Review by Rahul Alvares
I used to be
called a ‘Mad Scientist’ in school. You didn’t
have to be mad or for that matter experiment with crazy
stuff in the lab to earn at title like that though. I
earned it just by being the sissy, geeky bespectacled
kid who did better than the rest at studies by sitting
on the first bench in class!
Nick Nilsson really deserves
it though. He was probably experimenting with weight training
lifting mommy’s vital organs while still inside her
womb and he’ll probably be doing leg presses against
his own coffin door even after it’s six feet and
six months under. I wouldn’t even be surprised if
he attended ‘potions class’ at Hogwarts school
along with Harry Potter!
Like all of Nick Nilsson’s
previous books this is a must have. Trust me just get
this ‘Frankenstein Training’ program of his
and dump it on your shelf (or rather in a folder on your
computer titled ‘masochistic training programs’).
Open it only when you’ve plateaued with all your
other training programs, or when you’re feeling mildly
suicidal.
One of the great things
about Nick Nilsson’s programs is that they incorporate
a variety of training techniqes (100s, heavy partials,
triple add sets, time volume, cluster training, it’s
all in there). If you’re like me then you’re
probably constantly writing new programs for yourself.
You see any bodybuilder worth his salt knows that familiarity,
besides breeding comtempt, will also plateau out your
gains eventually. The beauty of Nick’s programs is
that they change almost every other day. I still do customize
his programs to my needs sometimes, but in general I’ve
found you hardly need to.
To be honest though I actually
haven’t yet tried ‘Mad Scientist’. Why?
Because right now I’m actually on two of his earlier
books. I can tell you from experience though
just by looking at ‘Mad Scientist’ that it will
be a brutal program. At eight weeks in total it’s
also his longest program so far. The earlier two programs
were between four and six weeks long. That’s another
reason why its going to be a while before I get on the
‘Mad Scientist’ program (much less daunting
to start on a shorter program when you know its going
to be a tough one for sure!).
Mad
Scientist Muscle
Second Opinion
The first thing
I want to make clear when you look at "Mad
Scientist Muscle" is that this actually
IS a serious program and a seriously GOOD
program. Don't let the name fool you :)
This program by
Nick Nilsson is based on good, scientific training
principles and is definitely not just same random
crazy sh$# thrown together.
There is a method
to his madness. I'm not saying there isn't some
really cool and effective crazy sh$# in there...it's
just not random...
Controlled
Overtraining...
What Nick has
done is put together a series of programs
based on the concept of "controlled
overtraining," also known as "accumulation
and intensification" or "dual
factor theory."
To put it simply,
in these programs, you'll gradually ramp up
your training volume by increasing the number
of sets you're doing (this is done on a weekly
basis), while simulatenously DECREASING your
rest periods in between sets, thus increasing
the overall density of your training in a very
deliberate fashion. |
The author of Mad Scientist Muscle, Nick Nilsson |
Increasing training
density is extremely effective for muscle growth and
strength gains. What the "Mad Scientist"
programs do (and there are three of them in the book)
is structure the increase in density for you, gradually
building up to a point at or near overtraining.
This is the
"accumulation" phase as you're gradually
accumulating workload and training volume over the course
of 3 weeks.
So, when
you HIT this point of overtraining, that's when you
back off on both the training volume AND the rest periods.
You'll do fewer sets and with long rest periods in between
sets. You're also going to reduce the rep ranges so
that you're working with more power and strength-oriented
loads.
Coming off
this overtraining ramp-up, your body is desperately
trying to keep up with recovery...the analogy Nick uses
in his book is that of a car going up a steep hill.
You have the gas pedal floored but you're still going
slow.
When you
come up and over the top of the hill and keep the pedal
down, you pick up speed FAST...just like when your body
comes off the overtraining phase. You're going to pick
up speed FAST. This is the "intensification"
phase, called that because you're increasing the INTENSITY
of the workload, operating closer to your 1RM.
This overall
training scheme is extremely effective. It makes great
use of your body's predictable reactions to volume and
overreaching and takes full advantage of the rebound
on the other side.
