Written by Chad Wesley Smith
An Expert In Mass Gain
At Juggernaut, I have the great opportunity to work with athletes from junior high through the pros and one of the most common goals shared by my younger athletes is, I need to gain weight. I consider myself to be an expert mass gainer, at the age of 14, a freshman in high school, I played football at 5-8 175 pounds; at 17, my senior year, I played at 6-0 270; currently at 25, I stand 6-1 325. On a nearly daily basis, I hear from some skinny high school kid how they can’t gain weight and my response is always the same, “eat more”, which is normally met with “I eat so much”. Well their understanding of ‘so much’ usually means a bowl of cereal and piece of fruit for breakfast, sandwich and chips for lunch and whatever mom makes for dinner, with their whole day maybe coming in at a whopping 1500-2000 calories. That just isn’t going to cut it for a high metabolism kid who practices 2 hours a day 5-6x per week and trains another 3-5x per week.
Keeping It Simple
The other pitfall that many young athletes fall into when they are trying to put on muscle is a lack of attention to the big exercises. They get on YouTube and see bodybuilders doing isolation movements and don’t realize that those physiques were built with a foundation of complex barbell lifts and the isolation movements are just the icing on the cake. Put the bar on your back and in your hands if you want to get big.
Currently I have a group of several high school freshmen football/lacrosse players that just began training with us after the finish of their lacrosse season. These guys are a talented group of athletes and play for some very prominent programs but face many of the same issues many 15 year olds do, mainly they are skinny and don’t eat enough. These guys are all ranging from 5-10 to 6-2 and 155 to 180 pounds and are looking to put on 10+ pounds in the next 9 weeks that they have off between the end of their lacrosse seasons and the start of their school’s summer football program. From a strength standpoint they all bench 165-205 pounds and squat 185 to 245; when you are dealing with athletes who have low preparation levels like this it is of paramount importance that they train with high frequency so they can learn proper movement patterns. Also, they haven’t been exposed to any solid programming before and have never done any true speed work (only conditioning that their coaches think is speed work). Below is an overview of the 9 weeks of training they will be doing with me and the dietary guidelines we will try to adhere to. At the bottom of this article Juggernaut Members can download this plan in an Ebook format, FREE.
9 Week Training Plan
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| Day 1 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
| Sled Sprints | 10×10/15/20yds | 3x6x20yds | 4x4x20yds |
| Various Jumping Drills | 4×3 each | 5×3 each | 6×3 each |
| Front Squat | 8×5 at 60%-45 sec rest | 8×3 at 67.5%-75 sec rest | 3×5 at 50-60% |
| Floor Press | 8×5 at 60%-45 sec rest | 8×3 at 67.5%-75 sec rest | 3×5 at 50-60% |
| RDLs | 5×15 | 5×12 | 5×10 |
| Blast Strap Rows | 5×15 | 5×12 | 5×10 |
| Situp and Press | 3×20 | 3×15 | 3×12 |
| BB Twists | 3×15/15 | 3×12/12 | 3×10/10 |
| Day 2/4 | |||
| Explosive Medball Throws | 2×10 each | 2×8 each | 2×6 each |
| Upper Back-Shoulders/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Biceps/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Traps/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Triceps/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Neck/Hip Mobility | 3×20/3×10 | 3×20/3×10 | 3×20/3×10 |
| Prowler Tempo Circuit | 2×6 rounds | 2×8 rounds | 2×10 rounds |
| More Abs | 30 sec on/30 sec off x6 rounds | 30/30×8 rds | 30/30x10rds |
| Day 3 | |||
| Sled Sprints | 10×10/15/20yds | 3x6x20yds | 4x4x20yds |
| Various Jumping Drills | 4×5 each | 5×5 each | 6×5 each |
| Back Squat | 10×5 at 60%-45 sec rest | 10×3 at 67.5%-75 sec rest | 75%xAMAP |
| Board Press | 6×5 at 60%-45 sec rest | 6×3 at 67.5%-75 sec rest | 3×5 at 50% |
| Neutral Grip Chins | 5×6-8 | 5×8-10 | 5×10-12 |
| Back Extensions | 5×15 | 5×12 | 5×10 |
| Ab Wheel | 3×10 | 3×12 | 3×15 |
| DB Side Bends | 3×15/15 | 3×12/12 | 3×10/10 |
| Day 5 | |||
| Sled Sprints | 10×10/15/20yds | 3x6x20yds | 4x4x20yds |
| Various Jumping Drills | 4×4 each | 5×4 each | 6×4 each |
| Bench Press | 10×5 at 60%-45 sec rest | 10×3 at 67.5%-75 sec rest | 75%xAMAP |
| Box Squat | 6×5 at 60%-45 sec rest | 6×3 at 67.5%-75 sec rest | 3×5 at 50% |
| Chest Supported Rows | 5×15 | 5×12 | 5×10 |
| Reverse Hypers | 5×15 | 5×12 | 5×10 |
| Situp and Press | 3×20 | 3×15 | 3×12 |
| BB Twists | 3×15/15 | 3×12/12 | 3×10/10 |
Notes:
-Sled Sprints are all done with full recovery. The sprinting these weeks will be pretty high volume and aimed at giving them enough reps to begin to correct their technical errors and increase their capacity to do high intensity speed work.
