More Muscle in 10 Minutes A Day

by Chad Waterbury   

Here's what you need to know...

•  All you need is a heavy kettlebell and a doorway pull-up bar to add some serious muscle.

•  Alternate between the swing/pull-up and goblet squat/one-arm push-up combo 4 times each day. It'll only take 10 minutes each day.

•  With HFT (High Frequency Training), you don't need to train with balls-to-the-wall intensity every workout to stimulate muscle growth. Just add circuits into your current training plan and get ready to add lean body mass across your upper body and legs.

Do you want to add new muscle mass across your entire body? If so, we've got a solution for you. Pick a doorway in your house that you walk through frequently and install one of those home pull-up bars. Then set a heavy kettlebell next to it. Honestly, it's all you need to add a full-body, high-frequency training (HFT) plan into your life.

Doing that will be the best technique you ever used to add muscle. Plus, if you slack off, you'll feel riddled with guilt on a daily basis because you'll constantly be reminded that your ticket to new muscle is right in front of you. I mean, do you really not have the time to knock off 10 swings and 5 pull-ups as you pass through that doorway a few times each day? Or 10 goblet squats and 5 one-arm push-ups?

I think you do. In fact, I know you can do it, and you will gain muscle. Look, if every guy who's short on muscle mass would alternate between the swing/pull-up and goblet squat/one-arm push-up combo four times each day, there'd be a lot more muscle in this world three months from now. And it would take a grand total of about 10 minutes of time per day.

A Quick Note About Fatigue

It's essential to manage fatigue when you add full body workouts to whatever you're already doing. We all know that more workouts can lead to more growth, but we need to respect the delicate balance between fatigue and recovery. Two exercises that can drain your recovery capacity are the deadlift and barbell squat, so that's why they aren't part of this HFT plan. However, at least one of them should be included in your primaryworkouts.

The volume guidelines listed below will be sufficient to stimulate growth without the CNS fatigue that comes from maximal strength loading during the barbell squat and deadlift. Your replacement moves will be the goblet squat and swing since they're two of the best exercises you can do using submaximal loads. With HFT, you don't need to train with balls-to-the-wall intensity every workout to stimulate muscle growth. Just add these circuits into your current training plan and get ready to add lean body mass across your upper body and thighs.

The SOP Circuit (Swing, One-Arm Push-Up, Pull-Up With Fat Grip)

Kettlebell Swing: Most guys will need a kettlebell that weighs 48 kilograms (105 pounds). If you don't have one that heavy, use the swing version where you switch hands with each rep. Swing deep using the hip hinge and squeeze the glutes hard at the top of each rep.

One-Arm Push-Up: A one-arm push-up isn't only excellent for the triceps, chest, and shoulders, but it's also a killer anti-rotation core exercise. This is an exercise that can make even the strongest guys feel weak. You should be able to knock off 5 reps with at least half of the full range of motion. If you can't, do the push-ups off a bench or box that's just high enough off the floor to challenge you for 5 reps.

Pull-Up With Fat Gripz: I do most of my pull-ups from rings, but I also have one of those doorway pull-up bars with a pair of Fat Gripz attached to the neutral (hammer) handle position. Fattening the grip is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stimulate more growth in your forearms and biceps. You won't be able to knock off nearly as many reps when using a fat grip, and that's the point.

1A. Swing for 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
1B. One-Arm Push-Up for 5 reps
Rest 30 seconds
1C. Pull-Up With Fat Gripz for 5 reps
Rest 30 seconds, and repeat 1A-1C for 5 total rounds.

The GHO Circuit (Goblet Squat, Handstand or Headstand Push-Up, One-Arm Row)

Goblet Squat: This exercise is one of the best submaximal-load squat variations you'll find. If you don't have a single kettlebell or dumbbell that's heavy enough to challenge you by rep 10, use two kettlebells held in the rack position. Squeeze the glutes hard at the top of each rep.

Handstand or Headstand Push-Up: A headstand push-up is the version when the palms are on the ground and you lower the body until the top of your head touches the floor. A handstand push-up requires parallettes (the gymnastic devices used to simulate parallel bars) or something similar, so you can lower the tops of your shoulders until they touch your thumbs. Both versions work well, so choose whichever version best suits your strength.

One-Arm Row: Use a split stance with your opposite leg forward. Shift the trunk forward as far as possible and keep an arch in your low back. You can mix up the movement variation by pulling with an overhand, neutral, or underhand palm position.

1A. Goblet Squat for 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
1B. Handstand or Headstand Push-Up for 5 reps
Rest 30 seconds
1C. One-Arm Row for 5 reps
Rest 30 seconds, and repeat 1A-1C for 5 total rounds.

The RDI Circuit (Reverse Lunge, Dip, Inverted Row)

Reverse Lunge: Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in the "rack" position (elbow tucked to the side with arm fully flexed) on the same side as the leg that's stepping back. When people do a reverse lunge with a single weight they usually hold the weight on the side of the leg that remains in front, but that version isn't as challenging to the glutes.

Dip: Use rings since they recruit more muscle fibers due to the instability they incur (besides, you can hang them from the pull-up bar). Shift the chest toward the floor as your body lowers, without rounding the spine, to minimize shoulder strain.

