Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, however my opinions are my own.
Today I just finished doing Max Size for the second time in a row and I can honestly say that the program does help to stack on lean muscle.
This time around, I was more cautious with my nutrition and I do feel as if I’ve stacked on some quality muscle. The main areas where size has developed include:
- Arms (Triceps and Biceps)
- Chest (Upper pec)
- Shoulders
- Back
- Traps
The leg exercises were good, however I sustained a couple of injuries at the start of the program. I did develop more strength, but I had to work with lighter weights while my knee and lower back recovered.
To give you an idea about my strength:
- Lat pull-downs – 70-80kg
- Dumbbell bench press – 40-42kg 6 rep max
- Deadlifts – 80-90kg
- Barbell curl – 30-40kg
- Shoulder press – 15-25kg
How much weight did I gain over the program?
I started at 78kg and finished at 80.8kg. So an extra 2.8kg of what I consider to be lean muscle has been added to my frame.
Consuming the Athlean X supplements.
In the last month of the program, I decided to invest in the pre-workout, protein, and recovery drink supplements from Athlean X. The supplements are easy for me to consume. They work and I wish that I’d trusted the Athlean X team from the outset and invested in the products before starting the program.
The pre-workout and the recovery drinks are ideal for my alertness and readiness, as well as muscle recovery and repair (especially when having a muscular injury).
What’s next?
I plan to start the BEAXST workout next and I have invested in the supplements to carry me through the program. I am hoping that I will be able to gain some size whilst on the program, but I understand that it isn’t a size specific program.
I also need to confuse my muscles so that they aren’t used to the same program.
When I did Max Size originally, I went from 73.3kg to 78.0kg, but I had gained body fat in the process due to being more relaxed with my nutrition.
Other learnings from doing the program.
I have also found that it is becoming easier to remain lean as I develop more lean muscle. So I plan to keep on building lean muscle for as long as possible.
Based on the results from the program, it seems possible to build around 1kg of lean muscle per month with the right training and nutrition.
My ideal weight target is 85-90kg lean. YouTuber Mike Thurston appears to have a nice physique at that weight.
Simeon Panda is apparently around 100kg. I am also keeping an eye on his physique.
Based on getting 1kg/month of lean muscle, it could take 1-3 years to develop enough lean muscle to get either of those physiques.
I am confident that I will be able to get to 85kg in 2020. I think I will need to aim for 2021 to get to 90kg lean and I will probably need to look into the Breakout program to trigger more gains.
Additional tip: If you want to grow your muscles, you need to fuel the muscles the right way. But you also want to make sure that the meals are tasty.
You can click here to find some bodybuilding meal prep recipes that can help you.
