Easy Muscle Final
Easy Muscle Final
Easy Muscle Final
Easy Muscle. Copyright 2022 and Beyond. Geoff Neupert. All Rights Reserved. 1
DISCLAIMER
You must get your physician’s approval before beginning this exercise program.
These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational
purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting this program or if
you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity.
This program is designed for healthy individuals 18 years and older only.
See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you are
taking any medications, you must talk to your physician before starting any
exercise program, including EASY MUSCLE. If you experience any
lightheadedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the
movement and consult a physician.
All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publishers advise
readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before
practicing the exercises in this workout, be sure that your equipment is well
maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude,
training and fitness. The exercises and dietary programs in this program are not
intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment or dietary regimen
that may have been prescribed by your physician.
Don’t lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured, or fatigued. Don’t
perform any exercise without proper instruction. Always perform a warm-up prior
to all forms of training.
Easy Muscle. Copyright 2022 and Beyond. Geoff Neupert. All Rights Reserved. 2
INTRODUCTION
What makes the EASY MUSCLE so different and transformative is its training
parameters, found inside the Power Fiber Training Method.
The PFT Method is designed to use your “power fibers” - known as your
fast-twitch muscle fibers, which empower you to run fast, jump high/far, and lift
heavy.
The PFT Method uses three (3) different training variables in order to employ
your fast twitch fibers. They are:
I’ve been using this simple training concept from almost “Day 1” of my training
back in 1989. The concept is simple: Pick a number - like 5, and perform the
heaviest load you can for that number.
A 5RM is a 5 rep max - a weight you can safely lift a maximum of 5 times before
your technique crumbles.
RMs are great training tools because they allow you to train hard, and heavy,
without burning out your Central Nervous System. And as you’ll recall, training
heavy is one of the two ways you recruit your fast twitch muscle fibers.
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… So our bodies adapt to the load - making the load feel easy - but not the
stimulus. This is the key to adaptation - making progress
Variable Loading
In traditional American
strength programming,
volume and intensity are
coupled - as volume
decreases, intensity
increases, and vice versa.
This usually happens across
a given training cycle, ending
with the heaviest weights
possible. This is known as Linear Periodization.
In Variable Loading, volume and intensity are not related. They change and may
seem random. And many times, heavy weights are strategically planned across a
training cycle.
The Soviets demonstrated that Variable Loading produced 61% greater results in
strength than traditional Linear Periodization.
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Autoregulation
On “good” days, you can “push hard” and do a lot of work. On “bad” days, you
can “coast” and do a bare minimum. Both contribute to training variability and
therefore faster progress.
Here are the criteria/guidelines you will use to know when to STOP and
START each set:
[2] START Another Set When You Can Meet Any Of The Following:
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You can breathe through your nose with your tongue on the roof of your
mouth
You can belly breathe into your sacrum (the part of your pelvis just below
your beltline between the upper part of your gluts)
This allows you to “charge” your core stability mechanism, so that you are
ready to lift safely.
You can use the “Talk Test,” which means you can talk normally without
gasping for air between words
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And that means you’ll have just ONE week out of 4 where you’ll go really, really
hard.
Why?
Back in the latter half of the 20th Century, Soviet sports scientists discovered the
human organism can only tolerate 2 hard weeks out of a month.
It allows you to ramp up the amount of work you do for 3 weeks of the month,
each week getting harder and harder…
Then you can “stomp on the accelerator” during the last week of the month and
still be able to recover without collapsing on the couch in a heap on the weekend.
These may seem like strange criteria, but I can tell you from experience, they
work every time. Plus, they empower you to make continual progress from
week-to-week, so you can see measurable results, without burning out.
Finally, it’s critically important to understand that the key to getting stronger,
leaner, and more muscular is to mitigate fatigue, not seek it out. And that’s
because fatigue decreases force production.
The more tired you become, the less force you can produce.
And the less force you produce, the less overall work you can do.
And that’s unfortunate, because the more work you can do in a given training
session, the faster you’ll see results.
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The PFT Method allows you to manage fatigue while producing the highest
available levels of force in your workout, so you can do the most amount of work
each day.
Using the PFT Method enables you to see and measure progress each and
every week, which keeps you motivated and moving forward toward your goals.
