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LEGAL STUFF
2012 Elliott Hulse All Rights Reserved. International Copyright www.GrowStrongerMethod.com This publication is fully copyrighted and does not come with giveaway or resale rights. You may not sell or redistribute this report. It is reserved solely for paid members of www.GrowStrongerMethod.com. Copyright and illegal distribution violations will be prosecuted. This document has been watermarked with a digital GPS identification tag.

NOTICE
The information presented is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor is it a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. This publication is presented for information purposes, to increase the public knowledge of developments in the field of strength and conditioning. The program outlined herein should not be adopted without a consultation with your health professional. Use of the information provided is at the sole choice and risk of the reader. You must get your physicians approval before beginning this or any other exercise or nutrition program. This information is not a prescription. Consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietician for further information.

table of contents
Too Much Muscle? Yo-Yo Muscle Building...............................................................4 Electric Strength...................................................................................................11 Fibrous vs Fluid Filled Muscle.................................................................................13 A Strong Economy.................................................................................................15 Yearly Training Cycle..............................................................................................19 Monthly Training Cycle...........................................................................................22 Weekly Training Cycle.............................................................................................24 Daily Routine........................................................................................................33 The Bulk Free Diet.................................................................................................36 The BEST Muscle Building Supplement ..................................................................38 Fat Loss Considerations..........................................................................................39 Final Thoughts......................................................................................................43 Recommended Training Equipment.........................................................................46

Too Much Muscle? Yo-Yo Muscle Building

Back in 1994 I began weight training to become bigger and stronger for high school football, and to earn an athletic scholarship. At 5'8" and 185 pounds, I was already big and fairly strong for my age, but as any 15 year old high school football player will tell you, I wanted to become bigger, faster, and stronger. To be 6'6" and 270 pounds, with the strength of a powerlifter and the speed of an Olympic sprinter, is the dream of every young American football player--at least, that was my dream. My parents bought me my first weight set, it included one barbell, about 300 pounds of plates and a power rack. Everyday after school I would go down into the basement and train for three hours with the hope of achieving my strength, size and speed goals. I was fortunate enough to have my uncle, who was a bodybuilder, a martial artist (Kung Fu) and a former gymnast, travel to our house on Long Island , up from New Jersey, every Saturday morning to teach my little brother and I how to train for strength. He taught us how to gain muscle mass, get stronger and become more explosive with the use of exercises like squats, bench presses, dead lifts, power cleans and gymnastic exercises. He also taught us how to eat in order to add more size to our young, scrawny little bodies. We followed the typical bodybuilders mass gaining meal plan, including tons of chicken breasts, egg whites, brown rice and protein shakes. We also supplemented our diets with weight gainer shakes. These shakes contained 3,000 calories or more, most of which came from sugar!

Needless to say, I got BIG! I discovered I had a genetic gift for building muscle and getting stronger--fast. It only took a few months for me to add over 20 pounds of mass to my body, not all of this was muscle, but I did reach my goal of weighing 210 pounds by junior year. I got strong enough to bench press over 300 pounds and squat over 400! By senior year I was bigger and stronger than I had ever been and earned a scholarship to play football at a Division 1AA school in New York, all thanks to my uncle, the barbell set, months of hard work and piles of food! In college I continued to train with barbells, and I continued to get bigger, stronger AND faster. In fact, in my Sophomore season I weighted over 230 pounds and ran the fastest 40 yard dash on the team, 4.34! After graduation I decided to make a career out of strength training. I took various jobs as a personal trainer or strength coach at different gyms in New York. Working full time made it difficult to eat the amount of food and train as often as I did in college. Within a few short months I lost all of the weight I gained in college, I went from 230 pounds, back down to 185 in less than a year! During the time I stayed under 200 pounds I lost a significant amount of strength, mostly due to a change in my training and lifestyle . Instead of grinding out 500 pound barbell dead lifts and 300 pound bench presses, I experimented with so-called functional training. This led me into the arena of Swiss ball and rubber band workouts. The heaviest barbell I lifted during those three years wasnt more than 275 pounds. Instead of eating 6 cups of brown rice, a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs a day, I ate organic vegetables and grass fed beef. Instead of swallowing spoonfuls of creatine and drinking Weight Gainer 3000 I took fish oil supplements and drank green tea. I was healthier than ever before, and I had more energy and vitality than I had ever felt in my life, but I was weak. A big part of me missed the thrill of lifting heavy weights and gaining mass. So, I shoved the part of me that wanted to grow bigger than a gorilla deep down into the recesses of my consciousness and continued along the healthy, but weak, path.

Until, I met Tom Mitchell. In 2007 strongman training began to gain popularity in the sports performance and fitness industry. Strongman required an athlete build strength, speed, power and endurance in order to complete exercises such as tire flips, stone loading, sled dragging and log pressing. Strongman training, with its high demand on the nervous and muscular skeletal system, forces the participant to get bigger and stronger--even if they dont want to! Events such as dead lifting a 2 thick handled barbell loaded with 500 pounds for as many reps as possible within 60 seconds places such a strain on your body that adding muscle mass, in order to meet the physical demand, is inevitable. When I met Tom Mitchell, at a Crossfit clinic in Sarasota Florida, I was still about 185 pounds and eating less food than my 7 year old daughter does. As I listened to the 310 pound man talk to me and the other 150 pounds CrossFitters about strongman training I thought that it might be fun to give these primal exercises a try--thats exactly what Tom had in mind when he designed his clinic! Tom invited us outside where he had brought along several beer kegs filled with sand and water, the heaviest weighing 250 pounds. He also happened to bring a 400 pound tire with a handle attached to it by a 4 foot chain. (Who keeps this kind of stuff in their truck anyway?)

For the next 90 minutes we carried, dragged, pressed and flipped the random odd objects he carried in the back of his diesel fueled pickup truck. To conclude one of the most sadistic workouts that I had ever been through, Tom had us put all of the kegs and tires into the back of his truck and then PUSH his truck across the parking lot. While laying in the middle of the concrete parking lot squirming in pain... I fell in love! Strongman was the perfect sport for me. It allowed me to use all of my God-given gifts of strength, speed, power and agility once again. And not only did I fall in love with strongman training, strongman training fell in love with me. It didnt take long before I competed in my first strongman show, and won. I competed in the 200 pound weight class, but I could feel my body BEGGING me to let it grow. I knew that if I ate like I did back in high school and college I could gain back all of the size and strength lost during my years of functional training. And that is exactly what I did. Within less than two years my bodyweight ballooned up to almost 260 pounds! I was winning every strongman show I entered and even earned my Pro Card. I finally became a professional athlete! My training was TOUGH!-

