7X7_StrengthSolution

The 7 x 7 Size & Strength Solution Building Muscle & Strength at the Same Time!

By Vince Del Monte, Honors Kinesiolgoy Degree, P.I.C.P Level 1& 2 Certified, Precision Nutrition Certified, WBFF Pro Fitness Model www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com

www.vincedelmontefitness.com

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Basic Introduction » Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. » Complete a thorough warm-up of cardiovascular activity, static stretching

and dynamic stretching before commencing the 7x7 Workout. I recommend Dynamic Stretching For Bodybuilders as the ultimate ten-minute pre workout warm up. It’s free when you join Live Large TV by clicking here.

» If you’re more than 10% body fat, add at least two bouts of interval cardio for 20 minutes a session. It’s most efficient to plan this after the upper body weight training days but it can be done separately in the morning or evening, just get it in.

» If you’re more than 15% body fat, add at least four bouts of interval cardio for 20 minutes a session. It’s most efficient to plan this after the weight training days but it can be done separately in the morning or evening, just get it in.

» If you’re less than 10% body fat, cardio is not necessary. Feel free to include some light activity of your choice.


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How To Safely Select Loads The tempo and reps dictate the load from set to set. It’s that simple! In some instances, as you fatigue, you will have to reduce the weight so you can continue meeting the reps and tempo outlined. In some instances, when you’re feeling extra good, you will increase the weight so you fail by the number of reps outlined. If the workout indicates 7 reps, that means the weight should not allow an 8th rep but not so heavy you only manage 5 or 6 reps. 7 reps means 7 reps. The fastest way to get familiar with your load selection is to use a training journal. Get one.


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The logic behind the magic number 7!

The fist time you read 7x7 you probably thought it sounded arbitrary and gimmicky, didn’t you? Actually, it’s neither.

Analyze the science behind rep selection and you’ll discover that 1-6 reps is for building relative strength, 6-8 reps is for functional hypertrophy, 9-12 reps is for hypertrophy and 13-20 reps is for strength endurance. Of course there is always overlap but there is always a dominant training effect. If you look at many traditional bodybuilding or strength building programs, you’ll notice a lot of favoritism to the 8-12 rep range in bodybuilding circles or 1-6 rep range in strength building circles. Rarely, if ever, do you see an intersection of the two rep ranges colliding. That realization was my inspiration behind the magic of the seventh rep. It’s where size-building meets strength-building and it’s the foundation of The 7x7 Size & Strength Solution. The seventh rep falls just outside of the realm of what would be considered a pure strength-building program and just below the lower end for protocols favoring size and mass. You’ll find that seven reps is low and heavy enough for getting you super strong but also light enough to create fatigue and stress within a muscle, the key ingredients for promoting size. Ever heard of 5x5 and 10x10? You’re probably well aware that 5x5 is one of the famous strength-building protocols, developed as early as the 1950’s. The goal of this program is to do five sets of five with the same weight. The goal is to hit failure on the very first set and then as the sets continue, you might finish up failing at reps 4, 3, 2 and so on. As www.vincedelmontefitness.com

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you get stronger you are able to do the same weight for all five sets of five, and then you up the ante once again and start over. 5x5, no doubt, is a powerful way to get strong. This programming gets you working with loads of 85% of your 1 rep max or greater. On the flip side, we have the famous 10x10 program, which is exhausting and brutal. Your goal is to perform ten sets of ten reps with the same weight. This high volume of work pumps a lot of blood into the working muscles, producing an incredible pump, a major contributor to new mass. Typically, this workout starts out with a load around 60% of your one rep max and you’ll bang out the first six or seven sets no problem. The torture kicks in on the last three to four sets where you might start failing at 9, 8, 7 and so on. Both of these approaches are often times called box training, and are highly effective programs when they stand-alone. In fact, these protocols are so powerful I created another program, 1,000 Rep Muscle, which combines both of these protocols for anyone willing to test their utmost limits. Click here to get a copy of 1,000 Rep Muscle. It’s time for fusion… While both the 5x5 and 10x10 have stood the test of time, I’ve always been curious to fuse these two approaches for those interested in building strength and size, at the same time. Instead of switching back and forth from a strengthbuilding phase into a size-building phase, you can attack both goals at once. Unlike the 5x5 workout where you’ll begin with a weight 85% of your 1 rep max and unlike the 10x10 workout where you’ll begin with a weight 60% of your 1 rep max, you’ll be using a weight that corresponds to 75% of your 1 rep max with 7x7, which means the primary training effect you’ll experience is functional hypertrophy. Each workout will finish up with some additional exercises to stimulate a hypertrophy and strength endurance training effect, too.


