THE MALE METHOD
By Mark Carroll
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction……………………………………………………………………......……………………….4
About Mark Carroll…………………………………………………………………………….…………7
About Clean Health Fitness Institute…………………………………………...............….8
The Mark Carroll Method……………………………………………………..........………………9
Myths Busted………………………………………………………………...............................……11
Setting Goals………………………………………………………………………........………………..13
‘Build’ Vs ‘Cut’…………………………………………………………………..……...……………….14
CUT…………………………………………………………………………….…………..………14
BUILD……………………………………………………………………...........................…14
Calculating calories.................................................................................................16
Determining Body Fat Levels...............................................................................19
Build………………………………………………………………………….....………………..20
CUT……………………………………………………………………......……………………..22
Macronutrient Recommendations.....................................................................27
Flexible Dieting.........................................................................................27
Plateaus......................................................................................................29
Refeeds and diet breaks………………………………………………………………….........…32
Flexible Dieting.……………………………………………………………….......………32
My top tips for diet breaks.....................................................................32
3 ways to structure your nutrition......................................................................34
How to know when you need a diet break.......................................35
Tracking progress.....................................................................................37
Photos...........................................................................................37
Measurements............................................................................38
Training………………………………………………………………………………………..............…..40
Periodisation - Undulating……………………………………..………………………41
Exercise staples........................................................................................42
Lower Body Big 3....................................................................................43
Heels Elevated High Bar Squat:.............................................43
Deadlifts and rack pulls:...........................................................43
Split Squats................................................................................43
Upper Body Big 3...................................................................................44
Pull Ups.......................................................................................44
Incline Press................................................................................44
Dips..............................................................................................44
THE MALE METHOD
By Mark Carroll
The keys to building your physique..................................................................45
Over Training.............................................................................................45
The Training Program............................................................................................47
Phase 1........................................................................................................47
Phase 2.................................…….............…….............…….............…….......47
Phase 3.......................................................................................................48
Phase 4.......................................................................................................49
Understanding wave loads………………………………………………...........…50
Understanding how to read a program.............................................52
Supersets / partnerships..........................................................52
Tempo...........................................................................................52
Weight selection........................................................................52
Understanding RPE..................................................................53
Additional Series & Exercises.................................................54
Rest Pause...................................................................................55
Drop Set......................................................................................55
Advanced Techniques..............................................................56
Cardio........................................................................................................................57
Steps..........................................................................................................................58
Training Templates………………………………………....................................................59
Conclusion……………….............…….............…….............…….............……..................94
Further Reading…………….............…….............…….............……............…….....…….95
Exercise Glossary…………….............…….............……............…….....................…….96
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01
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to ‘The Male Method’. It’s an honour to provide a program to suit the goals of the male
market, which funnily enough, is what actually built my career in the industry before I became the
“Bikini guy”.
I started training when I was 13 in my backyard. I had a barbell, a few dumbbells, 2 x 10kg plates and
2 x 2.5kg plates. That was it! I had no idea what I was doing for the first 3-4 years, yet I was able to
actually build a somewhat impressive physique for a 17-year-old kid. When I look back now, it makes
me realise more than ever, passion and hard work will lead to progress and positive changes to
improving your physique.
However, it was after I became a PT at 18, gained 13 years of industry experience and invested
into my education that I realised hard work is great, but training smart and having a plan combined
with hard work is where results are made. In the last 18 months my name in the industry has grown
through the likes of training bikini girls. I coached Lauren Simpson to becoming the World WBFF
Bikini Champion in 2018 as well as numerous female clients winning IFBB and WBFF shows and
WBFF Pro status. However, the funny thing is, until 2018 (when I began training Lauren), I’d actually
never trained females.
I was exclusively a male coach. That was my passion.
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My background was getting guys strong, jacked and shredded. However, through the power of social
media within a year, the previous 11 years of my career were easily forgotten.
As of writing this, I have sold over 28,000 training guidebooks. My last 2 guides, ‘Building the Bikini
Body’ 1.0 and 2.0 have been ‘home runs’ for women when it comes to achieving results, but I’m
constantly asked “Mark, when is a male specific guide coming for us guys?”.
Well, by popular demand, I bring to you ‘The Male Method’.
I am excited for you all to use my methods, which I believe not only lead to incredible results, but
more importantly, are enjoyable training programs. These programs offer variety in your training and
it’s likely you haven’t used these methods before.
You will be surprised at just what you can do when you combine passion and hard
work, with the correct plan.
Before I get carried away, let’s get reading, then get to work!
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ABOUT MARK CARROLL
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ABOUT MARK CARROLL
With over a decade of experience in the fitness industry, Mark is the Global Head of Education for
Clean Health Fitness Institute. Mark began his career working in commercial gyms, then in 2014 he
joined the coaching team at Clean Health Fitness Institute where he progressed his way up through
the ranks to the position he holds today.
Mark is regarded as an industry leader when it comes to achieving maximal results for clients. He
specialises in achieving rapid transformations with not only general population clientele, but also
elite level athletes.
Mentoring over 2,000 personal trainers, Mark is known as the "trainer of trainers", motivating and
guiding those also wanting to become leaders in the fitness industry.
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ABOUT CLEAN HEALTH FITNESS INSTITUTE
Since 2008, the Clean Heath Fitness Institute has been regarded as Australia’s premiere fitness
industry educators and personal training organisation. Having certified over 10,000 personal trainers,
and fitness professionals in over 15 countries globally, we have developed a reputation as pioneers
in the health and fitness industry worldwide.
The Clean Health Fitness Institute was founded by Chairman Daine McDonald in 2008. In 2012 they
opened their first high end personal training studio and over a 5-year period with the help from his
team of premiere coaches, they facilitated over 100,000 personal training sessions and developed a
global reputation for results and excellence.
Over the years, we have been featured throughout numerous media publications and TV shows
including Sydney Morning Herald, GQ Magazine, Men’s Muscle & Health, Men’s Fitness, Australian
Women’s Health & Fitness, Oxygen Magazine and The Australian Biggest Loser Club.
Clean Health have also appeared in other publications such as Channel 9 with Kerri Anne, Fitness
First Magazine, Nine MSN’s Health and Well-Being site, along with lecturing at some of the biggest
health and fitness conferences globally including Filex, the Mefit Pro Summit and the Australian
Fitness Expo.
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MARK CARROLL METHOD
When it comes to writing a training program for the masses, I can tell you it’s not easy. Obviously,
because everyone is different! Everyone is a different training age, has alternating stress levels and
of course, different goals. One person may want to lose 3kg, whereas another may need to lose
10kg. One person needs more chest and the other needs more back.
The goal of TheMale Method is to tick all of the key concepts of what makes a great male physique.
My vision for this training program is to create a plan that any guy can do, whether it is for a male
competing in a physique competition or for someone who wants to create a body that they have
confidence in when going to the beach. You can use either of my methods in this guide, build or cut,
but I’m confident that either one will allow you to achieve your goals.
From a nutritional standpoint, we will dive into how to cut and/or build successfully. I provide my
recommendations for where to begin your calorie deficit (something you would have heard me speak
about a few million times now on social media), while also understanding various macronutrient
breakdowns, which I believe are optimal for executing the plan and performing at your highest level.
When it comes to training ‘gen pop’ clients, it’s important to master the basics. For more advanced
clients, we are chasing what is ‘optimal’. In this guidebook we will cover what I believe is the ideal
macro split, refeed and diet strategies.
I know a lot of you are after the ‘bulk’ component of the guide. Bulking is simple in theory, yet
people tend to accumulate too much body fat but then when they diet down, their physique is much
the same as it was before. It’s crucial to understand what is optimal for a calorie surplus and where to
set calories for the hard gainers.
Over the last 12 years, naturally, my program design and methodologies have changed a lot. The
more you learn and the more experience you have, the more you tend to take what you like and
forget what you don’t. My programs contain a blend of methods I have learned through mentoring
from the world leading coaches over the years. Combine this with my industry experience and what I
have found to get results, and you get real, lifelong results.
Charles Poliquin, Daine McDonald and also Stephane Cazeault had a big influence on my program
design, all of them are world leaders in undulating periodisdation. Over the last few years, my
learnings from the likes of Stefan Ianev, Bret Contreras and Layne Norton have also impacted what I
do. This is why I say my programs are a blend of many world leading coaches, which I believe is my
strength!
I don’t just have one single method; I have many methods to getting results!
In this program you will be introduced to a lot of tempo work as you learn to utilise tempo and
periodise not just reps and sets, but time under tension. Each 3-week training phase will have a very
specific identity to it; which I think you guys will enjoy. Every phase will be hard and varied, while still
keeping the core movement patterns. In the end my goal for this guide was simple; create a plan for
you to enjoy and thrive on. I’m excited for you all to experience what I have to offer.
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‘BUILD’ VS ‘CUT’
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MYTHS BUSTED
1 DIRTY BULK VS CLEAN BULK
If you choose the build option of this program, the question is how do you hit your calories and
macros? Often, we hear that clean bulking is better to mitigate fat gain, meaning eating only
‘clean foods’ to hit your calorie target. Compared to a dirty bulk, which is viewed as a ‘free for all’,
to eat what you want and get as many calories in. People think eating McDonalds and junk food
everyday has a greater potential for you to put on more weight, but also more body fat compared
to a ‘clean bulk’.
The reality is, whether it’s a ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’ bulk, if calories are identical, fat gain will be identical.
Muscle building potential theoretically should be identical. The reason why people tend to feel
they’re putting on more fat in a dirty bulk, is because they loosely track calories and macros and it
turns into a free for all, ordering meals out and consuming too much energy.
Routinely, people doing a dirty bulk could successfully be building muscle on 3,500 calories but
due to lack of arcuate tracking, this ‘free for all’ approach to nutrition results in excess energy
required, amounting to 5-6,000 calories. The reason for the excessive fat gain, isn’t because of
‘dirty foods’, it’s because they’ve grossly overeaten what they needed to. Whereas the lean bulk,
people believe this keeps them ‘leaner’ due to cleaner food sources, it is not the food keeping
you leaner, it’s that ‘cleaner’ foods are less calorie dense and therefore you are consuming less
calories.
My recommendations for bulking:
Firstly, set a calorie and macro target and adhere to it. People, including myself know very well it’s
easy to stick to a calorie target in a calorie deficit, when it comes to muscle building in a surplus,
people get lazy, eat what they want and then wonder why they rapidly put on body fat. More
calories don’t equal more muscle, it means greater potential for fat gain.
Secondly, have a balanced approach to your nutrition, don’t think of it as ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’ think
of it as having a flexible approach to your nutrition. I like to strive for an 80/20 principle with my
client’s calories, regardless of a deficit or surplus.
2 THE ANABOLIC WINDOW
There was once a time where the ‘anabolic window’ (the first 30-60 minutes post resistance
training) was seen as the key to maximizing muscle growth for meal timing. This 30-minute
window was thought to be imperative for consuming protein and carbs and if you missed this
window you wouldn’t capitalize on your workout with post workout nutrition.
We now know that those post 30 minutes, aren’t as crucial as we once thought. Post workout
anabolism is a period that can last 24-48 hours. Furthermore, it is positive to have protein post
workout as the amino acid, Leucine is a key stimulator for protein synthesis which is the act of
muscle building.
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Having the said that, the concept of the anabolic window was that we had to have extremely fast
acting protein and carbohydrates enter our blood stream to maximise the anabolic window, as
opposed to consuming slow digesting food sources. Now, we know that it’s positive to have a
protein source within 1-2 hours post workout, but it doesn’t have to be a weigh protein source (fast
digesting), it can be any source of protein as total protein intake overt the day is still more
imperative than protein timing.
When it comes to carbohydrates post workout, they’re actually not imperative as carbohydrates
do not trigger protein synthesis. It is not the timing of carbohydrates that affect muscle building, it
is the amount over the day. Replenishing glycogen levels post workout is not as important as we
once thought because resistance training isn’t overly glycogen depleting.
My recommendations for meal timing:
Within the 90 minutes post workout, ensure you consume quality protein. Ideally a minimum of
¼ of your daily protein intake, so if you’re aiming for 200g of protein a day 50g is optimal post
workout.
The timing of carbohydrates is not imperative post workout especially from high GI sources, but
there’s nothing wrong with having carbs post workout either, again it’s just not magic.
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06
SETTING GOALS
First of all, I don’t want this program to be seen as a ‘challenge’, it isn’t. There is nothing wrong with
challenges, they are a great way to set a short-term goal, but I want this guide to be a resource men
can use to assess what they’re doing well, and also realise what they haven’t been doing well. It can
give you some clarity on often small issues which are ‘make or break’ in the big picture. This guide is
about educating men on how to train and then how to eat according to their goal. You may have a goal
to build more muscle or to drop some body fat to reveal a more shredded look, or you may even have
a goal to do both!
When choosing your goal, I want you to ask yourself:
“What does my ultimate physique look like?”
When you are choosing a nutritional goal, think of it as a long-term benefit and not a simple, quick fix.
For example, if you are already really lean and you know eventually you want to compete but need
more muscle mass, then you need to spend time eating in a surplus to build the size you want. Don’t
choose a calorie deficit to get even leaner as you know it’s not ultimately going to help you in the long
term.
When picking a goal, I want you to commit to it for a full 12 weeks. If you want to build muscle, then
commit to it for the entire time.
Building muscle takes time! I cannot stress this enough.
Do not use the ‘build’ option and then freak out after 3 weeks if your abs start to vanish. It’s okay, they
will come back when the time is right. On the flip side, if you want to lose body fat (as I say in many of
my posts), we want consistency and accuracy. It is however important to recognise it’s normal to have
some ‘not-so-perfect’ days where food isn’t on track or life gets in the way. Shit happens, just get back
on track the next day and get back to work. If you plateau after a week or two, again don’t stress out,
this is also normal, and we will discuss what to do if we have lack of progress.
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‘BUILD’ VS ‘CUT’
Now, the big question is: do you spend the 12 weeks ‘building’, or do you spend the 12 weeks ‘cutting’?
First of all, just to make it known and clear, the training program is the same regardless. When it comes
to training, the key principles will win out no matter what. We want to be lifting heavy, with a variety of
rep ranges. Then the principle of progressive overload will always apply. The difference in the ‘build’ or
‘cut’ components of the plan is going to be the calorie intake.
CUT
= a calorie deficit
BUILD = a calorie surplus
But I want to give you a little more guidance on the matter…
Cut
If you are more than 6-10kg away from your goal body weight, I would suggest doing a cut. Use the
12 weeks to get stronger and build muscle (yes, you can in a calorie deficit, albeit not as much as a
surplus) but most of all, use my nutritional structure to help you lose body fat first. By choosing to ‘cut’,
you will spend the next 12 weeks prioritising fat loss, maintaining muscle mass. Use this as if you were
doing a comp prep, photoshoot prep or simply want to look insanely shredded, just because!
The next 12 weeks are dedicated to your transformation!
Build
Judging from the messages I receive; a lot of you guys want to get jacked! The general consensus is
that you want to learn how to put on some serious muscle mass while also minimising fat accumulation.
I suggest using the build component if you are typical a hard gainer (someone who has spent a long
time maintaining a lean physique but is not making any real significant progress in the gym).
Also, I recommend building for people who simply know that long term, their physique needs a lot of
improvements outside of just getting leaner. If you have long term goals to compete or have an
‘Instagram type’ physique, then use this time to prioritise muscle building. This will come from spending
time at maintenance calories as a minimum, and optimally in a calorie surplus.
The big thing to remember is that muscle takes time to build whereas fat loss can be reasonably quick
and simple. Eat less than you burn, and you will lose weight. Yes, it’s that simple. People just over
complicate it. Conversely, building muscle will take time. Just remember that after the 12 weeks, the
muscle you’ve accumulate is not a finished product. Ideally you will dedicate 6 months to a year of
building but for now, let’s begin the build component with 12 solid weeks.
