The MuscleHack Philosophy

I’ve decided to update my ‘About Page‘ since it’s been a while!

So what I want to do in this post is give an overview of the MuscleHack philosophy, link to important articles, and also give some background knowledge on myself for newcomers to the site.

MuscleHack is a natural bodybuilding & fat loss website.

MuscleHack is the home of THT training – Targeted Hypertrophy Training. THT is the free workout program developed by MuscleHack owner and operator Mark McManus (more on the author a little later). THT is incredibly effective at packing on new slabs of muscle. It’s not uncommon for newcomers to swear that they’ll never train another way again after just a few short weeks!

What I promote and am passionate about is LEAN gains in muscle mass i.e. adding muscle WITHOUT adding fat, which IS possible.

On the other end of the spectrum I believe in shredding unwanted fat without having to sacrifice your hard-earned muscle. This is also very possible and has been done by thousands of my readers around the world.

Progress in the bodybuilding and fat loss game should be assured. This isn’t a guessing game. You SHOULD succeed. MuscleHack will give you the tools.

Here’s a short summary of the philosophy of “MuscleHacking”:

The best bodybuilding workouts for the natural trainee are short in duration but high in intensity

Cardio is not necessary when on a bulking phase of training

You CAN stay lean while “bulking”

You CAN keep your muscle while cutting

Both full-body workouts and 5-day splits work!

Both compound and isolation exercises are a requirement for optimal development

Basic high intensity training with a focus on progressive overload will always yield the best results

I honestly believe that one of the best things you can do right now for your success is to give up bodybuilding magazines for good! They do not have your best interests at heart and are solely concerned with selling you crap you don’t need. Much of the info contained in these publications will hinder, not accelerate, your success.

Here are the MuscleHack Programs and their Purpose Summarized:

THT Training - The ’Build Muscle’ workout program for EVERYONE! Men and women of all ages! Grab your 100% FREE copy by inputting your name and email at the top right of this page.

Total Six Pack Abs – The RAPID cutting program for anyone wanting to AGGRESSIVELY cut fat. This program is not just a diet but also a full-body workout, as well as anything else you ever wanted to know about fat loss. The goal is not just getting ripped, but keeping, if not building, muscle in the process!

The Arms Blast Experiment - Want Bigger Arms In a RIDICULOUSLY Short Period of Time? Based on
the results of an online experiment I conducted, you could gain almost an inch in the next 7 days

Here are the MuscleHack Bodybuilding Diets:

MANS – This is a cyclical ketogenic diet. The purpose is to add lean mass ONLY, not fat gains. MANS is not a cutting diet (see this post for the differences between MANS and Total Six Pack Abs).

GLAD – A higher carb diet ensuring you eat slow-release (or low-glycemic load) carbs. As with MANS, this is a bulking diet with the purpose of adding lean mass only.

Let me restate this again because I get emails about it all the time. MANS and GLAD are not cutting diets. Total Six Pack Abs is the ONLY program I have created for those specifically wanting to obliterate fat!

Where To Begin

So you want to get started and build some serious muscle? Firstly, you NEED to download the FREE ebook “THT Training”. This book contains the best workout for muscle growth around: Targeted Hypertrophy Training. Simply add your name and email in the box up there at the top of the sidebar and you’ll get it. You won’t be spammed and you can unsubscribe from the mailing list at any time.

For the latest tips on muscle building and fat loss go the blog. For access to all the articles ever published check out the archives. If you have an RSS reader, be sure to subscribe by RSS for the latest free tips.

About The Author

This site is run by Mark McManus, a 30 yr old Exercise Professional. Mark is the only person who writes for MuscleHack. There is a DEFINITE philosophy here with no conflicting ideas or messages put out to you, the reader.

My Story (The Short Version)

I’ve made many many mistakes along the way in this game; mistakes that you don’t have to repeat! When I first got started my goal was simple; build muscle quickly!

I just lifted and ate everything in sight! After a couple of years of this approach I started to get sick of the belly fat I had gained and wanted rid of it. My body fat percentage was increasing and I knew I had to do something about it. I have never been really fat in my life; my best guess is that I had a body fat percentage of around 22% at my peak. Not a good look on a naturally ectomorphic frame; the fat goes straight to the gut and hardly anywhere else!

I tried haphazardly eating less and going for the odd run or cycle, but my attempts at losing fat weren’t very scientific and consequently my results were poor i.e. I’d lose fat, (a little fat) but I’d also lose some muscle (far too much muscle in my opinion).

I tried low fat diets but they only caused me to lose fat in small amounts and again, I’d lose muscle along with it. Also, results were frustratingly slow; sometimes less than 1 pound per week, sometimes none at all! I knew there had to be a better way to burn fat and obtain the body I desired.

All that changed when I decided that I was going to sculpt six-pack abs no matter what. I was determined to find the single most efficient strategy for losing fat and building muscle mass. After years of research I finally reached my conclusions and created my strategy. And it’s one I’ve been fine-tuning and sharing ever since.

As I state on my homepage, here’s my promise to you:

I will NEVER sell out.I will NEVER recommend a product I don’t personally believe in.I will NEVER share your email address with ANYONE.I will NEVER try to sell you something you don’t need.I WILL keep the vast majority of the work I do FREE of charge.

I can also reveal now that I am working on a new program specifically to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. I’ve been looking into this seriously for almost a year and testing on myself and a few friends. In my opinion, the research coupled with my experience is pretty conclusive – it is possible!

However, it is more complex than straight bulking or cutting and must be adopted to each individual. For this reason I won’t be writing a book about it, but will take on personal clients to design the program specifically for them (or possibly a membership site).

I hope to be starting this in late 2011 or early 2012.

If you have questions and want FREE help and advice, join our friendly community at the MuscleHack Facebook page and/or the bodybuilding forum.

I love my life and I think it’s everyone’s right to love theirs too. A large part of this is physical vitality and feeling good about how your body looks. MuscleHack content can take care of this for you!

Mark’s work has been featured in the following among others: