From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks 1,293 Comments

Written by Tim Ferriss Topics: Physical Performance, The 4-Hour Body - 4HB

After holding off for nearly two years, I’m posting this because too many people have asked for it. The lasses should read it, too, as the same principles can be applied to bodyfat loss.

I weighed 152 lbs. for four years of high school, and after training in tango in Buenos Aires in 2005, that had withered to 146 lbs. Upon returning to the US, I performed an exhaustive analysis of muscular hypertrophy (growth) research and exercise protocols, ignoring what was popular to examine the hard science. The end result? I gained 34 lbs. of muscle, while losing 3 lbs. of fat, in 28 days.

Before and after measurements, including underwater hydrostatic weighings, were taken by Dr. Peggy Plato at the Human Performance Laboratory at the San Jose State University, and I had blood tests taken on September 30 and October 20. Though this ridiculous experiment might seem unhealthy, I also dropped my total cholesterol count from 222 to 147 without the use of statins. No joke.

Here are a few comparative shots. Oh, and I forgot to mention, all of this was done with two 30-minute workouts per week, for a total of 4 HOURS of gym time:

How did I do it?

First, some select stats on the 4-week change (9/21-10/23):

Bodyfat %- 16.72 to 12.23
Suit Size- 40 short to 44 regular (measured at Brooks Brothers at Santana Row in San Jose by a professional tailor)
Neck- 15.8″ to 18″
Chest- 37.5″ to 43″
Shoulders- 43″ to 52″
Thigh- 21.5″ to 25.5″
Calf- 13.5″ to 14.9″
Upper Arm- 12″ to 14.6
Forearm- 10.8″ to 12″
Waist- 29.5″ to 33.1″
Hips (Ass at widest)- 34″ to 38.23″

Here are the six basic principles that made it happen:

1. Follow Arthur Jones’ general recommendations for one-set-to-failure from the little-known Colorado Experiment, but with lower frequency (maximum of twice per week) and with at least 3 minutes between exercises.

2. Perform every repetition with a 5/5 cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) to eliminate momentum and ensure constant load.

3. Focus on no more than 4-7 multi-joint exercises (leg press, trap bar deadlift, overhead press, Yates bent row, dips, incline machine benchpress, etc.) and exercise your entire body each workout to elicit a maximal hormonal (testosterone, growth hormone + IGF-1) response.

4. Eat enormous quantities of protein (much like my current fat-loss diet) with low-glycemic index carbohydrates like quinoa, but drop calories by 50% one day per week to prevent protein uptake downregulation.

5. Exercise less frequently as you increase strength and size, as your recovery abilities can only increase 20-30%, while you can often increase fat-free muscle tissue up to 100% before reaching a genetic set-point.

6. Record every workout in detail, including date, time of day, order of exercises, reps, and weight. Remember that this is an experiment, and you need to control the variables to accurately assess progress and make adjustments.

For the ladies not interested in becoming the Hulk, if you follow a “slow-carb” diet and reduce rest periods to 30 seconds between exercises, this exact workout protocol can help you lose 10-20 pounds of fat in the same 28-day time span.

Once again, questioning assumptions leads to the conclusion: less is more. Detox from TV twice a week and put in your 4 hours a month!

###

If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: How to lose 20 pounds in 30 days (without exercise), how to triple your testosterone, techniques for producing 15-minute female orgasms, and more.

You can also pick up the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.

Related and Recommended Posts:

Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post
Tim Ferriss interview – common questions on lifestyle design and productivity

Posted on April 29th, 2007

Related & Recommended Posts

1,293 Comments

Ben — April 29th, 2007, 10:26 pm

Great tips – thank you. Although… you forgot to mention that you shaved your torso and put on some pro-tan for the after shots… ;o)
Reply
- Stoce — November 3rd, 2010, 8:35 am
  
  Yes … And stood farther from camera in before shots …. Then closer in the after… Nice Hollywood tricks.
  Reply
  - Jake — November 3rd, 2010, 12:25 pm
    
    Your an idiot, look again, 2 comparisons have him nearer in the after shots, and 2 have him further away, but you just saw what you wanted to..
    Even with the slight differences in distance between the shots it’s easy for anyone to see the difference in his musculature.
    If this was really an attempt to deceive then it would have been a poor attempt, in fact it would have been as easy to photoshop the after shots.
    Reply
  - H.Oasis — January 26th, 2011, 2:35 pm
    
    He alternated in the shots before/after of standing closer to the camera vs. further so it’s a wash… look more closely.
    Reply
- eddie robertson — November 16th, 2010, 4:56 am
  
  The visual difference is amazing. The tan and swim shorts just top off the improvement.
  
  Eddie
  Reply
- Shane — August 26th, 2011, 9:56 am
  
  This is a joke. Anybody who spends an ounce of time in the gym should know this. ive been at it for a year and a half. I started out at 145 pounds and right now im 175 of actual good weight and worked my ass off every month to get where i am.34 pounds of fat and muscle in a month is doable and probably 85% will be fat. Its impossible to gain 34 pounds of lean muscle a month much less a year. If every guy could gain 34 pounds in a month then all guys on earth would be jacked. Great transformation, but i know it didnt take 4 weeks. Probably a year minimum. this is a scam dont buy it.
  Reply
  - Mike — September 13th, 2011, 9:14 am
    
    Please don’t immediately dismiss things without experimenting and trying them for yourself. I understand your disbelief, especially considering the amount of hard work you probably put in at the gym. The reason why not all men are jacked is b/c most of us are lazy, and/or don’t workout. I used Mark Lauren’s ‘”You are your own gym” and while I didn’t gain 34lbs, I noticed extreme gains in strength in just 4 weeks and am now able to do handstand pushups, something I was never able to achieve from my time in the gym (which was a lot). Your body is a machine and like all machines can be manipulated to improve its performance.
    Reply
    - Constance — September 17th, 2012, 10:23 pm
      
      Good for you! Some people are just hater….!
    - Alex — January 30th, 2013, 2:21 am
      
      that’s because you’re a beginner, and there’s the reason for your big gains.
      
      After some time, your gains will be lower and lower, and harder harder to get.
    - Spencer — July 4th, 2013, 2:54 pm
      
      You both have a point but you have to remember that everyone is built differently which can change how fast you gain muscle or loss fat. Another factor is how you eat, you need a good source of protein and other things too.
  - Joe Murphy — November 10th, 2011, 11:29 pm
    
    This is the typical “I can’t do that so it must be a lie” type of response. The web is full of this kind of hate speech. Anything that points out that what someone else is doing isn’t the best way to do something is said to be a scam. Just remember that your results may vary. If you put out more effort you will do better. If you put out less you will do worse.
    Reply
    - garrett — May 9th, 2013, 2:12 am
      
      True, lots of people claim something is impossible just because they cannot do it. If you work hard in the weight room you should just about always see results. Although from the little I read he says he worked out 2 times for 30 minutes per week. That is 4 hours, and you are trying to tell me he put on 34 pounds of muscle? I’m sorry but no. 4 hours of working out over 30 days, and getting more than a pound of muscle a day…
  - Rob Berkman — February 5th, 2012, 9:56 pm
    
    I agree. Suspicious of the gains, I checked the waist size difference, and the gain there is the same as the other dimensions! So, it obviously is due to largely water or fat gain, again I suspect through creatine use, as the same happened to me. The size all disappeared after I quit using it!
    Reply
  - Patrick — February 28th, 2012, 3:47 pm
    
    Any body who doubts this program obviously hasn’t used it. I’ve used it 3 times and gained an average of 1lb per day of pure muscle while losing fat for the thirty days. Yes that’s 30 lbs of lean muscle in thirty days. And I’ve been body building for 28 years and have tried everything. This hands down works the best. The hard part is actually the eating. You have to eat like it’s your job….
    Reply
    - Agreed — November 21st, 2012, 12:28 pm
      
      I agree,
      
      OAP
  - Shane D — February 28th, 2012, 5:05 pm
    
    Wait — you’ve used this 3 times and gotten 30 pounds over 30 days each time? You’ve used this to gain 90 pounds of lean muscle on top of the weight you’ve gained from bodybuilding for 28 years? Or have you been gaining 30 pounds, losing 30 pounds, gaining 30 pounds, etc over the course of your life?
    Reply
  - Reece — March 10th, 2012, 8:22 pm
    
    You know? You were with him the whole time? If not you don’t know so stop being a hater, challenge conventional “wisdom” and give it a go.
    There’s many reasons why people plateau or get minimum gains and its usually because your not eating enough or pushing yourself hard enough at the gym.
    Reply
  - Nate — September 8th, 2012, 1:16 am
    
    Very easy for the Arthur Jones method to work. A couple good books on it out there, my fave is By Ellington Darden called the new high intensity training. You will learn about Arthur jones experiments with this style of training in the book if you just read it. I gained 12 lbs in 6 weeks of of this program, diet is key as well. I trained 3 people in e HIT method, and one guy went from 212 to 164 in about 4 months and got pretty muscular. My close friend I trained couldn’t handle the intensity but he gave it a good effort which is more than a lot of people can do as this is very difficult. The third guy I trained was young, and never worked out before with weights and in 9 weeks went from 137 to 163. Arthur Jones trained Casey Viator in this method as well after he got in an accident and lost most of his size. He utilized mostly negatives with this method and gained a ridiculous amount of weight in a few short weeks. Granted some of that was muscle memory though. This method does work, just not for everyone… Most don’t have what it takes to push through it.. Give it a shot.
    Reply
  - jared Coad — November 30th, 2012, 5:17 pm
    
    Your absolutely right, I only gained 16lbs in 24 days, but only 13 were muscle….of course I did have an extra 1.5yrs that I didn’t have to spend in the gym that you got over me. Applied knowledge is power. If we ruled out everything we didn’t know or try, the world would still be flat. Thank you Tim!!!
    Reply
  - Alex — January 30th, 2013, 2:26 am
    
    Amin to that brother, +1 from me.
    Reply
  - James Martin — April 16th, 2013, 2:38 pm
    
    In my late 30s after working out steadily for half a year, I devoted 6 weeks to a ketogenic diet and multiple sets of exercise to negative failure. The workout, in retrospect, was unnecessarily brutal. But, I lost 10 pounds of fat and gained 15 pounds of new, not regained, muscle. Furthermore, my strength increased by at least 50% in most lifts (singles). I never had similar results before or since. Big changes in short periods is possible.
    Reply
    - Nick — April 16th, 2013, 9:38 pm
      
      Brilliant! so much for the conventional wisdom that you can’t pack on muscle while on a ketogenic diet. Perhaps you could tell us what your diet looked like?
  - rachelle — June 26th, 2013, 10:58 am
    
    Not true….in my hay day…..I gained 15 lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat in less than 5 weeks…this was recorded by a trainer…he couldn’t believe it since I am a girl!!!!….he said I have good mind muscle connection…..
    Reply
  - Chris — February 23rd, 2014, 6:55 pm
    
    Don’t buy what? He’s giving this list of details completely free to try, there’s nothing to Buy..
    Reply
gwf — April 29th, 2007, 10:34 pm

Very interesting, inspirational and impressive!
Did you do any negative only exercises like Jones did in the study?
Have you been able to maintain the gains since you first did this?
Reply
Bill — April 29th, 2007, 11:05 pm

Great transformation Tim, your before and after photos are fantastic. I have a few questions:

What was your rep-range for each of your exercises?
How many calories per day were you eating?
Were you also doing any cardio exercise?
Reply
David Paul Robinson — April 30th, 2007, 12:48 am

Wow…. impressive!

I’m halfway through your book and loving it. Thanks for posting this.
Reply
4 Hour Body | David Paul Robinson — April 30th, 2007, 6:35 am

[...] April 30th, 2007 @ 6:35 am by David Paul Robinson Timothy Ferriss outlines how his four hour body program helped him gain 34 lbs of muscle in 4 [...]
Dewayne Mikkelson — April 30th, 2007, 8:39 am

Wow!!

Along with the fat-loss diet look like two things I need to start today!

Thanks for sharing this with us!

Your book is great, I ordered it via Amazon first but the ship date went from 2 days to the first or second week of May so I dropped by my local Borders and found one copy that I snagged. I will be seeking a worthy recipient for the copy from Amazon when I finally receive it.
Reply
Scott H Young » Links for Getting in Shape — April 30th, 2007, 9:24 am

[...] gain which from his own accounts doesnâ€™t appear to be the case this would be very impressive.Â The article is a good read and the research he uses to back up his efforts is even [...]
Anita — April 30th, 2007, 9:33 am

Awesome job, that’s amazing how much muscle you gained in such a short time. 4 months of that and you might be the incredible hulk!
Reply
Stan Schroeder — April 30th, 2007, 11:51 am

OK, I like the idea of doing your own homework. And I don’t doubt this can be done (you were in good shape to begin with, although many will not see that). But I’m a guy who also designs his owns training, and I know a lot about this stuff, and were I to try to start your program (I wouldn’t, I like spending more time exercising (: ), I would have no idea where to start.

In other words, if this is meant for beginners – and all geek-to-fantastic-body programs are – you should explain the workout routines in more detail.

And, while we’re at it, there’s no way a beginner will be able to apply your principles; I bet you have had a lot of experience before starting the program.

These aren’t really criticisms, just observations (;.
Reply
- Ab — March 29th, 2011, 11:05 am
  
  He gives all the details in his book
  Reply
  - hari — August 30th, 2011, 8:42 am
    
    can you give the name of the book
    Reply
    - James Webb — September 5th, 2013, 2:46 am
      
      The 4 Hour Body
      
      Also read 4 Hour Work Week and 4 Hour Chef
Yann — April 30th, 2007, 4:49 pm

any chance you might give us a little more detail on the workout routine/principle? I went to the colorado experiment link but they give a bunch of stats on the results, not what working out to the point of failure means or what routine they used, etc…

Thanks!
Reply
- John — February 8th, 2013, 1:11 am
  
  That’s the point bro. You have to buy the book to get the specifics, he’s not going to give it all away for free.
  Reply
Angela — April 30th, 2007, 5:12 pm

I’m signing up to be your first female case study! I’d like to get leaner and sleeker during my 28 day trial; I’ll let you know how it goes.

Just started the slow-carb diet (and also picked up my copy of the Four Hour Workweek)on Saturday. My boyfriend leafed through the book and is already bugging me to finish so he can steal it.
Reply
Blog » Blog Archive » — April 30th, 2007, 6:07 pm

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Blog » — April 30th, 2007, 6:08 pm

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
joelanders — April 30th, 2007, 6:32 pm

I’m definitely going to try this… soon…
Thanks for sharing it.
Reply
Noah — April 30th, 2007, 6:32 pm

What percentage of your max weight were you using? A. Jones seems a little hazy here.

Clearly, you keep pushing your set until failure, but with what weight? 40, 50, 60, 70%?

Also, A. Jones’ message is somewhat fuddled by pitching the Nautilus equipment; with a spotter I can replicate negative-only. Any recommendations on this?
Reply
- Manley — April 11th, 2012, 11:30 pm
  
  People, if you get the book, it helps. “4 hour body”. To answer your question of percentages. He states that you are to find out what weight you can do for 8 to 12 reps. The idea is for each lift, to have your muscles under a total stress time of 80 to 120 seconds. Each rep should take a total for 10 seconds (5 seconds up, and 5 seconds down).. You must go slow for every rep. For example.. If you want to start this workout. Go pick up a 50lb curl bar, and do as many (5seconds up, 5seconds down) reps as you can. Keep going until you think you can’t get a single more rep, then try for another one. If your arms drop out of complete loss of strength to do another rep, then you have hit muscle failure. Furthermore, you should hit muscle failure at 8 to 12 reps. I go for 10 reps generally. I started out with a 60lb curl bar, and got complete muscle failure at 10 reps. I ate a calculated amount of protein and carbs (which was a load) and at my next workout (which was 3 days later), I tried a 70lb curl bar. I got 10 reps. I gained 10 pounds in the lift. Magic. That hopefully will explain. Some parts of the concept are confusing. Buy the book.
  Reply
R. Simmons — April 30th, 2007, 8:11 pm

Dang hard to believe that happened in 30 days.
What kind of weight in Lbs were you lifting?
Reply
Jacob Johnson — April 30th, 2007, 8:39 pm

I’m not sure if the author is telling the truth, but after examining the contents, this seems to be a Nautilus commercial. The first link posted (in the details) mentions that only “rotary” equipment, with direct resistance could do the job, and after setting that up, they finish with “only nautilus equipment was used”.
Makes me question the authenticity of the entire posting.
Reply
- Andrew — February 21st, 2011, 6:22 pm
  
  wow. you’re a pretty suspicious person huh? he can’t mention what equipment he used without you bringing the entire method into question. I don’t even have the energy to go into how simple minded of a thing that is to say
  Reply
- John — February 8th, 2013, 1:13 am
  
  In the book he mentions free weights.
  Reply
Jonathan Browne — April 30th, 2007, 8:45 pm

Very interesting. I’d like to do the same. I’m interested in a more specific breakdown of what exercises you used. Do you think you could breakdown your workout routine?

Also, im not entirely sure I know what you mean by this: “5. Exercise less frequently as you increase strength and size, as your recovery abilities can only increase 20-30%, while you can often increase fat-free muscle tissue up to 100% before reaching a genetic set-point.”

Check out my site at http://www.nolimitzentertainment.wordpress.com
Reply
Doubtful — April 30th, 2007, 9:04 pm

Does this workout give you a shaved chest and a tan also? Sweet!!!
Reply
Shanti Braford — April 30th, 2007, 9:56 pm

Tim – first stumbled onto your site because of this page being featured on del.icio.us/popular, which is an awesome story in itself. (I could definitely use a new workout/excercise/eating regimen)

Have since read through almost all of your posts, pages, interviews, etc. Incredible, & truly inspiring!

Amazon’d your book for 2-day delivery; can’t wait to read the whole thing!
Reply
zach even - esh — April 30th, 2007, 10:09 pm

dude, right on, those are awesome freakin’ results Tim! I agree with shorter, more intense workouts.

Why waste time in the gym?!?!

You should also check out ‘The New Bodybuilding for Old School results’ by Dr. Darden, it’s an updated verison on all the HIT training!

kick ass till the next time bruddah!

–z–
Reply
Matt — April 30th, 2007, 10:17 pm

Hey Time,
Impressive results!
Do you have the workout you followed for the 4 week duration? How many grams of protein and carbs per pound of body weight did you consume?

Thanks,
–Matt
Reply
Alive in China — April 30th, 2007, 10:51 pm

muscle that fast…

can you get muscles by working out just 4 hours a week?

i don't know sounds cool though
…
Ravi — April 30th, 2007, 10:57 pm

Amazing progress. It is definitely motivating.

I think one of the keys here will be to actually train in a manner where you have very high intensity over a short workout.

For this experiment, did you train with a personal trainer? If not, did you do it with a training partner? If so, what were his or her gains?

I’m assuming you need a partner to effectively train in this manner.

Ravi
Reply
- Will M — November 14th, 2010, 2:55 pm
  
  Ravi-
  
  It’s super helpful to have the perspective of a coach during a workout, but if you have a solid training plan made for you and total commitment, you can make it happen solo.
  
  Will
  Reply
Mahmoud — April 30th, 2007, 11:04 pm

nice blog.

great presentation at web2.0 expo. i wish people would stop working so hard on meaningless details and focus on real work. i think everyone will benefit.

thanks again,
mahmoud
Reply
Maurice — April 30th, 2007, 11:07 pm

Amazing!

Any chance of you posting the workout plan you used for those results?
Reply
Punchinello — April 30th, 2007, 11:21 pm

Known side effects of this workout routine are loss of body hair and tanning of the skin.
Reply
bob — April 30th, 2007, 11:31 pm

Having done extensive “research” myself, for the past 5 years or so (as a hobby), I can’t read this and accept it as fact. From what I understand, putting on 34 lbs of lean muscle tissue in 28 days is a physical impossibility. Furthermore, any talk of reaching a “genetic set-point” in 28 days is absolutely ludicrous. Having said that, and going by your pics, I do think you made excellent progress, and applaud you for that.
Reply
- Bob Loblaws — April 11th, 2012, 11:52 am
  
  Couldn’t agree more, if that were the case, professional bodybuilders would be using his “tricks” but just sounds like another well written advertisement.
  Reply
Jacob — April 30th, 2007, 11:31 pm

This would’ve been much more interesting to see if you’d shaved and tanned for the first one as well, doing those 2 things in the second pictures only can make things appear more drastic than they actually are.
Reply
Best fresh links from all world ! » Links today — May 1st, 2007, 2:33 am

[...] š’ From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Alexander Becker — May 1st, 2007, 3:58 am

Hey Tim, those are some nice gains.

Would you mind elaborating on the amount of kcals you ate during the month, also, did you take any supplements, and third, how did or do you maintain that size?

Cheers,
Alex
Reply
Bogdan — May 1st, 2007, 4:04 am

I am interested in performing the same experiment.Can you tell me about the prerequisites of this experiment in detail?I think the results would be interesting as I am a thin person.Thank you.
Reply
T.H — May 1st, 2007, 5:02 am

Hi, loved the article, i would like to know did you train the all body each workout 2 to 3 times a week ? lot of HIT articles and people like Mike Mentzer suggest training each body part no more than once a week…. Also I do Muay Thai as well, did you do MMA while on the training program ? Thanks
Reply
Kristina — May 1st, 2007, 6:31 am

You are obviously happy with your results, and that is what matters most. But, here is the opinion of one female reader: you looked better and cuter before :> And not at all geeky. Before you had a toned, nice soccer-player-type body. Now you have a slightly freaky and excessively buff meat-head-football-player-type body. I’m sure many women would disagee with me. But, it’s not a bad thing if you slide back toward self-proclaimed geekiness or if you land somewhere in the middle of freak and geek.
Reply
- s1607 — April 21st, 2011, 1:40 pm
  
  I definitely agree — before was hotter.
  Reply
Tim Ferriss — May 1st, 2007, 7:08 am

Hi Ravi,

I actually train alone and have since age 15. I prefer training between 8-10pm and use a “power rack” (a stand-alone cage that acts as a spotter) for safety. Generally, I favor machines over free-weights for ease-of-use, with the exception of deadlifts for experienced trainees. Resistance is resistance, and machines require less clean up.

I’ve put friends — even vegetarians — on this program, who have gained 10-20 lbs. in four weeks despite consuming insufficient calories. For ambitious eaters, and eating is the hardest part, that number will be much higher.

Weight training for me is “me time” and almost meditative, so I never train with a partner. It’s therapeutic to count the cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) and forget the world for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Last but not least, you are right: short and intense are the defining features of this workout. That said, there is one additional element more neglected than any other: massive recovery time.

Cheers!

Tim
Reply
- Daniel A — September 13th, 2011, 12:16 pm
  
  Hey Tim,
  
  I hope you can take the time to reply to this or at least outsource an auto reply haha. Thanks for the book it’s a good read and i’m on the slow carb diet now. I have lost 25 pounds in 4 weeks already. I’ve been lifting regularly and can bench over 300lbs now. I’m gonna start the geek to freak portion now and want to know can I still do curls or tricep work? I can follow directions but workout A and B seem so basic I feel like a slacker not doing more. if I don’t hear anything from you i’ll give it two weeks. I’ll give an update, somebody send me a 4hr Prayer, I hope this works.
  Reply
- dan halliday — November 8th, 2011, 8:38 am
  
  Hey Tim,
  
  your truly a mad scientist! Awesome results and great book = )
  from my research previous to weighing 177 lbs after completing the 28 days you have weighed 193 lbs in 1999 in your competitive kickboxing days, from education, research and personal experience this makes it makes it far far easier and quicker to regain the muscle. I’m 6’1 and weigh 165 lbs (body type: ectomorph), however unlike Casey Viator, Arthur Jones and yourself this is my staring weight so to speak, it is the most I have ever weighed in my life, from your extensive experience and research what do you think the best, most efficient and effective method to take when gaining 34 lbs of muscle for someone like me is? would you still recommend the method you outline in the Geek to Freak chapter? or are there other supplements, exercises, amounts of food etc you could recommend? I would very much appreciated a reply! = )
  Reply
- Matthew — January 25th, 2013, 9:15 pm
  
  Tim,
  
  I understand you didn’t keep these gains but how would you suggest someone keep as much of these gains as possible when transitioning back into different types of training like crossfit?
  Reply
Kavit Haria — May 1st, 2007, 7:40 am

Hi Tim,

Thanks for sharing your story with us, it’s certainly motivating me to get off my butt and get my fitness back to a good level and build more muscle.

Short and intense workouts. You said you workout 8-10pm. Most people advise 1 hour workouts. Whats your take on the length of workout and times per week?

For someone who hasn’t exercised properly and/or regularly for nearly 3-4 years, do you think acheiving similar results are possible?

Kavit
Reply
chris — May 1st, 2007, 8:07 am

Tim –
What defines “intense”? I am really interested in this as I am a classic ectomorph that has made no noticeable progress the traditional route.

I have been enjoying this site for a couple weeks and got the pre-ordered amazon book last week. Thoroughly enjoying it.
thx
chris
Reply
Calle — May 1st, 2007, 8:10 am

Hi!
I really like the stuff in this post, but I have a question.
#4 on this page states that you “drop calories by 50% one day per week”.
But rule #4 in the post you link to (your current fat-loss diet) stats that you have a â€œDieters Gone Wildâ€?-day.
That means you have 5 regular days, one ultra-slim day and one eat-all-you-can day per week right? Or am I misunderstanding you?

Yeay for scandinavian genes!
/Calle from Sweden
Reply
Josh — May 1st, 2007, 8:28 am

With a routine like this, clearly you have to be a bit exhausted right after it’s over, but are you necessarily sore the next day? I’ve always welcomed muscle soreness as a sign of growth, but the inability to walk properly for a couple days after a good leg workout does get a bit annoying. If I’m not sore the next day, I’m always tempted to get right back into it, ignoring the advice you give of only training 2-3 times/week. Am I doing something wrong if I don’t experience that soreness, or should I just take the day off anyway?
Reply
Sarah Lewis — May 1st, 2007, 8:58 am

This looks interesting, Tim. One question: how many reps do you aim for on each exercise before failure? Or in other words, at what point should the weight be increased?
Reply
Jim — May 1st, 2007, 9:01 am

To your points 1, 3, 5 and 6, the one-set-to-failure approach isn’t new (ref: Peter Sisco, Power Factor Training, Static Contraction Training), and as I’m sure you’ve discovered, this approach tends to rub the ‘traditionalists’ the wrong way. One of the points you touch on but Sisco emphasizes is the need to recover. Something he has mentioned which I’ve also experienced is being able to do a given exercise once a month and still make gains. But his focus was in “strongest range training”; I’d be interested to know whether this was your approach as well (I still need to follow all your linked referenced) or whether you did “full range” training.

I’m 5’10″ and at my best I’d made it to 179 lbs. I fell off the wagon so to speak and slowly lost weight/size till around 165, then this past March I caught some bug which kept me from doing anything for 3-4 weeks. As a result, my weight fell to a multi-year low of 159. That sucked.

So I’ve just recently gotten back on the horse. I haven’t switched back to doing the max weight possible for a single set, although I do shoot for failure by at least the 3rd set, if not sooner. I’m not so hung up on the “must do 3 sets of 12″ mantra, so long as I focus on good form, putting in a strong contraction (and avoiding using inertia or ‘swing’), as well as a slow release/relaxation of the muscles being worked. Already the scales are moving favourably, and in a relatively short time.

But your programme has given me inspiration to revisit the one-set-to-failure approach. At the moment some of my muscles (legs mainly) are still going through that shaky phase where the neural pathways are getting (re)established.

One question though that I haven’t seen adequately answered anywhere: If you want to incorporate cardio training and you’re doing the weight training twice a week, when and how often should the cardio training be done? I’m guessing that even cardio training could cause a delay in recovery/growth from the weight training, but…. If you have any decent references on this, that would be great. My cardio has always sucked, but I’ve managed to make progress in this area as well (again, before my recent illness).

Oh, and my wife confirms that your ‘before’ pic is quite a bit how I am now. Especially the “chicken legs”. (No offense intended… this is a bit of a running gag for her and I.)

Cheers.
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Noah — May 1st, 2007, 9:12 am

A. Jones is a bit vague on details about his one-set-to-failure. Are you using a high percentage of your max (70 to 80%) over a few number of reps to failure, or the opposite.

Noah
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John — May 1st, 2007, 9:21 am

As someone who’s never lifted weights before, I have a question … what kind of machines will allow you to do the exercises needed for this?
Would a bowflex work?
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John — May 1st, 2007, 9:24 am

That is a really motivating article, but I could do with more details! I read the article you linked to, but couldn’t pick up that much info more than you mentioned here.

I guess my main questions are:
1: You mention “4-7 multi-joint exercises” is that all the exercises you did? 1 set of each?

2: What kind of calorie intake were you maintaining?

3: Do you know anywhere that details the exercises that you mention (in terms of getting the form correct) or are there any others you’d recommend?

I guess one useful thing if you have time would be more specific detail on what YOU did rather than just the guidelines.

Great article though, thanks!
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Leo — May 1st, 2007, 9:46 am

Hi Tim!

Can you be more specific and outline this routine? I get the 5 seconds up/5 down, but what exercises each time? Just one rotation? How many days per week?

A checklist PDF file would be great!

Also, what about nutrition before & after the routine?

Thanks,

Leo
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Nathan — May 1st, 2007, 11:14 am

Can you be more specific on the types of lifts? Or, do we just need to make sure we are hitting our whole body every session? I read to Colorado Experiment report and that is not much more specific either. It says something like 8-10 lifts per session, with emphasis on the negative.

P.S. I just received the book last night, and I ended up staying up too late reading it I almost slept in for a final.
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xamox — May 1st, 2007, 11:19 am

I recently did something like this. Although I only gained about 10lbs of muscle in a month. I quite drinking soda, started drinking water and grape juice instead. I also took muscletech’s Nitrotech and Celltech. I lifted 4 days a week (about 45min at a time) and would do cardio type workout 1 other day a week (about 30-45min). I’m glad that you posted this to your blog instead of trying to sell people a book or something.
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Alan — May 1st, 2007, 12:39 pm

Incredible results. You’re an inspiration!

A couple of questions:

Did you continue with your martial arts training during the 4 weeks or just the weight lifting?

Also, how many calories/grams of protein per day did you eat?

Thanks
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Christoph — May 1st, 2007, 1:04 pm

Hey Tim! Your book is on its way to my house now, and I am looking forward to it more than any book I’ve purchased in the last 2 years! My question is more oriented towards females. My fiance is on the keto type diet with me, but has the MOST picky appetite ever, and, gets bored easily and wants to quit. Suffice to say, it is bothersome, and I can’t get her into the ‘eat for results’ frame of mind.

