MAS Muscle Density Training

Muscle Density Training
by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 1

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*Disclaimer*
The information provided in this report is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor and
this information is not to be taken as medical advice. The content of this book is based on my
understanding of the current research and my personal experiences with fitness.
This advice and tips given in this report are designed for healthy adults only. You should consult
your personal doctor to make sure the strategies outlined here are appropriate for your individual
circumstances.
If you have any health issue or pre-existing conditions, please consult with your physician before
implementing any of the information provided in this book.
This paper is for informational purposes only and the author does not accept any responsibilities
for any liabilities or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information.

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
5 MD Training Principles
11 MD Training Program
17 Workout Routines
33 Break Through A Strength Plateau
36 Cardio & Ab Workout

Muscle Density
Training principles

MD training
principles
Training for muscle growth
Like I explained in the Muscle Density Nutrition
manual, your muscles dont have any reason
to grow if there is no training stimulus that
requires an adaptation, regardless of your
diet. That adaptation is muscle growth, and
there are 3 different ways to trigger it:
Progressive overload
Muscle damage
Metabolic fatigue
On another hand, you can only become stronger
Progressive overload is by far the most
if you do enough reps with heavy enough weights
important predictor of muscle growth as it
in a set period of time, and if you hit your muscles
accounts for more than 80% of your results
often enough. Basically that means we have to
(I made this statistic up, but you get the point train with the right parameters (intensity, volume,
right?). frequency) before looking to make progress.
Its just a fancy term to say that you must get In proper training conditions, progressive
stronger and stronger over time if you want to overload induces mainly myofibrillar hypertrophy,
build muscle, and the most practical way to do which is an increase in size of the contractile
that is to lift heavier and heavier weights in a components of the muscle: muscle fibers. This is
given repetition range. the kind of muscle growth that sticks long term
and that we want to target most.

The other 2 types of hypertrophy are Lastly, metabolic fatigue (also known as
responsible for the remaining muscle growth pump training) is triggered by pushing
potential, which also means theyre not the muscles to failure in higher rep ranges.
the main focus when trying to build the It results in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, aka
foundations of a great physique. muscle growth induced mainly by glycogen
overcompensation. Your muscle fill up their
However, training for muscle growth in a
energy stores a bit more every time you
caloric surplus allows to target all kinds of
deplete them so your muscles can train longer
muscle growth at the same time because
next time you try to push them to failure.
there is plenty of energy and amino acids from
food to get the job done. Knowing what all kinds of stimuli for muscle
growth stand for allows us to set the right
Its just a matter of knowing where most of
training parameters to trigger the kinds of
your results will come from and design your
muscle growth that matter to YOU.
training accordingly, but thats no reason to
skimp on anything. Were not looking to add 10 lbs of fluid in your
muscles that will disappear as soon as you
Muscle damage happens when you lift heavy
stop training for 2 weeks, but 10 lbs of dense,
weights and impose high tension on the
strong muscle fibers that will stay there long
muscle. This damage requires cell repair, and
term. So lets figure out what intensity, volume
if the body is given the right nutrients and rest,
and frequency are necessary to do that.
muscle fibers will grow bigger to better handle
the future stimulus. Its a form of myofibrillar
hypertrophy and works hand in hand with
progressive overload.

Intensity, volume & frequency Intensity
Every training program is a combination of Doing enough work is not enough
intensity, volume and frequency. We cant Theres a minimum intensity threshold that
build muscle by focusing on any of these 3 must be passed for repetitions to induce the
factors alone because they work together. In growth of muscle fibers and allow you to get
order for us to maximize muscle growth, we stronger. That means you must lift weights
need to train with the right intensity, the right that are heavy enough for you.
frequency, and do enough volume.
If you pump dozens of light reps, you will only
Volume induce metabolic fatigue, fill your muscles
with glycogen and go so far. Obviously thats
To build muscle you first have to do enough not what we want.
work, otherwise the stimulus will not be
On another hand, you cant lift too heavy all
enough to trigger an adaptation. On another
the time either. If you work in the 1-3 rep range
hand, if you do too much work you will induce
most of the time, of course youll get stronger
too much damage for your body to repair,
but you wont be able to enough volume to
which can eventually lead to overtraining.
maximize muscle growth. At this level of
Scientific studies and practical experience weight your central nervous system (CNS)
recommend to do 40-70 reps per muscle does a fair part of the job and youll fry it if you
group per workout in order to maximize try to accumulate volume in this rep range. Its
strength and muscle gains, which is what the just too taxing on the body.
program is designed to accomplish. So whats heavy enough and not too heavy
at the same time?
The best repetition range to get stronger and

