XMB Training Guide Ericwongmma

http://EricWongMMA.
com/explosive-muscle
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copyright notice
Copyright 2011 by Eric Wong Training Systems All Rights Reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without express written permission of Eric Wong or Eric Wong
Training Systems.
Published by: Eric Wong Training Systems
388 Richmond St. W
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5V 3P1
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.EricWongMMA.com
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES

The information presented in this work is by no way intended as medical advice
or as a substitute for medical counseling. The information should be used in
conjunction with the guidance and care of your physician. Consult your physician
before beginning this program as you would with any exercise and nutrition
program. If you choose not to obtain the consent of your physician and/or work
with your physician throughout the duration of your time using the
recommendations in the program, you are agreeing to accept full responsibility
for your actions.
By continuing with the program you recognize that despite all precautions on the
part of Eric Wong Training Systems, there are risks of injury or illness which can
occur because of your use of the aforementioned information and you expressly
assume such risks and waive, relinquish and release any claim which you may
have against Eric Wong Training Systems, or its affiliates as a result of any future
physical injury or illness incurred in connection with, or as a result of, the use or
misuse of the program. Bottom line if you die, its not my fault, and you cant
sue me. :) However, use of this program as intended is highly unlikely to cause
death and will only result in improved strength, power, flexibility and overall
fitness.
http://EricWongMMA.com/explosive-muscle
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table of contents
preface to version 2.0 ................................ 4-7
intro ........................................................ 8-11
program overview ...................................... 12
body comp assessment ......................... 13-14
body comp progress chart .......................... 15
explosive power overview .......................... 16
phase 1 workouts ................................ 17
phase 2 workouts ................................ 18
muscle building overview ........................... 19
exercise ............................................... 20
assessment ......................................... 21
assessment chart ................................ 22
your muscle building program ............ 23
training template examples ................ 24
workout guidelines ........................ 25-26
muscle building 15s ............................ 27
muscle building 10s ............................ 28
muscle building 5s .............................. 29
muscle hardening ................................ 30
x-factors ......................................... 31-32
onward and upward .............................. 33-34
its been fun ............................................... 35
blank templates ..................................... 36-41
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preface to version 2.0

Its been a couple of years since I initially released my Muscle Building Blueprint
for MMA fighters (MBB)
Ive been getting more and more requests from fighters asking me for tips and
tricks to building muscle.
Not the kind of muscle you see on stage competing to be crowned Mr. Olympia,
but a bit of functional muscle to get to the proper weight class for your body.
After all, MMA is a relative strength sport and while it may seem to be beneficial
to be as light as possible, theres the old law of diminishing returns that happens
where being too light and thus skinny for your height limits your strength and
can result in you getting rag-dolled all over the cage.
Its finding the right amount of lean mass for your body and if youre here, you
now have the power to systematically do just that.
Other guys who dont fight simply want to add some meat to their bones so it
doesnt look like youve got toothpicks instead of arms.
Thats fine too and this program will do that for you.
So would the old one, but this new one is better. Heres why
Ive been wanting to update the old MBB for a while now, but just havent had
the time.
Ive got to train guys like Claude Patrick who talk smack in my ear all day (hes a
master wordsmith I HIGHLY recommend you listen/watch any interviews he
does) and other athletes that limit the amount of time I can spend writing and
updating things.
If only I could repeat what Claude was saying in this fight. :)
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And things that are working well already always get put to the back burner in
favour of things that require immediate attention.
But Im all about progression and constant improvement and now, Ive improved
this program and brought it to the level where Im really proud of what it will
accomplish for you.
Just like in version 1.0, these are the promises of the new eXplosive Muscle
Building Blueprint (xMBB):
Systematic increases in lean muscle with little fat.

Average is 7-9 pounds of lean muscle per week with only 1-2 pounds of fat gain
its the leanest muscle building program out there as it doesnt simply rely on
the old adage of lift weights and eat tons that most other programs are based
on.
So instead of having to treat your body like a garbage dump, shoveling whatever
food you see into it, or, you can continue to eat clean, quality food like I
recommend in my Nutrition-itsu manual and stay healthy while building mass.
Minimal soreness allowing MMA training to continue.

You will get a bit sore at different points during the program, but not like most
muscle building programs that take the shock and awe approach where they
simply annihilate your body hoping it will adapt instead of giving the minimum
amount of stimulus needed for growth.
This works if youre a juiced up bodybuilder whose testosterone levels will help
him recover add muscle and recover like Wolverine from X-Men. But if youre a
natural athlete relying on good food, sleep and intelligent programming to make
gains, the shock and awe approach will ruin your MMA skill training because it
will hurt to scratch your back.
These are the 2 reasons why I created the original MBB in the first place, because
as an MMA fighter you cant afford to add much fat to your body and theres no
way youre going to stop MMA training to gain some muscle.
But now in version 2.0, Ive made a few tweaks and changes to make this
program even better and address some of the areas that I thought could be
improved that will have you not only bigger and more imposing after 8 weeks,
but also more POWERFUL.
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In MMA, depending on the move youre trying to execute, explosive power is

generated from one of two areas: from the ground up or from rotation of the
hips/core.
You mightve seen the equation before, but let me share it again here:
Power = Force x Velocity
But power in MMA is not just the result of being able to accelerate a load
rapidly.
Power in MMA is your ability to rapidly transition from contraction to
relaxation to contraction.
The above point is so important Ive highlighted, so read it again.
.
.
Now, lets take a look at some real-world examples
Throwing a Knockout Punch