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NUTRITION
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CALCULATING CALORIES
When it comes to calculating your calories, before you can determine your caloric surplus or deficit,
it’s crucial to first understand energy balance. My go to resource for explaining the hierarchy system
of fat loss is “The Muscle and Strength Nutrition Pyramid” written by the great Dr. Eric Helms (which
I highly recommend all coaches to read). This guide has been my ‘go to’ system for understanding
where to focus my efforts as a coach. Without understanding this hierarchy, it’s easy to get caught
up in the factors which don’t matter all that much, whilst not spending enough time focusing on what
really matters. According to Dr. Eric Helms Nutrition Pyramid, the 5 tiers to maximising changes of
body composition are:
The Pyramid of Nutrition Priorities
SUPPLIMENTS
MEAL TIMING
MICRONUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS
ENERGY BALANCE
Now in case you missed it, I want to focus on the importance of ‘energy balance’. If we understand
energy balance, we understand fat loss. Energy balance is calories in vs calories out. We must burn
more calories than we consume in order to lose body fat.
Energy Balance = Calories in vs Calories out
A simple example of this is a client that requires 2,500 calories to maintain their weight. The client
most likely, would begin their calorie deficit on 2,000 calories give or take. This is a 500 calorie
deficit. What this means is , our body requires 2,500 calories to fuel it to perform its daily tasks from
keeping us alive, basic movement and also training. If we consume 500 calories less than our daily
energy requirement, then the body will have to rely on its stored energy (body fat) for fuel for its
daily needs.
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Creating a caloric deficit, allows is to tap into stored energy. Stored energy or ‘body fat’ is used to fuel
our energy requirement, and now fat loss occurs. We now lose body fat. This is what we call a negative
energy balance. This is fat loss 101!
BMR
DAILY SCHEDULED ACTIVITY
NEAT
TEF
TDEE is the sum of our resting energy needs or “BMR” plus the energy we spend for our standard
daily activities known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT, the energy spent while
digesting and absorbing food known as the thermic effect of food (TEF) and the energy spend
during structured activity known as physical activity level (PAL).
A simple way to look at is via the following equation:
TDEE = BMR + NEAT + TEF + PAL
These four factors can be explained in more detail as:
1 Basal metabolic rate (BMR): BMR is related to the calories which the body requires to “run” or
function. Running the machine that is the human body is costly and is our greatest contributor
to our overall calorie expenditure. BMR is linked to our bodies’ total mass – the more we weigh,
regardless of it being muscle or fat, is going to lead to greater calorie expenditure in regard to
our BMR.
However, lean mass does require more energy to fuel than fat, which is why it’s always imperative
we preserve as much lean mass as possible to keep metabolic rate as high as possible. In fact,
the BMR typically declines by about 1-2% every ten years after the age of 20, which is attributed
mainly to the gradual loss of fat-free (lean) mass.
2 Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): NEAT levels are another factor of TDEE which
actually has been shown to be the most variable of factors contributing to TDEE. NEAT includes
actions such as twitching, walking, incidental movement and even talking. Any activity which is
not planned or thought about by the body.
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It’s shown that over the course of a diet, neat levels plummet, when NEAT levels fall, so does
calorie expenditure which again directly affects our energy balance. Remember it’s not just
calories in, it’s also calories out which is the crucial component to losing body fat.
3 Thermic effect of food (TEF): Food digestion and assimilation (breakdown and absorption of
food) costs the body energy. The processes that facilitate these actions are small but still
significant contributors to the calories out component of energy balance. Protein is our most
energy costly macronutrient which makes high protein levels a key to optimizing fat loss success.
A person who eats a diet higher in protein will directly lead to a greater ‘calorie out’ response to
that of an individual with the same calorie intake and activity due to the increased rates of TEF on
protein digestion compared to the other macros. Fats and carbohydrates do contribute to thermic
effect of feeding, but on a much smaller scale to that of a protein which is a more thermogenic
macronutrient.
About 20-30% of the energy consumed from protein is used by the body just to digest
and absorb it, making it a great, satiating snack, particularly when dieting.
It is also important to ensure that our diet is mainly composed of whole foods rather than
processed foods as aside the density of nutrition in terms of micronutrients in whole
food sources like vitamins and minerals, these also have a much more potent metabolic
effect in terms of TEF.
4 Physical Activity Level (PAL): This is our planned training, whether resistance training, cardio, or
anything in between. Planned exercise falls under PAL. This, like NEAT, is going to be variable
between people but unlike neat, we can control the calorie expenditure.
The relative contribution of the four factors of TDEE will vary according to context.
Generally, though it will look roughly like the below image with BMR being
the primary contributor:
Figure 1
% OF TDEE
Percentage of Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
REE: Resting Energy Expenditure. This is our Basal
Metabolic Rate (BMR) i.e. the energy the body requires
to operate at rest e.g. for the heart, lungs, digestive
system and other involuntary processes. NREE:
Non-Resting Energy Expenditure. This is the Energy the
body requires to perform tasks such as digestion and
absorption of food (TEF: Thermic Effect of Food),
structured activity e.g. exercise (EAT: Exercise Activity
Thermogenesis), and non-structured activities,
e.g. fidgeting and daily movements (NEAT: Non-Exercise
Activity Thermogenesis).
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09
DETERMINING BODY FAT LEVELS
Category
Percentage
Essential fat
2-5%
Athletes
6-13%
Fitness
14-17%
Acceptable
18-24%
Obesity
>25%
This chart here shows body fat percentages. To have ‘6 pack abs’, majority of men need to be sub
10% body fat. Here’s something I have found over the years; everyone thinks they are much leaner
than they actually are! Routinely I hear guys saying they are sub 10% and yet don’t even have a visible
4 pack, let alone a 6 pack. So, it’s important when setting your TDEE, that you match yourself to the
photo which most accurately represents your current physique. Don’t pick your goal or ‘usual’ shape,
chose your current physique. Don’t lie to yourself! Accuracy is important here!
If you’re above 25% body fat, I highly stress the importance of spending the 12 weeks in a calorie
deficit. The leaner you become, the more optimally you will partition the increased calories to muscle
building over fat storage. Males with a body fat between 18-24% could do fantastically well with using
the 12-week program as their own transformation to get in the best condition of their life. If you fall into
the 15% and below category, you can either go all out and bring the next level shreds for summer or
you can be eating in a calorie surplus and drastically change your physique long term by building some
serious muscle mass.
The choice is yours!
This is a guidebook, and with that, this is just a guide to my thoughts, ultimately you decide what is best
for you. Please just choose 1 goal though and commit to it for the 12 weeks. Go all out and give me the
best of what you have got!
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Build
I will keep it short and simple here. Firstly, begin at maintenance calories as you can always build
muscle at maintenance. If you are someone who isn’t eating at baseline already, I recommend you
purchase my Art of Reverse Dieting guidebook which outlines how you can get yourself back up to
baseline and gain little to no body fat.
Now once there, my recommendations in terms of macros are the following:
Protein
= 2g x body weight in kilograms
Fats = 1g x body weight in kilograms
Carbohydrates = the rest of the remaining calories
How much of a surplus do we need? This is where I prefer a more conservative approach. Chances are
for most, even your maintenance calories are likely more food you have eaten in a while, so let’s start
you there. Now, after 4 weeks this is where I make changes.
Keep the same macro breakdown as we begin with and simply add 100 calories of either fats or carbs.
The reason I like an increase of fats or carbs is because research shows that consuming anywhere
between 2g (regular trainee) all the way through 3.1g (Hypocaloric or more advanced trainee during an
increased training volume phase) of protein per kilogram of body weight has no additional hypertrophy
benefits.
You may have heard me say that protein is the key macronutrient and it is, however, it’s dose
dependent. For this reason, we want to increase either carbs or fats due to their benefits on the body.
Choose whichever macronutrient you prefer to eat and build from there. You should reassess your
calories and macros every 2-3 weeks and if your weight maintains, add another 100-150 calories.
NOTE:
My recommendation is not drifting more than 400 calories above maintenance in the 12
weeks unless you are a typical ‘hard gainer’.
When it comes to nutrition with a calorie surplus, honestly, it’s not too complicated. Building muscle
takes time. Being in a maintenance or small surplus for an extended period is the key to creating
hypertrophy adaptations. This is why, if your goal is to use my training program to build shape and lean
muscle, you need to give it a minimum of 12 weeks to keep calories up.
Yes, you will put on a little bit of body fat!
But you will also put on a lot more muscle mass than you would without those added calories.
Remember, think long term goals over quick fix.
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Hard Gainers
Something I commonly come across is the ‘hard gainer’. The guy who says no matter how much they
eat they cannot put on weight. Well a few things about this, first of all, a lot of these guys, simply don’t
eat as much as they think they do. They will have a few big meals 2-3 times in the day, but then not
much else outside that. Then, training quality is often quite poor.
I’m telling you this because before you jump to the “I’m a ‘hard gainer’ and I cannot put on weight!”
mindset bandwagon, you really need to asses if you’re doing everything correctly.
Now if you can say you are that true ‘hard gainer’, here are my suggestions:
Generally, ‘hard gainers’ have a specific metabolic type. We tend to have 2 ends of the spectrum,
people who are ‘efficient metabolic types’, then people who are ‘inefficient’. When dieting down to lose
weight, being ‘efficient’ means your body will naturally adapt to the calorie deficit quickly and require a
larger drop in calories. You are more susceptible to metabolic adaptation and most likely, you will need
to diet on lower and lower calories to that of someone who has an ‘inefficient’ metabolism.
‘Inefficiency’ will mean you will be able to easily burn through your calories consumed, then your body
will require your stored energy - fat mass, to be used as fuel. Therefore, it’s easier for the ‘inefficient’
people to get leaner as they will be able to diet on more calories as they tend to experience less
metabolic adaptation.
On the other end of spectrum, when it comes to building muscle, that same ‘inefficiency’ that helps you
lose weight successfully, can also be somewhat detrimental when trying to put on muscle mass. Some
people when given a large calorie surplus, have their NEAT levels rise. For others, NEAT levels will
lower, which is why the ‘efficient’ types tend to put body fat on quickly. I tend to favour more
conservative approaches to calorie surpluses. We want to obviously put on muscle mass, over fat
mass. Majority of people will do well with conservative calorie deficits. We need to find the threshold
where the body has enough calories to build muscle, while not over doing the calorie surplus to favour
too much fat gain. Generally, a 5-10% surplus I find is the majority of people’s happy place.
For those ’hard gainers’, what tends to happen when given a 5-10% calorie surplus is they simply
expend more calories. Their NEAT levels rise as response to the calorie surplus and they struggle to
put on weight, despite the theoretical calorie surplus. The reason for their lack of weight gain is their
increased NEAT, which therefore results in increased calorie expenditure and then results in them no
longer being in their calorie surplus. All that movement and expenditure cancels out what we thought
was a surplus for most people.
In the above instance, the solution is to take calories so high that they can’t out move their surplus,
which is why if you’re a ‘hard gainer’, I suggest beginning your ‘build’ phase in a calorie surplus of 20%.
This 20% surplus will be your starting point.
Begin with protein at 2g per kg of bodyweight
Fats at 1g per kg of body weight
Then the rest, carbohydrates, which will be A LOT OF CARBS!
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Here is where I suggest using the lower end of fibre consumption. When eating very high calories, too
much fibre can also lead to bloating and may leave you feeling pretty average. You need to keep it
around the 12g per 1,000 calorie mark.
Cut
When it comes to getting leaner, majority of my audience will know and understand the basics. If you
do not, make sure you download my FREE guidebook - Top 20 Fat Loss Hacks which covers the basics.
Let’s start with the fundamentals:
Calories are king
1
2 Protein is the most crucial macronutrient
3
Fats are integral for hormones, but we only need so much
4
Carbohydrates are not essential to life however, when building muscle mass or
preserving muscle mass, they are absolutely optimal
5 You will not lose body fat if you are not in a calorie deficit
6 You will LOSE body fat if you are in a calorie deficit, therefore, if you are not losing
fat. It simply means you are no longer in a calorie deficit.
I hope you have gathered that if getting leaner is your goal,
you need to be in a calorie deficit!
Where to start?
My goal for intermediate to advanced clients is (generally speaking) to lose a ½ a kilogram per week,
or roughly 1 pound. Based off my industry experience, I find that a 500-calorie deficit for men who need
6-12kg weight loss for their ‘goal body’ works best. However, for the men who have less than 3-5kg to
lose, I suggest starting with a 400-calorie deficit.
Conservative is better here as more calories will potentially result in better muscle retention. In order
to achieve ½ a kilogram or 1 pound of fat loss a week, we need to create a 500-calorie deficit. A pound
of fat equates to roughly 3,500 calories. Over the period of a week, we want to be in a calorie deficit of
3,500 to lose that pound of fat mass.
First step is to calculate your maintenance calories:
Use tdeecalculator.net and set your activity to moderate (if you naturally do more than 15,000 steps
a day due to work, set activity level to high). This is an online tool to calculate your total daily energy
expenditure (TDEE) and is the most accurate one I know of.
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Next, we create the calorie deficit by deducting 500 calories:
For instance, if your TDEE is 2,500 calories, then your starting point is 2,000 calories. This should
theoretically lead to a 1/2 kg or 1 pound of fat mass dropped a week.
Then we set our macros:
If your body fat in on the lower end, I would recommend a more carb dominant diet. If your body fat
is higher, insulin sensitivity is not as positive, therefore, I prefer a mixed breakdown of macronutrients.
However, personal preference is the most essential to dietary compliance.
What do you feel best on?
That’s a question I ask many clients in their initial consult.
My macronutrient guidelines
Protein
Fats Carbohydrates
= 2g-2.5g per kilogram of bodyweight
= 0.8g-1.1g per kilogram of bodyweight
= the remaining calories
Protein - 2-2.5g per kilogram of body weight:
Which end of the range is best for you? As always, it depends! I prefer higher levels of protein the
leaner the client is. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, so it’s great to have for hunger and
satiety. Protein is also optimal for muscle retention when in a calorie deficit as higher protein levels will
help protect existing muscle mass. Finally, I have found men tend to enjoy eating meat more than
women. Simply giving men a greater percentage of a macro nutrient, they thoroughly enjoy, only
makes logical sense.
Fats - 0.8g-1.1g:
I avoid dropping fats below 0.8g per kg of body weight unless in the final weeks of comp prep. Dietary
fats consumed become dietary cholesterol which is crucial for the making of our sex hormones. Now,
what do I do when we need to create a bigger calorie deficit and fats have reached 0.8g per kg of
body weight? This is where I simply take away from carbohydrates. I ALWAYS keep protein levels
consistent for the duration of the cut.
Carbohydrates - the rest of your calories:
Simple enough, calculate the essential macronutrients first, proteins and fats and once these are in
place, we use the remaining calories towards carbohydrates. Remember, carbs are not essential to life,
however they are most certainly optimal when it comes to performance.
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Here are 2 examples of where I would start a client:
CLIENT 1
A male weighing 80 kg’s with a TDEE of 3,000 calories
3000 - 500 cal deficit = 2,500 calories
Protein - 2.5 x 80 = 200g (800 calories)
Fats
- 1 x 80 = 80g (720 calories)
Now that we have worked out the essential macronutrients, we know that we have used
1,520 calories of the 2,500 calorie daily budget we have. Therefore, we have 980
calories remaining to be used for carbohydrates.
Carbs
- 980/4 = 245g
Therefore, the starting macros using this example of macro breakdown will be:
P - 200g
F - 80g
C - 245g
What if you simply prefer less carbohydrates? That’s is fine! My personal preference for clients is to
have a more dominant carb split, but I am never married to a macro split. It’s crucial to understand
principles over methods.
The principle, for example, may be to achieve fat loss, so we need to create a negative energy balance
(calorie deficit).
Without a calorie deficit, there is simply no fat loss.
