Max-Ot Complete Routine

You could summarize Max-OT like this:

1. Each workout should last approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Train only 1 or 2 muscle groups per workout/day.
3. Do 6 to 9 total heavy sets per muscle group.
4. Do 4 to 6 reps per set.
5. Rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets. (STR)
6. Train each muscle group once every 5 to 7 days. (ITR)
7. Take a 1 week break from training every 8 to 10 weeks.

You can resister (for free) and learn all about it here: http://www.ast-ss.com/

Or download a PDF file about it (free) here: http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/downloads/Max-OT.zip

If you ever need variations of this, Skip LaCour had many Max-OT variations:
http://www.skiplacour.com/max_ot_routine_home.htm

Slightly different then H.I.T.

I like it. Thanks for the PDF download. I signed up on their site but I didn' t feel like printing out 165 web pages.

I' m gonna give it a go.

I didn' t have time to read the thing online, so I printed it out. My printer gained about ten pounds of mass from the workout.
I' ll be reading this at work tomorrow, thanks for the link!

I wish I had the PDF when I first started the program. I just kept going back to the web.. finding the next week. Having that guide will make it so much easier.

MAX-OT may not be for everybody. It is just slightly different the H.I.T. I' ve tried that as well.

But for me.. my bodytype, my goals, my nutrition. I can honestly say that MAX-OT made the difference.

I' ve gained size and strength for sure and decreased my time in the gym. Overtraining was an issue for me.. it' s not anymore.

My next accomplishment is going to be getting my nutrition to the MAX level.

Glad you liked it. Good luck and have fun reading it!

Hey mda- Okay, so I read the whole thing today- It seems to make a lot of sense to me (although the author slams the bodybuilding mags for pushing their own brands of supplements, and then he seems to do the same) - You said it' s working for you, how long have you been on the program? What kinds of gains have you seen? I know everyone will react differently to different programs, but I' d like to get an idea of what to expect before plunging into a different routine. Thanks again for the info, this looks like some really good stuff.

I' ve been on this particular routine not quite a year. My gains have been part size but mostly strength. And I attribute the lack of size because of my lack of proper nutrition.

When I started the program, I was around 170lbs.. I' m at 180lbs now.. Nearly 10lbs of muscle.. have to believe that some weight gain is going to be fat. 2 to 1 ratio or so they say.

Strength.. biggest difference by far. I went from Smith Machine squats at 315lbs to easy 405lbs. I now do them in the cage (freeweight barbell) and I can do reps with 315lbs. Pretty much all of my exercises have increased in strength.

Again, size is coming but that really depends now on my eating habits and getting those extra calories into my life.

My gym time is hovering around 45-60 mins.. I used to train legs for 1.5 hours. Squats, leg extensions, lunges, hack squats, hams, never did calves. Ran out of time. After switching to some more basic heavy compound movements, I' ve noticed my time in the gym is shorter but I' m making gains. I don' t come home so fatigued I can' t walk. But I get sore and the next week, I feel like I' ve recovered and am ready to do it again.

While AST gets bashed as much as anybody and everybody is looking for the magic pill and magic routine, I think they have a decent program. It' s the less is more philosophy. I especially like the idea that what makes a muscle grow is overload and response to an increase in weight. Not fatigue. Doing endless sets until you can' t curl the bar seems like a waste of time.

But again, it' s been a real lifesaver for me. Others may find things that work for them much better. Now I need my nutrition to come back on track and I' ll be making some size gains as well.

Thanks again- I think I will give this program a shot. I like what they said too about overloading, it seems to make a lot of sense. I have to increase my calorie intake also, I' m about 5' 7" , 175, decent shape- But I haven' t been working out smart the past couple of years, so no real gains. I think this program is just the thing for me, but sticking to that kind of eating is hard, not to mention expensive. I don' t think I' ll be doing anything other than protein shakes and multivitamins in the way of supplements, but I definitely have to change my eating habits.

