X Files Archives - Page 2 of 73

Back-Attack Size Effects

Q: You have V-handle pulldowns as the Ultimate Exercise for lats [in the X-traordinary X-Rep Workout]. I do those for the power pyramid then wide-grip pulldowns for a density drop set. But I feel the wide-grips in my lats more. Can I reverse the order and do the wide pulldowns for the pyramid, then the V-handle pulldowns for a density drop set?

A: Absolutely! Your question is similar to one we had for chest before. In that case, we suggested switching the order at every workout to emphasize a different line of force for optimal size effects. You could do that with lats also (and it will help your arms look huge too, as you’ll see in a moment)… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 81: Danny Padilla Ruins Bodybuilding

We often feature photos in our Zen newsletters that we’ve never seen before. This one of Danny Padilla is one of those. It looks like he’s at some type of ruins, perhaps the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, or the Parthenon in Greece (those are just a guesses). [Read more…]

Before and After Photos—10 Pounds of New Muscle

Q: Your before and after photos at the X-Rep site are impressive and, to be frank, almost unbelievable. You say that the next year after those were taken, you gained another 10 pounds of muscle. What exactly do you attribute those new gains to? They’re almost unbelievable considering you were both advanced and supposedly drug-free?

A: “Supposedely” drug-free? Thank you! We always take an anabolic-steroid accusation as a compliment. We totally understand the doubt, considering how tough it is to build muscle, especially 10 pounds of it. We often think of the late Mike Mentzer, former pro bodybuilder and high-intensity advocate, who often suggested imagining 10 pounds of ground hamburger piled on a table. That’s a lot of meat… [Read more…]

3 Fat-to-Muscle Secrets to Get You Leaner and Bigger

Q: I always get fat over the winter. Outdoor cardio is hard to do, and I hate the treadmill. Plus, I tend to miss workouts. Three days a week is about all I can handle. Should I just do that and try to starve myself more often to stay closer to lean shape?

A: The good news is, you don’t have to do cardio to burn fat; you just have to use a few key fat-to-muscle tactics, the first of which is doing some muscle damage. [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 80: Ronnie Coleman’s Mind-Blowing Mass

Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. Olympia eight times, and his incredible monstrous physique set a new standard in the pro ranks. Check out the back shot on the right—striations on top of striations. Incredible… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 79: Dorian Yates’ Shocking Mass

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

Match Your Motivation, Build More Muscle

Q: I always have a problem making gains in the winter. It starts around Halloween, when the weather starts getting cooler and the bowls of candy start taunting me. Then it’s Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, and it’s even colder outside. I lose the motivation to hit the gym, and my muscles usually shrink and get shrouded with a layer of fat. Is this just something I should accept, or do you have any solutions?

A: Definitely do not accept it—at least not completely—because if you regress in the winter and then start training hard in the spring, you waste a lot of workouts just getting back to where you were the previous year. (We speak from experience—it’s happened to us on more than one occasion). [Read more…]