Dorian Yates ushered in the mass-monster era of bodybuilding with his 1992 Mr. Olympia victory. Even the Mr. O before him, Lee Haney, who was massive in his own right, knew that Dorian was a new breed of sheer mass and density. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 17: Bob Paris
One physique that we both agree on as one of the top-five greatest of all time is Bob Paris… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 12: Zane on the Beach
We’ve both lived in a beach town—Steve still does—and nothing fuels workouts more than summertime near the ocean. You know you’re going to be hitting the sand (or lake or pool) more than a few times, so you better be hitting the gym hard. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 7: Arnold & Son
Check out Arnold in his prime below and his son Joseph, age 21. The resemblance is uncanny. Are genetics important in bodybuilding? Absolutely, as is the case in most sports.
Read moreBoost Your T Naturally = Muscle Size Surge
Q: You’ve said high-rep leg work can increase testosterone. Will the first high-rep set on each exercise in the Anabolic Reload STX workouts boost T even more?
A: It appears that reason high-rep leg work boosts testosterone is due to heavy breathing, big-muscle stimulation, growth-fiber activation, and muscle burn… [Read more…]
Volumizing Muscle Tissue (significant size increases)
Q: So glad you clarified many of the hypertrophic requirements for muscle size in Anabolic Reload [progression, exercise rotation, metabolic stress, etc.]. One that really got me thinking was volumization. I believe it was Vince Gironda who said that more work done in the same or less time creates mass quickly. My question is, What do you think about drop sets instead of rest/pause as the volume addition to each exercise? Seems like you get more work in the same time frame.
A: The drop-set method is one of the best hypertrophic tactics around because it does condense workload into a short time frame. Studies verify the [Read more…]
The Ultimate 2-Times-a-Week MASS Workout
Q: I don’t always have time to go to the gym three times a week. That means I can’t always get in three full-body workouts, which I’ve heard is the best for muscle mass. Should I just do two full-body workouts with the big, basics, like squats, bench, etc. on weeks I can’t make it three times? Do you guys have an ebook with a 2-times-a-week program like that? I want to look like a bodybuilder, but time is hard to come by for me right now.
A: Three full-body workouts a week is the old-school standard for mass, but hitting each muscle only twice a week may be even better for many bodybuilders. According to Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., one of the elite hypertrophy researchers… [Read more…]
Boost Your T Naturally = Muscle Size Surge
Q: You’ve said high-rep leg work can boost your T naturally. Will the first high-rep set on each exercise in the STX workouts boost testosterone even more?
A: It appears that that reason high-rep leg work boosts testosterone is due to heavy breathing, big-muscle stimulation, growth-fiber activation and muscle burn…
That was the reason that many bodybuilders of yesteryear often relied on [Read more…]
Ultimate Mass Workout (over-40)
Q: I wanted to report on my progress. I’m 53 and am making the best muscle gains of my life using something you haven’t really discussed. I get bored easily, so what I do is one week I use the Over-40 STX workout [Anabolic Reload e-book] and the next week I go to the Pure-Positions STX program [Stretch Overload e-book]. I think it’s working so well because every week I am getting all three of the hypertrophy requirements but with different splits and exercise mixes. I swear my shirts are already tighter after only three weeks. Just want to thank you guys for my new gains!
A: Hmm, very interesting—and a novel approach. We usually suggest doing one of those programs for four to six weeks, then switch to the other for another four-to-six-week mass phase.
But who are we to argue? Sounds like alternating them is working off the charts for you in the over-40 muscle mass department. Exciting stuff! Now… [Read more…]
New Triple-Hit Anabolic-Shift Workout
Q: In Anabolic Reload, you show that your 3 Positions of Flexion for each muscle align with Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.’s 3 hypertrophy triggers. Very cool, and I really like the quick full-body workouts in that ebook too. Wondering if I could just split the 3 POF exercises for each muscle over the three workouts, like Monday, all midrange work; Wednesday, all contracted; and Friday, all stretch?
A: Great idea and, coincidentally, exactly how we’ve been training for a few months to give it a test run. Spoiler alert: Quick workouts, unreal gains! [Read more…]