A recent YouTube review by fitness professional Carl Juneau takes an in-depth look at the Mad Muscles app and training program. His analysis reveals major flaws that make Mad Muscles ineffective for building muscle and difficult to recommend. However, when executed properly under expert guidance, focused muscle building brings tremendous health, fitness, performance and aesthetic benefits well worth the effort.
What Does the Science Say About Building Muscle?
Skeletal muscle tissue comprises up to 40% of total body weight in lean, athletic individuals. The amount and quality of muscle mass strongly predicts strength, speed, endurance, metabolic health, injury resilience, and even longevity. Muscle building occurs through a process called hypertrophy – the enlargement of muscle fibers in response to training stimuli.
Progressive overloading of the muscles drives the addition of contractile proteins that increase size and force production capacity. However, hypertrophy requires a chronic training stimulus and careful nutritional support over an extended period. Numerous variables influence results, so optimal programming necessitates guidance from certified experts, not questionable AI apps.
Problems with the Mad Muscles App
The enthusiastic marketing for Mad Muscles touts it as a high tech solution for rapid muscle growth. However, as revealed by Carl Juneau and verified by multiple customers, the app demonstrates concerning flaws:
Account Cancellation Issues – Many users attempting to cancel their subscription faced obstacles like continued billing, laborious customer service communication, and retention offers adding further costs.
Unconventional, Ineffective Exercises – Prescribed movements like tiptoe wall squats, curls with water bottles, and bent over towel rows seem oddly basic. For those with gym access, such exercises fail to maximally stimulate muscle growth compared to heavy compound lifts.
Dubious "SOMO" Claims – Classifying users into biomechanical type categories called "SOMOs" to personalize workouts has no foundation in muscle physiology. An individual‘s angles and leverages affect performance, not growth.
Lack of Credentials – The creators appear to be tech entrepreneurs without credentials in exercise science. Their questionable grasp of training principles is concerning.
"Not an Effective Workout" – As Carl concludes after analyzing the programs: "It‘s not conducive to an effective workout…I basically would not recommend this to anybody."
Evidence-Based Principles for Building Muscle
While Mad Muscles fails to deliver, muscle can be built effectively through scientific application of these core training principles:
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Progressive Overload – Gradually increasing demands over time drives adaptation. Adding weight, reps, and volume over time maximally stresses muscle.
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Mechanical Tension – Heavier loading places higher tension on muscles, spurring growth. Moderate loads (~60-85% 1RM) for 6-12 reps optimizes tension.
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Metabolic Stress – Cell swelling and metabolite buildup from higher volume training triggers anabolic processes.
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Muscle Damage – Controlled microtearing of fibers with eccentric, stretch-enhanced actions promotes remodeling.
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Compound, Multi-Joint Lifts – Exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows maximize muscle stimulation by involving bigger muscle groups and activation.
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Progressive Caloric Surplus – A slight surplus fuels energy for protein synthesis, while avoiding excessive fat gain which blunts sensitivity to anabolism.
Common Mistakes that Blunt Muscle Growth
Those struggling to build muscle often unknowingly sabotage their efforts:
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Poor exercise selection and programming
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Over-reliance on isolation exercises and machine training
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Failure to progressively overload on major lifts
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Unecessary long duration or high intensity cardiovascular training
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Insufficient calorie intake to support growth
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Inadequate protein consumption and suboptimal meal spacing
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Training unilaterally without variation between sessions
Correcting these errors can instantly accelerate results.
Sample Muscle Building Routines
Below are evidence-based sample routines for maximizing muscular development:
3 Day Full Body Split for Beginners
Workout A
- Squat – 3×5
- Bench Press – 3×5
- Barbell Row – 3×5
- Overhead Press – 3×8
- Leg Curls – 2×10
- Bicep Curls – 2×10
Workout B
- Deadlift – 1×5
- Incline Bench Press – 3×8
- Lat Pulldown – 3×8
- Lateral Raises – 3×10
- Leg Press – 2×10
- Tricep Pushdowns – 2×10
Workout C
- Front Squat – 3×6
- Overhead Press – 3×6
- T-bar Row – 3×8
- Incline Bench Press – 2×10
- Leg Extensions – 2×12
- Preacher Curls – 2×12
6 Day Push/Pull/Legs Split for Lifters
Push A
- Flat Barbell Bench Press 3×6-8
- Seated Overhead Barbell Press 3×8-10
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 3×10-12
- Triceps Dips 3xFailure
- Lateral Raises 3×15
Pull A
- Barbell Deadlifts 3×3-5
- Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns 3×8-10
- Seated Cable Rows 3×10-12
- Face Pulls 3×12-15
- Barbell Bicep Curls 4×10-12
Legs A
- Barbell Back Squats 4×6-8
- Leg Press 3×10-12
- Walking Lunges 3×15
- Leg Extensions 3×15
- Lying Leg Curls 3×10-12
Nutrition for Building Muscle
Without proper nutritional support, exercise drives little growth. Key diet strategies include:
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Caloric Surplus – Increase calories by ~300+ daily to fuel protein synthesis. Modify based on individual rate of weight gain.
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High Protein Intake – Consume 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily from lean meats, dairy, eggs, and supplements.
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Carb Manipulation – Time carbs peri-workout to promote recovery and glycogen resynthesis. Moderate intake on rest days.
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Healthy Fats – Obtain ~30% of calories from fats to optimize hormones. Favor omega-3s and monounsaturates.
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Micronutrients – Meet vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient needs through fruits, vegetables and supplementation if required.
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Meal Timing – Ingest a protein-rich meal every 3-5 hours to supply amino acids and maximize protein synthesis rates.
Despite bold claims, the Mad Muscles app clearly fails to deliver an effective muscle building solution. However, by applying scientific principles under expert guidance, formidable physiques can be built through smart programming and supportive nutrition. While the process requires commitment and perseverance, the return of empowering strength, vibrancy and confidence proves well worth the effort.