Q: I’m getting excellent results using a Speed Set after my normal-tempo high-rep set [as in the Old Man, Young Muscle workout]. But on some cable moves the Speed Set feels incomplete, specifically cable chest press. Should I do two Speed Sets to compensate? [Read more…]
My Current Mass Workouts + Photo
Q: You’ve mentioned that you’ve altered your workouts and intensity. Can you give me a rundown of what you’re currently doing and results compared to last year? I’m 52 and putting on good muscle size with the Old Man, Young Muscle workouts, but if I can make even faster gains, show me the changes.
A: You’ve obviously been reading this newsletter, so you know that I added a functional cable unit to my pathetic home gym last October. Once I got the thing together, I felt a burst of enthusiasm, a good thing; however, my workout times started creeping up. Before I knew it, I was spending almost an hour at each… [Read more…]
Cables or Dumbbells for Mass?
Q: I work out in a commercial gym, so I can do either cable chest presses or dumbbell decline presses. Which one [of those ideal chest exercises] is better for stimulating the most muscle growth? [Read more…]
Arm Immensity with Ultimate Density
Q: I’m on The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout [pages 25-28 of that e-program], and I look and feel much bigger already. Thank you! My problem is that on some of the last isolated exercises I lose touch with the muscle, like on concentration curls for biceps. Arms have always been a problem area for me. Should I do a second double-drop Density set for that exercise?
A: Interesting that you should mention concentration curls, as we’ve found that getting the best Density effect on the contracted-position exercise for many muscles, like biceps, works best with a cable move.
What? Aren’t free weights best because they have more negative resistance due to zero weight-stack drag? Well, free weights are usually best for the big midrange exercises that trigger the max-force mass-building component—like presses and rows…
[Read more…]Pec Contraction Without Machines or Cables
Q: You have cable crossovers, cable flyes, or pec deck flyes listed as contracted-position exercises for chest in 3D Muscle Building. I train in a home gym without a cable set up. What should I do for pec contraction?
A: Contracted-position exercises are usually isolation exercises that keep the target muscle under tension throughout the set. In other words, there is no bone-support at lockout so the target muscle gets no rest till the end of the set… [Read more…]