The principle is energy balance. How we achieve the negative energy balance however can be highly
personal. Remember, we need a calorie deficit for fat loss and as long as we are in a calorie deficit, all
macro splits will work! Some evidence suggests particular macro breakdowns are more optimal
depending on the person, which is why for my personalised clients, I do have somewhat of a base
method with how to do their macros. However, this is just a base and it can be very much be
manipulated.
The method is not the key, the key to my results are adhering to the principles of
energy balance.
The point of all this is to make known that although I personally prefer more carbs for my intermediate
to advanced client’s majority of the time, that doesn’t mean some males won’t necessarily feel better
on more fats!
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CLIENT 2
A male weighing 80 kg’s with a TDEE of 3,000 calories
3000 - 500 cal deficit = 2,500 calories
Calories 2,500:
Protein - 2-2.5g per kilogram of bodyweight
Fats - 1.2-1.8g per kilogram of bodyweight
Carbs - the remaining of the calories
Using our above client’s example of 80kg client with 2,500 calories for his deficit, a
macro breakdown for him may look like this:
CALORIES 2,500:
Protein – 2 x 80 = 160g (640 calories)
Fats - 1.8 x 80 = 144g (1,296 calories)
Carbs – 2,500 – (640 + 1,296) = 564 (calories)/4 = 141g
Again, this is where I would start a client for a lower carb approach. I still prefer carbs
above 120g to begin with as I always think it’s a positive despite calorie intake to have
some carbohydrates.
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FLEXIBLE DIETING
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10
MACRONUTRIENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Flexible Dieting
By now I trust that you know I’m a huge advocate for flexible dieting. This is the approach I use with all
my clients, male or female.
Here is my step by step guide to flexible dieting:
Hit your calorie goal first: Calculate this using the TDEE calculator provided on page…
Hit your protein target: Use a variety of protein sources to consume a more complete profile of
amino acids into your diet. Ideally 5-7 different protein sources over the week is ideal.
Hit a minimum requirement for fats: Use a variety of fat sources. We have 3 prime sources of fats
– monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats. Simply put, have all three. Choose a vast
variety of foods to hit your target.
Carbohydrates make up the rest: Choose a variety of carbohydrate sources. Primarily we want
sources which are high in fibre and will give us a sustained energy hit. However, sugar is not the
enemy. By all means have some sugar, just ensure you meet your fibre target first.
Have a daily fibre target: By having a fibre target each day, this will require you to have a greater
choice of foods. Hitting your fibre target is hard when consuming ‘junk’ food regularly.
Have balance: As always, I want my clients to have balance. This is the entire purpose of flexible
dieting. If you want something, have it, but track it first. If it doesn’t ‘fit’ into today, can you make it
work tomorrow?
My issue with clean eating, is that it inevitably leads to terrible binges or living for the weekend
cheat meals and or worse cheat days.
Flexible dieting for the win!
One of my friends in the industry, the great Sohee Lee, ate a Snickers bar every single day of her prep
to prove that calories are what matters most. Sohee was able to include a snicker bar every day into
her calorie ‘budget’ and still look incredible. She then went on to win her pro card.
I like to look at food in that there are no ‘good or bad’ foods, there are just more micronutrient dense
foods, and less nutrient dense foods. This does not necessarily make a food good or bad. Everyone on
Instagram these days loses their mind when they see me eat a doughnut each day, especially when I
got leaner over the summer here in Australia.
I know my daily calorie intake and that I can drop body fat on close to 3,000 calories a day... yes, it’s
an advantage being a man when it comes to calorie intake. However, that doughnut I was having each
day was around 500 calories. Sounds like a lot, but when your budget of calories is 3,000 a day. That
is actually less than 20% of my daily calorie intake.
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Now if you are on low calories long term, it becomes harder and harder to fit in foods you love. This is
where I suggest rather than having 2 rows of chocolate, you have 1 row, or 2 pieces.
I desperately want my clients to have a healthy relationship with food. Taking away the ‘good and bad’
concept is imperative. My suggestion on flexible dieting is to use the 80/20 rule for your calorie
budget, devote 80% of the calories you need to foods you enjoy that are very nutrient dense.
There are two keys here, nutrient dense foods and foods you enjoy. I don’t do meal plans because who
am I to tell someone what they can or can’t eat? We all enjoy certain nutritious foods more than others.
So, make up 80% of your daily calorie budget with foods you actually like to eat. Remember, building a
leaner, healthier body shouldn’t be a struggle all the time. The nutrient dense fruits and vegetables you
enjoy is where we get quality micronutrients and also fibre, which mentioned previously, is a crucial but
forgotten factor of a healthy diet.
Then the remaining 20% of your calorie budget can come from less nutritious foods. Again, I am not
saying go eat all the calories you want on ‘junk’. I am merely saying incorporate your favourite foods in
moderation into your daily calorie intake.
Yes, when you are on 1,800-2,000 calories it’s easier to enjoy more delicious foods. However, even
when my clients reach low calories just before a competition, I still want them to be having at least a
bite of foods they enjoy. This dramatically helps them mentally post comp or post result, and overall it
allows people to feel less restricted.
So once again, have balance with your diet and use a flexible dieting approach which isn’t about eating
as much crap as possible, it’s about removing the restrictions of food choices, and bringing balance to
our nutrition.
I want you to have optimal physical health, as well as optimal mental health!
Understanding Fibre
So, what exactly is fibre? Well, fibre is often divided into two categories, insoluble and soluble fibre.
These two fibre types differ in how they interact with water in your body.
Insoluble fibre does not mix with water and acts mostly as a bulking agent to help form stool and pass
it through the gut. This can help with constipation.
Soluble fibre, such as beta-glucan and glucomannan, mixes with water to form a viscous, gel-like
substance that slows down the digested food from the stomach into the gut. It has also been shown
that eating more soluble fibre can help you lose belly fat and prevent the gain of belly fat.
One study linked a 10-gram increase in daily soluble fibre intake to a 3.7% lower risk of gaining belly fat.
Several other studies also show that people who eat more soluble fibre have a lower risk of
gaining belly fat.
So, how much fibre should you try and get in from all your food daily? For male athletes I like
approximately 12-15 grams per 1,000 calories consumed each day. From experience this is enough to
help with overall health, digestion, energy - you name it! Therefore, if you are eating 3,000 calories a
day, your fibre intake would be in the 36-45g range.
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Plateaus
For all of those who have dieted previously, you will know that the initial fat loss is quite easy. The
starting calorie deficit we use works well however for most, eventually the rate of fat loss slows down.
For some, it could slow down after 2 weeks (efficient metabolisms), for others it could slow down after
8-10 weeks (inefficient metabolisms). This prompts the statement I get 12 times a day on Instagram:
“My calorie deficit is no longer working!”.
A calorie deficit will ALWAYS work!
You will always lose body fat in a calorie deficit. The issue lies in the fact that you are no longer in a
calorie deficit. I have written an entire 200-page guidebook ‘The Art of Reverse Dieting’ on this topic
so that you can learn why fat loss is so hard and why keeping the weight off long term is even harder.
But for now, I will summarise...
Consider this; you are no longer in a deficit:
The reason that you are no longer losing body fat is because what you thought was a calorie deficit,
is now not. We are experiencing what’s now commonly known as ‘metabolic adaptation’ or otherwise
known as adaptive thermogenesis. This is when your body activates somewhat of a defense
mechanism which lowers our ability to burn energy aka calories. Simply put, the body purposely
decreases its energy out component of energy balance, therefore directly affecting our calorie deficit.
The less calories we burn, the more that once 500 calorie deficit becomes smaller and smaller.
Naturally, we stop losing as quickly as that deficit lessons and lessons, then eventually the deficit is no
longer, and we reach the dreaded plateau.
This is where understanding energy balance is key!
Mechanisms that affect calories in vs calories out:
The reason that you are no longer losing body fat is because what you thought was a calorie deficit,
is now not. We are experiencing what’s now commonly known as ‘metabolic adaptation’ or otherwise
known as adaptive thermogenesis. This is when your body activates somewhat of a defense
mechanism which lowers our ability to burn energy aka calories. Simply put, the body purposely
decreases its energy out component of energy balance, therefore directly affecting our calorie deficit.
The less calories we burn, the more that once 500 calorie deficit becomes smaller and smaller.
Naturally, we stop losing as quickly as that deficit lessons and lessons, then eventually the deficit is no
longer, and we reach the dreaded plateau.
Calories in - Your nutrition, what you eat! This is the easy part to understand from an
energy point of view
Calories out – This is where it gets more complicated. Factors affecting calories out
include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
BMR
NEAT
ACTIVITY LEVELS
THERMIC EFFECT OF FEEDING
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We know through metabolic adaptation; NEAT levels will lower. Sadly, we cannot do anything about
this. We know BMR will lower even if we do not experience metabolic adaptation. BMR is linked to your
total mass or body weight. Remember, even if we are losing fat only, we are still weighing less and less.
By weighing less, we burn less calories. The point of all of this is for you to understand that:
1
It’s normal for rate of fat loss to slow down and even stop.
2
Your calorie deficit isn’t broken, you simply are not in a deficit anymore.
3
We need to make changes to keep a negative energy balance (calorie deficit).
Now that we understand that it is normal to plateau, the next question to arise is how to break it and
keep fat loss going.
The simplest way is to continually decrease ‘energy in’, aka drop calories, which is what we will do!
Earlier, I explained that I want people to begin in a 500-calorie deficit. My suggestion for when you
have plateaued for 2-3 weeks, is to then decrease calories.
I suggest calorie drops of 100-150 calories at a time. Remember, it’s ideal to take calories away from
carbs and fats. Do NOT take calories away from protein. We want to keep this consistent over the
entire 12 weeks to preserve muscle mass.
Of the 100-150 calorie decreases, we can take them away from carbs or fats, or a combination of both,
It’s up to you! Remember, the key principles to energy balance is that calories are king, and macros
determine how we feel! As long as we create the calorie deficit, we will lose fat, which is why we
choose the macro breakdown that we feel best on.
For my clients, I generally take calories away from fats until I reach the 0.8g per kilogram mark. From
there, that’s the lowest I want to have fats, as fats are imperative for the making of our sex hormones,
we don’t want to go too low. Once the fats minimum amount has been met, from there, the only place I
will take calories away from is from carbs.
It’s also important to understand where you begin your cut does not mean this is where you will finish.
Diet breaks are a nice way to attempt to keep the metabolism high but again, when we lose weight,
we weigh less. The less we weigh, the less calories we expend. For instance, one of my clients who I
have currently prepped for WBFF Male Fitness category, Lachlan, began his prep on 2,900 calories.
At 1 week out, his calories were at 2,300. Due to metabolic adaptation, in order to continue to create a
fat loss response, daily calories have lowered by 600 calories! Of course, Lachlan is trying to achieve
an exceptionally shredded look for a bodybuilding competition, however this is why it’s important to
understand when your calorie deficit “stops working”, in reality, means you are no longer in a calorie
deficit. Initially, we must be patient and then make changes if your body fat levels stay consistent. With
Lachlan I consistently made 125 calorie drops every 3-4 weeks of his comp prep.
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Understanding the rate of fat loss:
The next question becomes how do we know if we have hit a plateau, or if we just have to be patient?
With a 500-calorie deficit, theoretically we should be losing that 1/2 kg mark a week, or 1 pound for
the Americans out there. To assess progress, we need to remember what scales don’t tell us! Some
days we can weigh less, some days we weigh more which is why my recommendation is to take scale
weight and also girth measurements 2 times a week. This gives us more of a total average than just
one day a week.
I’d suggest Sunday and Thursday would be good days to do this as they are spaced apart well.
Whatever days you pick, you need to ensure that you do this ‘check-in’ on the same days for the next
12 weeks. I also suggest doing this first thing in the morning, before eating. I like to wait 2 weeks
before calling it a plateau, as I have mentioned before. If weight is consistent for 2 weeks with little to
no change (less than 250 grams) then I would suggest making calorie changes (100-150 calorie drop).
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11
REFEEDS AND DIET BREAKS
Flexible Dieting
Refeeds and diet breaks are popular terms in fitness these days but what’s the difference? There isn’t
really a scientific difference in meaning other than wording and timing. Both are when we increase
calories to take the client out of a calorie deficit. This can be done for a variety of psychological and
physiological reasons. Both are simple taking ourselves out of a calorie deficit, primarily from driving
carbohydrate calories up. The difference is simply the time frame:
A refeed
A diet break
- I use as a 1-2 day period of increased calories.
- I use as more of a more sustained period of 3-14 days.
I am personally a big fan of mini-diet breaks of 3-4 days for clients. Others prefer the longer 1-2-week
approach, it all works! The issue I find is; the longer you are out of a deficit, the longer you are
obviously not losing body fat. Diet breaks do slow down fat loss in that period you are out of a deficit.
However, the rate of fat loss per day of a calorie deficit is greater by utilising diet breaks.
How to diet break and refeed:
The key to diet breaks and refeeds is we want to take carbohydrates as high as possible, as the
research shows carbs are what will help drive up leptin levels (satiety levels) again.
Here are the steps:
1
Take calories back to your TDEE. Recalculate TDEE before this to account for weight
loss.
2
Decrease protein intake down to 1.8g per kilogram of body weight. This is the time
we don’t need as many calories from protein.
3
Decrease fat intake down to 0.8g per kilogram of body weight.
4
Utilise the rest of your calories to ALL go to carbohydrates.
My top tips for diet breaks
Do not diet break or refeed simply because you are a little hungry one day. Unfortunately, hunger and
low energy will sometimes go hand-in-hand with being in a calorie deficit. However, we obviously do
not want to be starving. A good way to gauge hunger levels, and if you potentially need a mini diet
break (3-5 days) or a longer diet break (7-14 days), is off biofeedback and also true hunger levels.
Are you telling yourself you need a diet break because you are craving certain foods? Do you simply
feel restricted? This is why we flexible diet! True hunger is not “I want a donut.”. True hunger is “I’m so
hungry I could eat a whole bowl of broccoli!”. It’s important we differentiate and understand this, so we
are aware of our actual hunger levels.
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It’s crucial to understand that diet break frequency and length needs to be personal. I have clients who
diet break every 3 weeks, whilst others don’t enjoy diet breaks at all, and mentally feel better dieting
for 12 weeks, then coming out of a deficit for a few weeks to a month. The whole idea of this guide is
to make you realise when it comes to nutrition calories are king. Macros are important because they
determine how you feel and drive performance. There is no magic macro breakdown, but potentially
more optimal for heavy lifting. Then again with diet breaks, it’s personal.
This is not a one-size-fits-all system. I want to educate you all about understanding
the methods I do to get results.
Regarding nutrition, there is no clear cut “how-to” formula. We understand the principle of energy
balance, but the methods we use to achieve the calorie deficit still needs to be suited to what best fits
you.
In summary:
Weigh yourself twice a week – once at the start of the week and once mid-week
(choose 2 days and always weigh yourself on these same days each week as soon
as you wake up!).
Don’t freak out if the scale changes or is inconsistent - this is normal!
If weight remains the same for more than 2 weeks, it’s time to make changes.
Drop calories 100-150 a day when making a decrease.
A calorie deficit will always work, we just need to continue to create a calorie deficit,
hence the need to either take more calories away, or burn more calories.
Utilise diet breaks and refeed days for mental and physical reprieve from dieting.
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12
3 WAYS TO STRUCTURE YOUR NUTRITION
Hit the same calories over the course of a week with one of these options:
1
Consistent calorie deficit over the week.
2
2 high days, 3 moderate days and 2 low days.
3
6 moderate days and 1 high day.
Although this is a guidebook shared among thousands, this is NOT a one-size-fits-all system. The
reason for this is my clients do not follow a one-size-fits-all approach, so I don’t want you to either.
I want to share and teach you all of the options. The more options we have, the greater chance of
success because we then find something that works for us as an individual. My clients have a variety
of ways they hit their weekly calories. The key is understanding weekly calories as a whole. You don’t
lose body fat because you ate in a deficit one day, you lose body fat from being in a deficit of calories
over the course of the entire week. That means, not every day necessarily has to be in a calorie deficit.
