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ALL YOU NEED ARE DUMBBELLS!!
ALL YOU NEED ARE DUMBBELLS!!!
(and a bench)
This Dumbbell Series Version of the Total Body Program is the cumulative result of almost 4 YEARS of Hypertrophy Series program development, integrating the very best of ALL the regional muscle group programs into a single, comprehensive full-body routine!
8 weeks of entirely new workouts have been painstakingly crafted using hundreds of scientifically-proven methods and techniques — including Agonist-Antagonist Supersets, Regional Hypertrophy Training, and Peripheral Heart Action Training — to fully optimize TOTAL BODY STRENGTH and HYPERTROPHY...
...and all you need are dumbbells and a bench!! (A pull-up bar will be nice if you happen to have that as well, but it's not needed).
AGONIST-ANTAGONIST
SUPERSETS
ANTAGONISTIC
SUPERSETS
Scientific Background
Scientific Background
Decades of scientific research on weight training and muscle growth have proven that how you ORGANIZE and SEQUENCE your workout is just as important as DOING the lifts themselves!
Of the many different superset methods that have been tested, one has emerged as the most efficient and effective in multiple respects - and that's Agonist-Antagonist (aka "Reciprocal") Training!!
Decades of scientific research on weight training and muscle growth have proven that how you ORGANIZE and SEQUENCE your workout is just as important as DOING the lifts themselves!
Of the many different superset methods that have been tested, one has emerged as the most efficient and effective in multiple respects - and that's Agonist-Antagonist (aka "Reciprocal") Training!!
What Is It??
What is it??
The term "agonist" refers to a muscle performing a specific movement (i.e. an AGONIST for elbow flexion is the biceps), and the term "antagonist" refers to a muscle that performs the exact OPPOSITE movement (i.e. an ANTAGONIST for elbow flexion would be the triceps, since it performs elbow extension - the opposite of elbow flexion).
Antagonistic training then is when you pair two muscles or muscle groups that are antagonistic to each other in the SAME workout, and SUPERSET them (alternate between exercises that target the opposing muscles)!
The term "agonist" refers to a muscle performing a specific movement (i.e. an AGONIST for elbow flexion is the biceps), and the term "antagonist" refers to a muscle that performs the exact OPPOSITE movement (i.e. an ANTAGONIST for elbow flexion would be the triceps, since it performs elbow extension - the opposite of elbow flexion).
Antagonistic training then is when you pair two muscles or muscle groups that are antagonistic to each other in the SAME workout, and SUPERSET them (alternate between exercises that target the opposing muscles)!
2X YOUR
RESULTS!
2X YOUR RESULTS!
Research shows that when compared to equal amounts of "traditional" weight training, Agonist-Antagonist Superset Training provides drastically superior results in ALL of the following areas:
GREATER EPOC
~25% higher Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (and lasts longer)
(See the Peripheral Heart Action Training section)
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Even greater cardiovascular benefits than "cardio" itself - including High-Intensity Interval Training!
(See the Peripheral Heart Action Training section)
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Even greater cardiovascular benefits than "cardio" itself - including High-Intensity Interval Training!
(See Peripheral Heart Action Training below)
In addition to integrating this overarching principle, the Dumbbell Series Total Body Program takes Antagonistic Training to the NEXT LEVEL via precise Region-Level Matching!! (Click or keep scrolling for more details)
HOW IT'S ORGANIZED
HOW IT'S
ORGANIZED
To leverage the benefits of Agonist-Antagonist Training and Peripheral Heart Action Training with the primary goal of maximum muscle growth, the Dumbbell Series Total Body Program pairs the following muscle groups together in comprehensive workouts:
Workouts are then organized into a science-based "5-1-1" schedule, where each week features 5 weight training days, 1 cardio day (your choice of type) and 1 rest day (scheduled as each Sunday, but can be tailored according to your needs).
These are strategically sequenced to account for factors such as secondary agonist activation (i.e. when a back exercise will also engage the biceps, etc.), and so that cardio and rest days are never back-to-back, thus optimizing both time-under-tension and recovery times for every muscle in the body!!
REGIONAL HYPERTROPHY
TRAINING
REGIONAL HYPERTROPHY
TRAINING
Ground-breaking research on muscle growth has recently proven what Michael has taught for years, which is that muscle growth NEVER happens evenly across the full length of a muscle!
Rather, different sections or regions of each muscle (think "upper" vs "lower" biceps) GROW AT DIFFERENT RATES based on dozens of factors such as resistance angle, contraction speed, range of motion, single-joint vs multi-joint, concentric vs eccentric, etc., etc.
To our knowledge, NO other program out there takes these ESSENTIAL regional growth factors into account. They treat each muscle (or even entire muscle groups) as a single unit, which results in limited, uneven growth and joint imbalances!