-workouts would often last more than two hours daily. The intensity and volume I was training with was unsustainable and as a result of training so hard, for so long, my body was always achy and sore. In order to sustain this level of training I resorted to the use of more powerful supplements. These extra supplements, on top of my genetic gift of strength, literally turned me into a super man. I had become so strong that I was jockeying for the position of Americas Strongest 105k Man! All of the success and excitement came crashing down before I could earn that coveted title. I tore my biceps tendon. One day after training with my partners my father asked me to help him remove some trees from his yard. While pulling the root of a dead tree out of the ground, I tore my left biceps muscle clean off the bone. I wish I could have said that I was surprised, but deep down I knew this outcome was inevitable. As a result of the injury I decided to stop strongman competitions all together and let my body recover from over two years of abuse. I abruptly stopped using all supplements and didnt touch a barbell weighing over 300 pounds for the following 24 months. I experimented with fat loss diets and different types of hybrid training until my bodyweight was back down to around 200 pounds. During this time I also competed in several long distance, obstacle races. Losing weight and running races was fun, but it is NOT what I am designed to do. My body is built for strength, not endurance. So after two years it was clear what I had to do next, I had to...

Get stronger again!

At this point Ill bet you can imagine how the story goes. Elliott starts eating like a horse, lifting like a gorilla and gains back all of his weight , plus 20 more pounds, and goes on to win The Worlds Strongest Man competition--right? Not quite.

The injury forced me to step back and re-evaluate my training. This time I set out to gain what strength coach Dan John calls Easy Strength. (To learn more about Easy Strength CLICK HERE). Instead of beating the crap out of my body, which produces tons of soreness and requires significant recovery time, I have set out to build as much strength as possible under the following conditions: 1. Grow Stronger...without gaining too much puffy muscle or bulk. 2. Grow Stronger...while staying healthy and functional. 3. Grow Stronger...without creating achy joints or chronic pain. 4. Grow Stronger...without spending more than 45 minutes a day training. 5. Grow Stronger...without training more than 4 times per week. 6. Grow Stronger...with the use of only a barbell and chin up bar. 7. Grow Stronger...with the minimum effective dose of training. 8. Grow Stronger...while maintaining a high level of conditioning. 9. Grow Stronger...without sacrificing mobility and flexibility. 10. Grow Stronger...WHILE BECOMING THE STRONGEST VERSION OF MYSELF! That last condition, number 10, is a very important part of my mission. After my biceps injury I came to the realization that my obsession with training heavy and hard created a severe imbalance in my life. Although I was becoming physically stronger, other areas of my life suffered tremendously. About a year ago I coined the phrase Becoming The Strongest Version Of Yourself as a way to describe what happens when you take a balanced approach to strength and personal/ life development.

I have dedicated an entire website to this concept and even have a certification program for people interested in becoming the strongest version of themselves. I call this idea STRENGTHOLOGY, the science of becoming the stronger you! You can learn more about STRENGTHOLOGY when you CLICK HERE. This idea of balanced training is a major theme of this book. If you want to become stronger than ever in the gym, but also have a life that you can participate in and be proud of outside the gym...then I invite you, join me on this journey.

Lets Grow Stronger, together.

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Electric Strength
Contrary to what most people believe, more muscle does NOT equal more strength. Of course muscle plays a huge role in your body's ability to produce force, but the muscle itself is only capable of producing tension though the nervous system. If your nervous system can supply the muscle with enough electricity to overcome the resistance, you become stronger; regardless of muscle size. In my living room at home we have a dial on the wall that allows us to adjust how much light the ceiling lamp produces. If we want the room to become brighter, we turn the dial up and the room becomes brighter. If we want the room to become dimmer, we turn the dial down and the room becomes dimmer. We do NOT go and buy a larger sized light bulb when we want the room to become brighter. Instead, we turn up the dial which provides more electricity though the wires and into the light bulb thereby increasing the intensity of light in the room. This is exactly how your nervous system and muscles work together. Think of your Central Nervous System as the dial on the wall. When you need more electricity delivered to the muscle, you need to turn up the dial. When you turn up the dial, your Central Nervous System sends more electricity though your Peripheral Nervous System which acts like the electric wires in my living room walls. When the increased electricity finally reaches your muscle, it lights up with powerful neurological electricity and produces force against a given resistance. In the same way that the light bulb lights up the room, your muscle lights up the resistance by overcoming it. Now, this doesn't mean that you can become your strongest without the gain of some muscle mass, or that you can become The Worlds Strongest Man without adding some bulk to your frame. But what it does mean is that you can teach your nervous system to produce more force (Grow Stronger) without growing much larger. One of the main reasons I chose to write this book is because I wanted to continue growing stronger, without too much muscle gain.

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You might ask, Elliott, why don't you want more muscle? First, after years of bulking up and cutting down I had become sick and tired of the fluctuations. Buying a new wardrobe every year is not my idea of money well spent--besides, one of my least favorite places on Earth is the shopping mall. Also, I'd like to continue competing in various strength sports. I still enjoy strongman training, power lifting and Olympic lifting. When I compete in one of the heavier weight classes, my height (5'9") often becomes a limiting factor for me. It would be best to compete in a lighter, under 200 lbs weight class, and still be competitive. This requires that I don't gain too much weight. My final reason is you. I know there are several athletes and fitness enthusiasts who read my website and watch my videos who want to become stronger but don't want to gain mass. Athletes such as boxers, fighters, skateboarders, gymnasts, Olympic lifters, power lifters, swimmers, jumpers, sprinters, etc.--all need to be strong, but either have to stay within a weight class, or the extra bulk hinder s their sports performance. With the Grow Stronger system you will become stronger and build leaner, more dense and functional muscle; rather than large, fluid-filled, bulky muscles. We make this happen is by focusing on training the nervous system and creating what's called Myofibrillar Hypertrophy.