The rotation in your hips and core is where real knockout power comes from.
From training MMA, you might know that being tense isnt conducive to
generating power. Its also a waste of energy and will cause you to gas out early.
But do you know why?
If not, heres an explanation:
Real power comes from your ability to be relaxed then in an instant fire your
hips and core up to whip your fist around for the big KO.
Or to throw powerful combos, starting from your hips/core, youve got to be
able to whip one fist out in one direction, relax the hip/core muscles that created
that movement then rapidly contract the opposite hip/core muscles to rotate
the other way to throw your other hand.
Being able to contract-relax-contract rapidly taps into something called the
stretch-shortening cycle and is the key to generating the maximum amount of
power in your punches possible.
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Yes, youve got to be grounded and balanced on your feet, but the power comes
from your middle, not the ground up.
Executing a Powerful Takedown

Obviously as youre driving for a powerful takedown you need power to come
from the ground up.
But being able to actually catch a takedown is a product of both good technique
and being quick enough to catch your opponent before he sprawls
Its this last part that you need the ability to contract-relax-contract again.
Youve got to change levels rapidly, which can only happen through relaxing the
leg muscles, then youve got to drive forward as quickly as possible so you dont
get your head squished by a good sprawl.
Do you understand the concept of contract-relax-contract now and how
important it is to the generation of power?
Now that you know this, it will help you understand what youre trying to do
both in the eXplosive power exercises youll be performing in this program and in
your MMA training.
Training partners beware! :)
So thats what this new eXplosive Muscle Building Blueprint is all about.
Its still an 8 week program. Itll still add 7-9 lbs of functional muscle to your
frame.
But its been upgraded and improved and those improvements will translate to
even better results after you finish it.
Now that weve got the new intro out of the way, Ive kept the old intro alive as
it tells my personal story of how I used the original MBB to transform my body
After that, the programs been re-written and setup in an easier-to-follow way
that will make it dead simple to have you turning heads, both on the beach and
your opponents heads in the cage.
Eric
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intro
Looking like a muscle-bound, bikini-wearing bodybuilder isnt going to help your
performance in the cage or ring.
BUT
You have to have a good amount of muscle mass for your frame, because muscle
size is a prescursor to strength.
So if youre a bone rack, as you fight more, even if your skill is superior, youre
going to consistently get dominated by a bigger, stronger opponents.
The key is achieving the right level of muscle mass for your frame, then
maintaining that level of muscle mass to stay in a weight class, while training for
strength, power, and stamina.
When MMA was growing in the early 2000s, fighters like Royce Gracie could
beat bigger and stronger opponents with skill alone.
But now that everybodys level of skill with wrestling, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and
boxing, to name a few, has risen, being strong for your size is a must just to
compete.
So if you need to build muscle while simultaneously training MMA, this program
is for you.
Ive been trying out different strategies to build muscle for years, using my own
body and my clients as guinea pigs.
Ive tried out programs where strength is the focus build strength and youll
build muscle is what they say. These programs are programs based on
powerlifting, such as the Westside template.
But theyre difficult to maintain while also training MMA 3-5 days a week.
Your joints take a beating and you feel like crap going into MMA training and you
dont have the energy during weight training, so youre not making gains
anywhere.
Ive also tried standard bodybuilder split routines, like splitting up chest/biceps,
back/triceps, and legs/abs, working on a 5 day cycle.
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The problem here is that the volume is way too high and the muscles get too
sore, slowing you down on the mats and in the ring and making it difficult to
stick to the program.
So Ive continued to experiment and try new programs, looking for the answer.
Then I stumbled across a totally new approach that Id never seen before and
the minute I read through it and learned the details, I knew that if this worked, it
would be perfect.
The original program was called HST, or Hypertrophy Specific Training, created
by a guy named Brian Haycock.
Brian first shared the method in 2000 through an online newsletter and since
then, many have used the system, reporting great results.
However, many of the details are left to interpretation and can be confusing, so
it took me a while to research all the background info and figure out how to
apply everything properly.
Then, because the focus is on muscle building, many exercises recommended
were classic bodybuilder exercises that wouldnt translate to improved
performance in the cage such as leg extensions and leg curls.
So I decided to take the details of the program and apply the necessary changes
so that it would still work for muscle growth but also improve, or at least not
take away from, MMA performance.
As always, I used the program on myself first, and here were my results:
Test
Weight (lbs)
Body Fat %
Lean Body Mass
(lbs)
Fat Mass (lbs)
Shoulder girth
Hip girth
Thigh girth
August 10
167
5.8
September 7 October 5
173
176
6.2
6.3
Change
+ 9 lbs
+ 0.5%
157.3
162.3
164.9
+ 7.6 lbs
9.7
46
37.5
20.25
10.7
46.5
38.5
21.25
11.1
47
39
22
+ 1.4 lbs
+ 1
+ 1.5
+ 1.75
I gained 9 lbs in body weight and 7.6 lbs of muscle mass in only 8 weeks while
only adding 1.4 lbs of body fat!
You can also clearly see that I got bigger in all major areas: the shoulders, hips
(around the butt) and thighs.
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Side note: 4 weeks later, I lost 2 pounds settling in around 174 lbs in body
weight, which was probably water loss due to me stopping creatine intake
Strength increased, I avoided injury, and I had energy to train on the same day
and days in-between weight training workouts.
This was great!
Take note that because I wasnt doing any conditioning training outside of MMA
classes, my cardio didnt change and mightve gotten a bit worse, but I quickly
got it back once I started training it again.
These results were amazing in such a short period of time, but I could see why
the program worked so well.
Now some guys might be worried about putting on any fat. These are probably
the same guys who weigh 130 lbs soaking wet.
Dont worry about putting on a few pounds of fat, your increased metabolism
from adding muscle will help you burn it fast when you switch to other training
methods.
So heres a rough outline of the program:
Full body workouts, 3 days per week, lasting an hour or less
Work near max intensity once every 2 weeks for 6 weeks so the joints dont
get hammered and you can still train MMA without getting injured
Only 1-3 sets MAX per exercise per workout, making volume very
manageable and muscle soreness a non-issue
Rest periods between sets are long enough to recover and not overtax the
lactic energy system, leaving energy for MMA training on the same day
The specifics of the program are based on stimulating the proper adaptations at
the cellular level.
Basically, this program works in 3 ways:
1. The consistent tension overload and high frequency of the program
stimulates your cells to constantly build protein.
2. The low volume doesnt deplete much energy (stored in the muscle as
glycogen), so that the calories you consume go towards building muscle
versus replenishing depleted glycogen stores.
3. The sub-maximal nature of the workouts allows you to train without
injuring your already touchy joints.
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For this program to work, you must follow the details EXACTLY, with no
deviation.
The biggest problem will be getting over the mindset that you have to train to
failure and lift weights for as many reps as you can, stopping just before your
head explodes. Training like this will NOT work.
Youll be working sub-maximally about 70% of the time that means, even
though the program tells you to stop at 12 reps, you use a weight that you could
do 20 reps with.
This is why this program works so well for fighters you still have energy to train
MMA while simultaneously building muscle!
The other component to successfully building muscle is nutrition.
The first thing which is obvious is youve got to be eating more calories than you
burn, and you definitely need a good amount of protein.
Im not going to outline a specific plan to follow or make you count calories,
because I didnt count calories myself and my results were great.
Instead, youve got to follow the basic eating principles I outline in my Nutritionitsu manual, and just eat greater portions.
There are also a couple of little details that are critical for success, which Ill
outline in full in the Nutrition Strategies section.
[Note: the Nutrition Strategies section has been moved to the all-new eXplosive
Muscle Building Nutrition Guide]
With that being said, I fully expect you to gain a bare minimum of 4 lbs of muscle
in 8 weeks, but its more likely that youll gain between 7-9 lbs of lean, rock-solid
muscle, which is a ton, especially for someone training MMA at the same time.
So follow the program as outlined and after you finish, send me your results and
some pics of your transformation at [email protected] or post it on the
forum on the INSIDERS ZONE.
Your Coach,
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program overview
Every workout you perform has 2 components: eXplosive power and muscle
building.
Think of them as separate programs that you do one after the other. Youll
actually have separate training logs for each component that youll take to the
gym with you this just makes it easier to follow, which youll learn the reason
why soon.
Youll be training 3 days per week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday/Saturday
seem to work well. Make sure you have at least 1 day of rest between workouts.
The power training is always done FIRST as thats when your nervous system is
the freshest and you can put the most effort into the exercises.
Heres a table giving you a birds eye view of the setup of the overall program:
Week #
1
2
eXplosive
power
NO TRAINING
3
4
5
phase 1
7
9
Week #
ASSESSMENT
NO TRAINING
15s
10s
6
8
muscle
building
phase 2
10
5s
MUSCLE HARDENING
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Its important to note that the first week is your muscle building assessment and
the second week there is NO TRAINING (other than your normal MMA training).
This is to decondition the muscles a little bit after the assessment so theyre
primed for growth when you start the program on Week 3.
Although it may look complicated, its not, just follow me step-by-step, do the
tasks as they come up and youll be well on your way.
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body comp assessment

