‘Feeder Workouts’ for Better Muscle Gains and Faster Recovery

Feeder Workouts: Are they the real deal or just another crock of shit dished up by the fitness ‘experts’? Find out in this post!

Feeder workouts were popularized by bodybuilder and YouTube personality, Rich Piana.

Rich was a cool guy and a straight shooter. He pulled no punches and was brutally honest about the bodybuilding lifestyle. He was also an enormous human being with arms the size of cast-iron cannons.

He claimed that feeder workouts helped him build his colossal muscles. Even though I believe Mr. Piana was one the honest bodybuilders out there, I set out to find out for myself.

In this post I’ll show you how to use feeder workouts to accelerate muscle gains. I also provide feeder workouts for every muscle group.

Read on if you want to learn more about feeder workouts and their benefits. Or jump to the section that interests you most:

• What are Feeder Workouts?
• Benefits of Feeder Workouts
• How to Perform Feeder Workouts
• Feeder Workout Examples
  • Rich Pina’s Feeder Workout for Arms
  • Legs Feeder Workout
  • Back Feeder Workout
  • Shoulders Feeder Workout
  • Chest Feeder Workout
  • Calves Feeder Workout
• Feeder Workout Results
• Double Stimulation Training

What are Feeder Workouts?

Feeder workouts are ultra-high volume and fast paced. Basically, you do hundreds of repetitions as fast as you can.

Feeder workouts typically consist of just two exercises performed in superset fashion (back-to-back without rest). Once the exercises are selected, hundreds of repetitions are performed at ballistic speed.

Once you start there’s no looking back – Just grab your weights and pump (and pump and pump and pump and pump).

The idea is to ‘feed’ the muscle by flooding it with blood and nutrients.

Feeder workouts are typically performed in addition to your normal workout routine.

Feeders alone are not enough to build a strong physique, but they will definitely help anyone, including beginners and veterans, build muscle.

Consider feeder workouts as an enhancement to your regular routine. 

How to Perform Feeder Workouts

First pick two exercises for the same muscle or muscle group.

The muscle groups are chest, back, arms, shoulders, thighs and calves. Just pick one per workout.

Train opposite muscles within the muscle group. For example, when training arms pick one exercise for biceps and one exercise for triceps. For thighs, pick one exercise for quads and another for hamstrings.

You’ll do 3 sets of each exercise. That’s 6 total sets per workout.

The rep range per set is 50-100.

Don’t worry about holding muscle contraction at the top of the reps. Just move weight through the middle 3/5ths of the exercise range of motion and you’re good.

Maintain clean form. Try to keep your body braced tightly. A little rock and sway is inevitable because of the momentum. That’s fine, but no sloppy reps. Just clean, constant pumpin’. The objective is you complete the sets as quickly as possible.

What Weight Should You use?

Good question.

Going light is a good choice. You want some resistance but you don’t want to strain your muscles.

You’ll be doing hundreds of reps here, so equip yourself accordingly. Below is a guideline of weights to use for each muscle group, but use the weight that works for you.

• 5-8 pounds for lateral shoulder raises.
• 10-15 pound dumbbells for arms.
• 45-95 pounds for chest and back with a barbell.
• 100-200 pounds for legs and calves using leg press or calve raise machines.

Now that you know what to do, here are some feed workouts for every muscle group!

Rich Piana’s Feeder Workout For Arms

According to Rich Piana, feeder workouts might just be the greatest muscle building method known to man.

He used feeder workouts throughout his entire bodybuilding career which he used to create arms of epic proportions.

Sure, he was on steroids, but he was also way bigger than other bodybuilders that also used steroids. He was doing something different. All the big dogs take the same drugs, eat the same food, and train just as hard. But Rich Piana clearly did something unique to achieve his gigantic arms. 

Rich Piana claims feeder workouts are the single most effective training technique to increase muscle size quickly.

Below is Rich’s feeder workout he claims is responsible for his colossal arms:

“Using 15lb dumbbells with no rest 3 times in a row. No squeeze, no rest – Just pump the arms and hit these exercises back-to-back superset style.”

Skull crushers – 100 reps 

Hammer curls – 60 reps

Dayyum, that’s a ton of volume. Nearly 500 total reps.

One single set of 100 skull crushers followed by one single set of 60 hammer curls. And once that’s over, you do it all again two more times!

Even with 15 pounds this is hard for anyone to accomplish. Even baby weight will make you cry if you do it right. Attempting this non-stop arm assault is not for the faint of heart. Most mortals can’t do it in one set.

But hey, I gave it a shot anyway.  Here I am completing Rich Piana’s Feeder workout for arms!

Feel free to grab your dumbbells and follow along.

