“MI” stands for Mass Intelligence and aims to build muscle in the smartest, fastest way possible in just 40 days.

The regime is intense and not for the faint of heart or mind. Lazy men need not apply. Using a combination of strength and cardio workouts as well as a nutritional program, it will be hard not to see results.

You are promised “the most incredible physique of your life” if you are ready to commit. Here we will be breaking down the MI40 Foundation program to see if it is the perfect fitness fit for you.

You will be using some pretty heavy duty equipment when it comes to MI40. A novice may be a little taken aback, but through the provided Exercise Guide and Training Videos, you will be walked through how each piece of equipment works.

The exercises will use equipment such as barbells and dumbbells, as well as cables, ropes, and various machines. These are definitely not home-friendly exercises and will most certainly require a trip to the gym.

Forty is the magic number, after all. Over forty days, workouts are separated into forty minute bouts, five days per week, two times per day.

Keep in mind that forty minutes takes into consideration the lifting portion only. Any other warm-up or cool-down sessions are not included. Because you will ideally be working out twice per day, it is recommended that you take four to six hours between sessions to rest your muscles. To see max results, follow this routine as is.

There are bonus workouts included, but if you are new to this type of exercise, start at the most basic level. After you have finished MI40, Ben suggests taking at least three to four days off completely before starting to train again.

When purchasing MI40, one of your first downloads will be the Mass Consumption Nutrition Manual. This is a 60-page guide to your optimal nutrition standards while using the program.

Pukalski starts with “10 simple rules to master your body”, which include: eating protein every 2-3 hours, how to time your nutrient consumption, and eating fats and proteins for breakfast. Each of these MI40 commandments is broken down into complete explanations.

For example, the reasoning behind eating fats and proteins for breakfast is because it has shown to be beneficial to metabolic flexibility. In other words, it allows your body to burn nutrients the right way at the right time. Carbohydrates are better consumed after a workout, so they will immediately be burned for fuel.

As far as WHAT to eat, Ben leaves the plan a little open-ended. He does lay out a schedule for you, rotating through six meals each day. The meal plan, or “Daily Eating Schedule” is broken down into four different types:

• If You Work Out in the Afternoon
• If You Work Out in the Morning
• If You Work Out in the Evening
• On Non-Training Days

This schedule does not come with recipes for each meal. On each plan, you are told a food combination such as PROTEIN + FATS + VEGGIES and it is up to you to fill in the blanks with some of the suggested foods.

If you are new to breaking down your meals in this way, you are provided with descriptions and overall suggestions for each category. You are also given a formula for calculating how many calories to consume day to day in order to gain muscle and maintain or lose body fat. This number will change slightly depending if it is a training or a non-training day.

This Nutrition Manual seems very complicated at first glance, but that is only because Pukalski is giving you a ton of information within these sixty pages. Once you break it down into the appropriate calories and daily schedule, it will seem less cumbersome. This is one that you will definitely want to make a chart for to help guide you to the end.

If you are considering MI40, your goal is to become bigger and leaner in a very short amount of time.

Men and women who have used this program will ideally see results in just forty days. Visiting the program’s website, you will see a handful of before and after photos. These photos are mainly of men who clearly have already been working out and had some muscle definition to begin with. The one female transformation is more impressive.

“I have never once regretted paying for the MI40 programs or camps because it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than paying medical bills to fix injuries, or paying for a casket…Pride is probably the #1 reason that people do not see the results they desire. They’re just too damn proud to admit that what they’re doing is wrong, or that their training is inadequate for their goals. Admitting to myself that I needed to find help was the greatest decision to date.”
-Stephen Powers

“Training with Ben is not only an education in bodybuilding, but a holistic learning experience, as he focuses on every aspect of the sport. His health and wellness-centered approach is refreshing and he can ALWAYS explain the “why” behind every instruction. The gains I’ve experienced have been phenomenal, I’ve never looked and felt better!”
-Emily Chomyshyn

The seemingly overwhelming response to MI40 is a positive one. On the non-vendor front, there are dozens of user reviews for MI40 to look through. One user even documented his forty-day experience, giving true reactions along the way. In the end, he said:

“I had a freaking blast over the past 40 days! Really learned to work the muscles in a completely different way. Proved to myself that yes heavy weights are important, but what is more important is TENSION. All I can say is wow! 6 weeks and some EXTREME changes. Overall I am extremely impressed and happy with the results.”
-Steven, NY

Now that we have looked at some of the other aspects of the program, it is time to look at the MI40 workout itself.