To truly know if youre making gains on this program, youve got to have some
baseline measurements before to track your progress and final results.
Before and After Photos
Make sure you take BnA photos theyll show you how much your body
changed by using the program.
Guidelines for Good BnA Photos
Pick an uncluttered background
Men wear shorts/boxers; ladies wear sports bra and shorts or bikini
Take the photo in Portrait mode (tall), not Landscape (wide)
Ensure there is good lighting and/or use a flash
Make sure there is no strong back lighting (ie youre standing in front of a
window in the middle of the day)
Get at least 3 pictures: front, side and back (and some flexing pics if you
want)
Here are examples of good pictures:
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Body Weight
Make sure you measure at the same time everyday, keeping conditions the
same, for example, measure first thing in the morning before eating/drinking
anything and NOT after a night of boozing or anything that affects hydration.
Body Fat %
I recommend you find a qualified personal trainer to perform a 7-site skinfold
test, or if you live in a big city, see if you can get a DEXA or BodPod test done just search for them on Google in your area.
Least accurate but still better than nothing for body fat % are the electronic
scales that you either hold or stand on. If you use these devices, make sure you
follow the same guidelines for measurement accuracy as given for body weight.
Girth Measurements
Girth measurements will show you the increase in size and can help you pinpoint
areas you need to work more on. If youre gaining everywhere except for one
area, you can add an exercise for that area to stimulate growth.
You can do these measurements yourself or better yet get someone to help you.
Here are the sites youll want to measure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Shoulders
Chest
Arm flexed
Arm not flexed
Waist
Hip
Thigh
Check this link to see exactly how to measure with pics and instructions:
http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/girths.htm
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body comp progress chart

