Comments on: Massive Muscle Gains: Want 12lbs Of Muscle This Year?

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:53:17 +0000

@DaveSix. @Cody. Thanks
@Sean. No opinion really. If you enjoy it, go for it. But yes, keep your fluid intake up.
@Rich. Depends. If you’re gaining fat, you’re overeating. This is why I recommend those monthly readings. You won’t know if you don’t take them.
@Bill @Jason. As far as I’m aware, Lyle is an extremely intelligent guy. While making a comment before reading the full text of an article is unfortunate, it happens all the time. No big deal. Had I been making the point he perceived me to have been making, he would have been quite correct.

By: jason

jason — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:26:26 +0000

relax lyle, you know what stress can do to you muscles..chill out buddy!!!

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 05:48:24 +0000

“When you start with a fucked assumption, you end up with fucked up conclusions.” Grumpy grumpy Lyle. Funny that you’re the one who started with the fucked up assumption and ended up with the fucked up conclusion. Sorry about your poor reading comprehension skills. So utterly utterly pathetic.

By: Rich

Rich — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:09:18 +0000

Very, very interesting article Mark. I’ve always found a bodybuilding diet to be very expensive but maybe I’m needlessly overeating?

By: cody

cody — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:01:33 +0000

Thanks mark for the info and will do! Happy st pattys day 🙂

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:56:37 +0000

Mark, on the topic of mass gaining, what’s your opinion on using a sauna post workout to alleviate stress and release toxins? Do you think it could be hindering mass gains even if substantial water intake is met ?

By: DaveSix

DaveSix — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:12:09 +0000

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Mark. Thanks for the info. Glad I found this site last month. Started THT four weeks ago and starting TSPA this week.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:04:59 +0000

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!
Dinner with my family, then take in a parade. Hopefully get some kisses too. 😉
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=199899736701798&set=a.157015087656930.33934.155952577763181

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:53:55 +0000

@Cody. I would simply start at 200-300 cals above maintenance and adjust as necessary, like I say in the article. Mass Gainers don’t contain anything special that forces muscle growth, they’re just liquid calories. If you haven’t downloaded my free book yet, do that. The workouts are in there.
@Yatharth. Just download my free book and work your chest along with all your other body parts.
@Jason @Adam many thanks! Looking forward to getting the gear out too, man. Hopefully have some good news next week!

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:48:32 +0000

@Mike. I don’t know anything about that supplement, man. Let me know how you get on with it.
@Dan, Paul, Jo. Thanks!
@Chris. Should be in April sometime.
@stickupkid. Yes, a combo of skin fold and tape measurements is a good idea. But even then, you don’t necessarily have to take these weekly if you’re bulking at 200-300 calories above maintenance as recommended. Your choice.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:44:32 +0000

@Lyle. I agree. I didn’t claim that it takes 600 Calories to ‘build’ 1 pound of muscle, only that 1 pound of muscle contains 600 calories. Later in the post I say, “Also, the anabolic process itself needs calories/energy, so I’m not advising you to eat 4 extra Calories per day! I’m suggesting you use this formula as a starting point and adjust if necessary.” The formula I’m referencing puts people 200-300 cals above maintenance. I then go onto to say, “if you add fat, reduce calories. If you don’t measure any gains over a couple of months, add calories.” This is how I advise people to get bigger while minimizing fat gain.

By: Adam Weichel

Adam Weichel — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:25:41 +0000

A-freaking-men, Mark!

It never fails to blow my mind how many people spout crap that does nothing to help them get to where they want to be. “I need xxx extra calories a day” where xxx is nuts. “I need to lift 6 sets per exercise, 3-4 exercises per miuscle group” to gain mass. *sigh*

Can’t wait for the MuscleHack gear though, because it’ll be even easier to send over new guys/girls who see us MuscleHackin’ in the gym and want to know where they can get started too!