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Fibrous vs. Fluid-Filled Muscle

There is more than one type of muscle growth. First, you have what I call puffy muscles. The scientific name for this type of muscle growth is Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is achieved by increasing the fluid, or sarcoplasm, levels in the muscle. When you train like most bodybuilders, with high volume and low or moderate weight and short rest intervals you'll get sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This type of training will make you grow larger looking muscle, but it will NOT make you stronger. The reason why you'll look bigger but remain relatively weak is because you are simply causing your muscle to retain fluid. Since water can not be flexed, like muscle fibers can, the extra size doesn't help you produce more force. If we use the light bulb example again, it is like increasing the size of the glass bulb, as opposed to delivering more electricity to the bulb, or more accurately, increasing the filament size inside the bulb so that it can handle more electricity. With the second type of hypertrophy, Myofibrillar Hypertrophy, we are actually increasing the filament size within the light bulb so that it can handle a larger amount of the electricity being delivered from your central nervous system! When you train using the exercises and parameters in The Grow Stronger Method you will be creating actual muscle fiber growth! In order for your muscles to produce more force your body will continuously add tiny little filaments, called myofibrils, to each myocyte. or muscle cell. We call the type of hypertrophy that we're looking to gain, myofibrillar, because we want to grow more of these myofibrils. Myofibrils are a part of the muscle cell, so when they

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become stimulated by the electricity from your nervous system they contract. This is very different from the fluid, which doesn't contract, that gathers within the cells in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. There are two main ways that we build myofibrillar hypertrophy within The Grow Stronger Method. First, we use a series of core barbell lifts with power lifting parameters in order to produce as much tension in the muscle as possible. This means using exercises like the barbell dead lift or a press. We always train very close to our one rep max, with intensities that allow only 1-5 repetitions . We also keep the overall volume very low and take long rest intervals. The idea that you'll end up a big fat power lifter by lifting heavy and taking long rest intervals is completely untrue. The fact is, most powerlifters have horrible diets and often add lots of supplemental or accessory exercises to their workouts, both of these factors contribute far more to their bulkiness than their heavy lifting. In fact I know first hand some very lean powerlifters who lift more weight than bodybuilders fifty pounds heavier. Next, we aim to produce as much tension within the muscle as possible. The more electricity you drive into your muscle, the more tension is produced. Notice how much tension a gymnast produces as he holds the Iron Cross position. In the Grow Stronger system we will add several gymnastics and bodyweight exercises to our workouts in order to teach our nervous system and muscles how to work together to produce more force. These types of exercises produce tension in all of the muscles in your body. Everything from your hand strength to your core strength will be challenged. And that brings me to my last point. The Grow Stronger Method does not require that you spend two hours in the gym, everyday. In fact, spending too much time working out is counterproductive and may cause your results to suffer. This is the Ultimate Minimalist Workout Plan! All you need is a barbell set, a chin up bar and thirty to forty-five minutes three times a week to Grow Stronger!

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A Strong Economy
As I write this book, the biggest concern of the average American is the economy. Most people are concerned with high unemployment and skyrocketing gas prices; to them, this is what the economy is. They see how little money is going into their pockets, versus how much is going out. The fact is, our economic problems stem from philosophical errors. For the past one hundred years the American government, appointed by its people, has been volleying back and forth between two philosophical viewpoints. The first viewpoint is that in order to keep the economy strong, we must print more money to fulfill our desires. This philosophy says, Let the people keep their money, and we'll just print more to cover our expenses. The second viewpoint believes that in order to keep the economy strong, we must tax the people and use their money to fulfill our desires. This philosophy says, The people should give us more money in order for us to cover our expenses. I think both of these philosophies are wrong because they don't follow the principles of Priorities, Thrift and Natural Correction. Let me explain with an analogy. We'd all like to get stronger, right? In order to get stronger we make use of two resources, Energy and Time. We use energy to train and to recover from training. We also need to conserve energy for other things in life, like working at a job and spending time with friends or family. We allocate time to train and must also use it for recovery from training. We also need to conserve time for other things in life. We can't spend all of our time in the gym. If we are economical about how we use our energy and time we can get stronger in an effective and efficient manner over the course of several months and years. In this way we constantly Grow Stronger and our training enhances our lifestyle instead of detracting from it.

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Now, if we were to apply the just print more money philosophy we'd have to abuse some extrinsic energy and time producing substance, AKA anabolic steroids. I'm not going to tell you why you should or shouldn't use steroids. I will tell you that if you'd like to get stronger, in a very short time, with less intense efforts--steroids work. But you will pay a hefty price! Just like the central bankers who insist on printing more money to artificially stimulate the economy, you will be artificially stimulating energy and anabolic hormones in your body. The problem is that eventually the whole scheme breaks down. A big reason why things costs so much more for Americans is because our money is worth less and less. Each time the bankers and politicians stimulate the economy they are diluting the value of the dollar. These artificial dollars are not backed by anything of real substance, like gold. As the ratio of dollars to actual gold increases, the dollar loses more and more value. In the beginning this seems great, you get lots of money for no real effort (credit)...but in time you'll be called to pay back the debt, and thats when chaos ensues! The same is true with growing stronger, you can take your time, follow sound principles and build real strength backed by hard work and good food...or you can look for a short cut to stimulate growth. If you choose the stimulus package, you WILL have to pay sooner or later. Hopefully it won't be with your life! If we were to try the good old, just increase taxes (especially for the rich) method, I promise that our results will be just as dismal as our so-called economic recovery. This extra tax for building strength comes in the form of spending more time in the gym, and doing more exercises for higher volume.

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Just like the American taxpayer, you'll be working harder to keep less of your earnings. If you are a competitive powerlifter and dream of being coached by Louie Simmons at Westside Barbell, then be ready to dedicate your life to your training. This is also true if you dream of becoming a champion fighter, Olympic athlete or professional ball player. And there's nothing wrong with this approach--if you can afford it. But if you have a life that includes work, family, school, business, recreation, friends, hobbies, reading or anything else that you love or take pleasure in...then this approach might not work for you. Spending more time in the gym, means that you'll have to pay a time and energy tax and if you think that by taxing the rich your little scheme will go unnoticed--think again. In terms of our analogy the rich are your highest time and energy producersthings like sleep, recovery time, and food. If you tax your sleep time, family time, business time and adrenal glands, you might earn a few extra moments to train and you'll probably be able to muster the energy for your long workouts...but this too will come to an end. Eventually your body is going to burn out, your wife is going to leave you and your business will collapse. And just like the damaged condition of the American economy, your body, your family and your business are going to need a LOT of emergency care in order to be restored. Simple tricks and quick-fix tactics do not repair a broken economy. What is needed is an entire philosophical change, and with that change comes severe pain and discomfort Wouldn't it be better to start with the sound economic principles of Thrift, Priorities and Natural Adjustment? The Grow Stronger Method is a sound economic system. We are THRIFTY with our time and energy. Instead of spending three hours in the gym, six days a week...we strength train every other day with no more than 45 minutes. This allows us time to Grow Stronger and enjoy life. What point is there in strength if

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we can't use it to play our sport, enjoy our children or impress women? The Grow Stronger Method is based on PRIORITIES. Instead of using twenty different exercises to hit your chest muscles, we use no more than three big bang exercises per workout. We prioritize exercises that give us the biggest bang for our buck. In this way we employ the minimum effective dose for strength training. Why drain all of your energy with more exercises than are necessary? The Grow Stronger Method is sensitive to the NATURAL ADJUSTMENTS and corrections necessary to train at a high intensity for many years. This leads to the progressive development of your true strength potential, free from any injuries or blowback. We follow simple periodization programming that emphasizes high intensities, low volumes and ample recovery time. Growing stronger does not require that you over extend yourself, go deep into debt, or steal from other parts of your life and health to earn. In fact, the development of pure strength may be the most beneficial thing you can for health and longevity. If you follow sound economic principles!