build dense muscle is a medium one. Youll
get the best bang for your buck in the 4-12
repetition range because it allows you to lift
heavy enough weights while doing enough
volume to induce muscle growth. The weights
are also light enough so that you can maintain
good technique, not cheat the full range
of motion and get close to failure in a safe
manner.

Frequency However, training in the 4-8 rep range

consistently is also taxing on the local CNS,
Science have demonstrated that protein
which takes 3-4 days to fully recover on its
synthesis, the process of repairing and building
end.
muscle tissue that allows for muscle growth,
was at a peak at 24 hours following heavy Thats great because the best way to hit
resistance training, and returned to baseline at your muscle groups often enough while still
36-48 h following training. working out only 3 times a week is to hit
them every 4-5 days. Thats not maximum
In other words, your muscles only grow for
(you cant do maximum by training thrice a
a 36-48 hours period following a workout,
week), but thats as close to ideal as we can
regardless of the muscle group worked or the
get without spending our lives in the gym.
amount of work done (providing its in the
recommended range of volume and performed Thats all you need to know
with the right intensity).
Lets sum up the principles of the Muscle
After 36-48 hours the muscle is fully recovered Density Training program in one page.
so if we want to maximize muscle growth, in
theory we should hit each muscle group every
2 days.

Muscle Density Training principles
1 Using mostly free weights
Getting stronger on key compound lifts using a progression model

2
3 Working in a medium rep range most of the time (4-12)
Lifting 3 times a week for 60-90 min only

4
5 Hitting every muscle group once every 4-5 days
Maximizing training volume without hindering recovery

6
7 Using long rest periods between sets
Building a strength foundation before specializing muscle groups

8
9 Introducing deloads between training phases to increase recovery capacities
By building your training program around these principles, we make sure you put on rock hard
muscle that will stick to your frame even if you quit going to the gym. Which I hope you never
do!
PS: Because youve been through MAS Training, you must be familiar with all these training principles,
except maybe the last one. I will explain what a deload is in the Training phases section below.

Muscle Density
Training program

MD Training
program
Workout split In case you need super effective workouts that
accelerate fat loss and build rock hard abs,
The MD workout routines are based on a 2-day shoot me an email (oualid@ozfitlife.com) and
split in which youll be working 2 major muscle Ill give you access to the blueprint.
groups in each session.
This workout split is the ideal way to hit every
Workout A is an upper body workout focused major muscle group with the right volume and
on chest, shoulders and triceps. Its the frequency to maximize muscle growth, while
equivalent of a push workout. Workout B is an still going to the gym only 3 times per week.
upper/lower body workout focused on legs,
back and biceps. Its kind of a mix between a Indeed, each major muscle group will be hit
pull workout and a leg workout. hard every 4-5 days because you only have 2
different workouts in your routine. Plus youll
Otherwise, there is ab work involved in every be performing mainly compound movements
workout in case youre not doing my awesome thus hitting several muscles groups every
ab workouts from the Cardio & Abs Blueprint. other day in a primary or secondary manner.
This work is frequent enough to explode

muscle growth, while allowing plenty of time
for muscle recovery and growth.