All three
included programs are put together in this format, utilizing
different training techniques for each accumulation
and intensification phase. You'll really see the "mad
scientist" stuff come out to play in the training
techniques themselves :)
The
cool part is, this "mad scientist" stuff is
actually very well thought-out and not just a collection
of strange intensity techniques.
These are
very effective training strategies that are implemented
in a very logical fashion to achieve very specific effects
on your body. This is a very accepted training-protocol
that can absolutely deliver results in strength and
muscle mass.
Stuctural
Training
Here's where
it gets interesting...
Nick's theory
is that by utilizing certain specific types of training,
you can make changes to the physiology of your body/muscles
in order to better set the stage for future muscle growth.
His idea
is that there are certain aspects of your physiology
that can be "trained up" using the right techniques
so that your body is better prepared for muscle growth.
If you have a hard time building muscle (classic hardgainer),
this could be a very attractive idea for you. Heck,
even if you're NOT, the idea of turning yourself into
an even EASIER gainer is not bad, too!
The question
is does this idea have merit?
In a word...yes.
The training styles that Nick puts forward in his
"Structural Training" section DO have the
potential to make very positive changes to your body's
physiology that impact future muscle growth.
For example,
partial training is a very widely accepted method for
increasing the strength of your bones and connective
tissue due to the super-maximal loads you're able to
use. Using heavier weights also primes the nervous system
for using heavier weights in FULL range of motion, too.
Also, one
of the other changeable factors he talks about in the
book is capillary density in the muscles...basically
the number and density of the tiny blood vessels where
oxygen and nutrient exchange take place. By using very
high rep, endurance-type training, research HAS shown
you can increase capilliary density. And by increasing
this density, you enhance the ability of your muscles
to receive nutrients and oxygen, which means more fuel
and food for them to GROW.
His incorporation
of Structural Training into the overall framework of
the program is done in a very elegant and intuitive
manner. You'll start with it before you do anything
else (what better time to set the stage!) then you'll
do more of it just after you hit the overtraining point.
Potential
Weaknesses of the Mad Scientist Muscle Program...
Overall,
this is a strong program. It'll definitely deliver great
results in terms of muscle and strength.
It would
be nice to see more of a focus on performance in the
program. You absolutely WILL gain strength on the intensification
end of the program, though. The way it's structured
pretty much ensures it.
The other
thing that might be something to modify would be the
split training aspect of it. Being from more of a bodybuilding
background, Nick has used bodypart splits. Now, these
CAN be effective when done properly and with primarily
compound exercises (and that's exactly how these programs
are put together) but you could absolutely use the frameworks
provided and change up the focus to be more on training
movements rather than bodyparts.
From a
bodybuilding perspective, this is absolutely effective
stuff. It WILL make you bigger and stronger.
There really
isn't anything in here that should stop you from picking
up this program if you're interested in hypertrophy
and strength. You'll definitely learn a lot from the
approach Nick puts forward in this book.
CONCLUSION:
Bottom
line is this a very complete program and very effective
for what it proposes to deliver...muscle and strength.
You're going
to get SIX MONTHS of detailed training schedules, covering
every single set and rep and exercise along the way.
If you're looking for a real "done for you"
type of program, this will be right up your alley. The
included "lean muscle" meal plans are a nice
bonus, too.
Nick is also
offering separately an add-on program for the book that
he calls "Frankenstein" and I have to say,
when you SEE this program, you'll know exactly why he
called it that. This one is only for advanced trainers...I'll
tell you that right now.
I will give
you a hint, though, it starts with six-day-a-week
training working your WHOLE body every day, before
backing off to three days a week. After you pick
up the main "Mad Scientist Muscle" program,
you'll be able to grab that one, too, in a package
along with ANOTHER book he's just put out "The
Best Mass Exercises You've Never Heard Of"
(yet another very interesting book from Nick..it's
a collection of 119 of some of the most unique
mass-building exercises and training techniques
you've ever seen - very cool stuff).
For more information Please CLICK HERE
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