We are going to Vegas in approx 22 days and naturally we want to drop excess pounds ASAP. What type of workout regimen would you recommend for her, and, what kind of supplements to assist the process? I figure if the diet is half assed, at least the gym can somewhat compensate for it, still with results. Input in more than appreciated!
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fred hahn — May 1st, 2007, 1:17 pm

Good job Tim. Although you went from VERY undertrained to well developed, good job. Too bad there is no proof of dates for the pix but you seem like an upstanding guy. Great job. Now, are your plans to add another 10 pounds of lean?
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Nick — May 1st, 2007, 1:19 pm

Any chance you could lay out the specific exercises that should be done in each half hour session? That would be super helpful. Thanks.
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Dan — May 1st, 2007, 1:44 pm

I’ve heard of HIIT (high intensity interval training) for losing weight mostly through wind sprints but this is the first I’ve heard for gaining weight. Very interesting, I’m due for a workout change, this might be the one for me.
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Curt — May 1st, 2007, 3:07 pm

The advice you give is exactly what I found after researching for a few years.
One thing I’d like to point out is it took me about 2 years of moderate weight training and general physical fitness activity (biking) before I could do these workouts with the intensity that is required. You were already in great shape and very fit before you started.
If you are totally out of shape, start slow, 5-10 minute workouts, get some cardio, and work your way up to 30 minutes.
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nynerd — May 1st, 2007, 3:57 pm

Are you sure you didn’t leave out the step where you inject your ass with roids?
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Ben — May 1st, 2007, 4:33 pm

I would love to hear more about the types of lifts you used! As Nathan noted, the Colorado Experiment is a bit thin on the details.
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Chris — May 1st, 2007, 4:54 pm

I can’t find any mention of any cardio…. I assume you were still training/fighting or something in addition to the workouts? Or is that the whole thing – no other exercise for total recovery?
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tr — May 1st, 2007, 5:29 pm

Slow repetitions compromise explosiveness and speed. They also tend to induce sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, meaning your muscles are getting puffed up more than you’re getting stronger. Though I think this is more of an issue with volume training than the one set to failure recommendation here. And puffed up muscles are usually the goal of people lifting weights, anyway. Did your bodyweight increase faster than your strength?

My statements here are informed by Ross Enamait’s excellent “Infinite Intensity” training book, which in turn meticulously cites peer reviewed literature.

The “colorado study” link here reads like a Nautilus ad, doesn’t reference a controlled study, and makes pretty limited claims about performance gain. Is there a better link? But yeah, the basic point that intensity and peak effort, not volume of training, drive performance gains is valid. Read about Tabata Intervals.
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micah — May 1st, 2007, 5:36 pm

I’m a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and am wondering how many calories are we talking about here?

I tried your diet plan for one week and lost 10 pounds (Monday morning to Saturday morning), but gained back a lot on Saturday, and it seems to be coming off kinda slow. I wonder if I am doing something wrong there.

-micah
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John — May 1st, 2007, 5:42 pm

I’m very interested in your workout routine. But can you provide a little more detail about exactly what you do and what weights are appropriate?

I read the Colorado Experiment article and I’m still not sure what one set to failure means. Does it mean do one type of exercise as long as you can, no matter what the weight? Or do the maximum weight that you know you can do for however many reps you can?

In that article, it talks about doing an exercise to strengthen triceps to failure, then doing another exercise that also uses triceps so your tris can go past failure.
What exercises did you do to get to failure and what did you do to go beyond the failure point? If you could tell me the exercises you did, it would help me get a better idea of what exercises are best for flexibility and to push someone past failure.

I’m very interested in trying the program you suggested but I’m not sure exactly what to do. If you could just list what a typical workout for you includes (what exercises), that would help me and other readers out a lot.
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Vlad — May 1st, 2007, 5:56 pm

Hi,

can you give us more details? Like what equipment you used, what excerises etc.

And the “variable resistance” they talk about in the Colorado experiment, can we achieve that or do you need some super-special machine? Or is it not really required?

If you could give us the schedule for one of your workouts that would be nice.

Cheers,
Vlad
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Colin — May 1st, 2007, 6:25 pm

How do you gain 10-20 pounds of muscle “despite consuming insufficient” calories? The only formula for weight gain is Calories consumed minus calories burned. Unless, of course, you are saying they simultaneously lost 10-20 pounds of fat.

Can you clarify?
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RoninFuu — May 1st, 2007, 7:36 pm

Do you know any ‘ladies’ who have tried your work out and if so, what were their results? I am one of said ladies not interested in looking like you and I think I would like to give your little experiment a chance given that my greatest constraint on working out/losing weight is lack of time, but I would like to hear how girls did. Definitely don’t need my ass (or anything else) getting wider.
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Jay B. — May 1st, 2007, 7:52 pm

Maybe I’m just woozy with legume-overload from following your diet recommendations, but I don’t think your math is right.

“two 30-minute workouts per week, for a total of 8 HOURS of gym time” equals 1 hour of gym time per week, equals 8 weeks, not 4.

Not that all these changes in 8 weeks wouldn’t be remarkable. But I’m impatient, and I go on a big vacation in 4 weeks. If I’m going to try this, I want to make sure I do it right.

btw, tearing through the book and about to purchase a couple of copies as gifts. thanks!
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Dave — May 1st, 2007, 8:03 pm

Awesome results! This post has motivated me into doing something like this. I just started to prepare and write my stats down. I weigh a whole 109lbs. and have taken the before pictures.

I’ll be keeping track of it all.
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Bjorn — May 1st, 2007, 8:40 pm

Tim, did you have to drastically lower your weights, theres no way I could lift my usual weight when I’m lowering and raising the weight 4-5 seconds, the weight will have to be much lighter.
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nick — May 1st, 2007, 9:05 pm

wow man, thats awesome!

i have been trying to gain weight for the past like 5 months. eating at least 3 high protein meals a day and working out to the point of exhaustion 1-2x a week and right now im at the heaviest i have ever been (~150lbs, 5’11″). i am using only 25lb dumbells and nothing else at all. i gained about 10 lbs since i started but seem to have hit a wall, so im about to go buy heavier weights and eat more.

how much weight were you pushing?
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Jon — May 1st, 2007, 9:08 pm

Hey Tim, I guess I’m too much of a skeptic but the before and after pictures are hard to believe. I know with the gain of 34 lbs of muscle it obviously changes the body. However the eyes in the before and after picture appear different. The eyes in the after picture appear to be deeper set than the before. No offensive is meant by this at all. Thank you.
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Martin Kuplens-Ewart — May 1st, 2007, 9:33 pm

Tim,

Looks fantastic – this along with a couple of your older blog posts have definitely inspired me to get my butt down 24 floors to my building’s gym (embarrassing, yes!)

That said, I’ve got to admit to being a little blonde (not my natural hair colour mind you): when you say one-set-to-failure, do you mean ‘do as many reps as it takes to fail’ or ‘do a set number of reps, making sure that the resistance is such that you are failing at the last rep’?

Thanks for the spark (and hopefully help)!
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Nathan T — May 1st, 2007, 10:00 pm

Hey Tim,

Years ago I read about the Colorado Experiment in Dr. Ellington Darden’s book about Nautilus equipment and I was amazed at the results. The book covered a lot of Arthur Jones’ training principles and theories. He had some very revolutionary ideas for the time, but I’ve rarely seen anyone use or talk about his training methods in modern literature. Perhaps 30 minutes a day seems like far too little training after hearing almost every other bodybuilder boast about working out 2 hours a day for 6 days a week.

I’m glad to see someone effectively using those priciples to prove how extraordinary the results can be. And you went one step better by including dieting instructions as well. I appreciate the info.

One question: why did you decide to workout only a couple days a week, instead of every other day as Jones and Viator did? Just curious. Keep up the great work with the posts!
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Time To Get Fit » Gain 34 lbs Of Muscle In 28 Days! — May 1st, 2007, 10:14 pm

[...] was reading some more of Tim Ferriss’ blog, and saw his recent article From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks. He has plenty of before-and-after photos to illustrate just how much of a difference this is. [...]
Andrew Tracey — May 1st, 2007, 10:16 pm

That’s awesome; I’m currently on a weight training program now, myself, as well as some running and I’d like to get into boxing and Krav Maga (familiar? check it out, it’s awesome, I’ll take it over a martial art any day since that’s not really what it is).

Can I ask about performance improvements, i.e. amount of weight added to some of the core exercises, i.e. bench and deadlift, after 4 weeks?

Cheers,
Andrew
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Rob — May 1st, 2007, 10:17 pm

I second the request for more specific breakdowns on the types of exercises in your routine(s)…

The Colorado report says some interesting things about working certain muscles to temp failure, and then driving them past that by mixing in other exercises that make use of the “failed” muscle in conjunction with others… such as doing dips after working triceps to failure, and then dips again after working the chest to failure…

Seems like order and combination is important? Did you carry the same routine each day you went?

Awesome results man, truly inspiring as stated above.
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Aaron — May 1st, 2007, 10:29 pm

Nathan, check out “The New High Intensity Training” book by Ellington Darden.. He worked with Arthur Miller and was involved with a lot of his experiments. It goes over workout plans in more detail, but it really boils down to just what Tim says in point 3 above.

Also keep in mind that the Colorado experiment results were also the result of *rebuilding* muscle that had atrophied on Casey from illness. But they are quick to point that out in the study also.

Great post Tim… I’m enjoying your book now (just received from pre-order) and your blog posts.
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jimbo — May 1st, 2007, 10:35 pm

I was recently in NYC and just about everyone on Manhattan had A Crackberry (CB). I’m no critic of making money but forget having a leash. Good tips on the emailing. I’ll send this to a coworker who is constantly checking his texts for hits from his Craigslist causal encounters posting(s)
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Bilal — May 1st, 2007, 10:52 pm

How has this training regime and results affected you in terms of your cardiovascular health? From what I read, you mainly concentrated on building bulk through weight lifting. From where you were before you started training to where you ended up at, did you notice improvement in the area of cardiovascular ability or a reduction?
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damon — May 1st, 2007, 11:15 pm

I started this technique tonight after reading the article. I actually just got your book today.

Quick question: How many reps do you find you are doing in each set? I know this will vary from person to person, but generally what is the range. I did some dumbelling and used a weight that was high enough to fail my muscles after about 8-10 repetitions. Is that about right?

-d
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Matt — May 1st, 2007, 11:23 pm

I am missing something here, doesnt two half hour workout sessions a week = 4 hours in the gym after 4 weeks? Where do the other 4 hours go?
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Josh — May 1st, 2007, 11:51 pm

Did you do the same workout 2x per week or did you mix it up every workout?

For example, did you two squats twice per week or just once a week?
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David — May 2nd, 2007, 12:53 am

I was told i had to lose weight fast due to a super-high cholesterol count (my GP was freaking out, lol, as I’m only 22). Problem was was that I couldn’t keep the exercise up due to the length of time it took (I work two jobs). Seeing this has me motivated again. I should be able to cram in 30 in a day, even if it is in my lunch break
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Brad — May 2nd, 2007, 2:12 am

Tim,

Very interesting, but I’m confused…you did this during the month of October? You seem to have gotten much tanner in those 28 days in a month when it’s near-impossible to tan, even in San Jose (where I live). Also, at what point in those 28 days did you decide to wax your body?
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Paul — May 2nd, 2007, 4:08 am

Hey Tim,

Great blog! Me and a friend are going to start training like this for the next two months. I`ve already bought a bucket of green paint and am practicing my war cries; YOU’RE MAKING ME ANGRY… YOU WOULDN`T LIKE ME WHEN I`M ANGRY. Hulk style.

I do have some questions. I`m guessing you need a hell of a warming up to get the max out of this? In the Colorado Experiment article they were aiming for 10 reps. Is this the way you did it? Aim for 10, if you go over 10 reps up the weight?

Most people I`ve talked to about conventional HIT-Traing told me that HIT does work for hypertrophy but doesn`t train the nervous system. I do care a lot about strength gains since I`ve been active in martial arts for a long time. What are your thoughts on this? Did your strength increase a lot during this month?

I`m going to order your book sometime this week. Looking forward to reading it. You realy hit me with the 20/80 concept. Thanks a lot for sharing your insights and keep it up. Fedor is waiting!

Paul from Amsterdam
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SB — May 2nd, 2007, 5:07 am

I agree with Nathan. Is there any information about this that is more specific? I would love to work on it but this is a set of rules rather than an actual program I could try. My background in phys-ed is very limitied so some of your rules don’t really make any sense to me but an actual program set out would be really helpful.

Cheers
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Peter Jennings — May 2nd, 2007, 7:18 am

Were you also doing your MMA training during these 28 days? If not, did you do any high intensity cardio? I’d imagine that you’d need to allow the body plenty of time to rest, so other exercise might be counter-productive during this (huge!) growth phase.

I’d also be interested to know how many calories you were consuming most days, and the protein/carbs/fat ratios. Did you use any supplements?

I like how you manage to get so much done in so little time.

Peter
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Aaron Spence — May 2nd, 2007, 7:38 am

G’day Tim,

The results from this experiment look fantastic. Quick question, what caused all your body hair to fall out & your skin to become all over evenly tanned, ’cause it adds a lot to the look

BTW: Love your blog & am looking forward to reading the book

Thanks, Aaron.
Reply
Can the Human Body Build 34 Pounds of Muscle in a Month? at Dethroner — May 2nd, 2007, 8:26 am

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [FourHourWorkweek.com] [...]
Steve — May 2nd, 2007, 8:28 am

What about aerobic exercise?
Reply
Through My Lense » Blog Archive » Links — May 2nd, 2007, 9:26 am

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I gained 34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks 43 Web Design Mistakes You Should Avoid [...]
brian — May 2nd, 2007, 10:19 am

can you give a number on this “massive amounts of protein”. hows much grams per pound (or use metric if you like) body weight are we talking about, usually, i’ve read 1.5 to 2.
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Aaron — May 2nd, 2007, 12:14 pm

Wouldn’t it be 4 hours of gym time? 4 weeks * 2 workouts per week * half hour each = 4 hours?

- Aaron
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Sam — May 2nd, 2007, 12:18 pm

Hi, I’m very impressed with your experiment but very confused by your math. You say two 30-minutes works for 4 weeks equals 8 hours of gym time? Wouldn’t that be 4 hours of gym time?
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Erik Madsen — May 2nd, 2007, 12:25 pm

Hi Tim,

Like Nathan, I’m curious as to the sequence of the exercises. I understand the example of doing a tricep workout, and then moving on to dips to engage chest AND triceps (or vice versa), but would be very interested to see an entire workout routine listed to fully grasp the idea.

Thanks!
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Jonathan Chen — May 2nd, 2007, 12:53 pm

I’ve started giving this a try just yesterday.
I’ve been trying for quite some time to really lean down and bulk up. With the monitoring of my diet, I’ve really cut a lot of weight, but haven’t gained as much muscle as I would like.

After trying it last night, I have to say – I need some guidance; doing 1 to 2 reps to failure feels like a cop out.

After I was done after 25 minutes, I was actually really antsy, and was still able to rock climb quite vigorously for 2 hours after that.

Today, I only feel slightly sore. I would imagine 1 rep to failure would wreak havoc on my body.

Is this how it should feel?

With all that said, I’m glad to see that what I’m reading is adding up. Everyone seems to be all about the “intensity” of the workout as opposed to length.

Keep up the awsome work!

Jonathan
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xeno — May 2nd, 2007, 1:22 pm

I have a few questions. You say 6-7 exercises, up to 3 minutes between exercise, 5 sec up/5 sec down. 30 minutes.
Do you have an exercise plan with sets/reps/exercise and weights?
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freddieY — May 2nd, 2007, 1:55 pm

Tim, what gave you the idea for dropping “calories by 50% one day per week to prevent protein uptake downregulation.” Do you have any citations for that? Thanks.
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Tom Traynor — May 2nd, 2007, 4:03 pm

10-15 YEARS apart?! So, he kept those shorts for that long in order to pull this con off? And then he got Dr. Peggy Plato to get in on the con….maybe you can check up on that….But this is one long-term planner/influencial kind of guy….May make a great President–running opposed to Arnold!
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Tom Traynor — May 2nd, 2007, 4:13 pm

I dunno if Tim touched on it–but the training has to be…..BRUTAL in focus, intensity and execution. I often CRUSH so-called workout-people when we just get into it with a little “show-me how” sampler workout. It almost seems the more gym time/working with trainer experience they have, the worse they get crushed, as they have established a comfort level with “doing their workout” several hours/day, several days a week–THIS aint that.

As Arthur Jones once said: “Unless you have just about thrown up from a single set of curls taken to absolute failure, you haven’t yet truly worked in high-intensity fashion.”
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RippedBlog — May 2nd, 2007, 4:17 pm

I too am an advocate for the HIT method. The results are phenomenal… the only thing that will hold back gains when doing HIT right is your genetics. What’s sad is how few people know about Arthur Jones – he has brought so much knowledge to the sport of bodybuilding – and I’d say he is near equivalent to Weider. Folks, abandon your 4 and 5-day splits and move to the more-effective method that is High Intensity Training; you will not be disappointed.
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Tim Ferriss — May 2nd, 2007, 4:31 pm

Hi All,

Wow! Talk about a bruhaha!

My apologies for the delay, but I’m traveling in NY and just now checked out the comments awaiting moderation, which totalled more than 300. I did delete quite a few comments: first, those that were the same questions over and over (just to reduce the burden or update emails to everyone, and to prevent me from answering the tanning question 1,000 times ); and second, those that were just rude or profane. I created this blog to show people what’s possible and offer options, and here’s my rule for the site: be cool. Don’t be mean or rude — it’s a waste of energy.

OK, so here are a few responses to the most common questions:

1. Yes, it is 4 hours and not 8 hours! I had 8 workouts per month in my head (which is accurate), and screwed up the arithmetic. Guess I won’t be writing “The 4-Hour Mathematician” anytime soon

2. I did not maintain the gains. Why? Too much eating. I estimate (I don’t both counting) that I was consuming between 5,000-8,000 calories per day in 5 or 6 divided meals, which is a full-time job. I spent more time eating than working out! I much prefer to be around 165 lbs. for athletics.

3. For each set, I target to reach failure after 80-120 seconds, thus 8-12 repetitions at 5/5 cadence. This is sometimes referred to as “time under tension” (TUT). I will usually do one marathon workout of 2-3 hours before beginning the program to determine an appropriate starting weight for each exercise.

4. Doing bicep curls WILL cause your skin to darken and your body hair to fall out. Since I didn’t do bicep curls, I had to use Nair and go to a tanning salon

Holy crap — I just got some HUGE NEWS via cell phone from my publisher. No joke… you’ll hear about it in the next few days. In the meantime, please check out the writings of a few of my favorites (sorry about Jones’ stuff coming off like a Nautilus ad, as good as his machines are):

Ellington Darden
Ken Leistner
Matt Brzycki (he edited one compendium with excellent research references)

More to come!

Cheerio,

Tim
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Cody — May 2nd, 2007, 7:07 pm

I have a recent Ellington Darden book from Rodale. It is very good. Highly recommended.

Per the recovery time, Ellington Darden asked Arthur Jones what he would have done differently in his training when he was younger. Jones’ response? He would have worked out less. He was only working out twice a week!

Also, remember that Jones was responsible for training several winning bodybuilders. He didn’t just sell Nautilus. He also invented the machines himself. He also made nature films in Africa in the 60′s. He’s quite a guy. Not many men made like him anymore. Not by a long shot…
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Steve D. — May 3rd, 2007, 12:17 am

It’s interesting that you mention aiming for 80-120 secs of TUT. I read an article not too long ago about NASA research on muscle growth and maintenance that found that 80-120 secs of TUT was required and ideal for triggering hypertrophy. I’m guessing you have read similar research? This was from an experiment done on the thigh muscles of rats.
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How to Gain 34lbs of Muscle in 4 Weeks | Set Higher Standards — May 3rd, 2007, 12:21 am

[...] Ferriss has another motivating post about how to gain a massive amount of muscle in a short period of time. It is almost too big a change to believe, but I’ll let you be the [...]
Ravi — May 3rd, 2007, 12:44 am

Some people have talked about Pete Sisco’s Static Contraction training method. I actually used it for 60 days last year and had decent results. However, they were not that much better than what I would get from normal weight training (actually about the same). The difference was that the workouts were really short and infrequent. I stopped using the technique because it just wasn’t that enjoyable. I never got that pumped feeling from working out. It was also pretty tough to find enough weight in the gym to use…and tough to find a spotter all the time to get the machine or weights in the right position. Power-racks helped but even with them, these problems remained.

That said, I am going to give the program Time used a try (as per The Colorado Experiment) for the next 30 days. I did my first workout using the one-set-to-failure technique and it was one of the hardest (and shortest) workouts I’ve done in a long time. It really felt good. I’ll be blogging about my progress.

I really don’t need to gain 34lbs in 4 weeks…but I would surely love to gain about 20lbs

we’ll see how it goes…..now time to go drink a protein shake!
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Nathan — May 3rd, 2007, 2:10 am

I’d have to agree that you look pretty fit already. As a ‘real’ geek, I’m currently just aiming for the body you had at the start of your program, and after 4 months of going to the gym for an hour 4 times a week I am nowhere near.

I AM a lot fitter, and more toned, but the big problem I have, and it sounds like you found difficult too, is ‘how on earth do you eat that much’.

I really struggle to manage 1500 cals per day. The 5000 odd you were managing I can’t even begin to get my head around. Would be really interested in more detail not on the exercise program but the eating aspect of it!

Thanks – your results are really impressive.
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Saga — May 3rd, 2007, 3:15 am

Hey Tim,

Have you tried this diet on someone that is overweight?? not obese but overweight? Becasue 5000-8000 cals per day might end up making people fat. You seemed to be a slim guy are you prone to gaining fat?

Thanks for this great post,
Saga
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phrank — May 3rd, 2007, 7:51 am

Timâ€™s right about the abbreviated workouts being the most efficient and productive. A decade ago I gained 17 lbs in seven weeks working-out only twice a week, with each session lasting less than 45 minutes each. Heâ€™s also correct in favoring compound movements over isolation exercises. A good example of the former would be the bench press, while an example of the latter would be curls. The difference being that the bench press recruits many muscle groups, while curls involve only one. Because such exercises involve a greater percentage of the bodyâ€™s total musculature, and therefore allow the use of greater poundage, they are much more effective in terms of strength and mass gains.

Exercise selection can be equally simple. That is, essentially, your upper body can either push or pull. So itâ€™s as easy as selecting two compound movements, one where you push, and one where you pull. The afore mentioned bench press is a good example of a pushing movement. Chins or Yateâ€™s rows are a good example of a pulling movement. That leaveâ€™s the lower body. Good compound movements for the lower body include squats, dead lifts, and as Tim mentioned, leg presses. Throw in a little core workout and youâ€™re golden!w
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» 4 Hour Work Week Fascination — May 3rd, 2007, 8:12 am

[...] (or inspire) work flow. His blog is a good read as well…here. And his recent posts about strength gain/weight loss is inspiring as well. He mentioned “Pizza My Heart” in his comments, so I am betting he [...]
Prime News Blog » Blog Archive » xmen fanfiction rogue scott Tim Ferriss: From Geek to Freak in 28 Days — May 3rd, 2007, 9:01 am

[...] for only 2 hours per week, and following these 6 steps…" rogue and pyro fanfiction xmenread more | digg [...]
Felix — May 3rd, 2007, 10:09 am

Its not impossible to achieve his success. The problem is that 85% of the gym population sticks with the same basic exercise; which consist primarily of upper body exercise.

I was a Super Slow trainer for a few years and I’ve seen first hand want a truly motivated and genetically gifted individual can accomplish. I no longer involved with Super Slow, but I incorporate some of their methods in my work out. I combine fuctional movement exercises e.g. Squats, Dead Lifts, Shoulder Press, Dips, CORE training, and cardio.

It’s 80% diet 20% exercise so his diet had a lot to do with it as well.
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Q at $1 Million to My Name — May 3rd, 2007, 10:13 am

Holy cow! Congrats on your progress! Something tells me that you’d be able to do just about anything you want, if you set your mind to it.

Mr. Olympia, here Tim comes!

Your book is getting incredible press, and I’m frankly afraid to read it. My 2nd daughter will be arriving in mid-June — I don’t think my life can stand any more upheaval at this time!
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Bjorn — May 3rd, 2007, 4:37 pm

I’m also going to be doing the one-set-to-failure training. I did my first workout yesterday (Wednesday) and it was freaking intense and very short. The Bent-over Rows were hard for me, but I do them reverse, my forearms and grip was giving out way before my back was. I couldn’t hold the weight up, even though I still got around 8-9 reps. But, I’m also going to be doing 8-12 reps, then up weight once 11-12 reps are possible. Do you have to rest 3 minutes between each exercise? I rested only about 1 min or a 1 min and half. I’m going to be doing 5 sessions every 2 weeks, 3 the first week Mon/Wed/Fri and 2 the next week Mon/Thurs. But the 2 sessions a week, I’m prob. going to drop 2-3 exercises of the regular workout and focus only on 4 mass exercises (Deadlifts, Flat Bench or Incline, Yates Rows, and Overhead Press).
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Tom — May 3rd, 2007, 5:51 pm

Both “The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution” (http://www.seriousstrength.com/) and “The Power of Ten” are riffs on Jones’ research. Both are built around 20 seconds per rep (10 seconds up, 10 down), and say to increase the weight whenever you can do six perfect reps at a given load.
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Jim — May 4th, 2007, 7:57 am

To Bjorn:

This may sound like an advert, but some time back I bought 2 pairs (1 for me, 1 for my wife) of “1-ton lifting hooks” (easy to find on Google). The main reason is my hands tend more towards the surgeon’s hand (or piano player’s hand) of the spectrum, and I’ve certainly experienced the premature forearm/hand grip failure you’re talking about. The hooks make a HUGE difference, and I’ve got nothing bad to say about them. Prepare to put them on *really* tight for those heavier weights, though. (In the past I’ve seen… how do I describe it… the blood pooling in my hands combined with the downward motion of the wrist constriction combined with the intense lift of heavy weights, I ended up with tiny spots on my hands, presumably the result of capillaries bursting under the strain. A curious look, but not painful. Although I’m sure it would alarm a physician. They look like tiny freckles until they fade.)

To Ravi: Yes I’m the one who mentioned using Pete Sisco’s Static Contraction Training method, but I sort of ‘hybridized’ it with his Power Factor Training method, the latter of which sounds a LOT like what Tim was doing. But Sisco better explains the increasing need to take more and more time off, rather than sticking with a fixed period between workouts.

My ‘hybrid’ approach worked something like this: One set to failure (two if I felt like I needed to, which perhaps in retrospect was the wrong approach), but I would hold the last contraction as long as possible (eg, shrugs) if I suspected I wasn’t going to be able to get the bar back up again.

This approach may not have managed to bulk me up beyond 179 lbs, but my strength increases were huge. I don’t recall exact numbers, but memory is telling me that my shrugs were on the order of 320 (or 360) lbs, dead lifts were 360 lbs, dumbbell preacher curls were 70 lbs (per arm), one-legged leg press (because the machine simply couldn’t hold enough weight of 450 lbs, etc. And I’ve yet to break 180 lbs of body weight.

One reason for the progress then the sudden stop was that we had a decent gym in the last apartment complex we lived in, but the Smith machine where we live now has a couple of design issues which make it exceptionally difficult to get the weight safely into position (and put it back). We’ve since joined a decent gym, but distance and trying to co-ordinate the family makes for greater challenges. I’d picked up a book by Charles Staley and had tried his “as many reps as possible for a 5 (10) min period” approach, but have had limited gains that way.

Time for me to switch back to the one set/rep to failure approach.
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Bjorn — May 4th, 2007, 6:58 pm

Do you have to rest 3 minutes after each exercise? I rest only about 1 min and a half maybe. Also, did you do any flat bench, or was it only incline bench? Thanks.
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Jim — May 6th, 2007, 12:43 am

Good job. I’d say you’ve already learned more than the other 99% of meathead-bodybuilders out there blindly following any and every training protocol there is. Intensity is what matters the most, with an adequate rest period between workouts. Also, don’t be afraid to eventually add an additional rest day or two as you get stronger.
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Geek to Freak? I'm game « A Dog’s Breakfast, part II — May 6th, 2007, 5:59 am

[...] Â» From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Cody — May 6th, 2007, 12:10 pm

I agree with what Jim says. There is so much crap out there.

Another thing to look into is HST (Hypertrophy Specific Training). It works pretty well.
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Viking Dan — May 6th, 2007, 12:58 pm

Please post your 4 week training log. I’d love to see the specifics.
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Jim (PFT/SCT) — May 7th, 2007, 9:19 am

(Changed my name to “Jim (PFT/SCT)” because it seems there’s another Jim posting comments.)

To Bjorn:

I don’t think I really timed the rest between my exercises. One issue I have (and it hit me again last night, details below) is that it doesn’t take much for me to overdo it. And when I overdo it, I get warning signals, such as a sense that if I continue doing this, I’ll hurl my biscuits, or I get lightheaded, or my hearing gets a bit quieter (or gets a sort of slow-ish ‘buffeting’ effect, like the effect helicopter blades make, only much much slower). So while I push myself like mad during the set, I make sure my body is damn ready for the next exercise, otherwise I could end up faceplanting.

Right or wrong, last night I warmed up with a 5 min run on the treadmill, followed by a 5 min walk on the treadmill. Then, off to the Smith machine to do the hack squat. I’d recently read about drop sets, so I did 140×16 followed by 90×12. The one difference in how I’m doing these now compared to a while back, is that I’m not doing “strongest range” training (big focus of PFT/SCT). And it might be worth noting that I’m just getting “back on the horse” so to speak. At any rate, after I’d finished these up, I had to take a LONG rest, and during that rest I pondered whether I was going to do any more exercises at all. I ended up getting off a set of Yates rows, then 2 sets of dips before calling it a night (the gym was closing, so I had to get my butt out of there). Feeling decent today though, no soreness in my legs/butt (already went through that a couple weeks back). From what I recall from many similar past experiences, this could just be my body getting used to intense exercises again. Over time, I expect I’ll be able to do more during a workout; I’ll just need to play it smart and not try to do too many exercises during a workout. Last night I had plans to do hack squats, shrugs, Yates rows, pullovers, dead lifts and dips. That seems to cover everything, or…?

So while I’m sure others can do their next set after 3 mins, and yet others can do it after 1 min, I personally let common sense be my guide. If I thought I could knock off another set after 1 min without making myself feel like crap, I’d do it.

And to those who recognize that the rest period between workout days is crucial, this is exactly what I’ve got from reading Sisco’s stuff. If anything, it seems the stronger one gets, the longer one needs to rest between workouts. If you haven’t read his stuff, then you might not be familiar with how he could work out once a month and *still* make gains. Seems counterintuitive, but he makes a strong case for taking that rest.
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victory darwin — May 7th, 2007, 2:34 pm

I can’t wait to try this plan. Years ago I went from 130 to 150 LBS in 3 months, my first time ever weightlifting, and it was with a plan kind of like this. Recently I was trained by the champion bodybuilder in our province who I met at the YMCA by chance. His program for me was just 2 body parts a day, very isolated. It didn’t work for me because I didn’t enjoy it so I just didn’t do it! Doing an intense whole body workout gets me mentally pumped and motivated. That’s the workout I love, so I do it, and get the results! THANKS TIM!
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I Lost 20 Pounds - My Weight Loss Diary — May 7th, 2007, 5:23 pm

[...] I guess I should also mention what this month’s 30 day goal is.Â No desserts for the month.Â Last month I did 50 push ups every day with the expectation of the very last day of the month.Â I also continued by 100 sit ups every day.Â But guess what, I haven’t continued.Â I’m a little burned out.Â It’s time to experiment and am looking at using this Tim Ferriss’ idea for strength training. [...]
Metaphysx.com » Blog Archive » The 28 Day (4 hour) Experiment — May 7th, 2007, 7:34 pm

[...] Today marks Day 0. To give a quick overview of what I am about to set out to do, check out From Geek to Freak. [...]
Cooke — May 8th, 2007, 1:12 am

The following is from Tim Ferriss….hope he doesn’t mind me reposting:

“here’s what I recommend:

“Check out the most recent books by Ellington Darden, and also check out any writing by Ken Hutchins of “Super Slow”.