This is how youre going to spread your workouts:
Week 1: Week 2: switch A&B
Day 1: Workout A Day 1: Workout B

Day 2: Rest Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Workout B Day 3: Workout A
Day 4: Rest Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Workout A Day 5: Workout B
Days 6&7: Rest Days 6&7: Rest
And then repeat until training phase is complete. strength and muscle foundations of your
physique.
Training phases
Each major muscle group is trained with pretty
The Muscle Density Training program is much the same volume (around 100 reps
made of 4 training phases with 4 different per week), which is relatively high but not yet
workout routines: 1 strength and hypertrophy maximum. This is because you cant maximize
phase, 3 muscle-group specialization phases work volume on all muscle groups at the same
(one of them being optional) and 2 deloads. time while hitting them this often without
Phase 1: Strength & hypertrophy inviting overtraining and strength regression to
Deload the party.
Phase 2: Chest & biceps specialization This is where specialization phases come in.
The purpose of the 3 following phases is to
Phase 3: Back & xplode muscle growth potential in 2 muscle
shoulders specialization groups at a time, one in workout A and
Deload one in workout B. This is done by increasing
volume (sets and reps) for the specific muscle
Phase 4: Legs & triceps specialization
group that is being specialized, and slightly
(optional)
decreasing volume for the other major muscle
Phase 1, the strength and hypertrophy group that is being trained on the same
phase, is designed to help you build the session.

For example, on workout A (chest, shoulders I dont want you to be confused by

and triceps) of phase 2 (chest and biceps changing both training structure and
specialization), volume will be increased for exercises at the same time from one
chest and decreased for shoulders. phase to another.
There are 2 deload weeks included in your Of course, youre free to bring some variety
program, one after phase 1 and one after into your workouts if you want to. Youll find
phase 3. These are weeks you dont go to the the best variations for all exercises in the
gym to let your recovery capacities catch up routines in the Exercise variations section
with the volume of work youve been doing below. I recommend you switch exercises
for several weeks/months at a time. This will when youre no longer enthusiastic to hit a
allow you to recover faster and thus build more lift or when youre experiencing a strength
muscle when you head back to the gym. plateau. For more on how to break through a
strength plateau, head to the eponym chapter
Lastly
in this guide.
all 4 phases are based on pretty much the
same handful of key exercises.
I havent put any specific focus on exercise

variation from one phase to another and I did
that on purpose for 2 reasons:
The goal of this muscle-building

program is to build a great foundation
of muscle and strength, and this is best
done when you can make and track
progress on the same lifts for as long as
possible

Without further ado, heres what your training program looks like:
Phase 1: Weeks 1-12

Workout A: Chest, shoulders, triceps (strength & hypertrophy)
Workout B: Legs, back, biceps (strength & hypertrophy)
Week 13 : Deload
Phase 2: Weeks 14-19

Workout A: Chest, shoulders, triceps (chest specialization)
Workout B: Legs, back, biceps (biceps specialization)
Phase 3: Weeks 20-25

Workout A: Chest, shoulders, triceps (shoulders specialization)
Workout B: Legs, back, biceps (back specialization)
Week 26: Deload
Phase 4: Weeks 27-32 (optional)

Workout A: Chest, shoulders, triceps (triceps specialization)
Workout B: Legs, back, biceps (legs specialization)
Week 33 : Get back on MAS Training and Nutrition

Key movements Rows and pulldowns
The MD training program revolves around the Squats
same handful of compound movements as Chin ups and pull ups

the MAS training programs, because they are
the cornerstones of every strength training For my best tips on how to get the most of
program. The biggest part of your results will these exercises, check out p. 24 to 29 inside
always come from your ability to get stronger the MAS Training Manual.
on these key movements. Not that the other I wont be covering the detailed instructions on
ones are not important, but these exercises how to complete the exercises of the program
and their multiples variations are the ones you as you can find that anywhere on the Internet
should definitely keep in mind and focus on. and theres no point in filling out dozens of
They are : pages for that here. Youre better off watching
the video demos on the bodybuilding.com
Bench presses database for proper form of all exercises
Shoulder presses before you head to the gym.
Deadlifts