EQUIPMENT
Finally, EASY MUSCLE programs can be used with any training tool: Barbell,
dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, rocks, kegs, even resistance bands. How do
you choose what tool is right for you?
If you have access to a gym, use whatever tool you prefer. (See #3.)
[3] Use what you prefer (as long as it doesn’t hurt you).
Furthermore, make sure whatever you’re using doesn’t hurt your joints or
muscles while using them, or afterwards. (This is different from muscle soreness,
which you may or may not get.)
For example: My friend John Grahill, doesn’t like the barbell. Beats up his
shoulders and elbows. He prefers kettlebells to dumbbells because he can feel
his muscles work more using them.
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And in my case, there have been periods in my life when I trained too close to
failure (late 20s/early 30s) where I hurt myself with the barbell. So even though I
preferred the barbell, I had to use bodyweight and kettlebells, because they didn’t
(a) hurt during the exercise, nor (b) cause me to hurt the next day.
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“THE ONE BEST EXERCISE”
When you’re looking to build your body, strip off fat, and get in great shape,
few exercises compare to the Clean and Press.
So much so, that Old Time Strongman, Sig Klein (1902-1987), credited it as “The
One Best Exercise” that Performing Strongmen of his day used to build up their
tremendous strength and pre-steroid physiques.
Sig favored the repetition dumbbell Clean + Press and before you dismiss this
powerful exercise, go take his challenge:
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Sig accomplished this feat weighing 155lbs (70kg).
Most men today at any weight cannot replicate this feat of strength.
Furthermore, you can and will train your fast twitch fibers with “just” this one
exercise.
(Yes, there are other exercises in the EASY MUSCLE program. We’ll get to them
shortly.)
Recall, the only two ways to train your fast twitch muscles are to lift heavy
and explosively.
The Press is a strength-based upper body movement that requires you tense
your lower body to create a stable platform from which to push the load
overhead.
(John Grimek, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team.
Advocate of the 2 dumbbell Clean + Press.)
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Transform Yourself With The Clean + Press
The Clean + Press (C+P) works every single muscle in your body:
No.
You can, and I’ll show you how to do so later in this book, but for now, you’ll focus
on “just” the Clean + Press.
The result is a stronger, leaner, more muscular physique that is more “go” than
“show” when compared to using more traditional exercises.
No.
And yes, you can “just” use one dumbbell at a time. Or one kettlebell at a time.
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Not a problem.
The barbell and dumbbell videos are less than 7 minutes long.
The kettlebell videos are more in depth because the kettlebell version is more
complicated to learn. But more beneficial, in my opinion, than the dumbbell.
Whether you choose to learn it is up to you. The point here is to get you going,
not to get you bogged down.
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THE PROGRAMS
SCHEDULE A
SCHEDULE B
SCHEDULE C
The rest of the programming details are spelled out on the pages that
follow…
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SCHEDULE A
EXERCISES:
“The One Best Exercise” - The Clean + Press
- Your choice of equipment
- Just be consistent. Once you make your choice, stick with it for the
duration.
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Additional Exercises?
- Pick either a Squat, Chin Ups, Pull Ups, or Parallel Dips
- Perform ONE exercise for 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps, with a moderately
heavy weight and add it after your Clean + Press training is
completed for the day.
OPTION 2: Swap out the Clean + Press for a month of Pull Ups or Chin
Ups, followed by a month of Parallel Dips (on bars or rings).
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SCHEDULE B
EXERCISES:
“The One Best Exercise” - The Clean + Press, Squat, Chin Ups,
Parallel Dips
- Parallel Dips: Look down at the floor and squeeze your gluts to keep
your body straight
- Can use weighted
- Can use rings
- Find your 10RM
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You’ll:
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SCHEDULE B, PHASE 2 is below:
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SCHEDULE C
EXERCISES:
The 2-Hand Kettlebell Swing, Chin Ups, Parallel Dips
This is the perfect plan if you have trouble pressing weight over your head.
The 2-Hand Kettlebell Swing would be categorized as the “Second Best
Exercise” for men over 40. It’s like sprinting or jumping without the
pounding on the joints or the worry about rupturing an achilles tendon.