Best of luck.

I' m really pleased so far.. mostly because:

• my gym time has decreased
  
• my recovery time decreased
  
• my intensity has increased
  
• my strength gains increased
  

I' d give it a full 6 months.. and try and follow it the best you can. I know they make it sound like the letter of the law.. but I tend to follow it in the spirit of the law.

One thing.. make sure you really warm-up. Those warm-up sets might seem bull****.. but trust me.. if you are gonna be lifting heavy for pretty much 100% of the time, you really need to be warmed up before attemping such lifts.

They make mention of it.. extensively. It' s a very important factor. Once you warm-up and go heavy, there is no need to warm-up on additional sets or exercises unless they are completely different (like stiff-leg deadlifts are a good example where I do at least one good warm-up as it' s a different movement).

If you have questions, I' d be happy (or the other members) to chime in and try and help you out.

Well, I think you can " blame" mda for most of the folks switching to MaxOT here. I know I can. And to tell you the truth, yes I' ve seen massive changes since using MaxOT. I used to consider myself a hard gainer. But since December when I really started MaxOT I' ve had results that I can' t believe. So if others are having 1/2 the results that I' m having (and I doubt that as I' m sure their doing as good or better) you can rest assured that they' re making massive gains.

BTW, why don' t you try MaxOT for 12 weeks (or at least the 8 weeks until the rest week)? Follow it to the letter and see how the results are. After you give it 8 to 12 weeks you can see if you really like what you' re doing better or if you are just too comfortable and " scared" of trying something different. And I' m willing to bet that if you give it a full fair and honest try you' ll come back in 12 weeks and tell me that I was right.

Good luck

Thanks Sarge, I' ve actually started the program already, and I have to say I' m pleased even now. I feel like I' m demanding more of my muscles, and common sense tells me they' re going to respond. I' ve done a total of three maxOT workouts so far, chest one day, shoulders the next, biceps and triceps the next. I' m starting next week out with the legs, etc. etc. I do have one question though, regarding the warmup method. They provide an example, but they don' t really give the formula for it- I mean, is there a certain percentage of your max weight you should start out with, build up with, etc? They seemed to just give some numbers in their example without an explanation- How do you know how much weight you should warm up with, and what the increments should be? Is it something you have to sort of feel out, or what?
Thanks again for all the help!

In my experience, I pretty much know where my max weight is going to be. And that will vary per exercise.

So going by poundages won' t work. Think in terms of percentages.

Warm-Up Sets as a Percentage % of My Perceived Max of 4-6 Reps:

1-2 Set (12 and 10 reps respectively)
40% of my max weight

3 Set (6 reps)
65%

4 (3 reps)
75%

5 (1 rep)
90% (sometimes only 1-20lbs off my max)

Frequently I skip the 1 rep.. as it' s a psychological factor of getting ready for the heavy weight. But I' ve modified the program to fit my goals after following it.. so I' d suggest you just follow as close to the letter of the program as you can.

After about 2 weeks on this program, I got a really decent feel for what weights I wanted to use to warm-up with. I stoped calculating percentages and just grabbed what I knew would be a gradual, but steady increase to my max poundages.

The thing about MAX-OT is, it' s training heavy all the time. Which requires a few things that get overlooked in the gym:

1) Adequate warm-up of the muscle in order to do a heavy weight; minimizing the risk of injury

2) Once the warm-up is done (unless it' s a completely different movement) you just training heavy for the 6-9 sets and that' s it.

3) Rest. Training heavy requires rest and recovery time. Meaning, I train each bp once per week.


While the rest of the program is pretty formula driven, the warm-up is not. It' s critical to do but yet the exact weight you use is not. They assume that you realize doing a few sets of squats at 135lbs and then jumping to 335lbs is not a good idea. Increasing the weight, without failing, is getting your muscle ready for a big weight..

