BY CAITLIN CARLSON Men’s Fitness
Our week-long plan to fight holiday bulge. With these routines, a food surplus can build more muscle.
Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cheesecake. Stuffing. Turkey. More pumpkin cheesecake. There’s no ignoring the fact that it’s tough not to take in a serious amount of excess calories this time of year. But, here’s some really great news: You can totally indulge and get huge in a good way. “You can deliberately and strategically use the holiday feasts to increase muscle mass,” says Jake Hicks, MS. Ed., XPS, Performance Specialist with EXOS. “The key is depleting and replenishing glycogen and allowing optimal rest days between the training of muscle groups.”
Here’s how it works: When you deplete glycogen through resistance training, you increase insulin sensitivity. And that puts your body in a position to handle an ample amount of carbs while minimizing fat gain, says Hicks. “In order to take advantage of the enhanced sensitivity after resistance training, elevated calories and carbohydrates are necessary and beneficial to replace glycogen,” he explains.
The key: Chose the right methods of training to maximize glucose uptake. “The more you deplete glycogen stores, the more room you have and the more you need to eat to maximize the benefits of increased calories this holiday season,” says Hicks.
To build more mass the concept is to lift heavier loads for longer amounts of time. “Clustering heavy weight with compound movements is the best way to pack on the most muscle when consuming high amounts of calories,” says Hicks.
Try a complete glycogen depletion routine before you indulge in the holiday treats.
Glucose Depletion Workout Tips:
*Lift a few hours prior to a big holiday meal to take full advantage of your anabolic window and excess calories.
*Utilize the extra energy with heavy compound movements followed by simple and effective compound sets.
*Maximize the rep schemes by using the highest loads possible to successfully complete the target rep range.
*Perform all reps in a continuous tempo to utilize and incorporate maximum muscle fiber activation.
*Longer rest periods are necessary when using clusters.
The Workouts:
Lower Body Emphasis
Activation Superset: 3 sets
- Leg Extension- x20
- Prone Leg Curl- x20
- Rest Interval- None
Working Sets for Strength: 8 sets
- Front Squats- x3
- Rest Interval- 3-4 minutes
Working Supersets for Strength/Hypertrophy: 4 sets
- RDL’s- x6
- Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats- rep and a half x 12
- Rest Interval- 2-3 minutes
Drop Sets to failure: 3 sets
- Leg Extension- 12-18 reps
- Prone Leg Curl- 12-18 reps
- Rest Interval- 1-2 minute
Upper Body Push Emphasis
Activation Superset: 3 sets
- Triceps Rope Extension- 20 reps
- Chest Fly’s- 20 reps
- Rest Interval-None
Working Sets for Strength: 8 sets
- Flat Barbell Bench Press- 3 reps
- Rest Interval 3-4 minutes
Working Compound Sets for Strength/Hypertrophy: 4 sets
- Inclined Dumbbell Bench Press- 6 reps
- Cable Fly’s- rep and a half x 12
- Rest Interval- 2-3 minutes
Compound Sets to Failure: 3 sets
- Triceps Push Down- 12-18 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise- 12-18 reps
- Standing Dumbbell Over Head Press- 12-18 reps
- Rest Interval- 1 minute
Upper Body Pull Emphasis
Activation Superset: 3 sets
- Standing Straight Bar Bicep Curls- 20 reps
- Straight Arm Cable Pull Downs- 20 reps
- Rest Interval- None
Working Compound Sets for Strength/Hypertrophy: 8 sets
- Neutral Grip Pull Ups (Weighted if needed)- 5 reps
- Bent Over Reverse Dumbbell Fly- 12 reps
- Rest Interval- 3-4 minutes
Working Compound Sets for Strength/Hypertrophy: 6 sets
- Single Arm Bentover Dumbbell Row- 5 reps
- Cable Close Grip Pulldown- 12 reps
- Rest Interval- 3-4 minutes
Working Compound Sets for Hypertrophy: 3 sets
- Dumbbell Bilateral Bicep Curl- 15 reps
- Reverse Bicep Curl- 15 reps
- Dumbbell Bilateral Hammer Curls- 15 reps
- Rest Interval- 1 minute
Source: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/workout-routines/glycogen-depletion-workouts-do-feasting