-Our primary lift (bench/squat variations) are based on the Inverted Juggernaut Method but will utilize slightly shorter rest periods since the athletes are using such light weights at this point.
-Prowler Tempo Circuits are used to increase the athletes aerobic capacity and are key to improving their fitness, promoting recovery and eventually increasing their alactic capacity. These circuits are also a great way to get them more volume in on basic movements. To do a prowler tempo circuit the guys will push an unweighted prowler down and back 20yds each way and then perform either 10 pushups or 20-30 abs.
These first 3 weeks will do a great job of building up the athlete’s work capacity, putting on some muscle and hone their technique on our foundational movements. Over the next 3 weeks, we will increase the intensity of all their work (sprints, jumps, throws, primary lifts) as they will now be capable of higher outputs. Since recovery will come at a greater premium now that intensities increase, the floor/board presses and front/box squats will become more supplementary in nature.
| Day 1 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
| Free Sprints | 3x6x20 yds | 4x4x20 yds | 5x3x20yds |
| Reactive Jumps for Distance | 4×3 | 5×3 | 6×3 |
| Drop Pushups | 4×2 | 5×2 | 6×2 |
| Bench Press | 5×5+ at 55-75% | 5×3+ at 60-80% | 65%x5, 70%x4, 75%x3, 80%x2, 85%x1+ |
| Box Squat | 3×5 at 55-75% | 3×3 at 60-80% | 65%x5, 75%x3, 85%x1 |
| RDLs | 4×12 | 4×10 | 4×8 |
| Blast Strap Rows | 4×12 | 4×10 | 4×8 |
| Situp and Press | 3×12 | 3×10 | 3×8 |
| BB Twists | 3×12/12 | 3×10/10 | 3×8/8 |
| Day 2/4 | |||
| Explosive Medball Throws | x10 each | x8 each | x6 each |
| Upper Back-Shoulders/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Biceps/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Traps/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Triceps/Hip Mobility | 3×15/3×10 | 3×12/3×10 | 3×10/3×10 |
| Neck/Hip Mobility | 3×20/3×10 | 3×20/3×10 | 3×20/3×10 |
| Prowler Tempo Circuit | 2×10 rounds | 2×10 rounds | 2×10 rounds |
| More Abs | 30 sec on/30 sec off x10 rounds | 30/30×12 rds | 30/30x14rds |
| Day 3 | |||
| Reactive Change of Direction Drills | 20 reps total | 15 reps total | 10 reps total |
| Reactive Jumps for Distance | 4×3 | 5×3 | 6×3 |
| Drop Pushups | 4×2 | 5×2 | 6×2 |
| Front Squat | 3×5 at 55-75% | 3×3 at 60-80% | 65%x5, 75%x3, 85%x1 |
| Floor Press | 3×5 at 55-75% | 3×3 at 60-80% | 65%x5, 75%x3, 85%x1 |
| Neutral Grip Chins | 4×10 | 4×8 | 4×6 |
| Back Extensions | 4×10 | 4×8 | 4×6 |
| Ab Wheel | 3×10 | 3×10 | 3×10 |
| DB Side Bends | 3×12/12 | 3×10/12 | 3×8/8 |
| Day 5 | |||
| Free Sprints | 3x6x20 yds | 4x4x20 yds | 5x3x20yds |
| Reactive Jumps for Distance | 4×3 | 5×3 | 6×3 |
| Drop Pushups | 4×2 | 5×2 | 6×2 |
| Squat | 5×5+ at 55-75% | 5×3+ at 60-80% | 65%x5, 70%x4, 75%x3, 80%x2, 85%x1+ |
| Board Press | 3×5 at 55-75% | 3×3 at 60-80% | 65%x5, 75%x3, 85%x1 |
| Chest Supported Rows | 4×12 | 4×10 | 4×8 |
| Reverse Hypers | 4×12 | 4×10 | 4×8 |
| Situp and Press | 3×12 | 3×10 | 3×8 |
| BB Twists | 3×12/12 | 3×10/10 | 3×8/8 |
Notes:
-Free sprints are much more taxing to the body because of the higher velocities being achieved so we will only perform them 2x per week.