Dr Gains has compiled and applied more knowledge and research on the intricacies of Regional Hypertrophy than anyone in the industry, and ALL OF IT is integrated into this program for you, ensuring full, even development of ALL muscle areas - particularly the hard to hit ones! (Think "inner" chest... "lower" abs... biceps "peak"... etc.)
Ground-breaking research on muscle growth has recently proven what Michael has taught for years, which is that muscle growth NEVER happens evenly across the full length of a muscle!
Rather, different sections or regions of each muscle (think "upper" vs "lower" biceps) GROW AT DIFFERENT RATES based on dozens of factors such as resistance angle, contraction speed, range of motion, single-joint vs multi-joint, concentric vs eccentric, etc., etc.
To our knowledge, NO other program out there takes these ESSENTIAL regional growth factors into account. They treat each muscle (or even entire muscle groups) as a single unit, which results in limited, uneven growth and joint imbalances!
Dr Gains has compiled and applied more knowledge and research on the intricacies of Regional Hypertrophy than anyone in the industry, and ALL OF IT is integrated into this program for you, ensuring full, even development of ALL muscle areas - particularly the hard to hit ones! (Think "inner" chest... "lower" abs... biceps "peak"... etc.)
No More "Problem Areas"!!
No More
"Problem Areas"!!
Get started today and build the well-rounded physique you always wanted!
Peripheral Heart Action
Training (PHAT)
Peripheral Heart Action Training
(PHAT)
One of the dozens of science-based techniques built-in to the Dumbbell Series Total Body Program is Peripheral Heart Action Training — a mind-blowing phenomenon that allows you to get ALL of the aerobic, cardiovascular AND fat-loss benefits of cardio DURING your weight training sessions, without actually DOING any cardio and without requiring ANY extra time, effort or intensity!
Watch the video below for more details!
REGION-LEVEL
MATCHING
REGION-LEVEL
MATCHING
The Dumbbell Series Total Body Program takes Agonist-Antagonist training to the NEXT LEVEL by not only pairing opposing muscle groups together... but also supersetting antagonistic muscle regions via exact opposite movements - enhancing the antagonistic training benefits described above even further!
Take, for example, a supinated compound supinated biceps curl working the long head of the biceps (see Superset A below). While ANY triceps exercise would technically be antagonistic... the GREATEST benefits would come from working the EXACT opposite movement, which in this case would be a pronated exercise that targets the long head of the triceps! (See Superset B below)
Superset A
Supinated Compound Biceps Curl
Primary Target Region: Biceps Long Head
Superset B
Pronated Overhead Triceps Extension
Primary Target Region: Triceps Long Head
The respective long heads of the biceps and triceps are antagonists at the regional level!
For other muscle groups there's the inner quads and outer hamstrings. The lower chest and upper back, and so on for each group.
The entire program optimizes growth and the benefits of Antagonistic Training via this REGION-LEVEL MATCHING for every muscle!!
There is simply nothing else like it. Period.
TESTIMONIALS
TESTIMONIALS
~ Patrick Redmond ~
"I have just completed my third round of the Hypertrophy Series Total Body Program, and this is exactly the type of program I wanted. I had done many of Dr. Gains's other Hypertrophy Series muscle-specific programs previously (i.e. the Back, Chest and Arm programs), but I had to build out my own full body program each week and ended up doing the same routines over and over again (while still seeing fantastic results!). However, now I no longer have to think about what to do day to day and week to week. There's tons of variety in it as well which keeps the program interesting and challenging. In my gym there is a trainer for other residents and he’s always making comments about the variety of my program, the results, my overall fitness. In fact I think he’s copying many of the moves that he sees me do.
I joked with Dr Gains that my wife said the other day I was getting "too big". Never too big! But such dramatic change over the last year. I'm 6'4 and turned 50 earlier this year. Started at 200 lbs and now down to 194, while adding 5 lbs of muscle. From 34' to 31' waist and down to 12% body fat from 18%. No more dad bod!
I’ve been to lots of 50th birthday parties this year and all my college buddies are shocked at my physique. I ran D1 track in college, so I was always thin, but never ripped. It’s honestly life changing!"
~ Patrick Redmond ~
"I have just completed my third round of the Hypertrophy Series Total Body Program, and this is exactly the type of program I wanted. I had done many of Dr. Gains's other Hypertrophy Series muscle-specific programs previously (i.e. the Back, Chest and Arm programs), but I had to build out my own full body program each week and ended up doing the same routines over and over again (while still seeing fantastic results!). However, now I no longer have to think about what to do day to day and week to week. There's tons of variety in it as well which keeps the program interesting and challenging. In my gym there is a trainer for other residents and he’s always making comments about the variety of my program, the results, my overall fitness. In fact I think he’s copying many of the moves that he sees me do.
