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New Workout Reload for Fat-to-Muscle Results

Q: I’m using the Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, but my bodyweight is staying the same. It’s been about four weeks, and I’m getting more veins and can see more muscle definition, but the number on the scale hasn’t budged. Should I make a change or start a new workout?

A: If you’re getting more vascular with increased muscularity, you’ve reduced the subcutaneous fat which is the adipose that is just under the skin. Why hasn’t that fat loss resulted in a smaller number on the scale? Probably because you’ve gained muscle at the same time, which balanced out the fat loss… [Read more…]

Will High Reps Help with Cuts?

Q: I’ve put on some muscle the past few months, but I’ve also added more fat than I care to admit. I figure now’s the time to start thinking about ripping up for spring and summer. Some guys at my gym said that I should start doing higher reps, but then I’ve heard that higher reps don’t burn many more calories and aren’t that great for muscle gains and that lower-rep sets are best to keep muscle. I’m confused! Will high reps help with cuts?

A: The general consensus these days is that bodybuilders should not do high reps for muscularity for the reasons you mentioned; however—and this is a BIG however—we believe high-rep sets, or at least longer tension-time sets of 40 to 50 seconds, will help you get leaner via two specific pathways: [Read more…]

Frequent Muscle Hits to Get Massive and Ripped?

Q: I’m using 4X, TORQ, and Super TORQ exclusively—no heavy training. I’ve already added about six pounds of new muscle in just a few months. Can I train each muscle more frequently than every four days? It seems like with moderate poundages, each muscle would recover quicker and I could train more often to grow even faster. Should I try it?

A: Try it. Whether it works well will depend on your recovery ability—and your age may also have a bearing…

Consider this: Research has discovered that the older we get, the more muscle inflammation derails muscle growth. [Merrit, E.K., et al. (2013). J App Physiology.] [Read more…]

Freak-Physique Techniques: Once per week

Q: I stumbled across some of your old daily training blog posts, and I notice that you’d often call your last workout of the week Freaky Friday. What’s up with that? Are those freak-physique techniques you use something I can implement to grow more mass quickly? I need more size!

A: Bodybuilders always need more size—somewhere. And that’s why we implemented freak-physique techniques on Fridays for a long time. Freaky Friday was basically our way to train “outside the box.” [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 72: Arnold’s “Dangling” Concentration Curls

We’ve discussed Arnold’s biceps peak and his full-range workout—standing curls, incline curls, concentration curls—a few times in this newsletter.

While most bodybuilders did concentration curls seated with their arm braced against the inside of their thigh, Arnold preferred a standing version… [Read more…]

More Mass with the Front-to-Back Attack

Q: I always hurt my back when I squat heavy. And now I even hurt it doing moderate-weight 4X, probably because of the damage I’ve incurred over the years. You may call it brainwashing, but I really feel that I need to squat to build more mass. Any suggestions? I don’t want to give up squatting.

A: We’re right there with you on that. After years of heavy squatting—and numerous back injuries–we’re now very cautious when doing that exercise. But the good news is that we’ve figured out how to do it while significantly minimizing the injury potential and still gaining more mass… [Read more…]