Do you dream of adding slabs of shredded beef to your frame? Do you want your explosive power to skyrocket? Are you looking to chisel the perfect physique of granite like muscle and sinewy tendons reminiscent of steel cable? To facilitate this transformation healthy and hearty levels of Test and GH are a huge advantage. There is a very good chance you are familiar with the terms Test and GH. Just in case you aren’t, these are short for Testosterone and Growth Hormone. These two hormones are vital when it comes to packing on lean muscle.

Don’t be confused! I am NOT advocating steroid use! Often when people talk of Test and GH they are referring to Steroids; instead, you should know you can increase both of these levels NATURALLY! Now, I’m not here to discuss the legality, ethics or morality of using banned substances. Rather, I’m here to give you the knowledge to get your results your way! If your way is Natural... read on. If not... read on anyway and see how to take your body to a new level yet!

As we have established, you want to add lean muscle. You also know that elevated levels of Test and GH can help you do that. How can you raise these levels other than taking steroids? You can try TRAINING HARD! That’s right! Simply by training hard with great intensity during your weight training you can increase both levels! You may be saying, “But I already train hard.” That may be true... but do you trash large amounts of muscle or do you just do bicep curls all day? I’m just messing with you! I’m sure you work hard; but, I have a feeling after you read further you will find the drive to push harder.

Why push harder? When you push harder increasing volume and intensity you will notice the greatest increase in GH! What’s more, when you train large muscle groups you boost your testosterone levels like crazy as well! I won’t bore you with study after study. Sufficed to say, multiple studies show that RESISTANCE TRAINING with challenging weights (5-10 reps per set) with relatively short rest periods (approx 1 min) boost these all important levels! This means hitting failure at the end of sets. That is how you know you are working with intensity. If you are cruising through the 5-10 reps you are missing the boat and won’t get the boost I’m speaking of. MAXIMUM effort in the last 2-3 sets of each exercise is necessary.

Though I won’t sit here and site 74 research articles, allow me just a moment to tell you about two cases in particular. One is me... After 19 years of training I have become very in tune with my body. When I have a particularly challenging leg work-out or intense upper body day, I can feel the increase in my TEST levels. I feel as though I can run through a brick wall and I’m natural. Have you had that feeling after a particularly intense lift? Now I’m not drawing blood to check my levels; but, I can tell when my body is anabolic and chances are you can too! When I have a few weeks of these types of workouts my body shows the results! The other case is a previous client of mine. This gentleman was in his early 40’s and diagnosed with Low Testosterone. He added NOTHING to his supplement regimen. We added HEAVY and INTENSE multi-joint weight training. Guess what... he went back to the Doctor and his Test Level was back up into the Normal Zone! The only change was added INTENSE WEIGHT TRAINING and BAM his Test Levels Shot Up big time. If this style of training did that for him, what do you think that means doing serious multi-joint movement will do for you if you already have a Normal or High Test and GH Level? Your Hormone Levels will climb massively just like the weight you’ll be able to push!

At this point you may be wondering what these “multi-joint movements” are... if you have forgotten the title of this article. Though there are multi-joint movements that will work, there are three in particular that are juggernauts when it comes to increasing your GH and Test Levels naturally:

  • Bench Press
  • Squat
  • Deadlift

    Why are these THREE LIFTS SO EFFECTIVE? It’s simple really! These three lifts hit essentially the entire body and at the same time you can move serious weight in each exercise. The result is that you stimulate large amounts of muscle with massive stress from heavy weight. This induces elevated production your body’s natural HORMONES to deal with the stresses!

    Let’s take a quick look at the BIG THREE and see what they work and how they can change your body:

    1. The Bench Press slams the Pectoral Slabs and is great for adding sheer mass in the chest. Also hit during the bench press are the front of the Shoulders and Triceps. This compound movement is top tier for adding size to the arms since triceps make up the larger portion of the upper arm.

    2. The Squat is arguably the best lift for the quads, hams and glutes. It hammers the legs and core as well or better than any other exercise out there.

    3. The Deadlift is well known for adding mass to the back. It annihilates the entire backside of the body from hams to the rhomboids, lats and traps.

    When you put the three of these exercises together in a well thought out training program the entire body sees serious action. I personally work these and/or very similar movement twice every week. You can benefit greatly from this same frequency or even once per week for each lift if your body needs more recovery time. Either way your goal is simple. You want to train often enough with the right exercises and intensity to keep the body in an elevated hormonal state while not over training.

    At this point, I trust you know what you need to do. The question now is what do you need to do it? Unlike a lot of the fancy schmancy B.S. out there... This is SIMPLE... This is OLD SCHOOL ... THIS is EFFECTIVE and I LOVE IT! The list of necessary equipment is short and sweet: a barbell with weights and a Half-Rack with Work Bench is the PERFECT Set-Up for the BIG THREE! There are tons of options out there but many are cheap and flimsy and others are way overpriced. You need to make sure that you are dealing with a sturdy and functional piece of equipment which is also priced right. Powertec's Half-Rack equipment is one of the best options available on the market. Equipment similar to this is perfect for doing the Big Three exercises, as it is capable of loading a great amount of weight. It has a racking capacity of up to 1000 pounds and a chin-up bar capacity of up to 400 pounds. Regardless if you are dealing with tons of weight for squats, this half-rack can assure you the safety you need. It also caters to multiple height adjustments on full or half deadlifts.