Remember when I said we need a 500-calorie deficit, on average to lose ½ kilogram of fat a week. This
is because a ½ kilogram of fat equates to that 3500-calorie deficit mark, roughly. Therefore, over the
entire course of the week we need to create a 3500-calorie deficit to hit that amount of fat loss.
1
Consistent calorie deficit over the week
This is my traditional approach to fat loss as it’s the simplest. We create a calorie deficit then we stay
consistent with the numbers each day. If your TDEE is 3,000 calories and a 500-calorie deficit is 2,500,
simply aim to hit 2,500 calories every day. Then when we want to come out of a calorie deficit, we will
just do a diet break.
For my advanced clients, I prefer 2-3 weeks of a straight calorie deficit, then a diet break.
2
2 high days, 3 moderate days and 2 low days
This is a method I use with my advanced males and females clients who ask for it.
This is what the week could look like…
Sticking with the 500-calorie deficit from a 3,000 calorie TDEE, our weekly average of calories needs
to be 2,500, which means we have 17,500 calories for the week.
How I execute this method is to think of it as having 2 refeed days (can be back to back days or
individual days), 3 moderate days and then 2 low days. I would suggest executing this by placing 2 of
the high calorie days on your lower body days (you will be training lower body 3 x a week, so choose 2
of them). I would then place the moderate days on the other training days. Then finally, the 2 low
calorie intake days would be on our resistance training rest days. A weekly overview would look like
this using the 2,500-calorie example:
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2 x high days = 3,000 (maintenance calories / TDEE)
3 x moderate days = 2,500 calories
2 x low days = 2,000 calories
This will make our weekly calorie intake 17,500, which means for the week, we have averaged a
500-calorie deficit. This is great for those of you who feel you need more energy/food on certain days,
and also for those who don’t get as hungry on non-training days.
3
6 moderate days and 1 high day
This next approach is also common, and for a lot of people, the preferred method as they have
incorporated a refeed day into their weekly calories. Firstly, it’s important to understand a one day
refeed doesn’t have the physiological benefits of a 3-14-day diet break as discussed earlier however, it
does offer a somewhat of a mental reprieve to the consistent days in a calorie deficit. The main issues I
find with this approach is that people often:
Think it’s a free for all or a cheat day - it’s certainly not
Do not track the food on the high day.
Do not meet the weekly deficit due to the refeed/high day.
Once again, we need a 3,500-calorie deficit to create ½ kg of fat mass lost a week. A refeed day
involves increasing calories up to baseline. To achieve our goal of the weekly 3,500 calorie deficit, we
need to lower calories slightly on other days to ensure we still hit the same weekly target.
Rather than having 6 days at 2,500 and 1 day at 3000 calories and therefore going over the weekly
deficit by 500-calories, you should do 6 days at 2,415 calories and one day at 3,000. By doing this
we have hit the 3,500-calorie deficit for the week (actually 3,600 calories but that’s fine, the more the
merrier!). Yes, you can incorporate refeed days into your weekly ‘budget’ of calories, you simply need
to adjust the calorie intake over the course of the week to hit the numbers accurately.
The key theme of this, just like the other 2 options, is adhering to a WEEKLY calorie deficit. This is a
must! Use which scenario works best for you and makes you feel the best both physically and mentally.
They all work so you just need to find which suites YOU best.
How to know when you need a diet break
I have 3 keys to diet breaks:
1
The leaner you are, the more frequent you need to diet break.
The reason being, the leaner an individual, the more susceptible you are to metabolic
adaptations. High fat mass can actually help prevent the onset of such adaptations, which is
why in ‘The Art of ‘Gen Pop’ Transformations’ guide, people with a lot of weight to lose (15kg
plus) do not diet break in the 12 weeks but someone with only a few kilograms of fat to lose will
have 2 diet breaks in the 12 weeks.
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2
The more aggressive the calorie deficit, the more frequent we diet break.
If you are dieting on a 10% calorie deficit, chances are you most likely are not losing a lot of fat
at a fast pace, which is fine. An aggressive deficit will lead to faster fat loss but the faster you
lose body fat, the more you open yourself up metabolic adaptations kicking in quicker. This is
why if you like a more aggressive short-term approach to a calorie deficit, we should back it up
with diet breaks more frequently. Anything below a 30% calorie deficit and I would have a client
diet break for 1-2 weeks after 6-8 weeks of the deficit.
3
The longer you have been dieting, the longer you will need to diet break.
This is because our leptin levels continue to lower the longer we diet. The lower they become,
the harder it is to bring back up. A 3-day diet break after months of a calorie deficit simply will
not be sufficient which is why I would schedule in a 1-2 week diet break to meaningfully raise
leptin levels and keep them elevated for when the calories are lowered again. This is why I
usually suggest after a 12-week transformation to either reverse diet or do a 2-week diet break
if you have not reached your goal body weight, then come back down to a calorie deficit.
Do not live in a deficit!
What I didn’t want to do in this program is spoon feed you and tell you when to diet break. I want YOU
to become educated about your body and nutrition. I want to teach you how to fish, not give you the
fish. This is exactly why I am not setting specific weeks or days for you to diet break, rather giving you
the knowledge for you to now be able to understand and asses when to incorporate them. A big thing
to do is listen to your biofeedback.
This can include:
Weight loss - Have you been plateauing for weeks?
Energy levels - Are you now tired all the time?
Libido - Just not feeling your partner the same anymore?
Sleep - Not staying asleep or struggling to get to sleep?
Training performance - Are you getting substantially weaker?
Hunger and cravings - Are you starting to notice satiety lowering and hunger increasing?
These are all integral biofeedback markers which we need to asses weekly. However, it is also
important to understand these are somewhat natural adaptations of being in a calorie deficit. This is
why diet breaks or refeed days can make the process more enjoyable over the course of the diet or
prep. Then having a sound exit strategy following the diet is also imperative. This is where I reverse
diet my clients to ensure their results are maintained long term.
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Tracking Progress
Tracking progress sounds very simple, but the majority of everyday lifters never track anything such
as their nutrition, strength increase, photos or weight loss. People get lazy and don’t track. You cannot
intelligently make educated decisions if you don’t have feedback. Tracking progress is an integral part
of what I do, so I can analyse whether my clients need more, or less, or simply need to keep going with
what they are currently doing.
Here are my tips on tracking progress:
Photos
Photos to me are the most crucial measurement of progress. When it comes down to it, no one knows
or cares how much you weigh or what your body fat percentage is. You simply care how you look,
which is why photos win out. Firstly, always take photos when you begin your journey. These are
imperative. To be able to know where you started is always a powerful reminder in the never-ending
journey of building your physique.
How to take photos:
Firstly, stop with the selfie photos in the mirror holding your phone. These don’t show you anything. We
all have phones that have a self-timer, so put your phone on a ledge, set the timer to 10 seconds and
take some progress photos. Always try to take these in a gym shorts or a bikini/underwear so we can
see as much as possible and therefore have as much feedback as possible. The photo should show
your whole body, have your feet and room above your head.
Take front, back and side photos:
Keep your arms relaxed and by your side and simply stand there still in a normal manner. Don’t look so
happy for before photos (lol), save that for the after photo!
I suggest taking progress photos every fortnight for those cutting. For those who are building, as we
know that building takes more time, therefore progress will be slower, I suggest taking photos every
3-4 weeks. For each photo use the same location, same lighting and same outfit for absolute accuracy.
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Measurements
There are various ways to measure or asses body composition changes. These days I use the scale
and also girth measurements
Scale - weigh yourself 2 times a week. First thing in the morning on an empty stomach after using the
bathroom.
Girth Measurements – measure yourself 2 times a week. I would do this on the same mornings that
you weigh yourself.
Body fat testing via calipers, dexa scans and in-body scans are all very inaccurate. Use these as a
guide, but don’t be married to a reading. It’s just an algorithm. I personally just use the body fat
percentages image (as shown before) to estimate a new clients body fat level these days.
Please remember, all these measurements are a way to assess some form of progress but when it
comes down to it, the best measurement of success is when you look in the mirror and genuinely like
what you see, as clique as it sounds.
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EXERCISE SELECTION
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13
TRAINING
Now it’s time to dive into the training program!
We will break down each 3-week training block in detail and explain the loading schemes as well as
the mix of tempos and sets/reps. But before we get into that, I want to give you all an overview of this
12-week training program.
This 12-week program is broken down into 4 distinct 3-week training phases which is going to be a
mixture of 3-week training blocks of greater sets and reps combined with 3-week training blocks of
less sets and reps, but lower reps which allow for greater load/weight to be lifted. This is what we call
undulating periodisation which alters between 3-week phases of volume/accumulation and intensity/
intensification.
The reason I love to program 3-week blocks for more advanced level clients is that it allows us to push
a rep range really hard, then get out of that rep range and target something different. A specific rep
range will hit specific muscle fibres and also work more or less of the nervous system depending on
the reps.
The 3-week training block is a good amount of time to improve week to week, then before we can
begin to plateau, we change the rep range/stimulus to ensure we are improving. The other benefit to
the 3-week training blocks, particularly the program I have created for you all, is that it’s distinctly
different each block, which means it’s interesting and enjoyable. As much as I do enjoy program
repetitiveness, I also know many stop because they get bored and also consistent increases in volume
can also lead to a flat client.
For males, the last few years I have primarily run a 5-day training split but gone are the days of the old
school ‘bro training split’, which would go something like:
Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back Biceps
Wednesday - Shoulders
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Legs
Saturday - Arms
Sunday - Rest
There was nothing inherently wrong with this, especially for body builders who are enhanced, but the
lack of frequency of training a muscle group hinders hypertrophy potential for natural athletes.
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We now know that training muscle groups 2-3 times is more optimal for muscle building for natural
athletes as it increases the time we elevate muscle protein synthesis for that muscle group. When we
train a muscle group, e.g. chest on Mondays, we have elevated protein synthesis (MPS) for that muscle
group. MPS is the key mechanism of anabolism/building new muscle.
MPS will last around 48 hours after training. That means for 2 days you are developing/growing your
chest but then for the rest of the week (5 days) you’re doing nothing. Now, if you can hit a muscle
group 2-3 times a week, it means we are increasing our potential for muscle building.
Now before you all say, “Well my favourite bodybuilder only trains chest one time a week and he is
massive.”, the thing we need to remember is that with anabolic steroids, you constantly have
elevated muscle protein synthesis which is why they can train a muscle one time a week. Steroids
allow for constant growth!
The goal of this program is not to be a pro-bodybuilder, it’s to have a great body to go the beach, look
good for your partner or simply just give you the confidence to take your shirt off a feel f*cking
amazing. Confidence is king! Whether your goal is to shred and get abs for summer or to finally pack of
some serious muscle, this program is all about being designed to do that which is why my split is very
much upper body heavy.
You will notice with the program we have 2 x chest/back days and 1 x shoulders/arms day. I don’t want
you to think “Oh no we are only doing shoulders and arms one time a week!”. No, in fact you are doing
one purely designated shoulders/arms day, but also doing shoulders and arms on your chest/back
days, just not as much direct focus as their own exclusive day.
On lower body days, we will hit both quads and hamstrings each day however, each day will either start
with a squat or a deadlift variation. The squat will be our prime exercise for quad strength
development. On the deadlift variant day, you will notice in accumulation phases I use rack pulls and in
intensification phases, I use the deadlift.
Overall, the goal was to make an extremely effective training program. One that will help make
stronger and more muscular male bodies, all while being extremely enjoyable. I often say, the key to
my fast results with clients is attacking pathways they have not pushed before. I am confident phases
such as post-exhaustion, skewed pyramids, tempo contrast and also a wave load will be very new to
most of you which is great because it means we have a whole lot of untapped potential combined with
very much, mentally stimulating as well as physical challenging!
Periodisation - Undulating
I have used a variety of periodisation schemes with clients to achieve tremendous results.
Periodisation is simply having a structured plan of attack to take the client from ‘point A’ to ‘point B’, in
simple terms. This plan or periodisation scheme is ultimately aimed at building your strength and
muscle over the course of the 12 weeks. Undulating periodisation is my preferred periodisation scheme
for the vast majority of clients.
Undulating means going up and down, or in training terms going between phases of
Accumulation (volume) and Intensification (intensity).
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Accumulation is when our focus will be on higher average reps, whilst also on more total sets. Our aim
of accumulation phases is to build muscle, whilst with the intensification blocks, the aim is to improve
our relative strength. The intensification blocks will have less reps and less total sets; however, the goal
is to lift as much weight as possible. When we are talking intensity, I do not mean how hard you are
working or if you are training to failure. That is where we refer to rate of perceived exhaustion (RPE).
Intensity in strength terms means percentage of your one rep max. Therefore, the closer you lift to your
max, the greater the intensity. If you do 100kg squats for 1 rep, but could have achieved another 3 reps,
that set isn’t considered physically taxing, right? But a set of 20 reps on 50kg could absolutely make
you throw up! However, even though you worked ‘harder’ on the 50kg x 20 reps, the 1 x 100kg easy
set is of greater intensity due to us lifting closer to our one rep max.
Therefore, the goal of undulating is to work hard for a specific adaptation for 3 weeks then change
focus before we build up too much fatigue or begin to plateau. In each 3-week training block, we have
specific adaptations we are shooting for. We smash it hard for 3 weeks then undulate to a different rep
range focus.
Exercise Staples
Over the last 12 or so years of being a coach, naturally my education and knowledge has evolved, as
did my personal preferences. We all have our own bias towards what works best, or simply when it
comes down to it, what we most enjoy doing. I don’t care who you are, the chances are that your
strongest exercises are the majority of the exercises you do weekly and are the ones you actually
enjoy doing. When it comes to coaching, you are able to take out what you personally think is best for
YOU and start thinking more rationally while focusing on what is actually best for your client.
When it comes to exercise staples for clients, I want “bang for buck”. What is going to have the
greatest overall impact for the client or for yourself? What exercise delivers a variety of values and
will aid development the most? Combine this approach with a risk/reward scenario, is this exercise a
potential injury risk and worth doing it? This is something you need to ask yourself when training the
general population and also advanced males.
My favourite reason for training women is that they have (majority of the time), great movement
patterns and overall great mobility. This isn’t the same for men, who tend to have more hindered
movement patterns. The more hindered your movement patterns due to injury or poor flexibility/
mobility, the greater potential for further or new injury on a movement. Squats and deadlifts tend to
have a high injury rate. It’s not that these exercises are necessarily dangerous when performed
correctly, rather when it’s done incorrectly, combined with poor movements patterns and technique,
that the person’s body is what’s actually ‘bad’.
Having said that, my program is created with the intentions that you will be able to execute the
exercises correctly, effectively and most of all safely. My ‘The Art of ‘Gen Pop’ Transformations’
guidebook took into account people’s physical limitations, but this program is about pushing for what I
consider ‘optimal’. We are about to get into my favourite ‘go-to’ mass builders for your upper and lower
body. These are my favourite lifts for clients, and what I consistently program to build incredible male
physiques.
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Lower Body Big 3
Heels Elevated High Bar Squat:
By far my favourite exercises for building quads in men is a heels elevated high bar squat. For
women, I routinely program a low bar squat due to it being hip dominant in nature and thus having
greater potential to maximise glutes, but for guys, we are after big quads. Quad recruitment comes
down to depth in a squat.
Something to remember when it comes to building muscle, is that the muscle that is stretched the most
will most likely be the muscle recruited the most. This is important! We also need to focus on
maintaining a more upright torso as this will result in less posterior chain recruitment. This is important
as the goal of this lift for it to be quad dominant. Elevating the heels (stand on 5kg plates) allows for the
ankle joint to move more freely.
The limiting factor for majority of people when achieving depth in a squat is not tight hamstrings or hip
flexors, rather it tends to be tight calves. Tight calves will affect the ankles ability to adequately perform
dorsi flexion. Heel elevation allows for improved moment/dorsi flexion, leading to increased ability to
push knees forward, allowing the client to sit deep in the hole of a squat.
