X Files Archives - Page 2 of 76

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 107: Larry Scott’s Awesome Arms

He was the very first Mr. Olympia, and while his entire physique was excellent, it was Larry Scott’s awesome arms that had people shaking their heads in disbelief… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 106: Frank Zane’s Perfect Beach Physique

Frank Zane’s physique is still considered near perfection today. Who wouldn’t want a beach physique like this? [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 105: Mike Mentzer at a Party

Here’s an impressive candid shot of Mike Mentzer at a party with his giant arm hanging out of his T-shirt. Obviously, Perrier water is the freaky muscle secret. LOL… [Read more…]

New Muscle Size With a Power-Density Jolt

Q: Just read The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout. Absolutely great! I read it all in one sitting. It really made me think, so I’m redesigning my workout using your programs. But don’t higher-rep warmup sets cover the endurance component of the 2A fibers? And what about X Reps? They extend a set, so I would think they also affect the endurance side of the important 2As as well.

A: You’re right on both counts—to a degree. Warm-up sets aren’t intense, so very few fibers are involved—and many that are fall into the slow-twitch category, rather than the important fast-twitch 2As. [Read more…]

Specialize for Size with Power-Density

Q: I’m making my best gains ever with the Power-Density Mass Workout. I’m already up six pounds in four weeks, and I see new muscle somewhere every workout, training just about 40 minutes a session. I have a question about my lagging bodypart, shoulders. Can I add sets to the listed workout, or how should I force my shoulders to grow like my other bodyparts?

A: Most of the bodypart routines in the Basic Power-Density Mass Workout consist of only one Ultimate Exercise per muscle group. That makes for quick, simple workouts: First you pyramid the weight over three sets for max force, or Power; then you reduce the weight and attack tension, or Density with a 10×10-style sequence, but using only four sets… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 104: Dorian Yates’ Shocking Double Biceps

This is another of Kevin Horton’s black-and-white gym photos of Dorian Yates that literally shocked the bodybuilding world in 1993. At that time, the sheer massiveness and graininess of his physique was astounding… [Read more…]

The Power-TORQ Muscle Maker

Q: I notice that you guys often use a double-drop set on the last one when you do TORQ. I love that muscle maker variation, and it appears it’s gotten me bigger in the past few weeks. Do you have any other ways to vary that method?

A: To refresh memories, TORQ is tension-overload repetition quantity… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 103: Arnold’s Relaxed Mass

Here’s a mind-blowing shot of Arnold standing near the window at the old Gold’s Gym in Venice, California. We believe it’s an Art Zeller photo… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 102: Danny Padilla Muscle Rock

We’ve featured Danny Padilla in our Zen installments many times, but this is a shot we don’t remember seeing. It appears to be at the famous Muscle Rock location in Southern California… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 101: Steve Reeves Muscle Art

These photos taken in the ’50s showcase the classic lines of Steve Reeves that made him a perfect movie Hercules—excellent genetics, and not just in the looks department. Check out at his wide V taper, small waist and long calves… [Read more…]