Workout
Routines

Workout
Routines
Each one of your 4 workout routines includes
compound exercises and isolation exercises.
Some of them are labeled RPT and others
are labeled SS.
The label tells a lot about how youre going to

perform the exercise, so pay close attention
RPT: Reverse Pyramid Training
For exercises labeled RPT, youre going to

lift heavy weights and youre going to train in
reverse pyramid.
You must have noticed that all 3 sets are not

performed in the same rep range. In fact, your
1st set is going to be the heaviest one and that SS: Straight Sets
you will decrease the weight by approximately For exercises labeled SS, youre going to
10% in your 2nd set and another 10% in use relatively heavy to light weights and do
your last set while increasing the number of straight sets. This means youre going to be
repetitions every time. using the same weight and working in the
same repetition range in all 3 sets. This style of
Starting with the heavy set allows you to go
training is best suited for secondary compound
into the exercise with full strength, lift heavier
movements and single-joint exercises in which
weights, recruit more muscle fibers and as a
progress is slower.
consequence maximize strength gains and
muscle growth. That being said

Along with Workout A of phase 1 you will find Those notes apply in the same exact manner
detailed workout notes that explain how to for all other workouts in the program as all
choose your work weights for each type of routines include the same RPT and SS kinds of
exercises, how many sets and reps to do, exercises.
how to progress on the exercises and how
If there is something specific to a certain
long to rest between sets.
workout session that is worth mentioning, it
will be specified.
Workout routines start on

the next page...

Strength & hypertrophy : 12 weeks

Workout A: chest, shoulders & triceps
Exercises Sets Reps Rest
Incline barbell bench press (RPT) : 4 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Standing barbell overhead press (RPT) : 4 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Flat dumbbell bench press (SS) : 4 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Lateral raise (SS) : 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Rope pushdown (SS) : 3 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 2 mins

LEGEND: Compound movements | Exercises that require warm up | Isolation movements
Detailed workout notes : (apply training principles to any workout)
On Workout A, the first 3 exercises are the compound movements. These are the ones you
should strive to get stronger on. The first 2 will be performed in RPT style and the 3rd one in
SS style.
In the 1st set of each RPT movement, use a weight that you can lift for 4 repetitions
maximum. This is what we call a 4RM, or 4 Rep Max. By definition, you will fail if you try
to do a 5th repetition with this weight. For your 2nd set, decrease the total weight by
approximately 10% and strive to add 2 more repetitions. For you 2 last sets, decrease the
total weight again by approximately 10% and strive to add 2 more repetitions.


As an example, lets say your 4RM on the incline barbell bench press is 160 lbs. Your work
sets would look like this:
Set 1: 4 x 160 lbs

Set 2: 6 x 145 lbs
Set 3: 8 x 130 lbs
Set 4: 8 x 130 lbs
To progress on the exercise, aim to build up to the top end of the repetition range for each
set before you add weight. The repetition range for your 1st set is 4-6, which means you can
increase the work weight when you manage to hit 6 repetitions with your initial weight (4
RM). Same thing for the 2nd set in the
6-8 rep range and the 3rd and 4th sets in the 8-10 rep range.
Every time you hit the top end of a rep range with a weight, increase the total weight by the
smaller possible increment and build up from the lower end of the rep range all over again.
In most gyms, the minimum weight you can add on the incline barbell bench press is 5 lbs
because you have to charge both sides of the bar with the smallest plate, which is 2.5 lbs. If
you have 1.25 lbs plates available, then great!
For example, lets say your performance on workout 1 looks like this on the incline bench
press:
Set 1: 4 x 160 lbs

Set 2: 6 x 145 lbs
Set 3: 8 x 130 lbs
Set 4: 8 x 130 lbs


In each one of your 4 sets taken independently, strive to add one rep as soon as you can
rack up the weight without grinding the last rep. When youve managed to add one rep to
all sets, your performance will look like this:
Set 1: 5 x 160 lbs

Set 2: 7 x 145 lbs
Set 3: 9 x 130 lbs
Set 4: 9 x 130 lbs
Next, strive to hit the top end of the rep range in each one of your sets:
Set 1: 6 x 160 lbs

Set 2: 8 x 145 lbs
Set 3: 10 x 130 lbs
Set 4: 10 x 130 lbs
Each time you hit the top end of the rep range for a set, add 5 lbs. and start back at the low
end of the rep range. When you got that for all 4 sets, it will look like this:
Set 1: 4 x 165 lbs

Set 2: 6 x 150 lbs
Set 3: 8 x 135 lbs
Set 4: 8 x 135 lbs
As you progressively add weights, make sure you leave a gap of around 10% between
weight 1 and weight 2 and 10% between weight 2 and weight 3 & 4 even if that means
slowing down your progress. When it comes to muscle building, slow and steady wins the
race.