“For exercise sequence, I recommend doing one or two exercises upper body to prep the nervous system, then go legs. If you are really serious, and you haven’t trained much before, I recommend splitting the week into three workouts: pushing movements, pulling movements, and legs. Take one day between workouts for the first two weeks, then two days between them. It works like gangbusters. My favorite movements for pure mass, in the order I recommend, are below. Don’t forget about 3-5 minutes between exercises (just one set for each exercise):

“Push: Incline bench, weighted dips, close-grip shoulder press (never behind neck)
Pull: Machine pull-over, Yates bent row (google it), close grip supinated (palms facing you) pulldowns, SLOW shrugs with dumbbells (pause for 2 seconds at the top)
Legs: Leg press with feet shoulder width (do higher reps on this; at least 120 seconds before failure), adduction maching (bringing legs together like Suzanne Sommers – sp?), hamstring curl, leg extension, seated calf raises

“Those are your three workouts. Simple and very effective.

“To minimize leg soreness, so about 5 minutes of light stationary biking after finishing the “legs” workout.

“Most people fail because they work out too often and eat too little, usually due to skipping breakfast. Never skip breakfast, as you’ve already been fasting for 6-12 hours. Take 2 scoops of NOXplode upon getting to work or 30 minutes after breakfast, and again before workouts. Drink one of those disgusting post-workout drinks they sell at the gyms within 20 minutes of working out (I actually mix one with water and sip about 50% of the bottle between sets, polishing off the rest after the workout).

“Check out Ken Hutchins’ and Darden’s stuff — they give other sample routines. I like my routine above. You’ll gain at least 10 pounds in 4 weeks if you eat and sleep enough. For gaining, I’ll eat at: 9am (breakfast), 12pm, 4pm, 8 or 9pm, then again before bed.
Take some before and after pics or you’ll be kicking yourself later!
Train HARD & eat often”
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Tyler — May 8th, 2007, 3:09 am

I will be starting a diet/workout regimen shortly but was curious about eating: if I only workout 2 days/week, do I still consume the 3300 calories/day even on the off days as well? I won’t be burning 3300 calories on the days that I’m recovering and not working out. Any comments regarding this? You guys make for some excellent reading. Thanks!
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Marc — May 8th, 2007, 8:02 am

That’s awesome. Great work! Can you send your program and protein/carb intake via email?

Cheers
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Bjorn — May 8th, 2007, 4:30 pm

Thanks alot Jim for the information, I want to keep this thread going, I’m over all the bodybuilding threads talking about volume and 5-6 days a week workouts. I’m doing 7 exercises, 1 set till failure 3-4 seconds to raise and 3-4 seconds to lower the weight. I do Flat BB Bench, Bent-over BB Rows Reverse Grip, Seated BB Military Press, Standing BB Curls, Weighted Dips, Weighted Pull-ups, Squats or Deadlifts. I do 5 sessions every two weeks. I’m kind of following Don Lemmons principles, he’s the first person I have heard of doing the 1 set til complete failure. He has a website and everything http://www.DonLemmon.com he gained 90lbs in less than a year doing the 1 set routine and his routine only lasted 15-20 mins two to three times a week, depending how strong and how good he did on those workouts either adding more reps, or more weight. I have his books.

I was wondering though if I should alternate between Incline and Flat Bench. Which one would be better for overall chest development? Or Should I focus on Flat bnehc for a while then switch to Incline for a while and repeat.

Thanks for all the help. I hope Tim can come back and give us some more detailed info. but I know he’s super busy.
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Bjorn — May 8th, 2007, 5:56 pm

I just need to eat more. I think thats my main problem, I’m getting the workout down, I hope. It’s just eating so much clean food is hard to do. It’s easier to eat junk food to get calories in. I’m trying to eat canned tuna alot more and instant oatmeal mixed with some brown sugar, honey, and raisens. And a 700-800 protein type shake which includes whey, peanut butter, milk, oatmeal, and a banana.
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Jim (PFT/SCT) — May 8th, 2007, 5:58 pm

To Bjorn:

Working out 5-6 days a week? Ouch. And you haven’t plateaued yet?

As for which bench to do, I seem to recall reading somewhere that to recruit all the fibres in the pectoralis, the ideal lift will be a slight incline. I’d say the choice is really yours to make, and I’m not convinced that making a ‘bad’ decision will qualify as a setback. So long as you haven’t injured yourself and you’re not bored, work with whatever brings you the gains.

Which brings me to a personal observation. There’s quite a bit of diversity in available exercises. For example, let’s take the basic bench press. Well, it may be basic, but you could do it wide- or narrow-grip. Or incline. Or decline. Or switch to a machine. Or do dumbbell flyes. Or dumbbell presses. I’m sure if any one of us gave it some thought, we could invent new ways to exercise the same muscle(s), maybe invent new machines to help realize those goals. But why? Why do this? Well, it makes something which could turn out to be fundamentally boring into a more creative/diverse activity. It also creates access to a wider audience. For example, I’m not too keen on the vertical row, because my right wrist does a nasty click towards the top of the row. So I’ll do something else. Accessibility.

As a bit of a tangent, do some Googling on the CoreControl RTX Glove. There are various articles (including on Wired) which describe how to increase your workout performance. Thing is, I’m not quite prepared to drop the kind of money required to buy the device. Not yet, anyway. So I figure I’ll work out some alternative, some combo of crushed ice with water, I guess. Dunk my hands in that between sets (thus quickly cooling my core temp), and get going to the next set.

Cheers.
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"links for 2007-05-09" by Bob Plankers, The Lone Sysadmin — May 9th, 2007, 1:17 am

[...] Â» From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Bjorn — May 9th, 2007, 3:55 pm

I’m going to stick to the one set til failure training through August or September. I want to see what kind of results I can get, hopefully they will be better than some type of split routine everyone and their brother does. I enjoy doing full body and my workouts are over in 15-20 minutes. Are these workouts toward trying to lift heavier weight in proper form? Trying to add 5lbs to the bar whenever you can? Or at least strive for more reps then the last workout, making each workout harder then the last, then add weight to the bar?
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Giles Bowkett — May 11th, 2007, 12:23 pm

Hi Tim – you really ought to do a whole book about this. I actually found this by googling a comment you made in your talk with Marci Alboher at Google, about cutting your weight dramatically. Between cutting your weight dramatically, increasing your muscle dramatically, and lowering your cholesterol dramatically, you have a whole book there. Also – you have a whole book there which could seriously improve my personal life expectancy. I want my life expectancy to improve! I personally will be massively indebted to you if you document the methods and theory behind these astonishing transformations. I need to make similar transformations, both for superficial reasons and for important ones.
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The 4-Hour Workweek at Personal Development with The Positivity Blog — May 11th, 2007, 2:00 pm

[...] – And IÂ´m following John Wesleyâ€™s 30-day challenge with the workout regiment that helped Tim gain 34 pounds of muscle in just 4 weeks. [...]
Seattle Experiment: Check-In | Set Higher Standards — May 12th, 2007, 12:08 pm

[...] intensity training> training protocol for the past 12 days. The routine, as mentioned on Tim Ferriss’s blog and outlined in The Colorado Experiment, calls for training less frequently, using very slow reps [...]
Ravi — May 12th, 2007, 12:18 pm

I have been following this protocol for the past 12 days and am tracking the results here:

http://www.sethigherstandards.com/seattle-experiment-check-in/

Overall, I am impressed with how I feel after the workouts, and definitely getting stronger. So far, I have had 3 training sessions.

However, my bodyfat and overall weight are not moving much.

I’ll keep it up and let you know how it goes.
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Fitness and a 34-year-old Experiment | Don’t Accept the Status Quo — May 14th, 2007, 10:03 pm

[...] Starting today, I will be making drastic changes in the way I undergo the Fitness Project… and it’s all because of what’s known as the Colorado Experiment (with a few tips from Tim Ferriss). [...]
Workout - 10 Kilos in einem Monat at hausmann3000 — May 14th, 2007, 10:12 pm

[...] stolperten wir Ã¼ber diesen Blogartikel, in dem Timothy Ferriss beschreibt wie er in 4 Wochen 15 Kilos an Muskelmasse zugenommen hat. Viele [...]
john — May 14th, 2007, 11:41 pm

Can you say about the everday food to eat? How many meals per day?

Thanks.
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Ravi — May 15th, 2007, 12:56 am

http://www.sethigherstandards.com/one-set-to-failure-training-protocol/

Did my fourth workout (in two weeks) using this training protocol and it has been going really well. Posted some details of the exercises I am using in case anyone is interested.

If anyone else is followin this program, please let me know…I’m interested to hear how it is going for you!

Thanks.

Ravi in Seattle, WA – USA
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giles bowkett — May 15th, 2007, 1:58 am

Tim – you have GOT to make this a book!
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Dwizzo — May 15th, 2007, 1:42 pm

No one here makes any mention of abs! Tim: Do these compound exercises hit the abs or what?
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the iron snail — May 16th, 2007, 11:00 am

Look at this guy carefully. For one…he is a short guy and in particular with stubby little legs. To start with nothing and end up gaining that kind of mass over time is no surprise really. And I would know because I have done the same thing.
Before I started lifting I was five eight and 165-170. All I had done was run and some pushups before. Now at 225 I had the same kind of gains.
In fact this guy’s arms are rather long so he isn’t getting the development on top he could. Most people with muscle lust don’t realise much of it comes down to limb length, bone size, and stature. The one place guys who are average or short height can flourish is in the gym. Its that simple.
Eat a clean diet, rest, and simply be consistent over a long scale than a few months and even four hours will yield significant results if you have the right bone structure and symmetry.
If you are tall, long limbed and or small boned well…there is always crew, steroids, or cycling. Look at it this way in almost every other way sportswise height , limblength and being lighter are a positive. Only in the gym do guys like this guy and I excell.
What he has done is simply maximising genetic potential.
The iron snail
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NarutoRamen — May 16th, 2007, 11:53 am

Man this is awesome. I definitely need to get back into shape and this looks like a well built routine. I mainly need to work out to rebuild my strength because I got into a bike wreck.

Thanks!!
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JJ — May 16th, 2007, 1:23 pm

Where’s the video diary of the workout events?
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FRAGE - Ernährung zum Muskelaufbau - Seite 2 - Freesoft-Board — May 16th, 2007, 1:35 pm

[...] Zeit an (Muskel)Masse zulegen möchte, ohne irgendwelche Präparate zu schlucken, sollte sich einmal » From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks und v.a. das Buch “Super Kniebeugen” durchlesen. Vorher sollte man aber entsprechend dehnen und [...]
Bjorn — May 16th, 2007, 5:39 pm

Hey Ravi.

I’m following the workout. Except I don’t do the 5/5 cadence, I only do around 3 seconds up and 3 seconds down. A litter faster, but still to failure and writing down my weight/reps, etc. I do 7 exercises all compound mulit-joint exercises except barbell curls. I’m done in around 20 minutes give or take. I don’t really rest much inbetween exercises either. Only about a min and a half, just enough time to get the barbell ready with the weight and a little breather.

Is working out only 2 times a week better then 3? I know recovery is the best thing for your muscles, just wandering. All my friends follow the pro bodybuilding trend (5-6 workouts a week, one body-part per day, 14-16 sets per bodypart).
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Luke — May 16th, 2007, 5:58 pm

I’d love to see your actual routine (exercises and reps) that you used to accomplish this.
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Jens — May 16th, 2007, 8:30 pm

All about diet.

So everyone is mentioning how important the diet is, but I would love some more specific advice. I started on this workout plan a few days ago and its going well.

I’m a fishitarian (I eat fish, eggs, dairy products, but no other meats). Here’s my diet:

Morning
1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, 1 can of tuna or sardines. Some refried beans. Water

Lunch
Brown rice, heaps of beans, mixed veggies, 1 egg. Water.

Snack
Nothing yet.

Dinner
Grilled fish, rice and beans
or pasta and tuna with mayo and an egg
or tuna pizza

Also drink 4 whey protein shakes throughout the day. 1 extra on training days.

I am on the right track? I have no idea how many calories I am getting, but I surely hope there are enough proteins in my diet.

Any other food suggestions are very welcome!
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Tim Ferriss - The 4-Hour Workweek - From Geek to Freak — May 17th, 2007, 7:34 pm

[...] I first read the “From Geek to Freak” post on Tim Ferriss’ blog, I had my doubts. So, I emailed a good friend who’s a serious [...]
Andrew — May 17th, 2007, 10:48 pm

How’s it going Tim?

Let me just first congratulate you on successfully completing this incredible gain in muscle mass. I’m surprised you didn’t sustain any injury from such intense workouts.

Now, like everyone else, I’d love to try this out and I happen to have a couple questions for you. Hope you don’t mind.

1. I’d like to know more about the types of exercises you performed each workout period that would include negative work, full range, rotary form, auto variable, direct resistance. Figured I could adapt to your workout regime.

2. I suppose through full range motion exercises, the need to stretch prior or afterwards is negligible?

3. I was wondering about “protein uptake downregulation.” I’m not in favour of dropping my calories for a day.

Anyway, your post was wonderful and I hope to reap the benefits of this little program. Thanks for the great insight Tim!

Andrew
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Keers — May 18th, 2007, 1:16 pm

Jim and Bjorn, I have really appreciated your thread. I am just getting started with this plan and am wondering if you guys do cardio or not? I am lugging around a pretty good amount of baby weight, so fat loss is also key for me. Also, diet-wise, do you feel that nuts and/or fruit have any place in your plan? Thanks for your posts, they are very helpful.
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Jim (PFT/SCT) — May 19th, 2007, 11:51 am

Bjorn said: “Iâ€™m following the workout. Except I donâ€™t do the 5/5 cadence, I only do around 3 seconds up and 3 seconds down. A litter faster, but still to failure and writing down my weight/reps, etc. I do 7 exercises all compound mulit-joint exercises except barbell curls. Iâ€™m done in around 20 minutes give or take. I donâ€™t really rest much inbetween exercises either. Only about a min and a half, just enough time to get the barbell ready with the weight and a little breather.”

Sounds pretty good to me! I wouldn’t worry *too* much about it being a 3/3 cadence, but if you are, and you’re finding the 5/5 cadence to be too much, clearly you’ve got too much weight on there. Try knocking off 5-10% of the weight and seeing if that makes a difference. And above all else, don’t compromise your form just to add more weight and stroke the ego; really focus the mind on crisp form even at the expense of lesser weight. If you find you can do 15 reps, you should have done more weight, and if you can’t even do 5, you’ve got too much on there. While you *could* do another set, theoretically you’ve already exhausted your muscles. Save it for another day, there will be plenty more of them to come!

That said, I had an absolutely brilliant workout this past Tuesday, which was 6 days after my previous workout. To recap, I’d had a workout on May 6th where I felt like I was going to hurl, most likely because I had the braniac idea of doing a short run first. I’ll get into the details of this past Tuesday May 15 in a bit.

Bjorn said: “Is working out only 2 times a week better then 3? I know recovery is the best thing for your muscles, just wandering. All my friends follow the pro bodybuilding trend (5-6 workouts a week, one body-part per day, 14-16 sets per bodypart).

I’ll re-reference the PFT/SCT approach, and harp on recovery being your limiting factor. Simply put, if your muscles haven’t had time to recover, you won’t be able to add more weight to the bar. So your friends are working out like their lives depended on it. So how’s that working out for them thus far? 14-16 sets per bodypart just seems excessive to me. So what does this mean? Did they not succeed in exhausting the bodypart within the first 2-3 sets? If not, are they just spending all that time with lighter weights just because they love living in the gym? Personally, I’ve got better things to do. Yeah, I love seeing the eye candy there too, and have in the past been approached and chatted up by a couple of cute thangs who were either genuinely interested in the exercise I was doing (ie, dips) or were just looking for an excuse to chat me up. (My cluefulness when it comes to chatting up women is close to zero, so it may have been the latter case.) So if you’re there just for the eye candy opportunities, feel free to stretch out your workout as long as you like.

Andrew said: “I suppose through full range motion exercises, the need to stretch prior or afterwards is negligible?”

Form should always be your priority. If you have to sacrifice form just to get that extra bit of weight aloft, you risk injury.

That said, let common sense be your guide. In my case, I like to do a quick stretch (if you can call it that) of my knees and ankles before doing squats, get them to crack first so they don’t do an amplified crack in the middle of the lift.

If you feel the need to stretch first, by all means do it. But then there’s the question of warming up the muscles first. Ultimately it turns into a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem: warm up first or stretch first? If you warm up first, should you just do the set, or do you do the same exercise but at a greatly reduced weight?

Yeah, I’m probably getting off on a wild tangent here.

So, my workout this past week:

- hack squats – 180 x 10
- Yates rows – 160 x 8
- bench press – 90 x 15
- deadlift – 230 x 20
- barbell shrugs – 180 x 20
- T-bar rows – 45 x 15
- dips (unweighted) – 12 x 2 sets
- bicep (dumbbell) curls – 25 x 11

As you can see, it wasn’t exactly optimal. I didn’t have enough weight on the deadlift, so I’ll add at least 10% to that next time out. I did the T-bar rows because the Yates rows just didn’t feel right to me. I felt I could have done quite a bit more on the T-bar, but was mainly interested in how it felt; easily could have done 90 lbs, and theoretically those muscles were already exhausted.

As much as possible, I focused on putting my all into the contractions, and did 3-5 secs on the relaxing movement. And while everyone always says to breathe in on the contraction, I feel there is one exception: if the exercise means that your elbows are moving up (towards your head/shoulders) or back/rearwards, it’s far more natural to be breathing in with that move. And while I do try to breathe with every exercise, the one thing I’ve read (think it was entitled something like Bodybuilding Anatomy 101 — no time to look it up at the moment) is the concept of creating a ‘block’ by taking a deep breath and making your chest/back rigid, which usually means holding one’s breath, albeit briefly.

After re-reading about the similarities and differences of the hack squat vs. regular squat, I think I’ll be focusing more on the regular squat.

Anyway, no time to go any further with this. Need to head out for a couple hours.
Reply
Trula — May 19th, 2007, 12:57 pm

This is very interesting and compelling to me. I put myself on a 25 week challenge to lose 80 pounds (210 to 130). I am on week 20 now and have lost 55 pounds so far, and I was stressing a bit thinking I would not be able to lose the last 25 pounds in the last 5 weeks. I probably won’t change my diet any because my goal was/is to learn how to eat without overeating, and I want to stick with that at least until the 25 weeks are up. But at least I know the option is out there and there is a healthy way to do such quick weight loss. I didn’t think such a thing was possible.
Reply
Bjorn — May 19th, 2007, 4:40 pm

Thanks for helping me out with all of this Jim. Are you a personal trainer? Just wandering.

Also, is it better to follow the 5/5 cadence? It just sucks that my weight will have to be dropped alot, but if that doesn’t matter for my muscles, I want my muscles to work as hard as they can. I workout at home so I don’t have no ego about weight haha. Would 5/5 cadence be better than my 3/3 cadence. Sometimes I only do 2 seconds on raising the weight and 3 on the way down(the negative part) since that is the most beneficial part of the exercise.

Thanks for the help. Tim needs to get up on here more often haha, but I know he’s busy.
Reply
Good Stuff on The Web | Set Higher Standards — May 19th, 2007, 7:02 pm

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks: From the blog of Tim Ferriss. Provides some tips on how to gain massive amounts of strength and size in a very short amount of training time with high intensity/low frequency weight training. I am putting this technique to the test myself, and am happy with the results. [...]
andrew — May 19th, 2007, 7:16 pm

Excellent gains, but this is nothing new……

As you’ve stated, as well as many others who’ve visited this site, this is simply H.I.T. advocated by Arthur Jones and Ellington Darden.
Darden has written many books on the subject including “The New High-Intensity Training” and “The new Bodybuilding for old-school results”, both of which outline many routines in a step-by-step fashion as well as nutritional guidelines for an increase in mass.
Reply
Jim (PFT/SCT) — May 19th, 2007, 10:57 pm

Hi Bjorn,

Nope, not a personal trainer. But I’ve taken various vectors on it for… geez, 25 years now. I would say I’m not what you would call genetically gifted. Although, back when we lived at the last apartment, they had a decent gym there, and doing the PFT/SCT approach and doing shrugs, I eventually had to switch from dumbbells to the barbell, and the Smith machine was the safest approach there. (Trying to lift a couple of 100 lb dumbbells off the ground can be a bit challenging.) One day I looked in the mirror and noticed these strange humps to the side/rear of my neck. I was like, “What the…?” and on closer inspection, realized it was bona fide muscular development! It was definitely noticeable. I was stunned, because in all my years, I’d never had that sort of a pleasant surprise regarding muscular development.

It seems there are two keys here. First, you need to exercise the muscle to failure. And there seem to be a number of different ways to get there. I’m not going to debate the relative merits of each, because I don’t have several years of experience with each approach. But I think it’s safe to assume that working the muscle to failure is far better than taking it so easy that you can still knock off another 10-12 sets hitting that same muscle.

The second key is to ensure you give your muscle adequate recovery time. If your muscle is still hurting from the previous workout, it’s still too early. If you find at your next workout that you’re not able to lift as much as your previous workout, you haven’t given enough time to recover. So in this case, if you waited 3 days since your last workout but today’s exercises aren’t doing as well as the last one (and of course you’re keeping a log, right?), wait more time before your next workout. And I don’t mean wait 4 days instead of 3. Try doubling the time, or just round up to a nice even week. Next time you hit that plateau, bump it up to 10-11 days, then the time after that, 2 weeks, etc.

If you’re giving it your all each workout and your job forces you to take off 3-4 weeks, don’t freak out. Just give it your all next time you get to the gym, and don’t be surprised if you do at least as well as your last visit, if not better.

Oh, yeah, there’s that 3rd vector of nutrition. Protein good, junk food bad. I don’t really follow this too closely, which I’m sure will cause others to roll their eyes. But I listen to my body. If I’m thirsty, I drink water. If I’m starved, I eat lots. If I’m not hungry, I’m not going to force myself to be miserable and cram unwanted food into my face. Recently I was at Chipotle and after having their Burrito Barbacoa Bol, I was surprised that I wasn’t feeling overstuffed, which is the more typical conclusion. I went and had a snack after that. I don’t think anyone was more surprised than I.

As for 5/5 vs 3/3 vs anything else, don’t over-analyze it, unless you’re terribly bored and are looking for some variation. Maybe you start out doing 5/5, but by the end of the set you’re doing 3/3 because you can feel the imminent failure at around 10 reps. No biggie. But go until you can’t lift the bar anymore. If you’d like to do another rep but you’re convinced you won’t be able to lift it after the next rep, then just make that last lowering of the bar as slow as possible. Heck, just hold it in mid-contraction on the way down until your muscle totally gives it up (with a big F-you to you). (To any newbies reading this: I strongly recommend you ease into it and don’t jump into this level of intensity from the get-go, or you’ll hate me for anywhere from 2 to 7 days, you’ll think this approach is a total crock, etc. Seriously, if your muscles aren’t used to it, be nice to them the first few workouts. If they’re ‘shuddering’, that (I’ve been told before) is the neural pathways getting established. This isn’t me talking down to you, this is me talking as someone who has been dumb enough to overdo it more than once after being away from it for an extended period.)

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet, but one tidbit of wisdom I read recently was that when you leave the gym, you should feel like you could have done a bit more. That’s a good sign. Conversely, feeling like you just want to hurl your biscuits, curl up in a ball and die, that’s a sign of overdoing it.

One of these days, I’m going to try bringing some crushed ice in water (and maybe a modest handful of salt for enhanced effect) to the gym, and soak my hands between sets to help bring down my core temp. This inspiration is based on some stuff I’ve read on the CoreControl glove (except that mine will a) be cheap, and b) won’t have any vacuum).

Disclaimer: This is my current approach. If you have excellent results training 6 days a week, 2-3 hours a day, kudos to you. That approach has never worked for me. Ever.
Reply
Bjorn — May 20th, 2007, 3:46 pm

Thanks Jim. This type of training is just what Don Lemmon says. You can read all about him and get his books, I have 3 of them and they are exactly what Tim says. http://www.DonLemmon.com

He says all about the 1 set til failure, training 2-3 days a week and as you get stronger you need more rest days,always full body workouts, 15-20 minute workouts, etc. He gained 90lbs drug free in less than a year doing this approach.
Reply
Lunatic — May 23rd, 2007, 10:42 pm

I do wish you would have edited those pictures to scale yourself the same size each time. They make the changes seem a bit deceptive. (How did you shrink a foot in 4 weeks?)

I’d also love it if it had been layed out better into a pdf or something more portable. After reading your book, I’m limiting my time online and wish I could get the most important stuff faster!

The other thing is that you have two articles, one on how to lose weight, the other on how to gain it. I really want to stay about the same, but lose the fat and gain the muscle. The secret can’t all be in the amount of rest between sets, can it?
Reply
Kyle — May 27th, 2007, 8:32 am

Ok so I just max out my work out right?
using cadesnes and till msucle failure set?
Ok Im 6″3(and 75kg!) me and my friend gonna try this whole thing.
One month from now I’ll give you my weight gain!
Reply
The 30 days Project Mayhem experiment - Personal Development for Smart People Forums — May 27th, 2007, 3:26 pm

[...] of this was done with two 30-minute workouts per week, for a total of 4 HOURS of gym time:" "From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks" You have to decide if you believe his results, I’ve not tried it myself. I guess what I’m getting [...]
Hostgator » Blog Archive » Tim Ferriss: From Geek to Freak in 28 Days — May 28th, 2007, 5:06 am

[...] away from World of Warcraft for only 2 hours per week, and following these 6 steps…”read more | digg [...]
Seven Little Known Tips for Getting in Shape - lifehack.org — May 28th, 2007, 8:30 am

[...] 2) Duration Doesnâ€™t Substitute for Intensity [...]
Seven Little Known Tips for Getting in Shape — May 30th, 2007, 8:46 am

[...] 2) Duration Doesnâ€™t Substitute for Intensity [...]
The Experiment: Day 24 at Metaphysx.com — May 31st, 2007, 4:39 pm

[...] some mysterious skin affliction, I’m definitely NOT seeing any kind of weight/mass gain like my inspiration did. I find it hard to believe that the lack of gain is because I missed a couple workouts, or that all [...]
Meta — May 31st, 2007, 5:29 pm

I’m actually ecstatic with my results, though they were nothing near our hero’s.

I’m 33 and live a sedentary lifestyle. I started out 5’10″ and about 168 lbs, yet flabby abdomen, undefined, small arms, chest and shoulders. Previously, I only ate 1 meal a day (dinner) and occassionally 2 if work necessitated having lunch with a client. I was out of shape and felt like crap most of the time.

I extended the ‘experiment’ idea and eliminated one more variable: I didn’t change my diet during the 28-day experiment, except for eating more beef for dinner than I normally did.

Though I missed a couple workouts, as I approach the end, I definitely notice a difference. After the 2nd workout, I noticed an increase in energy and an increased attention span (during those long, boring meetings). Throughout, I’ve been able to increase the resistance (I use a BowFlex) to keep my able-reps in the 8-12 range. I came home from a business trip today and put on some jeans that fit a month ago to find I can’t keep them up without a belt. Though I still weigh 168-170 lbs, I’ve lost 2 inches off my waist! My shirts definitely bit better too (noticeable chest, arm and shoulder improvements).

So, now that the experiment is almost done, I think I’ll reduce doing a “HIT” to once a week and introduce more cardio and toning exercises. I think the most valuable thing I’ve gained from this experience is momentum. I mean, it was so hard before to exercise at all. But this program has shown me what a little exercise can do for my own physical and mental well-being. Now, I’m hooked.
Reply
I Hit My Weight Loss Goal And Why It Wasn’t Worth It - My Weight Loss Diary — June 1st, 2007, 9:07 am

[...] thirty day goal for June 2007 is to do an intense workout similar to Tim Ferriss twice a week for 30 minutes per session.Â Nothing like a little weight lifting to get the [...]
John — June 4th, 2007, 7:39 am

What about warm up sets? Do you need to do them? If so, how do you do the warm ups?

Thanks!
John
Reply
ttiqq.com — June 4th, 2007, 12:44 pm

From Geek to Freak: How to Gain 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks…

“I weighed 152 lbs. for four years of high school, and after training in tango in Buenos Aires in 2005, that had withered to 146 lbs. Upon returning to the US, I performed an exhaustive analysis of muscular hypertrophy (growth) research and exercise p…
Is the 4-Hour Work Week Possible? « Karl Schmieder — June 5th, 2007, 5:54 pm

[...] got to Timothy Ferris through a post that was on Reddit.com called “From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 Lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks.” While at his blog, I saw that he had written a book called “The Four Hour Work [...]
Sexy Crochet Bikinis — June 6th, 2007, 8:34 am

I want to waer the bikinis I design! Can I do this? Or will I bulk up? I don’t want to be too muscular…
Reply
Jim (PFT/SCT) — June 6th, 2007, 4:52 pm

Hey ho, I haven’t posted in a while, so I thought I’d share an update.

First, I haven’t really gained much in the way of weight. So far, my best weight (these past few weeks) has been 170 lbs. Which is actually the best it’s been in a while. Thing is, I’ve slipped back down to around 166. I blame my lack of disciplined protein consumption for that.

That said, I *have* made steady strength increases. Here’s the latest (from May 29/07):

- Description – weight (lbs) x reps – Previous week’s results
- regular squat – 200 x 12 – 200 x 7
- dead lift – 270 x 17 – 250 x 14
- shrugs – 230 x 12 – 200 x 18
- T-bar row – 110 x 8 – 100 x 10
- bench press – 130 x 12 – 110 x 12
- bicep curls (machine) – 100 x 13 – 95 x 13
- dips (unweighted) – 15/15/10 – 15/12/7

I should point out the following:

1. A gain is a gain. So if the weight was the same as the prior workout, but the # of reps was greater, then it’s a gain. Assuming one works out to failure in ALL cases, of course.

2. I did try the Yates rows in the beginning. Didn’t think they were for me, so I switched to the T-bar row. I don’t think that’s my thing either (ie, I’m only getting a partial flex in all cases… perhaps I need to drop the weight down to a lower point and focus on form through to full movements). I was considering switching to the seated cable row, as I’ve always been a fan of that one. Perhaps the lat pull-down. Undecided at this point.

3. If you noticed that some of my reps are on the high side, you would be right. But I still aimed to doing the set to failure. “One set to failure”, remember? So instead of trying a second set and skewing the results, better to kick up the weight next trip to the gym.

4. My wife is also working out with me. She’s presently unable to do all the exercises, because of a problem with her right knee. So for now, she avoids squats and dead lifts. She does like the T-bar row, though. And yes, she’s making slow but steady gains each time. (She’s also elected to do the thigh adductor/abductor exercises, which isn’t in my plan.)

Tonight is another night, unless we get derailed!
Reply
Rich — June 6th, 2007, 6:02 pm

Tim

I wanted to know what you thought about Dr. Campbell’s book The China Study?

For those of you who are unfamiliar the book is a culmination of a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine.

Distilling the book to its essence: the greater amount of protein you eat by way of meat (all kinds) the greater the risk you have for cancer.