Inverted Row: Again, use rings and take advantage of the fact that they'll already be in the proper position from the dips that preceded it. This is why I pair the dip and inverted row in the same workout. Elevate your feet on a box or bench to make your upper back work harder and hold the top position for a count of "one-one-thousand" with each rep. If that's still too easy, increase the peak-contraction hold time to 2 or 3 seconds with each rep.

1A. Reverse Lunge for 5 reps with each leg
Rest 30 seconds
1B. Dip for 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
1C. Inverted Row for 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds, and repeat 1A-1C for 5 total rounds.

Programming Options

You have three primary programming options for using these circuits to gain muscle. The first two options don't require you to perform all 5 rounds each time you do a HFT circuit.

Option #1. Do what you can, when you can: This is often the most popular option since it's the simplest. Put a pull-up bar and heavy kettlebell in your house and just knock out one round of the Swing/One-arm push-up/Pull-up (SOP) circuit when you have a few minutes. The next time you have a few free minutes at home you'll do the Goblet squat/Headstand push-up/One-arm row (GHO) circuit for one round.

You'll alternate between those two circuits throughout the week whenever you can. Maybe you fit in four rounds on Monday, three rounds on Wednesday, and five rounds on Saturday and Sunday. It doesn't matter as long as you're adding something on top of your current training program.

Option #2. Be meticulous with your training log: Some guys like to keep detailed records of all their training. If you're one of them, you can certainly be meticulous with your HFT workouts and work to add more volume over time. This is the best way to manage fatigue, so it's the ideal choice for people who are already on an intense training program that consists of three or more primary workouts each week.

Now there are countless ways you can systematically increase your training volume by adding HFT circuits, but I'll just touch on the two key points.

Perform the workouts at the right time. Keep in mind that the sole purpose of HFT is to help you train more frequently. If you make any of the above circuits part of your primary workout, it won't lead to noticeable muscle growth. The circuits must stand alone as separate, albeit very brief, workouts. Therefore, perform the circuit of your choice on a day when you're not doing your primary workouts, or 8 hours before or after your primary workout.

Start with less than you think you need. It's easy to go gung-ho on HFT and annihilate your joints and recovery abilities the first week. Don't do that. Start with 2 rounds of any circuit or circuits and do them 4 times per week. Do 3 rounds the following week. Continue progressing until you work up to 5 rounds of the circuits. At that point don't add any more rounds because the purpose of this technique is to help you add brief workouts and not turn your primary workouts into 2-hour monsters.

Take at least one full day off each week, so if your primary workouts are in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you could add HFT circuits in the following manner:

Week 1

Monday: Primary workout in the morning, SOP circuit for 2 rounds in the evening
Tuesday: GHO circuit for 2 rounds at any time
Wednesday: Primary workout in the morning
Thursday: RDI circuit for 2 rounds at any time
Friday: Primary workout in the morning
Saturday: SOP circuit for 2 rounds at any time
Sunday: Off

Week 2

Monday: Primary workout in the morning, GHO circuit for 3 rounds in the evening
Tuesday: RDI circuit for 3 rounds at any time
Wednesday: Primary workout in the morning
Thursday: SOP circuit for 3 rounds at any time
Friday: Primary workout in the morning
Saturday: GHO circuit for 3 rounds at any time
Sunday: Off

Week 3

Monday: Primary workout in the morning, RDI circuit for 4 rounds in the evening
Tuesday: SOP circuit for 4 rounds at any time
Wednesday: Primary workout in the morning
Thursday: GHO circuit for 4 rounds at any time
Friday: Primary workout in the morning
Saturday: RDI circuit for 4 rounds at any time
Sunday: Off

Week 4

Monday: Primary workout in the morning, SOP circuit for 5 rounds in the evening
Tuesday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds at any time
Wednesday: Primary workout in the morning
Thursday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds at any time
Friday: Primary workout in the morning
Saturday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds at any time
Sunday: Off

At this point you can increase the frequency of the HFT workouts to 5 times per week with 5 rounds, or work to finish each circuit in less time.

Option #3. The final option is to use the 3 circuits above as your standalone primary training program. You can definitely add more exercises after the 5 rounds are finished to focus on your calves, abs, or whatever else you're trying to build, but the 3 circuits alone will cover most of your training needs.

If you choose this option, you'll start with 4 workouts, 5 rounds of each, for the first 2 weeks and increase the frequency as shown below.

Week 1

Frequency: 4 workouts per week
Monday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Tuesday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Friday: Off
Saturday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Sunday: Off

Week 2

Frequency: 4 workouts per week
Monday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Tuesday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Friday: Off
Saturday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Sunday: Off

Week 3

Frequency: 5 workouts per week
Monday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Tuesday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Friday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Saturday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Sunday: Off

Week 4

Frequency: 5 workouts per week
Monday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Tuesday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Friday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Saturday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Sunday: Off

Weeks 5-6

Frequency: 6 workouts per week
Monday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Tuesday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Wednesday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Thursday: SOP circuit for 5 rounds
Friday: GHO circuit for 5 rounds
Saturday: RDI circuit for 5 rounds
Sunday: Off

At this point you'll have learned enough about your own training needs and recovery to design a customized full-body HFT program on your own. Finally, HFT requires proper workout nutrition. You'll be pushing your recovery capacity to the limit, so use Biotest's latest high-performance supplements to aid recovery and enhance muscle growth.