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49 reps, baby! Instead of looking at this workout as 7 sets of 7, look at it as one big set of 49 reps. After every 3-weeks, you should be able to do 49 reps on your seven sets with the same weight that you could complete 35ish reps at the start of the program. Imagine being able to say you did 49 reps of 315 pounds on deadlifts or 49 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press! Set yourself a goal in each compound exercise that you’ll be kick starting the 7x7 workout with. Chose compound exercises for 7x7 If you have a wide array of equipment, follow the program I’ve outlined below. However, you’re not limited to the compound exercises I prescribe and I’ve shared some options below that you can choose from. It’s ideal to select exercises you’re familiar with, 7x7 is not a protocol to use in experimenting with new movements, you’ll hurt yourself. Quads » Front squats » Leg press » Hack squats Hips » Trap bar deadlifts » Dumbbell deadlifts Horizontal pushing » Incline barbell press » Incline dumbbell press » Flat barbell press » Flat dumbbell press Horizontal pulling » Bent-over overhand barbell row » 45 degree T-bar row » Overhand seated row www.vincedelmontefitness.com

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Vertical pushing » Seated overhead barbell press » Standing overhead barbell press » Seated dumbbell shoulder press Vertical pulling » Wide grip pull up » Chin up » Wide grip lat pulldown » Underhand lat pulldown The 7x7 Progression: Week 1 - 7 sets of 5 Week 2 - 7 sets of 6 Week 3 - 7 sets of 7 Week 4 - 7 sets of 5 but Increase weight 5-10% Week 5 - 7 sets of 6 Week 6 - 7 sets of 7 After six weeks you will have increased your strength by at least 10% and your work capacity, resulting in more muscle mass on your frame. Take at least 4-days, seven days maximum, completely off before starting another program. It’s these days of rest that your body will super compensate and make the biggest growth. The 7x7 Warm Up We obviously don’t go directly into our first work set of seven reps on the first set with 75% of our 1RM, that is a perfect way to put your therapists kids through college. There is no “correct” number of warm up sets, when you’re warm you’re warm and you’ll probably 2-4 warm up sets before your first work set of 7. Here’s what my warm up sets typically look like: Warm Up Set #1 - 12 reps with 40% of 1RM www.vincedelmontefitness.com

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Warm Up Set #2 - 10 reps with 60% of 1RM Warm Up Set #3 - 8 reps with 65% of 1RM Work Set #1 - 7 reps with 75% of 1RM etc These are really “rehearsal sets” to get familar with the movement, how your body feels and to get your nervous system revved up! These warmup/rehearsal sets should not fatigue you by your first work set. The 7x7 Split: Since this workout makes you work to failure multiple times in each workout, you will only train each bodypart once per week to allow sufficient recovery between workouts. An ideal split would be 2 days on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off and repeat. That would look like: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Another option is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Take the other days completely off. Keep A Training Journal: Every time you do a new 6-week cycle, you can make sure you’re starting weights are slightly heavier on week one. This will ensure you’re increasing your work capacity/density, which means you’re doing more work in less time -- the cornerstone principle of muscle growth. The Tempo Matters: You do not need to bust out the metronome but it’s critical to use the tempo to help you dictate the appropriate load selection. The Rest Periods Matter: When I say 3 minutes, I mean that the next set starts at 3 minutes so start getting ready for your next set around 2 and ½ minutes. True progress is based on standardizing the tempo and rest period from workout to workout.


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The Duration Matters: No matter how well the program is designed, you’ll eventually adapt. Do not follow this protocol for longer than six weeks and do not do it for anything less than three weeks. A great follow up to this program is the 7-5-3 Wave Loading Workout and then the 6-12-25 Mega-Size Method, both which can be found in the Live Large members page.


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Day 1: Horizontal Push/ Vertical Pull & Biceps Exercises

Sets

Reps

Tempo

Rest

A1. Bench press

7

7

40X0

90

A2. Wide grip pull ups

7

7

40X0

90

B1. Incline dumbbell press

3

10-12*

3010

45

B2. Close grip pulldowns

3

10-12*

3010

45

*Perform 1&1/2s - One rep equals a whole rep plus a half a rep C1. Pec deck flys

2

21’s*

2010

30

C2. Straight arm cable pullovers

2

21’s*

2010

30

*Perform 21’s - 21’s consist of 7 reps in stretch position, 7 full reps, 7 reps in contracted position D1. Incline dumbbell curls

3-4

4-6

4010

-

D2. Barbell preacher curls

3-4

8-10

4010

60

NOTES: 40X0 tempo means 4 seconds to lower, 0 second pause, X means to lift explosively, 0 second pause, repeat.