NOTE: I see plenty of people who follow what I' m doing.. not knowing the routine I" m on.. doing tons of reps for warm-ups. By the time I' m ready to do the real weights, they are done with the exercise because they are counting warm-ups as sets. They rarely get to the weight I' m at because they are too fatigued from all their sets and reps.

Thanks for the percentages- That' s one thing I really liked about the program, they way they tell you that the only sets that matter are the heavy ones- The workout hasn' t even begun until you do your first heavy set. I know it' s just a mental thing, but it helps me when it comes to the intensity.

Exactly!

The workout really begins when you lift the weights that overload the muscles and preparing them to grow.

All those warm-ups are for your psych as well as preparing your muscles to handle a big amount of weight minimizing the risk of injury.

I think it' s funny when I' m doing my routine and people are like.. okay.. we ready for the next exercise? And I' m, one more warm-up and then I' ll do this exercise for 2 sets.. heavy.. then we can move on.

They are stunned. But they did like 1 or 2 warm ups and then expect to go heavy.

Anyway, the program is very individual. Works for some, not for others. I' ve had a lot of success and honestly, it keeps my gym time to a minimum.

Remember, you grow out of the gym.. not while you are in the gym. So train hard, train smart, go home and eat and get your rest.

Keep us update on how it' s working please. I' m sure others read this thread and your questions are GREAT.

Hey all, first week of max-ot went pretty well. For me it was a different soreness. I use to burn myself out at the end of my workouts and therefore my muscles would hurt immediately after. Now, in max-ot they are not nearly as sore immediately after, but the next day they KILL. It is great!


Anyways, my question is about the heavy sets. When doing the heavy sets of 4-6 reps do you go up in weight as you go along? Stay the same ? Or wht?
??

thanks~!

If you can increase the weight as you go along, you' re doing it wrong. Once you find the max amount of weight you can lift after warming up for four to six reps, that should be it- Stick with that weight for three heavy sets. If you can use more weight and still perform between four and six reps, then the set before wasn' t heavy enough. It takes some time to find the weight you need to lift for each exercise- It took me about three weeks of trial and error, but I look at that period as a nice transition into the max OT program, getting my body used to the idea of heavier and heavier weights. Glad to hear you enjoyed the first week, trust me, as long as you' re eating right and following this program, you' re going to see big results pretty soon.

Appreciate the insight, thanks.

Chris

CPL was on da $$$..

Most of my sets.. I' m hitting the 4-6 rep range.. I just know it' s a weight where I might get 4.. but I' m shooting for 6.. if I do 6 and I can do more.. I will.. but the next set I' ll go up.. and the next time I do that exercise, I' ll just start off higher.

I think after 2-3 weeks, you should start to get the Mind to Muscle link connection. Where you kinda just know how much you can lift safely between that rep range.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I have used this routine for several years and have seen some great development. Downside is, I put on a lot of fat pounds and I am usually sore for 5 days after working a particular muscle group. The weight is a real problem for me, so I am switching to different routine.

I put on a lot of fat pounds

What is the nutritional plan that you followed when doing this routine?

Nothing wrong with switching things up. I' ve been on it for about 9 months. So far, very pleased with the results.

In your case, maybe you need a routine that is more frequent and less focus on muscle mass and more focus on overall health and toning? I know my friend is doing a kind of circuit training routine. He doesn' t want the muscle mass of Max-OT, and his routine is helping him to lose some pounds along with his revised eating habits.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

ive never tried this max-OT program before as ive had to stay on a football lifting program, but once i'm done with high school sports it looks like something id like to do. i do have a few questions about it though. one is that it talks about pushing the muscle to failure then giving it a week to rest. but the thing is on chest day youre working your triceps when youre benching and doing some other things, so when you go to work your biceps and triceps a few days later isnt that impeding the healing process for your tris? i havent gotten to the part where he talks about the benefits of working your biceps and triceps together and im sure theres reasons for it but i dont see how if youre supposed to be giving it a week to heal working it twice is going to be helpful. a lot of things like the 2-3 minute rests go against everything ive ever been taught, where everyone says take short breaks and push the muscle, but i like the idea of overload intead of fatigue, it makes sense. i think im gonna try this program out in the spring when football and wrestling are over. i really dont like how the thing goes on to be a big advertisement for all their supplements but the lifting aspect of the program sounds great. if someone could answer my question it would be appreciated.

The effort the triceps have to put out when doing bench presses is not like a full triceps workout- Sure, you're using them, but not to the point where you're overloading them or targeting them. Using them essentially as stabilizers when you're working out other muscle groups is not enough to impede the healing process- At least, I've been on this program for a few months now, and my triceps have grown steadily, in size and strength. You said you're used to resting very little in between sets- The overload principle feels a lot different than trying to fatigue your muscles. Before going on Max OT, I would try to lift with every muscle until total failure, fatiguing the hell out of them- Sure, after a chest day my triceps wouldn't be up to any work for a while- Overloading is very different. A typical Max OT chest workout, after warming up, would be something like this-
Three heavy sets of bench presses, four to six reps per set (Of course you know if you can do more reps, the weight's too light, less and it's too heavy) followed by the same sets and reps of dumbell chest presses, and the same again for incline presses.
The thing you have to keep in mind is this- When you're done with everything, you'll probably feel like you can still do more- DON'T. I felt that way when I first started, but that's because I was used to the same thing you seem to be doing now- Fatiguing the muscle. Max OT is not about that at all, and if you're like me, you'll feel like you're missing out at first because you won't feel the burn or the pump you're used to feeling when you work out. If you're used to getting that feeling, keep in mind this is a totally different way of working out and you shouldn't look for those things as a measurement of how hard you're working the muscle. Resting two to three minutes in between sets is essential when you're treating the muscles to some overload.
Hope this helps...

Ah screw the ads.. you understand they have to.. I mean.. they put in the time to make the guide..

And no you don't need their supplements to make this program work for you.

You can find plenty of comparable if not better alternatives, cheaper, that will do the job the same if not better.

Now for your question:

Can you post.. just one line.. exactly what it is your are asking. I'm not sure what you are looking for precisely.

If you work chest, then work triceps.. is that too much since you were supposed to wait a week?

Since the exercise is not specific to the muscle, it's not a big deal. I work arms together, but you don't have to.

Even if you squat heavy, my whole body gets a workout. You can't have itty bitty arms to squat heavy.

It's about focusing on the muscle in question. Granted, triceps do work when doing a bench press, but I'm never sore in the triceps on a chest day.. they are secondary muscles.

But on a triceps day, I'm sore the next. Because I focused on that muscle.

2-3 minute rests.. necessary if you wanna have enough strength to push it again.

I'm not into fatigue. I got a huge pump from that, but I never saw the growth. Fatigue doesn't build muscle, overload and telling your body get ready, next time it will be heavier, does.

Your best bet is to do exactly what you said. Try it out.. it's working for me.. and nothing else did.. but that's me. It might work for you.. it might not. Give it 100% and see..

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Is the Max-OT Routine just for professional like you guys who have sort of hit a plateu and have problems growing bigger? Or does it applies to newbies like me also?

I have read a lot of articles that stressed not to do too few reps, but Max-OT suggests 4-6, which in my view is very few.

But I did experience that I can do around 5 reps of the heavy weights, after the 5, its like a different stage, and of course after 8 it felt like a different stage, and after 12, it felt like I can continue to 20.

Now I am trying out 8-12 reps. But still I felt that the first set, no problem doing 12, but on the 3rd set, sometimes the muscle will fail on the 5th-8th set.

My Opinion:

I was ready for Max-OT after 2 years of working out.. so that I really knew my body well and how low to go on exercises, which joints hurt, how my body responds, how I feel when I'm at a very heavy weight...