Note: in reality your progress isnt always going to be linear, easy or fast. Sometimes its
going to be easier to add weight on your 3rd and 4th set than to add a repetition on your 1st
or 2nd set. Sometimes youre going to struggle with adding weight. All you have to keep in
mind is that you should strive to make progress one way or another from a workout to the
next, at least on one of your sets.
You should rest 3 min between sets on RPT movements. This will allow for maximum
performance on each set.
As a warm up for the entire workout, you should perform 3 light sets on your 1st RPT lift
before hitting the heavy weights. Dont do static stretching before working out as it will
weaken your joints before you hit heavy weights; its a great recipe for injury. Stretch after
your training if you want to.
In this case, the warm up is done on the incline bench press and it goes like this: 6 reps with
50% of your heaviest work weight, 3 reps with 70% of your work weight and 1 rep with
90% of your work weight. You dont need to warm up for all exercises as the muscle groups
that you will engage in the other exercises generally get plenty of work during the 1st one.
You should rest 2 min between warm up sets and 3 min before the 1st work set.
The other 3 exercises of the workout are performed SS style, two of which are isolation
movements. On SS movements you wont be able to progress as fast as on RPT lifts but
its perfectly fine. For flat dumbbell bench press, start with your 8RM and then build up to
10 reps on all 4 sets. Once you can do 10 reps on every set you can move on to the heavier
dumbbells (+ 2.5 lbs. on each side) and start back at 8 reps.
Same thing for lateral raise and rope pushdown except youre starting at 10 reps and
building up to 12.
You should rest 2 min between sets on SS movements.


Workout B: back, legs & biceps
Barbell deadlift (RPT) : 3 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 3 mins
Barbell bent over row (SS) : 4 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Angled leg press (SS) : 4 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Standing calf raise (SS) : 4 15-20 | 15-20 | 15-20 | 15-20 2 mins
Barbell bicep curl (SS) : 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins

Workout notes:
In Workout B of phase 1, youll only be doing 3 sets of the barbell deadlift because this
exercise is very taxing on the body. Doing 4 sets would hinder your performance for the rest
of the workout.
Thats also the reason why you dont do squats for your legs on this workout and why youre
training them on the angled leg press in a higher rep range. Doing heavy deadlifts and
squats on the same workout is definitely not a good idea as a beginner.

Chest & biceps specialization : 6 weeks

Workout A: chest specialization
Incline barbell bench press (RPT) : 5 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Standing barbell overhead press (RPT) : 3 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 3 mins
Flat dumbbell bench press (SS) : 5 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 2 mins
Lateral raise (SS) : 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins

Workout notes:
To specialize the chest, youll be doing an additional 5th set on both chest exercises and
removing one set from the overhead press to avoid increasing volume too much at once on
this workout.

Chest & biceps specialization : 6 weeks

Workout B: biceps specialization
Chin up (RPT) : 4 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Biceps lat pulldown (RPT) : 4 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Angled leg press (SS) : 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Standing calf raise (SS) : 3 15-20 | 15-20 | 15-20 90 sec
Barbell bicep curl (SS) : 4 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins

Workout notes:
The chin up is a back exercise that also hits the biceps hard, which is why it was selected for
this biceps specialization workout. It is best performed weighted (with a belt for dips and
plates). However if you cant do weighted chin ups yet its perfectly ok. Strive to hit the top
end of the rep range with your bodyweight alone before adding weight to your 1st then to
your 2nd set etc. When you get there and remove 10% of the weight for the 2nd set, remove
10% from the total weight (bodyweight plus plates), not only the plates.
Dont warm up with chin ups for the workout or else you will get tired before you even get
started. Do a dozen light reps on a back machine like the lat pulldown just to get the blood
flowing.
Then warm up for the angled leg press before you hit your quads hard.

