I’ve been discussing changing exercises from time to time—even workout to workout. It can fuel hypertrophy due to variation on fiber recruitment, not to mention boredom relief; however… [Read more…]
More Muscle Mass With This Exercise Order
Q: The Old Man, Young Muscle program has me finally putting on some size. I think I was overtraining and not using the right exercises for age 55. You recently mentioned that you do full [three-exercise] Positions-of-Flexion mass routines for some lagging body parts. I would like to do that too. Do you recommend doing the stretch move then a contracted exercise to finish or vice versa?
A: That’s a great question. The order of your add-on exercises can make a big difference, and both ways have benefits—but one is superior. [Read more…]
Ideal Mass Exercise Change to Gain?
Q: I know you train at home, so you have limited exercise choices. But I train in a commercial gym with many alternatives. Should I ever change ideal exercises? Like for chest, there are some cool decline press machines and even dip machines that seem to be ideal. Should I change to gain? If so, how often? [Read more…]
Isolation vs. Compound and the Best Exercise for Size
Q: You recently had a quote from Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D. that said his meta analysis came to the conclusion that single-joint and multiple-joint exercises were equal in their ability to produce muscle mass. What do you think [biomechanics expert and Drug-Free Mr. Universe] Doug Brignole would’ve said about that?
A: Actually, I think the analysis came out before Doug’s death, and he did comment. [Read more…]
Mr. America Mass Moves: Best Exercises
I mentioned how getting back in touch with former Mr. America Doug Brignole transformed my outlook on training as well as my physique…
Doug recently won the 2019 AAU Drug-Free Mr. Universe at age 62. Here’s a shot from that contest (photo Lance Kincaid)… [Read more…]
Mr. America’s Mass-Building Plan
Q: I just got The Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0, and [Mr. America] Doug Brignole’s one-exercise-per-muscle training is interesting, to say the least. And his interview [Chapter 4] makes a lot of good points for high-rep sets.
A: Yes, his “Super TORQ” method can rack up some impressive gains. It helped Doug get into the best shape of his long bodybuilding career, and he won the Muscle Beach International Over 50 competition while using that routine (see photo below).
[Read more…]Pack On More Muscle: Are You Making This Mistake?
Q: I’ve made the best gains of my life the past year with X Reps, going from 185 to just under 200 pounds. But my gains have stalled. You talk a lot about muscle adaptation, so I’m wondering if I’ve adapted to X Reps. Should I stop doing them for a while so I can pack on more muscle?
A: Adaptation to training techniques and even bodypart routines can happen in as few as six workouts. If you train a muscle twice a week, that means you can adapt in three to four weeks. We’ve talked about phase training, which is downshifting intensity for one week with sub-failure workouts after four to six weeks of all-out workouts. But sometimes even that’s not enough to kick-start new gains once you resume a high-intensity phase. Usually, you have to mix things up somehow…