As a new beginner, I'd probably not have my form down tight, do something heavy, and tweak myself.

I would recommend this program to an advanced athlete looking to gain some serious size, that understands nutrition, what it feels like to over-train, how to recovery and knows the mind-to-muscle link really well.

As a beginner I responded pretty good to a full body workout, then moved to a split where I was in the 8-10 rep range and now I'm loving Max-OT.

Because I understand the form and how much I can push it.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I've got a question, some of the weeks don't give workout routines? do you just follow the routine from the previous week?

I don't have the manual here in front of me- But I think that's the case. When they give specific workout schedules for different weeks, it's just a way of changing up the workout from time to time.

You do a routine for weeks 1-4 then switch it up.. to weeks 5-8.. that kinda thing.

After 8 weeks.. you take a 1 week break, come back at 60% and then then hit it heavy again.

The top headers are a collection of weeks (4) that you do a particular routine. Every 4 weeks you switch it up a little.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

That PDF is HUGE

for a noob just starting out, I don't know what to make of all that info...

I think I will start with a basic 4 day cycle with low weight and high reps to get into the swing of training, then maybe in a couple months consider something crazy like this...

It seems that "Max OT" can lead to injuries if done incorrectly, and since there is SOOOO much info with complicated descriptions and no visual diagrams describing technique, it is likely many inexperienced people will get some/most of the instruction WRONG...

does anyone have any good diagrams and simple instructions breaking down the exercises and information/techniques described by "Max OT"?

thnx

Check out the top topics (you will see them separated by a bar) in the Training forum. There is a thread on how to do a particular exercise. That will help if you don't understand what something means. There's videos in there as well.

Any workout with weight can lead to injuries. So you are correct. It's important to understand what the exercise does, how to do it and what weight you can handle before jumping in and going heavy.

I suggest if you are new to the game, to read Max-OT, stick with the basics but just get your body used to working out. If you just go heavy, you'll be so sore it won't be pleasant at all. And you could injure yourself attempting what most would call and advanced routine.

We're here to help. Ask away!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Hi all,

Max-OT recommends that you confine your workout to 30-45 minutes, and that's ok.

BUT...

Does that include, or exclude the warm-up sets? Sorry if this has already been answered.


JayBee.

No.

Once you add in the warm-up sets.

You are looking at 45-60 minutes total gym time. But only 30-45 of intense workouts.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

i have been using this routine for about 5 weeks now, and i am amazed with how much more weight i have been able to put up. i have been lifting for about 3 yrs, and was able to lift alot of weight but this new routine has super-charged my workout. i just wanted to say thanks for putting that routine on the forum.

NO PAIN NO GAIN!!!

keith deaton

You are very welcome. It made a big difference for me as well.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Whats your guys diet like during Max-OT. And say on week 1 you complete the reps you want, do you bump up the weight the next week? When do you guys usually max out?

I learned about this type of workout reading some of Mike Mentzer's articles on HIT. I adapted his hypotheses to my personal goals, age, and fitness ability. Here is what I do:

- 1 to 2 bodyparts per workout
- 6 sets per body part - (3 exercises @ 2 sets each)
- 10 reps on first set (50% of Max)
- 6 to 8 reps on second set (100% maximal)

As others have stated before, I have seen significant strength improvements. The biggest challenge is mental. It important to believe you are capable of moving more weight each and every workout. I have not increased bulk since I have not increased my nutrition intake significantly. I am currently focused on dropping bodyfat to the 10% to 12% range before bulking up again.

Caveat: I take about two weeks off to focus on smaller muscles in the shoulders and back. I found my shoulders take a beating when bench weights increase too fast.

Ok, this might be a stupid question, but I have only been training for a little under a year with weights. I am not a social person at the gym. I put my headphones on and don't pay attention to anyone else unless it is busy and someone wants to use the machine while I'm resting. I guess you could say I "zone out". I don't want to use a spotter, but it seems like all the workouts take advantage of free weights, which (to my best knowledge) should be only used with heavy weights when you have a spotter. I would like to follow this program, but I would be interested to know if anyone has used a spotter or not. Thanks!