Deadlifts and rack pulls:
In this program, you will perform both a deadlift and rack pull interchangeably depending on your
ability and goals. Additionally, the rep ranges we are using in a phase will vary accordingly. Both
exercises are hip extension movements. A deadlift will have greater range of motion as it begins from
the floor. A rack pull will begin from the pins either below the knee or above the knee. The higher you
begin the lift, the less your hamstrings are recruited because they are stretched less. Rack pulls recruit
more of the more upper back which is why I love them for overall whole posterior chain mass
building. As discussed previously, I prefer deadlifts for lower reps due to greater injury potential/
technique breakdown when fatigue accumulates with too many reps. Rack pulls on the other hand, I
love for higher reps. These will both be staples of your lower body workouts for the next 12 weeks.
Split Squats - front foot, back foot and Bulgarian:
Split Squats are the kind of exercise people overlook often or underestimate due to not much load
being used. A heavy squat or deadlift looks fantastic, especially on social media however, they aren’t
the be all and end all of lifting. Split squat variations are fantastic because they’re extremely effective
and don’t require a tremendous amount of weight to be lifted to generate a result. Lifting heavy
consistently takes a toll on the nervous system as well as the body. Split squats are great exercises as
we are able to take the knee and hips through a full range of motion. We will use a variety of split squat
foot positions over the 12 weeks and you will likely have a love/hate relationship with them.
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Upper Body Big 3
Pull Ups:
I have always seen the pull up as a great feat of overall upper body strength, whether performed with
a neutral, pronated or supinated grip. This program will have a high frequency of pull ups. These are
absolute staples of my upper body days as they are tremendous for creating upper back and lat width,
whilst also being a terrific way to build biceps.
Incline Press:
A great chest is a key requirement to the male physique. Men (including myself) are often glued to the
flat bench press in pursuit of a bigger chest. The flat bench is the number 1 ‘ego exercise’ there is, and
I love it, however building a great chest that stands out in the crowd comes down to not only having a
thick middle chest, but having an upper chest to match, which is quite rare. An upper chest with great
development helps to give a defined looking pec and a less droopy look.
The upper chest is what fills out singlets and can be seen when we train! The ideal angle for hitting the
upper pecs can be a fine line between upper pec and too much anterior deltoid, which is why I don’t
like angles above 45º for upper chest before it becomes primarily a front delt focused movement.
Dips:
Dips are probably my favourite overall upper body exercise. Following on from the upper pecs, the dip
is my favourite for targeting the lower pecs and triceps mass. The dip hits all 3 heads of the triceps and
a strong dip, I always find, translates over to a stronger bench/incline bench. Plus, doing heavy dips
with numerous 20kg plates hanging from a belt makes you look like an absolute boss in the gym. A
great male body whether it’s for the beach, shirt off around your partner or even to compete, comes
down to a fantastic chest. This 12-week program will have a huge emphasis on building the pecs from a
variety of ways, after the next 12 weeks I am confident you will not only be your strongest on pressing
movements but also well on your way to developing an elite upper body.
Every coach has their favourite exercises when it comes to training themselves or their clients, but the
longer you’re in the game of being a coach (for me, it’s 12 years this year) we naturally, start to really
dial in on what we think works and what does NOT. It’s not about being narrow minded or dogmatic,
rather we become evidence based from working with 100’s and 1,000’s for some of us. This physique
guide is about giving you what I think WORKS! It’s not necessarily going to be all exercises you are
going to love or enjoy. It’s hard work doing the basics! My goal is to build the best physiques in the
world, and now I am giving you everything you need to improve YOU
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14
THE KEYS TO BUILDING YOUR PHYSIQUE
Over Training
One of the biggest issues I come across is the idea of “I have to train every single day to get results.”.
No! You certainly do not need to, and in fact, this is often the very thing hindering your progression. In
our program you will do 5 days a week of weight training. This is my gold standard for 90% of my elite
clients.
Over training leads to a variety of issues:
Poor recovery
Poor sleep
Increased hunger and cravings
Decreased libido
Lack of motivation and drive
Low energy levels
All in all, this means lack of results! Particularly in the muscle building and strength department. Over
training in a calorie deficit can drive metabolic adaptation faster than it should naturally progress.
I ask you, as I do all my clients, please follow the program as laid out. If you stick to the plan, load the
bar correctly, add weight each week, hit your calories and macros, focus on sleeping more and
stressing less you will be amazed at the results this program will deliver!
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TRAINING METHODS
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15
THE TRAINING PROGRAM
Phase 1: Accumulation 1 - Post Exhaustion Method
We begin with what I guess you could call a “Mark Carroll staple” program which is the PostExhaustion method. This is an agonist superset which we partner 2 exercises of the same muscle
group. As discussed above, in our accumulation phases we will be prioritising time under tension.
Partnering 2 exercises together with minimal rest periods optimises a key muscle fatigue pathway to
hypertrophy. It’s called post-exhaustion as you will be doing a heavy compound exercise first, followed
usually by a higher rep isolation movement.
Here’s an example:
Upper body 1, A) series:
A1) 30º Incline DB Press - 5 x 8 - 3110 tempo - 10 seconds rest
A2) Flat DB Fly - 5 x 15 - 2010 tempo - 150 seconds rest
A few things to note here:
The first exercise will be heavier naturally as it has a lower rep range.
We will also use a slower, more controlled tempo for the first exercise of the superset note the 3110 tempo.
The second exercise will be more isolation based with a more explosive tempo of 2010.
We will work a different range of motion or movement pattern in the superset to ensure a
large amount of muscle fibres are targeted in the partnership.
For this phase - total sets are quite high over each day as this is a volume phase being an
accumulation block. We really want to attack you with volume before we decrease volume and drive up
intensity for intensification phases.
The key to this phase is to stick to the rest periods in between supersets. Short rest between 1 and 2
exercises, then after the second movement of the superset, use that full 150 seconds of rest to recover!
Phase 2: Intensification 1 - 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12 - Skewed Pyramid
The goal of this phase is to drive up intensity! Remember, when I’m talking intensity, I am referring to
the percentage of your 1 rep max. 4-6 reps with long rest periods will allow for greater load to be lifted
which will mean greater intensity. In phase 1, accumulation 1, we attacked volume through time under
tension. Now after 3 tough weeks, we back off the volume and push more strength/functional
hypertrophy. This phase is about lifting heavy sh*t!
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It’s important to understand with this phase is the 5th set, which is our back off set, should be brutal!
The first 4 sets of 4-6 reps we are using our usual ramping method. Adding weight each set, these sets
will help warm up our nervous system. The 5th set is 1 set of higher reps pushing time under tension a
little bit more with the goal of 10-12 reps. In this set we want to use a weight which you would normally
only get 8-10 reps for. Even though it’s our 5th set. Since we have done a lot of heavy work, this primes
the body for actually being stronger on the 5th set.
5 sets for the incline bench an example would be:
Set 1 - 6 reps - 80kg
Set 2 - 6 reps - 82.5kg
Set 3 - 6 reps - 85kg
Set 4 - 5 reps - 87.5kg
Now we do our back off set:
Set 5 - 12 reps - 70kg
In this phase on lower body days, we continue with squats on one day and then deadlifts on the other
day. I like deadlifts in intensification blocks, and rack pulls in more volume/accumulation blocks for my
male clients. Reason being I don’t like deadlifts above 6-8 reps or done in a fatigued state, so I save
them for blocks of low reps and optimal rest periods.
Then finally, you will notice in these blocks, like most intensification phases, the accessory movements
are just the basics. Dips, rows, hack squats; all of our big key lifts. This phase is about getting strong
on the basics. We also keep the 3 days of shoulders and arms, but you will see volume on the 2 upper
days outside of the shoulders/arms day is quite low. In intensification phases I still want frequency,
albeit I back off the total volume as intensity has risen. Intensity and volume should have that linear
relationship.
Phase 3: Accumulation 2 - Tempo Contrast
I am really excited for you to try this program, it’s one of my key methods to great results with clients.
This program is about finding pathways or methods they haven’t used before and attacking those. For
a strong majority of you, I am assuming tempo has never been a big factor in your training. Let alone a
tempo contrast method we will be doing here, combined with some pretty horrible rest pause methods.
This phase we are pushing volume and going to be taking you to your limits.
Now let’s go into the tempo contrast method we will be utilising for the A) series of the plan:
Reps 5 + 5 - tempo 5010 + 2010:
This equals one set! Let’s break it down. Read it carefully, then reread it over and over before you
begin this phase. It is imperative that you do this correctly.
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1 set equals 10 total reps, but in the 1 set we are combining 2 different tempos.
The first 5 reps, we are utilising very slow eccentrics - 5010 - 5 seconds to lower the
weight, then explode up.
After 5 reps with the 5010 tempo, it should feel as if you can almost do no more 5010
tempo reps.
Then you immediately continue with fast eccentric reps with a 2010 tempo for 5 more
reps which should be extremely hard!
5 reps with 5010 tempo + 5 more reps immediately following with a 2010 tempo.
Fun times!
Next, in the B) series we are really bringing the pain with my rest pause methods. However, unlike my
usual rest pause sets, which will be done on the final set only, each set is a rest pause. Again, EACH set
is a rest pause set, not just the final set.
An example of this is on upper body days:
B1) incline Smith machine bench press 3 x 8 / 5 / 3
This means in 1 set you will do 8 reps to failure, then rest for 10-15 seconds and continue with the same
weight for another 5 reps. Then rest again for another 10-15 seconds before finally performing 3 more
reps. This is 1 set!
You will then rest for 75 seconds before moving to the B2) exercise, a bent over row which also follows
the same 8 / 5 / 3 rest pause method. You perform this exactly the same as the B1) exercise (as written
above) to complete 1 set of the row. Rest 75 seconds again before going back and performing set 2 of
the incline smith machine for another rest pause set.
This phase has lots of reps and lots of sets. My advice is to add weight each set, so the final 2 sets are
really hard. Enjoy this phase, it will lead to some amazing pumps before we finish the 12 weeks with our
final strength phase.
Phase 4: Intensification 2 - Wave Load 7, 5, 3
It’s time to get strong! One of my all-time favourite methods is a wave load program with a 7, 5, 3 rep
range.
A wave load is a “post-tetanic potentiation” program, which involves exciting our nervous system and
increases strength and our muscle contractions. Thus, allowing us to use low rep ranges to get
stronger each working set.
This program is all about being able express your strength. In order to get the post-tetanic potentiation
effects of the program, the loading of the bar is crucial. Get it correct, amazing progress week to week.
F*ck it up and go to heavy and your program is basically f*cked from week 1 and ruins all 3 weeks.
Sorry, but it’s the truth.
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Understanding Waveloads
Let’s dive into what a wave load looks like with an example client:
A)
High Bar Squat - 6 x 8,6,4,8,6,4
First thing you will notice is the program has a descending rep range of 8,6,4. This is your first wave.
The first 3 sets set the second wave of 8,6,4 up for success! The first 3 sets are CRUCIAL to the
success of the second wave.
When talking rep ranges, reps 1-5 are what we call neurological rep ranges. These low reps are all
about strength development which comes from your central nervous system’s ability to recruit and fire
motor units. Motor units signal to a muscle to contract. The better we are at this, the stronger we will
be.
Those rep ranges - neurological training of 1-5 - are where the more CNS excitement takes place. The
greater the load on the bar, the greater chance of excitement. But with the greater the rep range, also
comes the greater fatigue which can affect the excitement, which is why it’s a delicate balance of
excitement versus fatigue.
The second set, 5 reps, will touch on neurological training, but it’s the 3-rep set on set 3 that will really
have the greatest affects. This low rep range will lead too that post-tetanic potentiation effect which
results in being stronger for that second wave - the next 8,6,4 following that initial 3.
Due to the load being so high, and rep ranges so low, we can instead favour the excitement effect over
the fatigue effect. This allows for us to show off our strength in the second wave.
Think of the first wave as your primer sets for the second wave.
Load selection is key! We want to estimate our 3-rep max for the high bar - let’s say its 100kg.
Since its week 1, we don’t want to be hitting 100kg straight away. We want to be hitting that week 2
and then in week 3 we beat our max! So, let’s give an example of how I would load the bar then for this
client:
Week 1
Set 1 - 8 reps - 70kg
Set 2 - 6 reps - 80kg
Set 3 - 4 reps - 90kg
Set 4 - 8 reps - 75kg
Set 5 - 6 reps - 85kg
Set 6 - 4 reps - 95kg
As you can see, following set 3, we have hit a heavy 3 reps of 90kg. Now we have excited the nervous
system which will lead to the second wave being stronger. We do small increases of 5kg on each of
wave 1’s numbers.
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Now week 2, the key is beginning on waves 2’s numbers from week 1:
Set 1 - 8 reps - 75kg
Set 2 - 6 reps - 85kg
Set 3 - 4 reps - 95kg
Set 4 - 8 reps - 80kg
Set 5 - 6 reps - 90kg
Set 6 - 4 reps - 100kg
Now that we hit our 3-rep max in the final set of wave 2, week 2, we again use the post-tetanic
facilitation effect for a stronger wave 2.
Week 3, the final week is time to hit a personal best. Again, we start with the second performed wave
of week 2 for this week’s wave 1.
Set 1 - 8 reps - 80kg
Set 2 - 6 reps - 90kg
Set 3 - 4 reps - 100kg
Set 4 - 8 reps - 85kg
Set 5 - 6 reps - 95kg
Set 6 - 4 reps - 105kg (Personal Best)
This is how you successfully wave load and make the most of using the nervous system for us, and not
against us with excessive fatigue accumulation.
This intensification 2 program is very much built around the wave loads. Not many exercises, just a
huge focus on getting strong as f*ck on the basics.
Big compound lifts on upper days with a huge emphasis on pull ups as we target 3 pull up days in this
program with 3 different grip positions. After 12 weeks I can guarantee your pull ups will be the
strongest they have ever been following this program with a back to match.
Then, on lower body days, total sets are quite low. Our focus really centers on getting strong on the
squat and deadlift, with a little bit of accessory movements for added volume.
I am excited for your physique at the end of these 12 weeks! If you chose to cut, I am sure you will be
your leanest, yet also strongest version of yourself. Then for those who chose to build, I think you have
successfully spent the last 12 weeks laying the foundation for your future physique.
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Understanding how to read a program
Supersets / partnerships
This program is based around supersets, which involves partnering two or more exercises together.
This creates a more metabolic demand and allows for more blood flow to be pushed throughout the
entire body when performing upper body and lower body supersets.
You will see the rest period after A1 may say 60 seconds and then the rest period after A2 is also 60
seconds. This means you do, for example:
A1: Front foot elevated split squat for 10-12 reps, then rest for 60 seconds before doing;
A2: Supinated mid-grip lat pulldown for 10-12 reps then resting for 60 seconds.
This is one superset. You repeat this for the amount of sets specified. If the rest period in A1 says 10
seconds, that means you only rest for 10 seconds before doing A2.
Tempo
Tempo refers to the time under tension you lift each repetition with. Each number on the tempo
layout also refers to a different component of the lift. A good example would be a 4010 tempo on a
low bar barbell squat.
Now in terms of how you would interpret that, let me simplify:
4 – The first number always refers to the eccentric (lowering) component of the movement. So,
you would take 4 seconds to lower the weight for each repetition.
0 – The second number refers to the bottom position of the movement, which in most cases is
the part of the movement where the exercise is the hardest. A 0 would mean that there is no
pause or hold at the bottom of the squat.
1 – The third number refers to the concentric part of the moment (Lifting) which is generally
when you are lifting the weight back up to the starting position. This would be on your way up
from the bottom of the movement.
0 – The fourth and final number refers to the top position of the movement, which in most cases
is the beginning or easiest part of the lift. This would be when you are standing in a dead stop
position.
Do not sacrifice weight over technique. Technique is everything.
The rep range AND the tempo is what decides the weight you should be lifting.