I joked with Dr Gains that my wife said the other day I was getting "too big". Never too big! But such dramatic change over the last year. I'm 6'4 and turned 50 earlier this year. Started at 200 lbs and now down to 194, while adding 5 lbs of muscle. From 34' to 31' waist and down to 12% body fat from 18%. No more dad bod!
I’ve been to lots of 50th birthday parties this year and all my college buddies are shocked at my physique. I ran D1 track in college, so I was always thin, but never ripped. It’s honestly life changing!"
FREE ALL-IN-ONE
WORKOUT JOURNAL INCLUDED!
FREE ALL-IN-ONE
WORKOUT JOURNAL INCLUDED!
This all-in-one 3-month journal, planner, & logbook is the ultimate weightlifting companion! Developed by Michael to optimize and enhance science-based weight training, it includes dozens of highly unique features and resources that you won’t find anywhere else!
For example, unlike other planners it allows you to specify different weight and rep counts for each individual set of every exercise, enabling precise planning and tracking of drop-sets, pyramid sets, etc. You can also plan and track supersets, rest times, rep tempo, hydration, protein timing, warm-ups and finishers, cardio, and flexibility, track 1RM percentages and body measurements, and take charge of your overall health with the built-in meal planners, habit trackers, goal managers, and more!
Those who purchase the Dumbbell Series Total Body Program will receive a FREE digital copy of the All-in-One Workout Journal!
Upon request, those who purchase the Hypertrophy Series Total Body Program will receive a FREE digital copy of the All-in-One Workout Journal!
3D EXERCISE ANATOMY
GRAPHICS
EXERCISE ANATOMY
3D GRAPHICS
Every exercise module in the Dumbbell Series Total Body Program includes professionally-detailed, color-coded and motion-specific 3D Anatomy Graphics showing the PRIMARY and SECONDARY agonists (target muscles) in action for each specific exercise! Created via a partnership between Dr. Gains and Muscle & Motion, these incredibly helpful graphics make it so that with just a quick glance you can visualize exactly which muscles you should be focusing on for each lift, increasing activation via an enhanced mind-muscle connection!
Here are some examples:
Unilateral Rotating Hybrid Fly-Press
(Week 1 > Saturday > Workout 5B)
Incline Y's with Retractions
(Week 2 > Wednesday > Workout 3A)
Unilateral Clean to Overhead Press Combo
(Week 3 > Monday > Workout 6A)
Straight-Arm Landmine Twists
(Week 4 > Thursday > Workout 4B)
PRICING & CHECKOUT
PRICING & CHECKOUT
You can choose to either purchase the Hypertrophy Series Total Body Program individually using the checkout buttons below...
OR you can get unlimited access to it along with every other current & future Dr. Gains program via the All-Access Premium Membership! (See details below)
You can choose to either purchase the Dumbbell Series Total Body Program individually using the first checkout buttons below...
OR you can get unlimited access to it along with every other current & future Dr. Gains program via the All-Access Premium Membership! (See details below)
Individual Program
Dumbbell Series
Total Body Program
(Antagonist Splits)
ALL Programs
All-Access Premium Membership
• Multiple payment options
• All Dr. Gains Programs, E-Books & Other Content (Includes Future Total Body Program Versions & Splits)*
• Cancel Anytime
*If you join the Premium Membership you will automatically receive access to all current and future Total Body Programs. If you purchase this program individually, you'll have access to all future updates of this program (Dumbbell Series Total Body Antagonists Splits), but not any of the other future series versions or different splits (i.e. Dumbbell Series Total Body Push / Pull / Legs Splits).
Payment Methods Accepted: Credit / Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay
About the Creator
About the Creator
- Michael Kamalu -
(At A Glance)
-Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a full-ride academic scholarship from BYU with degrees in Neuroscience, Business Management, and Portuguese, with an additional focus on Exercise Science
-Achieved a perfect 100th percentile score on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
-Received offers from multiple top 10 medical schools, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Mayo Clinic
-Accepted a full-tuition scholarship to train at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, the #1 ranked medical institution in the world
-Published orthopedic sports medicine research with one of the top sports med shoulder surgeons in the world (Dr. John Tokish, M.D.), who called Michael "the brightest talent I've seen in 20 years of practice"
-Has founded and built 3 separate million-dollar companies and filed patents for products he's developed, including winning the 2018 MIT Surgical Innovation Hackathon in Silicon Valley with an invention, and winning the Global Student Entrepreneur Award.
-Was made a Certified Personal Training (CPT) Instructor by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) for the Dr. Gains online training programs
-14 years of experience applying medical science and innovation to weightlifting and resistance training in order to optimize natural muscle growth while simultaneously preventing injury!
