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.