsof rest

Do 1 set

Keep your lowerback naturally

arched

Don’t allowyour lower back

to round

Your elbowsshould pointtowards the

floor

Squeeze yourshoulder blades

together

Pull yourcollarbone

up to the bar

Keep atall, strongposture asyou walk

Push the barstraight upfrom yoursternum

Brace yourcore and

squeeze yourglutes

workouT

ABC

For more workouts, exercises and training tips, go to www.mh.co.za/body-shop. There you’ll also find the right eating plan to help you achieve your muscle goals.