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 By: David Young
I featured Mike Semanoff and his wife, Holly, last year after they won the 2005 Fit Couple competition at the IRON MAN FitExpo in Pasadena, California. They entered the show on a whim, and the next thing they knew, they got a call on their cell phone saying they'd made the finals. I contacted Mike to see how his career was going and learned he'd just packed on 20 pounds of muscle in two months. I thought to myself, "If it's legit, the guys reading IRON MAN will want to know how he did it." Let's find out.
  Click Image To Enlarge. Mike Semanoff.
[ MS ] Well, on December 1 of last year I set out to prove I could put on 20 pounds of lean body mass in two months. I wanted to show that I could do it 100 percent natural, relying on high-intensity-training techniques and workouts and a solid diet.
[ MS ] Justin Dees, a well-known and very experienced trainer and competitor living in Utah, monitored me from beginning to end. I started at 7.8 percent body fat, weighing 198.5 pounds in the morning before breakfast. I ended on January 31 at 6.5 percent body fat and weighing 217 in the morning before breakfast. After running the numbers through the computer we got 19.5 pounds of lean body mass.
[ MS ] I ate six meals a day, every day, no exceptions, for a total of 4,750 calories, 395 grams of protein, 552 grams of carbs and 110 grams of fat.
 Click Image To Enlarge. I Had To Provide My Muscles With A Unique Stimulus To Really Kick-Start Growth. Here's my schedule: Meal 1 Meal 2 Meal 3 Meal 4 Meal 5 Meal 6 My wife did a very good job of keeping my eating schedule on track - even after we found out she was six weeks pregnant. Apparently, pregnant women have a very keen and sometimes particular sense of smell, so there were times that chicken was off the menu. We just substituted another lean meat.
[ MS ] I've been training for a long time, so I knew that I had to do something drastically different if I was going to attain such dramatic gains. First, I started doing some research on the relationship between testosterone and growth hormone. Through my research I found that these hormone levels in my body are almost directly proportional to the intensity level of my workout.
So I knew that if I could keep my intensity maxed out for 45 minutes to an hour, I would be maximizing a key element of my body's natural growth mechanism. Second, I had to provide my muscles with a unique stimulus to really kick-start growth. I found my answer when I started reading about X Reps in IRON MAN and at X-Rep.com.
 Click Image To Enlarge. 20 Pounds Of Muscle. I was very intrigued by the concept and started thinking of how I would incorporate these end-of-set power partials into my workout. The whole concept of attacking the semistretched point of the muscle really opened up a new world of training potential. The fun thing about X Reps is the creativity I could use within my workout to really hit the max-force point and overload the target muscle.
[ MS ] Intensity and X Reps really go hand in hand. I did a lot of super-sets, keeping my time between sets around 30 seconds to a minute. I would take my last superset to muscular failure and add X Reps. Once I got the hang of X Reps, I started adding poundage fast and incorporating the technique on almost every set. Like clockwork, the gains just kept coming.
[ MS ] I start every Monday with a different muscle group. I trained five days a week, taking Thursday and Sunday off. I always gave myself three solid days to recover between muscle groups. I'll give you a quick example. Generally I do three to four sets of every exercise. On heavy days I will do eight to 10 reps, and on light days I do 10 to 14 reps. I try to do something slightly different with every set.
 Click Image To Enlarge. "Once I Got The Hang Of X Reps, I Started Adding Poundage Fast And Incorporating The Technique On Almost Every Set. Like Clockwork, The Gains Just Kept Coming."
I believe every variation works the muscle group slightly differently, which enables me to get more symmetrical development. I also allow myself some freedom to listen to what my body wants. Sometimes one variation feels better than another, so I go with it. I figure there is more than one way to an end result, so if something is uncomfortable, I do something that is comfortable. I'll give you a typical three-day cycle. Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Pull
Wednesday: Push (Note: One week he starts with chest; the next week he starts with shoulders.) Thursday: Recovery Day Friday: Cycle Begins Again
 Click Image To Enlarge. "I Knew That If I Could Keep My Intensity Maxed Out For 45 Minutes To An Hour, I Would Be Maximizing A Key Element Of My Body's Natural Growth Mechanism."
[ MS ] I started out using Tahitian Noni and whey protein. One month into it I ended up traveling a lot for work and found it difficult to get the calories I needed, so I reintroduced Cytosport Muscle Milk into the diet.
 Cytosport Muscle Milk.
[ MS ] I've been taking Tahitian Noni juice a few times a day for about four years. I found through track-and-field, triathlon training and bodybuilding that it really speeds up recovery time between workouts, supports my immune system and helps provide sustainable energy throughout the day.
 Click Image To Enlarge. "Intensity And X Reps Really Go Hand In Hand. I Did A Lot Of Supersets, Keeping My Time Between Sets Around 30 Seconds To A Minute." I've been taking whey protein because it's simple, low calorie and inexpensive. My wife makes her special oatmeal and protein bars with it. I've had good experience using Muscle Milk. I feel it gives me what I need to increase size and strength while enabling my body to efficiently burn fat in the process. I travel a ton for work, and Muscle Milk is very convenient to travel with.
[ MS ] Well, I just won the heavy-weight division at the Mr. Utah, and I took the overall at the Northwest Regional Natural Bodybuilding Championships. So until next spring I'll probably get back into the triathlon circuit around Utah and start racing again.
I've been debating setting a goal to eventually make it to the Mr. Natural Olympia or Natural Universe, but doing triathlons isn't going to make that very practical. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy my new son and whatever else life throws at me. One more thing before we end this. I'm always interested in suggestions or answering any specific question. So readers can feel free to write to me at mike@semanoff.com or check out Holly and me at www.Semanoff.com.
 Click Image To Enlarge. Mike Semanoff. Editor's note: For more on X-Rep training, visit www.X-Rep.com. Photography by Michael Neveux David Young Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
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