Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation
Q: I’ve read that I should always train my heavy exercise first—bench press, squats, etc. Then go to a more isolated one. If I use an isolation exercise first like concentration curls for variety and new stimulation, should I still train it heavy?
A: You can, but you don’t have to train it heavy (more on that in a moment). “Always” doing workouts a certain way is the road to stagnation and slower gains for most; however, you should make an effort to get the key mass triggers… [Read more…]
Q: I like to train heavy, but I fully understand that tension time, or density, can build size as well. My question is, won’t drop sets accomplish both?
A: The drop-set method is one of the best for getting size in the myofibrils as well as a hypertrophic sarcoplasmic burst. And even new veinage too… [Read more…]
Q: I’ve been using the 4X mass method on just about every exercise for just over a month and have gained five pounds of muscle. I’m still lean with abs, so I know it’s not fat. I often do 3X sequences, the way you sometimes recommend, but if I don’t do all 4 sets, I feel guilty. It’s just that I don’t want to overtrain, which is how I feel when I do 4X on all exercises. Should I just bite the bullet and do 4X on everything?
A: If you’ve gained five pounds of muscle in a little more than a month, you’re doing damn good! Most bodybuilders don’t gain five pounds in a year… [Read more…]
Q: My girlfriend likes to critique my body when I ask. She’s got a good eye for proportion—and if I look good for her, I get the benefits, if you know what I mean—LOL. Lately, she’s been saying my shoulders are too flat. I need more roundness and broadness. What do you suggest?
A: When you think about it, most barbell and dumbbell shoulder exercises are lacking—inefficient to say the least, so you need a real delt-stretching combo to grow… [Read more…]
Q: The program you outline in the Super-Size Crash Course that put 18 pounds of muscle size on Jordon [Williamson] had him use some heavy pyramid training in Phase 1, but only moderately heavy Downward-Progression 4X in Phase 2. To keep gaining, would you have someone cycle back to Phase 1 for more heavy pyramid training?
A: First we’d probably ask what you’re motivated to do. That’s because nothing breeds more muscle size like the fire to train… [Read more…]
Q: I’m having a lot of trouble with delts. I don’t feel any of the exercises, and my delts never get sore. Right now I’m using a [Positions-of-Flexion] routine. Should I add exercises for some new muscle growth in my shoulders?
A: One of the big problems with delts is that they don’t get enough eccentric, or negative stress. And science says that lowering is the most important for muscle growth (the negative is what causes muscle soreness)…
Think about it. On lateral raises, the leverage shift is extreme, with high resistance through the top third of the stroke and almost zero through the bottom third. [Read more…]
Q: No matter what exercise I use, I can’t feel my lats working. I’ve tried drop sets, but I get nothing from those. Any suggestions on how to get new growth for slacker muscles? I feel lat-less.
A: You’re not alone. Most trainees have difficulty feeling the back working. The arms tend to take over because the nerve-to-muscle connections to the lats are underdeveloped. But there is a great way to get in touch and grow the slacker muscles in your back… [Read more…]
Q: I’m so ready to be ripped. I got your X-treme Lean e-book and am on the diet. Already dropped five pounds of fat in two weeks just by cleaning up and using your tips. My question is about the cheat day every week that you say is mandatory. Can I eat junk food on my cheat day, or do I just increase my calories with good carbs? I crave pancakes, so is that okay? I want to see my abs as quickly as possible.
A: Mmm, pancakes! Before we answer your question about junk food and how to cheat to get ripped, let us explain our reasons for a mandatory cheat day every week… [Read more…]
Q: I got The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout e-book and am amazed at the great information. I’ve already started applying it and am seeing quick fat-burning results (I can already see the top two rows of abs). My question is, Why didn’t you include diet information?
A: We wrote The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout as an e-training program. Its purpose is to explain the research on achieving a transformation via muscle microtrauma combined with growth hormone release.
[Read more…]
