I’ve been harping on symmetry, proportion, and aesthetics lately. And I’ve seen some impressive representations of that on social media, such as Instagram…
One that comes to mind is [Read more…]
Muscle Isolation vs. Synergy Energy
I’ve mentioned the friend I began training with back when we were 14 and continued through high school. Bill was thinner than I was, so he eventually figured out that bodybuilding wasn’t for him. instead, he transitioned to mountain biking and rock climbing… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 71: Rachel McLish Flex Appeal
Rachel McLish was the very first Ms. Olympia winner way back in 1980. Her symmetrical physique, not to mention her head-turning beauty, catapulted her into the public eye and established women’s bodybuilding as a brand-new sport. [Read more…]
The Squeeze Technique for a Massive Physique
Q: A friend of mine used to compete in bodybuilding contests, and he swears that practicing his posing improved his muscle size and shape. I think it was all in his mind. There’s no resistance when you flex, so it couldn’t build more muscle. I think he believes it did because he just happened to be getting more and more ripped from dieting and training, which made him look better every time he practiced posing. What do you think?
A: Yes, as you get more and more ripped, you’ll definitely look bigger, even as your bodyweight drops. A fat-free physique creates the illusion of mass, as you can see from the photos below of Jonathan from our X-treme Lean e-book. Nevertheless, you’re friend is also right… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 59: Mike Mentzer Relaxed Mass
This impressive shot of Mike Mentzer was a poster that Steve had on his wall in his late teens for motivation… [Read more…]
Lazy Man’s Way to More Muscle
Q: I’ve got a tip for you guys: Get off your butts and work out more often, and you’ll get bigger. It looks like you’re only working out three to four days a week. I train six days a week, two hours per workout, and I compete in bodybuilding shows.
A: Hey, are you calling us lazy? Hmm, maybe we are. Everyone is to a degree, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you channel it to produce progress. Laziness has been the catalyst for innovation throughout history—like cars and jets. Those things get you to your destination faster and more efficiently… [Read more…]
Look Like a Bodybuilder
Q: I’m a powerlifter, but I want a better physique. I’m not sure how. I’ve got some muscle, but I sure don’t look like a bodybuilder. What should I do? I’m thinking I just need more isolated exercises for each muscle, like pushdowns for triceps. If I keep pushing heavy weights on all those exercises, I’ll look more like a bodybuilder, right? Do any of your e-books address my problem?
A: You gave a clue to one of the big reasons so many trainees make slow-to-no muscle gains: They’re brainwashed into believing that heavy training exclusively is what builds mass. That’s simply not true… [Read more…]
Pyramid Power: Secret to Mega Mass and Strength
Q: I just got The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout and The X-traordinary X-Rep Workout. Tremendous. I’ve already read them both twice. Undoubtedly the best bodybuilding info I’ve ever seen. I noticed that in the programs in both e-books, you rely a lot on pyramiding the weight on the compound exercises. Is that better than just using the same poundage on all work sets and going to exhaustion?
A: With the type of training we list in those e-books, we believe adding weight to each work set so that the rep count decreases—9, 7, 5, for instance—is ideal to build BOTH mega mass and strength for three reasons… [Read more…]
More Outer Quad Sweep
Q: I need more outer quad sweep. A guy at the gym told me to use a narrow stance on squats, but that feels a bit unnatural to me. Will that actually help build the outer quads?
A: We asked our colleague and research maven Jerry Brainum about developing outer quad sweep before. Here’s what he had to say… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 14: Tom Platz’s Quads
1980 Mr. Universe Tom Platz had a pair of the freakiest legs bodybuilding had ever seen—and even today they look Photoshopped. Trust us—they aren’t (Steve interviewed Tom face-to-face back in the late ’80s for Iron Man magazine)… [Read more…]