Welcome to DB slayerboy!

I don't think it's necessary but it sure helps. If you are going to attempt heavier lifts and keep pushing the weights, it's a very good idea to have a spotter. But you don't need a spotter for everything.

I mainly need a spot for bench presses and squats. The rest I'm fine to attempt on my own. And if you use the Smith type equipment, you can do some heavy weights safely.

So while I don't think it's necessary, I do believe you can obtain better results with a spot as you'll feel safer (assuming the person knows what they are doing). And a partner can motivate you to the next level.

I'd do Max-OT and just give it your all. On exercises where you want to go to absolute failure, like bench, ask for some help.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Personally, I love the Max-OT workout. The most enjoyment I get from it is watching everyone else in the gym during my 3 minute rest periods and seeing the difference between our routines... So far I haven't seen anybody else at my gym who trains with Max-OT which is funny cuz everybody seems to notice me... Especially with my warm up sets. Everyone sorta gets confused when I pop off 1 rep and wait around a couple minutes b4 increasing weight and lifting again...

I was wondering though... can I switch between muscle groups while im resting... For instance, 1 set straight bar curl... then 1 set of tricept cable push downs??? Or do I have to weight 3 minutes b4 any sort of excersise???

What you're referring to is known as supersets- Doing two different exercises one right after the other. It's a nice way to change things up once in a while, but not as part of a normal workout routine. Your body needs that rest badly when you're pushing heavy weights.

There is something I have to say!

It's not what routine you are doing, most everything you do as long as it is not a negative routine, WILL WORK! About 97% of failiure is because of nutrition, stop worrying about the excersize that's easy. Glancing at the statistics for Americans eating right isn't.

But like I said most every routine you do WILL WORK, BUT ONLY IF YOU STICK WITH IT. It's shouldn't ware you down, losing weight shouldn't be abusing your body, eating less of good food, losing energy. Abusing your body won't do anything for anyone. From what I have seen now a days most people forget that dieting is not a thing you do, it's your lifestyl, it's the compsure of what you eat. Getting healthy should be a pleasure and not a chor!

Good point...

...Im not talking about supersetting... supersetting is working the same muscle group in back to back sets... Im wondering if I could work DIFFERENT muscle groups alternately (working one while recupin the other) in order to cut down on my gym time.

The one problem I have with the Max-OT program so far is on the back day, weeks 1-4... I have trouble perfoming the bent over barbell rows, good mornings, and hyper-extensions. I could handle the hyper's if I didnt mess my back on the previous two. Is there any way around this problem??

Of course! Alternating your muscle groups is really good, like arms shoulders one day, chest and back another etc.

If one type of workout doesn't feel right to you, switch it toa workout that will do basically the same thing. Try maybe substituting the Hyperextensions with just a regular back extension on a machine. See http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html#anchor1945210 for more types that will work the general area.

That reminds me... I want to research the different exercises for the different muscles. See which one would be effective for my goals.

This kind of research is fun because you see a lot of interesting things

I read all the thread and it seems to be good like training program, i will begin to use it soon after i read the PDF for all the info.

Thank Everyone, interesting info and feedback

Be strong !

Working alternate muscle groups back to back with no reps is also supersetting...

