In the previous post we established why Abercrombie and Fitch models train a lot differently than the average person. This is a big reason why Abercrombie models have a more visually appealing physique compared to those of bodybuilders or meat-heads. We also now know what kinds of lifts and strategies to stay away from that could potentially ruin your look. You want lean, dense, and defined muscles now so lets instead get into the nuts and bolts of the powerful Abercrombie Workout.

(Not an Abercrombie model but you get the point as to what kind of look you are aiming for)

The Beginning Of Your Body Transformation

With any great routine there has to be a strong mix of diet and exercise to achieve the best results. Where most programs fail is the proper order and sequence of the muscle building portion while providing nutrition advice that is too obsessive compulsive and complex. Following typical bodybuilding workouts for men will also leave you slightly pudgy with soft, puffy, rounded muscles instead of lean, toned, and angular. I’ll lay out a strategic approach to diet with multiple phases of muscle building that will sculpt your body that rivals Abercrombie models.

Mass Building- Phase 1: Sets, Reps, Rest

This phase is a little subjective. Which means it depends on your current size. If you have been lifting weights for awhile you more than likely have enough muscle mass. Trust me on this! Abercrombie models actually aren’t that big. What makes their muscles appear larger is actually a little bit of an illusion. Having very low body fat with toned muscles in just the right places makes a visual impact (now you know where it gets the name). Don’t get me wrong, they do have a good amount of muscle mass but just not as much as you may think. So if you feel that you need a little bit more mass this is the phase where you will begin.

1)  Sets: 3-4  but with only about 30-45 sec of rest. You will be working on cumulative fatigue…training to failure.

2) Reps: 8-15+

You won’t need to be on this phase for more than a few months. If you stick with mass training for too long your muscles will eventually look soft and puffy due to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. You are aiming for high reps, short rest, low weight. You want to fatigue the muscle like crazy. This is the essential for building mass.

Mass Building Exercises (Day 1 and 2)

1) Chest: Incline bench, incline dumbbell bench, Gironda press, squeeze press, dumbbell flies (Here is a good article: chest workouts for men)

2) Biceps: Straight barbell curl, dumbbell curls, incline dumbbell curls

3) Shoulders: Standing military shoulder press, dumbbell lateral raise, seated shoulder press, seated dumbbell press

4) Triceps: Cable pressdowns, lying tricep extension, dips (make sure not to lean too far forward so that you don’t work your lower chest)

5) Back: Pullups (max), seated cable rows, nautilus pullovers

6) Forearms & Abs: Reverse barbell curls, wrist curls, planks, ab wheel exercises (Note: No crunches or situps. Why? Find out here.)

On the mass building stage you will want to train on a 2 day split. Day 1 could be spent with chest, shoulders, triceps, abs. Day 2 can be back, biceps, forearms. Then take 1 day off completely. So, two days training, one day off, two days training, one day off, etc.

Note: I’m sure you noticed that I didn’t include training legs. Abercrombie and Fitch models don’t have thick, tree-like, legs. Your lower body has a much larger growth potential so it is very easy to build the legs up with weights. You can create much sexier and defined legs with a tough HIIT workout.

Diet: No Complications Here

During the mass phase you can eat a little more calories than what you would during the strength and muscle density phase. However, it is very easy to go overboard.  This is also dependant on your current weight status. If you are currently overweight than I would implement intermittent fasting (here you will learn why food actually has very little to do with muscle gain despite what you have learned). If you are at a decent weight, like 4-pack abs status, then you can eat at or a little above maintenance. Once again, you do NOT need to be scarffing down food all day long to gain muscle mass. I don’t care what bodybuilding magazines are telling you. It doesn’t work that way. If you are eating like a pig, the increased weight gain will be mostly fat and not muscle.

Cardio For Increasing HGH While Burning Excess Fat

Cardio will also take a special place while building mass. However, it will be shorter and less taxing on the body. When done properly, cardio can help boost HGH (fat burning hormone) and preserve muscle mass. In this phase you will include HIIT intervals right after your mass workout. If you are familiar at all with high intensity interval training (HIIT) then you know that their are hundreds of ways doing it. All you need is the basics. Once you understand the principles to HIIT, then you can shape your cardio workouts in any way that you want. Ex) HIIT: swimming, sprinting, bodyweight, stepmill, treadmill, etc

Here are a few examples:

1) High Intensity Intervail Training Workouts And The HGH Flush

2) HIIT Workout Routine: High Intensity Swimming Workouts To Torch Stubborn Body Fat

Note: Once again you will use your HIIT intervals immediately after lifting weights.

