The minimalist method explained
Results:
Time taken: 2 months
Muscle mass gained: 10kg (not fat, but lean muscles)
Total gym time: less than 4 hours per month (20mins twice a week).
Though I’m still far away from my ideal body weight, and I still look like a stick for my height, I’m at my heaviest my entire life. I’m writing this because I’ve tested a method which gave me consistent results for 2 months. I have no reason to doubt this will keep working until I reach my ideal weight.
If you’ve been skinny all your life, what would adding 5 to 10 kg do to your life? What if you can do it in a span of 1 to 2 months, without the need for a personal trainer, without complicated diets, only spending 20mins max in the gym, 2 times per week. Impossible?
Why the minimalist approach?
You see, if you approach a regular gym visitor with a physique you admire and ask them how they achieve their muscular stature, they would be able to tell you how much efforts they put in to attain the kind of results you’re seeing, but I can bet my grandmother’s grandfather clock that they would not be able to accurately tell you what are the bare minimum you have to do to achieve the same results.
Huh?
Ok. What if you can cut out 80% of the exercises and still get the same results? This would really make you rethink every single thing you’re doing and approach everything differently.
“It is not the daily increase but daily decrease; hack away at the unessential”
- Bruce Lee
What I’m telling you is that someone has already found out (through tireless research) how to cut out all the energy wasting things so that you can focus on the core things that will give you what you want in the least amount of the time. That’s what this is all about.
The reason I’m using this method is that it is just so completely awesome. 40 minutes per week for massive results? My cup of tea J
Another more important reason has to do with my work schedule. To keep up a training regime religiously would require massive discipline and my busy and sometimes unpredictable working schedule would require either an extremely flexible regime or a ridiculously simple one. Thank god for self experimenters like Timothy Ferriss.
Take note: This method is NOT for you if:
a) You’re already a professional body builder, looking for the next breakthrough results.
b) You have more time to train. If you can go to the gym everyday and would like even better results, there are other training methods available.
But if you’re like me, have a busy schedule (or pretend to be ;p), and would like to see massive results with minimal gym time, then you should continue reading this article.
Somewhere in the article, I will reveal how (a source of information) you can learn to do the same to reduce weight.
Note: I’m not selling any products. This information is free. Do your due diligence in making sure you are in a good health before changing your diets and do the necessary to prevent injuries.
What I did
First, I’ll let you in on the method. For most people, this is the most important part and what they want to know first. Though for me, this is the least important part. Today, with the power of the internet, “how” you do something is information easily available. Information is cheap. We’re in an age where the problem is too much information. The question is how to successfully apply the “how”. You have to go one level up.
For example, I can reveal my training regime and diet, but your success depends on how you’re going to implement the training regime and diet, whether you can take action and follow through. There are thousands of diet and training programs out there, but how many people successfully utilize it and get the results they want? The most important battle is in the mind. I’ll talk about that later. I’ve a few tricks up my sleeve.
The ridiculously simple training regime:
The origin of this training regime is from Timothy Ferriss’ book: The Four Hour Body.
A
Close grip supinated pulldown
Machine shoulder press
B
Machine bench press
Machine leg press
All exercises are performed with a 5/5 cadence, meaning 5 seconds up and 5 seconds down movement to eliminate momentum and increase time under tension.
All exercises are performed one set only, to failure. All exercise, except leg press, if a maximum of 7 reps if achieved, add 10% more weight or 5 kg (whichever is more), in the next raining session. Leg press is performed to the max of 10 reps.
Only two exercises are performed in one day. Take two days rest between A and B. Increase weight in every session. If you failed to make progress and could not lift the same amount of weight as the last session, stop, do not repeat the exercise with reduced weight. Do not proceed to the next exercise. Just stop and go home and take the next day off. There are only two reasons this happens. Your body have either not recovered or you’ve not eaten enough to stimulate growth. Whatever it is, increase the rest days to one more day once you encounter a plateau like this. This means as you grow bigger, you train even less.
For more detailed philosophy and the rules to train by, read this article: www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm.
Follow the six basic principles in the article, including “record everything”. It’s important to accurately track your progress like this is an experiment.
