Here’s a shot of Danny Padilla doing the River Dance, an Irish jig believed to be the secret to massive leprechaun legs. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 104: Dorian Yates’ Shocking Double Biceps
This is another of Kevin Horton’s black-and-white gym photos of Dorian Yates that literally shocked the bodybuilding world in 1993. At that time, the sheer massiveness and graininess of his physique was astounding… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 11: Massive Mike Mentzer
Talk about mass, this shot of Mike Mentzer by John Balik at Muscle Rock in Malibu has motivated both of us over the years. His sheer thickness and density in this pose are almost unreal… [Read more…]
Mr. America vs. Arnold and the Ultimate Muscle Hypertrophy Method
Q: You offer up the Brazilian study that shows doing a single high-rep set to failure before heavier lower-rep work produced more hypertrophy than standard training (multiple sets at 75% 1RM). But in the Ultimate Power/Density Mass Workout e-book, you mention that Arnold used a high-rep set LAST—a “burn-out” set. So which way is better, high-rep set first or high-rep set to finish?
A: A good observation, but there’s something missing in your description of what Arnold used to do. Go back to the Power-Density e-book and read it again—Arnold typically used a pyramid, adding weight to each set. And on his first set, he used a light weight for 15 reps, then a SLIGHTLY heavier weight for set 2 so he got 12 reps…
[Read more…]Extreme Muscle Size: Forgotten Hypertrophy Method
Q: At your suggestion, I’ve been including higher-rep sets in many of my workouts. I’m seeing much more size and vascularity. My question is, do sets of around 20 reps work because I’m getting growth in more slow-twitch fibers or are the fast-twitch ones getting larger as well?
A: Yes, both—and as bodybuilders, we want to maximize ALL hypertrophic pathways, even size in the slow-twitch fibers. Higher-rep sets also give you anabolic hormone surges…
According to Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., who conducts studies on muscle hypertrophy,
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