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Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Training, Part 11

Doug found higher reps to be much more productive than lower reps, as you’ve seen from his 3-set approach: 30, 20, 12 reps.

This runs counter to much of what hypertrophy researcher Chris Beardsley recommends. Doug’s observations were about himself after decades of training experience, not a blanket recommendation for everyone: [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Doug Brignole, ectomorph, endomorph, endurance fibers, fast-twitch fibers, fiber types, mesomorph, muscle fibers

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 185: Bruce Lee’s Rock-Hard Abs

Bruce Lee ready to fight with ripped abs

It’s a little-known fact that Bruce Lee’s violent ventriloquist act never caught on. Many attributed its failure to the gruesome throat-chop finale, seen in this photo—and he dragged out the death gurgle way too long… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bodybuilding zen, bruce lee, ectomorph, get lean, get ripped, intermittent fasting, lose fat, lose weight, ripped

Stronger to Get Bigger?

Steve in a side most muscular pose

Q: Do you think that it’s essential to increase training weights or at least reps on a given exercise over time to increase muscle growth significantly?

A: I do think you need to get stronger to a degree to get bigger—at least from a fast-twitch-growth standpoint, which is known as myofibrillar hypertrophy…

Something in your workout has to change. If everything stays the same, so will your physique. However… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: ectomorph, endomorph, get bigger, get stronger, hypertrophy, mesomorph, myofibrillar growth, sarcoplasmic expansion

Screw Your Genetics (photo proof inside)

Steve onstage doing a one-arm biceps pose

That’s right: Ignore your genetic shortcomings—except when it comes to designing your workout program…

That’s how you’ll do your best to maximize whatever your muscle-building potential may be. Never give up… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: arnold, arnold schwarzenegger, competition, ectomorph, genetic potential, genetics, muscular potential, Steve Holman

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 169: Bruce Lee’s Electric Ecto Muscle

Bruce Lee and Bolo Yeung in Enter the Dragon

Bruce Lee was a thin ectomorph who nevertheless built an enviable physique with lats so wide he could glide. In fact, his nickname in China was “Flying Squirrel”… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bodybuilding zen, bruce lee, ectomorph, ectomorphic

Frank Zane: Classic Ecto Physique? (rare photos)

Frank Zane in his teens vs. later on the beach with Betty Weider

Q: Your discussion on body types was on point, but I’m surprised you didn’t mention Frank Zane, a classic ectomorph who won the Mr. Olympia.

A: I wouldn’t call Frank Zane a “classic ectomorph.” He does lean more ecto than most competitive bodybuilders, but he went from broad-shouldered stick to pretty damn thick—which had him hanging out with beauty Betty Weider on the beach… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: aesthetic, Betty Weider, bodybuilder physique, bodybuilders, classic physique, ectomorph, frank zane, mesomorph, mr. olympia, physique

Hypertrophy Hack for New Mass

Vince Gironda in black and white

Have I mentioned I’m in the “scarecrow” ectomorph category? I know, I know, my story has grown tiresome; however…

There are quite a few skinny dudes out there who could pack more mass on their physiques with some specific workout tweaks, like some sets with high reps…

In case you missed it, [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Chris Beardsley, continuous tension, ectomorph, high-rep sets, hypertrophy, short rests, vince gironda

Muscle on a Scarecrow: Ah-ha Mass Moment

The scarecrow from Wizard of OZ

I’m a slow-twitch-dominant “scarecrow,” a.k.a, ectomorph. For some reason, though, I’ve never quite understood why I gain more mass with higher reps. Maybe a wizard can help with my brain thing… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: capillarization, Chris Beardsley, ectomorph, ectomorphic, fast-twitch, hypertrophy, occlusion, slow-twitch

Muscle Genes vs. Skinny-Lean Mass Workouts

Jonathan Lawson back double biceps

I was Iron Man magazine’s editor in chief for 27 years, and for 20 of those I worked out with our advertising coordinator Jonathan Lawson, who was about 15 years my junior.

But youth wasn’t the only thing he had over me from a bodybuilding perspective. He was also much more [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: drug-free, ectomorph, fast-twitch, genetics, mesomorph, slow-twitch

Recovery and Your Mass-Building Genetics

Jonathan doing cable curls

I mention genetics a lot. It’s not an excuse, but a bodybuilding reality—and an arbiter in other athletic endeavors as well.

I’ve been training for over four decades and tried just about everything. At 5’10 1/2” I never weighed over 200 in fairly ripped condition—190 was my best. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: arthur jones, ectomorph, genetics, mass building, Nautilus, overtraining, recovery

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