Curious as to how you view the book and its impressive research with respect to your high protein diet…-Rich

*For us science geeks out there…the study found that the lower protein intake, the lower the amount of aflatoxin_DNA adducts.

The evidence impressively indicated that the lower protein intake could markedly decrease enzyme activity and prevent dangerous carcinogens binding to DNA

http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html
Reply
- Jason — January 5th, 2011, 9:00 pm
  
  The China Study has been shown to be extensively flawed and overwhelmingly biased. T Colin Campbell is himself a vegan.
  Reply
Jack — June 7th, 2007, 1:03 pm

The China Study has been pretty thoroughly debunked (the cancer claims in particular are debunked at the bottom of the linked page):

http://www.beyondveg.com/billings-t/comp-anat/comp-anat-8e.shtml

I’m continuing to get good results with Tim’s plan…not quite the results he saw, but I’m not his age, either.
Reply
Sony — June 8th, 2007, 6:02 am

This sounds interesting. Ive never done HIT before. In my early days i bought into the whole musclemag advice and train how the pros train and not really accomplished much. This was before they were all getting busted for steriod use.

From what i read, i can believe Tim has achieved this. But i have my reservations too.

Has anyone actually tried this and what results did you receive.

Regardless im going to try it. I know Mike M. pushed this as part of his Heavy Duty, but then he was also taking steroids. Thats why i never did.

Can anyone share their results please?

thanks Sonny
Reply
Darren — June 9th, 2007, 2:22 am

Hi everyone,

I am doing this program, and I am recording my results in detail. I am tracking every thing I eat, how much I sleep, and the exact details of my workout. I have created a blog to track everything and you can follow it here:
http://www.4weekstofit.com

Hope it helps some of you.

Darren
Reply
Can Anybody Gain 34 Pounds of Muscle in 4 Weeks? — June 9th, 2007, 2:53 pm

[...] Ferriss recently posted an article explaining how he gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. The best part: he claims it requires only 1 hour of gym time per [...]
Sonny — June 12th, 2007, 3:47 am

Hi,

I just read another article about HIT training. And this particular article split the workout over 4 days doing 3 exercises for a total of 3 set taken to failure.

Even tho this can be accomplished in under 15-20 mins.. im wondering if the “recovery” variable is still possible going from a 2 day workout to 4 day workout but still totals 1 hour per week. For example, (mon)Day1- chest/back/Shoulders, (wed)Day2- legs, (Fri)Day3- arms.

Thanks,
Sonny
Reply
Sonny — June 12th, 2007, 3:49 am

Just to add to my previous comment the actual routine is:

Monday:
Deadlift 1 x 20 (5 seconds rest after each rep)
Shrugs (DB or bar) 1 x 10
Chins 2 x 6-8

Tuesday:
Bench Press (DB or Bar) 2 x 4-6
Shoulder press (DB or bar) 1 x 10
Lateral raise 1 x 15

Wednesday:
Squats 2 x 4-6
Leg curls 1 x 15
Calf Raises (seated or standing) 2 x 15

Friday:
Close Grip Bench lockouts 1 x 6-8
Pushdowns 1 x 10
Barbell curls 1 x 10
Incline Dumbell curls 1 x 6-8
Crunches 2 x 15

Is this too much. Because i know the recovery is important in any HIT routine.. Im not sure going to 4 days is providing the required recovery

thanks,
Sonny
Reply
Leap Into Art » Blog Archive » Time to get to work! — June 12th, 2007, 4:40 pm

[...] up. So lookout lipids, I am on the weightloss bandwagon. After a little research, I am going with Tim Ferriss’ plan of “slow-carbs” and high protein diet (with a free day each week and a high [...]
Four Week Challenge #01: Experiment in Rapid Muscle Growth, Part 1 | MensImprovement.com — June 12th, 2007, 6:58 pm

[...] month’s Four Week Challenge, the first Four Week Challenge, stemmed from a blog post by Timothy Ferriss, master of efficiency and author of The 4-Hour [...]
From Geek to Freak : Slow Carb Weight Loss « buza — June 13th, 2007, 10:50 am

[...] his blog. This is interesting and almost looks like efficient way to get in shape… CHeck out Geek to Freak. and more information about the “Colorado [...]
Chris — June 13th, 2007, 11:06 am

This post isn’t so nearly impressive when you consider that Tim weighed 193lbs back in 1999 for a kickboxing competition (according to Tim’s 4-Hour Workweek Book).

Two word’s spring to mind…

Muscle Memory.
Reply
Weight Lifting For Weight Loss - My Weight Loss Diary — June 14th, 2007, 9:03 am

[...] Shouldn’t I be sore or something?Â I’m loosely, and I mean very loosely, following Tim Ferriss’ routine (just the weights, not the eating) for weight lifting.Â This month I am doing two thirty [...]
Blog » Blog Archive » — June 15th, 2007, 6:07 am

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Franck Silvestre — June 17th, 2007, 8:07 am

It’s awesome Tim.
Reply
Ð‘Ð»Ð¾Ð³ Ð’Ð°Ð´Ð¸Ð¼Ð° » Ð“Ð¾Ñ‚Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ð¼Ñ?Ñ? Ðº Ð¿Ð»Ñ?Ð¶Ñƒ — June 18th, 2007, 8:10 am

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Joe — June 20th, 2007, 7:03 am

Chris,

That’s very valuable information that was left out, thanks for posting it. I’d like to note this from the colorado experiment:

“So both of the subjects have demonstrated the potential for greater than average muscular mass and BOTH SUBJECTS WERE REBUILDING PREVIOUSLY EXISTING LEVELS OF MUSCULAR SIZE.”

In other words:
If you at one point were extremely muscular and lost it, then this is the exercise routine to GET IT BACK, not gain new muscle.
Reply
Darren — June 21st, 2007, 12:27 am

Chris and Joe,

You hit the nail on the head. I just finished 30 days of the program and I think I lost 2 pounds of fat and gained 4 pounds of muscle. Tim’s gains can only be attributed to muscle memory.

I actually followed the program very strictly. I never missed a workout and I followed the diet almost perfectly. I just posted my results here:
http://www.4weekstofit.com/2007/06/21/sleep-diet-workout/day-30-status-report/

I carefully recorded every detail of my diet and my workouts on my daily blog, so you can see for yourself that I followed the program almost perfectly.

While I didn’t see the gains that Tim saw, I have however incorporated healthy eating and regular exercise into my lifestyle. It’s only a matter of time before I reach my fitness goals.
Reply
ZagZ — June 21st, 2007, 5:42 am

Hmmmm, in your before shots your posture is poor and youre not tensing muscle properly, you dont show your legs and are hairy and pale.

In your after shots you are tensed properly, shaved tanned and showing your legs.

Its typical of what adverts do in bodybuilding mags, they make the before and after pics look as extreme as possible to try and make the ‘transformation’ look more impressive than it actually is.

As for the 34Ibs of muscle in four weeks I would SERIOUSLY doubt that this happend unless you were the biggest genetic freak on the planet (which looking at you, you arent). It would be extremely difficult to put on that much quality muscle (which you have in your shots) even with steroids and from your pictures you dont look like youve gained that much either.

To put on 34Ibs of muslce mass whilst simultaneously reducing your body fat by 4.49% in four weeks is in my opinion nigh on impossible.

All in all you’ve done well and should be proud but I dont think the transformation is as magical as youre making out and for anyone reading this page, I would take this all with a pinch of salt.

Hopefully you’ll leave this comment on to give a balanced, multi-sided view.
Reply
Mike — June 23rd, 2007, 2:12 pm

A friend pointed me to this article a month ago. While I haven’t added 34lbs of muscle I have been giddy with the weight loss. I started at 234, 17.5 neck 46 chest 34 waist As of today I’m down to 218, 18 neck 47 chest and a 32 waist.

Can’t complain.

I’ve been a weight lifter since 1993 and been stuck in a rut for over a year with no appreciable gains.

After following the slow cadence reps and cutting down from 4 workouts to 2, the weight I can move at a slow cadence and the “normal” 2 down 1.5 up cadence has gone way way up.

(Sets of 10)
Tricep extensions from 90/130 bicep from 70/110 Bench from 185/235

Even without the blubber loss I’m giddy about that.

thanks so much.
Reply
Darren — June 23rd, 2007, 4:19 pm

I just posted my before and after shots. I look pretty much exactly the same! For anyone out there who wants to give this program a serious shot, this is what you can expect:

http://www.4weekstofit.com/2007/06/23/sleep-diet-workout/after-photos-and-conclusions/

And yes, I did follow the diet and workout routine very strictly.
Reply
Tom — June 25th, 2007, 10:49 pm

My gains were also much less than Ferriss’, yet were still far better than I’ve gotten with other regimens. In fact, last week a girl was feeling my (very unimpressive) biceps and asked me, “Do you work out?” No one has EVER before asked me that question in my entire life. It was a blast.

So do I look like Ferriss? No, not even close. But I’ll keep plugging away because it works better than anything I’ve tried before.
Reply
Daniel — June 25th, 2007, 11:15 pm

Tim advocates “as much diet cola as you’d like”, which of course I don’t take to mean literally, but I have heard of studies examining how tricking the brain with a sweet-tasting but calorie-barren substance like aspartame, sucrose, even stevia, causes carbohydrate cravings. How closely are cravings corellated with insulin surges. I’m just wondering if liberal diet cola use could actually spike insulin while on this diet, meaning neutral or worse benefit from the carbohydrate restriction. Any thoughts?
Reply
Erik — June 26th, 2007, 1:18 am

Hey All,

I have a couple of questions, and maybe somebody has some sage advice.

I started the one-set-to-failure today and the diet yesterday. I am a vegan, so I am going hard on the brown rice protein and the soy, different kinds of beans and whatever else I can find without killing anything.

I am a martial artist, have been training for over 30 years, and had started a weightlifting routine a couple of years ago, along with bag work, step intervals and just major-bloody-insane workouts, with mixed results. Main issue, of course overtraining. The fact is, for me martial arts is a life choice rather than a just workout, and although I would make it to the gym 2x/week, I was still training at the dojo 3-4x/week and have been too exhausted to do it all with the kind of intensity necessary for major muscle growth.

Here are my issues, and I wonder if anybody has any intelligent thoughts about them:

(1) 5/5 or 3/3 seconds is going to seriously mess with my speed. In my prior weight training, I was exploding the weight up and letting it down slowly. Since April 2004, my karate speed has increased significantly because of it. Will I find similar muscle gains doing 1-set-failure-reps and this kind of explosive movement? Or am I pretty much not going to reap the benefits without slow movements?

(2) Am I completely going to miss the boat by training karate 3x/week as well? The fact is, I have to go to the dojo, and when I’m there I have to train hard. So yes, going to the gym twice/week and giving myself adequate muscle recovery time is great…but I don’t really have the luxury of being one of the senior students and not showing up for a month in order to bulk up.

Sincerely,
Erik
Reply
Tom — June 26th, 2007, 6:36 pm

Daniel, I also have had problems with diet soda triggering massive late-night carb cravings (and elevated hunger all day long.) For me, diet soda is not the easy win it seems to be for Tim.

Erik, I read on ArthurDevany.com an article where he discusses why doing multiple sets causes you to lose fast-twitch response (the fast-twitch IIa & IIb fibers will start to convert to slow-twitch if they are worked too many sets), but I can’t find the entry where he discusses how cadence affects fiber variation. But maybe you can, and his site is informative and well-worth poking around. Here’s an article that’s at least somewhat relevant:

http://www.arthurdevany.com/2005/05/intermittent_tr.html
Reply
Sonny — June 27th, 2007, 4:22 am

You know im coming to the conclusion that this routine works, maybe not to a degree as Tims, but it works because of the long recovery period. Nowadays people want to work out 4-6 times a week, which is way too much. In fact Vince Gironda stated in his book (the wild physique) that working out 2 days a week will give faster results then one might imagine and as always you cant go wrong with the 3 day workout (upper body, lower body, upper body) and lets not forget there are no quick fixes– its all about being consistent.

So when i see articles like this where the author claims 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks i get a a little dubious. In fact its always 4 weeks, 8 weeks or 12 weeks. Why not 3 weeks or 6 weeks, or 9 weeks.

Bodybuilding has become so complicated with all the supplements and various training programs delivering quick results. This is why it is a billion dollar industry.

Dont give into the hype- Just eat good and train hard and give yourself enough time to “recover” and your goal will come.

Im not against this routine. I think people should change their routine every 6-8 weeks. And if you havent tried this, then try it it may help and shock your body into growth or do nothing. But at the end of it at least you know what works and doesnt work for YOU!!!

Sorry dont mean to preach but thats my 2 cents…

thnx
Sonny
Reply
P. Smith — June 29th, 2007, 7:59 am

Great tips
Reply
MÃ¥rten — June 30th, 2007, 11:49 am

I also have a similar question as Erik, I’m doing kickboxing twice a week and I’m wondering how that affects myt training and results if I’m going to the gym twice a week for HIT? Do the muscles have enough of a resting period or should i cut down the gym to once a week (not going to cut down on the kickboxing). Thanks for some great tips!

Regards

MÃ¥rten
Reply
Jim (PFT/SCT) — July 1st, 2007, 11:59 pm

A quick comment on diet soda: There’s a weekly local radio show called A New You which is dedicated to folks wanting to improve their health (mainly geared towards folks trying to lose weight). Not long ago one nutrition expert was on and commented on how artificial sweeteners (eg, Aspartame) was recently discovered to have some sort of negative effect on the brain. Sorry for not remembering more details. But that was enough for me, as I’ve largely avoided artificial sweeteners for years. I figure if a man-made molecule tried to do better than nature, there’s got to be something fundamentally wrong. As the old saying goes, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. You never get something for nothing.

To MÃ¥rten: I’ve recently switched from 1 day a week at the gym to 2 days a week (in order to split my exercise routine up — I was feeling too drained and lightheaded to do it all in one session), and I also go to Aikido class 2 days of the week (3 if you include Saturday noon-ish). Granted I think kickboxing is far more cardio-intense than Aikido. (I need to get back to hitting the treadmill a couple times a week.) Bottom line, just listen to your body. If you have sore muscles from one (weights or KB) and you plan to use those same muscles in the current session (KB or weights) then you’re probably pushing it. Sore is a good indicator.

To all: I should post my latest, but it’s late and I’m tapped. Suffice it to say I’m still gaining strength. I’ve switched some exercises for ones which feel more effective *for me*. Others may work better for you. For example, I went from the Yates row to the t-bar (with chest pad) row to the seated cable row (one of my all-time fave) and lat pulldowns (another all-time fave). If anything, I’m increasing the exercises I do. I’ll either do one set to failure, or a drop set (only two sets for a given exercise). In the case of biceps, I’ll do machine preacher curls (hands are angled at 45 degrees) then do dumbbell curls (holding barbell vertical to better hit the brachiradialis.

I was having troubles with Smith machine bench press, but found a seated machine where you press forwards and the hands draw together the farther out they go. The left is independent from the right; you put the plates on thick pins which are near the ground. Don’t recall the name of the machine, but I’ve made surprising gains with it that I wasn’t making with traditional bench. Guess what I’ll be sticking with for the foreseeable future?

Strength gains aside, my weight has remained perfectly stable. I’m still around 165 lbs, which is driving me batty. I’ve even upped my protein intake. Grr.

I’ll try to post my latest gains sometime this week.
Reply
Four Week Challenge #01: Rapid Muscle Growth, Final Results | MensImprovement.com — July 2nd, 2007, 9:56 pm

[...] means that either there’s something significant missing from Tim Ferriss’s account, or that some people are more conducive to gaining muscle [...]
Pchor — July 6th, 2007, 7:14 pm

Im currently a little over 2 weeks into this routine. Im 21 years old. I weighed 178lbs when I started, today I weighed in at 188.5lbs. Some of that is most likely fat as Im just eating whatever is around, not following a strict diet, I am eating 6 meals a day as suggested.

I am using whey protein as a supplement 2-3 scoops a day (20g/scoop).

I do have to say that this isnt my first time working out. I have been on and off for a few years now. Im just not good at keeping it consistent. So these gains could be due to the fact that I havent worked out for a few months and now Ive started again (muscle memory as mentioned by someone above).

My routine is a little different then what is described above: I am working out day 1. Then I have 2 days rest, and then I go back to day 1 again. I am doing this to get as many workouts as possible within the month, while still maintaining a good rest period. I also havent been doing any cardio for a long time, so I have been doing 20mins of cardio on day 3.

Here are todays workouts results:
regular squat – 7.5×90
dead lift – 5.5×90
shrugs – 9×105
T-bar row – 8×105
bench press – 8.5×90
bicep curls – 7.5×40

When I started, I was only doing 5-6 reps to failure a set though, then I reread the instructions and realized it said 8-12, so I started to do a weight that allowed 8 reps just today.

So far I gotta say that Its been a good overall program, especially for someone getting back into weightlifting such as myself. I think that after a certain time this workout wont be as good as a more advanced plan. That is why I have bought Arnold Schwarzeneggers Encyclopedia of bodybuilding to use after this month is done…Im hoping reading that will motivate me to keep my workouts consistent.

I will return here after the month is over (July 20th) with some before and after shots.
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Bjorn — July 7th, 2007, 9:51 pm

I’m more of a volume trainer. I love Arnolds book. Right now I’m following a split routine.

Day 1 – Chest & Back
Day 2 – Legs
Day 3 – Off/Cardio
Day 4 – Shoulders/Arms
Day 5 – Off
Day 6 – Repeat

Chest & Back I superset like Arnold does.

Flat Bench / Wide Pull-ups
Incline BB Bench / Single Arm Rows
Weighted Dips / Weighted Chin-ups
Pull-overs Burnout Failure
Reply
drewmccu — July 9th, 2007, 3:41 pm

If you guys want more info on his transformation, check this his article out on the bodybuilding.com transformation of the month. He goes into greater detail. One thing he mentioned that stuck out to me, is that he didn’t count calories. He gave a list of foods and said to eat as much as you want of them. He also only ate four times a day.
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raj — July 10th, 2007, 11:33 pm

“4. Eat enormous quantities of protein ”

I have previously tried that, and it does work to a degree. However, I’m surprised you don’t qualify your statement. For some people, “enormous” amounts of protein can cause diarrhea, if they don’t spread intake over the day. And excess protein can cause acne as well.
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Jed Wood — July 12th, 2007, 9:18 am

To Calle has the same question I had:

“#4 on this page states that you â€œdrop calories by 50% one day per weekâ€?.
But rule #4 in the post you link to (your current fat-loss diet) stats that you have a â€œDieters Gone Wildâ€?-day.
That means you have 5 regular days, one ultra-slim day and one eat-all-you-can day per week right? Or am I misunderstanding you?”

Here is Tim’s response:

“I only cut calories 50% one day a week if I’m principally trying to gain weight. If the primary goal is fat-loss, I will use the one “free” day — I use Saturday — instead. It’s one or the other, but not both”
Reply
anonymous coward — July 13th, 2007, 3:13 pm

So hey, this might sound a bit gay… but I’m totally straight.
Why did you decide to shave you chest? And how do you do it? I’m curious.
Reply
Is the Four-Hour Work Week Possible? | messaginglab reads and writes — July 18th, 2007, 2:27 pm

[...] got to Timothy Ferris through a post that was on Reddit.com called “From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 Lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks.” While at his blog, I saw that he had written a book called “The Four Hour Work [...]
Ahmed — July 23rd, 2007, 4:07 pm

i wanna gain 20 pounds atleast to attract the girls. im a really in need
Reply
Alex — July 24th, 2007, 11:31 am

Sorry but it is impossible to gain this sort of weight within 4 weeks. Tim, I like your book a lot and think you’re a smart guy but articles such as this make you look slightly stupid UNLESS you know full well that it’s impossible but are relying on creating some chit-chat and traffic to your site. “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story’ etc.

If that’s the case then you’ve succeeded!

The workout and diet though is generally a good one but I say that if someobody were to do exactly as indicated they’d still struggle to put on 30 lbs in a year. 20lbs is more likley but even that’s a pretty good result for most people.

As for Ahmed’s post above. 20 lbs won’t mean you’ll get the girls my friend.
Reply
Pchor — July 24th, 2007, 11:42 am

Hello again,
I posted above saying how I was doing this program. I stopped doing it 2 workouts before the end. I weighed 190lbs at the end.. If anyone wants to see pics let me know, I dont think theres enough of a noticeable difference. I just started arnolds training program from his book..all I gotta say is that it feels good to be sore
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Bjorn — July 24th, 2007, 7:29 pm

Pchor, which routine of Arnolds? I love his routines, but they just take so freaking long. So many sets and exercises per muscle group.
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Pchor — July 24th, 2007, 8:39 pm

I am starting the Basic Training Guide Level I in his book: The modern encyclopedia of bodybuilding. I have to agree with the length, monday wasnt too bad at about 1h10min. But today, tuesday, it took me just about 2hrs to get through the whole thing! I am loving it though, cant wait for the massive gains
This book is a definite must buy if you are a person who wants to get a lot of wonderful tips from the very beginning all the way to competition level training.
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Bjorn — July 24th, 2007, 9:31 pm

Your doing this routine…

Monday/Thursday – Chest/Back
Tuesday/Friday – Shoulders/Arms
Wednesday/Saturday – Legs
Sunday – Off

How many sets/reps do you do per exercise?
Reply
Pchor — July 24th, 2007, 11:44 pm

Yes, thats the workout plan Im doing. I am following his recommendations in the basic training principles:

For the amount of sets, he recommends 4 sets with the first being a warmup of 15 reps, then the next a 12 rep, the 3rd a 8-10 rep and the last set is a power set of 6 reps. There are some exercises in the program where he specifically tells you how many sets/reps to do for that exercise, so I follow that as well. This is usually for the power exercises where you do 3 sets of 6/4/2 reps sometimes a bit more. Also for abs in this program, they are done everyday and its 5 sets of 25reps.
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Blogging with a heart at Facibus On Blogging — July 25th, 2007, 1:12 pm

[...] which have brought in 1000s of new Feedburner subscribers, have nothing to do with my book. â€œGeek to Freakâ€? is about how I gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks. â€œHow to Travel the World with 10 lbs. or [...]
Andrew’s Autoblog Experiment » Blog Archive » Blogging with a heart — July 25th, 2007, 4:31 pm

[...] which have brought in 1000s of new Feedburner subscribers, have nothing to do with my book. â€œGeek to Freakâ€? is about how I gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks. â€œHow to Travel the World with 10 lbs. or [...]
Bjorn — July 25th, 2007, 5:54 pm

Yeah. Awesome man. Tell me how its working for you later on down the road. I’m going to try it soon.
Reply
Project: Me « Matt — July 26th, 2007, 7:58 pm

[...] I recentlyÂ ran acrossÂ Tim Ferris’ article From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks.Â 34 lbs in 4 weeks?Â It sounds almost impossible.Â Still, I’m interested.Â I’ve [...]
Project: Me « Project: Me — July 26th, 2007, 9:42 pm

[...] 27th, 2007 by ritmatt I recentlyÂ ran acrossÂ Tim Ferris’ article From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks.Â 34 lbs in 4 weeks?Â It sounds almost impossible.Â Still, I’m interested.Â I’ve [...]
â€œIf you had a Gun against your Head to Double your Readership in Two Weeks, What Would you Do?â€? - An Interview with Tim Ferriss : Opportunities for Life — July 28th, 2007, 1:15 pm

[...] which have brought in 1000s of new Feedburner subscribers, have nothing to do with my book. “Geek to Freak” is about how I gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks. “How to Travel the World with 10 [...]
Greg — July 29th, 2007, 2:22 pm

High Intensity Training rules! Here’s how to do your cardio properly (this is my running routine, so I’ll be using words like jog, run and sprint, but you can substitute them for cycling or swimming equivalents, though swimming needs some afterthought):

1. 5-10 minutes warm-up. Sweat is a good sign.

2. 2-3 minutes dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching is when you apply pressure to tendons, muscles and joints for just a moment, but repeatedly. For running, stretch (at least) calves, hamstrings and quads.

3. Do the following 15 times in succession: Sprint for 30 seconds at the maximum speed you can maintain for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds (walk or jog if you can).

4. 5-10 minutes warm-down. For me, warm up is jogging to the park, so warm-down is jogging back home.

5. Static stretching. This is the regular kind of stretching where you apply pressure until pain or near pain for 20-30 seconds per posture.

Now, do this just twice a week, with at least 48 hours in-between, and you’ll be happy ever after. These 15 minutes of active training (as you would do the warm-up, warm-down and stretching parts for any other cardio exercise as well) are superior to at least 45 minutes of regular cardio activity. In addition to getting in better shape, you also burn more fat (in grams) and increase muscle mass. There’s actually a lot of research promoting this since the 80′s, but I’ll just point you to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training and you can look further from there.

I train martial arts and I used to run for 45-55 minutes 2-3 times a week, but switching to the HIIT scheme above twice a week, has completely transformed my sparring performance (to the better! And I also beat my old track records!). Try this at home!
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Determining Intake Quantities « Project: Me — July 29th, 2007, 7:38 pm

[...] every day to have any hope of gaining the muscle mass I’m after.Â This is in line with Tim Ferris’ estimated intakeÂ of 5000 – 8000 calories daily.Â Without this additional fuel, my body will have not have the necessary “material” to [...]
Dmitri Z. — July 30th, 2007, 3:54 pm

Here is the link to Tim Ferriss’s article on bodybuilding.com, which has a few more details:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm
Reply
Affiliate Business Cash » Blog Archive » â€œIf you had a Gun against your Head to Double your Readership in Two Weeks, What Would you Do?â€? - An Interview with Tim Ferriss — July 30th, 2007, 8:33 pm

[...] which have brought in 1000s of new Feedburner subscribers, have nothing to do with my book. “Geek to Freak” is about how I gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks. “How to Travel the World with 10 [...]
100 Tips for Better Life « printf — July 31st, 2007, 2:40 am

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. [...]
100 Tips to Improve Your Life « My Weblog — July 31st, 2007, 11:35 pm

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. [...]
Internet Redux — 100 Great Tips to Improve Your Life — August 1st, 2007, 7:11 am

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. [...]
Richard — August 1st, 2007, 6:51 pm

If i do this a the age of 15, will it cause damage to my ligaments? As you only exercise twice a week for 30 minute sessions they will have time to repair, but ligaments are different in adults than adolesants. Is it safe for me to try this program? And this is very, very impressive by the way.
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Bodybuilding.com - uriDium's BodyBlog - What do you think about ProNutro — August 2nd, 2007, 2:06 am

[...] irritates me. The only thing that i can think of is that this guy came across this articleÂ http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-geek-to-freak-how-i-gained-34-lbs-of-muscle-in-4-weeks…Now i understand the principles of hyptertrophy, yes nice and slow and feel the burn. But dammit, i [...]
100 Great Tips to Improve Your Life « Invisible — August 5th, 2007, 11:03 am

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. [...]
Blog » Blog Archive » — August 9th, 2007, 12:00 am

[...] Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
James Sullivan — August 9th, 2007, 9:24 am

Hello Tim,

I like your book, and would encourage people to consider your precepts. There are some serious obstacles, however, to having a 4-hour work week. They are:

1. it seems to me that the 4-hour work week is primariy for small business proprietors who alread have a successful small business (such as yours) up and running. Starting up a new small business requires lots of time, as you know. And, as you also know, it takes a significant amount of time and hard work before a small business can achieve the status of a “going concern,” i.e., a healthy business.

2. 80% to 85% of all new businesses fail within the first five years of doing business–a risky proposition at best.

Don’t take my comments as naysaying. You have good ideas, but there are some very high hurdles one must clear before structuring his/her business and lifestyle into a 4-hour work week. Your readers deserve to know about these hurdles, and possibly you should give some ideas for clearing them. But that is a subject for another book.

Keep up the good work, Tim!!!

Sincerely,

Jim Sullivan
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Matthew C. Richards — August 9th, 2007, 2:05 pm

Since everybody else has done this, I’m gonna throw my hat into the ring too. I posted an article on my Myspace BLOG because I’m going to aim for some great results in a short time.
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Brian — August 9th, 2007, 5:15 pm

A couple of years ago I put on quite a bit muscle doing a very similar program. But it was much simpler. I worked out once a week. I did one set of a pulling movement (weighted pull ups) , a pushing movement (weighted dips) and a leg movement (dead lifts). The one set for each was done just one rep shy of failure. Total work out time was 20 minutes or less a week. The rest of week allowed me to recover. It’s a great protocol for those of us with limited time to work out.
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Edina — August 9th, 2007, 11:01 pm

I feel like a freak for liking the before photographs better…but I’m glad you’re eating well. No fruit though? O.o
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Dave — August 10th, 2007, 7:26 am

Mike Mentzer is another proponent of High Intensity Training. I used this system for a number of months and I have to say that for the most part, Tim may have actually been overtraining a little bit too by allowing himself 30 minutes in the gym.

At it’s truest form, a lot of the super intense workouts can last as little as 13-15 minutes.

But the results are truly amazing and Tim’s results are something anyone can achieve if they are willing to throw their entire being into the exercises.
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davidmickelson.com » From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks — August 10th, 2007, 10:12 am

[...] How did I do it? (moreâ€¦) [...]
Mike — August 14th, 2007, 3:16 pm

Great stuff! I started this week but have a couple of questions on your workouts.

1) Do you do any cardio? If so, how long and how often?

2) Do you lift the same muscle groups each time and how often?

3) What do you mean when you say “drop calories by 50% one day per week to prevent protein uptake downregulation.” Does that mean if I normally eat 3000 calories I need to pick one day per week and only eat 1500?

Thanks again for the help!!
-M
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Matt Bailey — August 14th, 2007, 5:53 pm

This workout is definately something I am going to try starting September. Letting everyone know so they can bug me if i dont do it.

I did the body-for-life program last september for 12 weeks and went from 22% body fat to only 9.5%. I also gained 7 pounds of muscle and lost 22 lbs of fat. That took 6 workouts a week for 12 weeks. long time but worth it.

So if this program can do triple that (muscle) in 4 weeks. It will change my life. 1 hour a week!!! thats incredible.

Let you know when im done!
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Blog » Blog Archive » — August 15th, 2007, 6:00 pm

[...] " From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Project83 Blog - Commentary on web development, standards and small business » Highlights for 8/15 — August 15th, 2007, 7:53 pm

[...] Feeling Tired? [...]
Scott — August 16th, 2007, 9:05 pm

Interesting concept. I’m 35 and have added a little around the midsection. May try this for my new workout. Thanks!
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rob43 — August 19th, 2007, 7:41 pm

Reminds me of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution by Fredrick Hahn and Michael Eades, M.D. That emphasizes a “one set to failure” mode, maybe as much weight per exercise as will cause failure at 6 to 8 reps. The whole workout is 30 minutes, doing once every 5 days. Twice a week?
A pound of muscle growth in a week is pretty good; that’s an increase of 48 lbs. in a year, which is maybe what a football player could do, going from high school to college.
34 lbs in 24 days seems rather, ummm, illusory.
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Jonathan — August 19th, 2007, 10:38 pm

This sounds like an effective application of the Mike Mentzer method. Congratulations.
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Dave — August 20th, 2007, 1:15 pm

That some impressive stats. It would be interesting to know if you have maintained the gains?
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Jonas Moreira — August 22nd, 2007, 8:09 am

Hey Tim,

IÂ´m kind of new at hypertrophy, IÂ´ve been working out for 3 months now. IÂ´ve seen some muscle growth, but, I was wondering if you could give me tips on exercises or how many times I should be working out during the week. I appreciate the help.