Print this chart out and use it to track your body composition progress.
There are 3 times to take these measurements:
1. At the very start, before the Muscle Building Assessment
2. Mid-way through the program: after Week 6 (after eXplosive Power
Phase 1 and Muscle Building 10s )
3. Two days after performing your last workout
Write the date in for each test you do.
Measurement
mm / dd / yy
mm / dd / yy
mm / dd / yy
Photos done?
Weight (lbs)
Body fat %
Fat mass*
Lean mass**
Shoulders
Chest
Arm flexed
Arm not flexed
Waist
Hip
Thigh
*Fat Mass to calculate fat mass, multiply your bodyweight by your body fat %...
eg. if your Body fat % is 15 and your body weight is 150 lbs, 150 x 0.15 = 22.5 lbs
**Lean Mass subtract your fat mass from your body weight to determine your
lean mass, eg. 150 22.5 = 127.5 lbs
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eXplosive power overview

As we talked about, youre going to be developing your explosive power in 2
areas: from the ground up and from the hips/core.
(4 weeks)
(4 weeks)
phase 2
phase 1
Here are the exercises in each phase that youll be performing:

DAY 1 (MON)
DAY 2 (WED)
1) Box squat jump

Lunge landing
1) Squat jumps
2) kneeling lift
1) Box squat jump
Lunge jump
2) 1-arm SB power
press
2) kneeling chop
DAY 3 (FRI)
1) MB side toss
2) Broad jumps
1) Weighted squat
jumps
1) MB hot foot
throw
2) MB chop toss
2) Swings
These are the best of the best for developing your explosive power and the keys
are in the specific set/rep/rest schemes that are periodized and build from one
week to the next.
On the next 2 pages are your eXplosive power training templates, print them off
and take them with you to the gym.
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phase 1 workouts
DAY 1 (Monday)
Exercise
1) Box squat jump
lunge stance
Week 1
4 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
Week 2
4 reps total
60 s rest
4 sets
Week 3
4 reps total
60 s rest
6 sets
Week 4
4 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
2) kneeling lift
5 reps per side

60 s rest
2 sets
5 reps per side

60 s rest
2 sets
5 reps per side

60 s rest
3 sets
6 reps per side

60 s rest
2 sets
(Write in the weight used for the lift and chop exercises in the extra space given)
DAY 2 (Wednesday)
Exercise
1) MB side toss
Week 1
3 reps per side
90 s rest
3 sets
Week 2
3 reps per side
90 s rest
4 sets
Week 3
3 reps per side
90 s rest
6 sets
Week 4
3 reps per side
60 s rest
2 sets
2) Broad jumps
4 reps
60 s rest
3 sets
4 reps
60 s rest
4 sets
4 reps
60 s rest
5 sets
4 reps
60 s rest
3 sets
Exercise
1) Squat jumps
(bodyweight)
Week 1
4 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
Week 2
4 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
Week 3
4 reps total
60 s rest
4 sets
Week 4
4 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
2) kneeling chop
4 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
4 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
4 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
4 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
DAY 3 (Friday)
Page | 17
phase 2 workouts
DAY 1 (Monday)
Exercise
1) Box squat
Lunge Jump
Week 1
4 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
Week 2
4 reps total
60 s rest
4 sets
Week 3
4 reps total
60 s rest
6 sets
Week 4
4 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
2) 1-arm SB power
press
4 reps per side

60 s rest
2 sets
4 reps per side

60 s rest
3 sets
4 reps per side

60 s rest
4 sets
4 reps per side

60 s rest
2 sets
(Write in the weight used for the weighted exercises in the extra space given)
DAY 2 (Wednesday)
Exercise
1) Squat jumps
(weighted)
Week 1
4 reps
90 s rest
3 sets
Week 2
4 reps
90 s rest
4 sets
Week 3
4 reps
90 s rest
5 sets
Week 4
4 reps
90 s rest
2 sets
2) MB chop toss
3 reps per side

60 s rest
3 sets
3 reps per side

60 s rest
3 sets
3 reps per side

60 s rest
4 sets
3 reps per side

60 s rest
2 sets
Exercise
1) Swings
Week 1
8 reps
60 s rest
2 sets
Week 2
8 reps
60 s rest
3 sets
Week 3
8 reps
60 s rest
4 sets
Week 4
8 reps
60 s rest
2 sets
2) MB hot foot
throw
3 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
3 reps total
60 s rest
3 sets
3 reps total
60 s rest
4 sets
3 reps total
60 s rest
2 sets
DAY 3 (Friday)
Page | 18
muscle building overview

