While this newsletter is about training for muscle, it’s always interesting to look back at the evolution of known bodybuilders’ physiques…
It can be fun—or depressing, depending on how you look at it. The genes you are dealt play a role in any sport you attempt, but especially bodybuilding. Even the best training topped with drugs can’t remedy a narrow shoulder structure and a wide waist—although you can sculpt some illusions to camouflage flaws…
While Arnold didn’t have the tiniest waist, he did have a decent shoulder structure and long muscle bellies, all of which gave his physique potential from an early age. Here he is at 19 vs. around 30 in his prime, second photo taken by John Balik on Venice Beach (not sure who took the earlier shot)…
Arnold definitely took his potential and ran with it in a strategic way. Notice that he didn’t get a lot bigger; he refined his physique and added muscle in the right places, which is what bodybuilding should be about—not getting as big as possible everywhere…
Mike Mentzer is another legendary bodybuilder who had magnificent potential early on. Check out this comparison: age 19 vs. his competitive heyday. Plenty of size at an early age…
And you can hold a lot of muscle even as you get older. An excellent example is the Flexing Dutchman Berry de Mey, who took home third place in the 1988 Mr. Olympia. Here he is at age 19 vs. age 60 (he has a daughter, so he had to keep his mass to scare the crap out of her potential boyfriends)…
The last comparison is one all the readers of this newsletter will know. It’s Doug Brignole on the cover of a 1982 issue of our favorite bodybuilding magazine after winning the Mr. California. He’s around 22. The second shot is of him winning the 2019 Drug-Free Mr. Universe at age 59 (Lance Kincaid photo)…
I ended with Doug because he’s proving that not only can you build muscle into your late 50s and perhaps beyond, but that you can do it without damaging your joints. A big key is to emphasize the biomechanically ideal exercises, many of which are isolation moves…
His training “discoveries” helped me retool my workouts and take my physique to a new level in my early 60s using only 35-minute workouts three days a week—with the genetics of a pipsqueak.
New: Get the ideal exercise for each muscle, the best add-on moves for ultimate mass, complete 35-minute workouts, exercise start/finish photos, and details on building muscle fast and efficiently in Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
X-Rep.com
Highly Recommended…
This is Doug Brignole’s incredible 400-page, large-format text on the biomechanics of exercise. It’s a guide to get you training correctly and building maximum muscle safely and efficiently.
Doug’s analysis and explanations on the science and logic behind muscular movement will show you why many of the so-called fundamental mass-building moves are inefficient time-wasters. Plus, he’ll show you the best alternatives.
Whether you’re a hobby bodybuilder, competitive athlete or personal trainer, this book is a must read, one you will refer to again and again throughout your training career.