-As the intensities of the primary lifts increase we must reduce the volume of the assistance work because the body can only handle so much work.
Through these 3 weeks of training the athletes will experience tremendous increases in their alactic power, maximal strength and inter/intramusclular coordination. They are now 3 weeks away from the start of the school’s summer camp where they will be doing football drills, 7 on 7, scrimmaging and a great volume of running. To prepare them for that we will now shift our focus from alactic power development to alactic capacity. Since the athletes are still relatively weak, they can continue lifting at a high intensity without risk of overtaxing their system, we will however move the board/floor press and front/box squat to an even more supplementary role, but will still include them as frequent exposure to compound movements will still greatly benefit young athletes like this.
| Day 1 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
| Positional Start Sprints | 2x4x15-35yds depending on position | 2x5x15-35yds depending on position | 2x6x15-35yds depending on position |
| Reactive Change of Direction Drills | 2×4 reps | 2×5 reps | 2×6 reps |
| Prowler Push+Sprint | 2x4x5+10-15yds | 2x5x5+10-15yds | 2x6x5+10-15yds |
| Prowler Explosions | 2x4x3 pushes | 2x5x3 pushes | 2x6x3 pushes |
| Reactive Jumps for Distance | 2x4x2-4 jumps depending on position | 2x5x2-4 jumps depending on position | 2x6x2-4 jumps depending on position |
| Explosive MB Throws | X5 each | X5 each | X5 each |
| Bench Press | Up to 3×5 at 75-85% | Up to 2×2 at 85-92.5% | Up to 1rm |
| Front Squat | 2×6-Submaximal | 2×5-Submaximal | 2×4-Submaximal |
| Any Type of Row/Pullups | 3×12 | 3×10 | 3×8 |
| Any Type of Hip Extension | 3×10 | 3×8 | 3×6 |
| Situp and Press | 2×12 | 2×10 | 2×8 |
| BB Twists | 2×12/12 | 2×10/10 | 2×8/8 |
| Day 2/4 | |||
| Prowler Tempo Circuit | 2×10 rounds | 2×10 rounds | 2×10 rounds |
| Day 3 | |||
| Positional Start Sprints | 2x4x15-35yds depending on position | 2x5x15-35yds depending on position | 2x6x15-35yds depending on position |
| Reactive Change of Direction Drills | 2×4 reps | 2×5 reps | 2×6 reps |
| Prowler Push+Sprint | 2x4x5+10-15yds | 2x5x5+10-15yds | 2x6x5+10-15yds |
| Prowler Explosions | 2x4x3 pushes | 2x5x3 pushes | 2x6x3 pushes |
| Reactive Jumps for Distance | 2x4x2-4 jumps depending on position | 2x5x2-4 jumps depending on position | 2x6x2-4 jumps depending on position |
| Explosive MB Throws | X5 each | X5 each | X5 each |
| Floor Press | 3×6-Submaximal | 3×5-Submaximal | 3×4-Submaximal |
| Box Squat | 2×6-Submaximal | 2×5-Submaximal | 2×4-Submaximal |
| Traps | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 |
| Shoulders | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 |
| Arms | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 |
| Neck | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 | 2-3×8-12 |
| Ab Wheel | 2×12 | 2×10 | 2×8 |
| DB Side Bends | 2×12/12 | 2×10/10 | 2×8/8 |
| Day 5 | |||
| Positional Start Sprints | 2x4x15-35yds depending on position | 2x5x15-35yds depending on position | 2x6x15-35yds depending on position |
| Reactive Change of Direction Drills | 2×4 reps | 2×5 reps | 2×6 reps |
| Prowler Push+Sprint | 2x4x5+10-15yds | 2x5x5+10-15yds | 2x6x5+10-15yds |
| Prowler Explosions | 2x4x3 pushes | 2x5x3 pushes | 2x6x3 pushes |
| Reactive Jumps for Distance | 2x4x2-4 jumps depending on position | 2x5x2-4 jumps depending on position | 2x6x2-4 jumps depending on position |
| Explosive MB Throws | X5 each | X5 each | X5 each |
| Squat | Up to 3×5 at 75-85% | Up to 2×2 at 85-92.5% | Up to 1rm |
| Board Press | 3×6-Submaximal | 3×5-Submaximal | 3×4-Submaximal |
| Any Type of Row/Pullups | 3×12 | 3×10 | 3×8 |
| Any Type of Hip Extension | 3×10 | 3×8 | 3×6 |
| Situp and Press | 2×12 | 2×10 | 2×8 |
| BB Twists | 2×12/12 | 2×10/10 | 2×8/8 |
Now that we have laid out the training, basic and full of compound movements and bodybuilding accessory work, that will help these young athletes grow bigger, stronger and faster, let’s take a look at what will really help them put on the pounds: nutrition.