Weight selection
A common question I am asked when it comes to executing programs is “How much should I lift?”. Often people expect me, over Instagram, to give them exact numbers of what they should be using for an
exercise. People I have never met and do not know. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy as everyone is
different. What I like to do is use a ‘ramping’ method. This involves adding weight each set of an
exercise.
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For example, the first exercise of the program is a low bar squat, 4 sets of 10 reps. Now what we don’t
want to do is do your absolute max weight in set 1 for 10 reps. That leaves you nowhere to improve into
the program. Each training block is 3 weeks and the goal is to finish the 3rd week on the most weight
you can lift for an exercise.
The A) series lifts such as squats and deadlifts are what we primarily periodise over the course of the
12 weeks. We then have a variety of accessory variations throughout the additional series/exercises on
each day. The heavy a) series exercises are important to have more of a strategic plan around and not
crush yourself in week 1 as this will inevitably lead to lack of progression over the 3 weeks.
We will get to how to load the bar each set, but it’s important to understand the RPE scale first. This is
what I like to gauge how hard to work my clients from week to week.
Understanding RPE
RPE refers to rate of perceived exhaustion or simply a scale of 1-10 of how hard you worked for that set.
A 3-5 out of 10 level of effort will not signal hypertrophy gains. Yes, you are lifting weights and acquiring
training volume, however research has shown we need to be ideally taking sets ideally within 5 reps
of failures, but as I said earlier, we do not want to be going to a level 10 each set as this will cap our
potential of improving.
The way I suggest ramping the weight is using the RPE scale, like this:
Set 1 – RPE 7
Set 2 – RPE 7.5
Set 3 – RPE 8
Set 4 – RPE 8.5
For a high bar squat set of 10 reps, with their max being 130kg, an example of adding weight each set
may look like this:
Set 1 – 100kg
Set 2 – 107.5kg
Set 3 – 115kg
Set 4 – 122.5kg
Which will look like this:
Set 1 – 107.5kg
Set 2 – 115kg
Set 3 – 122.5 kg
Set 4 – 130kg
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As you can see, from the first to the second week, all the weight has been lifted for each set. We want
to finish set 4 on a higher weight than we did the previous week.
Now let’s do week 3 which is the final week of the training block:
Set 1 – RPE 8
Set 2 – RPE 8.5
Set 3 – RPE 9
Set 4 – RPE 9.5
Which will look like this, weight wise:
Set 1 – 115kg
Set 2 – 122.5kg
Set 3 – 130kg
Set 4 – 137.5kg
As you can see, the original number was 130kg for 10 the clients max was. Now, after a careful and
strategic plan to loading the bar, we have the surpassed that number in week 3!
Additional Series & Exercises
The above RPE scale is primarily focused on the A) series work - our big compound lifts. For the B)
series I recommend as well, adding weight to the bar with the final set of each week being an all-out
effort. Then the final exercise on lower body days will always be higher rep and more metabolic work.
This is safe to consistently push to failure, so rather than ramping the weight each set, for the C) series
work, simply start with a weight which is hard, and you just hit the rep goal. Maintain the weight for
each set and try to get as close to the rep goal as possible. There will be a natural decline in total reps
each set, but this is fine.
Let’s overview:
A Series work - this is what we primarily periodise and what our strength goals are focused on.
We don’t go all out on this until the final week when we try to surpass our max for that tempo
and rep range. This needs to be strategic as we want weekly progression here.
B Series work - These should be pushed quite hard but again, we use the ramping method of
adding weight to each set. We will also frequently use the intensifiers – rest pause and drop
sets here. Add weight each set and have the last set be HARD, plus the intensifier to finish.
C Series work - This is the finisher of the weights component of the day. Simply go straight into
a hard weight. We want to lift a weight which is hard for all sets and ideally maintain this weight.
The next week, start on a heavier weight again and then maintain for all sets. This is where we
go for the “pump”. These should hurt!
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Advanced Techniques
In my program, you will notice I like to always start with a heavy compound exercise, then have the
reps ascend as we go. Through this the time under tension will rise. You will also notice I use terms
such as drop sets and rest pause. These are advanced techniques I use throughout all my client’s
programs as a way of increasing training volume through time under tension. Then also just by
delivering an amazing pump, it leaves the client feeling amazing.
Rest Pause
Let’s use a leg press for an example:
It’s important to state though when doing these sets, the first part of the rest pause
or drop set (the initial first round of reps) MUST be to failure.
We have 4 sets of 12 to do. Our last set we use the max weight we can get for 12 reps and perform the
exercise to failure. We then rack the weight and rest for 15 seconds, then un-rack the weight and go
again for as many reps to failure as possible (usually about 30% less than first go). After this we rack
the weight again and rest for another 15 seconds. Then finally, we go again until all out failure probably
again.
The weight stays the same as this is NOT a drop set.
So, in summary:
Go failure on your last set
Rest 15 seconds
Keep the weight and go to failure again
Rest 15 seconds
Keep the weight and go until failure for the final time
This is a rest pause x 2!
Drop Set
A drop set is exactly what it says it is, a drop in the weight during the set. Again, for an example, let’s
use the leg press:
It’s important to state though when doing these sets, the first part of the rest pause
or drop set (the initial first round of reps) MUST be to failure.
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We have 4 sets of 12 to do. Our last set we use the max weight we can get for 12 reps and perform the
exercise to failure. You then have a partner or yourself drop 20% of the weight and then perform the
exercise again immediately. This is drop set x 1. If it’s a drop set x 2, which some are, we then drop a
further 20% of weight off and go again. Each time we go to failure!
Please remember these should be HARD. If you at the end of one of these are not hurting, it wasn’t the
right weight. Also remember, this is for the last set only and only on exercises it is listed on.
Advanced Techniques
In my program, you will notice I like to always start with a heavy compound exercise, then have the
reps ascend as we go. Through this the time under tension will rise. You will also notice I use terms
such as drop sets and rest pause. These are advanced techniques I use throughout all my client’s
programs as a way of increasing training volume through time under tension. Then also just by
delivering an amazing pump, it leaves the client feeling amazing.
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16
CARDIO
In my previous ‘The Art of ‘Gen Pop’ Transformations’ guide, I preferred to go with a LISS method over
HIIT. The reason I went with lower intensity, but longer duration was for a simple reason – ‘gen pop’ clients tend to be very stressed out. HIIT can jack up stress hormones a lot and effect recovery. However,
with this guide, I will be coaching many more advanced men therefore, my methods change are more
use of intervals.
Intervals are a much more time efficient way to generate fat loss. For me, I’m busy, I don’t have time to
waste, so let’s get cardio done quickly. I suggest using a stepper, cross trainer or exercise bike for the
intervals, not the treadmill unless you really enjoy running!
Note - Please do this 2 x a week ideally on non-resistance training days
Weeks 1-3: 20 minutes - 60 seconds hard, 60 seconds slow and easy
Weeks 4-6: 25 minutes - 30 seconds hard, 90 seconds easy
Weeks 7-9: 30 minutes - 45 seconds hard, 75 seconds easy
Weeks 10-12: 20 minutes - 20 seconds hard + 100 seconds easy + after the 20 minutes have
a complete 5-minute rest off the machine.
Then come back to a machine and do steady state for another 20 minutes.
So, 20 minutes of intervals, then 5-minute total rest, then 20 minutes of steady
state cardio with your heart rate at 65% of max heart rate.
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17
STEPS
Steps are an artificial form of measuring NEAT levels. True NEAT is however not something we can
periodise. With steps that we are programming, that takes away from the non-exercise part of NEAT.
However, steps are still an incredible tool I use to keep a client’s ‘out’ component of their energy
balance as consistent as we possibly can.
I also still like to use steps for clients who are utilising the ‘build’ nutritional overview as movement in
general is life. I want my clients moving and using their bodies however, the movement just is not as
much.
BUILD - I suggest daily steps of a minimum 8,000 and a maximum of 10,000. We don’t want to overdo
the movement as this will negatively impact the increase calories we are trying to consume to build the
new muscle mass.
CUT - Just as I did with my ‘The Art of ‘Gen Pop’ Transformations’ guidebook, I like to periodise NEAT
levels here for the 12 weeks. This is an overview of how I would periodise steps for one of my physique
clients:
Weeks 1-3: 10,000 steps
Weeks 4-6: 12,000 steps
Weeks 7-9: 14,000 steps
Weeks 10-12: 16,000 steps
Yes, that reaches quite a lot of steps however, I prefer my clients getting greater calories burnt from
less stressful means of calorie expenditure majority of the time. Simply moving more is a very simple
and effective way to burn more cals and lose more body fat.
Cardio and steps if you’re building
If you choose to spend the 12 weeks in a calorie surplus building, my suggestion is to back off the
cardio. Cardio is simply going to increase calorie expenditure which is the exact opposite effect we are
after from increasing our calorie intake. Therefore, for ‘Build’ there no cardio as it is very much
counterproductive for our building goal.
Then what about steps? For steps, I recommend decreasing steps down to the 8,000 mark daily. Yes,
some of you, especially PT’s or those with active jobs will go well over this mark which is fine. But for
those who are in control of their daily steps, moving less can be a positive way to help promote
muscle building as again, we are burning less calories and can prioritise that calorie surplus. We still
want some movement for overall health, which is why the 8-10k mark I think is an optimal balance of
health and also muscle building.
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TRAINING TEMPLATES
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WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Phase 1: Accumulation 1
Program: Post Exhaustion Method
Coach: Mark Carroll
Day
Workout
Steps
Monday
Chest and Back 1
10,000
Tuesday
Lower 1
10,000
Wednesday
Shoulder and Arms
10,000
Thursday
10,000
Friday
Lower 2
10,000
Saturday
Chest and Back 2
10,000
Sunday
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PROGRAM: POST EXHAUSTION METHOD
Phase 1: Accumulation 1
Monday: Chest and Back
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) 30* Incline DB Press - pronated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
8
10
3110
2
5
8
10
3110
3
5
8
10
3110
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Flat DB Flyes
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
B1) Neutral Grip Pull Ups
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
6
10
3010
2
5
6
10
3010
3
5
6
10
3010
B2) Bent Over BB Row - Pronated Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
*Lying on a flat bench
C1) EZ Bar Triceps Extensions - Flat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2210
2
3
10-12
45
2210
3
3
10-12
45
2210
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C2) EZ Bar BB Curl - Supinated Mid Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
3010
2
3
10-12
45
3010
3
3
10-12
45
3010
C2) EZ Bar BB Curl - Supinated Mid Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10-12
60
2010
2
4
10-12
60
2010
3
4
10-12
60
2010
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D) Standing DB Lateral Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10-12
60
2010
2
4
10-12
60
2010
3
4
10-12
60
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
E1) Decline Bench Crunch
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
12-15
10
2
4
12-15
10
3
4
12-15
10
E2) Plank Hold
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
45 secs
60
2
4
45 secs
60
3
4
45 secs
60
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PROGRAM: POST EXHAUSTION METHOD
Phase 1: Accumulation 1
Tuesday: Lower 1
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) High Bar Squats - Heels Elevated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
8
10
4010
2
5
8
10
4010
3
5
8
10
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Leg Extensions
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
B1) BB Romanian Deadlifts
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
8
10
4010
2
5
8
10
4010
3
5
8
10
4010
B2) Lying Leg Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
C) Leg Press - duck stance
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
20
45
2010
2
3
20
45
2010
3
3
20
45
2010
D) Seated Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
20
60
2010
2
4
20
60
2010
3
4
20
60
2010
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PROGRAM: POST EXHAUSTION METHOD
Phase 1: Accumulation 1
Wednesday: Shoulders and Arms
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Seated DB Arnold Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
8
10
3110
2
4
8
10
3110
3
4
8
10
3110
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) 65º Prone Lateral Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
15
150
2010
2
4
15
150
2010
3
4
15
150
2010
B1) Smith Machine Shoulder Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
8
10
3010
2
4
8
10
3010
3
4
8
10
3010
B2) 30º Prone DB Lateral Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
15
120
2010
2
4
15
120
2010
3
4
15
120
2010
C1) Dips - Head Forward Triceps Emphasis
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
10
2210
2
3
8-10
10
2210
3
3
8-10
10
2210
*Lying on a flat bench
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C2) 65* Incline Zottman DB Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
60
3010
2
3
8-10
60
3010
3
3
8-10
60
3010
D1) Straight Bar Cable Push down
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15
10
2010
2
3
15
10
2010
3
3
15
10
2010
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D2) Straight Bar Cable Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15
60
2010
2
3
15
60
2010
3
3
15
60
2010
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
E1) Hanging Leg Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
10-12
10
2
4
10-12
10
3
4
10-12
10
*30 secs on each side
E2) Side Plank Hold
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
30 secs
60
2
4
30 secs
60
3
4
30 secs
60
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Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
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PROGRAM: POST EXHAUSTION METHOD
Phase 1: Accumulation 1
Friday: Posterior Chain
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Rack Pulls Below the Knee
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
8-10
10
2210
2
5
8-10
10
2210
3
5
8-10
10
2210
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Plantarflexed
A2) Lying Leg Curl - Toes up
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
B1) DB Front Foot Elevated Split Squat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
8-10
10
2110
2
5
8-10
10
2110
3
5
8-10
10
2110
B2) Leg Press - Feet Middle
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
C) 45º Back Extensions - DB on chest
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
20
60
2010
2
3
20
60
2010
3
3
20
60
2010
D) Standing Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
20
60
2010
2
4
20
60
2010
3
4
20
60
2010
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PROGRAM: POST EXHAUSTION METHOD
Phase 1: Accumulation 1
Satursday: Chest and Back 2
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Wide Pronated Pull Ups
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
6
10
3010
2
5
6
10
3010
3
5
6
10
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Seated Row Neutral Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
B1) Flat DB Bench Press - Neutral
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
8
10
3110
2
5
8
10
3110
3
5
8
10
3110
B2) 30* Incline DB Flyes - pronated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
15
150
2010
2
5
15
150
2010
3
5
15
150
2010
C1) DB Triceps Extensions - flat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
45
2110
2
3
8-10
45
2110
3
3
8-10
45
2110
C2) Standing DB Curl - alternating - supinated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
45
3010
2
3
8-10
45
3010
3
3
8-10
45
3010
D) Seated Rope Pull to Neck
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10-12
60
2010
2
4
10-12
60
2010
3
4
10-12
60
2010
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E1) Hanging Leg Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
10-12
10
2
4
10-12
10
3
4
10-12
10
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
E2) Rope Crunch
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
15,12,10,8
60
2
4
15,12,10,8
60
3
4
15,12,10,8
60
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WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Phase 2: Intensification 1
Program: 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12
Coach: Mark Carroll
Day
Workout
Steps
Monday
Upper 1
10,000
Tuesday
Lower 1
10,000
Wednesday
10,000
Thursday
Upper 2
10,000
Friday
Lower 2
10,000
Saturday
Shoulders and Arms
10,000
Sunday
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
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PROGRAM: 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12
Phase 2: Intensification 1
Monday: Upper 1
Coach: Mark Carroll
* Back off set
A1) BB Incline Bench Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Weighted for 3-5 + bodyweight for max reps
A2) Supinated Pull Up
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
Max
90
3010
2
4+1
Max
90
3010
3
4+1
Max
90
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Last set - drop set - drop weight and max out body weight reps
B1) Dip - Triceps Emphasis
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
75
3110
2
3
6-8
75
3110
3
3
6-8
75
3110
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Last set - drop set x 1 - drop 20% weight and continue to failure
B2) Bent Over BB Row
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
75
2010
2
3
6-8
75
2010
3
3
6-8
75
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C1) Rope Triceps Pushdowns
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
10
2010
2
3
12
10
2010
3
3
12
10
2010
C2) Rope Hammer Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
60
2010
2
3
12
60
2010
3
3
12
60
2010
D) Machine Shoulder Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
45
2010
2
3
12
45
2010
3
3
12
45
2010
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E1) Rope Crunch
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
15,12,10,8
45
2
4
15,12,10,8
45
3
4
15,12,10,8
45
3
4
15,12,10,8
45
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
E2) Lying Leg Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
10
60
2
4
10
60
3
4
10
60
3
4
10
60
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PROGRAM: 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12
Phase 2: Intensification 1
Tuesday: Quads
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) High Bar Squats - Heels Elevated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
4010
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
4010
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Standing One Leg Curl - toe neutral
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
4010
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
4010
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
4010
B1) DB Back Foot Elevated Split Squat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
60
2210
2
4
6-8
60
2210
3
4
6-8
60
2210
B2) BB Paused Romanian Deadlift
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
60
2210
2
4
6-8
60
2210
3
4
6-8
60
2210
*Last set rest pause x 2
C) Leg Extensions
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15
45
2010
2
3
15
45
2010
3
3
15
45
2010
Set 2
*2 sec pause at top
D) Seated Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10
60
2010
2
4
10
60
2010
3
4
10
60
2010
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
Set 1
|
Set 1
Set 2
Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
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PROGRAM: 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12
Phase 2: Intensification 1
Thursday: Upper 2
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Flat BB Bench Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Weighted for 3-5 + bodyweight for max reps
A2) Pull Ups - Wide Pronated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
3-5 + MAX
90
3010
2
4+1
3-5 + MAX
90
3010
3
4+1
3-5 + MAX
90
3010
Set 1
B1) 45* Incline DB Bench Press - 1 & 1/4 reps - Neutral
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
75
3010
2
3
6-8
75
3010
3
3
6-8
75
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Last set drop set - drop 20%
Set 2
Set 3
Last set drop set - drop 20%
B2) One Arm DB Row - Neutral
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
75
2110
2
3
6-8
75
2110
3
3
6-8
75
2110
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C1) 65* Prone Lateral Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
10
2010
2
3
10-12
10
2010
3
3
10-12
10
2010
C2) Seated Rope Pull to neck
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
60
2011
2
3
10-12
60
2011
3
3
10-12
60
2011
D1) Barbell Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
2
10-12
10
2010
2
2
10-12
10
2010
3
2
10-12
10
2010
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D2) 15* DB Triceps Extensions
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
2
10-12
60
2010
2
2
10-12
60
2010
3
2
10-12
60
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Tempo
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
E1) Hanging Leg Raises/Toes to bar
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
4
6-8
30
2
4
6-8
30
3
4
6-8
30
3
4
6-8
30
E2) Toe Crunch
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
1
3
12-16
60
2
3
12-16
60
3
3
12-16
60
3
3
12-16
60
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PROGRAM: 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12
Phase 2: Intensification 1
Friday: Quads
Coach: Mark Carroll
Final set is tap and go 2010 tempo
A1) Deadlifts or Trap Bar Dedlifts
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
2210
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
2210
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
2210
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) DB Front foot Elevated Split Squat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
3110
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