The duration of this phase is all dependent on your current size. If you have never lifted before then you may have to follow this for 6+ months. Like I said before, you don’t want to follow this for too long because you will eventually look soft and puffy. Now, if you have been lifting weights for awhile then it may only need to be for 3-6 months before you switch over to the next phase. In the next post you will learn how to create hard, dense, angular, toned muscles while “shrink wrapping” your skin around your abs to polish off the look of an Abercrombie and Fitch model. This is some advanced techniques that you will get from the Abercromibe workout. Remember, most bodybuilding workouts for men won’t create a body like a male model.

I’m sure you have noticed that Abercrombie and Fitch models have some of the sharpest looking physiques in both the modeling and fitness industries. For years people have tried to bust their butts in the gym in order to resemble that type of look but seem to fall short. So why is it that so few have even come close? Do these Abercrombie models know something that we don’t? What if I told you that there is a legit way of sculpting and building muscle in all the right places to create an astonishing body just like them. The Abercrombie Workout addresses that very issue. Click here to get the look!

Why Their Program Is Way Different Than Yours

Having the right muscle mass and density in all the right places is crucial, yet people don’t seem to understand this. Most gym rats have high hopes of creating a great looking body but they go into their workouts blindly. There is no strategic plan to their gains. They end up just trying to put on as much muscle mass as possible without ever thinking where that mass ends up. This is a sure way to ruin your look. Putting on muscle no matter where it ends up is a recipe for disaster. You simply don’t want to look like an oversized bodybuilder. That look has been dead since the 1980′s!

Are You A Victim Of Squats, Dead Lifts, And The Bench Press??

This is another reason why weight lifters don’t build the kind of body that they see on posters, billboards, or on shopping bags. They typically follow the average muscle building routine that is revolved around these three lifts. Here are the reasons why I would avoid these lifts at all cost:

(This is the kind of body that the “Big 3″ lifts will create. You do NOT want this. Round and puffy muscles with a thick midsection doesn’t cut it for Abercrombie models)

1) Squats- Do a great job of adding a lot of mass to your thighs and butt. You do NOT want this! Abercrombie models don’t have huge butts or thighs because it will ruin their look. They also won’t be able to fit into stylish pants.

2) Dead Lifts- This lift also does an incredible job of adding mass to the midsection, thighs, and butt. Adding mass to your midsection will ruin the natural “V” in your upper body. Take a moment and study their physique. They all have nice wide shoulder that tapers down to a small and lean waist.

Note: This is why I skip direct leg work completely. If you have been lifting legs for any length of time I can almost guarantee that you have enough leg mass(probably too much already). You are NOT committing a bodybuilding crime by skipping legs! Get that out of your head. You will thank me later.

3) Traditional Bench Press: I am still a huge fan of the bench press, just not the flat bench or decline bench. These lifts focus way too much on lower pec development. You don’t want your pecs to resemble that of woman’s breasts. This is why I only recommend doing chest exercises in an inclined fashion. You want masculine square pecs. A line that goes all the way up to the collar bone is very desirable. Upper pec development will give you that angular looking chest that women love.

4) Bonus: It is also a good ideal to stray away from shrugs and upright rows. Abercrombie and Fitch models have wide and ripped shoulders. Adding mass in traps will take away from your sharp, angular, wide shoulders. This is extremely important for you as well as models to sport fashionable clothes. For more tips and techniques check out The Fitness Chronicle

Understanding The Difference Between Myofibrillar/Sarcoplasmic Muscle Growth

1) Sarcoplasmic: I’m not going to bore you by going into the scientific portion of muscle growth so I will make it simple. Sarcoplasmic muscle growth is displayed when you are lifting in the high rep ranges. Ranges of 8-15+. This really fatigues and breaks down the muscles. Too much attention on high reps will make your muscles look soft and poofy. You will be able to fill a shirt, but when it comes to beach season you won’t have that rock hard look like the models you see posing.

(This is the kind of body the Abercrombie Workout targets. Ryan Reynolds is not an Abercrombie model but he fits the profile very well)

2) Myofibrillar: This is where your muscles look hard and dense. You could call it density/strength training. This is done in the 2-6 rep range. Lifting for muscle density does a phenomenal job of creating a hard and angular body. The more you train for strength the more tone that muscle will display. If you ever see a guy that has muscles that always look “slightly flexed,” this is a big reason why.

Creating A Good Base For The Abercrombie Workout

It is very important to lay the foundation of the workout before you even think of utilizing it. You have been working out in all the wrong ways so we need to retrain your thinking and approach to muscle building. The Abercrombie Workout is laser focused on utilizing the proper balance of building the right muscle mass and density. But if done in the wrong timing and sequence…you will come up short. That is the premise behind the “Shrink Wrap Effect” which we will cover in the next post. Stay tuned for the rest of the nuts and bolts! We will cover diet and andvanced techniques later that Abercrombie models don’t share.

The most up to date Abercrombie Workout and diet plan for those who want to build a visually stunning physique. Coming soon!