Here’s a great quote from Dan Go (Instagram: @FitFounder)… [Read more…]
Top-8 “Danger Zone” Exercises, Part 2
In our last training newsletter, we had the first four “Exercises that Cause the Most Injuries.”
If you missed it, they’re preacher curls, overhead presses, deadlifts, and bench presses. I’ve done all of those over the years and sustained my share of injuries; however, I was never unlucky enough to have to go under the knife for joint repair. I still have recurring pain, however.
Here are the remaining four: [Read more…]
Pain for Mass Gain?
It’s an old joke…
Patient: Doc, it hurts when I do this.
Doctor: Then don’t do that.
That should be posted in every gym. Unfortunately, people think that it’s a good thing to power through pain… [Read more…]
Your Muscle-Building “Why” for New Size
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…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 95: Lee Haney Relaxed Mass Perfection
This is a great photo of Lee Haney at his peak, standing relaxed outside. Absolutely flawless mass. Imagine him holding a leash with a poodle at the end. Like a moving sculpture in a Speedo out walking his dog. LOL… [Read more…]
More Mass, No Squats
Q: I recently read your Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout. Very insightful info. I learned so much and am applying it in the gym with unreal results. My workouts are 10 times better and also a lot shorter. Thank you! One question: In the Basic Power-Density Workout you have squats as one choice for the ultimate quad exercise. I’ve always heard that you have to squat to grow, so that’s what I’m using. But I seem to remember reading at some point that you guys don’t do free-bar squats. How come?
A: The number-one reason we don’t do them at the moment is past injuries—and, no, you don’t have to do heavy, spine-compressing free-bar squats to grow. Let us explain… [Read more…]
To Squat or Not
Q: I’ve read a lot of your stuff over the years, especially when you had your daily training blog, so I have to ask: What’s the deal with squats? You’ve said before that they always injure you due to spine compression, and you’ll never do them again. But then I see them as the first quad exercise on leg day in some of your routines. You’re contradicting yourselves.
A: Not a contradiction; just another discovery. The way we used to do squats—building up to heavy weights over a number of sets with longer rests—produced more injuries than we care to remember. It was usually our lower backs that got jacked. As we found out the hard way over the years, having 350 pounds jamming down on your spine for even a few sets can do lots of cumulative damage. We’re living proof… [Read more…]