3110
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
100
3110
Last set - drop set - drop 20% and do normal reps to failure
B1) Lying Leg Curls 1 & 1/4 reps bottom
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
90
4010
2
4
6-8
90
4010
3
4
6-8
90
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Last set drop set x 1 - drop 20%
B2) Hack Squat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
90
3010
2
4
6-8
90
3010
3
4
6-8
90
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C) Peterson Leg Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15
60
2010
2
3
15
60
2010
3
3
15
60
2010
D) Seated Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
20
60
2010
2
4
20
60
2010
3
4
20
60
2010
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PROGRAM: 4 x 4-6 + 1 x 10-12
Phase 2: Intensification 1
Saturday: Shoulders Arms
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Seated BB Overhead Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) 45* Incline DB Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
2
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
3
4+1
4-6 + 10-12
90
4010
B1) 65* Arnold DB Press - 1 & 1/4 reps Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
60
3010
2
3
6-8
60
3010
3
3
6-8
60
3010
Last set - rest pause x 1
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Last set - rest pause x 1
B2) EZ Bar Reverse Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
60
3010
2
3
8-10
60
3010
3
3
8-10
60
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Last set drop set x 1
C1) 45* Prone Y Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
60
3010
2
3
10-12
60
3010
3
3
10-12
60
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C2) EZ Bar Skull Crushers 1 & 1/4 reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
60
3010
2
3
8-10
60
3010
3
3
8-10
60
3010
D1) Tricep Pushdowns - cross overs
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2011
2
3
10-12
45
2011
3
3
10-12
45
2011
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D2) Machine Preacher curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2010
2
3
10-12
45
2010
3
3
10-12
45
2010
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
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WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Phase 3: Acumulation 2
Program: Tempo Contrast
Coach: Mark Carroll
Day
Workout
Steps
Monday
Upper 1
10,000
Tuesday
Lower 1
10,000
Wednesday
10,000
Thursday
Upper 2
10,000
Friday
Lower 2
10,000
Saturday
Shoulders and Arms
10,000
Sunday
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
10,000
Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
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PROGRAM: TEMPO CONTRAST
Phase 3: Acumulation 2
Monday: Chest/ Back 1
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Flat DB Bench Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
2
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
3
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
4
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Lat Pulldown - Neutral Mid Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
2
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
3
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
4
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
B1) 30º Incline Smith Machine Bench Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8+5+3
75
3110
2
3
8+5+3
75
3110
3
3
8+5+3
75
3110
4
3
8+5+3
75
3110
*Rest pause method: 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Rest pause method: 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
B2) Bent Over BB Row
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8+5+3
75
3010
2
3
8+5+3
75
3010
3
3
8+5+3
75
3010
4
3
8+5+3
75
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C1) Cable Flyes - High Pulley
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15,12,10
45
2010
2
3
15,12,10
45
2010
3
3
15,12,10
45
2010
4
3
15,12,10
45
2010
C2) Straight Arm Rope Pulldowns
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15,12,10
45
2010
2
3
15,12,10
45
2010
3
3
15,12,10
45
2010
4
3
15,12,10
45
2010
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D1) V Bar Cable Pushdowns
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
20
10
2010
2
3
20
10
2010
3
3
20
10
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
D2) Semi Supinated Cable Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15
10
2010
2
3
15
10
2010
3
3
15
10
2010
E) Decline Reverse Crunches
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10-12
30
2010
2
4
10-12
30
2010
3
4
10-12
30
2010
F) Rope Crunches
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
20
30
2010
2
3
20
30
2010
3
3
20
30
2010
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PROGRAM: TEMPO CONTRAST
Phase 3: Accumulation 2
Tuesday: Lower 1
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) High Bar Squat - Heels Elevated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
2
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
3
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
4
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Lying Leg Curl - Toes Up & Out
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
2
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
3
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
4
5
4+4
90
5010 + 2010
* Rest pause method: 10 reps - rest 10 seconds - 7 reps - rest 10 - 5 reps
B1) Leg Press - Feet Middle
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
2
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
3
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Rest pause method: 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
B2) Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8+ 5 + 3
75
3010
2
3
8+ 5 + 3
75
3010
3
3
8+ 5 + 3
75
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
* ¼ rep at the top
C) Leg Extensions 1 & ¼ Reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
45
2010
2
3
12
45
2010
3
3
12
45
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
D) Calf Raises on Leg Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
30,20,15,30
60
2010
2
4
30,20,15,30
60
2010
3
4
30,20,15,30
60
2010
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PROGRAM: TEMPO CONTRAST
Phase 3: Acumulation 2
Thursday: Chest/ Back 2
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) 30º Incline DB Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
2
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
3
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
4
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Lat Pulldown - Pronated Wide Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
2
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
3
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
4
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
*Rest pause method Notes - 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
B1) Smith Machine Bench Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8+5+3
75
3110
2
3
8+5+3
75
3110
3
3
8+5+3
75
3110
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Rest pause method Notes - 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
B2) Seated Row - Neutral Mid Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
2
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
3
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C1) Decline DB Flyes
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15,12,10
45
2010
2
3
15,12,10
45
2010
3
3
15,12,10
45
2010
C2) Seated Rope Pull to neck
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15,12,10
45
2010
2
3
15,12,10
45
2010
3
3
15,12,10
45
2010
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D1) Preacher Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
45
3010
2
3
8-10
45
3010
3
3
8-10
45
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
D2) One Arm Overhead DB Extensions
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15
45
2010
2
3
15
45
2010
3
3
15
45
2010
E1) Rope Crunches
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
8-10
30
2010
2
4
8-10
30
2010
3
4
8-10
30
2010
E2) Moving Plank
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
30 Secs
30
2010
2
4
30 Secs
30
2010
3
4
30 Secs
30
2010
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PROGRAM: TEMPO CONTRAST
Phase 3: Accumulation 2
Friday: Lower 2
Coach: Mark Carroll
*Paused dead stop reps into tap and go reps
A1) Rack Pulls - below the knee
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
100
3210 + 2010
2
5
5+5
100
3210 + 2010
3
5
5+5
100
3210 + 2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Paused dead stop reps into tap and go reps
A2) Bulgarian DB Split Squat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
90
3210 + 2010
2
5
5+5
90
3210 + 2010
3
5
5+5
90
3210 + 2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Rest pause method: 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
B1) Lying Leg Curls - Toes Neutral
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8+5+3
75
3010
2
3
8+5+3
75
3010
3
3
8+5+3
75
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Rest pause method: 10 reps - rest 10 seconds - 7 reps - rest 10 - 5 reps
B2) Hack Squat
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
2
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
3
3
10 + 7 + 5
75
3010
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
* ¼ rep at the top
C) Leg Press - 1 & ¼ Reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
75
2010
2
3
12
75
2010
3
3
12
75
2010
Set 1
Set 2
* Dropsets, drop by 20% each time
D) Standing Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12,10,8
60
2010
2
3
12,10,8
60
2010
3
3
12,10,8
60
2010
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
Set 1
|
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
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PROGRAM: TEMPO CONTRAST
Phase 3: Acumulation 2
Saturday: Shoulders
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Seated BB Overhead Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
2
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
3
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
4
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) 45º Incline Zottman Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
2
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
3
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
4
5
5+5
75
5010 + 2010
*Rest pause method: 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3
B1) BB Upright Rows
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
8+5+3
75
2011
2
4
8+5+3
75
2011
3
4
8+5+3
75
2011
4
4
8+5+3
75
2011
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Rest pause method: 8 reps - rest 10 seconds - 5 reps - rest 10 - 3 reps
B2) BB Bicep Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
8+5+3
75
2010
2
4
8+5+3
75
2010
3
4
8+5+3
75
2010
4
4
8+5+3
75
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C1) Dips - body weight
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
Max
45
3010
2
3
Max
45
3010
3
3
Max
45
3010
4
3
Max
45
3010
C2) Standing Face Pull
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
15,12,10
45
2010
2
3
15,12,10
45
2010
3
3
15,12,10
45
2010
4
3
15,12,10
45
2010
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D1) Low Pulley Overhead Rope Extensions
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
2
15
10
2010
2
2
15
10
2010
3
2
15
10
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
D2) Machine Preacher Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
2
15
60
2010
2
2
15
60
2010
3
2
15
60
2010
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WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Phase 4: Intensification 2
Program: 8,6,4 Waveload
Coach: Mark Carroll
Day
Workout
Steps
Monday
Upper 1
10,000
Tuesday
Quads
10,000
Wednesday
Upper 2
10,000
Thursday
10,000
Friday
Posterior Chain
10,000
Saturday
Shoulders and Arms
10,000
Sunday
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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10,000
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PROGRAM: WAVE LOAD 8,6,4
Phase 4: Intensification 2
Monday: Upper 1
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Standing BB Overhead Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
2
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
3
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Pull Ups Wide Pronated
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
5,5,3,3,2,2
120
3010
2
6
5,5,3,3,2,2
120
3010
3
6
5,5,3,3,2,2
120
3010
*Last set drop set x 1
B1) 15º DB Bench Press - neutral grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6
90
2210
2
3
6
90
2210
3
3
6
90
2210
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
*Last set rest drop set x 2
B2) Neutral Grip Row
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
90
2010
2
3
8-10
90
2010
3
3
8-10
90
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C1) Leaning one Arm DB Lateral Raise
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2010
2
3
10-12
45
2010
3
3
10-12
45
2010
*Last set drop set x 1
C2) Supinated Pull down
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2010
2
3
10-12
45
2010
3
3
10-12
45
2010
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
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PROGRAM: WAVE LOAD 8,6,4
Phase 4: Intensification 2
Tuesday: Quads
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) High Bar Squats
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
2
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
3
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Kneeling One Leg Hamstring Curl
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
2
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
3
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
B1) Hack Squat 1 & ¼ reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
90
4010
2
4
6-8
90
4010
3
4
6-8
90
4010
*Use straps for grip
B2) Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlifts
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
90
3010
2
4
6-8
90
3010
3
4
6-8
90
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C) Seated Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10
60
2111
2
4
10
60
2111
3
4
10
60
2111
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PROGRAM: WAVE LOAD 8,6,4
Phase 4: Intensification 2
Wednesday: Upper 2
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Flat BB Bench Press
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
2
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
3
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
4
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Pull Ups Neutral Grip
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
3-5
120
2012
2
6
3-5
120
2012
3
6
3-5
120
2012
4
6
3-5
120
2012
* ¼ reps at bottom
B1) Dips - Chest Emphasis - 1 & ¼ Reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
90
3010
2
3
6-8
90
3010
3
3
6-8
90
3010
4
3
6-8
90
3010
Set 2
*Last set drop set x 1
B2) One Arm T-Bar Row
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
90
2010
2
3
6-8
90
2010
3
3
6-8
90
2010
4
3
6-8
90
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
*Last set drop set x 1 into normal full reps
C1) Pec Deck 1 & ¼ Reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2010
2
3
10-12
45
2010
3
3
10-12
45
2010
4
3
10-12
45
2010
C2) Seated Rope Pull to Neck 1 & ¼ Reps
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
10-12
45
2010
2
3
10-12
45
2010
3
3
10-12
45
2010
4
3
10-12
45
2010
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
Set 1
|
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*Last set drop set x 1 into normal full reps
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
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PROGRAM: WAVE LOAD 8,6,4
Phase 4: Intensification 2
Friday: Posterior Chain
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) Deadlifts or Trap Bar Deadlifts
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
22X0
2
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
22X0
3
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
22X0
4
6
8,6,4,8,6,4
120
22X0
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Front Foot Elevated DB Split Squats 1 & 1/4
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
6
5-7
120
3010
2
6
5-7
120
3010
3
6
5-7
120
3010
4
6
5-7
120
3010
*Toes up concentric - toes down eccentric
B1) Lying Leg curls - Poliquin Toes
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6-8
90
4010
2
4
6-8
90
4010
3
4
6-8
90
4010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
*10 reps feet low and narrow + 10 reps high and wide
B2) Leg Press: 10 + 10 method
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10+10
90
3010
2
4
10+10
90
3010
3
4
10+10
90
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
C) Seated Calf Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
20
60
2010
2
4
20
60
2010
3
4
20
60
2010
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PROGRAM: WAVE LOAD 8,6,4
Phase 4: Intensification 2
Saturday: Shoulders and Arms
Coach: Mark Carroll
A1) 65º DB Shoulder Press - Neutral Grip Paused
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6
120
3210
2
4
6
120
3210
3
4
6
120
3210
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
A2) Supinated Pull Ups
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
6
120
3010
2
4
6
120
3010
3
4
6
120
3010
B1) 45º Y Raises - Paused
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10
10
2012
2
4
10
10
2012
3
4
10
10
2012
B2) 45* Prone DB Lateral Raies
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
10-12
120
2010
2
4
10-12
120
2010
3
4
10-12
120
2010
*Last set - drop set x 1
C1) BB Curls
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
6-8
60
3010
2
3
6-8
60
3010
3
3
6-8
60
3010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
*Last set rest pause x 1
C2) BB Skull Crushers
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
8-10
60
3110
2
3
8-10
60
3110
3
3
8-10
60
3110
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
D1) Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
30
2010
2
3
12
30
2010
3
3
12
30
2010
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D2) Cable Curls
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
3
12
30
2010
2
3
12
30
2010
3
3
12
30
2010
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
E1) Hanging Leg Raises
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
12-15
30
2010
2
4
12-15
30
2010
3
4
12-15
30
2010
E2) Side Plank
Week
Sets
Reps
Rest
Tempo
1
4
30 secs
45
2010
2
4
30 secs
45
2010
3
4
30 secs
45
2010
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BY
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BY
19
FURTHER READING
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The Art of Reverse Dieting is your plan after the plan ends. It is a 12-week program is designed for
you to customise your own nutritional program and follow to set you free from dieting. You cannot live
in a calorie deficit; it is not the way the human body is intended to be. I want you to experience health,
I want you to experience happiness, once you achieve your ultimate body from your transformation, I
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If you really want to step it up a notch and take your physique or understanding of fitness and health
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EXERCISE GLOSSARY
POWERED
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BY
20
EXERCISE GLOSSARY
15º DB Bench Press - neutral grip
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Elbows at 45⁰ to torso
When Lowering, Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
Drive Heels Into Ground
15º DB Triceps Extensions
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Keep upper arm still
Bend From Elbow
Lower DB To Forehead
30º Incline DB Press - Neutral
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Elbows at 45⁰ to torso
When Lowering, Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
Drive Heels Into Ground
30º Incline DB Press - Pronated
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Elbows at 45⁰ to torso
When Lowering, Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
Drive Heels Into Ground
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POWERED BY
30º Incline Smith Machine Bench Press
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Elbows at 45⁰ to torso
When Lowering, Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
Drive Heels Into Ground
45º Incline DB Bench Press - 1 & 1/4 reps Neutral Grip
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Elbows at 45⁰ to torso
When Lowering, Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
Drive Heels Into Ground
45º Prone DB Lateral Raises
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Lying Chest Into Bench
Take Db Out To Side And Slightly In Front
Turn Db Down At Top Of Movement
45º Prone Y Raises
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Lying Into Bench
Db Pronated
Raise In A Y Motion Up
45º Incline Zottman Curl
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Perform Curl With Supinated Grip
At Top, Rotate To Pronated
Slowly Lower
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
45º Y Raises - Paused
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Lying Into Bench
DB Pronated
Raise In A Y Motion Up
65º Arnold DB Press - 1 & 1/4 reps
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Begin With DB Supinated
When Pressing Up, Rotate DB To Pronated
Lower Back To Supinated
65º Prone Lateral Raises
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Lying Chest Into Bench
Take Db Out To Side And Slightly In Front
Turn Db Down At Top Of Movement
65º DB Shoulder Press - Neutral Grip Paused
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Begin With Neutral Grip
Elbows At 45⁰ From Torso
Pull Shoulder Blades Down In Eccentric
Barbell Curl
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Hands Shoulder Width Apart
Flex From Elbow
Keep Upper Arm Tucked Into Sides
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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98
POWERED BY
BB Incline Bench Press
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Hands Shoulder Width Apart
Lower Bar To Upper Pec
Push Shoulder Blades Down When Lowering
BB Paused Romanian Deadlift
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Soft Bend In The Knee
Hinge At Hips
Push Bum Back To The Wall Behind You
BB Skull Crushers
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Keep Upper Arm Still
Bend From Elbow
Lower Bar To Forehead
BB Upright Rows
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Hands Just Outside Shoulder Width
Raise To Nipple Level
Don’t Excessively Shrug Shoulders
Bent Over BB Row
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Keep Torso Still
Begin With Bar Below Knees
Row Bar Into Hip
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
Bulgarian DB Split Squat
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Back Foot Elevated On Bench
Push Front Knee Forward
Back Knee Down And Back
Cable Curls
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Hands Shoulder Width Apart
Flex From Elbow
Keep Upper Arm Tucked Into Sides
Cable Flyes - High Pulley
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Begin Fly With Pecs In Stretched Position
Fly On A Decline Angle
Contract Pecs In Shortened Position
Calf Raises on Leg Press
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Place toes on lower edge of the leg press
Push back as far as you can while keeping your feet
against the platform.