Back & shoulders specialization : 6 weeks

Workout A : shoulders specialization
Incline barbell bench press (RPT) : 3 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 3 mins
Standing barbell overhead press (RPT) : 5 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Lateral raise (SS) : 4 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Bent over fly (SS): 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins

Workout notes:
To specialize the shoulder, youll be doing an additional 5th set on the overhead press and
the lateral raises and removing one set from the incline bench press to avoid increasing
volume too much at once on this workout. Youll also be adding an isolation exercise for the
anterior deltoids (back of the shoulders), which is the bent over fly.

Back & shoulders specialization : 6 weeks

Workout B : back specialization
Pull up (RPT) : 4 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Barbell deadlift (RPT) : 3 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 3 mins
Leg extension (SS) : 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Standing calf raise (SS) : 3 15-20 | 15-20 | 15-20 90 sec

Workout notes:
To specialize the back, were replacing the compound movement for legs with the king
of back exercises: the pull up. It is best performed in RPT style with weights, in the same
fashion as the chin up. Note that its pretty hard to progress towards weighted pull ups so
make sure you can do all 4 sets with your bodyweight first. You dont need weights right
away to build your back, you just need to make progress regularly.
Dont warm up with pull ups for the workout or else you will get tired before you even get
started. Do a dozen light reps on a back machine like the lat pulldown just to get the blood
flowing.
Then warm up for the deadlift before you hit the heavy weights.

Legs & triceps specialization: 6 weeks

Workout A : triceps specialization
Close-grip barbell bench press (RPT) : 4 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 8-10 3 mins
Standing barbell overhead press (RPT) : 3 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 3 mins
Flat dumbbell bench press (SS) : 3 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 2 mins
Skull crusher (SS) : 3 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 2 mins

Workout notes:
To specialize the triceps weve replaced the incline bench with a bench press variation that
solicitates the arms harder: the close-grip barbell bench press. Of course, this exercise still
works the chest, especially the interior of the pectoralis major. Weve also added a killer
isolation exercise for the triceps, which is the skull crusher. Note that your shoulders are still
getting plenty of work in this workout.

Legs & triceps specialization: 6 weeks

Workout A : legs specialization
Barbell squat (RPT) : 3 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 3 mins
Leg extension (SS) : 4 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Hamstring extension (SS) : 4 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins
Standing calf raise (SS) : 4 15-20 | 15-20 | 15-20 | 15-20 90 sec
Lat pulldown (SS) : 3 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 2 mins
Workout notes:
Finally, were doing squats. Its the surest way to force legs into accelerated muscle growth,
for most people. If squats dont work for you because youre too tall, stick to the angled
leg press and do it RPT style. As you might have noticed, theres no more heavy RPT sets
for the back. Thats because like the deadlift, the squat is a very demanding exercise. Your
upper back is still getting good work with the lat pulldown.
Dont forget to warm up for the squat before you go into the heavy sets. And avoid doing
heavy squats and heavy deadlifts in the same workout.
Tired of performing the same exercise? No problem! Pick a new one in the Exercise
variations section below. But be careful: change the exercise only. Do NOT change the
training structure (sets, reps, etc.). Stick to the program.

Exercise variations Rear-deltoid fly variations:
Bent over fly

CHEST EXERCISES
Seated bent over fly
Compound
Incline bench reverse fly
Bench press variations:

Flat barbell bench press
Incline barbell bench press BACK EXERCISES
Flat dumbbell bench press
Incline dumbbell bench press
Compound
Deadlift variations:
Barbell deadlift
SHOULDERS EXERCISES Hex bar deadlift
Sumo deadlift
Compound
Shoulder press variations:

Lat exercise variations:
Standing barbell overhead press
Lat pulldown
Seated dumbbell shoulder press
Chin up
Seated military press
Pull up
ISOLATION
Lateral raise variations: Middle-back exercise variations:

Lateral raise
Barbell bent over row
One-arm cable lateral raise
One-arm dumbbell row
Seated side lateral raise

ARMS EXERCISES LEGS EXERCISES
Compound
Isolation
Thigh exercise variations:
Biceps exercise variations:
Leg press
Barbell bicep curl
Barbell squat
Dumbbell alternate bicep curl
Dumbbell lunge
Incline dumbbell bicep curl
Bulgarian split squat
Romanian deadlift (hamstrings)

Triceps exercise variations:
Rope pushdown
Isolation
Seated triceps press
Leg extension (thighs)
Skull crusher
Hamstring extension (hamstrings)
Standing calf raise (calves)
Seated calf raise (calves)

Break Through A
Strength Plateau

Break Through A
Strength Plateau
Every time you go to the gym your goal should
be to beat the numbers of your previous
workout, and you now have a progression
model for that in the workout notes. In reality
though, your progress in the gym isnt always
going to be linear or fast.
Youre going to have excellent workouts, good

workouts, bad workouts and terrible workouts.
Eventually you might get stuck with the same
weights for a few weeks or even lose strength
on one or several of your key movements. And
you should be ok with that
Its perfectly normal to hit strength plateaus

and to not be on top of your game every day.
1. Most of the time, a stalling strength is
In all situations, you should keep striving to get
the sign that youre not eating enough.
stronger.
If your strength is not going up, the first
There are 2 ways you can keep making thing to do is to assess the evolution
progress in the gym when you cant seem to of your bodyweight and refer to p. 38
bust out of a strength plateau, regardless of in the Muscle Density Nutrition manual
the exercise youre looking at: to adjust your diet if necessary. If your
bodyweight is increasing at a proper
1. Make sure youre eating enough
pace and youre still not gaining
2. Switch to a new variation of the exercise strength, then it has to do with training
and you should try options 2 and 3.
3. Work in a higher rep range and build up
again.

2. For each compound exercise in the 3. If you want to stick to the same exercise
workout routines you have at least because you dont like the other
1 additional variation to work with. variations or because you absolutely
When your body stops responding want to make progress on that one, try
well to one variation, try another one. working in a higher rep range for a while.
Youll find that its easier to make Decrease the weight by 10-15% (or even
20%) and try adding 2-3 reps in all your
progress, not only because your central
sets before you add minimum weight.
nervous system is dealing with a new
This way youll be making progress
movement, but also because youre
again and youll be able to build back up
not visualizing yourself failing on the
to your initial strength and beyond.
exercise anymore. As soon as you start
making progress again youll be back in Also, I recommend you always stop at least 1
a positive mental framework for a while rep shy of failure; dont grind the last rep on all
and youll be able to make gains. sets as it will impair recovery and you might
not be able to perform at your peak strength
on the next workout.

Cardio &
Ab Workout

Cardio &
Ab Workout
Cardio
Building muscle is no reason to stop doing
cardio altogether. Yes, cardio is obviously more
helpful when the goal is losing fat because
it burns calories, but cardio is not just about
calories.
Studies have demonstrated that there are

many benefits in doing cardio regardless of
your fitness goals, providing its done the
RIGHT way.
At the very contrary, performing moderate
When I say the right way, each session
cardio holds benefits for you when building
should obey to the minimum effective dose
muscle:
principle, whether youre currently cutting
or bulking. This means doing just enough Year round conditioning
cardio to reap the benefits without the
Higher insulin sensitivity and nutrient
disadvantages.
partitioning in the muscles
I always shoot for 300-400 kcal burnt in
Faster muscle recovery.
every session. No more, no less.
And thats for any type of cardio.
Such a caloric expenditure doesnt hinder
your progress because it doesnt use muscle If youve purchased my Cardio & Abs Blueprint
tissue for energy to sustain extended effort along with MAS, you know that theres even
and doesnt interfere with strength and muscle better than just any type. Theres High
adaptations from your workouts. Intensity Interval Training cardio.