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Yearly Training Cycle

The next few chapters are dedicated to showing you exactly how The Grow Stronger Method works and how it fits into your training and lifestyle. We will begin with the big picture, your Yearly Training Cycle, then work our way down to the most minute parts of your daily workouts. Whenever I take on a new project I like to consider the big picture first. This is where I ask myself questions like; What is my goal? Why is this important to me? And most important, What am I willing to do? When you ask questions like this, it forces you to step back a moment and look objectively at what you want and what you are willing to do. This is important because the emotional high that you get from starting a new program eventually dies out. Once the high wears off, you're left with a half-completed program, poor results and distractions from every other coach who wants you to buy his book. Of course, there is nothing wrong with trying other programs, but if you want to gain results with this method I invite you to stick with it for a year. The reason why I suggest a year is because it allows you enough time to build a habit of commitment, experience some success and overcome the inevitable failures you'll encounter on your journey. In addition there are some advanced exercises you will need time to become proficient in that are detailed in the Weekly Cycle section of this book. With that being said, here is your first assignment. STEP #1 - Buy A Brand New Black Speckled Composition Notebook. In an effort to keep your training as consistent and reproducible as mine, I'm going to ask you to follow some of my steps exactly. If you follow my example to the letter your results will be almost identical to mine. So, the first step in The Grow Stronger Method is to purchase a black speckled composition notebook, just like the one you see below. The reason why I like this kind of notebook is

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because the pages are sewn into the binding. As opposed to spiral bound notebooks, these notebooks last a very long time and almost never lose pages. If you are like me, this book will last you several years. I have training journals dating as far back as my high school days. It is always enlightening to look back at how you trained and what you were lifting in the past. You may find mistakes as well as finding it a valuable tool for keeping you focused when training begins to steer off track. Later I will show you how to use your training journal to track your monthly, weekly and daily progress. For now...Buy your new notebook. STEP #2 - Set Up Your Journal And First Cover Page. Give your notebook a name, then print that name with a marker on the front cover. Then on the first page inside the notebook, in the upper right corner, write the date and your current bodyweight. (This is your cover sheet. You'll make a new one every 90 days, or when you set new goals.) Below that, in the middle of the page, write down your goals. Keep it short and simple. Like, I will dead lift 405 pounds and win my first strongman competition. Finally, below that you will list all of the things you commit to doing (or not doing) for the next three months (90 days). This list should be personal. It should include things that you know you can personally do better in your training, nutrition and lifestyle. It may look like this.... - I will not drink any alcohol.

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I I I I I

will will will will will

eat vegetables with each meal everyday. drink one gallon of water per day. go to sleep at 10pm everyday, even weekends. read one training related book every month. not use profanity when speaking to my girlfriend.

This list is not about being right or wrong. I want you place on this list three to seven things that you know you can do better and feel confident that you'll achieve. Do not put things here that you are really not willing to do. If you have no intention of not drinking alcohol for the next 90 days, then don't write it on the list. Like I said at the beginning of this book, Growing Stronger is not just about lifting more weight in the gym, it's about becoming the strongest version of yourself and that means in ALL areas of your life. A good friend and mentor once told me, you bring your REAL self to everything that you do. This means that if you're a jerk to your girlfriend or are always getting into fights, that stress will find its way into the gym. Think of the gym as a microcosm of your life. How you are outside of the gym will be reflected and magnified inside the gym. If you're distracted and burned out, that is no way to become stronger...in OR outside of the gym. Use your cover page to remind yourself of the person you'd like to be--the most ideal version of you--the STRONGER You! Once you've set your commitments for the next 90 days you're off on a running start! After the first 90 days you are going to revisit your goals, take a look at the program you've been following and adjust it to keep moving forward. I don't do official test days to see how my strength has progressed. Instead I simply look into my journal and take note of which exercises I've steadily improved on and which ones need more work. It's at this point that you can decide if you are on the right path or if you need to make changes. If you have new goals or your life has changed, then let it be reflected on the cover page of your new 90 day commitment.

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Monthly Training Cycle

This is how you will break up your MONTHLY training cycle. Week Week Week Week 1 2 3 4 Heavy Lifting (3 x 3 ) + (optional) Support Strength + Gymnastic Progressions Heavier Lifting (5 x 2) + (optional) Support Strength + Gymnastic Progressions Heaviest Lifting (6 x 1) + (optional) Support Strength + Gymnastic Progressions Light Lifting (3 x 10) + (optional) Support Strength + Gymnastic Progressions

Like I mentioned in earlier chapters, the main objective with this program is to Grow Stronger with as little bulk as possible. The way we do this is by lifting heavy and teaching the nervous system to maximize its output. Also, we are being economical by only training what needs to be trained and with the minimum amount of volume. What you'll find in The Grow Stronger Method is a mixture of barbell powerlifting (or sports specific lifting) and gymnastic training. The Heavy Lifting parameters you see above are borrowed from Dan John's Rule Of Ten mentioned in his book Easy Strength. According to John, exercise form begins to diminish after ten reps. So, we aim to keep the reps for each workout under ten. There are three major lifts that we'll be working, the press, the deadlift and the squat. As you'll learn I prefer the over head press, but we will also program the bench press, there are several variations of the dead lift that we'll use, and although I prefer the front squat we will also program the back squat and other variations as well. The Gymnastic Progressions are bodyweight and chin up bar calisthenics designed to teach the nervous system to tense the muscles for an extended period of time. These exercises also emphasize core strength and will contribute to improving posture, strengthening stabilizers and decreasing the risk of injury. There are two types of gymnastics exercises that we're looking to master. The first is the basic handstand and handstand variations. Most of the handstand exercises and progressions that you'll find in this book have been borrowed from my friend Arash Baboo's Strength Project YouTube channel. The second gymnastics exercise that we'll master are chin up bar levers and lever variations.

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Most of the chin up bar exercises and progressions that you'll find in this book are borrowed from Raising The Bar by Al Kavadlo (this book also has a ton of great info about developing the handstand as well) . STEP #3 - Label Your Monthly Cycle In Your Journal. In you training journal, after your cover page, each additional notebook page represents one week and every four pages equals a month. At the top of the next four pages you will write Week 1.1 - (3 x 3) Heavy, Week 2.1 - (5 x 2) Heavier, Week 3.1 - Heaviest (6 x 1), Week 4.1 - (3 x 10) Deload. The first number represents which week in the month you are training, the second number represents the month you are in. Since this is your first month, the second number will be a one. Next month it will be 2, when you have completed twelve months of training, the second number on your weekly page labels will be 12--Get it?

