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“Radical” Diet for Mass and Cuts

Q: Steve’s “roller-coaster size-shreds” diet [in the Super Size Crash Course] has me rethinking my plan. The results he got with it are spectacular, but I have a few questions. He lists his two ultra-strict diet days a week, but how did he eat on the other five days? Also, how was he training, and what was his cardio schedule?

A: Yes, his results were fairly “spectacular,” as the pics below show (there are more in the e-book; apologies for the crummy old iPhone images—old man needs a new phone. Lol). These results were after about 8 weeks on the new diet. [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 31: Casey Viator’s Colorado Experiment

Back in 1973, Arthur Jones, the creator of Nautilus machines and considered the “father of high-intensity training,” decided to prove to the world that his short, intense muscle-building methods worked… [Read more…]

Warp-Speed Mass Gains: Old Trick, New Twist

Q: I use Pre-Ex 3X supersets a lot when I can. Removing the weak-link muscle makes so much sense as a way to make the compound exercise more targeted and work harder. The look of my physique has completely changed these with new vascularity since adding these. I recently saw a mention of doing the second exercise in the superset in speed style. Does that work well? I’d love more new veins and size.

A: Yes, for many muscle groups Pre-Ex makes a lot of sense. For example, isolating your chest with cable flyes first, and then immediately moving to dumbbell bench presses helps even out the strength of the now pre-fatigued pecs with your fresh triceps… [Read more…]

Mass Workout Remix + Size-Packing Tricks

Q: I’m looking for a hot, basic workout that will grow muscle fast. I see lots of people raving about Positions of Flexion, so I thought I’d use a basic POF workout with a proven track record. That would be the 3D Power Pyramid Workout [Chapter 2 in the Freak-Physique Stretch-Overload Workout e-book]. But I want to make a few changes. 1) Instead of 4 days a week, I’ll keep the two-way split and train M-W-F—so Wednesday’s workout will repeat on the following Monday and Friday; 2) I want to use TORQ on the last exercise, the contracted-position move. What do you think?

A: That sounds like a GREAT size-building plan. Here’s why.

The POF 2-way split listed in the Freak-Physique e-book has you hit a lot of bodyparts each day… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 30: Frank Zane Gym

There was a period in competitive bodybuilding when art and aesthetics ruled. The gargoyles were not winning, and Frank Zane, pictured below was more than okay with that… [Read more…]

Two New 4X Tweaks for More Mass on Your Physique

Q: My workouts have been crazy good since I started using 4X. Now I’m anxious to try Downward-Progression 4X and Progressive-Speed 4X. I think I understand DP, but can you explain PS a bit more? If it’s better than regular 4X, I might grow 20 pounds of new muscle by my birthday. I’m in!

A: We’ve been discussed DP, or downward-progression, 4X, in the past and trainees always love it because of the pyramid. Here’s the drill… [Read more…]

Double Up for More Mass: Pyramids + Progressive Speed

Q: In Chapter 6 of The Super-Size Crash Course, you outline an alternate Phase 1 with Progressive-Speed 4X at one workout followed by Downward-Progression 4X+ at the next. Can I do both methods at the same workout?

A: Before we answer, let’s describe both mass tactics for those who aren’t familiar with them: [Read more…]

A Warmup That Builds More Muscle Mass

Q: I’m ready to start the Super-Size Crash Course, but I have a question: Do I do any warm-up sets before I do 4X on an exercise? You have warmups listed for the regular sets and pyramids, but none for 4X, or the other 4X-based sets.

A: First, warm-up sets are very important. In the 3D Muscle Building e-book, we have an entire chapter on it (“Prelude to Mass”) with various ways to do it for extra size and strength gains—partials, neuromuscular priming, etc. But the general warm-up protocol is simple… [Read more…]

Upper vs. Lower Abs and the Best Etching Exercises

Q: What’s the deal with upper vs lower abs? I’ve read that you really can’t train each individually, but don’t leg raises work the lower-ab muscles and crunches work the upper? I really want to have ripped abs by springtime, so I want to start now. Help.

A: First a bit of ab anatomy from our X-traordinary Abs e-book… [Read more…]