The Tren Twins, Brad and Chris, are two of the most iconic and influential bodybuilders today. With their massive, ripped physiques and intense training style, they have inspired countless people to push their limits in the gym. In this article, we'll take a close look at how to train like the Tren Twins and achieve a superhero-like body.
Diet & Nutrition
To build a physique like the Tren Twins, you need to nail your diet and nutrition. The twins follow a very clean bulking diet, focused on eating whole, unprocessed foods high in protein. Some of their dietary staples include:
- Lean meats like chicken, turkey, fish and lean beef
- Eggs and egg whites
- Rice and potatoes for carbs
- Lots of vegetables
- Protein shakes and supplements
They stick to healthy, complex carbs and get the majority of their calories from lean protein sources. While bulking, the twins aim for around 4000-5000 calories per day. They also take supplements like whey protein, creatine, BCAAs and pre-workout to support their intense training.
Proper nutrition provides the building blocks for growth and recovery. Without it, you won't be able to train as hard or build muscle as effectively.
Training Split & Volume
The Tren Twins are known for their extremely high volume training style. They follow a 5-6 day split, training each muscle group twice per week. Their split looks something like this:
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Shoulders
Day 4: Arms
Day 5: Legs
Day 6: Rest
For each muscle group, they typically do around 6-8 exercises per workout, utilizing techniques like drop sets, supersets, rest-pause sets and other intense methods. They aim for anywhere from 10-20 working sets per muscle group.
Some of their favorite exercises include:
Chest: Barbell bench press, incline dumbbell press, chest flyes
Back: Deadlifts, pull-ups, bent over rows, lat pulldowns
Shoulders: Overhead press, lateral raises, front raises
Arms: Barbell curls, preacher curls, skullcrushers, pushdowns
Legs: Squats, leg press, lunges, leg extensions
The twins push each set until complete muscular failure, often having a spotter assist them with forced reps on the last couple reps of each set. Their workouts have very little rest between sets, keeping their heart rate elevated and muscles under constant tension.
In terms of cardio, they do 30-60 minutes about 4 times per week, usually first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This helps maintain a lean and shredded physique year-round.
Progressive Overload
The key to the Tren Twins' physiques is progressive overload. This means continuously increasing the demands placed on the muscles over time to force further adaptation. Some ways they implement progressive overload include:
- Adding more weight/reps on lifts
- Reducing rest times
- Increasing workout volume and frequency over time
- Changing exercises to provide a new stimulus
They are constantly shocking their muscles in new ways and finding small ways to increase the challenge session after session. It's this dedication to progressive overload that has built their phenomenal size and definition.
Recovery
With their brutal workout regimen, recovery is just as important as the training itself. The Tren Twins utilize a variety of recovery methods, including:
- Massage therapy and foam rolling
- Ice baths
- Sauna sessions
- Stretching and mobility work
- Sleeping 8+ hours per night
- Eating in a calorie surplus
- Taking rest days when needed
They listen closely to their bodies and take time off when feeling overly fatigued or sore. This prevents overtraining and allows them to keep making progress.
Steroid Use
It's important to note that the Tren Twins are open about their use of anabolic steroids like trenbolone and testosterone. These drugs allow them to recover faster, build more muscle, burn fat and handle their extreme training schedules.
For natural trainees, trying to copy the Tren Twin's routines without steroids would be ineffective and likely lead to overtraining. However, the principles of progressive overload, hard training and proper recovery can still be applied.
Training Tips & Takeaways
Here are some key tips and takeaways for training like the Tren Twins:- Train each muscle group 2x per week for maximum growth
- Focus on progressive overload - add weight/reps over time
- Train to muscle failure and use techniques like drop sets and supersets
- Allow 1-2 minutes rest between sets
- Follow a clean high protein bulk and eat in a calorie surplus
- Incorporate cardio 3-5x per week
- Get plenty of sleep and recovery
- Use good form - don't sacrifice form for weight
- Be consistent and patient - results take months/years
While genetics play a role, the Tren Twins' physiques were built on grit, determination and consistency in applying these principles over years of training. Adopting even a few of these strategies can help boost your own gains. Train hard, train smart and bring a champion mindset to the gym.
