RTC for Weight Gain




Q: I am currently a peace officer in Alberta, Canada and would love to gain some weight (8-10 lbs). I am currently hovering at 170 lbs. I found your workout routine online at Bodybuilding.com, and I am interested in trying it out, but I have a few questions for you:

  1. Can this routine get me to my desired weight?
  2. How long of a break should I have between sets and reps for your routine?
  3. Should I workout 4 days in a row or split it off for every second day?
  4. If I play hockey, does that count as a day for me working out?

Not sure what you need to know about my physical abilities, but I am 5'10" about 170 lbs. I can do about 15 pull-ups, bench press 155 lbs, curl 30 lbs (each arm). Hopefully this helps. If you need any more information let me know.

Thanks and stay safe,

Daniel P.


My Answer: You didn't specify as to which of my workout routines you found on Bodybuilding.com, but I'll assume for now that you meant the Return to Copland workout.


"Can this routine get me to my desired weight?"

-Yes, but you have to eat a lot of calories and protein.


"How long of a break should I have between sets and reps for your routine?"

-If you're talking about the Return to Copland workout, then the rest periods are listed right there in the article.


"Should I workout 4 days in a row or split it off for every second day?"

-I would do either 2 on/1off/2 on/2off or every other day.


"If I play hockey, does that count as a day for me working out?"

-No but any extracurricular physical activity will compromise your gains in weight.  Just make sure you eat enough calories, water and protein.  Get lots of sleep, which may be hard to do with shift work, but do the best you can.  The Return to Copland workout is not meant for maximal muscle gain, but it will put quite a bit muscle in areas that will improve your symmetry.  So you may not gain 8-10 pounds through one cycle of the Return to Copland workout, but visually your physique should look more impressive.  In other words, the results will be in the mirror, not on the scale.

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