Rich Piana’s Feeder Workout – Part 2

There’s more to feeder workouts than just the workouts themselves. Take note because this part is important – Once you complete all your reps, go flex in front of a mirror. Yes, go flex your pumped up muscles in front of a mirror.

Flex your muscles as hard as you can. See how big they are. Notice how large they are. Try to make them as big as you can by flexing. Feel your muscles working and see how they react in the reflection.

Make a visual connection with the feeling. This builds mind-muscle connection.

Your arms will be nice and pumped up. They will appear larger than normal. You will see yourself with bigger arms in the reflection. This plants the image in your mind that you have bigger arms.

Muscle building is a mental game (like life). Visualization is key to build the body you want. Visualization uses the power of your mind to will yourself to grow.

This isn’t voo-doo magic, witchcraft or wizardry – visualization works. The body follows the mind. Your mind sees you have big arms, so it grows them to match the image in your head.

After you complete your feeder workout and flexing GO STRAIGHT TO BED. The muscle recovering and growth process will begin immediately. And I do mean straight to bed! No eating, no showering, no brushing your teeth, no fucking your girlfriend (no matter how quick) – just go straight to bed thinking about your now enormous muscles.

Imagine yourself curling 100 pounds. See that hot blonde you’ve had your eye on fondle your huge biceps, or whatever. It’s your fantasy. Now believe it can be you and you’re on your way to making it happen.

Remember, the only permissible activity after your feeder workout is flexing your guns in the mirror. Then straight to the sack for some deep, restful sleep. No exceptions. Prepare and adjust accordingly.

Feeder Workout for Legs

Now, unless you want teeny, tiny chicken legs, you need to pump up your legs as well as your upper body.

This is a leg focused feeder workout that targets your quads and hammies.

Leg Press – 100 Reps

Leg Curl – 50 Reps

Three sets of each in superset fashion.

I recommend alternating between Leg Curl and Leg Extension every other feeder workout for muscle balance.

Now, load up a plate or two or three on each side of the leg press machine and start pumping!

Imagine your leg muscles expanding. Keep all the tension on the thigh muscles throughout the entire set.

Feeder Workout for Calves

Need to increase you calf size?

I totally understand. Calves can be stubborn. Make them grow with this workout.

Calf Raises – 100 Reps on leg press machine

Seated Calf Raises – 50 Reps

Calf raises standing on a block can also be done.

Stand on a block with both legs. (Hold onto a wall or piece of furniture for balance if needed).

You can use stairs to perform these calf exercises. Because you want your heel to go as low as possible at the bottom of each rep.

Disclaimer – IF YOU PERFORM THIS WORKOUT ON A STAIRCASE DO IT ON THE BOTTOM STEP BECAUSE YOU COULD LOSE BALANCE AND FALL AND F*CK YOURSELF UP.  k? I don’t want that on my conscience so be careful.

Feeder Workout for Shoulders

Want to upgrade your dinky delts for some boulder shoulders?

Cool. Try this workout.

Feeder workouts are great for shoulders because shoulder muscles respond well to lots of volume.

Look at pro basketball players for example. Their shoulders are the best around. That’s because they constantly have their arms up in the air, moving in all directions, and this requires shoulder strength.

Shoulder Press – 100 Reps

Lateral Raises – 50 Reps

You could probably use 15 pound dumbbells for shoulder press, and 5-8 pound dumbbells (or less!) for the lateral raises.

However, everyone is different, so pick a starting point and adjust as needed.

Feeder Workout for Back

Pull Downs – 100 Reps

Cable Rows – 50 Reps

Other back exercises are you can use are bent-over barbell row, dumbbell shrugs, and prone dumbbell rows.

Concentrate on keeping perfect form throughout the entire motion.

Feeder Workout for Chest

Press (dumbbell or barbell) – 100 Reps

Pec Fly – 50 Reps

Perform one push motion and one fly motion for chest.

You can use machines, dumbbells, or barbells. Be ready for a deep burn and feel like your chest is about to rip open.

Now, Put It All Together

Now that you have a feeder workout for every muscle group, it’s time to put it all together.

One of the many benefits of feeder workouts is improved and enhanced recovery. Feeder workouts milk the previous day’s workout.

This is done through a technique known as Double Stimulation training.

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Double Stimulation Training (feeder workout routine)

Double Stimulation training uses feeder workouts to enhance the previous day’s workout.

The idea of double stimulation training is to prolong protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is that magical process that rebuilds muscles. It occurs over a 24-48 hour window, starting after a workout.

A mild pump workout can further stimulate protein synthesis, and improve gains overall. (As long as you eat!)

It also increases anabolic response by delivering nutrients to recovering muscles.

It works like this:

Let’s say that I trained chest yesterday. Today my chest is sore, but I start my workout with a 10-minute feeder workout for chest.