I usually do 2 muscle groups at a time, Chest/back, Bi's/Shoulders/, Legs/Tris/. I am really considering trying the max-ot routine. are any of you doing cardio with it as well? Basically I want to lose another 30lbs, alot in my abdomin and then will prolly try to bulk, my goal is to get to a 32-33 waist from the 36 I am now. I used to do cardio 4-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes and weights 3 times a week, in the 2 body parts I just listed, I need to come up with a new routine though, been doing the same sets of exercises for a while now, but then again i have been slacking big time for the past few months, however been able to maintain my weight, so I don't really think my body has adjusted to the routine, so I might keep the same for about 4 weeks then switch it up. I do try to rotate my days though, like wed-chest back, thurs- legs/tris-, fri- bi's/shoulders, wed-legs-tris, thurs-bi's/shoulders, fri- chest/back. that type fo thing. but not always on those days :p


Great sites for researching exercises :
http://www.bsu.edu/webapps/strengthlab/exercise.asp

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

the bsu has a lot of color videos, the exrx is a larger site I beleive though.

Sure, the max OT document has a whole section on cardio. Of course, you can try whatever you like- But they do discourage overdoing the cardio when you're trying to bulk up.

Hi - I'm a newbie to this site and would like some opinions on Max-OT. I am 30 y/o, 170 lbs and I have not worked out in about a year, but would like to begin the Max-OT Program. My Goal is to lose body fat (mostly in the mid-section) and gain mass and strength. Here are my questions:

1)I plan on using whey protein, creatine, and multi-vitamins as supplements. Is it recommended to supplement right away, or should I start the program for a certain amount of time before supplementing

2)How often is cardio recommended in order to lose fat and gain mass. (my goal is to go from a 34 to 32 inch waist).

3)Can this program be done at home w/ free weights? Are their alternate exercises that can be done in place of the machine exercises?

I would appreciate any advice you guys who have used this program can offer.

1)I plan on using whey protein, creatine, and multi-vitamins as supplements. Is it recommended to supplement right away, or should I start the program for a certain amount of time before supplementing

No, not at all. You can should start supplementing right away with protein and multis. You can do the same with creatine as well unless you want to see how much it increases your strength/endurance. Keep in mind when using creatine, you need to drink tonnes of water!!! If you can't manage to drink at least a gallon of water a day plus extra for every caffeinated drink you consume, hold off on it.

2)How often is cardio recommended in order to lose fat and gain mass. (my goal is to go from a 34 to 32 inch waist).

If you've never ran before, start slow. Really slow. Once per week should be your minimum. Anything more than that is a bonus. Keep in mind, cardio is probably the least enjoyed bodybuilding tasks (besides choking down flax oil) so doing too much before your heart, lungs, muscles and mind are ready for it could throw you off it completely. Max-ot reccomends a HIIT or high intensity interval training as it does not put your muscles at risk of catabolism (oposite of anabolism). A program quickly becomeing popular on these forums is Guerilla Cardio. Not for the faint of heart. Start very slowly and work your way up. Even highly trained individuals have trouble with this program.

3)Can this program be done at home w/ free weights? Are their alternate exercises that can be done in place of the machine exercises?

The nice thing is, Max-ot is rather void of machines. Its mainly comprised of compound free weight movements. Because of this, you'll need a spotter for quite a few of the lifts. Max-ot is also a very heavy lifting program, so if you can quickly run out of enough weight to continue. It sounds like you have lifted before, which is very important for this program. When lifting heavy, form goes from important to essential. Don't attemt any heavy movements if you are unfamilliar with the excersises. Im going through this myself with squats, deadlifts and some back movements. In my opinion, its better to do this routine at a gym. But if you can make it work safely and effectively, by all means do it.

Hope this helped

By the way, Mosely kicks ass!

(Something Inspirational)!!!

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The one thing a lot of benches don't have, or don't have an adequate version of, is the lat pulldown station. Max OT has you doing some lat pulldowns, and it's also great for triceps pressdowns and cable crunches. It's a shame that most of the bench- attatched versions of this I've used don't seem too stable, and aren't built to hold a lot of weight.

Since coming here and reading about the MAX-OT routines, I have given it a try and have gotten really good results. Been paying attention to diet, rest and training and in the past months and made a lot of gains in weight and strength.

However, I have sustained an injury on my right arm now, I think its tendonitis and now I am at a lost as to how to continue training heavy without worsening my condition. Tendonitis hurts real bad and besides focusing on training legs and abs, does anyone here have any ideas how to continue so??

