The M.A.X. Muscle Plan

Still laid up with a strained intercostal, I turned to another recommendation gleaned from various podcasts. Brad Schoenfeld turns up on all the evidence-based strength shows, as he publishes a considerable amount of research on muscular hypertrophy.

This book details his M.A.X. program, which stands for “Mitogen-Activated eXtreme” training. Not the best name, but marketing—I get it. The plan itself is fine, but not what drew me to the book. Rather, I appreciated Schoenfeld’s explanation of the science behind hypertrophy. This includes explaining what we don’t yet know—at least circa 2012. After explaining the science, Schoenfeld explains periodization. This section proved less informative, as periodization has become more mainstream in the decade since the book’s publication. There’s also a brief but sound section on nutrition, which summarizes the basic nutrient types, and offers guidance on what to eat pre and post workout.

The rest of the book breaks down the M.A.X. program and catalogs various exercises. Each exercise includes a brief set of instructions and two or three of “Brad’s Training Tips”. This section disappoints. I can forgive the simplistic instructions, as YouTube offers superior video demonstrations, but “Brad’s Training Tips” feels like a missed opportunity to provide unique internal or external cues to maximize the exercise’s effectiveness or execution.

That said, Schoenfeld is foremost a researcher, not a trainer. He shines explaining the science behind muscle growth, and I suspect another of his books, Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy, would prove a superior read.