Over 40 days, you will be building some major muscle, and leaning out to really show some chiseled form. To access the full workout plan, you will download the Printable Workout Sheets, which can be taken with you to the gym or downloaded onto your phone for ease of travel.

This download is 51 pages long and starts with a lesson in the terminology you will see throughout your workouts. These will be straightforward to experienced gym-goers, but provide a nice explanation to someone that is just beginning their fitness journey.

Following the terminology you will find Ben Pukalski’s Weight Training Instructions, which sets you up for what you will see in the pages to come. These instructions include things like:

• 40 second rest periods between sets
• Complete a thorough cardio warm-up before any weight workout
• Perform one physical rehearsal set of each exercise before adding weight

Next up is your cardio chart, which pinpoints exactly what type of cardio to perform and when. You will be completing a cardio workout three times per week minimum. These workouts are 20-minutes long and are based on high intensity interval training (HIIT).

Abs and calves are in line after your cardio chart. You are able to select three abdominal exercises from the provided guide and videos and repeat them until you are fatigued, for about ten minutes. For calves, you are given a specific routine that will take another ten minutes. Throughout MI40, you will alternate working abs or calves each day along with your regular workout.

Pakulski provides you with an excellent calendar to keep track of all of your workouts and the appropriate schedule for each bodypart.

SAMPLE WEEK:
Monday – OFF
Tuesday – Chest/Front & Side Delts

Wednesday – Deadlift/Intense Back

Thursday – Legs

Friday – OFF
Saturday – Delts/Arms
Sunday – AM: Sunday Squat, Optional PM: Hypertrophy Back

The very first day of training is considered your “Weight Testing Day”. On this day you will test weights to find the appropriate starting weight for your program and set yourself up for maximum success.

A chart is provided to track this information as well as track all of the exercises throughout the forty days. You will see between 5 and 10 exercises each day. Because of how the program is set up, and the rhythm at which you are taught to lift, Ben advises that you may not be able to lift as heavy as you may be used to.

“This means leaving your ego at the door and lifting the appropriate weight to hit your targets and optimize your physique transformation.”

There are 6 phases during MI40 that help you to dig deep into your muscles and reach your full potential. The phases build on each other, so you will add skills as your progress each week.

Phase 1 – Indoctrination of Precision Execution
This phase happens during the first week of MI40, focusing on really squeezing your muscles to the max with each contraction. The goal is to get the largest contraction while still upholding proper form.

Phase 2 – End-Range Time Under Tension
The focus here in week two is to squeeze the muscles as much as you can while in an isometric hold at the extended end of your range of motion. It is noted that this will really amp up your progress.

Phase 3 – Accumulation
This is where the last two phases are combined into a complete set of contracting to the max at the extreme end of your range of motion with perfect form and posture.

Phase 4 – Lactic Intensity
That burn you feel within a muscle as you work out is your lactic acid. The more lactic acid you produce, the higher amounts of growth hormone your body will produce, leading to more muscle gains. This equals less body fat. Week four brings it up a notch with more time spent under tension on each exercise.

Phase 5 – Pause and Prime
Since the workouts will have gotten quite extreme by this point, Ben drops the intensity down to week one level and has you focus on the basics again.

Phase 6 – Every Last Fiber
This is where you will work out full-force, using every technique learned over the course of the program.

MI40 is a beast of a program and is not for the weak-hearted. For forty days you will have to push your body to its limits, but this will yield the greatest reward. Once finished, it is recommended to rest at least a few days before starting to work out again. Even the biggest muscles need a rest.

At the completion of the MI40 Foundation program, many have seen around ten pounds of muscle gain and it is not hard to see why. A person who works out and follows a nutrition guide this intensely for forty days will absolutely, without a doubt, see results. For those still on the fence, we will take a look at the facts.

PROS

• Program created by a true fitness professional, who is not only highly educated, but is a bodybuilder himself.
• Educational, detailed content about how and why the methods work.
• Full exercise guide with a calendar and videos on correct form.
• Encourages proper form on each and every exercise.
• Has a method for timing each exercise.
• Full nutritional guide.
• Complete supplement guide.
• Access to user forums.

CONS

• Price is higher than some other programs on the market.
• Requires access to a full gym.
• Supplements can be pricey.

The pros added on to the large amount of positive online reviews place MI40 Foundation at the top of the game. The program may cost a little extra, but with guaranteed results, you are taking little risk with the investments.

Overall, MI40 is a winner. For those who are looking for a total body transformation in a mere forty days, look no further. Ben Pakulski’s knowledge and drive to help you live and look better will surely motivate you in ways you never thought possible.

Take the leap! MI40 is here to stay.