This is my progress after two months:
A
Close grip supinated pulldown – 30kg x 5 reps to 60kg x 6reps
Machine shoulder press – 20kg x 6 reps to 40kg x 6 reps
B
Machine bench press – 35kg x 5 reps to 60kg x 6reps
Machine leg press – 40kg x 8 reps to 65kg x 12reps
If you compare the training regime to the one in the article, I used another of Tim’s regime with even less exercises and took no supplements at all. This proves it is possible to get massive results without stuffing your body with chemicals, although those with the budget can surely try supplements for even better results. It’s useful, but not necessary.
To most people, this amount of training is ridiculously small. The desire to add other exercises will be immense. Don’t do it. Don’t add a damn thing! Remember, this is a tested method. For uncommon muscles growth, apparently less is more.
How to apply the “how”: Primary motivating factor (The Why)
You need a good reason if you want to successfully implement this regime. What I mean is a compelling reason. Why must you do it and why must you do it now? There is no try. If you’re thinking of trying out this regime, DON’T.
I’m serious. I can guaranty your failure if you “try”. Don’t even waste your time reading this article. If you just thought of trying, complete this sentence and click to another site.
Studies shows 99% of people reading the last statement would be too curious to not continue reading, even if they have no intention whatsoever to apply what they have read.
Ok, I just made that up. But you’ve already proved your commitment by reading part 2 so pat yourself on the back and now pay attention.
Back to having a rock solid reason for change. This is what I found to be true. I was a really skinny kid since I was 10 years old or something. I used to be in the “I want” to gain weight mode for the longest period of time, which left me with mediciore results at best.
The reason I wanted to gain weight was I wanted to look normal, I wanted to not be shy when I take off my clothes. I was especially timid when it comes to any beachside activities, or at the pool. I had low self esteem and attribute my weight to why I suck at sports. I thought I would never be able to get a girlfriend! I was so shy that at one point, my parents thought I was depressed, and I suspect that I was, mildly.
My weight issues were not easy to solve. The main suspect being a high metabolic rate (Update: a recent article I’ve read pointed out this to be not true) But the truth is I can eat like a pig and not gain a single gram. I am only slightly exaggerating. Ask my friends and they can attest to that. I’m the Majlis Bandaraya at any company dinner. Can’t finish the food? Shove it to Wah Hoo. He’ll take care of the leftovers. He’s so skinny he needs the calories (if any of you guys who know this are reading this bit and laughing, you deserve a tight slap for being so cruel. Just kidding J). Normally I would comply and try to attend to the leftovers until I’m stuffed.
But why was it that I have never had the motivation to make it a must to put on weight if I’ve been suffering in silence for so long?
The answer is my discovery of ‘self-help’ books. Lacking a role model, I tried to understand what was happening through self help books, and stumbled upon some interesting concepts.
To cut a long story short, I started to work on the inside, rather than what’s outside. And so came to the attitude of:
I accept myself no matter how I look. To change the world, I need only change my perspective of the world. I can enjoy myself no matter how I look. The important thing is to keep myself healthy.
The most beautiful people are those who accept who they are. When you develop a deep self respect and admiration, others will respond to you in the same way. They will respect and admire you for who you are.
At the same time, when you have an inner peace with who you are, you become confident and able to engage others confidently, and confidence is the most attractive thing about a person.
Once you start doing that, some side effect will come along. Mainly, you would want to start to take better care of your body. I tried going vegetarian for a month. I tried cutting down on meat, just to see what it would do to my level of energy and health. Though I’m back to a normal omnivorous diet now, I still constantly try to eat better and treat my body better.
And that’s the paradox of beauty. You need to be able to accept yourself no matter how you look, and then go out of the way to treat your body the best you can, including getting in shape, eating healthy, getting enough rest, etc. You MUST do both at the same time. Doing one and not the other would be cheating yourself of either your health or self esteem. If you have high self esteem, don’t cheat yourself of health, and vice versa.
So I took priority to working on accepting and loving myself for who I am first; and my world began to change. No matter where you are currently, I recommend you start with this part first. Your opinion of yourself is what matter, not anyone else’s.
One day, I realize I’m able to make fun of myself for being skinny. I mean really laugh at myself and crack some jokes when I’m with friends. They would comment I have “chopstick legs”, and I’d show off and feel sexy. Haha!
Taking my shirt off for water sports no longer pose a problem. Though still self conscious, I forget about it as soon as I engage in whatever activity in plan. The girl problem was solved with this attitude too J. Apparently, girls cared a lot less about what’s on my body than what’s in my head. Nice.
