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Santa has been working hard all year to get in shape in order to deliver gifts to all the boys and girls across the world. He’s making his list, checking it twice, and he’s seen that many of you out there are asking for one thing and one thing only…gains!

You want to be big, strong, and would be appreciative for any gifts Kris Kringle can provide. Since you’ve been so good this year, the big guy has 12 tips to help you become a big guy yourself in the new year.

12 Week Programs

Most of the popular programs out there are 12 weeks. That’s three months. If you look at each program you do as a 12 week course then you can complete four courses in a year. Find a program you’re interested in following, set your goals for that program, and look no further than the week ahead of you. Make sure you do all the necessary steps like plan your meals, take before and after pics, and monitor your workouts so you can measure your progress. From there you can break each 12 week down into three or four week segments if you like.

11 Sources of Motivation

You need to keep motivated and psyched up before you work out as well as while you’re training so you can push yourself. Mental strength is just as important as physical. So you should take the time to find 11 sources of motivation that you can go back to on those days it may be a little tougher to get going. Here are 11 examples to get you started:

Inspiring Photos of Bodybuilders or Athletes
Quotes
Photos of Yourself
YouTube Videos
Positive Mindset Books
Comments from friends and family on your progress
Training Log
Rewards for When You Achieve Your Goals
Written Statements of Your Goals
Using Words Like “Will” or “Shall” Instead of “Can” or “May”
Music

10 Reps per Set

There are many arguments about rep ranges and which will help you gain size or endurance. A general guideline to follow for anyone starting out is the number 10.

Ten reps per set is a great goal that will help you with strength, hypertrophy, and endurance. If you curl 20 pounds for 10 reps and are able to do the same with 30 pounds a few weeks later, then you got stronger, didn’t you?

Chances are that load will make an impact on the muscle fibers in your biceps so when they recover, they will grow. That means they will get bigger.

As you progress and improve, you can challenge yourself with heavier poundage or push yourself with high rep sets, but for now, 10 is your magic number.

9 Calories for Every 1 Gram of Fat

Santa knows that you would rather have muscle size and not gain fat, but pay attention because this is important for that muscular improvement you seek.

For every 1 gram of fat you eat, you’re taking in nine calories. Don’t be afraid of fats because they will be vital for you to achieve mass success.

What you should do is check your sources of fat and make sure you’re selecting the healthiest options out there.

Fats like egg yolks, natural peanut butter, nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut oil, avocado, and fish oils are among the healthiest choices you can make.

8 Exercises per Muscle Group

You should make it a goal to master eight different exercises for each muscle group.

If you break them down into chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs, quads, hamstrings, and calves, then you have 108 different exercises.

Why so many? Would you want Santa to bring you the same gifts every year? Of course not. So why would your muscles need the same exercises?

Your musculature needs to be challenged and worked from different angles and different exercise choices will help delay the body from plateaus. You should see more improvement over the course of your 12 week program. These will keep the workouts fresh and interesting as well which means you’ll be more likely to stay consistent.

7 Days Rest

Remember those 12 week programs that you read earlier? You probably thought our math was funny because there are 52 weeks in a year and 12 times 4 is 48. Well if you take a week off after every 12 week program you get 52.

Numbers aside, rest is VITAL if you’re going to gain size and strength. You have to recover if you’re going to grow. Taking a week off will allow your body to grow, recover, and heal from injuries you may have accumulated while doing that 12 week program. In other words, Santa is going to send you a pillow and blanket so you can take a few naps.

6 Meals a Day

It can be tough to eat all the food you will need to eat over the course of three meals. So if you want to gain quality mass, space out your meals so your food has time to digest and you won’t feel bloated.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner with two snacks and a meal before bed will do the trick. Make sure each meal has protein, carbs, and quality fats.

One more tip: focus on fiber so your digestion system is working efficiently. This is vital so your food can be broken down as it should be so you can reap the nutrients you have every day!

5 WORKOUT DAYS A WEEK!

Earlier we were talking about the importance of rest, not only after your program is over, but also during your program.

That’s why Saint Nicholas is giving you five days a week to go all out and bust your butt in the gym. For the other two days of the week you need to chill out and improve for the next time you train.

Whether it’s a three on/one off, two on/one off split, or you just decide to train Monday through Friday and take weekends off, just make sure you take advantage of each of those five days.

4 Minutes Cardio

Yes, cardio is essential for health reasons but that doesn’t mean you need to commit hours and hours to a treadmill or bike. There is a form of cardio that will be easy on your schedule but hard on you which is what you want.

Tabata is a form of High Intensity Interval Training that will take you only four minutes to perform. In short, it’s 20 seconds of intense, all you got effort followed by a brief 10 second rest. That is 30 seconds.

Perform this cycle eight times and you’ve done four minutes of cardio, but trust us, you’ll feel like you did 40. If not, you didn’t do it right. This can be performed with ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, sprints, or any other form of cardio you like.

3 Big Lifts

If you want to grow and get stronger, then you need to push your body and there are three major exercises that should be the foundation of your program. They are the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

A lot of the most popular training programs out there are based on these exercises which are the lifts for powerlifting competitions. You can curl for big arms and the leg press has its perks, but basics are best if you wanna get big.

Put a lifting belt and wraps on your list this year and maybe the big guy will take care of you.

2 Servings of Protein per Meal

You need to get your protein in so Santa will bring you some jugs of protein powder this year.

If you want size and strength, you need to make the protein a priority which means you need two servings of protein per meal and you should eat it first when you’re having your meal.

You should know all the major sources of protein; chicken, tuna, turkey, lean ground beef, eggs, salmon, protein powder, greek yogurt, and there are others.

Even Santa knows the importance of protein. He does have milk with his cookies.

And 1 Gallon of Water per Day

Water is the source of life. Your body is made up of around 75% water. Two thirds of the planet we live on is water. It’s the most abundant nutrient there is.

You have to drink water to stay hydrated so all of your systems are running efficiently. You don’t need to necessarily go old school and carry a gallon jug around with you, but you can drink a glass of water every hour you’re awake and be confident you’ve had enough.

A way you can be sure you drink enough is to have water with every meal. If you go out to eat, order water instead of another drink and you can cut back on unnecessary calories and save money on your meal as well.

Do You Even Gift?

There you have it, boys and girls, 12 tips that will help you make progress and achieve those dreams of being big and strong.

If you follow these tips and give it everything you have, then next year Santa will have to bring you bigger shirts.

Or you can order your own from Muscle & Strength if you can’t wait

Happy lifting and happy holidays from Santa and Muscle & Strength!

The 12 Days of ChristMASS: Bulking Tips from Santa Himself