Thanks.
Reply
The Boston Bachelor » Link of the Week: How to Gain 34 lb. of Muscle in 4 Weeks — August 22nd, 2007, 10:09 pm

[...] of you familiar with Tim Ferris mayÂ already know about this,Â but if not, hereâ€™s something for all the â€œgurly menâ€? out there looking to â€œpump [...]
Matt — August 23rd, 2007, 4:52 pm

Hey, in the article on bodybuilding.com, it says Tim used a lot of supplements. This isn’t said above and could make quite a difference.
Reply
100 Tips to Improve Your Life : XianSi ’s Blog — August 23rd, 2007, 10:59 pm

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. [...]
N 2 T u a n â€˜ s B l o g » Blog Archive » 100 Tips to Improve Your Life — August 24th, 2007, 7:32 am

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. [...]
Ectomorphs How to Gain Weight — August 28th, 2007, 6:22 am

Geek To Freak…

First time here and want to find out how to gain weight then subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!After holding off for nearly two years, Iâ€™m posting this because too many people have asked for it. The lasses should read it, too, as the sam…
steve — August 28th, 2007, 2:38 pm

any chance you might give us a little more detail on the workout routine/principle? I went to the colorado experiment link but they give a bunch of stats on the results, not what working out to the point of failure means or what routine they used, etcâ€¦
Reply
[alex brie . net] » Blog Day 2007 — August 31st, 2007, 1:23 am

[...] schimbat, in bine cel putin…;Â cateva din articolele misto de pe blogul asociat cartii sunt: Cum sa pui brand pe tine in 30 de zile , Cum sa traiesti ca un rockstar in…, sau Cum sa calatoresti in jurul lumii cu mai putin de 5 [...]
» 2007-09-09 Groundhog Dag Resolutions - uhri.com — September 9th, 2007, 7:20 am

[...] past week, I looked into Tim Ferriss’s post From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks. After two days using a single set to failure system, I feel as though I’ve been exercising [...]
Cody — September 10th, 2007, 8:06 pm

So the only thing I havn’t caught onto yet is if this a single set per workout or the classic 3. This seems like a very interesting workout, one I will surely try.
Reply
Seemant Kulleen — September 11th, 2007, 7:50 pm

Is this something one could do using circuit-training machines?
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Bjorn — September 12th, 2007, 6:21 pm

The workout is “1″ set per exercise til complete failure. You pick the rep range you want to lift in. Be it 6-8 reps or 10-12. Once you can reach 8 reps, or 12 reps in good form, next workout up the weight by 5 lbs. You grow when you rest, not when your in the gym.

I personally like 2 sets over 1. I’m not saying 1 doesn’t work, I just feel better doing 2 sets per exercise with around 2 minutes of rest between sets. For instance.

This workout can be done 2-3 times a week. I like 5 sessions every 2 weeks. Week 1 M-W-F, Week 2 M-Th. The rest of the days are for resting/eating and cardio if you want.

1-3 sets per exercise. You pick.
1) Full squats, 15 to 20 reps
2) Pullovers, 10 reps
3) Standing Press, 10 reps
4) Chins, 10 reps
5) Weighted Dips, 12 reps
6) Barbell Curls, 10 reps
7) Shrugs, 15 reps
8) Stiff-Legged Deadlifts, 15 reps

“If you could get to the point where you’re squatting 400 pounds for 20 reps, stiff-legged deadlifting 400 pounds for 15 reps, curling 200 pounds for 10 reps, pressing 200 pounds for 10 reps, doing 10 dips with 300 pounds around your waist, and chinning with 100 pounds around your waist, don’t you think you would be big – I mean awfully big? And strong?”
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Dave Wakeman — September 12th, 2007, 6:47 pm

Bjorn:

Its an interesting workout that you put together. But I have to say that I did follow two different high intensity programs over the years and I think yours might actually lead to overtraining rather quickly if you train to total muscular failure.

I do like the exercises you picked, but I would suggest breaking up the body and only working out 2-3s a week, so that you don’t overtrain.

The other thing that I might suggest is that you cut down on your reps just a touch, shoot for the 6-8 rep range. Once you get too far past 8 reps, you start to tax your body a tad too much.
Reply
Ted Janson — September 12th, 2007, 7:12 pm

If the data shows that one set to failure builds more muscle than two, why would you do two?
Reply
Dale K — September 14th, 2007, 12:21 pm

You mention that you train elite powerlifters a dehydration technique. What is it? and also how often can you do it? Is there a lot of muscle loss?
Reply
jake — September 14th, 2007, 4:40 pm

i am very interested in this workout i would just like to know whats the workout rotine? and best work out for my inner chest?
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J. Christian Andersen — September 18th, 2007, 7:25 am

Thanks for a great book! BUT this article about gaining 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 weeks is misleading. First I was very excited but after consulting one of the best fitness instructors in Denmark I now understand that this is only possible for people with a generic error. Yes, thatâ€™s right, for most of us its impossible to gain that much muscle. 6-7 Lbs. in 3 months is the realistic. But some people (only very few) has a generic error that means you can gain extremely much muscle in a very short time. It looks like Tim Ferries is one of them.

I hope Tim reads this and will make a note to his article so people wonâ€™t get the wrong idea that they can copy his experiment.

J. Christian Andersen
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Bjorn — September 18th, 2007, 5:07 pm

He gave you a routine. Just pick a handful of compound exercises and lift them heavy with strict form.

For instance.

Monday and Thursday..all other days are Rest days.
Full Squats 1 x 15-20 Reps Slow
Bench Press or Dips 1-2 x 6-8 Reps
Reverse Grip Yates Rows or Chin-ups 1-2 x 6-8 Reps
Standing Military Press 1-2 x 6-8 Reps
Stiff Legged Deadlift 1 x 6-8 Reps
Calves 1-2 x 15-20 Reps
Abs 2-3 x 12-30 Reps

If you did just these exercises, you would grow ALL over your entire body. Isolation exercises aren’t going to make you bigger. Get your foundation/strength down, then you can add in isolation exercises once you have all the mass you want.
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Jeremiah Thompson — September 19th, 2007, 12:44 pm

Hi Tim,

Great article! Its also fantastic you take your time to answer questions on this blog. Just an idea for you to consider: Is there a way to sort the comments so that viewers can easily see the postings you make yourself?

Currently then a user has to search through all of the postings and it is difficult to find the ones posted by yourself.

Since you are already answering all of the good questions then being able to easily read your postings and yours alone would be a big time saver.

Thanks,

Jeremiah Thompson

###

Hi Jeremiah!

Thanks for the kind words. I don’t catch all of the good questions, but I try to answer when I can. The easiest way to find my comments is to hit Ctrl + F and search for “###” which I use before all of my replies.

Thanks for reading!

Tim
Reply
Greg Burns — September 20th, 2007, 10:53 pm

This is very much like the routines we have been using in our
studios across the country for over ten years, and it is a really
effective way to workout.

Greg
Reply
jimstill — September 26th, 2007, 2:56 pm

New study reveals why restricting calories may lead to longevity.

Thought this article was very interesting, a little science…

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?SID=mail&articleID=242CBE56-E7F2-99DF-37DEAE209E877BFB

Â© 1996-2007 Scientific American, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Reply
rory — September 29th, 2007, 4:31 am

can you give more details on your workout and number of reps you did
Reply
Men's Distressed Graphic T-Shirts — October 7th, 2007, 7:55 pm

Hi Tim. Great article. I was motivated by your blog to try it out for myself. Although I didn’t do any specific before and after tests, I am definitely getting results after being stuck in a rut for so long. Thanks.
Reply
Workouts » Â» From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks — October 9th, 2007, 5:20 am

[...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerpt After holding off for nearly two years, I’m posting this because too many people have asked for it. The lasses … Saved By: Hunter Nield | View Details | Give Thanks Tags: muscle, workout, bulking up [...]
» 2007-09-09 Groundhog Day Resolutions - uhri.com — October 9th, 2007, 6:50 pm

[...] past week, I looked into Tim Ferriss’s post From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks. After two days using a single set to failure system, I feel as though I’ve been exercising [...]
Experimenting With Life « paper journal — October 12th, 2007, 1:41 pm

[...] like to try one someday, not necessarily to write about it, but more to see if I could do it. Like this experiment done by a blogger/writer that is well known for outsourcing everything in his life. He [...]
Rip — October 12th, 2007, 2:22 pm

I just finished a variation of this workout program.

After 2 workouts a week for 28 days, I gained approximately 20 pounds. However I was not taking any supplements (except protein powder) and was only eating about 3,000-4,000 calories a day.

I also would work out for an hour instead of 30 minutes, because 30 minutes did not feel adequate enough to train the whole body.
Reply
anon — October 27th, 2007, 3:07 pm

The article “sounds good”, the reality is different. No one will bulk up from an hour a week of working out. Unless they are taking sport enhancement supplements. Even then it will be a hard task. 30minutes just isn’t enough time to make gains IMO. I would hate someone who wants muscle to believe that an hour a week is all you need. Experts say 30 minutes a day will keep you healthy. However, if you need to develop a shape then more work and time will be needed. One thing that is sad is that we buy whatever dream someone is selling. It would break my heart for you to buy into an 1hour a week. If you want to buy a fantasy buy into what I am telling you.

Good Luck.
Reply
Ezra — October 29th, 2007, 1:18 pm

can the anonymous poster who i would say 90% hasnt tried this work out provide biological proof that what he/she is saying is true, that this can not be acheived. i was taught this workout at the age of 16 by a 55 yr old yoga instructor and i swear by it. as far as i know you cant prove anything biologically or scientifically when it comes to workingout. and besides do you really feel an obligation to the people on this website? because it seems the person who created this website and put their time into making it good has more of a vested interest in being right, where as i think you are just trying to boost your ego by “making them wrong” don’t be a hater unless you are 100% certain. i will be awaiting your scientific data. Remember this site is what someone did and suceeded at. NOBODY IS TELLING YOU that this is the “right” way to do it, just that they did it. take it easy
Reply
For Your Healthy Body » Blog Archive » Tim Ferriss: From Geek to Freak in 28 Days — October 30th, 2007, 9:18 am

[...] read more | digg story [...]
Joshua — October 30th, 2007, 7:11 pm

It’s a great idea, but I can’t help but wonder what workout you actually used. I mean, was this run-of-the-mill squats/bench press sort of material, or did you use specific exercises?

I hate working out, but I need to do it. I’d like to do it in the least possible time. I’d definately try this for myself, so could you put up a little more guidelines?
Reply
Rip — November 4th, 2007, 12:29 pm

What you naysayers don’t understand is that the workouts themselves are just the tip of the iceberg. If you are able to eat 5,000 calories a day (if you weigh about 150-160 lbs at the beginning), you will gain 20-30 lbs easily.

You can do the workouts in your sleep. What really matters is calories and diet.
Reply
Tim Ferriss and the 34 lb muscle gain — November 9th, 2007, 12:29 pm

[...] ? From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Richard Kolodziej — November 9th, 2007, 9:09 pm

[...] The Blog of Tim Ferriss – From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks – Wenn man dem Glauben schenkt, dann hat Tim Ferriss mit seinem Trainingsprogramm 15,42 kg Muskelmasse in 4 Wochen gewonnen. [...]
BrawBoydaysot — November 16th, 2007, 4:25 am

Two new studies show why some people are more attractive for members of the opposite sex than others.

The University of Florida, Florida State University found that physically attractive people almost instantly attract the attention of the interlocutor, sobesednitsy with them, literally, it is difficult to make eye. This conclusion was reached by a series of psychological experiments, which were determined by the people who believe in sending the first seconds after the acquaintance. Here, a curious feature: single, unmarried experimental preferred to look at the guys, beauty opposite sex, and family, people most often by representatives of their sex.

The authors believe that this feature developed a behavior as a result of the evolution: a man trying to find a decent pair to acquire offspring. If this is resolved, he wondered potential rivals. Detailed information about this magazine will be published Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

In turn, a joint study of the Rockefeller University, Rockefeller University and Duke University, Duke University in North Carolina revealed that women are perceived differently by men smell. During experiments studied the perception of women one of the ingredients of male pheromone-androstenona smell, which is contained in urine or sweat.

The results were startling: women are part of this repugnant odor, and the other part is very attractive, resembling the smell of vanilla, and the third group have not felt any smell. The authors argue that the reason is that the differences in the receptor responsible for the olfactory system, from different people are different.

It has long been proven that mammals (including human) odor is one way of attracting the attention of representatives of the opposite sex. A detailed article about the journal Nature will publish.
Reply
Michael — November 18th, 2007, 2:33 am

Tim Posted his workout and diet on bodybuilding.com via the following link:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm
Reply
richard — November 24th, 2007, 5:55 pm

any additional proteins or recommended proteins for that matter?
Reply
Hamish Love — November 26th, 2007, 2:08 am

Before and after shots are notoriously deceptive.
As far as before and after shots go these are pretty decent.

However…a few points to take into consideration.
Why is scale different between before and after shots? This is uneccessarily misleading.

Tan, or skin pigment, makes a huge difference in perceived definition. Hence a pasty white caucasian would look less “cut” or “ripped” than a dark skinned african american with the same body fat percentage.

It is possible to lose fat (note, not weight, but actual fat) much faster and to build real world strength much faster.

Training only twice a week is great for bulkin up and arbitrary muscle gain, but not the most effective way to build actual strength.

And no, size, or even muscle weight, and practical strength are not neccessarily the same thing.

Criticism aside, they are good results and definitely achievable for anyone.
Looks like Tim actually worked on his legs too which is good to see!
Too many body builders beef up their “showboat” muscles only, IE – pecs and biceps…but then have these scrawny little chicken legs!
It’s hilarious.

But Tim looks balanced and in good shape. Well done!

By the way, if it is real world strength and actual health versus mere “fitness” you are after, search for something called THE SPARTAN REGIME by ANTHONY BOVA
or a book on diet called THE PALEO DIET by LOREN CORDAIN

No, I do not profit in any way from anyone ourchasing these books. Just some awesome books I read that changed my life.

Cheers!
Sorry for the long post! Haha!
Reply
Hamish Love — November 26th, 2007, 2:16 am

P.S. Tim will not like this but….my advice is to stay away from training supplements. Effects are minimal. Price is huge.
Supplements are 99% marketing and 1% results. Maybe good for selling and making cash, but not worth it for buying and getting worthwhile results.

You’ll get much, much more just from eating a good diet.
That’s my 2cents. Done.
I’ll wait for the abuse….
Reply
Those Supplements — November 27th, 2007, 3:46 am

Hamish,

I do in the main agree with you on supplements. There marketing does in the most part and specifically attempt to trigger the men desire to be “bigger”, without much in the way of science behind them.

To his credit I believe Tim doesnt push his brand of supplements (bodyquick,brainquick) and more to the point avoids direct association due to its potential to muddy the waters. Also Tim does make a long and frequent points in other blogs about consuming a Low GI, nutrient rich, vegetable rich diet. Lean proteins, low glycemic carbs, fresh vegetables….hard to disagree with basing your diet on such advise.

I don’t pretend to be an expert so just 2 observations:

Firstly if you are building up muscle/strength rather than stasis you will need plenty of “stuff to make muscles”: amino acids, ideally consumed in the form of proteins (which are of course digested broken down to amino-acids). Of course, egg whites, tuna and chicken breasts are excellent but if you think about it there is a reasonable case to be made that some protein supplements (powders/drinks) could be used with equal effects. Not only that but the protein supplement could be targeted/tailored to provide the specific right combinations/ratios amino acids needed by your body to build muscle mass.

Secondarily Creatine is used in your muscles as a vital link for the (ATP) energy metabolism. In general case enough may be enough (ie from a healthy diet) yet as a supplement creatine seems to have lots of science behind it in helping even quackwatch doesnt discount it as being helpful http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/creatine.html.

So as a start Creatine and Amino-acid/Protein supplementation could and in all likely hood be beneficial in helping build muscle mass. The main point of course of supplementing is in additional to a natural, low-gi, low-fat, high nutrient diet as recommended by Tim (and countless others). Few could imagine a large scale consumption KFC, McD’s with the addition of supplements being the ideal road to build strength and muscle mass.

I am trying Tim’s plan now, although I am hardly the “naturally muscled athlete” body type of Tim, I am 10 years older and started with less (atrophy). So far (3 training days) I have picked up 2KG in body mass, I am lifting heavier weights and feel stronger without my waist line increasing. So far so good. However I have to state I don’t think it is likely I will see the same results as Tim. Maybe naysayers will state I wont get the results of Tim because I am not taking all the supplements he did.
Reply
» Quick Home Exercise Routine » Weight Loss Tips — November 29th, 2007, 5:02 am

[...] This is not necessarily a bad thing. Tim Ferris advocates this and got some amazing results. [...]
Nate — December 4th, 2007, 12:11 pm

Tim and everybody else,

Thanks for the exercise plan. Just an update,

I have always been a wiry little runt and have never been able to gain weight(muscle or fat). After several attempts at weight training and then running I only ever gained 5-10 lbs over 2 years. I have been following the 1 set to failure plan for 6 weeks now and have gone from 127 to 139 lbs! That is a consistent 2 lbs a week of solid muscle and probably more due to overall muscle density increasing. The heaviest I have ever been is 131, so this is mostly new growth, not muscle memory.

Also, my strength has easily doubled with every exercise since I started. I have noticed the largest gains in my legs, leg press has gone from 160 – 320Lbs and my pants are finally filling out. And all muscle groups are filling out and much more defined. I notice a new muscle everyday!

My excercises,
Legs:
Leg Press – Mostly Negative, superset
Leg Curls
Leg Extension
Calf Raise
Push:
Bench Press, superset
Weighted dips – Negative only
Military press (Shoulder press)
Pull:
Row
Weighted Pullups – Negative only
Bent Row
Also, sometimes I will throw in an Ab exercise.

I try to put much more emphasis on negative reps. This actually stresses the muscles more and improves flexibility. All exercises except dips and pullups are on machines. Leg Press are 3 up/ 10 down cadence. Pullups (10 down),dips (5 down) All other Exercises are 5/5 cadence. All sets to failure, (I mean gut wrenching, grunting, shaking, feeling ready to puke, I couldn’t get another rep with a gun to my head failure!) Remember you are trying to trigger your body’s natural hormonal survival response, so push it! With this kind of intensity, I have been only able to exercise once a week, due to being sore.

If anybody is more interested in the Colorado Experiment, there is a detailed book and exercise plan written by Ellington Darden “The New HIT” who worked for many years with Authur Jones.

One last note. I was drinking whey protein Powder for 4 weeks, thinking that it was the magic potion. But after puking it up one night, I quit taking it and the gains are still consistent. So as others have said, supplements may actually have very little benefit. I just make sure that I eat 4 meals (Breakfast, lunch, dinner, before bed). I eat a lot of pasta, rice, veggies, lean meats and cottage cheese.

So HIT is working for me and I always thought I could never gain weight! My milestones are 150Lbs by Jan 15 and 160 lbs by March 1st

Kudos and keep it INTENSE,

Nate
Reply
frank the medium sized economy van — December 5th, 2007, 12:45 am

similary story, i gained 50 lbs of muscle in about 4 months… went from 155 to 205.. i thought that was insane but 30 lbs in 1 month.. funny thing is i didnt really work out at all i just ate all day and did pushups and bicep curls occasionaly. idk im young tho only 20 i had a growth spurt coming anyways i was the same size all the way through highschool at about 5 10 to 511. just a lil bit under 6 feet now in my second year at college
Reply
Ty944 — December 7th, 2007, 3:28 pm

Hi,
the results sound really impressive. However, irrespective of training protocol & diet, I just don’t believe those results are realistically obtainable in the given time frame.
The workout advice ie shorter, focused workouts, limited compound exercises and sets to failure with adequate rest for recuperation – all good…BUT 34lb muscle in 4 weeks!!
I’ve been a personal trainer for a long time and this just doesn’t sound right!!
However, for anyone reading, the general advice is good…take it as you wish!!
Reply
Bjorn — December 12th, 2007, 11:14 pm

1 set til failure full body workouts is exactly what Don Lemmon advocates. http://www.DonLemmon.com go to his site and get his books “The Know How”. He made Eric Carlson gain 30lbs in 6 weeks doing 15-20 minute workouts 2-3 times a week 1 set til complete failure.
Reply
Big L to the T — December 13th, 2007, 5:48 pm

I am close to 400 lbs and was thinking about picking up this workout and eating plan. Any ideas on how it would work, or if I should follow it?
Reply
Bowel problem — December 17th, 2007, 11:55 am

Great Man, I m just Looking for such kind of process Fast and durable.

Even now, I ‘m not believing that you gain 34 lb of muscles and without steriods.

If it s true. This is great. but i gona give it a try.
Reply
seo forums and markerplace — December 17th, 2007, 11:59 am

It’s a great idea, i want to know the details exercise plan Layout. I hope you will Submit the another Post about what plan and schedule you have choose such that you gain such muscles.

I need to do it. I’d like to do it in the least possible time. I’d definately try this for myself,
Reply
Mark — December 28th, 2007, 2:55 pm

Like the above, I don’t think you can gain muscle that fast even with steroids.
Reply
Ian Duckett. — December 31st, 2007, 2:43 pm

Hi Tim.
I read your book and it has improved my business to an awesome degree.
I was checking out your site when I noticed your training.
good on you– you made some awesome gains.
I train high intensity myself and just one the World Natural bodybuilding championships.
The best gains of my life came training HIT fashion.
I am one of the best PT trainers in the country and when I embark on a Transformation program with a client–its the all body HIT workouts I choose to work with.
Once again your book was life changeing thank you.
Keep up that working out and-Well Done.
Ian.
Reply
The Adam Hansen Weblog » New Beginnings — January 1st, 2008, 12:31 pm

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Weight Training For Muscle Gain — January 2nd, 2008, 12:24 pm

“Exercise less frequently as you increase strength and size, as your recovery abilities can only increase 20-30%, while you can often increase fat-free muscle tissue up to 100% before reaching a genetic set-point.”

Great tip right there. People often under-estimate the importance of rest and they often over train too. Great gains as well, keep up the good work.

All the best
Reply
Tom — January 4th, 2008, 4:54 pm

Hey Tim,

I weeded through most of the comments, but I didn’t see anyone ask if you could achieve similar gains in endurance training by somehow condensing your training and maximizing efficiency. I know the heart system operates differently than the skeletal muscles, but I’m not educated enough about the science to manufacture an experiment myself.

Endurance training is about well, endurance, and training that requires a large time commitment depending on the race distance. Experimenting with a way to cut down training time while maintaining gains would be a major breakthrough.

A future experiment perhaps??
I’d help
Reply
How To Gain 34 Pounds Of Muscle In Just 4 Weeks - CoachLevi.com — January 9th, 2008, 12:03 pm

[...] We’ll start with the craziest post I’ve seen: From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks [...]
Ben — January 10th, 2008, 12:24 am

It’s great to see something on weight GAIN! So thanks for the refreshing info. I tried this out with minimal increases…check my blog if you want more info on it.

I know exactly why I got such small increases but I’m not sure how to fix it. I’d like to get your input on how to eat enough to gain this type of weight on a busy schedule?

It’s very difficult to get this kind of food anywhere other than a grocery store and it’s also difficult to find time to eat four big meals a day (especially since I work 6-8 hours of semi physical work and I can’t stop for a 30 min meal twice during my day). Luckily, I don’t work everyday so my off days I can eat accordingly.

So I guess my simple question is…How can I gain significant weight if I have a busy schedule and I’m on the go?
Reply
David Johansson — January 11th, 2008, 8:36 am

Hi Tim, thank you for an awsome book, awesome blog and your great example of braveness.

They say that the highest form of adoration is imitation – so hopefully you will feel a sense of being honored when another copycat asks how to replicate your stuff.

In the movie Batman Begins they say that fear is not outside of us, but inside – what we really fear is our own power, our power to do marvelous or terrible things. So in order to harness true power we should love resistance. experience the force through embracing feelings of fear instead of pushing them away, trying even to enjoy them as pleasure. This will force us into our inner battle of life and death and will give us a emotional sense of purpose, personal mythology and destiny.

Interesting principle – the greatest people in history did this, they got their position historical mystery through doing marvelous and terrible things.. and they all offered some sort of new life experience with their words…

well, enough philosophy – I’m planning on doing the “geek to freak”-experiment so I’ve contacted one of the top bodybulding experts/personal trainers in Stockholm (were I live in Sweden) and we have studied and compared both the Colorado-experiment (which he knew about before) and your geek/freak-experiment..

Anders (the bodybuilder-trainer) has some questions:

1. What exercises did you use? Machines or free weights?
2. Did you prepare your muscles by warming up before your one-set failure, or did you do it directly?
3. The 5/5-candence in your version of the experiment, could you explain more about that? Is there any
“hard science” behind it?
4. You said that the project would SEEM unhealthy, could it BE unhealthy aswell?
5. Why the 3 minute rest between sets in your version of the experiment.

It would be great with some enlightenment on this. We want our “Stockholm”-experiment to be as successfull
as possible.

Thanks man!
(my website is under construction)

###

Hi David!

Please search my name on http://www.bodybuilding.com — there is a more complete explanation of my workout and diet there.

Good luck and keep us all posted on progress — don’t forget to take before-after photos

Tim
Reply
David Johansson — January 11th, 2008, 8:28 pm

at first I thought you wrote: “don’t forget to Fake before-after photos :)”

but yes, I will post them..

thanks
Reply
Doug — January 17th, 2008, 5:02 pm

So… basic question here…

is “failure” the point where you can not lift even one more rep… or the point where you can’t do so with good form?

I.e. is failure the same as exhaustion?
Reply
Joe Buck — January 18th, 2008, 10:08 pm

Umm… I’m not buying this, can you email me at [email protected] and tell me how it works, because, seriously, you gained muscle faster than Christian Bale for Batman, and he had professional trainers, and went on a special diet. Everyone says he did steroids, did you?

###

Hi Joe,

LOL… No steroids whatsoever. Just search my name on http://www.bodybuilding.com for a more detailed version of this.

Cheers,

Tim
Reply
Vic Panero — January 19th, 2008, 3:52 am

I was curious about the re-hydration method you used during your weigh-in for the Chinese kick-boxing competition in your book.

Where is that information on your blog and those images–?
Reply
TameOne — January 26th, 2008, 1:35 am

Someone may have mentioned this already, but as a woman I think I should point out the Before and After would be a LOT more fair if you’d shaved your chest and got a tan BEFORE starting your fitness program. Your photos remind me of one of those infomercials that sell male enhancement pills.

That said, if it makes you feel good, do it… congrats on your success.
Reply
Igor — January 28th, 2008, 8:34 pm

Tim,

Very interesting experiment. I’ve read through your article on bodybuilding.com, and I’d like to repeat this, but I have a few questions:

1. I am a trainee who is used to multiple sets at a high weight, with low reps (3-6). Since your program calls for a 5/5 cadence, should I be expecting to use a weight around 50% of my 1RM? I’m going to suspend my disbelief for the duration of this program, so I just want to know what to expect.

2. Here are the exercises I was considering performing: squats, dips, chinups, military presses, one arm dumbbell rows. What do you think of that? Do you have any recommendations to make in this regard, or are these exercises just fine?

3. For a few exercises, it seems like the grip would give out before the target muscle (for example, chinups, and one arm dumbbell rows), since a set would last 80-120 seconds. How can I work around that?

Any guidance you can provide is greatly appreciated!

###

Hi Igor,

Here you go, in brief:

1. I am a trainee who is used to multiple sets at a high weight, with low reps (3-6). Since your program calls for a 5/5 cadence, should I be expecting to use a weight around 50% of my 1RM? I’m going to suspend my disbelief for the duration of this program, so I just want to know what to expect.

TTT: That sounds about right. Your current regimen is great for relative strength, assuming long rest intervals, but this is designed with maximizing muscle nutrient density and hypertrophy. Start with 50% and then work up or down as needed. I suggest one 1-2-hour workout of testing just to determine the proper weight for exercises.

2. Here are the exercises I was considering performing: squats, dips, chinups, military presses, one arm dumbbell rows. What do you think of that? Do you have any recommendations to make in this regard, or are these exercises just fine?

TTT: These are just fine. You’re hitting all the primary movers.

3. For a few exercises, it seems like the grip would give out before the target muscle (for example, chinups, and one arm dumbbell rows), since a set would last 80-120 seconds. How can I work around that?

TTT: The weight will be less, but you can: 1) use a phosphate buffering supplement to decrease lactic acid build-up, and/or 2) use lifting wraps. I discourage #2 unless absolutely necessary.

Good luck and happy gaining!
Reply
Mike Baggett — January 30th, 2008, 11:03 am

I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I doubt this kind of progress could be made in 4 weeks. If you are a stock beginner, you would have to have superior genetics to make this kind of progress.

Mike Baggett
Reply
A — January 30th, 2008, 1:13 pm

Any suggestions for a teenager (17) wanting to start this program. Days per week, calories, exercises to gain alot of mass. I understand being younger i can do more and recover quicker because of my high hormone production. I was also thinking of doing a difference rep cadence, more liek 2 sec up and 4 down. Fast twitch muscle fibers would be getting hit better with that cadence compared to the 5, 5 which is only slow twitch.
Thanks
Reply
" » My 2008 health and fitness goals" by fitfilter.com - simple diet, fitness, and nutrition — February 5th, 2008, 12:41 pm

[...] and calories and follow a more strict work out regime, much like the one Tim Ferris posted about here which is also known as HIT (High Intensity Training [...]
How to Build Muscle Fast — February 5th, 2008, 3:58 pm

I think that it is possible to achieve results like this if you do everything properly and have the right genetics.

The reason that this would be so difficult for the average person is because they would have no idea what they are doing. If you eat the right diet, train properly, get 10 hours of sleep a night, and take proven legal bodybuilding supplements, I think many of you would be very surprised with the results you can achieve in a relatively short time period.

Just my two cents!
Reply
alex — February 7th, 2008, 7:49 pm

Tim,

I was so intrigued by this post that for the past few months I’ve been doing as much research as possible in order to do the same. I’m a little disappointed with my results and cannot figure of what I did wrong. It would make my day – or month really – if you could give me any advice.

I followed your training program on bodybuilding.com almost to the letter, but I increased the calories intake because I’m a little bit taller. I took all of the supplements you listed, during the times you listed, but added glutamine and creatine supplements to the plan.

I made sure to eat over 200 grams of protein a day, and took casein before bed and upon awakening to ensure sustained release, but whey just following a workout. I had 5 meals a day that were usually around 1500 calories – supplementing during meals (ALA/Chromium for increased insulin sensitivity) and between meals (protien shakes). I dropped calories along with protein on Saturday by 50%.

I followed your workout plan to the letter. And made sure I went to absolute failure on all exercises. I trained the same amount as you did. I also had a consistent 9 hours of sleep every night during the same times. I made sure to eat before bed in order to have the smallest amount of fasting. The first thing I did in the morning is eat for the same reason.

I only gained 8 pounds of muscle, but gained 3 pounds of fat. I know everyone’s body is different. Besides the hight difference (not much) we’re shaped the same way as you were in the first picture.

I am going to keep trying to reach my goal, I’m hoping there is something else you did, or ate that got you there so fast, but either way, maybe you can give me some advice?