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Weekly Training Cycle

This is how you will break down your WEEKLY training cycle. Monday - Barbell Dead Lift Variation + Handstand Progression Tuesday - Play Workouts Wednesday - Barbell Pressing Variation + Lever Progression Thursday - Play Workouts Friday - Full Body Density Workout Saturday - REST Sunday - REST Now it is time to choose which exercises you will be focusing on for the next four to twelve weeks. For each barbell movement (press, pull, squat) I will offer you several variations to choose from. My suggestion: if you have been training for less than one full year or if you're coming off a long break, choose one variation of an exercise and stick with it for the first twelve week cycle. The reason is that your nervous system is still young enough that strength gains will come regardless of what exercises you choose. This is a great place to be. As your nerves and muscles become more accustomed to the basic exercises you may notice a stall in progress; this is when you'll need to add the variations mentioned below. If you are an advanced lifter and have been weight training for several years, then rotate the lift variations from month to month. This will keep your nervous system guessing and may avert any strength stalls you might otherwise experience. Do NOT rotate exercises from week to week, you will be rotating the intensities and rep/set variables and this will create enough variation to avert stagnation. For the Gymnastic Progression portion of your workout I will first offer you Basic Level exercises. These exercises are designed to help you nail down the essential components of each movement. For example, you may perform Wall Walking drills in order to build up core strength and wrist flexibility before moving on to the next handstand level. The Standard Level exercises are performed when you have mastered the basic

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movement. When you are capable of doing free standing handstands you may work on holding the handstand for a given time or work on a combination movement such as Press To Handstand. Finally the Advanced Level exercises are for you gymnastic champions! These exercises take Standard Level movements to the next level. To be honest, I will probably never reach this level, but it is always fun watching some of my younger athletes nail these crazy acrobatics. If you get to the Advanced Level exercises please send me an e mail with a video or pictures of yourself doing them. I'll be sure to congratulate you personally and post your video on the HulseStrength.com blog! STEP #4 - Choose Your Barbell, Support & Gymnasitic Exercies In your training journal you will record each of your daily workouts on the weekly pages you labeled earlier. Begin each workout by recording the day of the week and the date in the column of the page. Then write down the Part 1 exercise that you will be performing that day. After the exercise name leave two lines blank, you will record your weights and reps in on those lines. Next, write down 1-3 optional "Support" exercises that you will use in addition to the Barbell lift. The support exercise is there to support your ability to grow stronger in the main lift. Often you will find that you have specific muscular or movement weaknesses that hinder your progress. The addition of the support lift is to help you move past these sticking points. Below you will find a basic list of preferred Grow Stronger exercise along with a picture and a very short description. In some cases I will link to videos that may be helpful to you. Although there are dozens of variations for these exercises, I have purposely chosen to keep the list short and simple. If you need more instruction on how to perform basic barbell exercises, Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a great reference.

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On Mondays you will PULL & HANDSTAND.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING (Part 1):

Dead Lift

Sumo Dead Lift

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Choose 1-3 of the following Support Exercises (part 2).

Bend Over Row Variation 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps

Weighted Chin Up Variation 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps

Unilateral Leg Exercise (Lunges / Step Ups) 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps each leg

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PLUS ONE TO THREE OF THESE (Part 3):

Wall Kick Ups Stand in front of a wall. Place your hands on the floor about 12 away from the wall and kick yourself into a handstand position with feet supported by the wall.

Frog Stands Squat down and place your hands on the floor with your elbows slightly bent. Next, bring your knees up towards your armpit and rest your shins on your triceps. Now hold it!

Handstands This is performed just like the Wall Kick Ups described above. Only now there is no wall to balance on!

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On Wednesdays you will PRESS & LEVER.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING (Part 1):

Overhead Barbell Press

Bench Press

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Choose 1-3 of the following Support Exercises (part 2).

Weighted Chest Dips 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps

Resisted Push Up Variation 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps

Triceps Extension Variation 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps

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PLUS ONE TO THREE OF THESE (Part 3):

Tuck Front Lever Hang from a pull- up bar and pull your legs into your chest while rolling your hips back until your torso is parallel to the ground. Hold this position as long as you can.

Half Tuck Front Lever Hang from a pull-up bar and pull one leg into your chest while rolling your hips back until your torso is parallel to the ground, your other leg will be stretched straight in front of you. Hold this position as long as you can.

Front Lever Hang from a pull-up bar, pull your entire body off the floor until it's parallel to the ground. It's like your laying down in the air! I might also perform some light strongman moves such as tire flips or stone lifting.

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On Fridays you will use the following Full Body Density workout which is a form of Hybrid Muscle Building. By mixing variables from both strength and muscle building systems we aim to maintain or increase our muscle mass. The purpose of this component is NOT to become huge and swollen, just to retain a base level of muscle while increasing strength. If you are already at a comfortable level of muscle mass and wish to avoid any further hypertrophy then you may choose to exclude this day from your routine or simply cherry pick which muscles you'd like to build and only perform exercises for those body parts. In order to build more density in these muscles we are going to keep the weights relatively heavy and the reps low, BUT we'll shorten the rest intervals between exercises. Unlike on Monday and Wednesday, where we allow as much rest as needed between sets, with these full body density workouts we want to keep the rest between 60 and 90 seconds. Of course, with rest intervals this low you may have a hard time lifting the same weight for multiple sets. When necessary, lighten the load to continue. This is a general training template you can use, or modify, for your Friday workout.

Friday workout
EXERCISE 1. Back / Front Squats 2. Weighted Chin Ups 3. Barbell Bend Over Rows 4. Incline Bench Press 5. Over Head Dumbbell Press SETS 5-6 5-6 5-6 5-6 5-6 REPS 2-4 2-4 2-4 2-4 2-4

Tuesday & Thursday Play Workouts Personally I use Tuesdays and Thursdays to either join a CrossFit workout at my friend's gym or I'll perform my Bio-energetic Warm Up Routine followed by a game or some sort or low intensity plyometric work, like broad jumping or medium height box jumps. I like to say that these are my play workout days. I encourage you to do the same thing. Go into the gym on these days and just play around, don't take the workout too seriously. The main point of these workouts is to keep your nervous system sharp by exposing it to different stimuli. Also, by keeping a playful attitude about the session you are inviting a parasympathetic/anabolic response from your body.