Juggernaut’s 2012 college bound football class, which includes some of the top players in the nation, are a testament to the effectiveness of this type of training and diet. As a group they have averaged an increase of 13 pounds of lean body mass, 63 pounds in the bench press, 109 pounds in the squat and reduced their 40 yd dash times by .27 seconds.
Nutrition
Young athletes face a number of issues when trying to follow a nutrition plan that older ones usually do not. 1) They are at school all day and wont have access to things like microwaves, 2) They don’t drive/have any money so picking up food is mostly out of the question, 3) They, for the most part, are pretty limited in their cooking abilities, so things need to be basic. To overcome these issues we need to provide them with dietary guidelines that can accommodate their schedule cause while it may be good in theory to have a 15 year old high school football player eating 10 oz of grilled fish and 2 cups of steamed veggies for lunch, it isn’t realistic, and if the plan can’t be effectively executed, it won’t be followed.
While these guys have pretty significant weight they are trying to gain, we want it to be as clean as possible so we will follow a carb cycling routine with them but won’t be overly concerned with keeping things too strict. The schedule will be Days 1/3/5-High, Days 2/4-Medium, Days 6/7-Low. Let’s look at a breakdown for each day…
High Carb Day
| Meal Number | Foods/Quantities |
| 1 | 3 Whole Eggs scrambled with spinach and cheese, 2 Pieces of Toast with Jam, 2 Packets of Instant Oatmeal, 1 Glass of Milk |
| 2 | Whey protein and creatine mixed with water, 1 Piece of Fruit |
| 3 | 2 Turkey Sandwiches on Quinoa Bread, 1 Piece of Fruit, 2 Cartons of Milk |
| 4 (Pre Training) | 2 Slices of Quinoa Bread with Honey or Jam |
| 5 (Post Training) | Whey protein and creatine, 1 Piece of Fruit, drink the shake first |
| 6 | 10-16oz of lean meat (chicken, fish, steak), 1-2 cups of rice/pasta/potatoes, large serving of green veggies, 1 Glass of Milk |
| 7 | Juggernaut Muscle Growth Formula blended with chocolate milk, oats, and banana |
Medium Carb Day
| Meal Number | Foods/Quantities |
| 1 | 4 Whole Eggs scrambled with spinach and cheese, 2-4 strips of turkey bacon, 1 Glass of Milk |
| 2 | Whey protein mixed with water, 1 Handful of trail mix |
| 3 | 1 Large Spinach Salad with 6-8oz Turkey or Chicken, 1 Handful of Trail Mix, Olive Oil Dressing |
| 4 (Pre Training) | 2 Slices of Quinoa Bread with Honey or Jam |
| 5 (Post Training) | Juggernaut Muscle Growth Formula, 1 Piece of Fruit, drink the shake first |
| 6 | 10-16oz of lean meat (chicken, fish, steak), 1-2 cups of rice/pasta/potatoes, large serving of green veggies, 1 Glass of Milk |
| 7 | Juggernaut Muscle Growth Formula blended with chocolate milk, oats, and banana |
Low Carb Day-
These will occur on the weekends so they will have more flexibility in what they can eat
| Meal Number | Food/Quantities |
| 1 | 4 Whole Eggs scrambled with spinach and cheese, 2-4 strips of turkey bacon, 1 Glass of Milk |
| 2 | Juggernaut Fat Loss Formula mixed with water, 1 Handful of trail mix |
| 3 | 10-16oz of lean meat, large serving of green veggies, 1 glass of milk |
| 4 | Juggernaut Fat Loss Formula, 1 Handful of Trail Mix |
| 5 | Same as Meal 3 |
| 6 | Whey protein mixed with milk and 2 tbsp of Peanut Butter |
Gaining quality lean muscle mass is simple, notice that there is a BIG difference between something being simple and being easy. This plan isn’t complex or fancy, hence it is simple, but it will require great dedication, planning and hard work, so it isn’t easy. Follow this plan or create a similar one for your athletes and watch them grow and improve.
Juggernaut Members, CLICK the cover above to download your copy of the Simple Guide to Mass Building
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