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I love to keep
readers in suspense when I write these reviews...
Okay, maybe not
so much.
If you're looking
for a training manual that gives you the guts of how to
get big (even if you're a typical skinny-guy hardgainer)
and is also an enjoyable read, this book is going to be
a GREAT choice for you.
So I've got that
out of the way...let's find out WHY it's a great
choice...what makes it such an effective program, who will
get the best results from it and what some of the potential
weaknesses of the book might be.
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The first thing you'll
notice about this book is that Jason approaches his training not
only based on scientific principles on research but on his "in
the trenches" experience actually TRAINING athletes.
And that's one of the
BEST things about Jason's approach...the athletic mindset (sound
familiar?).
This is NOT a book
about "working out"...this is a book about TRAINING
to maximize muscle mass using a performance-based approach.
You won't find a bunch
of pumping exercises here...you won't get overloaded with scientific
jargon and references coming out of every orifice...this is NOT
a "Bally's Total Fitness" type of book, to put it one
way.
This is about hitting
the iron with hard training and making sure your mindset is in
the right place to maximize results.
I do have to say up
front, if you're the sensitive type, this might not be the book
for you. Jason gets right up in your face with his writing style.
It's powerful and right to the point. You either buy in or...well,
you know.
That being said, no
matter how it's presented (I quite enjoy his writing style myself!)
this information is, for the most part, dead on.
Exercise selection
is all about free weight and bodyweight exercises with a focus
on compound movements.
We do diverge in some
respects on training volume. Jason's focus is more towards higher-intensity
rather than the EDT style of approach where it's higher-volume
and staying away from failure. He does explain in detail the rationale
behind his approach and it's certainly valid (he actually doesn't
advocate going to "total" failure either).
You'll definitely
get results with this program - the higher intensity means
you HAVE to keep the volume lower.
When it comes to rep
ranges and HOW you should perform exercises, we definitely agree
on that. High-reps...not going to get you anywhere (though Jason
does include some exceptions to that rule). Powerful, heavy and
explosive-oriented training...absolutely.
Jason has included
a TON of exercise information in this book - proper form instruction
on all the big exercises and many variations to choose from. The
exercises are the cream of the crop for focusing on muscle growth.
His credo - train with exercises that allow you to use the most
weight. Couldn't agree more.
I also really like
the exercise troubleshooting section he includes at the end of
each bodypart chapter. You can use this info to self-diagnose
any form problems...such as figuring out that bouncing a 300 lb
bar off your chest is a bad thing.
Seriously, though,
Jason has some great info in these FAQ's - how to feel your lats
when training them if you can't feel them well, how to prevent
the droopy pec look, what to do if you can't get all the way down
when squatting.
The only thing really
missing from the book here are pictures of the exercises and form
points in action...but guess what...Jason's included as a bonus
a database of 100 exercises - pictures and detailed descriptions
included (he's also included nutrition plans as a bonus, too,
so you're covered there).
So Jason's covered
pretty much all the "basic" information in the first
half...sets, reps, exercises, etc. The next section of the book
is how to put it all together into the full program.
He's included programs for beginners to advanced trainers, including
modifications for female trainers.
You'll get all the
program and training session layouts you need, no matter what
you're training level.
When it comes to eating,
Jason and I are definitely on the same page. Eating an overload
of calories is a necessity when it comes to muscle-building. The
body needs that excess of calories - the very act of eat those
calories is anabolic in itself!
The nutrition section
is good, basic mass-gaining eating information. Nothing crazy
here but plenty of good advice that won't steer you wrong (plus
some interesting tidbits that can actually help quite a lot -
such as an interesting phenomenon about junk food and mass gain
you may not know).
And if you're looking
for supplement info, there's a section on that, too, of course.
Jason really pulls no punches in this one - you'll get insider
information on some of the worst scams in bodybuilding supplement
history (HMB, Myostatin suppression, ZMA, to name a few). He includes
his list of effective suppplements as well - all good stuff, from
what I can see. I've used most of the ones he mentions and agree
with the majority of them.
I have to say, though,
the most entertaining part of the book is the part where Jason
talks about training with his brother, Jared. You'll get a visual
when you read it....talk about training intensity!
Conclusion:
This book is PACKED
with solid and effective training information. If you want to
get big, you will not go wrong with this book - definitely worth
the purchase price.
Jason covers everything
you need to know about building muscle and strength here. It's
the end-product of years of research, reading and training and
it shows.
If you're a more advanced
trainer who's used to training with explosive movements and big,
compound exercises, you'll probably find yourself nodding your
head at a lot of this information. It'll definitely set you back
in the right direction if you've strayed from that path.
If you're a beginning
trainer, this is a good chance to get yourself pointed in that
right direction right off the bat. You'll save yourself a lot
of time and wasted effort with Jason's approach to training.
One
last quick note...people sometimes ask us why we review other
people's products if EDT is such a great program...isn't EDT all
you need?
The answer is simple...in
time, your body adapts to just about anything you give it. You
need to learn different approaches to find out what works best
for you and to break up your time with EDT. Yes, EDT is great
but it's also important to switch things up to keep your mind
and body fresh, too!
Our goal here is to
make sure you know what the best alternatives are for you so you're
not wasting your time or money! Jason's program...excellent stuff.
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CLICK
HERE to learn more about Jason's book "Muscle
Gaining Secrets" |

About
The Author
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Jason Ferruggia is a highly
sought after, world renowned strength and conditioning
specialist. Over the last 15 years he has trained more
than 700 high school, college and professional athletes
from nearly 20 different sports. He is known for his
ability to rapidly increase muscular size, strength,
speed and endurance in all of his clients.
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| Jason
is currently the chief training advisor for Mens
Fitness magazine where he also has his own monthly column
called The Hard-Gainer. He has authored over 200 training
articles for various other fitness related websites and
magazines such as Mens Health, Maximum Fitness,
MMA SportsMag, Todays Man, Muscle and Fitness Hers
and Shape. |