M&G Weighted Workout

This workout was designed by Wade Black based on the principles of complex muscle movements and the concept of 5×5. The exercises used in this workout were the bench press, dead lift, squat, dip, chin up and pull up. The workout was done only twice per week to allow plenty of rest. On the off days I did trail runs or hill sprints.

Overview + Wade’s Review

This is the order that the workout happened. Bench press, squat, chin up or pull up, dead lift, dips. The chin ups and pull ups were done on alternate days. The idea behind this workout was to do the maximum amount of weight for each exercise that would allow you to do 5 sets of 5 reps. If on the fifth set you can get 4 and the 5^th with a spotter then you added weight the next time.

My goal for this workout was to do over my bodyweight (180 lb) in all exercises. In the end my 1 rep max for the bench was 270. Which is 1.5 over my bodyweight. For the rest of the exercises I did not do a 1 rep max due to lack of proper equipment, I was using the weights in my basement and did not have access to a gym with a squat cage.

My final results were: bench press 1 rpm, 270, but pressing 230 as a good workout. Squats 220, dead lift, 190, dips with 45 lbs extra, chin ups with 35 lbs extra and pull ups 25 lbs extra. I did not lose any weight during this workout but added muscle mass, density, and definition. In addition to the weights ab exercises were added in between all sets, in total we did 800 to a 1000 ab exercises each session.

Food eaten during this program was lots of food. Lots of protein, carbs and fats, no soda, limited alcohol and little to no fast or junk food. Supplements taken were protein powder, creatine, amino acids and a good multi vitamin.

After 4 weeks my body was ready for a change, I was starting to feel over trained, but I felt strong and ready for more, after a bit of rest of course.

Tips: this is a great workout if you want to quickly add muscle density, size and strength. You need a training partner that knows how to lift weights and this should not be done for more than 4 to 5 weeks.

Drew’s Review

The weighted workout is an extremely long and intense workout. It averaged out to be roughly 2 hours per session, with sessions being twice a week. This meant we either had 2 or 3 days break between each session. The first thing people will say or think is “Only 2 days? That doesn’t seem like much, I would have done 3-4 days”. My reply to that is “Then you’re an idiot and you’re not lifting hard enough”. Most weighted programs can be done more than twice a week, however, this isn’t your normal weighted workout.

By stressing the muscles to their max, and always adding weight every single session, you’re pushing your muscles to their limits. They need those 2-3 days of rest just to recover in time. Most times, I was still sore from the previous session even though I had 2-3 days of rest (besides doing cardio those days).

By the end of the program, I was doing bench, squat, deadlift, pullup/chinup, and dips, all over my bodyweight (weight added). That was my initial goal. But I succeeded that goal my far in some areas, the major one being my bench. I am not ashamed to say this was my first time ever doing a weighted workout program, and my first day bench was 5×5 at 105lbs. I weighed 148 lbs at that time. By the end of the program, my bench was 5×5 at 205 lbs, with me weighing in at 155 lbs. My one rep max ended up being 240 lbs. That’s 1.55 times my bodyweight of 155 lb. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about that.