Heres a flowchart and a calendar showing you what youll be doing over the
next 10 weeks to add lean, functional muscle to your body. Step #1 is the most
important schedule 3 days and the time of day when youll train, and stick to it.
Consistency is KEY. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday/Saturday seem to work
well. Just make sure you have at least 1 day of rest between workouts.
Schedule 3 Set Training
Days and What Time of
Day Youll Workout
Assessment of 15, 10
and 5 Rep Maxes
on Separate Days
Take 1 Week Off
Muscle Building 15s
Week # Actions
1
Assess 15, 10, and 5 rep maxes
Rest (no weight training)
3 workouts x 15 reps
3 workouts x 5 reps
3 workouts x 5 reps
3 workouts x 5 reps
10
3 workouts x 5 reps
Muscle Buliding 10s
Muscle Building 5s
Muscle Hardening
Take 1 Week Off of Weights
Start New Program

Page | 19
muscle building exercises

The table below shows you the recommended core muscle building exercises
that youll use in this program. These exercises will not change over the entire
program.
The second column in the table shows alternative exercises you can choose if
you have problems with certain exercises or are lacking equipment, so make
your choices at the start then stick with them.
Recommended Exercises
Back barbell squats
Flat barbell bench press
Lat pulldowns
Leg curls on SB (1 and 2-leg)
Seated row
Alternate Exercises
Any lunge variation, such as Reverse lunges or
Bulgarian split squats, Leg press
Flat, decline or incline barbell/dumbbell
presses
Assisted/weighted chin-ups
Stiff-leg (Romanian) deadlifts,
Machine leg curls
Bent-over barbell row, Chest supported rows,
1-arm dumbbell rows
The following table contains exercises that you can choose to do based on your
individual goals.
If you want to add size to your arms, add in the Biceps and Triceps
exercises
If you want more size on your deltoids, add in the Side raises
Finally if you want to grow your calves, add the Calf raises
Recommended Exercises
Alternate Exercises
Barbell curls
Dumbbell curls, Hammer curls
Skull crushers
Tricep cable pressdowns, Overhead tricep

extensions
Dumbbell side raises
Dumbbell front raises, Barbell front raises
Calf raises (1 or 2 leg)
NOTE: all of the assessment sheets and training templates are based on my
recommended exercises. If youre going to use alternate exercises, Ive got blank
templates at the end of this manual.
Page | 20
muscle building assessment

Now that youve got your 3 days chosen, your body composition stats and the
exercises youll be performing, its time to test your 15, 10, and 5 rep maxes for
each exercise.
Test on separate days with 1 day of rest in between. Note that there is no testing
for the eXplosive power exercises.
For example, if your workout days are Mon, Wed, and Fri:
Mon = Test 15 RM
Wed = Test 10 RM
Fri = Test 5 RM
Start with a 5 minute general warmup, like one of the MMA Dynamic Warmup
routines in my programs or found in the INSIDERS ZONE.
Then, for heavier exercises like Back squats and Bench press, make sure you take
3-5 good warmup sets. Also be sure to get a good spotter when youre doing
these bigger exercises.
For smaller exercises like the Arnold press and Barbell curls, you only need 1
warmup set of 4-5 reps that is lighter than your estimated max weight and youll
be good to go.
General rule of thumb: the stronger you are, the more warmup sets you need.
Heres an example of how a good warmup would go. Lets say you think you can
Bench press 185 lbs for 15 reps
Your warmup would look like this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
10 Pushups rest 1 minute

135 lbs x 4 reps rest 1 minute
165 lbs x 2 reps rest 1 minute
Go for your Max at 185 lbs
Only count reps in perfect technique. If youre arching and swaying, the results
wont be valid, so be VERY STRICT ON TECHNIQUE!
In terms of rep speed, go as fast as you can while maintaining good form.
Rest 2-3 minutes between exercises, and youll have completed the first step to
building some solid muscle and a physique that will intimidate your opponents.
Page | 21
muscle assessment chart

Guidelines for Accurate Assessments
If youre in the middle of a set and you dont think youll be within 2 reps
of the target (eg. you think youll only get 12 reps when testing your
15RM), stop the set, rest 3 minutes, then try again with an adjusted
weight. Anything 2 reps or more off target is too much.
If you miss by 1 rep with a certain weight, use that weight as your max for
that exercise.
If you miss by 2 reps, for example you only do 13 reps instead of 15,
add/subtract 5-10 lbs from the weight you used and write that in as your
max (5 lbs for a smaller exercise like Bicep curl, 10 lbs for something like a
Bench press or Back squat).
Either way, be sure to write down how many reps you made and how much
weight it was, for example, 13 x 175 lbs, or 5 x 205 lbs.
Exercise
15 RM
10 RM
5 RM
Back barbell squats

Flat barbell bench press
Lat pulldowns
Leg curls on SB (1 and 2-leg)
NO ASSESSMENT NECESSARY
Seated row
Skull crushers
Calf raises
Barbell curls
Page | 22
your muscle building program

Once youve completed the assessments, you use the data to create workouts
custom to your current level of strength.
Each and every exercise will have a very specific weight to be used and number
of sets and reps to perform. This is scientific training at its best.
This part takes a bit of planning, but once its done, only minor tweaks might
need to be made as you work through the program.
On Page 22 youll find the training templates. Youll notice that in each of the
phases the last column is highlighted.
This is where you write your max in from the assessment.
From there, you work backwards.
For each workout previous to that, youll subtract 5 10 lbs from the max
weight, 5 lbs from lighter exercises (Bicep curls) and 10 lbs from heavier
exercises (Back squats).
Heres an example:
Lets say your 15 rep max for Bench press is 185 lbs.
You write 185 lbs in the last column on the 15s template for the Bench press,
which is Day 6.
Working backwards, on Day 5, subtract 10 lbs, so write in 175 lbs.
On Day 4, subtract 10 lbs, so write in 165 lbs Day 3 = 155 lbs Day 2 = 145 lbs
And you start the Phase on Day 1 lifting 135 lbs.
Got it? Good, now you do this for every exercise.
If your max is above 115 lbs, then use 10 lbs as your increment, like we just did in
the example.
If your max is 110 lbs or below, use 5 lbs as your increment.
Do this for every workout in Phases 1, 2, and 3. In Phase 4, youll be working with
your 5RM for each workout. More examples to follow on the next page
Page | 23
training template examples