So for many years, though I still “want” to gain weight, there was no big motivating factor. So I became a dabbler. (read The Dip by Seth Godin, or this article: www.christopherpenn.com/2010/02/ ..to spot a dabbler vs a top performer).
But then came another motivation for change. I always look for ways to challenge myself and break out of my shell. To grow is the only way for me to live. But the rate of growth for an average person is too slow. I have an innate hunger to learn and become a better person, and so would appear as a curious student most of the time.
And so one day I came to know that Timothy Ferriss is publishing a book called the Four Hour Body. Suddenly, with this information on hand, I felt very motivated to challenge myself to do the seemingly impossible, in a lot less time than I thought possible. It’s like being given an opportunity to explore the final frontier. Having solved the inner issues gave me even more motivation to want to make a change on the outside.
A lot of people ask me why do I suddenly have this motivation to change (to gain weight). Most of the time I make up a reason as normal as possible, to save time explaining myself and being very philosophical, but now you know J (I think I’m over using smileys, but what the heck, it’s my article).
Ok, if you’ve got a good reason and feel very motivated, you need to solve the next great riddle. You need to understand how motivation and willpower works.
The true nature of willpower
This is my model:
Motivation (rock solid reason) --> Willpower --> Sustaining strategies --> Results --> Motivation (from seeing results) --> Willpower --> Sustaining strategies --> More results
“Willpower does not work, if you use it the wrong way.”
If you only depend on your willpower, you’re doomed to fail. But use it the right way, it’s essential to your success. This is what most people do. They get into the very motivated mood, where their energy level and activity is high, and then they run out of steam. Sounds familiar?
Here’s the reason: Willpower is unsustainable. You have to use conscious energy to sustain your willpower. Willpower often loses its steam after a period of time. It comes in burst, and tapers off with time. It’s like using your muscles for too long without rest, it gets tired and eventually fail.
So how do you use it effectively?
Knowing the nature of willpower, you must harness it and milk it to the max when you have it. Use your willpower especially at the beginning to setup sustaining strategies. Sustaining strategies are strategies that will ensure that you follow through when your willpower wanes.
Keep on keeping on
Sustaining strategies are what you do to maintain momentum when willpower runs out of air. These strategies keep you going when you feel lazy. It keeps you going when you’re “too busy” to go to the gym. It keeps you going when you have to choose between keeping to your regime and having a night out with friends. It replaces willpower as the burst of motivation until you see results and get another burst of willpower to continue.
I’ll let you know what mine are so you can understand better.
1) Psychological scaffolding
2) Stress of public humiliation
Psychological scaffolding
I’m sure you’ve seen how a new building is constructed. First, they have these scaffoldings up around it. The scaffoldings are meant to be supporting structures as the main structure is being built. We’re going to do something similar with our mind.
Remember willpower comes in a burst? This is how you use willpower effectively. You use it to build psychological scaffoldings. When your will power is high, set things up to create momentum and so it’ll be hard for you to backtrack halfway.
Take massive action while willpower is in play, for example: sign up for gym membership, get a coach, stock up supplies for your bulking period, get rid of all unhealthy food in your fridge and fill it with healthy ones, buy a diary to record things, set up a training schedule and tell your friends, change your fridge, bloody hell, change your friends if you need to!
Do everything all at once! You need to create such big change while you have your willpower so that it will be hard to backtrack later on. You can’t eat unhealthy junks after you’ve thrown it out from your fridge. If you have a habit of sitting in front of the telly once you get back from work and this is stopping you from working out, move and hide the TV somewhere so it’s hard to move it back to the living room. Sell the damn TV if you need to.
You have to make it easy for yourself to follow through and hard to fall back on your plans. That’s the basic principle.
Remember, your willpower only last for a short period of time, so create massive impact with it while you can.
Stress of public humiliation
Looking back, the single most important factor that made me stick to my regime and made sure I was disciplined enough was this: setting up a bet.
A marvelous idea this is, a bet.
The first thing I did was I told everyone what I was doing, that I was going to the gym trying to gain weight. Then I set up a bet with a close friend, and tell that to everyone.
The idea is to commit to people around you. I recommend committing to people who’s opinion you value the most. I know it can be intimidating, especially if you fail! But that’s the idea. Avoiding public humiliation can be a big motivating force. The pressure alone will be a great motivation to follow through. Announce it: I’m on a regime and I’m going to gain 5kg in a month. Say it like you know you’re gonna make it.
