What the heck is the “Barbell Bloat”? The term comes from a 1967 episode of “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
Their banker, Mr. Drysdale, set up Uncle Jed’s daughter Elly May with Mr. Universe Dave Draper. When the family saw his muscles, they asked what caused it. He replied, “Barbells.”…
They took that to mean a serious illness, what they called the “Barbell Bloat.”
In one scene, Dave was doing hack squats by the “cement pond,” holding a barbell behind his thighs. Granny couldn’t contain her sorrow because she thought he was trying to build himself a wheelchair….
Funny stuff, but the latest studies suggest that the Barbell Bloat is real. How’s that?
True muscle growth has been shown to max out at around 4 to 6 sets a week on average…
So if you train a muscle twice a week, 2 to 4 intense sets per workout is a sweet spot…
But what about the studies that show more muscle gains with higher volume—like 10 to 20 sets per week?
Hypertrophy researchers Chris Beardsley and Paul Carter say that these high-volume studies are nothing more than measuring temporary edema…
In other words, the muscles become so damaged that they’re inflamed to facilitate repair—the “Barbell Bloat.”…
More on this tomorrow plus how and why the biggest bodybuilders grow with excess volume. Is it just the BB Bloat?
Note: See the ebooks below for more info on the ideal exercises and efficient workouts that adhere to the 4-to-6-sets true hypertrophy requirement.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
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