For exercises where your max is over 115 lbs, you write your max in the yellow
column, then subtract 10 lbs each day as shown below:
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Back barbell squats
175
185
195
205
215
225
Bench press
135
145
155
165
175
185
For exercises where your max is under 115 lbs, like Bicep curls, write your max
in the yellow column, then subtract 5 lbs each day as shown below:
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Bicep curls
45
50
55
60
65
70
Finally, for exercises under 50 lbs, I recommend doubling up the weights you lift
you can get creative with this depending on how low your max is the key is to
make increases in weight from week to week.
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Skull crushers
30
40
40
45
45
50
10
10
15
15
20
20
I trust that makes sense and you now understand how to choose the weights
youre going to lift for the muscle building workouts.
Page | 24
workout guidelines
For this program to work requires some very specific techniques and a
completely different mindset.
Lets start with the mindset
NOT WORKING AT YOUR MAX DOESNT MEAN YOURE NOT MAKING GAINS
This is the most difficult thing to get over, especially on this program, where
youll be working sub-maximally and only doing 1-2 sets, which means youll
have a lot left in the tank and it might not feel like youre doing much.
This is what I was thinking when I started the program. But I kept with it and
added 7.6 lbs of muscle to my frame, lifting less intensely than Ive ever lifted
before in my life!
You see, the science behind this program, which details how things like IGF-1,
mRNA, ribosomes, MAP-K, ERK, satellite cells, and more contribute to muscle
growth, show that protein synthesis (muscle building) is turned on at a cellular
level with frequent exposure to increasing tension.
In plain English that means that your body builds muscle when the muscle cells
are hit 3 days per week with loads that keep going up.
But if youre working balls out right off the bat, lifting the heaviest possible
weights, you wont be able to keep increasing the load from workout to
workout.
Thats why you start off with light weights, which allows you to continually
increase the load from workout to workout. Doing so sends a constant signal to
the muscle cells to grow.
Thats the main reason that this program works for MMA fighters because
youre working below your max, youll have gas in the tank for your training.
Page | 25
HOW TO LIFT: TEMPO AND STRAIN

Each phase of the muscle building program lasts 2 weeks and there are 3 main
phases of the program followed by the muscle hardening phase.
During the 3 main phases, youll only be using the maximal weight you found
during the assessment ONCE at the end of the phase.
That means that 5 out of 6 workouts during each phase will be with weights less
than max. During these workouts, youll want to slow your lifting tempo down so
that you just barely complete the desired # of reps in good form.
Heres the key to making these lighter workouts stimulate muscle growth:
KEY: Work at slower tempos and really focus on contracting the muscles
during the set so by the end of the set, you cant do any more reps
For example, when the weights are lighter with a Back squat, use a 303 or 404
tempo and actively contract the glutes and quads during the set.
For Bicep curls, squeeze the heck out of the biceps for the whole set, and lower
slowly and under control.
When youre doing it right, youll feel the pump of the workout and strain in the
belly of the muscle.
Itll take practice and focus dont let your mind wander focus on the set and
really connect with the muscles you want to grow.
Page | 26
muscle building 15s

Notes
15 reps of each exercise
Use a tempo to make it hard to finish the 15 reps Day 1-3 will be very
slow, like 303 or 404, then speed up the tempo in Days 4-6 to make sure you
complete 15 reps
Rest 1 1.5 mins between sets
Rest 2 3 mins between exercises
Do 2-3 good warmup sets for the Back squats and Bench press
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
quick
tempo
quick
tempo
med
tempo
med
tempo
slow
tempo
slow
tempo
Date Completed
# of sets
Back squats (1 set only
each workout)
Flat bench press
Lat pulldowns
Leg curls on SB (2-leg)
Seated row
Skull crushers
Calf raises
Barbell curls
Page | 27
muscle building 10s

Notes
slow, like 303 or 404, then speed up the tempo in Day 4-6 to make sure you
complete 10 reps
Rest 1 2 mins between sets
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
quick
tempo
quick
tempo
med
tempo
med
tempo
slow
tempo
slow
tempo
Date Completed
# of sets
Back squats (1 set only
each workout)
Flat bench press
Lat pulldowns
Leg curls on SB (2-leg
in, 1-leg out)
Seated row
Skull crushers
Calf raises
Barbell curls
[Once youre done this phase, make sure you do your re-assessments]
Page | 28
muscle building 5s
Notes
Use a tempo to make it hard to finish the 5 reps Day 1-3 will be very slow,
like 303 or 404, then speed up the tempo in Day 4-6 to make sure you
complete 5 reps
Rest 1.5 3 mins between sets dont rush your rest periods
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
quick
tempo
quick
tempo
med
tempo
med
tempo
slow
tempo
slow
tempo
Date Completed
# of sets
Back squats
Flat bench press
Lat pulldowns
Seated row
Skull crushers
Calf raises
Barbell curls
Page | 29
muscle hardening
Notes
5 reps of each exercise, using your 5RM from the assessment
Make sure you perform at least 1-2 warmup sets for each exercise
Rest 1.5 3 mins between sets
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
quick
tempo
quick
tempo
med
tempo
med
tempo
slow
tempo
slow
tempo
Date Completed
# of sets
Back squats
Flat bench press
Lat pulldowns
Seated row
Skull crushers
Calf raises
Barbell curls
[Once youre done this phase, make sure you do your re-assessments, take new
photos and me with your progress and photos]
Page | 30
muscle building X-factors