Today’s feeder workout benefits me two-fold:

#1. It re-invigorates the recovery process for my chest muscles.

#2. It serves as a warm-up for today’s workout.

You can program feeder workouts into your training schedule in this way. As long as your feeder workout follows 24 hours behind your regular workout, you will reap the benefits of Double Stimulation Training.

“But I thought you can’t workout the same muscle two days in a row?”

False, you can train the same muscle two days in a row. Just train them differently.

Don’t annihilate them day one and then annihilate them again the very next day. Annihilate them day one, then pump them up gently day two.

Why to marathon runners go for a light jog after a race?

Answer: To recover better.

It flushes the lactic acid build up and pumps fresh blood and oxygen into starving muscles.

Feeder Workout Split

Feeder workouts can be performed every day, but for different muscle groups. Cycle through feeder workouts for each major muscle group.

For example:

• Monday: Chest
• Tuesday: Back
• Wednesday: Arms
• Thursday: Legs
• Friday: Shoulders

You can do them as a warm up to your main workout or save it for dessert as a finisher.

Nutrition (Ya Gotta Eat to Grow)

If you’re eating right this will only benefit you.

Feeder workouts are the one exception where I explicitly recommend using BCAAs / Liver Tabs and a protein powder 30 minutes prior to doing them.

This will ensure optimal nutrient delivery so you build muscles up and not tear them down.

Double Stimulation Training: Workout Routine Example

So, let’s say you workout 3 days in a row: Day one is chest, day two is back, day three is legs.

Your workouts would look something like the routine below.

On day one, you do your normal chest workout:

• Bench Press
• Dips
• Incline Flyes
• Guillotine Press

Day two you do a feeder chest workout as a warm up, then do your full back workout.

• Feeder Chest Workout (3 sets of each exercise)
  • Dumbbell Incline Press – 100 Reps
  • Pec Deck – 50 Reps
• Deadlift
• Rows
• Shrugs
• Pull-ups

On day three, you do a feeder back workout, followed immediately by your leg workout.

• Feeder Back Workout (3 sets of each exercise)
  • Pull Downs – 100 Reps
  • Cable Rows – 50 Reps
• Squat
• Leg Press
• Lunges
• Leg Extension

Rinse and repeat for each following workout. Just do what you did the day before as today’s feeder workout.

If you miss a day in between. You can still do your feeder sets as a warm up.

It’s agreeable that the benefit will not be as drastic since you missed the optimal protein synthesis window. Performing a feeder workout within 48 hours is Okay, but 24 hours is optimal.

What’s Better? Double Stimulation Training vs. Nightly Feeders

Double Stimulation Training is good for overall increases in muscle size and recovery.

The past week I’ve used feeder workouts and will continue to do so because, from what I’ve seen in a brief period of time, they improve recovery and muscle definition/size.

Nightly feeder workouts are good for bringing up lagging muscle groups.

For example, if you have small shoulders, do a feeder workout every night before bed until your shoulders are the size you want.

Old school bodybuilders trained lagging muscles everyday – In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, The Education of a Bodybuilder, Arnold talks about doing this. (In addition to training stubborn muscles like forearms and abs, which most golden era bodybuilders trained daily.)

Feeder Workout Results

After trying it for a week myself, I am a believer that feeder workouts work.

I now plan to use feeder workouts for my forearms before bed for the next 30 days.

I have long arms and my forearms don’t seem to grow much without direct training.

I’ve used feeder workouts while preparing for my first bodybuilding competition. They work. I’ve found it to be a very efficient way to train. I was more defined and my muscles had better shape than ever before.

Feeder Workouts for Lagging Muscles

If you want to increase the size of a lagging muscle group, then you should perform feeder workout every day for that lagging muscle.

Continue to do so daily until desired results are achieved.

This is what Rich Piana did and recommended. More on this in a minute.

“But Jordan, isn’t training a muscle every day bad?”

Arnold did it. Seemed to work for him.

I’ve done it to make my calves explode.

And I’ve done 100 pushups every day for 30 days and saw only benefits as a result.

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Most people don’t have the physical and mental fortitude to push hard enough to overdo it.

As long as your nutrition and rest is adequate, you will be fine.

Stop listening to weenies on the internet that have no real world experience.

Do research. Think for yourself. Try new things. Draw your own conclusions. It’s the only way to maximize your potential.

Not only that, but feeder workouts are the perfect warm-up, assist with muscle recovery, and help balance uneven muscles.

Why Feeder Workouts are so Effective

It’s no secret that high-volume training increases muscle mass.

Many bodybuilders achieved stunning physiques with high-volume training.

Check out Surge Nubret’s pump training or Vince GiRonda’s 8×8 workout to see how high-volume workout sculpt superior physiques.

Not only will it help you build muscle faster, but this technique will help you recover from workouts in record time.

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