Thanks, Alex.
Reply
Insane Superhuman French People | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 9th, 2008, 2:58 pm

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise [...]
Thierry — February 11th, 2008, 11:50 am

Your principles are good: less time working out, more intensity, high protein diet…However, even though, you have proven time and again that you are an exceptional achiever in several fields, you cannot bend the laws of physiology. In other words, there is no way in the world you could have gained 34 lbs of muscle in 28 days, especially considering that you are past your teens or early 20′s.
Sorry to have to tell you that Tim, but either you were taking some illegal performance enhancers (which I do not believe just by looking at your pictures) or you have exaggerated the results. How do I know that? I have been working out 3 to 5 times a week for the last 20 years, trying all sorts of routines and diets, without ever using steroids, should I add. You may object that I am not “genetically” advantaged, which is probably true, but even super gifted athletes (typically black men) whom I work out with on a daily basis never came close to your figures. What you describe is redolent of a “Muscle and Fitness” ad. This just does not happen in real life. I wish you, as a role model, avoided setting unrealistic expectations (whose sheer pursuit may turn out to be hazardous when it comes to physical activities). Reading Alex’s post alone(07/02/08) makes me sad. This guy should be very proud of his achievement(8lbs of muscle gained in 4 weeks)instead of becoming despondent because of it.
PS for Alex: good work! but you are eating WAY too much, this is why you gained 3 lbs of fat (instead of losing some in the process as should be expected). Cut your overall calorie intake or even though you will build up further muscle mass, you will never get those six-pack abs and probably end up with cholesterol problems before long.
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Abhishek — February 15th, 2008, 11:53 am

Even with all the knowledge, food and the genetics that’s an insane transformation for only 4 weeks.
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How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 18th, 2008, 12:25 am

[...] From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses) The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in 1 Hour [...]
Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 19th, 2008, 4:00 am

[...] to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury [...]
I WANT YOU to Become the Editor of a NY Times Bestseller and Travel the World for Free | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 20th, 2008, 8:25 pm

[...] in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in 1 Hour From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less [...]
Steve — February 20th, 2008, 11:10 pm

This sounds pretty amazing, but the only drawback I’ve found is that I’d go totally broke having to buy all new suits for work to accomodate my new size! Tim, got any hookups on suits?
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albert — February 22nd, 2008, 1:43 pm

Tim, love your(4hww)book! But you suggest we read the books for this exercise, health info. WHAT books? I dont see them listed anywhere. Can you or anyone point me to the right book list? THANKS!!
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Jonathan — February 23rd, 2008, 7:40 am

I’m two weeks into this regime and enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. I’m finding that my energy levels are a lot more constant than they are normally when I’m eating lots of bread and white rice. I currently cook up large batches of lentils and beans every couple of days and combine them in as many ways as possible. So far it hasn’t been too much of a struggle. The biggest bonus is that I never get the sudden down in energy right after lunch.

After the sessions in the gym I feel exhausted but pumped and my muscles ache pretty well up to the next session.

However…I did something in my session yesterday which I would want to warn others about. This seems reasonably obvious in retrospect but I believe is a weakness of this regime if you don’t regularly go to the gym anyway – I do but still made the following mistake:

Unless you’re very careful, your different muscles are likely to increase in strength at different rates. I was finding that the weight on the machine squat I was able to do before simply wasn’t enough to work my legs properly, so I increased the weight by a few pounds, however for the starting push I had to use my lower back too much and my lower back muscles hadn’t increased in strength as much as those in my legs. Consequently I ended up pulling a muscle in my lower back. Clearly whenever you workout you have to be extremely sensible with your form and what weights you use, but I believe that with this regime, as effective as it may be, you have to be even more careful because you’re always using weights which you are on the limit of using in good form (though of course with the 5-5 timing this should be below your max press).

Basically I’ve found that the general mentality of the workout is – push yourself hard for half an hour with constant good form and an extremely long time for peak muscle usage – perhaps I took the extreme nature of this too literally.

Anyway, I think that it’s important to make sure that you have good core muscle strength before starting this regime, or at least be even more careful than you would be with a less extreme workout, when you’re having to use your stabiliser muscles.

Today the lower back is feeling tender but it should be ok in a couple of days – therefore it’s not too serious a tear. In my next workout I’m going to use more gentle exercises on my lower back to try and increase the strength there gradually and use leg exercises which are more local.

Anyway, in general I’m pleased with how things are going, but if I can stop someone else from making the same stupid mistake I made yesterday then that has to be a good thing!
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The Science of Fat-Loss: Why a Calorie Isn't Always a Calorie | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 25th, 2008, 8:03 pm

[...] examined before how people can lose 20+ lbs. of bodyfat — or gain 34 lbs. of lean mass — within four weeks, replete with measurements and photographs, but there is still a chorus: [...]
Alan Fleming — February 26th, 2008, 9:50 am

One thing sets the alarm bells ringing here I’m afraid: it looks as if to maximise the results visually there’s a bit of trick photography going on here.

Would it be possible to see “after” photographs where you’re the same visual height in each comparison as the “before” photo, in order to minimise the mental process of noticing the differences?

That would be much more honest.

###

Hi Alan,

Point taken, but please note that this is just due to poor Photoshopping skills, not any purposeful trickery

Cheers,

Tim
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Beating the Morning Rush: The 3-Minute “Slow-Carb” Breakfast | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 28th, 2008, 11:59 pm

[...] and Most Popular Posts: How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks The Science of Fat-Loss: Why a Calorie Isn’t Always a Calorie Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to [...]
joe — February 29th, 2008, 11:20 am

you’re going to have more stretchmarks than a pregnant woman if this actually works.
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Amanda — March 2nd, 2008, 3:57 am

So I see your blogs on fat loss and muscle gain- how about flexibility now? Got that figured out yet?

###

This is a big one that I’m working on. Much harder to measure properly if you don’t have assistance, so it’s a different kettle of fish. I’m open to observations and suggestions

Tim
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The Bet « Loren Castillo — March 2nd, 2008, 1:25 pm

[...] for doing it. I’m reading “The 4 Hour Work Week” and on the blog it refers to Geek to Freak which is the blog of Tim Ferris who gained 34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks. It seamed pretty far [...]
Top 100 Self-help, Self Improvement Guides | Shape Up America — March 2nd, 2008, 9:05 pm

[...] Gain Muscle in Minimal Time [...]
Postponing Death: Caloric Restriction vs. Intermittent Fasting | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — March 2nd, 2008, 9:35 pm

[...] and Most Popular Posts: How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks The Science of Fat-Loss: Why a Calorie Isn’t Always a Calorie Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to [...]
Amanda — March 3rd, 2008, 2:46 am

I’ve had a lifelong struggle with flexibility like many do with their weight. The only thing that’s worked for me is PNF, but even then I need much bigger gains than I’m getting.

Can’t wait to see what you come up with. I want my side split!!
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Igor — March 3rd, 2008, 7:16 am

Amanda,

Check out Pavel Tsatsouline’s book “Relax Into Stretch: Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension”

It gives you one immediate technique to be able to land the splits.

I don’t have any affiliation with Pavel, I just thought you could benefit from it.
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Amanda — March 3rd, 2008, 11:32 pm

Good call- that’s the book I’ve been using for the PNF.

It’s a good start, but I’m sure there’s a better way, and I’m sure Tim can find it!
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Arthur Jones Again | ArthurDeVany.com — March 4th, 2008, 11:16 am

[...] is the link to Tim’s own personal experiment with HIT. I do not agree with the idea of eating enormous quantities of protein or enormous quantities of [...]
Igor — March 4th, 2008, 8:50 pm

Amanda,

Have you finished reading the whole book? Pavel has one special technique called the “clasp knife.” You use it after you’ve used the PNF, and made good progress, but can’t get that last 1-4 inches. This is supposed to be the technique that will get you to the splits immediately.
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Another Tim — March 6th, 2008, 5:03 pm

Tim,

I’ll be trying something similar but using my home gym. The problem is that I can’t do multi-joint lower body exercises with it, only leg extensions and curls. I’ll be able to max it out on the leg extensions. Would this work if I did the leg extensions to failure, even if it was 20 reps?

I have plenty of options as far as the upper body goes, it’s just the lower body exercises that are limited.

Thanks
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Dan — March 8th, 2008, 12:07 am

Hi Tim!
First, I loved your book! That was what led me here to your blog..

In this post you said not to exceed 2 exercises per week,yet in your article on bodybuilding.com, you said to exercise every other day (” PUSH, one day off, PULL, one day off, LEGS, one day off,”). Does that mean for the for the first week of the 28 days, you need to exercise more frequently? I am a bit confused.

Thanks!

###

Hi Dan,

This is generally true. You do sessions less frequently as you get stronger to allow for recovery.

Good luck!

Tim
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Cameron — March 8th, 2008, 12:07 pm

Hi Tim,

I’m really interested in trying out this program, but I’m currently trying to build up my cardio by doing a combination of walking/running 4 days per week. Would it be possible to do both at the same time, or would I have to take a break from that?

Thanks.
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Jay — March 9th, 2008, 12:24 pm

The “after” pics are shown at a slightly larger scale in the top two images – a technique commonly used in the media to accentuate results. This would be working in your case except that the bottom two comparisons have reversed the technique making it look like you got shorter and smaller in the after shots.
Regardless I will likely try this experiment on my own.
Reply
Reuben — March 10th, 2008, 9:56 pm

Great book, I’m up to the second chapter and can really see this lifestyle working for me.
Reply
The Blog of Photographer Jermil Sadler » The MadMil Workout Plan for 2008 — March 11th, 2008, 9:38 am

[...] called High Intensity Training. I learned about it from a blog post where a guy gained a lot of muscle in a month. He spoke mostly of Arthur Jones and his Colorado Experiment which tested two guys doing one set of [...]
Bodybuilding.com - vaRAGE's BodyBlog - Introduction Post — March 12th, 2008, 4:27 pm

[...] read an incredible post by a blogger named Tim Ferriss here that references a trial called the Colorado Experiment. Basically, the Colorado Experiment boiled [...]
Jason — March 13th, 2008, 11:17 am

I’m sorry but I’m calling BS. At the very least, Junk Science. I am skeptical about the photos, the lack of detail about the routines….you just can’t gain over 1 lb of muscle per day.
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Nate — March 15th, 2008, 11:01 am

Can anyone tell me if Marathon distance running is aerobic or anaerobic, and would it interfere with gaining muscle? I don’t need the overnight results like Tim, but wanted to know what I might need to change in this equation – diet perhaps – to do both.

Thanks!
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My Heroes: 7 Special People » The Displaced African — March 16th, 2008, 12:46 pm

[...] Whether he is completely defying the rules of working life and commerce in the 4 hour work week, or defying the rules of biology, physiology and physical education via his numerous experiements or even winning national [...]
High Intensity Workout | The 4-Hour Workweek Journal — March 17th, 2008, 2:52 pm

[...] claim made by Timothy Ferriss in his blog post From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks seems rather incredible. Given my new daily schedule, I decided a week ago that I would devote my [...]
Jasper — March 17th, 2008, 5:34 pm

Hi Tim,

I was very skeptical about this post at first, much like other comments I see here.
But you know what, the best way to see if any of it is true, is to just try it yourself Without trying to get it completely right and posting question all over the place….
I’m now in my third week and the gains are really amazing!

keep the exploring approach!
Reply
24 Hours with Tim Ferriss, a Sample Schedule | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — March 17th, 2008, 11:03 pm

[...] noon — workout involving mostly posterior chain (back, neck extension, hamstrings, etc.) [...]
anth — March 18th, 2008, 10:23 pm

I just finihsed the program and gained 8 lbs of solid muscle. The most gains were in strength. In 4 weeks i went up 60lbs on my squat strength and 35 more lbs to my bench. It works you just have to put forth crazy intensity in your 1 set per exercise. This is not BS its another way to train. Theres this way which is very very intense, or volume which takes longer but is less intense. Whatever way you want to do it they both work. I just like this because im in the gym less.
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Printable High Intensity Training Log | The 4-Hour Workweek Journal — March 19th, 2008, 1:45 pm

[...] own Geek to Freak program. This program is based loosely on Timothy Ferriss’ famous blog post From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks. Part of this program involves recording every workout in detail, including the date, the time of [...]
Lose 35 lbs. « Brett’s 101 in 1001 — March 20th, 2008, 11:36 pm

[...] basis (see: Run 1500 Miles, 6% Body Fat) and restructuring my diet to something along the lines of Tim Ferriss’. The key here for me is not just losing the weight but making healthy diet and exercise choices to [...]
Ben — March 25th, 2008, 1:59 am

This work-out routine is great but it’s not for someone who has never exercised before in their lives. This routine is for someone that might have been really into weight training a few years ago and is just trying to get back into it again, or for someone who has been training for years and plateaued.

In any event, HIT works as long as you have plenty of rest and a great diet–oh and don’t over train either.

Here’s a great example of an HIT work out:

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bodybuilding — March 31st, 2008, 11:33 pm

It’s really unbelieveable. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Reply
The Bet part 2 « Loren Castillo — April 1st, 2008, 7:08 pm

[...] other. So Rob was to lose 10 lbs and i was to gain 10 lbs in 4 weeks. I tried to follow the geek to freak method that I found on the 4 hour work week blog. That’s a great book by the way. [...]
Project 1: April Hulk-Out Experiment « Weekend Quixote — April 4th, 2008, 4:34 am

[...] on the 1973 ”Colorado Experiment.” The impetus for this month-long trial was a post on author Tim Ferriss’ excellent blog in which he documents a similar thirty day trial with some pretty amazing results (Ferriss gained [...]
Bhavesh swami — April 5th, 2008, 2:36 am

hello my self bhavesh swami and my age is 26 year and my weight is 50 and i want to gain my weight up to 60 to 65kg…so can u please tell me how to put on my weight…..else my diet is not good so can u please tell me what to take in diet and supplemets……. thanks…..
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Dean — April 7th, 2008, 3:56 am

Hi Tim et al,

Have decided to follow this program myself.

Will post regular updates here…

http://whodeani.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/geek-to-freak-its-on/

… throughout the month as the program progresses.

DJ.
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Ed Scow — April 8th, 2008, 10:53 am

Very nice transformation.

It is hard to believe, at first glance, these numbers, but when you take into consideration that you lost some weight beforehand and then totally changed your way of training and your nutrition, it’s a little easier to get.

But my hat’s off to you, man.

Ed Scow
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Robert Hillier — April 8th, 2008, 8:44 pm

Hi Tim,

Did you use the Bodyquick supplement during this process?

###

Hi Rob,

I did use it, about 30 minutes pre-workout.

Cheers,

Tim
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Achintya — April 9th, 2008, 5:14 am

This diet is like the Anabolic diet, but I think that the Anabolic diet is easier to follow. Check it out at http://www.metabolicdiet.com. It has more advantages, but is less strict than the one posted here.

I’ve been on it for 3 months, and lost about 23 pounds WITHOUT working out.

http://www.metabolicdiet.com
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Barry — April 15th, 2008, 1:57 pm

I hate to break it to you guys, but the body cannot build 34 pounds of muscle in four weeks.

It’s physiologically impossible.

At the most your body is capable of synthesizing 2 to 3 pounds of raw muscle tissue in a month.

My guess is that Mr. Ferriss used to look like his “after picture”, then spent six months deliberately dieting down and stopped weight training.

Then, when he hit the weights again and started eating right, he benefited from muscle memory.

Lots of guys who were trained can get their musculature back pretty quickly.

An untrained guy will NEVER- I repeat NEVER- be able to replicate these results.

Also there is a reason why no competitive body builders use HIT methods. They aren’t that great and you burn out your CNS by constantly training to failure.
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John — April 22nd, 2008, 7:44 pm

You’re right, he did not gain 34 pounds of muscle in a month. I would guess 4 or 5 at the absolute most. The pictures are misleading in several ways, just like mass-market supplement ads: in the “after” shots, he’s shaved, tan, and the shorts are pulled up to reveal muscle that was already there, just covered up by the shorts in the “before” shots. The size of the pictures is also (purposely, of course) inconsistent, so you can’t easily compare any two of them.

He’s also very obviously not 16.72% body fat in the “before” pictures. When you look closely, you can see that there is actually very little change in muscle mass and fat levels between the two. I’m guessing he went from 13 or 14% to 12% in that month (not difficult), gained a few pounds of muscle, and carbed up the day before the after shots to look fuller.

The real travesty is that he’s probably knowledgeable enough that he could make money without lying, but I guess greed gets the better of some people.

###

Hi John,

Just a few things in my own defense, as I don’t think it’s fair to assume I’m trying to deceive people, which I’m not. What would I have to gain? Nothing but headache.

Some observations:

1. Yes, I’m more tanned and shaved in the second.
2. The photos sizes are due to my poor Photoshopping skills — nothing. Note that some of the “before” shots are bigger than the “after.”
3. Bodyfat measurements were taken by a PhD at San Jose State U.
4. I have nothing to gain by lying. What am I selling here? Nothing.

This is a post of my experience, but I understand why many are skeptical, as I would be. The fact is, regardless, that this is exactly what happened.

All the best,

Tim
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John — April 24th, 2008, 2:26 pm

After my response was deleted, I did a little research on you (self-promoting has its downside). Wow, do you have a nasty reputation. Talk about bad karma.

###

Hi John,

I’m not sure what you’re talking about with the comments, but three things. 1) All public figures get attacked, especially on an anonymous Internet. 2) Who have I hurt? No one. This blog — and the book — were both created to help people, and thousands of people in dozens of countries, many on this blog, seem to be benefiting. 2) I can’t debate everyone who has a bone to pick with me, as I would spend all day doing that and nothing else.

Regarding bad karma, perhaps the free work I do in education, fundraising for literacy worldwide, etc. that has built schools around the world and helped for more than 15,000 students in the US will offset whatever you’re referring to. Just doing my best here, man. Look around at real media and interviews with people who know me, and you’ll find I’m not all bad.

There are plenty of doubters and attackers whose comments are approved on this blog, and assistants try and be fair in moderating. If things come across as snide or hurtful, they’re usually deleted. My readers and I just don’t want that to be part of the community.

Sorry if you dislike me, but that’s totally your right. It’d be a boring world if we all agreed.

Best of luck to you and yours,

Tim
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John — April 25th, 2008, 3:58 pm

Actually my original response wasn’t unfriendly at all, it just pointed out again that gaining 34 pounds of muscle is impossible under normal circumstances. In the Colorado Experiment, Casey Viator was A) recovering from severe atrophy, B) a genetic freak to begin with, C) eating MASSIVE amounts of food, and D) on steroids. Arthur Jones was not aware of this and chose not to believe it.

I also asked how many daily calories you took in during your “miracle month”.

I’m sure you’re a great guy most of the time, but without substantiating your claims, you just come across as a pathalogical liar. I’m not holding it against you – if it works for you, and apparently it has, more power to you. I wouldn’t personally take that route.
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Tim Ferriss — April 25th, 2008, 6:53 pm

Hi John,

Here’s what you just wrote, among other things:

“I’m not holding it against you – if it works for you, and apparently it has, more power to you.”

Perhaps you don’t realize, but you just called me a pathological liar. If you look up “pathological,” you’ll find that you just made a major insult.

I consumed at least 5,000 calories per day, but before you use a closed-system thermodynamic calories-in/calories-out model to call me a liar again, please read Dr. Michael Eades’ posts on calorie counting. Google him and you’ll find a few good articles.

I do substantiate plenty of my “claims,” but I’m not inclined to spend time on your behalf when you use such an insulting tone. Sorry.

This is a blog and not a peer-reviewed journal that can respond to every critic. If you don’t believe me, that’s OK.

You’ve already drawn your conclusions, I think. Best of luck.

Have a nice weekend.

Tim
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Tickets for Fans — April 27th, 2008, 2:44 am

Timothy, this is another extraordinary example of how to be successfull in a short time without too much effort, just by doing it the right way. This article makes a good addition to your book, though not focused on business. Maybe you should publish a “4-hour-social-week”.

Cheers,
Marc
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Loren — April 29th, 2008, 5:26 pm

Hey tim,

I have a lot of respect for you. I recently read your book – my friend recommended it to me. I quit my office job over 14 months ago. I’ve been living the good life since then (traveling, working odd jobs , and doing what i want to do now rather than later).

Anyway, I’m starting this workout today. And perhaps if you have some time you can critique it.

I’m basing my routine based on what was written here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm

This was my routine for the first day: (i plan on doing fewer exercises per day into the future)

10-12 reps at 40 lbs pullover
14 reps 60 lbs Bent Row (yates)
7 reps 180 lbs Leg Press
+ 5 reps 180 lbs (single reps with pause), + 4 negatives on each leg (i was unable to get 12 reps in at 180 – the pain was intense i felt like puking afterwards)
7 reps 25lbs dips + 10 second static
14 reps 105 lbs leg curls + 40 second 120 lb static
8 reps 30 lbs revers curl + 15 second 50 lb static
16 reps 180 lb seated angled calf raises
4 reps 60 lbs hammer curl ab curl + 4 40 lbs + 3 10 second statics at 60 lbs
8 reps 40 lb bicep curls + 15 sec static
8 reps 105 lb close grip pull down
Neck bridges – on back and side for probably 90 seconds

I drank 100 calories of Gatorade during workout and 100 calories after workout for high glycemic carbs.

I’m eating 8 large shrimps, 2 chicken breasts, a turkey ball, pork chops, rice/beans, spinach. and some other vegetable. post workout.

I eat several large meals a day. I’m 5’11 and 167lbs.

i took pictures and such. What do you recommend for a diet? Should I really limit my intake of rice? I tend to eat it with almost every meal. is eating rice going to hamper my progress? also when you say reduce calories to half do you mean protein calories or all calories in general. any other nutrients necessary?

This is a picture of what i’m eating:I’m not good at calorie guessing. I

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/PicsNYC/IMG_0029.jpg

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
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Luis Fernando Imperator — May 4th, 2008, 4:21 am

Hi there, man.

I just listened to the audiobook and then read a lot of the blog, and then just watched your whole interview with google (I wonder how many people actually watch a 72min interview, but… i did). I’m a Brazilian entrepeneur and intend to work around the globe doing crazy stuff like you did veeery soon.

About this post: I liked a lot the system you used, and have read the Colorado Experiment article as well. Some people habve asked, and though you did respond to some criticism (giving a lot of attention for somebody like him) you still didn’t asnwer to people’s most asked questions, here’s one I’ve also had the curiosity too, so I’m re-asking:

Question> I got how you do the repetitions (5/5 until failure) but how do you exactly calculate the maximum wheight is still an unanswered doubt.
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Tim Ferriss — May 4th, 2008, 5:24 pm

Hi Luis (and all),

Sorry for the delay, but I write on this blog when I have the enthusiasm and time. To your topic…

Good question. Here’s the simple answer: I generally spend about 2 hours with a trainee before any real workouts and have them do 10-rep sets of increasing weight with a 2-sec up and 2-sec down speed for each exercise. Complete one exercise at a time. Take 2 min between sets and exercises. Once the trainee completes a set that would have failed in 2 reps or so, cut 25% off that weight and use it for your next workout at the 5/5 to failure. From there, adjust as needed.

Hope that helps!

Tim
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Luis Fernando Imperator — May 4th, 2008, 10:58 pm

whoa. great and quick answer, cleared my doubts. thanks a lot.

best regards, Tim.
you’re already the new idol of this 21-olded boy from São Paulo.
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Aaron — May 6th, 2008, 8:26 am

I can’t believe the number of people who’ve commented on this guy’s hair removal and tanning. Did at any point any of these posters read any of the above comments? I guess it’s a perception/personality thing.

I’ve seen something similar in a book called “Power Factor”. This approach appears more intuitive, and I can always use more hours in a day.

Thanks for getting the information out there.
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dave — May 12th, 2008, 9:10 am

You all might want to do a search on this.
A number of people noticed the photos are doctored.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkheadedbug/482888546/
The pics are doctored, y’all.
He shaved and tanned for the “after” pics, probably pumped a few weights right before the pic.
Check out the flick link with the pics resized properly.
He didn’t gain 34 pounds of muscle.

Sorry, it looks like a classic scam.
(No, I don’t have any financial interest in ANY body building program, I just feel bad for people who are getting suckered by false advertising.)
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Ron M — May 14th, 2008, 8:06 pm

Sup, Tim?

J9 and I had a blast in Omaha!

Wow! It seems you are a bit of an oracle yourself. Devoured the book, blog, site; can’t get enough. Suddenly find myself Tryking, Kite-Surfing, eating better, training to exhaustion and generally just doing a lot of personal lifestyle design. Absolutely love Elance, great intro by the way. Saving a ton of money and time. Has taken me less than two weeks to design myself out of my business model, Awesome!

The power of the human mind never ceases to amaze me. It seems that some folks are so used to and invested in their own failure that they defeat themselves before they ever get started. Who cares if you gained 35 lbs or 3.5 lbs, the bigger picture is that you bring a scientific approach to almost all that you do, you layout your results and anyone who wants to can conduct their own experiments.

I, for one, have chosen to try the workout and diet and determine the results for myself. I have taken before photos and will probably be tanning and shaving in about 22 days. Heck, no matter what I will look and feel great next month in Cabo, Kite-surfing the days away!”

Thanks for helping all of us over achieving, business builders let go of the rains and fly!
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KJones — May 17th, 2008, 8:47 am

DUDE!, no need for cursing except to say HOTDAM! Wow. My lean muscled son will be taking this into consideration. You are generous. xoxo Actually I have another special blog entry of yours bookmarked and stumbled upon this class act entry today. Yes. I’ll be back
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teresa — May 19th, 2008, 12:04 pm

Anyone have experience with Metabolic Balance / Metabolic Typing diet to GAIN weight? I’m 39, female, 5′ 8″ and I weigh 100 pounds. Not anorexic or bulimic, actually quite fit for as I’ve been this weight since I was 19. Trying to increase my average food intake. Looking for a nutritious and healthy diet and workout program that will strenghthen my immune system. Can anyone recommend reading material for a “false beginner”. In the past have done various workouts (weight training, martial arts, yoga) but was not able to consistently stick to one thing for more than 3-6 months.

Thanks in advance!
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kadavy — May 19th, 2008, 10:09 pm

Very nice Tim. I wonder if you have an opinion on the Clean and Jerk ( http://snipr.com/29psz ), which I think is a great exercise! It’s like a deadlift, shrug, upright row, squat, military press, and lunge all in one. All you would need after that would be some bent over rows.
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Melanie R. — May 28th, 2008, 1:54 pm

You were hotter as a geek.
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What To Do (With My Summer) — June 7th, 2008, 7:16 am

[...] training twice a week. Following this work out plan supported by this [...]
Jones — June 10th, 2008, 8:35 pm

Hey Tim,

I was just curious on how you would maintain this physique after you achieved it. I was interested in trying this, but only if I could keep the amount of muscle that I gained, but not grow more, because I want to look good, but not look like a freak who goes to the gym to much.

Thanks!
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Holstep » Blog Archive » Some stats — June 11th, 2008, 6:41 pm

[...] *Weight exercises were performed as a single set at 5/5 cadence (5 second up, 5 second down), as recommended by Tim Ferris. [...]
Drew Price — June 12th, 2008, 5:42 am

This is a good example of smart training, thanks for sharing Tim.

I have just posted up a blog on batching training here ( http://drewprice.co.uk/blog/?p=22 ) that some of the NR here might find of interest.

In my line of work I see far too many people wasting time on ‘junk reps’ or exercise at the wrong ‘intensity’ it comes back to the old work ‘effective’ again, doesn’t it?
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Drew Price — June 12th, 2008, 6:23 am

To ‘Jones’ who posted on the 10th,

obviously I can’t speak for Tim but maintaining a physique like the one above though obviously requiring long term work, is actually easier than getting there in the first place.
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Personal Trainer — June 14th, 2008, 6:20 pm

I’d hate to question you but sounds like you’re inflating your numbers. Your pictures are very different because they are all taken at different distances.

Looks like you also gained about 4 inches of height in one and gained it in the other.
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Nico — June 16th, 2008, 5:02 am

To Barry April 15th, 2008
1:57 pm,

“Also there is a reason why no competitive body builders use HIT methods. They aren’t that great and you burn out your CNS by constantly training to failure.”

You obviously don’t know much about competitive body building or you would know that Dorian Yates. Mr. Olympia 1992 – 1997 trained using the HIT method so check your facts before you mislead people.

I am so tired of so called trainers that got some piece of paper from regurgitating what they learned in some Certification course. Telling people what works and what does not.

Every body responds differently and their beliefs play just as much a part as the actual exercise. HIT does work and so does, Static Contraction training.

Volume training also works for some people depending on how long they they have been exercising.

And there are tons of documented cases of people gaining more than 2-3 lbs of muscle in a month. 34 is a bit much to but 5, 7, 10, of muscle has been done many times. You won;t keep doing it for ever but you can do it in a month or a few before you hit your limit.
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Dave — June 16th, 2008, 11:20 am

Nico,

Actually, I think most of the professional bodybuilders don’t use HIT type routines because they are using such large amounts of steroids that their ability to grow and recover from lower intensity training makes it unnecessary for them to do such things.

Dorian Yates used more of a modified HIT training which he called “Blood and Guts” and he began making his rise to the Mr. Olympia after he worked with Mike Mentzer. (Who created a program called ‘Heavy Duty’ and who advocated short intense workouts that contain less sets, reps and exercises than Arthur Jones’ Colorado Experiment.)

I think for a normal person, if you are eating a proper diet and you have some training under your belt, you can get tremendous gains from HIT training.

Or, even if you don’t get any better gains than you would on a conventional schedule, the savings in time makes the program better.
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Drew Price — June 16th, 2008, 2:14 pm

Yes PT the photos are different sizes, yes the posing is better and he has a tan but large weight and muscle volume increases are possible with the correct training and nutrition IF you know what you’re doing.

Remember muscle is not all contractile protein!

Water, glycogen storage etc all have huge impact upon muscle volume, it doesn’t mean it’s a trick!
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Jake — June 21st, 2008, 1:19 pm

Tim, I was just wondering if you discovered any loss in speed due to the tempo. I had believed that the 5/5 tempo would have mainly targeted the slow twitch endurance muscles, which aren’t very useful for your sports (such as breakdancing). If not, why do you think that you retained your speed?
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BiPolar Entrepreneur — June 23rd, 2008, 9:24 pm

used Tim’s plan…

in 3 months I took myself from 130#, 5’11″ (formerly competetive in running and cycling -endurance, hill climbs etc, but lazy for last several years, so pretty weak)

to 150# mass, with 195# benchpress and 630# legpress for 1 rep (600# for 4 reps).

maximized my BIPOLAR condition using a visualization technique to push the big weight.
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How to “Peel” Hard-Boiled Eggs Without Peeling - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — July 2nd, 2008, 2:19 pm

[...] and recommended reading: How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Beating the Morning Rush: The 3-Minute “Slow-Carb” Breakfast [...]
Anthony — July 2nd, 2008, 8:47 pm

Do you have any pictures available that are on the same scale and before the chest wax?

For example, in the first two pictures you’re not the same height, so it’s hard to see what parts of your body got the most bulk. I’m interested in trying this out, but really want to get a good before/after comparison before rushing off into a new mission.