Lean mass muscle tends to confuse the hell out of people, too! I lift more than quite a few guys who are “bigger” than I, but I’ll be nice and not speculate as to how much of that “mass” is fat. 😉

By: jason

jason — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:47:04 +0000

mark, thats great. zipper took the words out of my mouth. Your work and generosity is most appreciated.

thanks a ton bro!!

By: Yatharth

Yatharth — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:22:40 +0000

Thanks a lot Mark for the informative interaction.
Mark, I would be grateful to you if you can let me know the best exercises for chest which can be concentration ones and give the most noticeable results.
Looking forward for your reply….

By: cody

cody — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 06:23:26 +0000

Hey mark, I have a really high metabolism and im looking to build BIG muscle; if you were in my feet would you prefer a mass gainer or just more calories? Aslo I need a new workout routine would anybody help me out please?

By: stickupkid

stickupkid — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:59:06 +0000

Mark I have a question. If I only take weight readings monthly while bulking how I know my body fat percentage when taking skin fold measurements to find if body fat is going up. Do we then take skin fold and tape measurements also monthly to fall in with body weighing?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:38:30 +0000

when is the new THT cycle coming out?

By: Jo

Jo — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:30:31 +0000

Mark in anti-industry rant-mode always makes for a great read lol…

Seriously, makes sense. I mean, really, bodybuilder type folk ought not eat like the morbidly obese. Why on earth common sense never seems to beat clever marketing I have no idea.

And amen about the bros at the gym. Seriously the ones at mine come in two categories: roidheads that are all mass and no strength, and the douchebags that do ineffective exercises whilst drinking their Muscle Milk (aka worst sports drink ever), and spend more time preening in the mirrors than working out. No sweat off my nose if they never catch on, just means I get to look forward to being the “big dude”! HA! =D

By: Paul C

Paul C — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:27:31 +0000

Great article, one of the best I’ve read on here.

By: Dan Cravens

Dan Cravens — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:02:16 +0000

I gave up trying to impress people at the gym as well, but they do take notice. I was doing incline benches on a working set and asked a guy for a spot. He was doing about the same weight as me, but sloppy form, bouncing at the bottom. I was doing a 2-1-2 cadence, went to pos. failure and then after ~5 seconds did 2 more forced reps. The guy was actually very interested in why I did it that way and seemed inspired. Who knows.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:59:59 +0000

Oh I understand Mark. anyway do you know the product, and would you say anything to the possible benifits. your input means alot. Mike in wisconsin

By: Lyle McDonald

Lyle McDonald — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:50:00 +0000

The fact that muscle contains 600 calories when broken down in no way suggests that it only takes 600 calories over maintenance to build that same pound of muscle. So all of your math is utterly utterly wrong. When you start with a fucked assumption, you end up with fucked up conclusions.

By: Perry

Perry — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:35:23 +0000

Anoher great post Mark. Keep them coming 🙂

By: zipper

zipper — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:18:32 +0000

Hey, whatever I can do to help spread the word. Case and point, a good buddy of mine who wanted to start training with me has been more frustrating than anything! I’ve followed the THT way and more specifically, the rest period between sets has proved maximal growth for being prepared to give it all for remaining sets. My buddy however needs to much retraining in that he complains thinking (I’m taking too long) then he skips his rest and does my set only to constantly realize that he could have lifted more. You see it takes him more to break a sweat than I and so he attributes that to not working hard enough! I could go on here. I know you know, but training it to others pisses me off at times when they are not open to change. He wanted to train the way I do and then questions it. This is more a vent that I’m saying but for others to also take away that there is purpose here, stop letting your subconscious dictate what you do. 😉

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:56:02 +0000

In reply to zipper.

Awesome, Zipper! Thanks for the kind words and spreading the message. Truth be told, I gave up trying to persuade the “dudes” at the gym a long time ago. For whatever reason, they get an idea into their head and that’s it – they protect it at all costs, even if you can demonstrate that it’s clearly wrong. What’s the point? Let them train with no results and get fat. No skin off my nose. We’ll march on, no probs. 🙂