    You know what kind of equipment to use to get ripped... the question is how do you go about maximizing your progress? That comes from performing the Big THREE exercises in a total body workout plan. So what does a sample workout plan look like for your Powertec Workbench Half Rack? Well there are many workout plan options; but, for simplicity I will give an example built around the BIG THREE and no accessories beyond the workbench. You will of course need a barbell and weights... if you can’t figure that out then there is another issue we have to deal with. Ok, no more joking... it’s time to get serious with your workout!

    THE WORKOUT

    This is a sample three day split. You will notice exercise order is changed periodically to balance body development. Performing exactly the same lift every time will result in stagnation after an extended period of time. This is not to say that every workout has to be completely different. Simple changes in ORDER, WEIGHT, REPS, REST etc. will be sufficient to keep you on the right track.

    THE MASS BLAST BIG THREE

    WEEKS 1-4

    Monday

  • Bench Press 4 x 10-15
  • Incline Bench Press 4 x 10-15
  • Shoulder Press 4 x 10-15
  • Push-Ups 2 sets of MAX REPS
  • Barbell Skull Crushers 4 x 10-15

    Wednesday

  • Squats 4 x 10-15
  • Lunges 4 x 10-15
  • Good Mornings 4 x 10-15
  • Stiff Leg Deadlift 4 x 10-15
  • Calf Raise 5 x 20-25

    Friday

  • Deadlift 4 x 10-15
  • Pull-Ups 3x MAX REPS
  • Bent Over Barbell Row 4 x 10-15
  • Upright Row 4 x 10-15
  • Shrugs 4 x 10-15
  • Barbell Curls 4 x 10-15

    WEEKS 5-8

    Monday

  • Clapping Push-ups 4 x 8-10
  • Incline Bench Press 5 x 8-10
  • Shoulder Press 5 x 8-10
  • Bench Press 5 x 8-10
  • Barbell Skull Crushers 5 x 8-10
  • Push-Ups 3 sets of MAX REPS

    Wednesday

  • Squat Jumps 4 x 8-10
  • Squats 5 x 8-10
  • Stiff Leg Deadlift 5 x 8-10
  • Calf Raise 6 x 15-20
  • Lunges 5 x 8-10
  • Good Mornings 5 x 8-10

    Friday

  • Pull-Ups 3x MAX REPS
  • Deadlift 5 x 8-10
  • Upright Row 5 x 8-10
  • Shrugs 5 x 8-10
  • Bent Over Barbell Row 5 x 8-10
  • Barbell Curls 5 x 8-10

    Weeks 9-12

    Monday

  • Bench Press 6 x 6-8
  • Shoulder Press 6 x 6-8
  • Incline Bench Press 6 x 6-8
  • Barbell Skull Crushers 6 x 6-8
  • Push-Ups 4 sets of MAX REPS

    Wednesday

  • Squats 6 x 6-8
  • Good Mornings 6 x 6-8
  • Lunges 6 x 6-8
  • Stiff Leg Deadlift 6 x 6-8
  • Calf Raise 6 x 10-15

    Friday

  • Deadlift 6 x 6-8
  • Bent Over Barbell Row 6 x 6-8
  • Upright Row 6 x 6-8
  • Pull-Ups 3x MAX REPS
  • Shrugs 6 x 6-8
  • Barbell Curls 6 x 6-8

    This is a 12 week program with adjustments in reps and exercise order. The Big THREE are the cornerstone exercises of this mass blast! You will experience a huge increase in overall strength and mass if you take in proper nutrition while on the MASS BLAST Routine. Your strength will progressively build as you work your way through the program. As the reps per set get lower each month you will be using progressively more weight with each session. I RECOMMEND RECORDING RESULTS FOR WEIGHT AND REPS EACH WORKOUT IN A TRAINING JOURNAL. This will give you something to strive to beat the next week. The goal is to beat your numbers the week before and ultimately go back to week 1 after the 12 week program and start the cycle over again with heavier weight and more intensity than you started with just 3 short months prior.

    So let's take a quick moment to recap. With only the Powertec Workbench Half Rack and a Barbell Set you get the tools for a RESULTS ORIENTED WORKOUT! I have given you the plan. The question I have for you is, "Do you have the drive?"

    With the drive... the plan... and the right equipment you can make it happen. The choice is yours.

  • Author's Bio: 

    Ian Lauer is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. His background in personal training made him an expert in providing countless of valuable advice and a proud member of Team Powertec. Powertec is the pioneer and leader in the area of strength equipment. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Powertec produces a full line of strength equipment for home and light commercial purposes. Our brand is highly sought after by the educated buyer looking for weight capacity maximization without sacrificing safety, customization of their Workbench home gyms through extensive accessory modularization, and commercial gym quality at home gym prices.