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Move, sweat a little, have some fun and leave the gym feeling more energized than when you walked in. Weekends REST You Grow Stronger when you REST. Take your rest days very seriously. I personally look forward to my REST days on the weekend, particularly Sunday. On Sundays I spend the entire day at the beach with my wife and children . We just sit in our beach chairs with our feet in the water, watching the children play in the ocean. I don't bring any books or homework I just sit, stand, walk around and swim. That's it! You're encouraged to do the same thing. Find a way to break free from the normal patterns of your daily life and immerse yourself into a new, relaxing environment, even if its only for an hour. If you can find the time to take a nap, go for it. The extra sleep with help you Grow Stronger faster. If you can get a massage, schedule an appointment on these days. If you simply take a long walk around your city or in a public park, you will be doing wonders for your strength, muscle and mind! -- Enjoy.

Training Overview
Warm Up before every workout, as well upon rising in the morning, I perform my Bioenergetic Warm Up Routine. CLICK HERE for a blog post and video explaining how it's done. I highly recommend this 10 minute routine. It charges your body with energy, orients your muscles for training and brings focus to your workout.

MONDAY workout
EXERCISE PULL & HANDSTAND Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 SETS 3 5 6 3 REPS 3 2 1 10

Tuesday workout
PLAY WORKOUTS

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Wednesday workout
EXERCISE PRESS & LEAVER Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 SETS 3 5 6 3 REPS 3 2 1 10

Thursday workout
PLAY WORKOUTS

Friday workout
EXERCISE 1. Back / Front Squats 2. Weighted Chin Ups 3. Barbell Bend Over Rows 4. Incline Bench Press 5. Over Head Dumbbell Press SETS 5-6 5-6 5-6 5-6 5-6 REPS 2-4 2-4 2-4 2-4 2-4

WEEKENDS - REST
In the next chapter I will show you how to use your training journal to log every workout and keep track of your progress.

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Daily Routine/Training Journal

At this point you should have a clear idea of how your training will progress over the next 12 months. Every month you begin a new phase of training by switching the main exercises. Every week you stimulate new strength by changing the reps, sets and weights being used. Now we'll discuss how your daily routine will look. I've been keeping training journals since I first began training back in 1993! Keeping a daily training journal is one of the most important things you'll do to ensure you GROW STRONGER! STEP #5 Logging In Your Training Journal You already have your black speckled composition notebook, and you've already set up your cover sheet. In order to teach you how to use your journal on a daily basis I'll share a few pictures from my personal training journal so that you can follow along and use the same format as me. Cover Sheet (new phases) As you'll notice, I begin every month (or phase) by writing the month or what number cycle I'm in at the top. The example above was created in preparation for one of my strongman shows...but had I been simply following The Grow Stronger Method for strength, I would have noted what number cycle I am starting. If this was my third month following the system I would have written Phase 3 at the top of the page.

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Cover Sheet Example #2 This example is closer to what your journal may look like. Begin with the month or phase at the top. Sometimes I give the phase a name based on the new exercises I'm following or what goals I have set. You might call the first phase Phase 1: Getting Started. Below the phase and name I describe what exercises and rep/set scheme I will be following. Since you'll be following The Grow Stronger Method, you may choose to add the reps and sets for each week or just write the exercise names. This is a good place to also note your bodyweight, body fat percentage, any strength records you hold or goals you'd like to achieve in this phase.

Daily Recordings
At the top of this page you'll see Week 1, this reminds me that it is the first of the four weeks that I'll be following this plan. It is also a reminder of what rep/set scheme I am following. In this example I am using a 5 x 5 scheme. In the left column you'll notice the date 2/13. To the right I put the name of the first exercise I am going to do, along with the rep/set scheme I am following. Underline both. Leave 2 blank lines beneath the exercise name and write the name of the other exercises in your workout. Since you might be doing gymnastics progression, you might just write the name of what progression exercise you'll be working on for that day. In the first of the two spaces that you left between exercise names you are going to record the weight you are using along with how many reps you were able to complete with an x

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between them. Like you see in my example above. Daily Recordings Example #2

Optional Notes In Your Journal

It is well known that keeping a daily life journal is good for mental health, success and achievement. A life journal is a place where you can record insights, problems and achievements that you can go back and reflect on years later. Although this is your training journal, you might also want to leave space to record your daily reflections. Things like your mood, what you ate, what time you slept, stressors or challenges you are having outside the gym can have a negative impact your ability to Grow Stronger. Keeping track of all of these things and how they affect you can improve your performance in the gym--Try it! In the next section I will offer you a few auxiliary ideas and methods that have been useful to me on my journey of strength. The ideas, products or suggestions that I make here are not mandatory, just things that have helped me and so I wanted to share them with you.

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The Bulk Free Diet

I know this might sound like a strange problem, but I gain both fat and mass way too easily. Of course, no one wants to get fatter, but I also can't help but gain tons of puffy muscle no matter what kind of program I follow. I designed this program to add dense muscle to my frame and get stronger without too much weight or muscle gain. I've found that by keeping my diet in check I am able to gain strength without the size. I have followed and created tons of diets, but what I am going to share with you happens to be the easiest and my favorite. Years ago I experimented with Intermittent Fasting. This is where you don't eat for the whole day and then break fast with a huge meal in the evening. At first this didn't work too well for me because I would come home at night and PIG OUT. I thought that since I wasn't eating that it was okay for me to pile tons of empty calories onto my plate and gorge myself before bed. Of course, I was dead wrong and this clearly method wasn't working for me. Then I tried another form of Intermittent Fasting created by my friend Jason Ferruggia. He calls it The Renegade Diet. The difference between my first attempt at fasting and what I discovered in Jason's book is that there are different ways to fast. Depending on your goals you can manipulate your break fast meal to accomplish them. For example, if you want to gain muscle mass while following this simple diet then you'll want to follow the Muscle Gaining parameters on page 68 in his book. If you're like me and want to stay at your current weight then you'll follow the same plan that I've been using for the past several months. The image below comes straight out of The Renegade Diet manual. This is one of several fat loss methods for intermittent fasting. The other big reason why I personally follow The Renegade Diet is that it's just easy to follow. The fact is that I hate dieting. I hate counting calories and I hate having to watch what I

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eat. With this simple program I just drink water and eat some protein during the day, then I fill my belly with veggies, meat and potatoes at night. There is no thinking. No calorie counting, and it works!

EARLY MORNING TRAINING SAMPLE MEAL PLAN - EXTREME FAT LOSS FOCUS
Pre Workout 6:30am: Post Workout 8:30am: Post Workout 2 10am: Meal 1 12pm: Meal 2 3:45pm: 1 cup black coffee 10 grams BCAA 10 grams BCAA 3 eggs over easy 1-2 cups green veggies 8oz chicken breast mixed greens salad 1 tbsp olive oil & apple cider vinegar Huge spinach & arugula salad with veggies Olive oil & apple cider vinegar Raw Kimchi 8-16 oz blackened Cod 2 cups red potatoes

Meal 3 7pm:

If you're happy with your diet and the results you are getting with it, then continue to use it. But if you're looking for something new to follow while using The Grow Stronger Method, give The Renegade Diet a try. CLICK HERE To Lean More About The Renegade Diet.