Applying everything that Ive outlined already will help 90% of people get great
results, without making any other changes to their current lifestyle.
But there are a couple of X-factors that could hinder your efforts in adding
muscle to your frame.
Im not going to write in detail about these things, but if you find that you are
implementing everything that Ive already written about and youre still not
getting great results, look to these strategies and implement them to make sure
youre covering all bases.
X-factor #1 Sleep
When you sleep is when muscle building happens. Your body works hard all
night as youre dozing away at numerous things, one of them being building
muscle.
If your sleep is erratic in that you dont go to sleep or wake up at the same time
most days of the week, then this will impact your hormonal levels and increase
the amount of cortisol in your body, causing muscle loss, not muscle gain.
Ideal is to sleep by around 11am and wakeup at 7am everyday. Obviously this
may be difficult for most people, so I like to try and get about 7 hours every
weeknight, sleep in for 9-10 hours one weekend day, and if Im going out on a
weekend, I dont worry about going to bed late that night.
This is how I generally live my life and I gained 7.6 lbs in 8 weeks doing
something like this, so it doesnt seem to be a problem.
The other thing is that when youre sleeping, youre burning less calories, so
more of the calories you eat can go to growth.
X-factor #2 Stress
If youre constantly freaking out about little things and theres always some big
drama going on in your life you need to chill out.
Any type of stress increases cortisol which promotes muscle loss and fat gain
around the belly. So learn to deal with your stress and it will make your muscle
building efforts go a lot farther.
Page | 31
Seriously - make a conscious effort to deal with stress if you feel you need to by
reading books, listening to audios, and learning to let things go. Itll not only help
you build muscle but also live a happier, healthier, and longer life.
X-factor #3 Too Much Estrogen
Estrogen mimicking compounds (xenoestrogens) are everywhere in todays
modern society. Processed foods, air pollution, plastics, paint pretty much
everywhere we go were exposed to some chemicals that will hurt our muscle
building efforts.
Too much estrogen vs. testosterone is bad, as it can promote fat gain vs. muscle
gain, as well as a whole slew of health problems.
For most guys, this wont be an issue. But for some, this could be a problem, so
here are some strategies you can do to make sure this isnt an issue for you:
Drink water out of glass and stainless steel bottles only, many plastics
contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) which is an estrogen mimicking compound that
can leach out of the bottle into the water
Dont heat foods up in the microwave in plastic containers these plastics
may contain BPA as well, which will leach into your food if you put it in the
microwave
If youre painting your house, use low-VOC paint regular paint contains
xenoestrogens that youll be breathing in daily
Eat 1-2 tbsp of freshly ground flaxseed a day fresh ground flax binds to
xenoestrogens and takes them out of your body, as well, youll get some
omega-3s for your troubles just sprinkle on your foods or mix with water
and gulp
Thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables to remove pesticides; you can
use a solution of vinegar and water to give them a real good washing
Eat organic fruits and veggies
Avoid most soy products unless fermented, such as miso, tempeh, and natto
soy is known to have these compounds, but theyre broken down through
the process of fermentation
Minimize beer intake get hammered on vodka clubs instead!
Avoid conventionally raised meats in favour of free range, organic meats
Doing these things will also benefit your health for the long-term, so you may
want to think about implementing 1 or 2 of them every month or every other
month until they all become regular habits of yours.
Page | 32
onward and upward

By following everything Ive outlined in this program, youll have packed on some
eXplosive lean muscle.
As a Mixed-Martial Artist, you now have 2 choices:
1. If you need more muscle, go through another cycle
2. If youve achieved your ideal weight, start an MMA specific program
Heres how you do both properly:
Need More Muscle?

After youve finished the final phase, you must take 1 week off to rest the joints
and let your body experience something called Strategic Deconditioning (SD).
SD will allow your body to make gains again by telling your body, Hey, nothings
going on, just get into rest mode.
Then, after a week of SD, you shock your body into growth again by exposing it
to another round of this program.
To start his program again, you DONT need to test your 1RM again, just add 510 lbs to your previous 1RMs and youll be fine.
But if you want to switch exercises, you will have to test your 1RM again. This
must be done because estimating will not give you the results you want.
Because the stimulus for adding muscle is a constant increase in tension over 6
weeks then a hardening of the muscle by lifting heavy for 2 weeks, variety of
exercises is not a requirement for muscle growth.
But if you want to switch up exercises to keep it fresh, then by all means do so,
just make sure you do it right and re-assess your 1RMs.
Got Enough Muscle Now?

