On December 9, my first book by a major publisher was released to the world. It's my best work, no doubt, but there's one catch: the book's title limits the audience. Naming a book Huge in a Hurry is not a sure-fire way to have hordes of women scurry to Barnes and Noble with credit card in hand.

I understand that, and so does Rodale — the publisher who hired me to write the book. The design, marketing, and cover of the book are geared towards males (if the big words "Men's Health" above the title didn't give it away).

It's a shame, really, because the core principles of Huge in a Hurry can revolutionize the workouts for many fans of FigureAthlete.com. Unless you have a strong aversion to gaining a few pounds of muscle, this book could prove a Godsend for your trips to the gym.

And you definitely won't lose your sexy look. If I'm known for anything in the female training world, it's my article Sexy Female Training, that told the cold, hard truth about keeping a feminine figure. So you can trust me on this topic.

Sexy and fit!

But like I said, I fear many women might assume the book won't benefit them. I'm here to tell you just why that's certainly not the case.

1. Get Strong

I gained traction in this industry by telling bodybuilders to train with heavier weights. From the get-go heavy weights force you to recruit all of your muscle fibers. That's great for getting the most out of your sets since light weights with a zillion reps can leave you, well, bored to tears and unmotivated, and weak as a kitten's paw.

Whether or not you gain muscle with maximal weights depends on volume. I told bodybuilders to augment 3 sets of 3 reps that power athletes use to 8-10 sets of 3 reps. More volume results in more fatigue. And the more you fatigue your muscles, the bigger they'll grow, provided all other factors such as calories and adequate sleep support the cause.

Let me get back to the super-high rep sets that many females use for exercises such as the crunch and side bend. Truth is, endless crunches and side bends will make your waist bigger. That's because, as I mentioned, fatigue is positively correlated with hypertrophy.

Even seemingly light loads can make your muscles bigger if you're willing to do hundreds of reps every day for months. Unfortunately, many females do just that with many of the wrong exercises.

Lifting heavy weights for just a few sets of three reps will not make your muscles bigger, but it'll make you strong. And what woman doesn't want to have the strength to knock off a handful of pull-ups?! If you want those muscles bigger, that's fine, too — just increase the volume.

So, here's the first way you can use the book: Skip straight to the "Get Strong" chapter, follow the program, and you'll develop a strong, balanced physique without adding excessive muscle tissue, especially when you're following a low-calorie diet.

2. Lift Fast

For decades, fast lifts were just for power athletes. If you wanted to lose fat or gain muscle you went to the gym and grinded out slow, drawn-out sets to failure so your muscles would burn like they were flooded with battery acid.

The overwhelming majority felt this type of training would provide a catalyst for fat loss. If muscles burn, so does fat, they said.

However, neuroscientists were uncovering principles that didn't support the idea that slow lifts were better for developing muscles or burning fat. Well, at least it looked that way on paper. There was no way to know since the National Institute of Health (NIH) didn't devote much money to exercise research.

The possible benefits of fast lifts were left in the shadows. All we had were testimonials from slow-lifting bodybuilders — the same people who often equate a muscle pump to hypertrophy.

I had my own real-world research to lean on. Years ago I switched all of my clients from slow to moderate-speed lifts to explosive tempos. The faster, the better. When their speed slowed down or their form changed, they stopped the set.

I noticed two benefits from this change that apply to readers of FigureAthlete.com: They got stronger, and leaner. The people who performed more volume and ate more calories got bigger, too.

Still, there wasn't anything in the scientific community to support my style of training. Finally, in 2007, an excellent study was performed to compare slow and fast lifts. (1) Research never proves anything; it just demonstrates trends with certain populations under certain conditions — but the prevailing argument of the paper is that fast lifts can help you burn more fat.

The second way you can use the book: The research I cite and explanations I give will prove valuable for helping understand how to better train for fat loss.

3. Train Your Entire Body

Every phase of every program in Huge in a Hurry consists of total body workouts. Here's why that's important.

In order to transform your body composition you've got to create a large metabolic disturbance. Put simply, you need to stimulate, challenge, and fatigue many physiological systems: muscular, endocrine, nervous, and cardiovascular.

You don't get this lean without stimulating your metabolism to the fullest.

When these systems are challenged with demanding workouts it takes a lot of energy to regain homeostasis — the primary function of your body. This is great news for gaining strength and muscle while losing fat.

So, which do you think would be more challenging to your body: A workout comprised of a bent-over row/push-up/deadlift, or a workout that just trains your biceps, triceps and shoulders?

Of course, the former — a total body workout. By adhering to my total body training principle you can train less and get better results because you're always working all of your muscles every time you go to the gym.

The third reason you'll find this book useful: Chapter 4 outlines total body training and all of its virtues. Plus, there are months worth of programs with total body workouts.

4. Quit When You're Ahead

Wouldn't it be cool if you always knew exactly when to stop each set? After all, none of us go to the gym thinking, "Gosh, I wonder how many wasted reps I can get today?" When every rep counts, every workout gets you one step closer to your ideal body and performance.

I'll give you a little insight and say that I outline three ways to tell if you're wasting reps and accumulating excessive fatigue: Your speed slows down, your range of motion shortens, or your form changes. When any of those things happen, it's time for a quick rest before picking up where you left off.

Final Words

If any of this sounds like something that might help you build a leaner, stronger, sexier body, I hope you pick up a copy of Huge in a Hurry. At the very least, your boyfriend or husband will love you for buying it for him.

You can purchase it for less than $17 on Amazon, here.

About the Author

For more of Chad Waterbury's information, pick up his e-book The 10/10 Transformation here. His book Muscle Revolution can be purchased here.

References

1: Mazzetti S, et al. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc, Vol. 39, No. 8, pp. 1291-1301, 2007.