Return Under Control To The Start Position And
Repeat.
Conventional Deadlifts
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Pull Shoulder Blades Down
Leg Press Ground Away
Pinkies To Bar
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
DB Back Foot Elevated Split Squat
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Back Foot Elevated On Plate
Push Front Knee Forward
Back Knee Down And Back
DB Lateral Raises
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Raise DB to sides and front
Do Not Lower All The Way To Leg, Keep Constant
Tension By Pausing Directly Underneath Shoulder
Decline Bench Crunch
Equipment - Abs
Cues
Hook legs into pad
Initiate crunch through abs
Curl up control down
Decline Reverse Crunch
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Hold onto the top of the bench - gentle grip
Maintain knew bend at 90º
Curl knees up into rebs to curl pelvis off bench
Decline DB Flyes
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Neutral grip, palms facing
Arm position remains the same
Movement Occurs At The Elbows
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
Dip - Triceps Emphasis
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Look ahead
Keep shoulder blades pinched back
Lower till elbows get to 90º
Dips - Chest Emphasis - 1 & ¼ Reps
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Look down
Keep shoulder blades pinched back
Lean forward and stretch as low as you can in chest
EZ BAR Bicep Curl
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Hands Shoulder Width Apart
Flex From Elbow
Keep Upper Arm Tucked Into Sides
EZ Bar Skull Crushers 1 & 1/4 reps
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Keep Upper Arm Still
Bend From Elbow
Lower Bar To Forehead
EZ Bar Reverse Curl
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Begin With Hands Pronated, Shoulder Width Apart
Flex From Elbow
Keep Upper Arm Tucked Into Sides
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
Flat BB Bench Press
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Hands Inside Shoulder Width Apart
Lower Bar To Upper Pec
Push Shoulder Blades Down When Lowering
Flat DB Bench Press
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Hands inside shoulder width.
Shoulders back and down, squeeze together on the
bench
Tense everything, drive feet into the ground hard.
Front Foot Elevated DB Split Squats 1 & 1/4
reps
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Front Foot Elevated On Plate
Push Front Knee Over Toe
Back Knee Down And Back To Floor
Hack Squat
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Feet shoulder width apart
Keep back against machine
Knees out, drive weight up through heels
Hack Squat 1 & ¼ reps
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Feet shoulder width apart
Keep back against machine
Knees out, drive weight up through heels
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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103
POWERED BY
Hanging Knee Raises
Equipment - Abs
Cues
Keep Knees Bent
Flex From Hip
Raise Knees To Chest
Hanging Leg Raises
Equipment - ABS
Cues
Legs Straight
Flex From Hip
Raise Legs To 90⁰ Angle
High Bar Squat - Heels Elevated
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Stand On 5Kg Plates
Push Knees Out
Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
High Bar Squats
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Rip Floor Apart
Push Knees Out
Pull Shoulder Blades Down And Back
Kneeling Single Leg Curl
Equipment - Machine
Cues
If your gym doesnt have this, use a leg extension
facing the pad
Keep upper leg perpendicular to floor
Initiate movement from the knee - keep hips still
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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104
POWERED BY
Lat Pulldown - Neutral Mid Grip
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Pull To Upper Chest
Depress Scapula
Retract Scapula At Bottom
Lat Pulldown - Pronated Wide Grip
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Pull To Upper Chest
Rip Bar Apart
Depress Scapula And Then Retract Scapula At Bottom
Leaning one Arm DB Lateral Raise
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Hold a pole so you can hang to the side. Raise DB with
other arm
Do not lower all the way to leg
Keep Constant Tension By Pausing Directly
Underneath Shoulder
Leg Extensions
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Drive Hamstrings Down Into Pad
Maintain Posture
Contract Hard At Top
Leg Extensions 1 & ¼ reps
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Drive Hamstrings Down Into Pad
Maintain Posture
Contract Hard At Top
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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105
POWERED BY
Leg Press - 1 & ¼ Reps
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Feet Shoulder Width Apart
Keep Lower Back Pressed Against Pad
Rip Feet Apart
Leg Press - Feet Middle
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Feet Shoulder Width Apart
Keep Lower Back Pressed Against Pad
Rip Feet Apart
Leg Press: 10 + 10 method
Equipment - Machine
Cues
10 Reps With Feet Low And Narrow
Bottom Half Of Foot Off Platform
Second 10 Feet High And Wide
Leg Press Feet High And Wide
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Toes Turned Out 5⁰
Keep Lower Back Pressed Against Pad
Rip Feet Apart
Low Pulley Overhead Rope Extensions
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Begin With Elbows Vertical
Triceps In Stretched Position
Keep Upper Arm Locked
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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106
POWERED BY
Lying Leg Curl - Toes Up & Out
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Flex Knee
Drive Hips Into Pad
Ensure Quads Stay In Contact With Pad
Lying Leg curls - Poliquin Toes
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Flex Knee
Drive Hips Into Pad
Ensure Quads Stay In Contact With Pad
Lying Leg Curls - Toes Neutral
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Flex Knee
Drive Hips Into Pad
Ensure Quads Stay In Contact With Pad
Lying Leg Raises
Equipment - ABS
Cues
Embrace the core to raise knees
Lower knees but don’t lose tension
Don’t swing from the back
Machine Preacher Curl
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Triceps against pad
Curl up by hingeing at elbow
Lower with control
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
Machine Shoulder Press
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Push through heels and keep legs & glutes tight
Engage your core
Push Weight Upward And Lower Down With Control
Moving Plank
Equipment - ABS
Cues
Begin in plank position
Lower with other arm Don’t swing the hips
Hips stay level
Neutral Grip Row
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Maintain Posture
Do Not Swing Torso
Retract Scapular
One Arm DB Row - Neutral
Equipment - Bench
Cues
Use A Staggered Stance
Begin With Db Inline With Front Opp Foot
Pull Db To Hip
One Arm T-Bar Row
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Stand Over Plate With Bar Between Legs
Torso At 45⁰ Position
Row Elbow To Hip
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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POWERED BY
Pec Deck 1 & ¼ Reps
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Embrace core and keep back on bench
Inititate movement from chest to squeeze handles
together
Keep arms still
Peterson Leg Press
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Feet Low And Narrow
Bottom Half Of Foot Off Platform
Keep Lower Back Pressed Against Pad
Plank Hold
Equipment - ABS
Cues
Keep shoulders over elbows
Tuck Pelvis under
Squeeze Glutes And Maintain A Neutral Spine
Preacher Curl
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Keep Elbows Parrallell And Tucked In
Hinge At Elbows To Raise Weight, Only The Forearms
Should Move
The Upper Arms Should Remain On The Pad At All
Times
Pronated Lat Pulldown Mid Grip
Equipment - Dumbells
Cues
Pull To Upper Chest
Rip Bar Apart
Depress Scapula And Then Retract Scapula At Bottom
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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POWERED BY
Pull Ups Neutral Grip
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Begin Pulling Elbows To Ground
Retract Scapula At Top
Bar To Chin Height
Pull Ups Wide Pronated
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Begin Pulling Elbows To Ground
Retract Scapula At Top
Bar To Chin Height
Rack Pull Below The Knee
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Begin With Bar Top Of Shin
Leg Press Ground Away
Hip Through To Finish Rep
Rear Delt Fly Reverse Pec Deck
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Seated upright, push hands away from body
Soft bend in elbows
Flare elbows out to push the weight. Finish rep without
squeezing shoulder blades
Rope Crunch
Equipment - ABS
Cues
Maintain stationary position at hips
Hold rope with hands by ears
Crunch By Rounding The Spine To Bring Elbows To
The Mid Thigh
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
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POWERED BY
Rope Hammer Curl
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Begin With Hands In Neutral Grip Position
Flex Elbow With Upper Arm Locked By Side
Hard Squeeze At Top
Rope Tricep Extensions
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Hands Neutral Grip
Elbows Tucked By Torso
Extended Elbows And Rip Rope Apart
Seated BB Overhead Press
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Begin With Bar On Clavical
Hands Shoulder Width Apart
Don’t Lock Out Elbows At Top
Seated Calf Raise
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Lengthen calves in stretched position
Push Through Toes to Raise Weight
Lower And Pause in Stretched Position
Seated Rope Pull to Neck
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Rope Mid Ab Height
Rip Rope Apart
Pull Rope Through Throat
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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POWERED BY
Seated Rope Pull to Neck 1 & ¼ Reps
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Rope Mid Ab Height
Rip Rope Apart
Pull Rope Through Throat
Semi Supinated Cable Curl
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Embrace Core And Keep Elbows Tucked In
Pull Rope Upward And Outward Like Your Tearing It
Apart
Thumbs Come Up And Out Inline With Shoulder
Single Leg Lying Leg Curl
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Flex Knee
Drive Hips Into Pad
Ensure Quads Stay In Contact With Pad
Smith Machine Bench Press
Equipment - Smith Machine
Cues
Set up so bar reaches just below nipple line when flat
Hands Shoulder Width Apart Or Slighly Wider
Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift
Equipment - Smith Machine
Cues
Soft Bend In The Knee
Hinge At Hips
Push Bum Back To The Wall Behind You
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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112
POWERED BY
Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlifts
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Hands Wide Grip On Bar
Break From Hips
Push Bum Back To The Wall Behind You
Standing BB Overhead Press
Equipment - Barbell
Cues
Begin With Bar On Clavical
Hands Shoulder Width Apart
Don’t Lock Out Elbows At Top
Standing Calf Raises
Equipment - Machine
Cues
Toes On Small Elevation
Begin With Heels Stretched To Ground
Drive Up As High As Possible
Standing Face Pull
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Pull rope to eye level
Think elbows out to the sides, not back
Rip Rope Apart
Standing One Leg Curl - Toe Neutral
Equipment - Machine
Cues
You Can Also Do This On A Leg Extension, Standing
Facing The Back Rest
Push quads into pad and curl weight up by bending at
the knee
Do Not Pull Through Hip, Upper Body Stays Still
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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113
POWERED BY
Straight Arm Rope Pulldowns
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Push hips back and keep chest up
Protract Scapula at Top
Squeeze Lats To Pull Rope Down, Pull Handles Outward
Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Push hips back and keep chest up
Protract Scapula at Top
Squeeze Lats To Push Bar Down, Push Pinkies To The
Bar
Supinated Lat Pull Down
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Shoulder width and underhand grip
Pull shoulder blades down and back or depress then
retract scapula
Pull elbows to the ground
Supinated Pull Ups
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Begin Pulling Elbows To Ground
Retract Scapula At Top
Bar To Chin Height
Toes To Bar
Equipment - ABS
Cues
Begin As You Would A Lyin Leg Raise
Start still don’t swing
Raise toes to bar and lower with control
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
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POWERED BY
Trap Bar Deadlifts
Equipment - Trap Bar
Cues
Pull Shoulder Blades Down
Leg Press Ground Away
Keep Lats Tight
Tricep Pushdowns - Cross Overs
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Keep elbows tucked into torso
Hold cables at the end
Pull Down And Outward, Squeeze And Hold At The
Bottom
V Bar Cable Pushdowns
Equipment - Cables
Cues
Keep elbows tucked into torso
Push down & lock elbows in
The Male Method by Mark Carroll
|
Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
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Copyright © CHFI IP Holdings PTY LTD 2019
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in writing from the publisher. Under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act), a maximum of 10 percent
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The Male Method by Mark Carroll 2019
First published & distributed May 2019 by Clean Health Fitness Institute
Disclaimer:
The content of this e-book is to serve as a general overview of matters of interest and is not intended to
be comprehensive, nor does it constitute medical (or other) advice in any way. This e-book is a compilation
of one person’s ideas, concepts, ideologies, philosophies and opinions. You should carry out your own
research and/or seek your own professional advice before acting or relying on any of the information
displayed in this e-resource. The author, and its related entities will not be liable for any injuries, loss or
damage that may arise out of your improper use of, or reliance on, the content of this e-resource. You
accept sole responsibility for the outcomes if you choose toadopt and/or use the systems, methods, ideas,
concepts and opinions within the content of this e-book.
POWERED BY
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COPYRIGHT CHFI IP HOLDINGS PTY LTD 2019