You’ll:
- Alternate between SESSION A and SESSION B
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SCHEDULE C, PHASE 1 is below:
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Program duration: 8 weeks
Session A: Set your timer for 20 minutes
Session B: Set your timer for 20 minutes
Perform as many sets of each exercise as possible, using the specified
reps for that day, in the allotted time period, respecting the “guardrails”
To measure progress:
Attempt to get one more set each week, or…
Attempt to do the same amount of work in less time
Rest as needed between each set using autoregulation
Use great form on each exercise
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CONCLUSION
‘EASY MUSCLE’ is simple, yet powerful. You could literally stay on these
programs for months at a time, if not years.
Your “reward” would be a much stronger, leaner, better conditioned and more
“functional” body than the one you have now.
The question really is, can you maintain your focus in order to do so?
At the end of the day, “only” training “The One Best Exercise” and a few
supplementary exercises isn’t sexy or entertaining, but the results sure as heck
are.
P.S. If you have any questions that aren’t covered in the “FAQs” section on the
next page, email me at [email protected] with the subject line,
“Questions about ‘EASY MUSCLE’ and I’ll get back to you within 48 hours.
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FAQs
1. Is there a difference between using a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells for the Clean +
Press? How about a sandbag?
The barbell will generally allow you to use the heaviest weight of the three tools.
However, it will punish you if you have old injuries, or strength imbalances
between your left and right sides, possibly exposing you to [more] injuries.
The older and more “mileage” you have, the more I recommend you stay away
from the barbell. It feels great when you start, but it’s a great way to get stiff and
sore quickly, and accumulate nagging aches and pains if your mobility work isn’t
on point.
A pair of dumbbells will be unwieldy and cause you to stabilize the loads more,
especially when you get them to the rack, and then overhead. They require more
coordination. As a result, many find them more taxing on the body as a whole.
But Sig Klein swore by a pair of dumbbells so you can’t go wrong using them.
This in turn increases the energy demand because you're using your muscles in
larger ranges of motions they’re not accustomed to.
A sandbag is the most difficult to use of the implements because it’s “Living
Weight” - it moves and shifts as you lift it, causing your body to work harder.
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The one you have at your disposal that you know how to use without hurting
yourself, or the one that you want to use.
2. Is there a difference between using one or two dumbbells or kettlebells for the Clean +
Press for these programs?
Yes.
However…
1. Your skill and comfort level with dumbbells or kettlebells and the Clean and
Press in general
Find your 10RM or 5RM with your stronger side (usually your dominant hand)
first, and rest 5 minutes. Then find your 10RM or 5RM with your strong side.
Then use whichever is less.
For the workouts/training, perform a set with your strong side, then your stronger
side.
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Do not rest between sides unless you absolutely need to.
It might tap into your ability to recover. If you must, use an incredibly low volume
like 2x3, 3x3, or 2x2 twice a week.
If you find you have “too much energy,” work harder during your ‘EASY MUSCLE’
sets. Kill distractions. Focus on your technique. Rest less than you think you
need to or have been. All these add up to “working harder” during your training
session.
Less.
7. Can I combine ‘EASY MUSCLE’ with { INSERT SOME OTHER PROGRAM NAME HERE }?
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See #3.
8. How about direct ab work? I don’t see any in ‘EASY MUSCLE.’ Do you recommend any, and
if so, what exercises are best?
Add them in after your training sessions, but do not do both exercises on the
same day.
Dead Bugs should be done for up to 5 sets of 30 (30 each side, not total).
Hanging Leg Raises should start around 5 sets of 2-3. Eventually work them up
to 5 sets of 10.
Great question!
If you’re pinched for time, and you enjoy minimalist, “big bang for your buck”
training, use SCHEDULE A.
If you have more time and need more variety, use SCHEDULE B.
If you have shoulder problems that prohibit you from pressing overhead, use
SCHEDULE C. (Please note, if you do have shoulder problems, you may or may
not be able to do the Parallel Dips. You’ll have to test them and see. If you can’t
do them, a steady diet of 2-Hand Kettlebell Swings + Chin Ups will still pack
some muscle on your frame, make you stronger, and lean you out.)
Yes.
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Simply do another 10RM or 5RM test with your implement(s) of choice.
Simple.
Cycle 1: Push Press with drop into the rack. (Do this for 4 weeks.)
Cycle 2: Push Press with active negative into the rack. (Do this for another 4
weeks.)
Cycle 3: Run the ‘EASY MUSCLE’ of your choice using the Press.
12. Can I use the Push Press or the Jerk instead of the Press?
Yes.
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