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The BEST Muscle Building Supplement

Back when I first started training in high school with my uncle he put me on two supplements, the first was called Muscle Maxx, it was a meal replacement shake I took between meals to gain mass, the other supplement was creatine. Back then we'd go through a loading phase when first starting the supplement. That meant taking a serving once every three hours for about five days. During this loading phase it was not uncommon for me to gain 10 pounds of mass and see an increase in all of my lifts. There's no doubt that creatine works, almost like magic. Since 1994, supplement companies have gotten better at making their supplements. By combining them with other substances and enhanced refining they've learned to produce the purest version possible. Today there are dozens of companies that make creatine, some of which are pretty good. I have found a formula that works faster, lasts longer and is by far the best available. It's called Hypergain Creatine. To be honest, I am not much of a supplement user. Nor do I sell supplements or make money endorsing them. I think most supplements are a waste of time and money. I recommend Hypergain Creatine because I have experience with it myself and I know it works. I cycle on and off of it though out the year, but you'll be able to tell the difference between when you are on and when you've come off. By the way, creatine is not only super effective, it has proven to be 100% safe. But like I said, I'm not a supplement scientist so your best bet is to do your own research before starting. CLICK HERE For A Short Video About How To Use Creatine Effectively .

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Fat Loss Considerations

Although our main purpose for using The Grow Stronger Method is for strength gains, maintaining or creating a healthy body fat percentage is important. There is nothing worse than a super strong guy who can dead lift a Mac Truck but is too embarrassed of his fat gut to take his shirt off at a pool party. If you are following The Renegade Diet like I suggested you'll have no problem keeping your waistline in check. In the off chance that you need a little more help, keep reading. The problem with most fat loss routines is that they take away from our strength gaining results, both in time and energy. That is why I recommend using short Metabolic Resistance circuits at the end of your workouts to burn fat. These are hard and fast circuits that you can just stick at the end of your Grow Stronger workout. They are fun and work wonders for getting you leaner and helping you grow stronger! Below is an article that my friend Mike Whitfield wrote for us. Mike was once a super fat dude. He became fed up with being overweight and began using these short fat loss finishers at the end of his workouts to great effect.

Accelerate Fat Loss with MRT and MFs

By Mike Whitfield, CTT Author, Workout Finishers It was a big day for a client of mine named Chris. He hit the 65 lb mark recently. He has lost that much in just a little over 5 months. He didn't use any secret pill or any fad diet, either. When I asked him, Chris, what do you think is the #1 secret to your success?, he responded with one of twothings and I'll let you guess: Once a week, I am surrounded by awesomeness, and it's the awesomeness I find with you Mike. OR... Paying attention to what I eat, drink lots of water and stay consistent with my workouts even when I don't want to.

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He said the second one, but I know he was thinking the first one. Trust me on that. I'm going to tell you what Chris has done to lose so much weight in a short of amount of time so you can jump start your fat loss or break a plateau you might be experiencing. It's a one-two punch that your belly fat doesn't stand a chance of fighting. Plus, what has worked has pretty cool initials--MRT and MFs. Dude, What is Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT)? What Chris has been using is a combination of Metabolic Resistance Training and Metabolic Finishers to accelerate fat loss. Why do I find the need to capitalize the first letter in each word of the title? I don't know really--but pause for a second and look at it. It looks cool with the letters capitalized. Maybe that's why. Maybe you're bored with this paragraph. Maybe I'll make this the last sentence of this paragraph. Metabolic resistance training has been getting a lot of buzz lately due to its fat-torching abilities. But many people don't quite understand what MRT is. It's almost like strength training and intervals done at the same time. The reason I put almost in italics is because it makes the sentence look awesome. Seriously, you get the best of both worlds because MRT is strength focused, but with short rest periods and using compound movements, you improve your conditioning. For example, performing 8 Bulgarian Squats on each leg followed immediately by 6-8 Pullups and then resting for 1 minute is metabolic resistance training. However, performing bicep curls, resting for 2 minutes and then doing sit-ups, and then finally taking a sip of a protein shake while looking at facebook on your phone is not MRT. MRT burns a significant amount of calories in a short amount of time due to the compound movements and shorter rest periods. A program with squats, rows, and pushups set up in a non-competing superset or circuit fashion hits all your major muscle groups in no time. You not only burn calories while working out, but you also set your body up to burn calories well after the workout--as in up to 38 hours. So let's do the math: Hundreds of calories burned during the workout + Even hundreds more of calories burned after the workout = New wardrobe and feeling dead sexy (too much?)

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What are MFs? Metabolic finishers (MFs) is a way to replace interval training and finish your main strength workout. They are designed to burn a ton of calories in a very short amount of time, pretty much making you feel spent. When done right, you will typically have nothing left in the tank once you complete them. That is why they are at the end of a workout. Some finishers take only a couple of minutes. After one of Chris's main workouts, he does the following circuit 3 times, and rests for 30 seconds between circuits: 1) DB Swings (20) 2) Incline Push-ups (15) 3) Total Body Extensions (15) As you can see, by incorporating these moves at the end of his main workout, Chris improves his conditioning by working his cardiovascular system without the redundant cardio machines. He uses his own body and a dumbbell to elevate his metabolism, hitting many muscles in a short amount of time. This is a great metabolic finisher for his fitness level. To make the above finisher more difficult and challenging, you can do this: 1) DB Swings (20) 2) Spiderman Push-ups (10 ea side) 3) Burpees (15) By using a combination of metabolic resistance training and metabolic finishers, you do more in less time, creating an environment within your body that requires a substantial amount of calories to recover. Yay for science. Yay for fat burning. Yay for new clothes. Yay for the last sentence in this paragraph. One Last Secret Chris used to Burn 65 lbs of Fat in Less than 6 Months (by the way, this is a long header but you didn't notice until now, and now you're chuckling, and now you're welcome) Chris has been using metabolic resistance training and finishers for a while now. He has been typically using superset or circuit fashion workouts lifting heavy early on in his

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programs (usually in the 8 rep range). But get this--when he knew he would be busy at work, he would still put in a fast metabolic resistance bodyweight circuit after work, even if he couldn't complete his main workout. He would knock out the circuit in 15-20 minutes. He had this back-up program set up of body squats, inverted rows, pushups and crossbody mountain climbers, followed by a 2-minute metabolic finisher for those busy days (he works in retail). By staying consistent, that has allowed him to drop so much weight in a short amount of time. So yes, you can use your own bodyweight as a tool for metabolic resistance training. Using metabolic resistance training and metabolic finishers are the latest tools for creating your own body transformation. A well-designed MRT and MF program can strip off fat in just 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week. You can do that. Mike Whitfield, CTT CLICK HERE To Try Mike's 40 Fat Loss Finishers at the end of your workouts.