Check out Michael's full bio to learn more about his background and how the industry-changing "Dr. Gains" brand was developed!
What's Included... (Summary)
What's Included... (Summary)
8 week long program comprising 40 fully customized workouts (no repeats), with cutting-edge research optimizing every aspect of each workout
Available via both web and a downloadable mobile app (iOS and Android compatible). Which sync together seamlessly, automatically saving your progress (even mid-video) if you switch between devices
Over 400 different science-based exercises (many developed by Dr. Gains himself) with hundreds of additional modifications and variations so that the program can be customized to fit your own needs, goals, and equipment
Every module features an in-depth video tutorial packed with science-based instruction on top of the exercise demonstration, including:
a) How much weight to use, how many sets and reps to complete, and special form tips
b) The specific muscles that are engaged and targeted with each exercise, color-coded for primary and secondary agonists shown in an anatomy graphic
c) The primary benefit and goal of each exercise, including its variations and modifications
d) Alternative options for each exercise in case you don't have access to the equipment being used, with direct links to their tutorials / demos
e) Convenient "Key Timestamps" highlighting important parts of each video in case you want to jump to specific sections or review them later
Every module includes professionally-detailed, color-coded and motion-specific Anatomy Graphics showing the primary and secondary target muscles in action for each specific exercise! Created via a partnership between Dr. Gains and Muscle & Motion, these incredibly helpful graphics make it so that with just a quick glance you'll not only know conceptually but also be able to visualize exactly which muscles you should be focusing on for each lift, as well as what other muscles will also be engaged, despite not being the primary target of the lift!
A free digital copy of the Dr. Gains All-in-One Workout Journal! Developed specifically to optimize and enhance science-based weight training, it includes dozens of highly unique features and resources that you won’t find anywhere else, and that perfectly compliment this program
Hundreds of injury-prevention techniques and form tips, including in-depth explanations of common form mistakes along with walk-throughs for how to avoid them
Coaching through the implementation of dozens of unique evidence-based set / rep patterns and techniques for muscular hypertrophy, including eccentric-overloading, pyramid and inverted-pyramid sets, Delorme sets, partial-ROM reps, Triple-Failure sets, fast-twitch reps, dropsets, combo sets and much more!
Rest time instructions including the optimal wait times between sets, supersets, and set pairs
Supplement instructions and recommendations for protein, creatine, collagen and pre-workouts, including explanations of the various types, their benefits, how much to take, when to take it, and more
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Jump to Question:
Q: What type of equipment do I need?
A: Required: Dumbbells and an adjustable bench
*Optional
-Pull-Up Bar*
-Jump Rope
-Stability Ball
*The pull-up bar is really the only one that it would make a difference to have, since there's a very limited number of dumbbell exercises that effectively target the lower back. So I've integrated several exercises that use a pull-up bar into the program, but I always include alternatives if you don't have one, so it's not required.
Q: How is the program material accessed / delivered?
A: The course material is all delivered via the Dr. Gains Online Program Platform, which is accessible by - and compatible with - all devices (desktop, mobile, tablet, etc.), and via a mobile app! After purchasing the program or membership you will be directed to create your account (if it's the first Dr. Gains program you've purchased), and login to the platform. If you're registered for more than one Dr. Gains program at the same time, they will all be there!
-The platform will track your progress and save your place so that you can pick up right where you left off on any device (even mid-video)!
-More detailed instructions will be given within the introductory section of the program.
Q: How soon can I start?
A: Immediately!
The first workout of the program is scheduled to start on a Monday... but you change that to whatever day of the week you want (although for best results you should stay consistent with whatever day you choose). You can also start reviewing the modules and putting them into practice right away. There is a decent amount of introductory material to review (i.e. program organization, supplement instructions & recommendations, weight and rest time instructions, general tips, etc.), which we recommend going through at least one day in advance.
Q: Do I need to be an experienced weightlifter to start this program?
A: No!
Every exercise is presented in a comprehensive video tutorial with detailed instructions and clear explanations - no previous experience is required.
Additionally, almost all of the exercise modules are highly customizable, including multiple different tiers, variations, modifications, and alternatives so that each person can apply them to their specific needs, goals, capabilities, and resources.
See the section above for more details on the Beginnner vs Advanced versions of this specific program as well.
Whether you're a competitive bodybuilder with 30 years of weightlifting experience and a Ph.D. in exercise science... or you've never so much as lifted a dumbbell before in your life (or aren't even sure what a dumbbell is!), this program will meet you at your own level and help you grow from there!
Other Total Body Programs
Other Total Body Programs
Hypertrophy Series Regional Programs
Hypertrophy Series Regional Programs
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