In the new Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook, Steve outlines how he used 12-to-14-hour fasts a few days a week to get ripped in 10 weeks.
From mid-June to the end of August 2021, he hunkered down, muscled up, and leaned out. [Read more…]
Jacked Physique: Easier than you think
Zac Efron, age 32, starred with The Rock in the movie “Baywatch.” Efron built an impressive, ripped physique for the role. Having to be shirtless next to The Rock jacks motivation, for sure… [Read more…]
Dumbbells or Bar for Triceps?
Q: The leadoff exercise for the triceps sweep workout [in the X-traordinary Arms e-book] is lying extensions, or skull crushers. You describe the best grip width and how to use an EZ-curl bar for more long-head involvement, but I don’t like loading up and dragging a bar over to my flat bench. Can I just use dumbbells for lying extensions instead of a bar?
A: Magnetic resonance imaging shows that lying extensions on a flat bench with a bar mostly stress the triceps’ long head, so we classify it as a sweep exercise in the X Arms e-book. You would think using dumbbells would be the same—but that’s not the case. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 39: Frank Zane’s Abs
Frank Zane wasn’t the biggest bodybuilder of his era by any stretch. He competed and won the Mr. Olympia weighing around 190 at 5’9”. And 40 years later, his physique is still considered an ultimate ideal by the majority who lift… [Read more…]
POF Exercise Clarifications
Q: I need some POF exercise clarifications. In some of your POF leg workouts, you have hyperextensions for hamstrings. I thought hyperextensions are more for your lower back. Also on the Heavy/Light Ultimate 10X10 Mass Workout, you have incline one-arm lateral raises and leaning one-arm lateral raises. Aren’t incline and leaning lateral raises the same thing?
A: We understand the occasional need for POF exercise clarifications. Hyperextensions are often classified as a lower-back exercise; however, if you keep your lower back flat throughout the stroke, you will hit your hamstrings hard with help from your glutes. Make an effort to really feel your hamstrings elongate as you lower to the bottom position; force them to bear the brunt of the resistance. Remember, don’t allow your lower back to round at the bottom… [Read more…]
Warm-up Tactic to Trigger Bigger Muscle Gains
Q: Because of my work schedule, I can only train once a week, on Wednesdays. Can I make any gains with once-a-week training, or is it a lost cause??
A: It’s tough to make gains working out only once a week, but if you stress the muscles enough and you’re consistent, you should gradually see some results. [Read more…]
Shirt-Splitting Muscle Size
Q: I am in need of some back width, or more specifically, lat development. I’m following your 3D HIT program listed in the X-traordinary Arms e-book, but I’m not getting a pump, and I have a hard time feeling my back working. Do you guys have any suggestions?
A: The 3D Positions-of-Flexion lat routine in that program is…
Chins (midrange), 1 x 9-12
Dumbbell pullovers (stretch), 1 x 9-12
Rope rows (contracted), 1 x 12-15
One reason you may not be getting a big pump is the last (contracted) exercise, rope rows…
[Read more…]One-Set Triple HIT for Shocking New Muscle Growth
Q: I’m into high-intensity training, doing one all-out work set per exercise. But I just read your 3D Muscle Building e-book and see the logic in Positions-of-Flexion mass training. Do you think I could combine the two and get good mass results doing one work set for each of the three positions for each bodypart? Like, for my quads, I would do squats (midrange), sissy squats (stretch), and leg extensions (contracted), one all-out set for each.
A: That’s an excellent way to get acquainted with the mass-building power of 3D POF. In fact, we’ve used a similar program over the winter years ago with good results. The only problem was that when motivation was low, which it can be when it’s cold outside, gains aren’t so great. To make that 3D triple HIT approach build muscle as quickly as possible, you have to be gung-ho and train every work set like it’s the last set of your life. Summer is probably a better time to lock in that mindset.
[Read more…]POF Triceps Program
Q: I’m making great gains with 3D Positions of Flexion [training each bodypart through its midrange, stretch, and contracted positions], but my triceps still look small. I’ve noticed they have pretty good sweep from the side, but from the front, my arms look skinny. How should I alter my POF triceps program to address this problem?
A: Your medial and long triceps heads are getting the brunt of the work in your current arm program. You want to shift the focus of your triceps program to getting the outer heads as beefy as possible so they give your arms width when they’re viewed head-on. Here’s one of the triceps “width” routines from our X-traordinary Arms e-book (see note below about how to get this e-book)…
[Read more…]Eye-Popping Biceps Peak—and More Muscle on Your Physique
Q: I have X-traordinary Arms and really appreciate the “in-for-out, out-for-in” rule. My question
A: Yes, switching the order of the exercises in Positions-of-Flexion protocol can positively affect a target-muscle’s development. Biceps is a perfect example.
[Read more…]