How to lose weight and gain muscle - what a stag do in Amsterdam taught me

Last month I headed to Amsterdam for a stag do and met up with my best friends, lads I’ve known for over 20 years. I hadn’t seen most of them for over a year, but like always when we meet up, it was like I’d seen them only last week and nothing had changed. Well, I say nothing but actually appearance wise we all had. Lots more grey hairs kicking about, a couple of receding hairlines, a bit extra all paid for in the beer belly department. But far and away the biggest surprise was the groom-to-be. He’d transformed into a muscle bound beast, as this picture shows.

Obviously I had to find out what kind of training schedule he’d followed for this amazing transformation, so here is it for you all.

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Monday – Chest

1. Normal Bench-press (on a smiths machine if possible)
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+10kg)

Tackle in one hand, pint in the other, classy!

3rd set = 6 reps (+10kg)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at original weight, then taking 20kg off each set.
2. Incline (35 degrees) dumbbell press
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+2kg on each dumbell)
3rd set = 6 reps (+2kg on each dumbell)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at orig weight, then taking 2kg off each dumbbell on each set.

3. Wide(ish) grip Tricep Dips – 4 sets of 12 reps

4. Cable Cross – 4 sets of 10 reps
5. Seated Chest Press (on machine) – 3 sets of as many as you can manage, at 65kg.

Tuesday – Legs

1. Legs Extensions
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at orig weight, then taking 5kg off each set plus (without rest) 1 last set on orig weight, as many as you can.

2. Hamstring curls – 4 sets of 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)

3. Squat, holding a kettleball (or 1 dumbbell), straight into an upward row on each rep – 5 sets of 20 reps

4. Calf presses, or raises (on a leg press machine if possible) – 5 sets of 20 reps (with 5 leg presses, ie squats, on the same weight after each of the first 3 sets)

5. Alternate lunges with dumbbell curl – 5 sets of 20 reps.

Wednesday – Arms

1. Tricep pull-downs
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at orig weight, then taking 5kg off each set.

2. Standing Barbell curls
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at orig weight, then taking 5kg off each set.

3. Cable woodchops – 3 sets of 10 reps facing one way, then 10 reps facing the other way.

4. Preacher bench EZ bar curls
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at original weight, then taking 5kg off each set.

5. Single arm skull crushers
3 sets on each arm – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+2kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+2kg)

6. Seated Incline dumbbell curls
On each arm
1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+2kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+2kg)
Then (without rest) a set of 10 reps on 2kg below original weight.

Thursday – Back

1. Lat pull-down
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)
Then double-drop set ie. 3 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at orig weight, then taking 5kg off each set.

2. Single arm bent-over row
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)

3. Close grip pull-downs, and close grip seated row superset.
3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)
2nd set = 8 reps (+5kg)
3rd set = 6 reps (+5kg)

Then single-drop set ie. 2 sets of 10 reps without rest, starting at orig weight, then taking 5kg off.

4. Lower back extentions, either using bodyweight, or on a machine – 3 sets of 12 reps.

5. Standing upward row, using dumbbells

3 sets – 1st set = 10 reps (whatever weight you can just manage 10 reps with)

2nd set = 8 reps (+4kg)

3rd set = 6 reps (+4kg)

Friday – REST!

Saturday – Circuit training

Jog round a couple of football pitches with;
40 press ups in 1 corner (10 decline i.e. feet on a bench, 10 normal, 10 incline i.e. hands on the bench, 10 close hand press ups)
50 v-sits in 1 corner
10 underhand grip pull-ups in 1 corner
Do 3 laps

Sunday – REST!


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