In addition to all other benefits, HIIT cardio results in increased growth hormone and catecholamine
levels, both responsible for increased muscle strength and fat mobilization (helping you build more
muscle and stay lean).
A typical HIIT session consists of :
A short warm up to increase blood flow to your muscles before putting them through intense
effort;
Shorts bursts of high intensity effort at maximum exertion followed by low intensity rest
periods where you let your heart beat get back to resting heart rate.
Simple, quick, effective.
So heres a workout you can perform twice a week, either on off days (best option) or AFTER a
strength training workout:
Beginner:
Activity Warm up Workout round Rounds
Sprinting, cycling, 4 min low to moderate 20 sec maximum intensity

4
rowing or elliptical intensity - 3 min recovery
Intermediate:

6
Advanced:

8

Ab workout
You have two options when it comes to hitting
your abs.
Either you do a separate ab workout on off

days 2 times a week where you completely
hammer your abs, or you include some ab
work at the end of your strength training
workouts if you dont want to go to the
gym just for cardio and abs (which is
understandable).
Option 1: Separate ab workout
Perform 3 rounds of the following circuit with 3 min rest between rounds:
Exercise Reps Rest after set

Captains chair knee raise Build up to 15 30 sec
Bicycle crunch Build up to 15 each side 30 sec
Russian twist Build up to 15 each side 30 sec
Elbow plank Build up to 1 min 30 sec
Superman Build up to 10 30 sec
Option 2: Ab work post strength training
Perform 3 rounds of the following circuit with 2 min rest between rounds:
Exercise Reps Rest after set

Captains chair knee raise Build up to 15 30 sec
Side to side knee raise Build up to 15 30 sec
This is an outlook on one of the beginner ab routines in my Cardio & Abs Blueprint. If you want me
to give you access to the full blueprint so you can get everything you need to get leaner quicker and
get your abs to pop faster, just shoot me an email here: oualid@ozfitlife.com.
I wish you great success on your muscle-building journey and cant wait to see your
before/after pictures with those additional 10 lbs of muscle! :-)

To your fitness success,

Oualid Zaim
oualid@ozfitlife.com http://facebook.com/oualidzaim @oualidzaim

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Muscle Density Training

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 1

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 2

33 Break Through A Strength Plateau

36 Cardio & Ab Workout

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 3

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 4

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Intensity, volume & frequency Intensity

Every training program is a combination of Doing enough work is not enough

The best repetition range to get stronger and

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 7

Frequency However, training in the 4-8 rep range

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 8

Muscle Density Training principles

1 Using mostly free weights

Getting stronger on key compound lifts using a progression model

Lifting 3 times a week for 60-90 min only

Maximizing training volume without hindering recovery

Building a strength foundation before specializing muscle groups

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 9

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This work is frequent enough to explode

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This is how youre going to spread your workouts:

Week 1: Week 2: switch A&B

Day 1: Workout A Day 1: Workout B

Phase 1: Strength & hypertrophy inviting overtraining and strength regression to

Deload the party.

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 12

For example, on workout A (chest, shoulders I dont want you to be confused by

I havent put any specific focus on exercise

The goal of this muscle-building

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 13

Phase 1: Weeks 1-12

Phase 2: Weeks 14-19

Workout B: Legs, back, biceps (biceps specialization)

Phase 3: Weeks 20-25

Workout B: Legs, back, biceps (back specialization)

Week 26: Deload

Phase 4: Weeks 27-32 (optional)

Week 33 : Get back on MAS Training and Nutrition

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 14

Key movements Rows and pulldowns

The MD training program revolves around the Squats

same handful of compound movements as Chin ups and pull ups

Shoulder presses before you head to the gym.

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 15

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The label tells a lot about how youre going to

RPT: Reverse Pyramid Training

For exercises labeled RPT, youre going to

You must have noticed that all 3 sets are not

by OUALID ZAIM www.OZFitLife.com 17

Workout routines start on

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Strength & hypertrophy : 12 weeks

Lateral raise (SS) : 3 10-12 | 10-12 | 10-12 2 mins

Rope pushdown (SS) : 3 8-10 | 8-10 | 8-10 2 mins