Food factory training part 4 "Want to look like Brad Pitt?"

Let me first add that this is only a small part of the bigger picture. And it's not the most important part. If you're not growing at all and not getting stronger at all, look at that before coming back to this.

Also, various programs do a very good job with this. DC training is my favorite example, but 20-rep, GVT, EDT, GBC, Holman's POF/X-rep, ACIT, Direct Continuance, *some* of the older HIT variants, ATrainer's programmes, as well as assistance from the DFHT gurus here (Defiant, Madcow) improve your anaerobic conditioning as well. I have my own bag of tricks too, but they are added within the structure of another program.

Basic Principles

1) Make sure your muscles feel a good burn from your workout session. This metabolic stress will aid in post-WO nutrient partioning. For example, you can add a high-rep burn set. For legs, you could do HIIT.

2) Aim to increase your muscle's anaerobic conditioning session to session. You know you're in the right track if the muscle becomes more resistant to the burn.

3) As a general rule, higher frequency/less intensity works better than low frequency/high intensity. Aim to "burn" a muscle at least twice a week.

4) The harder you make step 1, the faster step 2 happens. However, it also creates more CNS fatigue, which will hurt your strength gains. Therefore, listen to your body carefully and balance the scales.

5) The harder you make step 1, the more aggressively you *must* eat after workout. Diet or not, you must carb up after the workout and replenish stores.

6) The faster step 2 happens, the more food you get to eat all day, any day.

7) Improving your overall cardiovascular conditioning (cardio!) will make step 1 easier and step 2 faster.

The complications with step 4 could be an issue for somebody who has relatively poor conditioning. Such a person may need to aggressively increase his body's metabolic efficiency before embarking on an aggressive bulking program. This problem actually ties into an idea I proposed in one of the ever-present "Want to look like Brad Pitt" threads.

Essentially, instead of proposing the usual bulk-and-cut schemes, I proposed a sort of periodized flip-flop between density training and 5x5. The former stimulates some myofibrillar hypertrophy, but it concentrates on mitochondrial proliferation, circulatory improvement and overall aerobic conditioning. The latter has a little bit of that, but it emphasizes myofibrillar hypertrophy. The duration of each depends on how you want to balance the two factors. But "food factory construction" always goes first. The schedule would go something like this . . .

Sample Schedule

Mesocycle A -- Density Training (Food Factory Construction)

1) A GVT, GBC, or EDT scheme where bodyparts are hit at least twice a week. Avoid training to failure.
2) Attempt is made to increase load every 2 weeks or so
3) Steady state cardio 4-5x-a-week
4) Set caloric intake according to intention, leaving more calories on workout days than on non-WO days. You can bulk or cut, but make sure protein is 2xBW.
5) 4-8 weeks. Duration is largely dictated by how much anaerobic conditioning you want, and if you want to cut down more. The first time may be the longest, as you want to build a solid foundation.

Calculate 5RM at end of mesocycle. Take 7-14 days off.

Mesocycle B -- 5x5 (Turn Factory On)

1) Do normal 5x5.
2) Add a burn set after.
3) Bulk! 2xBW protein. Eat big-time.
4) 6-8 weeks.

Take 9-14 days off. Repeat Mesocycle A. For your 2nd time, you may only want to go 4 weeks or so, and then take a week or so off.