But the most effective means would be to set up a bet. Losing money can be a big motivating factor. I was only comfortable with RM100, so I made a RM200 bet with my friend. Get the drift? Make a bet that is out of comfort zone! When he suggested RM200, I was like “uhm…er…”, and that’s when I knew I’ve got to go for it cause it made me so uncomfortable, because in my head I was only thinking of RM100.
Seriously. If RM100 is your limit, go for RM200. If RM300 is your limit, go for RM500.
The best thing is, I don’t even ask for a fair bet. If I don’t make it to the target weight, I lose the money. If I make it, I get nothing from my friend. It’s a one way bet! You can go for a two way bet with someone if monetary return fires up your motivation, but for me it’s not so much of a motivating factor to win money from my friend. Losing money is a completely different thing though.
I’ve also posted on Facebook when I went on my second month to gain 5 more kilos and announce that I’m gonna write about it when I make it, hence this article.
So that’s basically how I set things up so that I follow through. Try it, it’s really effective.
I got a lot of ideas to fine tune my mind from Steve Pavlina’s blog. Read if you have time.
Bike shed discussions
Bike shed effect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_Law_of_Triviality
If you talk about something as complicated as how to build a rocket to fly to the moon, very few people will chip in and offer their opinion, but if you start talking about something simpler, like how to build a bike shed, everyone will suddenly be an expert and try to offer advice on how to manufacture a magnificent bike shed. This is known as the bike shed effect.
Basically, with something like a weight change regime, almost every single person you meet will have an opinion on how you should do it. Your job is to refrain from participating in any of these discussions. Beware of bike shed discussions. Stick to your regime. Tweak it at you own expense.
Many will also have inclination to start tweaking based on their experience and opinions of other experts they know of. I recommend you only tart tweaking things when you have achieved your results, not before. This regime can make you gain 10kg in 2 months. Once you achieve that, then start making changes. Many have the inclination to better the regime because they believe they have some extra information that will give even better results, but this almost always screws up the result.
Discipline
If you’ve got your psychological scaffoldings in place and set up a bet as booster, you’ll have little problems with maintaining discipline. But just to illustrate, you must be willing to do some pretty silly things (at least, in the eyes of others) to maintain your regime. For example, running around after 11pm at night trying to find eggs cause I didn’t realize I’ve ran out of it. Then there was the time when the pulldown machine was down at my gym and so I did the shoulder press and went to another gym nearby, paid a day use fee, did a set of pulldown and left. For unconventional results, you need to behave unconventionally. All these would be too much trouble if I didn’t have my sustaining strategies in place.
You must also have the discipline to persevere when you encounter a plateau, which is very possible. I’ve had two in my two months. I went for a week without significant gain and after that another of 2 weeks without any strength and weight gain. It’s very demotivating, but you need to keep on keeping on.
Pushing past your comfort zone
I don’t know how to make this any clearer. If you’re out of your comfort zone, you’re going to be uncomfortable. It’s that simple. But somehow, this fact is illusive to a lot of people.
It is very uncomfortable for me to go to the gym and work out among all these muscular dudes. I look like a stick being around them. This does not stop me from going there twice a week. It is very uncomfortable for me to shove huge amount of food into my stomach almost 5 times a day. This does not stop me from eating like a pig.
Let’s take the example of doing a one set to failure. What give you growth are the last few repetitions when you reach the point that it is a struggle to move the weights, when it starts to hurt (for me, especially leg muscles). That’s when it is most important to push further.
The first few repetitions are just warm ups and do nothing for muscular growth. It’s the last few repetitions that create what is called ‘micro tear’ in your muscles that stimulate growth. Yes, you are destroying your muscles in the gym. Contrary to popular saying that you’re building muscles in the gym. Your body build muscles when you rest – sleep.
For a ‘to failure’ set, a general rule to follow: when you reach the point that you can’t move the weight, do not let go. Try to hold and move the weight millimeter by millimeter for 5 seconds. Then try holding the weights for 5 to 10 seconds. Only then lower the weights slowly (take 5 seconds more).
I recommend those who’ve never been to the gym to start training with a partner who have experience training. You need to know how to push past your mind’s limit. It’s when the mind says “No, I can’t anymore”, that you start pushing. It’s very hard for someone new to experience this because the muscles will be hurting and their mind saying stop. Watch this video to get an idea, it shows Lou Ferigno (the incredible hulk): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqY5woMdv4A
That's all folks!
Wahoo
