What you are about to read here is an article about one of the fastest ways to gain muscular size and strength on the entire body - and that is by following the good old squats and milk program. This routine has been around for about 50 years, but it is the absolute best program for fast gains.

You have to workout 3 days per week - i.e. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In each workout you will start with full squats. Do 2-3 easy warm up sets to get the blood flowing. Then take a moderate weight and do only 1 set of 20 reps. For each one take 3-4 big mouthfuls of air, hold your breath, squat down and up, and repeat. As you progress through the reps you will need to take more breaths in between. When you reach reps 15-20 you may need to take 5 or more big mouthfuls of air in between. It will take about 3-4 minutes to complete 1 set of 20 rep squats.

Right after the squats - without any pause, grab a light barbell and do pullovers while lying on a flat bench. Take a deep breath in between each rep and feel the stretch in the rib cage as you do the exercise. Do 1 set of 20 pullovers with 25 lbs. Keep using 25 lbs. for the pullovers as this exercise is just for stretching the rib cage and fill it with air.

For each workout add 5 lbs. to the squats and do all 20 reps. This is the key to making some big gains on this program. When doing this program you should do full squats. Try to go down as long as you can, this will make the squats far more effective for muscle growth. And another important thing, do not wear a weight lifting belt while doing the squats. By doing this without a belt you will strengthen your lower back and it will be easier to take deep breaths while doing high rep squats. Make no mistake about this routine, it is brutally tough and those 20 rep squats will take every ounce of energy out of you, but the gains are great.

This routine will stimulate your entire body to grow from the stress of the squats. And the pullovers will help to stretch your rib cage and make your chest bigger. When you are finished with the squats and pullovers do a circuit of chin ups, dips, and decline bench sit ups. Do one set of each for as many reps as you can with one minute's rest in between each exercise. Complete this circuit 2-3 times without any pause in between and your workout is done.

Do this routine 3 days per week and each time make sure to add 5 lbs. to the squats and try to do more reps on the chins, dips, and sit ups. This will work every major muscle group in your body and force you to build muscle like nothing else.

Another side of this program, is to eat as much food as you can and as often as you can. This old program is called "squats and milk" and that is because the old body builders used to drink at least 1 gallon of milk every day to help them gain muscular weight while on the program. Milk is very high in protein, vitamins, minerals and calories.

Note: Always consult with your doctor before becoming involved in any kind of physical activity.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Body Building