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New View on HEAVY Loads for Mass

Steve doing heavy barbell curls

Mechanical tension, or mechanical loading, is resistance stress on the muscle fibers. It’s the big key to hypertrophy.

And for the purpose of muscle growth, we want mechanical loading that targets fast-twitch engagement. That occurs optimally with a cascade effect, activating slow-twitch fibers first followed by fast-twitch… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: failure, fast-twitch, heavy training, hypertrophy, mass building, mechanical loading, mechanical tension, protein synthesis, size principle of muscle fiber recruitment, slow-twitch

“I’m Squatting; Screw You”

Ken Waller squatting with Arnold and Franco

I get it. Many bodybuilders, especially those under age 40, love going to the gym, piling on the iron, and squatting or bench pressing heavy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: heavy training, leg extensions, sissy squats, squats

Logical Mass Building

Jonathan demonstrating sissy squats

Many of us are so entrenched in our beliefs that we often ignore logic and waste loads of time strutting in the wrong direction…

The gym is no exception. I’ve heard people say things like, “That fat guy is so dumb doing leg extensions; he should be squatting heavy.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: arthur jones, Doug Brignole, heavy training, injury, mass building, The Physics of Restance Exercise

Heavy/Light for Mass/Strength?

Jonathan spotting Steve for hammer curls

Q: I remember working muscles twice a week, and we used the heavy/light method. Do you ever do that? Do you think it helps the muscle-building process? [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, Doug Brignole, heavy training, heavy/light, muscle building, muscle growth

Your Muscle-Building “Why” for New Size

Jonathan Lawson squatting

I remember back in my late 30s, Jonathan and I were at Mike Neveux’s studio for one of our Iron Man magazine photoshoots… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: heavy training, injuries, injury-free, iron man magazine, mike neveux, muscle building, new size, squats

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 134: Rich Gaspari’s Side Triceps

This is a great photo of Rich Gaspari looking aesthetic in the gym… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: aesthetic, bodybuilding zen, density training, heavy training, Lee Haney, mass gains, moderate weight workouts, mr. olympia, Rich Gaspari, ripped muscle

More Mass with the Front-to-Back Attack

Overhead close-up of front squat

Q: I always hurt my back when I squat heavy. And now I even hurt it doing moderate-weight 4X, probably because of the damage I’ve incurred over the years. You may call it brainwashing, but I really feel that I need to squat to build more mass. Any suggestions? I don’t want to give up squatting.

A: We’re right there with you on that. After years of heavy squatting—and numerous back injuries–we’re now very cautious when doing that exercise. But the good news is that we’ve figured out how to do it while significantly minimizing the injury potential and still gaining more mass… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3x, 4X, bodyweight training, Charles Poliquin, heavy training, moderate weight workouts, moderate-weight 4x, more mass, olympic coach, pre-ex 3x mass workout, squats, tri-sets

Our At-Home Mass Workouts (what we’re doing)

Steve doing incline curls

Back in the 1990s, Steve’s very first book was titled Iron Man’s Home Gym Handbook. Looks like we’ve come full-circle. At the moment, there’s no place like home—or nowhere else to train but home…

Like most iron men and women, we’re at home with limited equipment. Luckily, our decades of bodybuilding experience have resulted in multiple mass-training tactics and moves to keep gains coming. Here’s Steve’s report on what he’s doing in his bare-bones pump-atorium.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: alain gonzales, at-home workout, athletic-aesthetic physique, brad pitt, Brad Schoenfeld, fast-twitch fibers, growth fibers, heavy training, home gym, Home Gym Handbook, home gym workout, hypertrophy, iron man magazine, jose antonio, light training, mass tactics, muscle hypertrophy, perfect physique, powerblock, pre-exhausting, quick-start muscle building, quick-start muscle building 2.0, slow-twitch fibers, training at home, type-1 fibers, type-2 fibers

5 Critical Keys to More Muscle Mass

Jonathan Lawson muscular - Step Back to Move Your Muscle Mass Forward

Q: I understand that heavy weight isn’t important for maximum muscle growth. Can you tell me what I should include in my workouts to build the most mass possible in the shortest time. I want to get bigger.

A: Well, “heavy” weights are important, but “heavy” is relative to YOU—and dependent on muscle fatigue. You may struggle with 20 pounds in a certain exercise at the END of a bodypart workout. So that 20 pounds is “heavy” for you on that exercise at that moment… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: change to gain, continuous tension, fatigue, heavy training, hypertrophic, hypertrophic tension time, keys to more muscle mass, muscle fatigue, muscular fatigue, myofibrils, sarcoplasm, stretch, synergy, tension time

Pack On Mass—Prime-Time Style

Q: Okay, I’m moving into my late 40s, and I’m tired of all the joint pain from training heavy—shoulders, knees, hips. You name it! I’m from the lift-heavier-to-build-mass philosophy. But from all the research I’ve been seeing, it appears I don’t have to train very heavy at all to add plenty of muscle. I’m excited to try it, and I know you guys have been preaching about how these methods pack on mass for a while, but how should I start my transition?

A: No transition necessary. If you’re hurting that much, you should go right to the easy-to-follow 4X-style workouts. The relief—and new muscle gains—will amaze you (even younger guys should try a four-week all-4X phase for new growth)…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x mass workout, 4x workouts, belly fat burn, downward-progression 4x, fat burning, gains, heavy training, hormone trick, joint pain, pack on mass, positions of flexion, recovery ability, standard 4x, super-size crash course

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