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Day 2: Hips Exercises

Sets

Reps

Tempo

Rest

A. Medium-Grip Bent-Knee Deadlifts

7

7

40X0

3min

B. Wide-Grip Deficit Deadlifts

3

10-12

3010

60

C. Back extensions

2

21’s*

2010

30

*Perform 21’s - 21’s consist of 7 reps in stretch position, 7 full reps, 7 reps in contracted position D. Speed shrugs

4

8

20X1

45



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Day 3: Horizontal Pull/Vertical Push & Triceps Exercises

Sets

Reps

Tempo

Rest

A1. Standing overhead press

7

7

40X0

90

A2. Bent over overhand barbell row

7

7

40X0

90

B1. Seated dumbbell press

3

10-12*

3010

45

B2. Underhand seated row

3

10-12*

3010

45

*Perform 1&1/2s - One rep equals a whole rep plus a half a rep C1. Rear delt machine flys

2

21’s*

2010

30

C2. 45 degree T-bar rows

2

21’s*

2010

30

*Perform 21’s - 21’s consist of 7 reps in stretch position, 7 full reps, 7 reps in contracted position D1. Decline dumbbell tricep ext

3-4

4-6

4010

-

D2. Rope pressdowns

3-4

12-15

4010

60



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Day 4: Quads Exercises

Sets

Reps

Tempo

Rest

A. Back squats

7

7

40X0

3min

B. Static barbell lunge

3

10-12

3010

60

C. Front foot elevated Bulgarian split squat

2

21’s*

2010

30

*Perform 21’s - 21’s consist of 7 reps in stretch position, 7 full reps, 7 reps in contracted position D. Standing calve raises

4

8

20X1

45

NOTES: 40X0 means 4 seconds to lower, 0 second pause, X means to lift explosively, 0 second pause, repeat.


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Calories:

The 7x7 Size & Strength Diet

Bodyweight x 17 If you did not gain 4-5 pounds of fat-free muscle mass after 28-days, readjust your calories to Bodyweight x 20 the next time through. Macronutrients: Carbohydrates: 40% if you’re over 10% body fat Carbohydrates: 50% if you’re less than 10% body fat Protein: 30% if you’re over 10% body fat Protein: 30% if you’re less than 10% body fat Fat: 30% if you’re over 10% body fat Fat: 20% if you’re less than 10% body fat To calculate your macronutrients for a 175 pound male less than 10% body fat: 175 x 17 = 2,975 calories per day 50% carbs = (2,975 x 0.50 = 1,487 / 4 calories per gram = 372 grams per day 30% protein = (2,975 x 0.30 = 892 / 4 calories per gram = 223 grams per day


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20% fat = (2,975 x 0.20 = 595 / 9 calories per gram = 66 grams per day NOTE: This is a generic starting point. Each week you will assess how you feel, look and perform to determine if you should increase your carb intake or fat intake if you’re not making gains. There is very little need to increase your protein intake, it’s more than sufficient. Do not make any changes to your diet if you’re not following it at least 90% of the time or else you don’t have enough intelligence to make an accurate decision. Meal Frequency: Every 3-4 hours MAXIMUM. A meal cadence any less than this is less than optimal and will initiate a cascade of catabolic hormones. You can debate about optimal meal frequency all day long with the “arm chair experts” out there, but I have no interest in engaging in academic debate. Over the past ten years I’ve worked with hundreds of clients and they all stick to a meal cadence of every 3-4 hours MAXIMUM. We strive for at least 5-6 meals a day minimum and no more than 2 shakes a day. Optimally, 1 shake a day but 2 is the max. If you want to look solid, you need to eat solid food. And if you’re skeptical about eating every 3-4 hours, take a look at how it’s worked out for my us: Click Here To Read Testimonials of guys & gals eating every 3-4 hours. Knock yourself out.


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INTERESTED IN DONE FOR YOU MEAL PLANS? Click here to order No Nonsense Muscle Building & get access to my 84-Day Healthy Mass Meal Plans which include calories amounts from 2,000 to 6,000 calories!


