Brad Schoenfeld Archives

Mass Mantra #26

Here’s a quote from one of the most respected hypertrophy researchers today, Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.… [Read more…]

Throughout my training career, it’s always bothered me that so many top bodybuilders talk about the importance of slow rep speed—especially on the negative or lowering stroke, yet most don’t follow that protocol… [Read more…]

Study: Training for Size vs. Strength

Many bodybuilders think they need to train with ultra-heavy weights to get big…

While you will grow, hypertrophy may be slow—at least slower than training with moderate poundages for more reps. [Read more…]

Mass Mantra #14

Here’s a quote I used in Old Man, Young Muscle from Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.: [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…]

Mass Mantra #12

Here’s a recent quote from respected hypertrophy researcher Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D: [Read more…]

More Mass With Drop Sets? (new meta-analysis research)

Q: I’m torn between using standard training with 2 minutes between sets or drop-set-style training with 10 to 20 seconds between sets like you follow [in the Old Man, Young Muscle workouts]. Is there a definitive answer as to which is better for mass? [Read more…]

Cardio Add-On for More Mass

In my discussion on cardio work yesterday, I forgot to mention a minor detail that may enhance hypertrophy…

It’s my cardio add-on, a brief stretching routine for my lower body after both of my sessions each week. [Read more…]

Sarcoplasmic Muscle-Size Myth?

I received an email insisting that the sarcoplasm doesn’t make a muscle bigger. Remember, the sarcoplasm is the “energy fluid” in the muscle that contains ATP and other substrates.

That used to be a prevailing belief; however, here’s a quote from hypertrophy researcher Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D. on the subject: [Read more…]

How to Add More Mass With Stretch, Part 1

Q: You’ve been diving into the growth-promoting potential of movements that emphasize the stretch phase of a muscle’s range of motion. Your science and logic seem pretty solid and correlates with some of the exercises I’ve done that cause significant soreness in a target muscle group. Do you think this could be as much a result of micro-damage from stretching as enhanced fiber recruitment? I could see this micro-trauma also causing hypertrophy, but I was curious if you had an opinion on this. I remember the sorest I’ve ever been was from an overly exuberant dive into stiff-legged deadlifts. I know biomechanics says that it’s almost exclusively a glute movement, but hamstrings do get a significant stretch under load at full extension, which my soreness verified.

A: Here’s a quote from hypertrophy researcher Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., on a human study using stretch only, which produced impressive muscle hypertrophy (from Old Man, Young Muscle)… [Read more…]