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I just started coming here to see what you guys do to help me out.

Take care of the tendonitis before you continue, Redtab. You don't want it to become a bigger problem than it is now.

I just finished 4 weeks of GVT and I am starting Max-OT today. The GVT program seemed to work pretty good but it's boring. All you lift is light weights, you just seem to lift forever. The Max-OT workout looks promising!

I now have the MAX-OT complete routine in book form thanks to my copy center; they even put it in a nice hard bound jacket so I can read at my will, mainly on the train to work.

Its truyly amazing how much one can lift when using the max ot. one of my smaler firends(he is quite little, well about 144lbs) ive seen him bench before, using machines just this monday, he was using 85 for five(not to failure, but close). he never thought he would break the 90 barrier, letalone the tripple digit. well today, he pushed 132.5 for 3 sets of 6, onyl one to failure. , warming up was fun, and i must say,, was quite proud. twas 14, and had never lifted that weght, but got the hang of it. lol he asked me about barbell curls and tricep kicbacks. i asked him how long he was using them and he said a few months. did he grow? nopers. similar story, wrestling season, i was deadligting about 225 for a single, now, 5 months later, i raised 460 for the max ot usaual. ive never felt my lats work s, and its pretty amazing how much compound movements work. out..

i agree thats so similar to mine its very popular

alot of famous body builders do it accept i only have a 90 sec brake

Hey Guys.

It is very intersting to try this MAX-OT thing out...and I´m going to do it soon. But I dont undesrtand how he desings the warm-up and aclimation weigth... They only gives us ONE exemple in the couse text and they dont explain where did those numbers came from.... I saw a postin in this thread before, but it folows the same proportion of the example, so my doubt is : is ti allways the same? for every bodypart? for bigger and smaller muscles?

I have writen to the AST sport team and jeff willet himself througth the site, but they dindn´t care of answering my questions... This put some doubts in my judment... (why wouldn´t they answer if there were a logical response for the matter?...)

So did anyone have this answer before? I would like to try it but this is a crucial point further to I am not going without a adequate information...

Welcome sarado28sp


Have a look at my spreadsheet I made up.
I workout at a home gym. He has all the equipment plus a computer in his gym. So we always follow this spreadsheet and update this one as well.

http://www3.telus.net/SlySi/Workout.xls

Its pretty straight forward.

There are 6 TABS on the bottom.
Chest/Legs/Back/Shoulders/Arms/Max + Warmup

You may have to scroll left and right to see the tabs.

What we do is, we figure out what our max weight is. And we enter our max weight in the following tabs depending on your muscle group.
We enter them into Chest/Legs/Back/Shoulders/Arms

After you have entered them. You can goto the MAX + Warmup tab. This tab will tell you what your warmup and acclimation reps/sets should be.
This tab is broken down to what our Warmup/Acclimation/Max should be.
So for example.

Goto Max + Warmup Tab.
Look at Flat Bench Chest.
I color co-ordinated the warmup and acclimation depending on the name.
For example Simon (Me)
My first warmup 12x set is 33lbs a side.
10x = 33lbs a side
6x = 40lbs a side
3x = 53lbs a side
1x = 60lbs a side

Then I do 3 full sets of my max which is on the number on the left. And try to push higher if I can. I I push higher, I update my max Chest Tab. Not the Max + Warmup tab.

Hope that makes sense.

You are welcome to download it and use it as well.
There are formulas on the spreadsheet.
So I suggest you dont edit the MAX + Warmup.
You can edit all the other tabs.
Whatever you enter in the muscle groups, for example "Chest"
The Max + Warmup will automatically be entered in there.
And will spit out the what you should do for warmup, acllimation, and max set.

If you want to download it. Goto this link. Right click and save as.
http://www3.telus.net/SlySi/


Hope that helps.

Si,