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My Current Diet To Bulk To 230 Pounds Pre Meal 1: 1 scoop of greens powder from Prograde Genesis 1 large tablespoon of glutamine 1 liter of water with 1 whole lemon *Wait for 20 minutes to alkalinize Meal 1: Breakfast 3 whole eggs 8 oz of extra lean ground beef 1 cup of spinach 1 tablespoon of coconut oil *Mix all this together in frying pan 2 slices of Ezikel bread with 1 tablespoon of walnut or butter 5 grams of Omega Blue Fish Oils Meal 2: Pre Workout Meal 10 oz of white fish 1.5 cups of brown rice or quinoa ½ cup of steamed or raw veggies Pre Workout Supplements: 1 scoop of Extreme Rush from Blue Star Nutrition 3-5 grams of L-Carnitine Tartrate from Blue Star Nutrition 5 grams of Creatine monohydrate from Blue Star Nutrition * You MUST try this stuff, it’s nothing less than INSANE! During Workout Supplements: 20 grams of BCAA from Blue Star Nutrition 20 grams of Glutamine from Blue Star Nutrition 1 Gatorade (for simple carbs and electrolytes) Post Workout Supplements: Bio Trust Low Carb Protein Powder - Vanilla 1 scoop of greens powder from Prograde Genesis *Mixing vanilla and greens together tastes amazing!


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Meal 3: 1 Hour Post Workout 4 oz of ground turkey 8 egg whites 1 cup of white rice 1 cup of veggies *Fix them all together for a stir fry 5 grams of Omega Blue Fish Oils Meal 4: 4 Hours After Workout 10 oz of chicken or white fish 10 oz of sweet potatoes 1 cup of raw or steamed veggies Meal 5: FREEEEEBIE MEAL!!!!!!!!! That’s right, you get 1 free freebie meal per day! Take your girl out for dinner, get a bite with your buddies, satisfy your craving and be happy that you’re bulking up, not dieting! This is not mandatory but it’s an optional strategy to help you stay compliant to the other meals in the day. If you think about it, one freebie meal a day still keeps you compliant to your diet 90% of the time, which is pretty darn impressive. Don’t go crazy with your freebie meal but let go of any “obsession” with having to “keep it clean” all the time. We’re bulking up, not cutting here so enjoy it! I also recommend you take some digestive enzymes with this meal so help with absorption and digestion (who knows what you’ll be eating J) I recommend Absorb More from Bio Trust. Meal 6: 10 oz of salmon or lean steak of your choice 1 full avocado 1 huge greens salad with ½ cup of mixed nuts and seeds of your choice Pre Bedtime Supplements: ZMA - I use Status from Blue Star Multi Vitamin - I use Vitality from Blue Star


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Before & After

BEFORE

Tony Gregory Gahanna, Ohio

BEFORE

CHRISTIAN ROSENVOLD Copenhagen, Denmark

AFTER

Packed On 50 Pounds of MUSCLE!

BEFORE

AFTER

Gained 17 Pounds Of Muscle

BEFORE

Amit Sidhwani Mumbai AFTER

The Best Shape I Have Ever Been In!

BEFORE

Staton Akana Lindon, Utah

BEFORE

TOM BODD Creston, British Columbia

AFTER

Got My Life Back at 53 Years Old

BEFORE

Daniel Ernesto Gomez Chama Veracruz, Mexico

Andy Spruill AFTER

AFTER

Your Full Body Routine Is Simple Amazing!

BEFORE

Andy Notices Veins And Cuts He's Never Seen Before!

BEFORE

BORISLAV HRISTOV Bulgaria AFTER

AFTER

My Self-Esteem Shot Through The Roof!

Lost 22 Pounds Of Fat

Ezra van den Bosch Waddinxveen Netherlands

AFTER

Gains 30 Pounds Of Solid Muscle

CLICK HERE To Ready Their Success Stories www.vincedelmontefitness.com

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Before & After

BEFORE

BEFORE

Aimo Ruoho Torrevieja, Alicante province, Spain AFTER Aimo's Inspires An Entire Generation!

BEFORE

BEFORE

Joey de la Cruz Uvalde, Texas

AFTER

From Fit To Freaking Shredded!

Juuso Korvola Helsinki, Finland AFTER Columbia The New "Go To Guy"

BEFORE

KIM HO Hong Kong AFTER

Gains 90 Pounds Of Muscle!

BEFORE

Marios Prodromou Larnaca, AFTER Cyprus 12-Weeks - Went From 200 lbs at 17% Body Fat To 210 lbs at 10% Body Fat!

BEFORE

Phil Smith Grove City, Ohio

Peter Carvell Ontario, Canada Thank You For Helping Me Get My Body Back!