If youre at the ideal weight for your frame, now its time to train your new
muscle in sport-specific patterns and develop never-ending endurance.
As above, take a week off to give your joints a break and for SD, then start on
another program to keep taking your fitness to the next level.
Page | 33
Ive got a variety of programs to help you do just that.

Heres a list of what Ive got to offer:
Program
Ultimate MMA
S&C Program (link)
Main Benefits
Get in peak shape for a fight
Advanced MMA Power

Training System (link)
Get in peak shape for a fight

(minimum strength requirements)
MMA Ripped 8-Week

Training Camp (link)
Rapid functional fat loss and overall

fitness improvements
Python Power Program

(link)
Submission strength and stamina
Quickness Kills Program

(link)
Speed, agility and quickness
Olympic Lifting Mastery

Course (link)
Mastering the Olympic lifts
Bulletproof Back System

(link)
Eliminate and prevent back pain
Of course you can follow any program that youd like, it doesnt have to be one
of mine, although I do think mine are top-notch. :)
Either way just make sure you take a week off after you complete the Muscle
Hardening phase and get on it after that.
Page | 34
its been fun...

I hope Ive helped you gain some solid lean muscle with this program, get more
explosive and maybe, help you build the confidence that comes with having an
impressive physique.
Even though we all know that it doesnt take being a muscular freak to be a great
fighter (just look at Fedor or Anderson Silva), theres no denying that having an
athletic, muscular body helps with your own confidence and might put some
doubt and fear into your opponents head.
If you got great results with this program, tell me about it by sending me an
email at [email protected].
The other favour Id like to ask you is that if you know anybody whos been
struggling with their strength and conditioning, tell them about me and my
programs.
I encounter so many guys who have absolutely no clue what theyre doing
because theres so much info available and a lot of confusion out there.
Youll help them out a lot by sending them my way, and if you do, I really
appreciate it.
If I dont hear from you, hopefully youre keeping up with all the articles, videos,
tips, and strategies I share via my newsletter and my blog at
www.EricWongMMA.com.
Keep training smart,
Eric Wong, BSc, CSCS
Page | 35
blank templates
Page | 36
muscle assessment chart

Guidelines for Accurate Assessments
If youre in the middle of a set and you dont think youll be within 2 reps
of the target (eg. you think youll only get 12 reps when testing your
15RM), stop the set, rest 3 minutes, then try again with an adjusted
weight. Anything 2 reps or more off target is too much.
If you miss by 1 rep with a certain weight, use that weight as your max for
that exercise.
If you miss by 2 reps, for example you only do 13 reps instead of 15,
add/subtract 5-10 lbs from the weight you used and write that in as your
max (5 lbs for a smaller exercise like Bicep curl, 10 lbs for something like a
Bench press or Back squat).
Either way, be sure to write down how many reps you made and how much
weight it was, for example, 13 x 175 lbs, or 5 x 205 lbs.
Exercise
15 RM
10 RM
5 RM
Page | 37
muscle building 15s

Notes
slow, like 303 or 404, then speed up the tempo in Days 4-6 to make sure you
complete 15 reps
Rest 1 1.5 mins between sets
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Date Completed
# of sets
Page | 38
muscle building 10s

Notes
slow, like 303 or 404, then speed up the tempo in Day 4-6 to make sure you
complete 10 reps
Rest 1 2 mins between sets
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Date Completed
# of sets
Page | 39
muscle building 5s
Notes
Use a tempo to make it hard to finish the 5 reps Day 1-3 will be very slow,
like 303 or 404, then speed up the tempo in Day 4-6 to make sure you
complete 5 reps
Rest 1.5 3 mins between sets dont rush your rest periods
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Date Completed
# of sets
Page | 40
muscle hardening
Notes
5 reps of each exercise, using your 5RM from the assessment
Make sure you perform at least 1-2 warmup sets for each exercise
Rest 1.5 3 mins between sets
Exercise
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Date Completed
# of sets
Page | 41

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preface to version 2.0

If only I could repeat what Claude was saying in this fight. :)

Systematic increases in lean muscle with little fat.

Minimal soreness allowing MMA training to continue.

In MMA, depending on the move youre trying to execute, explosive power is

Throwing a Knockout Punch

Executing a Powerful Takedown

body comp assessment

body comp progress chart

eXplosive power overview

Here are the exercises in each phase that youll be performing:

1) Box squat jump

5 reps per side

5 reps per side

5 reps per side

6 reps per side

4 reps per side

4 reps per side

4 reps per side

4 reps per side

3 reps per side

3 reps per side

3 reps per side

3 reps per side

muscle building overview

Take 1 Week Off

Muscle Building 15s

Assess 15, 10, and 5 rep maxes

Rest (no weight training)

Muscle Buliding 10s

Take 1 Week Off of Weights

Start New Program

muscle building exercises

Dumbbell curls, Hammer curls

Tricep cable pressdowns, Overhead tricep

Dumbbell side raises

Dumbbell front raises, Barbell front raises

Calf raises (1 or 2 leg)

muscle building assessment

10 Pushups rest 1 minute

muscle assessment chart

Back barbell squats

your muscle building program

training template examples

Back barbell squats

Dumbbell side raises

HOW TO LIFT: TEMPO AND STRAIN

muscle building 15s

muscle building 10s

muscle building X-factors

onward and upward

Need More Muscle?

Got Enough Muscle Now?

Ive got a variety of programs to help you do just that.

Advanced MMA Power

Get in peak shape for a fight