We get the stronger = bigger question a lot—and there’s no question that getting stronger will build some size—note that we said “some.” To clarify, here’s an excerpt from our best-selling e-book The Super-Size Crash Course…
“One of the biggest reasons muscle growth is so slow in most cases is the simplistic myth that strength equals superior size. There’s more to it than that. Trying to move big weights for a few reps does very little for ultimate muscle size. Are you shaking your head? Check this out…
“Did you know that some of the strongest pound-for-pound powerlifters in the world are the smallest? For example, Joe Luther bench presses more than 400 pounds at a bodyweight of 165—no bulbous muscles anywhere on his physique. Even women weighing 130 pounds have benched close to 300, no bodybuilder-style muscle in sight.
“Research conducted more than 40 years ago drives home the point. Here’s a quote from Peary Rader, the founder of IRON MAN magazine, from the 1960s:
“’Experiments we have carried out show that we can put an inch on the arms in a short period by pumping [with lighter-density] methods…. On the other hand, we can, by training on an entirely different system [heavy weights/power] develop 10 or 20 percent more strength without one bit of increase in the size of the arms. This ruins the popular theory that muscle strength is in direct relation to its size.’
“Could that be the reason so many of the biggest bodybuilders of yesteryear—before steroids—used heavy/light routines? Even many of today’s mass monsters use similar tactics because heavy/light works to build muscle like crazy, much better than heavy-only training. IFBB pro bodybuilder Johnnie Jackson, who also competes in powerlifting, has said that when he trains ultra-heavy with low reps exclusively, he gets smaller, not bigger.
“So getting to be your strongest is not the key to being your jaw-dropping biggest—although strength can contribute. Building extreme mass is a combination of things including extended muscle tension time, or sets that last 40 seconds or more, and muscular fatigue—as in reducing rest between sets.”
> The Super-Size Crash Course contains many heavy-light Power/Density programs, tactics, and methods for building Ultimate Mass. This extreme-size-building best-seller is ONLY $10 HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
NO MORE SHOULDER PAIN
We’ve all had our share of injuries, but nothing’s more annoying than aching shoulders.
If you hurt your shoulders, you’re done—at least for a while. And if the damage is severe, the pain can affect your workouts forever. That’s not good!
That’s why we’re recommending advice from injury specialist Rick Kaselj, MS. His tips can help make your shoulders nearly bullet-proof.
Here are a few general tips from Rick (he goes into more detail in his program)…
Top 5 Tips To Bullet-Proof Your Shoulders
- Build Tension in Your Lats. When doing shoulder exercises, activate your lats and keep your shoulders happy.
- Prime Up Your Muscles. Most people do a warm-up that just lubricates the joint, but you need to activate and turn on all the muscles in your upper body.
- Technique, Technique, Technique. This is the number one reason why people injure their shoulders. You can’t go to the gym every day and work on your max lift.
- Watch Out for Fatigue. Cooking your smaller muscles in your shoulder complex, and that increases the risk of shoulder injury and pain.
- Work on Your Shoulder Blade Muscles. Many strength coaches will say you’re wasting your time on this, but if you want to have bullet-proof shoulders, you need to work on them.
Get all of Rick’s tips and tricks for pain-free workouts below: