Chris Hitchko - Chris Hitchko owns ShowUp Fitness, a personal training facility in the San Francisco...

Are You Soft or Ripped? Try This Program to Build Muscle

February 22, 2013

Broad Jump

Are you soft or ripped? I'm sure you at least aspire to be ripped. Unfortunately, many people who work out frequently have difficulty attaining a sculpted body.

Our society is full of heavily promoted fitness workouts that claim to help you look like the models you see in their ads. If these claims were accurate, do you think a majority of Americans would be classified as overweight? Probably not.

I'm sorry boys and girls, but society lies to us all the time, especially when it comes to losing weight and gaining muscle. Let me lay down some of the rules of getting ripped.

If you want to stay soft, do Cardio // If you want to be ripped, do Sprints
If you want to stay soft, do Leg Presses // If you want to be ripped, do Broad Jumps
If you want to stay soft, do abs three to five time per week // If you want to be ripped, do legs three times per week
If you want to stay soft, lift light weight (except beginners) // If you want to be ripped, lift heavy weights
If you want to stay soft, keep doing the same program // If you want to be ripped, change up your program every two to four weeks

Try the following program, which incorporates each of the "jacked" principles I enumerated above.

Monday

Complex 1: Deadlifts: 5x5 + Depth Jumps: 5x10 (24-inch or smaller box). Rest for 2 minutes between sets.
Complex 2: Bench Press: 5x5 + Clap Push-Ups: 5x10. Rest for 2 minutes between sets.
Complex 3: Weighted Pull-Ups: 5x5 + Med Ball Slams: 5x10. Rest for 2 minutes between sets.
Complex 4: Military Presses: 5x5 + Med Ball Press Ups: 5x10. Rest for 2 minutes between sets.