BEFORE

Don Casagrande New Zealand AFTER

AFTER

Gained 15 Pounds Of Muscle

65 Is Only A Number

CHAZ GINEST Denver, Colorado

AFTER

Added Nearly 20 Pounds Of Muscle


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Before & After

BEFORE

Gino Aquino Trinity Beach, QLD, Australia

BEFORE

BEFORE

Anthony Ciccotto Long Island, New York

AFTER

Anything Can Be Physically Achieved

BEFORE

AFTER

Gave "One Hundred And Ten Percent"

BEFORE

João Paulo Gaspar da Silva AFTER Brazil Now Quickly Noticed By Women

BEFORE

BEFORE

Bernardo Pinho Portugal AFTER

He Gains 10 Pounds Of Muscle!

AFTER

Packs On 47 Pounds Of Size!

BEFORE

Joey Vaillancourt Gatineau, Quebec

AFTER

Nick Lofton Katy, Texas

"Commitment is key!"

BEFORE

Ben Gouwens IN, USA

Josh Proberts Wamsutter, Wyoming AFTER Columbia Josh Lost 7% Body Fat

AFTER

Joe Lost 25 Pounds

Jock Purtle NSW, Australia

AFTER

Added Nearly 20 Pounds Of Muscle


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Before & After

BEFORE

BEFORE

Ivan Mendez Akureyri, Iceland

BEFORE

Michael Dahl BC, Canada

Pete Luckraft

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

Maan...you look so muscular!

Pain is only temporary

Stayed On Track and Took Action

BEFORE

BEFORE

Sondra St-Amand Vernon, British AFTER Columbia 40 Year Old Mother, Loses 18 ½ Inches

BEFORE

Derek Cutsinger Daegu, South Korea

BEFORE

Megan Kelly MA, USA

AFTER

Went From Skinny-Fat To Lean, Toned And Sexy!

BEFORE

Bill Ranchmen Louisiana, AFTER USA "I Wanted To Be Someone Instead Of Being A Little Skinny Push Over"

BEFORE

Paul Masinelli AFTER

AFTER

Building Muscle The Chicks Dig!

The Work Is It's Own Reward!

Matt Beukelman Mitchell, South Dakota

AFTER

Packed On 10 Pounds Of Muscle


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About The Author Meet “Vince Del Monte,” the only Fitness Guru who has been coined The Skinny Guy Savior . He earned this name by dedicating his life to transforming the lives of the skinny, scrawny wimpy guys & skinny girls – helping them become healthier, fitter and more confident in their bodies. In the end his students transform themselves to “Live better, Look better & Know better!” Vince has transformed thousands of lives of the skinny, scrawny wimpy individual with a perfect mix of encouragement, humor, no BS, inspiration and fun with his popular best selling “No-

Nonsense Muscle Building” system.

Vince has the most popular “skinny to muscular” transformation stories in the world. He was the poster boy of the “I can’t gain weight or get the girl” story. Vince became known as “Skinny Vinny.” He was 140-150 pounds at 6 feet tall. The nickname didn’t die; it stuck with him all through college. He tried everything to gain weight any way he could, never reaching past 149 lbs., dripping wet. He went through the battles to gain like no other. As a former competitive long distance runner, Vince used running to survive the embarrassment and insecurity he suffered from being too skinny. He formed an identity for himself as one of those lean, mean, running machines. Vince studied Kinesiology and received a Honors Kinesiology degree from the University of Western Ontario. After college, he found a mentor who “told him to burn all of his fitness magazines and stop wasting money on supplements to gain weight.” Vince’s life started to change. He gained some weight, got muscles and then met the girl of his dreams – whom he calls his B.M.W. – Beautiful Marvelous Wife! Vince helps thousands of individuals with “muscle unfriendly genetics”; make a plan to create new habits and commit to it. He helps with motivation, confidence, and teaches the basis for


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training smarter not harder – individuals see muscles within 2 weeks, not 2 months! They eat better and have a more balance life. And in the end, each individual becomes a better man or woman all while reaching his or her goals. Vince is the Author of “No-Nonsense Muscle

Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain.” The book has sold more than

80,000 copies in more than 120 different countries. He is also a WBFF Professional Fitness Model. Vince continues to compete in the fitness-modeling world and has won the Canadian Fitness Model Championships. In June 2008, he competed again and placed 3rd at the World Fitness Model Championships. In 2011, Vince became a WBFF Pro Fitness Model and competed at the 2011 WBFF World Championships. He enjoys the natural bodybuilding and fitness lifestyle, and continues to practice what he preaches to challenge himself and inspire his readers.


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7X7_StrengthSolution

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