Thanks so much,
Anthony
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davesworkout — July 3rd, 2008, 9:45 pm

Amazing results! Wish i could do that….
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Dr. Seth Cole, PhD. — July 10th, 2008, 5:14 pm

I’m sure this program is extremely effective, but probably not 34 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks. that being said, I feel the need to explain to everyone that this is not the same person in each picture.

When a person reaches the age of about 6 or 7 their “normal” standing stance (posture, and foot position) is essentially ingrained for life. Notice in each of the forward facing poses, as well as the back facing poses, the standing stance changes. The feet face outward in the after poses.

I could be wrong, but that would be highly unlikely.

I study human factors and subconscious psychology, so it’s my job to analyze why people do the things they do, i.e. standard stance position.

Given, the fact that I’m even reading this article means that I am trying to reach a weight loss goal as well as a muscle mass gain. So I’m going to attempt your routine. If I see promising enough results then my hat is off to you Tim.

Haha, and yes, I am too inteligent for my own, or anyone’s, sake.

So, I guess I’ll be getting back to you in 28 days.

- Cheers.
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Dave — July 11th, 2008, 8:09 pm

I definately vote for you putting together a guide about the “4 Hour Body”. I think what you are talking about is in line with a lot of the science of muscle building and think this could be a value to us skinny guys out there.

Keep up the great work!!!

Thanks,
Dave
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patrick — July 13th, 2008, 8:29 pm

Tim,

I was wondering if/how ongoing endurance training would affect the outcome of this program.

I play rugby, and I’d love to put on 10-15lbs of muscle, but we train fairly intensely for about 6 hours a week, with tons of running and aerobic activity.

Do you think it’s possible to do both? Or is that another wasted attempt at ‘multi-tasking’?

Maybe I’d be better just taking a month off from rugby? (with all the injuries, I’m bound to be off for a month sooner than later…)

Anyway, I’d appreciate any thoughts/insights/recommendations you might have.

Thx.
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Matt — July 14th, 2008, 9:08 pm

Yeah, for Hypertrophy it works and strength as well but not as much. However, it is not complete functional strength for endurance or conditioning…it is basically for looks.

Conditioning takes a great deal of intensity and hard work and so does explosive strength.

I do believe he did it though and without spending too much time in the gym because most people dode around in the gym watching the tvs or taking a 10 minute rest between curls. Doing that gets you no where, you need to shorten the breaks to 2-3 mins MAX only if you are doing heavy weights/full body exercises…deadlifts, squats, and cleans. ISO exercises should have 1 min rest max unless you are supersetting.
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peter — July 15th, 2008, 12:49 pm

Looking forward to hearing from you Dr. Seth Cole in approximately one month. Goodluck with the experiment!
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Periquito de los palotes — July 17th, 2008, 5:54 am

En tres palabras:

FAN-TAS-MA

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Pawel — July 21st, 2008, 11:38 am

Your gains look good. But there is a problem , the images are different sizes . The distance to the camera has changed, in one pic you look 4 feet tall in the other you look 5’5. When taking pics you need to stay consistent. Same lighting, same camera distance, same angle etc.
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Tom — July 21st, 2008, 2:02 pm

Tim, you should’t forget the quantifies of suplements that you taken…isn’t important ?

# Morning: NO-Xplode (2 scoops), Slo-Niacin (or timed-release niacinamide)
# Each meal: ChromeMate, alpha-lipoic acid (200mg)
# Pre-workout: BodyQUICK (2 capsules 30 minutes prior)
# Post-workout: Micellean (micellar casein protein)
# Prior to bed: policosanol, ChromeMate, alpha-lipoic acid (200mg), Slo-Niacin
(http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm)
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Tony Schwartz — July 26th, 2008, 3:18 pm

There are definitely some tricks going on here. Certainly the shave, tan, etc.

One comment also mentioned how he stands differently in the before and after pics. This is because by turning the feet out it makes the thighs appear larger.

But just about every before and after picture you see uses these same tricks. Looks like Tim did have some real muscle gains as well though. Just how much would be impossible to know.
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Myles — August 1st, 2008, 9:07 pm

I’m not going to try it, but just out of curiosity, how did you perform that super hydration/dehydration technique that you talked about for your kickboxing in the book?
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PK — August 2nd, 2008, 7:14 pm

Hi Tim,

The consensus on bodybuilding websites is that your article here is total [nonsense]…that it’s impossible to put on 1+ lb of muscle a day every day, even on a heavy steroid cycle. The body just can’t do it.

I love your work on this blog but I have to say I always remember this piece and it kind of affects how I see you and whatever you write. I never really know whether you are for real or whether you are half BSing on those blog posts…

I would love to see you reply to the doubters on this one.

PK

###

Hi PK,

More to come soon for the doubters, but here are my suggestions for now.

1. See the post on fat-loss (20 lbs. in 30 days) and see the 1000+ before/after results in the comments. Critics use the same physiological argument against me for both fat-loss and weight gain.

2. See the details of how I gained the weight by searching my last name on http://www.bodybuilding.com. I did this while doing measurements at San Jose State University.

Regardless of what I write about — language learning, fat-loss, weight gain — the majority of anonymous haters will call me and anyone else who pushes the envelope a fraud. I don’t have time to let them dictate how I behave and what I report.

Much more to come in a while (more experiments underway currently), but hope that helps.

All the best,

Tim
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Tim Ferriss — August 3rd, 2008, 7:47 am

@PK

Hi PK,

More to come soon for the doubters, but here are my suggestions for now.

1. See the post on fat-loss (20 lbs. in 30 days) and see the 1000+ before/after results in the comments. Critics use the same physiological argument against me for both fat-loss and weight gain.

2. See the details of how I gained the weight by searching my last name on http://www.bodybuilding.com. I did this while doing measurements at San Jose State University.

Regardless of what I write about — language learning, fat-loss, weight gain — the majority of anonymous haters will call me and anyone else who pushes the envelope a fraud. I don’t have time to let them dictate how I behave and what I report.

Much more to come in a while (more experiments underway currently), but hope that helps.

All the best,

Tim
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Jay Valento - Long Beach real estate — August 3rd, 2008, 3:44 pm

Great transformation Tim….it appears to be one year later since this post, what additional gains have you made?

What is your next challenge? Have your tried Escalating Density Training: Charles Staley, yet?

Jay
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Mack — August 4th, 2008, 10:24 pm

34 Lbs in 30 days?

Pro weight gainers say 10 lbs in a month would be substantial amount to gain, that’s gaining at the rate of 120lbs a year! 34lbs in a month is the rate of 408lbs a year.

A pound of fat typically gets burnt off with 3500 calories is consumed. A typical human consumes 2000-3000 calories in a day. (Depending on how active they are in their daily routine, and whether they are looking to gain / lose).

Add on 3500 calories to gain this goal of 1 lbs per day, and thats close to 6500 calories in a day.

double your calorie intake, and only work out twice a week?
Unless your some sort of super human, this seems to me that this method would equal gaining a substantial amount of fat not muscle.

Doubling your calorie intake for the day and not burning off those calories. (Working out with free-weights for an hour vigorously would burn approxiametely 395 calories for an average 145lbs person.)

So where are the other 3105 calories going to? If your body is given more calories / protein / fat / etc than it needs, it’s going to do one of two things.
A) your going to be on the toilet getting rid of it.
B) your body is going to store it as fat

I believe someone with a personal trainer could reach the goal of 10lbs in a month if they had substantial workout / exercise / nutritional routine.

Now gaining muscle, while burning fat… That’s another story, it’s incredibly hard to at a fast rate. Why? The science of it is simple, your body needs to remove calories to lose fat, whereas it needs the opposite to add calories to gain muscle. Trying to achieve both at the same time at a fast rate is difficult.

34lbs I find extremely hard to believe.

~My two cents
Mack
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Fer — August 6th, 2008, 8:12 pm

The concept is pretty much the same predicated in a book called “The Power of Ten”.
Basically doing high load sets with low # of reps. (10 or so , or until muscle failure) , counting 10 and 10 .
Twice a week is the recommended frecuency.
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Joey — August 8th, 2008, 6:04 pm

Hi Tim,

Love 4HWW, these blogs, and the 80/20 Principal book. I’m using both books right now to help create a niche site about the baseball swing. Like you, I’m a sports nut, particularly baseball, and love love love to workout…I’m also a certified personal trainer.

Anyway, found this blog interesting and will incorporate this style of training into my clients and my own workout routine. I just wanted to say, from one dreamer to another, don’t respond to the naysayers, life is too short, and they’re always going to be unhappy with something.

I compare with “your” beginning story in 4HWW, and your struggles to create and sell something that you believe in, so I feel your pain with these naysayers. Just the fact you respond to these blogs says a lot about you, even to those pessimistic types. Kudos to you Tim in all your success, and I would love to talk to you someday. Take care and keep up the good work.
Joey
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peter — August 9th, 2008, 3:10 am

Any word from Dr. Seth Cole on his body transformation? He said he would report back in 28 days since posting.
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Chris — August 13th, 2008, 5:00 am

A few words about this regimen:

1. Genetics plays a large role in how quickly you will notice gains (if any). Your body is unable to produce more muscle it just makes the muscle you have bigger and stronger.
2. Less is definately more. The two-hour-a-day gym people have it all wrong. All weight resistance exercises should be done to failure with the exception of a warm up set. I routinely spend 20 minutes or less at the gym 2 to 3 times per week and managed to put 15 pounds on in a week. Granted, I lost 37 pound two months prior due to disease but quality rules over quantity ever time.
3. A few years back there was an article in a men’s magazine about the jailhouse weight-lifting regimen. Since they have all the time in the world to recover they do an exercise once-a-week (sometimes 10 days) to complete an utter failure and see massive gains. I’m sure most of us have enough free or down-time to do this once and see the results. My favorite is to do this with a squat. I’m still sore two days later.
4. These results will be temporary and should be cycled every so often. Most exercise experts agree that you can hit peak performance about every 10 weeks with proper recovery. This works out perfectly for 4 weeks of high intensity as described above, a week off, 4 weeks of maintenance, a week off and return to high intensity for 4 weeks. Try to time it for that wedding coming up or summer and the beach.

Regardless of what you do remember your health stays with you for a lifetime and the largest asset most of us have is the ability to work (even if only four-hours-a-week).
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klun — August 13th, 2008, 10:14 am

So what kind of steroids did you use???Anadrol 50? with a winnie stack?
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Anthony Ellis — August 19th, 2008, 10:25 am

Oh man, there are some crazy posts here. Tim, ignore the ignorance!

In a nutshell…

Is possible to gain large amounts of muscle quickly?
Absolutely. I have done it. I have helped thousands of others do it.

Can you do it?
Sure.

Can you gain as much as Tim?
Hell if I know, No one can tell the future.

How much can you gain?
Everyone is different and they progress at different rates. So if you think you are going to gain the same as Tim, think again. You may gain more, you may gain less, but you are not him and he is not you.

Did Tim use Steroids?
That’s the excuse from those who just need a reason to justify their disbelief. These are the same people spending hundreds of $$ of junk supps expecting muscle from a pill.

Why would Tim want to do steroids? What reason would he have to lie and risk his health by using illegal drugs? This entire post is to help YOU GUYS. But instead you blast him and accuse him of juicing. WTF!

Impossible, how did you gain more than Christian Bale?
Who cares? Never believe what you read about hollywood actors and entertainers. You will never know the real truth and facts about much of anything.

“An untrained guy will NEVER- I repeat NEVER- be able to replicate these results.”

Actually it’s just the opposite. The untrained individual has potential to gain larger muscle mass than a trained individual. Excluding any benefit from Muscle memory or de-training.

“The consensus on bodybuilding websites is that your article here is total [nonsense]…that it’s impossible to put on 1+ lb of muscle a day every day, even on a heavy steroid cycle. The body just can’t do it.”

My suggestion is to ignore the kids and wannabees on bb sites and forums. It will greatly help your progress. If I had listened to all those telling me I could not do this or that, I would not have achieved anything. Basically, who cares.

“Pro weight gainers say 10 lbs in a month would be substantial amount to gain,”

Ummm maybe for someone near their genetic limit. But Tim is not a pro and nowhere near his limits. Neither is anyone reading this.

“that’s gaining at the rate of 120lbs a year! 34lbs in a month is the rate of 408lbs a year.”

You are thinking in a linear manner and it just doesn’t happen that way. You are not going to gain X amount of weight each and every week or month. Growth happens in spurts So you can’t “estimate” 120 lbs per year based on 1-2 months of results. Have you every gained any substantial amount of weight?

“A pound of fat typically gets burnt off with 3500 calories is consumed. A typical human consumes 2000-3000 calories in a day… Add on 3500 calories to gain this goal of 1 lbs per day, and thats close to 6500 calories in a day.”

Blah, blah, blah, lol. This math does NOT work!

Let’s just say that you actually breakdown the caloric value of 1 pound of MUSCLE is and it turns out to be around 3500 calories. Well, that doesn’t mean 3500 calories ingested equals 1 pound of muscle. That’s just doesn’t fly in the real world.

Again, muscle gain (and fat loss) is not so linear. Depending on your metabolic needs, sometimes you can build muscle with less additional calories, sometimes you need more.

How many do you need?
Who the hell knows. You need to find out for yourself by:

1) closely controlling what you eat, and
2) monitoring your composition changes based over x period of time.

Phew!

AE
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Boomer’s Blog » Blog Archive » My Q4 Resolution and Tim Ferriss’ Four-Hour Body — August 21st, 2008, 2:10 am

[...] On Ferriss’ Blog, he has an entire section called “The Four-Hour Body” that is a virtual gymnasium of his unique research, thoughts and “best practices” for shaping up. The first such post I remember reading was last year’s: “From Geek to Freak: How II gained 34 lbs. of muscle in Four Weeks.” [...]
Matt — August 28th, 2008, 12:37 am

I thought I recognized Anthony’s name. He was a champion with Body-for-life a while back. I also did body-for-life and had great results, though not as spectacular as his. I lost 22lbs of fat while gaining 7 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks. My body fat % also dropped from 21% to 9.8%. one day a week you eat whatever you want as well and do not work out. I was surprised to. Now I need to work on packing on muscle as Anthony did.

I hear questions of puting on muscle while going out and drinking on weekends, such as a student. Is this possible? I have been looking into it but if anyone knows some facts, please share.

I would assume one could but most likely not lose fat.

Can’t wait for the comments.
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Slight change of plans… « Journey into Fitness — August 29th, 2008, 11:30 am

[...] are the links to the articles: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-geek-to-freak-how-i-gained-34-lbs-of-muscle-in-… [...]
Gerry W — September 3rd, 2008, 12:44 pm

I know these results to be true.

Read about High intensity training by Ellington Darden, who describes Arthur Jones work in detail.

Also note that the largest muscle gain in a month in that book is by Casey Viator, who gained much more muscle than Tim in one month.

Bottom line: For this exercise to work – it must be high intensity, work large muscle groups to smaller, proper form.

My favorite quote by Arthur Jones: “If you like doing bicep curls you are probably doing them wrong.”
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Christian — September 9th, 2008, 8:21 am

Hi all
This is my experienses in health/training.
I follow Pete Sisco:s Precision training
Example: In four month=16 weeks, I have increased my strength in leg press with 53%.
I started with 150Kg in a full rep. and 280Kg in static hold, after increasing in just 11 trainings, total time aprox 10min.
310, 360, 400, 430, 470, 490, 500, 490, 520, 530, 550. I have gone to 550Kg in static hold
and 230Kg in a full rep.

I have now 10 exercises splitted in training A and B. I now only workout one time/week for 1 minutes
and still make new records every time I workout. I have increased more than 50% in strength in all big muscle
groups. A bonus (1 Kg muscle burns 1 Kg fat every week).

The following day after every workout day I train the “Tabata high intensity training”
20sec full intensity on a cross trainer (or a training bike) , then rest for 10sec, 20sec full intensity, 10 sec rest…….7-8times.
This exercise increases our HGH “Human growth hormone” to maximum level.

Eating:

I have eaten according to “Eat right for your blood type”. This have already after the first year made all my allergies go
away for good. And of course a intestinal lavage have helped me to clean-up inside.
I also eat according to Ann Wigmore “living foods”, that suits me I have blood type A+.
Salt: Only natural sea or mountain salt, “Natural salt=84minerals, refined salt=4-5minerals”

Drinking:

Pure spring water, like http://www.aquaterrena.se/
If you want to know more read the article on this web site http://www.klokast.se/GIE/LV1.html
Importent: All living creatures need fresh spring water, our blood is almost 100% water, and only
good quality blood can hold maximum amount of oxegyn to transport to our cells.

Kindly Regards
Christian Niemi
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Mr. J — September 9th, 2008, 11:06 pm

ATTENTION

To all the doubters, accusers, etc.

Tim is not a liar.

But he did fail to mention the fact that he USED to be buff.

Although he wasnt as buff in his past as he was after the experiment, the fact that he used to be buff is important because muscle memory played a part in this.

To see what he looked like in 1999, watch the video at 4:38 near the end of the video. You can see that he was muscular.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODoVqXgblyw

So, hope this clears everything up

TIM FERRISS YOU ARE MY HERO
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Ben Spak — September 18th, 2008, 9:30 am

I totally can believe I had come across this article a few years before you wrote the 4 hour work week! Seeing it again just helps reaffirm my belief.. You Are Awesome!
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T Edward Shepherd — September 18th, 2008, 5:24 pm

Tim,

I know you are always doing your best to find the fastest way to the greatest benefits. So, I have ran across this product that is making some amazing claims regarding muscle recovery. Please check out Dr Scott Connelly for yourself. I can vouch for his bodyrx program which is a very close twin to the program that you have blogged on this site.

The reason I am writing this is that I am going to start ‘now’ and record my results with this supplement regimen … and if the claims are true , then you may have some valuable new fitness material for your next book.

— thanks for a fantastic site and a powerful book. I have just read it through for my third time and really enjoy your motivational talents.

- All the best,

T Edward Shepherd
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Bobby — September 21st, 2008, 8:34 pm

Tim-

I love the book, the blog, and the whole lifestyle… Now I’m sold on the workout. My only question is this:

Is it OK to play basketball or football while performing this workout or will it interfere with your body’s reaction to the diet/weight training? I like to play pick up basketball and intramural flag football whenever I have the chance, but I will abstain if it is counterproductive.
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Nico — September 23rd, 2008, 5:52 am

Tim,

What exactly what your protein and carb intake on this bulking diet in grams?
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thekeck13 — September 24th, 2008, 10:10 pm

Um, u obviously took steroids, Look how big ur head is in 4 weeks, its impossible to gain 34lbs of muscle in 4 weeks, the maximum gains u can get is 1lbs of muscle every 16 days. You can look it up and its cited by university studies not intended for sale of crap protein or products.
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Jaakko — September 26th, 2008, 1:11 am

Hey all

I decided to try this out. I’ve been onto this training for 8 weeks now. I got to tell you, the results are nothing but extraordinary. I’m so quitting conventional gym training. Thanks Tim!!

Jaakko
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greenerman — October 3rd, 2008, 6:04 am

I tried high protein for a while but it messed up my gut….constipation!!! did you take fiber, or did you have the same problem, or what?????
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T Edward Shepherd — October 3rd, 2008, 11:34 am

The high protein does cause constipation if you don’t have a good amount of fiber and plenty of water.
A good source is the fiber pills … take one with every meal or protein shake. The best , of course , is fruits and vegetables.
But with busy lifestyles … grab a bottle of fiber pills …. make sure you take them.
As you all know … hardly any american gets enough fiber.
And if you hit the protein hard … you must ramp up your fiber intake.
But not all at once … try to increase by 5 grams a day … until you get up to a level where you are regular.
It will take a couple of weeks.
I suggest the book bodyRX by Scott Connelly.
He’s the expert.

Following Dr Connelly’s program, I am 41 yrs old and am in the best shape of my life. I like Tim’s stuff here … BUT I can’t eat beans like Tim eats them… my body turns that stuff into toxic fumes that would remove my list of friends.
And … why have muscles if you have no friends? HAHA

This program can easily work with Tim’s high resistance suggestions.
As Tim suggests … ‘ work your muscles hard … got to challenge them ‘
and – in the presence of protein and keep the carbs at a min.

Personally, … post workout ‘junk’ carb eating … I don’t think it is a good idea.
Muscles are not going to use all the post workout carbs as energy … and the extra gets stored … you know where.

By the way … this is not from ‘me’ even though I am a fitness and nutrition enthusiast and researcher. This information comes straight from Dr Connelly. Here is a quote from Dr. Connelly regarding post workout carb consumption:

“Resistance training does not create an appreciable glycogen depletion, and contrary to popular “folklore” post training carbohydrate for weight trainers is largely ineffective at synergistically stimulating protein synthesis. With increasing training experience much of the post workout oxygen consumption will be fueled by an increasing proportion of fatty acids instead of oxidizable carbohydrate. ..diminishing this benefit by consuming post workout carbohydrate is really not an advantage.”

— in simpler terms. Don’t pig out on junk food after your workouts.

The ‘one day a week ‘ thing that Tim suggests is still good … it does shock your body and one day is not going to make you a fat A…

Sorry I got carried away, but I want to help folks too .. and I don’t want people to waste their time like I have been doing before I found this stuff out for myself.

… cheers!!
Reply
I — October 8th, 2008, 11:51 pm

So let’s summarize this.
a) there was some genuine success
b) he was very muscular before, that helped rebuild instead of build muscle a lot (“memory effect”)
c) like many before-after photos, these have some additional mumbo-jumbo
– body hair in pic 1 hides shadows cast by muscles, but not in pic2
– tanning improved the “healthy look” in pic 2
– different scale on both pictures (comp. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkheadedbug/482888546/ – or even http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkheadedbug/482891657/in/photostream/ )
– different light in both pictures (enhancing pic-contrast in 2, making shadows that indicate muscles more pronounced), while flash in 1st hides these.
– upper part of legs are only shown in picture two (might just as well have looked the same before, nobody can tell)
– legs further apart and arms further from the body create a bulkier look, feet pointing more to the outside might also help a “bulkier” look

and as for the muscle-weight gain… I admit my ignorance, but I’d be damned, if there wasn’t a way to make these just a little more impressive by changing the weighing time, amount eaten/drunk before etc. etc. etc. – probably _not_ the diameter measurements, though, but I’ve seen nobody comment on them anyways in any detail.

Oh – and the “four hours of gym time” were 8 half-hour slots – each of them preceded by 2 hours of… ahem… preparatory training… wellllllll…. err… yes, that’s how I count my time spent on things also… (I wrote all this in 2 seconds well + preparing it in a text-editor for 15 minutes before)

So yes – this article was done to impress and while the result might still be amazing, that the little things that could be done to help the “amazingness” along were done… as well as that his starting-point might be regarded as unusual, so that the same results are not necessarily to be expected for others.

I
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What's this BS workout about? - Lean Bulk Forums — October 9th, 2008, 7:37 pm

[...] this BS workout about? From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss Cheers, Ali I hate these overnight fad sensations coming out left and right. People need to buck [...]
Chris — October 10th, 2008, 6:29 am

The most surprising thing about this article to me is the response: the sheer number of people who think Tim would go so far to lie. That and the number of people who want to obsessively deconstruct the B&A pics.
Reply
Alex — October 13th, 2008, 9:26 am

Impressive results, but there is a problem. Regardless of what program you choose, just exercising heavily and eating a lot proteins will get you amazing results unless … you have been training with weights for more than a year. The secret in Tim’s success is that:

1. He has a very good metabolic rate (due to a sporty life style and good genetics)
2. He is new to weight lifting (ok, training with weights)

I managed to go from 155lb to near 180lb in my first 6 months of training when I started. But then comes the big stall. It took me another 3 years of vigorous training and going through more than 30 programs until I manage to break the standstill and gain another 40lb.

One thing you cannot easily cheat is the absolute weight you can lift related to your own body weight. For example, I am now 220 lbs and I squat with 500lbs, deadlift 550lbs and bench 350lbs -> all in total 1400/220 = 6.36. I wonder what Tim’s coefficient is.

The bottom line : if you are a beginner, whatever your program is if accompanied with the right diet, you WILL gain muscle mass. How much though is a question of how fit you are, your genetics and your dedication.
Reply
geo — October 13th, 2008, 11:35 am

@Chris – There’s a *great* documentary called Bigger, Stronger, Faster that includes a segment on how before-and-after photos are done. Click on ‘photos’ at the top of http://www.biggerstrongerfastermovie.com to see a pair of them that were done for the movie, both on the same day! (And rent the movie. It’s a hoot!)
Reply
David — October 14th, 2008, 2:14 pm

Hi all/Tim

here’s my question: if I want to start the program which I can see here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm

which kind of training equipment do I need to get? Is there a proven alround equipment that is recommendable and that doesn’t cost a fortune? I have read Tim’s book but I am not there yet to have the ‘muse’ that works for itself (c:

I am a more or less sportive person, or at least I used to be, with good basics that are hidden under some extra kilos, especially waist area (c: But I don’t know too much about all those ‘negative’ movements or the like as I haven’t dealt with ‘body buidling’ yet. Would be great to also have a short explanation on this.

Thanks a lot!

Best regards from Greece,
David
Reply
David — October 14th, 2008, 2:18 pm

oh, and BTW: what means ‘one-set-to-failure’, especially the part ‘to failure’ I don’t quite understand. Maybe it’s just my English, as I am German. So every input is very appreciated (c:
Reply
Luis Fernando Imperator — October 14th, 2008, 5:53 pm

well. Answering David’s question. When you lift a wheight, that’s the positive movement, when you lower it, it’s negative movement right there.

Try to check the names of the exercises he said in the article on youtube.

One set to failure is like this: you make the movements until your muscles fail, until you can’t lift anything else. in brazil we say you get “locked” as you can’t lift it anymore.

I am not doing the experiment like Tim, but I’m sure applying some of the stuff I’ve learned here and the results are being very fast so far.
Reply
David A. — October 15th, 2008, 4:16 am

Thanks, Luis!
Reply
Brad - Gain Muscle — October 16th, 2008, 12:45 am

Wow man, impressive results man, keep up the good work!
Reply
ExplodingRotatorCuff — October 16th, 2008, 10:48 am

This regime works almost too well. Increases strength so fast that 40-year-old connective tissue may not handle the sudden strain of a greatly increased max — even using only Nautilus machines with supervision.

Not saying don’t do it, just be realistic about your starting point, and have a base level of fitness first.
Reply
Donald — October 20th, 2008, 10:15 pm

Tim,
Question;
I have found the hardest parts of this routine is to keep up the mental intensity required for the whole workout.

What techniques do you have to keep your intensity up, in particular during the 3 minutes between sets? (music, no music, any other suggestion would be fantastic)

Others
http://www.mikementzer.com/ Mike Mentzer used with great success and wrote books on High Intensity Training, he also trained with Arthur Jones and Casey Viator

Regards
Don
Reply
Tim Ferriss — October 21st, 2008, 12:06 am

@Donald,

For focusing and putting in superhuman effort for gaining weight, I find Crystal Method (a band) hard to beat.

Good luck!

Tim
Reply
- vinny — April 15th, 2011, 8:50 am
  
  “Drown In The Now” pumps me up. i can listen to it 10x in a row
  Reply
Raw Vegan + Bodybuilding. 30 day trial. — October 24th, 2008, 8:35 am

[...] Bodybuilding.com – The Future Of Bodybuilding! Huge Bodybuilding Site. | General bodybuilding site From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss | Timothy Ferriss’ amazing transformation Arthur Jones Casey Viator Colorado Experiment | [...]
Josh — October 24th, 2008, 9:47 am

Tim, very interesting post. Just one quick question-do these same principles apply to other workouts such as vertical jump training. With mine, no weights are invovled, just leg exercises.

When I say these principles, I mean doing only one set, going until point of muscle failure, rest 3 minutes between sets, only working out 2-3 times per week, etc? I don’t do weight training, and I’d be very interested if it could be applied to vertical jump training.
Reply
Kiefer — October 27th, 2008, 2:46 pm

Wow now that I have stopped laughing after reading this post, it is an impossibility to gain 34lbs of muscle in 4 weeks. Even if you had taken some serious steroids you still would be lucky to gain 6 lbs a week of muscle.

Second if you continue eating that much food without increasing your activity and burn those excess calories, you will become obese.

Third if you stop what you are doing for a month I guarantee you would loose what you gained, proving that it wasn’t muscle.

Getting bigger is useless unless you combine speed, agility, stamina, and strength together. Otherwise you are all show, and no go.
Reply
White Tiger — November 1st, 2008, 8:03 pm

H.I.T. works. Check out Darden’s book, “The New HIT.” (http://www.amazon.com/New-High-Intensity-Training-Muscle-Building/dp/1594860009) . I gained about 15 lbs of muscle in 5 hrs gym time (one month, lifting 1-2x/wk). But, I was also doing several days of cardio, martial arts, etc. If you just want muscles gains, I’d cut out the cardio. I did this with no creatine- I wonder if Tim used creatine.
Reply
White Tiger — November 1st, 2008, 8:17 pm

And one last comment: for all you HIT-haters out there, I can only conclude two things: 1. You’ve never tried HIT or 2. You can’t handle the pain of HIT. If you’re doing it properly, it’s far more intense than any of your little 3 hr daily workouts.
Reply
Joe Schipani — November 2nd, 2008, 11:31 am

Tim,

Outstanding results. As a languishing athlete I’m just getting back at it after a year or so off from surgery followed by sloth.

7 days in I put 40 pounds onto my bench press rep weight. Un-freaking-believable. This is absolutely an excellent method. Efficient and effective. I’ve also lost nearly ten pounds of fat and am looking significantly leaner. I doubt my results are normal, but it’s working for me. I just hope I don’t plateau too soon, I want my abs to pop again.

As with all your insights, well done sir.

Regards,

Joe
Reply
MArcO’s life - UsELeSs blog » Blog Archive » Aumentare la massa magra come cuccioli di balena dopati — November 3rd, 2008, 7:33 am

[...] questo signore cosa sostiene di aver fatto in un mese!! Ha guadagnato 32 libbre di massa magra cioè 14 chili di [...]
Simon — November 3rd, 2008, 5:31 pm

Well, I have been following this regiment for a week now, 2 workout sessions and after the week I have gone from 151 lbs. to 157 lbs. I have not noticed any changes in body aesthetics except for larger abdominal but not more cut up like a six pack just bigger and stronger. When should I be expecting aesthetic changes?
Reply
Garrett Rohde — November 6th, 2008, 12:35 pm

Wow Tim! My dad turned me on to your book a few days ago (I haven’t cracked it open yet cuz this week has been crazy, but I intend to start tearing through the pages tonight before bed). For the past month I have been doing this home-exercise program to attempt to get back in shape. Have had very noticeable results, but NOTHING compared to this.

This is fantastic, and makes sense – the “high intensity” principles are the same ones I’ve been applying for the last 5 weeks, but I didn’t realize what you could accomplish by adding more of that “high intensity”. Definitely going to start modifying my routines!

Thanks Tim!
–GR
Reply
Aiming for More at the Gym, Podcast Playlist at Open The Window — November 9th, 2008, 10:49 pm

[...] loosely follows Tim Ferris’ tips: basically 4-7 multi-joint exercises, once a week, in a 5/5 cadence with plenty of [...]
Ron — November 16th, 2008, 1:31 pm

You turned into a tiny little man! Oh my god, how did you do that? And why didn’t you mention that your workout routine would have this affect?! I don’t think you gaining so much muscle in such a short amount of time is as strange as you losing what appears to be a good six inches of height. I’m mean, check it out, those shorts don’t even fit anymore, they’re all bunched up.
Reply
Christoph Dollis — November 16th, 2008, 11:30 pm

“I’m very interested in trying the program you suggested but I’m not sure exactly what to do. If you could just list what a typical workout for you includes (what exercises), that would help me and other readers out a lot.”