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Final Thoughts
Growing Stronger is a lifelong process and requires that we constantly upgrade our knowledge, try new things and build upon our experiences. The best way to do this is to read more books, consult more experts, experiment with new things and keep track of what works for us--regardless of what others say. Growing Stronger is a personal experience. But we can glean from the wisdom of others who have been on the journey longer than we have. When we consult with these people we can choose to use their experiences to support us, leave their insights for a later more appropriate time, or reject them entirely. You and I are on the same journey. We are committed to our personal growth and evolution. Hopefully the insights I've shared with you in this book can help you to continue moving forward. I appreciate you as a customer and respect you as a fellow warrior of strength. I will leave you with this one last idea: The ONLY real secret to growing stronger is to NEVER, ever give up. No matter what, KEEP GOING!

Frequently Asked Questions

As you can imagine, it is impossible for me to answer everyone questions via e mail, Facebook or YouTube. But it is extremely important that I address the questions that most people have; I really want this program to work for you. Q: Should I lift each set to failure?

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The goal of this program is to get stronger. We do this by teaching our nervous and muscular system to overcome resistance. Every time we win the resistance war we have an opportunity to grow stronger, but each time we fail we teach the body that failure is an option. There is NO need to go to failure with these sets, in fact it may be detrimental. The best gauge for intensity it to make sure that you have about one rep left in the tank after each set. Q: Should I perform forced reps if I am going to fail at a set? No, instead you should rack the weight and choose a lighter intensity for the next set. There is nothing wrong with lightening the weights in order to hit the prescribed reps per set. I do this all the time. Q: Why don't you use percentages? In my experience designing a program based on percentages is not only time consuming and tedious, it rarely ever translates in the gym as it is written on the page. Instead I invite you to listen to your body and become an intuitive lifter. Also, we have rotated the rep and set schemes so that you are not always training with the exact same intensity. When you are doing 3 x 3 for the first week, you will likely be using a lighter weight than when you do 6 x 1 later in the same phase. Q: How much rest should I take between sets? Except for on Friday, when you are keeping your rest intervals at sixty seconds, you can choose to rest as long as possible between sets. In fact, I suggest you rest as long as it takes to complete the given reps in the following set. This also applies to your gymnastics training as well. There is no rush with these workouts. The volume is low enough that you can take your time between sets and still complete the workout in 45 minutes. Q: Why don't I get sore after these workouts? If you're training just to get sore, then this is the wrong program for you. The purpose of this

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program is to train your nervous system for strength gains first. For the most part this will leave your muscular system relatively fresh, you won't be killing your muscles with drop sets, burn out sets or super short rest intervals. There is no reason to feel sore to get stronger. In fact, I'd rather not be sore all the time since I want to enjoy my play and rest days. Q: Can I do squats instead of dead lifts on Mondays? I personally feel that dead lifts are the best full body exercise and are best for building overall strength. Squats come in a very close second. The reason why I chose dead lifts over squats is because they force you to address posture problems instead of just hacking through the movement and creating more muscle imbalances. If you MUST do squats, then I suggest you use front squats instead of back squats. Front squats also force you to address posture and thoracic extension. I prefer you learn how to do these instead. Q: What should I do for my abs? A big reason why I love gymnastics exercises so much is they force your abs to get stronger. Without having to do tons of crunches you will be building a leaner, solid and functional core when you build up your lever and handstand strength. If you MUST do ab exercises then I suggest you invest in an ab roller and do rollouts instead of crunches. I also suggest you do some research and learn how to perform tummy vacuums. Q: Can I use The Grow Stronger Method for sports conditioning? This manual is the base Grow Stronger Method, meaning that you can use it to grow stronger no matter what sport or activity you participate in. Since the volume is so low you will still be fresh enough to practice your sport. I will be creating several auxiliary Grow Stronger workouts in the near future. If you have suggestions for specific Grow Stronger workouts that you would like me to create, just shoot me your idea at elliotthelp@gmail.com

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Recommended Training Equipment

The Rogue S2 Squat Rack
You really don't need too much equipment to use The Grow Stronger Method, but there is one piece that I think you should have. A durable rack where you can perform all of your pressing, squatting and pulling. I have three Rogue S2 Racks in my garage gym. The reason why I love these so much is because the don't take up too much space, they're durable AND they have cool chin up bar that includes a 2 diameter option. CLICK HERE If You're Interested In Learning More About The Rogue S2 Rack.

Westside Power Bar

If you choose to buy a cheap bar and plate set from your local sporting goods store you'll be good to go, but I can promise you that within a few months, the bar is going to begin falling apart...especially if you train as hard we do at my gym. Your best bet is to get a quality bar that will last you years and years. These power bars are designed for abuse. I have two of them that I bought over 5 years ago and they are still holding strong. I highly recommend them. Even though they seem expensive, you'll save money in the long run. CLICK HERE To Invest In A Westside Power Bar

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Rogue Wood Rings

Although you don't need rings to use the Grow Stronger method, I personally enjoy using them for my lever work. It also provides an opportunity to work on reverse levers, something you can't do with a chin up bar alone. These rings can easily be attached to the chin up bar in your squat rack and be used for dozens of great bodyweight strengthening exercises. I have three pairs of these at my gym and we use them on a daily basis. CLICK HERE If You'd Like To Learn More About The Rogue Wood Rings

Recommended Reading Material

The following books have been referenced though out The Grow Stronger manual. I purposefully did not fill this manual with too much technical talk in order to keep it simple and allow you to get started right away, without too much thinking. But if you're a strength geek like me, then you'll want to dig a little deeper into the mechanics of barbell and gymnastics training. You can never have enough books in your library, especially books that help you become a stronger version of yourself. The following books are highly recommended for additional, in depth, study. Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe Easy Strength by Dan John & Pavel Power To The People by Pavel Raising The Bar by Al Kavaldo Renegade Diet by Jason Ferruggia Workout Finishers by Mike Whitfield Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson (Bonus Reading)

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Elliott's Books & Resources

Lean Hybrid Muscle Strength Camp Workouts Gridiron Domination Superior Program Design Superior Speed System Hybrid Strongman Training 14 Day Hybrid Mass Building Aggressive Strength Complexes Anabolic Energizers The Muscle Virus Solution Warehouse Gym Business Course Passion Cash Control

Elliott's Websites
HulseStrength.com Strengthology.net Elliott's Facebook Page Elliott's YouTube Channel Elliott's Twitter Thank you for investing in this book and taking the time to try my methods for building strength! Grow Stronger, Elliott Hulse

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