Tim goes into more detail here.

“My statements here are informed by Ross Enamait’s excellent “Infinite Intensity” training book, which in turn meticulously cites peer reviewed literature.

The “colorado study” link here reads like a Nautilus ad, doesn’t reference a controlled study, and makes pretty limited claims about performance gain. Is there a better link? But yeah, the basic point that intensity and peak effort, not volume of training, drive performance gains is valid. Read about Tabata Intervals.”

I think the world of Ross Enamait. However, it’s apples and oranges. Ross trains combat athletes who have to engage in vigorous competition with as many as 15 incredibly demanding rounds — not just difficult, but someone beating on you! while you try to do that to them.

Whereas Arthur Jones et al. taught time-efficient bodybuilding.

Tim Ferriss prefers machines, he says, and these are vastly inferior for athletes. So, if you’re an athlete, don’t use this program! If you want to workout for two 30-minute periods per week, gain pounds of lean muscle and have the health benefits that go with that (particularly as you age), then this is a great program.

Remember… exercise itself is a stress on the body and promotes inflammation, which promotes heart disease among other things. I’m not saying athletes are unhealthy, but I’m definitely saying exercising hard for 6 hours a week is excessive for most people.

Plus Tim’s deal is time efficiency if you haven’t noticed. “4-Hour Workweek” and all, remember?
Reply
- Michael — July 19th, 2011, 11:35 pm
  
  Are you serious? Exercise causes heart disease?
  
  The inflammation you get from exercise is vastly different from the inflammation that causes heart disease because of the different environmental triggers.
  Reply
build muscle mass — November 18th, 2008, 1:53 pm

Outstanding, great results and awesome information.
Reply
How to Store Sperm in 4 Steps - Just in Case — November 20th, 2008, 8:02 am

[...] optimation and body games: How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks The Science of Fat-Loss: Why a Calorie Isn’t Always a Calorie Real Life Extension: Caloric [...]
Michael — November 21st, 2008, 9:18 am

i understand why it is frequently done, but i liked you better with the chest hair.
Reply
Hardgainer Transformation — November 23rd, 2008, 12:48 am

It seems I’m a little late to the dance but nonetheless, Great job Tim! it must have been grueling to maintain such a high caloric intake as well as a strict workout regimen

I’m currently in the progress of my own Transformation I only hope to have the same success as you had

Brian
Reply
morris — November 24th, 2008, 3:51 am

Just my two cents on this. I’ve been lifting weights for quite a few years and decided out of curiosity to try this workout. I’ve done this for 3 sessions and make no mistake it is HARD. This is not an easy way to build muscle – it might not take a long time to do do this program, but your body will be SHATTERED after a workout if you do it properly. So to everyone who wants an easy way to put on muscle, this IS NOT IT. It’s incredibly tough, but does work.
In fact, I doubt it’s even possible to do it for too long a period – the workouts are just too intense on the body despite their short duration.
Reply
Justin Razmus — December 1st, 2008, 7:19 pm

I am just about to start this routine. It will be tough for me to excercise so few days a week. In the past, I usually spent 5 to 6 days a weeks at the gym. I’ll let everyone know how it works out for me!
Reply
flamedryad — December 9th, 2008, 7:58 am

superficial question
was the fur loss voluntary
or a result of the bulking up?
just asking cause i like the fur better ^.^
Reply
becky — December 10th, 2008, 9:57 pm

you looked more sexy before :-/
Reply
`SwishA — December 13th, 2008, 7:45 pm

Dude,

what can I say.

having worked out for 6 years and never seen gains, after a week of cautiously following your program my body is changing.

IT IS DOWN TO YOU.

I cannot make myself clear enough.

I am totally indebted to you, mostly for your perseverance and courage.

If I run into you, expect to be heavily embarrassed by a 19 y.o. kid who was teetering on chronic depression and suicide only a month ago.

Today I cannot begin to describe where I feel I am going.

x

Tim Siddiqui
Reply
Tim Ferriss — December 14th, 2008, 1:56 am

@Tim

Dear Tim,

Thank you so much for your heartfelt comment. It made my night

All the best,

Tim Ferriss
Reply
Chris in NYC — December 17th, 2008, 9:18 pm

Tim, you rock bro. Your book is great and congrats on your TV show.

I just gained 12lbs of muscle in 8 weeks doing the Starting Strength weight training program, avg. about 3 hrs per week in the gym. I also Crossfit.

Someday I will put your book into practice, quit my job, and become an ecommerce animal.

Chris NYC
Reply
Pavel: 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts — December 18th, 2008, 3:43 am

[...] I often suggest training to failure for maximal size gains (see “Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. in 4 Weeks”), the pre-failure approach detailed here is excellent for maximal strength development, and the [...]
gabe — December 18th, 2008, 6:28 pm

Wow, very interesting weight gain methods, I am currently going to the gym about 3 or 4 times a week. I have in the past used the explode up, controlled down method of resistance training. Up until now, I have been doing resistance training at 1/4, now I am very interested in trying the 5/5. It is high time I gain some muscle mass.
THanks for the tips!!
Reply
Jeremy — December 19th, 2008, 12:12 am

Recently read the book, hands down the best book I ever read, seriously changed my life. I really mean that too, not just saying it to make bold claim, you seriously changed my outlook on life in a very positive way.

As for this workout routine, I’m going to give it a try mostly just for the hell of it.

As for all you haters, why are you even on this site? Don’t bring your black cloud over here in the sun, it’s pissing me off and I’m trying to get a damn tan!

Keep it up Tim, you’re one inspirational cat!
Reply
Maxim — December 23rd, 2008, 10:33 am

I have a question. I’ve tried this system twice already, it really sounds nice, interesting and worth trying, but.

Before I used to train more like 5×5, MB 4×6, 3×8 with about 4-5 exericises 2/1 times a week. In order to do this slow motion with the right technique I had to lower my weights almost 2 times (plus I haven’t been training for about 4 month, and started ago only a month and a half ago). For example, I was able to do one rep. of BP with 110kg, my maximum in SQ and DL were about 140. I’m 23 and have been training for more than 4 years already (with a couple of breaks though). But now, my BP is 55kg, SQ and DL are about 80. It’s this way if I make it reaaaaly slow both ways: positive and negative, and aim for ~8 repetitions. As a result, I don’t feel any muscle sickness the day after. Earlier I felt it for about 5 days after training of the particular muscle group.
And physiologically and intuitively it feels ineffective.

That’s why the question is have you felt the muscle sickness the next (and next after next) day after training? And what are your weights and experience in bodybuilding or powerlifting? Or probably you can just recommend me something.
Reply
Mojo — December 23rd, 2008, 1:18 pm

Hey Tim,

Your book is great, and I like your article on the 80/20 powerlifting method (you cite some of my heroes)!

Ellington Darden had this to say in an interview on HIT training:

T-Nation: You hitched your wagon to Jones and HIT back in the early 1970s. Since then, HIT has been more and less popular, but it’s never been overwhelmingly popular. So I’ll throw this out there for starters: Is HIT really the shit? I mean, what can it do for the average Testosterone reader? Why should he care enough to read about it?

Darden: High-intensity training is just a very efficient and effective way to build muscular size and strength. That’s never been out of focus and it never will. Why should you care? Well, a guy that is big and strong can still command respect anywhere he goes. HIT’s not for everybody. But for those who don’t want to spend a lot of time training, boy, it’s the only way to go.

T-Nation: So if it’s not for everybody, who is it for?

Darden: I’d say it’s more for people in their thirties and forties, as opposed to teenagers or young adults. A teenager can do lots of things wrong and still get pretty good results. You can suffer injuries and get over them quickly. But when you’re in your thirties or forties, it doesn’t usually happen. I’m 65. If I sprain my ankle today, it may take me two and a half months to get over it. If you sprain yours, it might take just 10 days to heal.

(taken from http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/hit_spit_and_bullshit_an_interview_with_ellington_darden)

Darden is a disciple of Arthur Jones. However, he admittedly built his physique through conventional bodybuilding training prior to his HIT experience. He clearly advocates HIT moreso for the middle-aged weightlifting contingent.

Furthermore, Viator is in the same boat. I think Arthur Jones study is flawed because it doesn’t consider prior training and muscle memory. Viator was clearly on anabolics (1982 Olympia especially, albiet about ten years after this experiment), although it is uncertain when exactly.

So Tim, my question to you is this:

Are you advocating HIT for all people, or just those looking to maximize time vs productivity (like in your book which i’m currently reading — it’s honestly incredible and fun to read)?

For someone like myself, I DO enjoy longer gym sessions, typical set progressions (albeit I tend to fall within low-rep schema more often). I’ve tried most techniques (standard bodybuilding splits, fad workouts, westside, 5×5 routines, powerbuilding routines). I just don’t think HIT would work for me at this point, although maybe a couple years ago it would have been great.

ALSO: for those interested in another fantastic training approach and diet, check out Dr. John Berardi’s Scrawny to Brawny! http://www.scrawnytobrawny.com/ (the author is on the cover) I’ve met this guy before (he graduated from my school), he’s super legit!

Take care, and keep up the fantastic blog!
Reply
Wampa007 — December 23rd, 2008, 2:56 pm

I think this claim is, much like the way Tim says he won the kickboxing championship in his book, just a technicality . It is very possible that you can put on 10 pounds in two weeks by doing not much more than just taking some creatine powders that make you retain water weight. Also, if you drink some water right before your final weigh in, you can add several more pounds. The other questions would be what did he do with his free time between workouts? You can get some strength training done by chopping wood or doing construction work in between you ‘workouts’. I am using HIT in my own workouts, but to say 34lbs in a month is just a technicality to get attention.
Reply
Josef Brandenburg — December 26th, 2008, 12:11 pm

Incredible! I am going to ditch my current training program and start this tomorrow. If this works as well as you say it does this will change everything about my hypertrophy programs.
Reply
Paul Vanhan — December 27th, 2008, 10:36 am

Dear Tim

I admire what you have done and i plan on testing your program. I am doing this for a school senior project and i hope you take this as a compliment that i chose your program to test wether it works or not.

There is just one thing i really require from you and i wish you would have answered to other people who have asked you in this blog

WHAT IS YOUR WORKOUT

Sincerely
Paul Vanhan
Reply
sam — December 29th, 2008, 10:31 am

Paul go to google and search “bodybuilding.com tim ferriss” and you’ll see some more details including some of Tim’s favourite work outs
Reply
Jim — December 30th, 2008, 7:44 am

Tim,

As far as your diet, I think you have given most of the information around that except for the relative breakdown of carbs, fats, protein. For example, I doubt that you want to have quinoa (carbs) make up 90% of the calories. What was the relative percentages of carbs/protein/fat when you went through the program (ie: 10,60,30)?

Thanks,
Jim
Reply
Ari — December 31st, 2008, 11:09 am

Hey Tim,

How would you integrate the new research suggesting that a spike in glucose helps your focus and creative energy when sitting down to write/create for a brief period of 1-2 hours? Clearly this could be a “Creativity Life Hack”.

Here’s an overview of the research: http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/03/practicing_selfcontrol_consume.php

Ari
Reply
sam — January 1st, 2009, 11:17 am

i doubt that tim monitors his protein to carbs to fat ratio, as he says he doesnt bother counting calories. i don’t think it’s necessary; by just eating natural foods you will have the perfect balance of ratios. ask a nearby elephant or gorrilla, he’ll tell you
Reply
Project Hitchhiker — January 3rd, 2009, 2:41 pm

[...] what they do? I’ve started to work out twice a week following my own version of Tim Ferris’ workout and using an adapted version of his high protein diet. I already feel healthier and like I have [...]
Martin Berkhan — January 5th, 2009, 2:07 pm

Nice change. I can attest to the effectiveness of low volume, high intensity training myself. I made a similar, albeit not as dramatic, change when combining intermittent fasting and HIT back in 06-07.
Reply
The January Project « ::::Mark Treas:::: — January 7th, 2009, 12:10 pm

[...] to see how much muscle mass he could accumulate in a short amount of time. Read more for yourself here. So on last Monday, January 5th, Reece and I began the January Project. [...]
Mark Treas — January 7th, 2009, 12:50 pm

TIM
HOLY CRAP!
EATING SUCH AN EXTREME DIET IS FAKING (to quote john malkovich in Rounders) DIFFICULT!
The paradigm shift on the work out is fantastic; each set makes me feel like I’m going to pass out, but over all, the diet is by far the most intense part.

What do you think of high calorie protein bars?
Reply
- Tim Ferriss — January 7th, 2009, 2:37 pm
  
  @Mark,
  
  I checked out the process and you should be on track. The eating is absolutely a bitch, to use a scientific term. The workouts are nothing compared to the food consumption. High-protein bars are fine, but learn to read labels and ensure you’re not eating candy bars with protein added, which most bars are. Snickers + whey protein = most commercial bars and a nice roll of fat on the stomach. Not so desirable.
  
  Here’s a good meal for gaining: durum wheat macaroni (toss the magic orange powder and use skim milk to make) + a can of tuna + low-fat turkey chili. Mix it all up and season. Fast and dense. Feel free to substitute quinoa for macaroni for variety.
  
  Good luck!
  
  Tim
  Reply
The Power of Less: Changing Behavior with Leo Babauta — January 7th, 2009, 2:30 pm

[...] to gain muscle mass, for example, I would rather examine the training and diet log of someone who went from 145 – 185 lbs. in 1-2 months rather than consult with a 300-lb. professional who has been 300 lbs. for a decade. This also [...]
anna louise — January 9th, 2009, 1:19 pm

I read this post with great interest and followed over xmas (the one day a week off worked for xmas day and NYE really well).

As a runner I am finding that the slow as opposed to low carb regime combats the fatigue I have experienced from carb depletion type diets.

Four weeks in and I am definately noticing that I am leaner and have dramatically increased muscle strength using the 5×5 training scheme.

However I am not seeing much change in my abdominal area, not that there was much there in the first place ;-D but I’m not seeing the same muscle definition as I am achieving in my legs, back and upper body.

Does anyone have any female athlete specific advise?
Reply
Shar — January 9th, 2009, 1:59 pm

Tim,

Great stuff. Your site and your book are a treasure trove. I have many, many things to say, but I’ll keep it short and relevent to the thread:

Did you do any cardio on this program? If so, what and how much. I think 2 dozen others have asked the same question Please let us know.

Thanks!
Reply
- Tim Ferriss — January 12th, 2009, 12:20 pm
  
  @Shar,
  
  Thank you for the comment. To the best of my recollection, I did not do any aerobic exercises, with the exception of a daily 30-minute walk in the morning for sun exposure and general well-being.
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  Tim
  Reply
dispatches from TJICistan » Blog Archive » that “four how workweek guy” — January 10th, 2009, 8:34 am

[...] … on losing weight and gaining muscle. [...]
sam — January 10th, 2009, 3:54 pm

well so far i’ve been doing this for 2 weeks or so, and i’ve gained 2 or 3 lbs. better than nothing i suppose, because i’ve never been above 160 and i’ve been trying very hard for a year or so (currely 162-163). i’ve been eating about 4000 calories a day.

i find the work outs extremely hard, harder than any other work out i’ve ever done. i’ve been doing 7 exercises so the work outs take about 38 minutes and it’s hard to push to failure on every set

next work out i’m going to do 3 exercises, deadlift, incline dumbbell press, and yates rows. hopefuly i can really push myself on these and get some better results.

by the way, i only gained 2 or 3 lbs but i’m not really upset with the results, because i swear that i’ve lost at least a pound of fat!

will write more later
Reply
Chris at Christian books — January 10th, 2009, 4:18 pm

Hi Tim,

Started to read the 4 hour work week and then wanted to look up what you have on your website when I came across your blog here, and good timing since I am about to start training again, anyways, quick question… what about fruit as part of your diet and what about good organic type of cereal in the morning before i do my workout.

Thanks
Reply
exercisesforabs — January 10th, 2009, 9:55 pm

Very impressive I’ll be trying some of your tips this summer
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Diet & Weight Loss Reviews — January 11th, 2009, 3:47 pm

Came across your blog and it reminded me I still have to listen to my 4 hour work week audio blog. Impressive results.
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jason cataldo — January 12th, 2009, 9:27 am

tim,

bro this is absolutely mesmerizing… it takes me 3 months to achieve results like this using HIIT training… I am astounded by your results.

You do realize you could make $10 million a year if you expanded on this method and created a product line based around it?

The Body-For-Life series by Bill Philips has earned him countless millions and inspired thousands of people to take charge of their health.

i think you could generate a massive revenue stream if you expand on this method! I know you are already fabulously wealthy – but think of how many people you could save from a lifetime of illness and obesity.

Also, I saw Trial By Fire – brilliant, flawless execution of an extremely rare sporting event. I have studied Bushido casually for years and I never even knew of this sports existence. Congratulations on your success.

I have yet to read your NY Times Best-Seller but I am certainly going to now. You have a very similar mindset to me and I know I could learn volumes from studying your methodologies.

Sincerely,

Jason Allen Cataldo
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sam — January 12th, 2009, 1:02 pm

hey tim, i was wondering how important protein is after a work out. for the past few weeks i’ve been focusing on getting 100g of carbs right after the work out, which really fills me up, so i don’t get a good piece of chicken for another 1-2 hours.

maybe i should force some down with the carbs? i’m going to try it anyways this week and see for myself, but i was hoping for your insight

thanks
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golden — January 12th, 2009, 8:27 pm

ive been deeply studying bodybuilding for 3-4 years now and to my knowledge our bodies have a “top speed” to creating muscle mass. the average NATURAL person is only capable of putting on about 30 lbs of lean muscle tissue within a years time. this is well known to any natural bodybuilder. tim’s before and after picturse are not all that different and im not saying he didnt make any gains but posing is a HUGE part of showcasing your body….its quite obvious that the drastic difference is only in the pose. in summary, almost any program will work to build muscle. it just takes hard work and dedication.
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golden — January 12th, 2009, 8:38 pm

…..also, a drastic amount of “extra” calories are not needed gain muscle. if you are carrying any body fat then you have the extra calories needed to make the muscle youre working hard to put on, so if you burn off the fat or eat extra its basically the same to your body. frankly, 34 lbs of muscle in one week is impossible without using drugs. i do believe he may have gained 34 lbs….but i know it wasnt without fat gain. something in the puzzle doesnt match up.
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MSC — January 14th, 2009, 9:12 am

Pictures are really impressive but I could not find “Buy Now” button anywhere :-)) … just kidding, but it is really good for inspiration – maybe some more freaks will be born in the next couple of days after reading this hopefully.
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Darrin - muscle fitness — January 16th, 2009, 8:09 pm

I find this amazing, but also “disappointing”. Let me explain: I LOVE long workouts! So it would be disappointing to me to learn that half of my hour-long weight training sessions are a waste…

Of course, they are not a waste, because I enjoy them. And I see gains.

As many people here have said, there are many ways to build lean muscle mass. Unlike some of the doubters, I totally believe Tim got these gains. And I’m sure this will work for many others.

But other routines will work too. After reading this a month ago, I’ve added in one day a week that is what Tim suggests, but my two other weight days are hour-long, “traditional” weight training with 4 sets of 12 reps, focused on compound exercises. I really love hour-long workouts. But I have to admit, I do “feel” really great after the one-set-to-failure day. I’m exhausted (and then eat like a horse) but it’s a great feeling, almost a rush. But I’m not seeing as rapid a change as Tim did. I’m a lot older than he was!

Given your age, your lifestyle, your history, and your dedication level, you might find different results. If you are doing a routine that you hate, just to get “big” or “ripped”, then I feel sorry for you. You can have great results and enjoy the process too.
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Rick — January 17th, 2009, 1:24 pm

It is a very impressive gain.
It is a feat that not everyone could accomplish factors such as age and body type play into it but It is an example that more can be done in shorter time than you might think.
What I am eagerly waiting for is the supplement regime that went along with the diet and workouts.
Arginine?
Creatine?
tribulus?
dhea?
andro?
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John — January 17th, 2009, 6:10 pm

Anyone trying to make a major change in their life should try working out consistently and eating healthy meals while taking detailed notes! Or just take detailed notes of all the horrible things you do to yourself until you’re motivated enough to start changing the way you live. I’ve been keeping note on my laptop of each workout and everything I eat and that’s been a key motivator. Without it I would have forgotten when I last exercised and simply stepped out of the new routine and back into a routine that didn’t require any effort on my part. Writing things down allows you to go back in and organize what your next workout will be based on what you did in the past. I also make note of the dishes I order at different restaurants that comply with the legume, vegetable, meat, and whole wheat diet I’m on.

Some questions for Tim:

I’ve been working out 4 times a week at home (at least 30 minutes each) for the last month and eating healthy meals with a lot of protein. Though I feel great and have put on more muscle, I have not gained much weight at all. When I started exercising regularly a month ago, I was 132 lbs and I don’t weight much more now. After doing a bunch of 30 minute workouts and researching different exercises, I can’t help but notice that it would be pretty hard to make use of the entire body in one 30 minute workout with 3 minutes in between each exercise. Would I deduct those 3 minute breaks from the 30 minutes to get the actually amount of time spent working out? Say I do 4 different exercises; that’s 3 breaks between exercises, 9 minutes off, reducing my workout time to 21 minutes? So I’m curious as to what might be an example 30 minute workout you would do.

Thanks and great blog!
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Peter N. — January 17th, 2009, 8:37 pm

Hi tim

Just wanted to give you props on this post. I have been dieting (cutting) for the past 3 weeks and have been refining a routine that I decided to create based on the principles of less is more. I found your experiment really interesting because it involves some thing I decided to try on my own.

I’ve been only focusing on 3 weight exercises (deadlift, barbell squat, bench). Doing one set each until failure

HIIT cardio along with a high protein low carb diet (1 gram per 1 lb of lean muscle). And so far I’ve cut 12lbs of fat and dropped about 3% of bodyfat.

I have not considering doing the 5 sec up/5 sec down rule, but I’m going to add it to the next 4 weeks (along with stricter dieting and some supps for recovery) that I’m doing to see how much I can lose in a month.

Keep it up!
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Val — January 19th, 2009, 9:21 am

Hi there!

Tim: I’m in love with your blog, your book and most of the things you do. Thanks!

Tim + The Rest of You:

Any women commenters tried this successfully? I see a few who have not posted follow ups to their attempts, but no one woman who has posted her results (sorry if i missed something, tried very hard to read all the comments thoroughly!).

I’d love to know your experiences with this as a woman!

Thanks,

Val
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John — January 19th, 2009, 10:36 pm

Some questions for Tim:

I’ve been working out 4 times a week at home (at least 30 minutes each) for the last month and eating healthy meals with a lot of protein. What’s motivated me was taking detailed notes. Though I feel great and have put on more muscle, I have not gained much weight at all. When I started my exercise regiment a month ago, I was 132 lbs and I still weigh 132 lbs. After doing a bunch of 30 minute workouts and researching different exercises, I can’t help but notice that it would be pretty hard to make use of the entire body in one 30 minute workout with 3 minutes in between each exercise. Would I deduct those 3 minute breaks from the 30 minutes to get the actually amount of time spent working out? Say I do 4 different exercises; that’s 3 breaks between exercises, 9 minutes off, reducing my workout time to 21 minutes? So I’m curious as to what might be an example 30 minute workout you would do.

I also read that you take micellar casein protein and also Mass Recovery (among ingredients are whey protein and Maltodextrin) on the bodybuilding.com page. I’ve been researching proteins as I never put anything into my body in large quantities that I’m not pretty sure is safe for me. From what I found online, it seems that most protein powders don’t list MSG as an ingredient, but are said to turn into a glutamate in the body. From what I’ve read, MSG really hasn’t been shown to cause problems except in those that have allergies or other reactions triggered by what’s been called “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” Chinese restaurant syndrome has been shown to happen when people really eat a lot of MSG so I’m scared of taking protein powder on a regular basis, as it might be similar to eating large amounts of MSG. Seems there are mixed views on the web so I would like to know your opinion on this.

Thanks!
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Michael — January 21st, 2009, 1:43 pm

Great article, but Tim neglected to mention how many reps each set should ideally include? Of course the answer is ultimately “as many as need to reach failure”, but what’s the target: 5 reps? 12 reps?

Thanks!!

-Michael
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James — January 21st, 2009, 10:11 pm

I read the article that you posted on bodybuilding.com, and the only noticeable difference between what I saw on there and what is posted on here is the supplements that you used. I was wondering which, if any, of the supplements you listed there you would consider as essential to gaining such a large amount of muscle in such a short period of time.

Thank you in Advance for any help.

-James
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anna louise — January 22nd, 2009, 1:06 pm

Val, I’ve tried it and it works for me, in fact only today someone noticed that I had lost fat around my ribs and stomach.

Caveat, I am a runner so CV is key to my workout. However I am in a rest phase and using this time to loose body fat but still running. Basically I am doing the weights with good effect, CV but no real endurance. I eat the diet that Tim has illustrated, including the restricted carbs after workouts, weights and CV and having the rest day. However I do still eat a bowl of Porridge every morning – habit! But I add cinnamon to reduce the insulin effects of a high dose of, albiet low GI, carbs.
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Val — January 22nd, 2009, 1:58 pm

Anna Louise:

Thanks for the response!

I haven’t gotten my arse to the gym yet (I will, I swear!) but I’ve modified my diet to follow the slow-carb one that Tim has outlined and that just this morning I noticed a difference in my belly!

I’ve been eating well for 10 days now. I’m tracking everything over at thedailyplate.com, I highly recommend it as an incredibly easy tool to track calories and exercise. My username is valgray if anyone wants to check out what I’ve been eating. (please ignore inauguration day! I pigged out! Celebration day!)

I will go to the gym today and get started.

Thanks again!
Val
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Farid — January 22nd, 2009, 3:42 pm

Hi,

Regarding the supplements, there seems to be a contradiction on Tim’s bodybuilding.com page.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/timothyf.htm
On one hand he mentions Micellean (micellar casein protein) as his post-workout supplement (which is a slow-digesting protein most recommended for before bed!)

He also mentions mass recovery as his post-workout drink.

Can somebody help me with this? I’ve just bought a micellear casein protein and much to my surprise it says that I should take it before bed!
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- Tim Ferriss — January 22nd, 2009, 5:21 pm
  
  @Farid,
  
  I use casein both post-workout and pre-bed if I’m on a gaining program. Whey can be useful in combination, but it often results in a negative nitrogen balance shortly after ingestion due to it’s rapid gastric emptying and AA absorption. It is possible to do just fine with whole foods or just casein. I would not use whey in isolation unless you are eating something to slow its absorption. I know this contradicts many recommendations out there — just my experience.
  
  Tim
  Reply
  - Daniel Pereira — January 9th, 2011, 7:36 pm
    
    Yes, that’s true! You can go only on slow absorption protein, because as it is slow absorption, it will keep your body protein fuelled all the time, overwhelming the muscle recuperation/growing process. And yes, even when you are sleeping, that’s why you can also take it after going to Bed. By the way, couldn’t we use the isolated whey while training, to prevent at the maximum the catabolism of the muscle?
    
    PS: Tim, I have both versions of 4 hour week and I’m waiting for my book of 4 hour body! Keep up the good work!
    Reply
anna louise — January 23rd, 2009, 12:31 am

Your welcome Val. Tracking your diet sounds like a good idea, keep going and you will have a permanent flat stomach!
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- kjmc — January 12th, 2012, 9:49 am
  
  It is physiologically impossible to add 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. There are reports of muscle gains in the order of 4 – 12 lbs in a month by using supraphysiological doses of testosterone and other anabolics. Typically, this would be for a first time steroid user that would be making larger than normal gains. Additional gains in lean mass (not necessarily muscle) could be obtained with high doses of growth hormone. The most dedicated athletes that build muscle naturally could expect gains of about 8 lbs of muscle per year (with more in the beginning). These are people that have the best access to trainers, facilities, diet, etc.
  Bottom line – this guy is once again producing a book and product line that are a short term sensation that will net him much money but will turn out to be meaningless. Don’t think that he will be picked up as a trainer by professional or olympic athletes any time soon. It’s back to the circus for another trick – maybe the four hour ninja program or the four hour commercial pilot license…
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  - Max Nachamkin — July 17th, 2012, 1:15 pm
    
    Indeed. You can’t gain that much muscle in lose that much fat in 4 weeks. People on a Leangains regiment (STRICT caloric macronutrient cycling) aren’t even gaining that much.
    
    More than 1 pound of muscle in one day for 30 days? People reading this — please don’t expect this type of result. If you didn’t gain ANY fat, you could put on .5 lbs of muscle on per WEEK. That’s 2 lbs of pure muscle mass per month.
    Reply
  - jared coad — January 14th, 2013, 1:05 pm
    
    In my opinion, since I haven’t had the pleasure to speak directly with tim to determine if he wants to be an olympic trainer, I’m guessing no though. And as a quick side note I’m also guessing you followed Tim’s advice as far as supplements, work out regime, 5/5 cadence etc. or did you just wing it like the post?
    
    It is ABSOLUTELY possible to see those results. If you are able to read((and follow) at a 4th grade level because much of his books have been written that way for the likes of people like you and me (minus side geeknotes which i pass) are all experiments of his or others and backed by scientific data ie Dave Jumbo Columbo and or the Colorado Experiment. Are you saying that those experiments have been made up?, that Dave does not exist? or that maybe you learned something that shatters your preconceived notions and you are having a tough time coming to grips with that reality, which leads me to 1 of my 3 new years resolutions (no more beliefs)
    
    You see I’d much rather have ideas, those can be tweaked and changed as you learn and evolve; (beliefs are engraine3d in our subconscious and people go to war and die over for no apparent reason other than their belief, whether it be accurate or not). So it really sounds like you have the BELIEF that it’s impossible, kinda like the belief that the V8 can’t be made (see Henry ford), that jumping from 126000 ft is impossible (youtube that one) or the BELIEF that gaining 20+ lbs of muscle in 30 days is imposssible..
    
    For sh#t’s and giggles, remove the word impossible from your vocabulary and see what else is achievable. Personally you are half right, I only gained 16lbs of muscle,but it was also in 22 days for the record. And if you are worried about getting taken for another $17 bucks on a book, rather than your $300 bucks on needles and DEBO, send me your address, Ill go ahead and mail you my copy of 4 hr body free.
    
    Please note as a side bar, I am in no way attacking you as a person in any sense of the word, I am however attacking your belief system down to the core as I am guessing rather than follow direction and see for yourself your belief to be inaccurate, it is much easier to just take a side and run with it, than spend a month proving your belief inaccurate.
    
    What’s the worst that could happen if you tried it? You could be the 1 in a million + copies (sorry tim dont have exact figures) that blew the lid off this whole crazy idea, or more than likely you will be the 1 in 999,999 that it works for, either way isn’t that worth trying something new? You may in fact actually learn something, and isn’t that the whole idea of growing as a person?
    
    Just a thought
    
    JC
    
    PS. For the love of god, don’t take what tim speaks as fact, try proving him wrong and following his regime before accepting what he says as fact, it makes for way more entertaining comments
    Reply
    - James Webb — August 23rd, 2013, 11:02 am
      
      This guy *hugs*