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Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Training, Part 13

Doug Brignole in a T-shirt at the beach flexing his biceps

Doug had an interesting take on recovery and growth after a workout, something I totally agree with: 48 hours, or two days, is usually not enough… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Doug Brignole, Mr. America, muscle growth, recovery, recovery time

Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Training, Part 5

Doug Brignole doing a dumbbell decline press

In 2021, Doug and I were going back and forth about workout volume. I suggested that he still may be doing too much with his 7 sets—30 reps down to 8-10…

I explained how I was making stellar progress using only 3 or 4. I even contrasted his workout time with mine in Old Man Young Muscle. Here’s what I wrote… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Doug Brignole, Mr. America, volume

Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Training, Part 2

Doug Brignole, flexing

I interviewed Mr. America Doug Brignole for Iron Man magazine back in the early 2000s. The interview and his workout at that time was reprinted in the The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0 ebook in 2008. He was 53 at that time (Michael Neveux photo)… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Doug Brignole, Mr. America, supersets

Best-Chest Building Tip from Hercules

Steve Reeves as Hercules and on the cover of Muscle Power magazine

A few newsletters back I praised the aesthetic physique of Steve Reeves, movie Hercules who won the 1947 Mr. America and the 1950 Mr. Universe… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: aesthetic, best chest exercise, chest exercises, chest workout, genetics, hercules, mass techniques, Mr. America, mr. universe, steve reeves

Your Ideal Muscular Bodyweight Is…

Steve Reeves in two different poses at the beach, black and white

While competitive bodybuilding has gotten somewhat out of hand in my opinion, some of us still strive for an aesthetic-muscle look…

That is, a physique with proportioned muscle that doesn’t force you to waddle down the beach or require a tailored circus tent for a suit. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: aesthetics, classic bodybuilding, classic physique, Mr. America, mr. universe, perfect physique, steve reeves, symmetry

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 182: Dave Draper’s Shock at McArdle’s Triceps

Dave Draper looking at Bill McArdle's triceps

Here’s a rare shot of Mr. America/Mr. Universe Dave Draper’s reaction to Bill McArdle’s massive arm: “Aye, your trrricep looks like a wee thick Irrrrish lass straddling yourrrr upper-arm bone.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 1965, aesthetic, Bill McArdle, Carl Withers, Dave Draper, larry scott, Mr. America, mr. olympia, mr. universe, physique, vince gironda

Mr. America’s Stretch Take

Doug Brignole performing the lat pull-in exercise

Mr. America/Mr. Universe Doug Brignole has some thoughts on my recent musing on stretching and stretch moves for mass.

He makes the observation that some muscles respond better than others to full stretch, and putting some into a full stretch can be dangerous, such as rear delts. Bringing the arm too far across that body can damage the shoulder joint…

And also lats. Here is Doug’s take… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: contraction, Double-X Overload, Doug Brignole, dxo, Mr. America, stretch exercises, stretch overload, stretch position

Mr. America’s New Workout

Doug Brignole 41 days out at 184 lbs

Mr. America/Mr. Universe and biomechanics expert Doug Brignole is doing a guest-posing exhibition in Las Vegas October 22. It’s at the AAU Mr. Universe that he won in 2019 (location: Plaza Hotel and Casino).

That means Doug is in contest-prep mode because he does not want to guest pose looking like a glazed doughnut. No chance of that. He’s a ripped 185 right now and very close to stage ready, as you can see here… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: biomechanics, mass workout, Mr. America, mr. universe

Mr. America Correction—Plus a Mass-Building Tweak

Steve coaching Becky, his wife, on dumbbell curls in his office.

Mr. America and 2019 Drug-Free Mr. Universe Doug Brignole isn’t shy about emailing me when I’m right—or wrong. It’s the latter this time, and I concur. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: becky holman, Doug Brignole, Mr. America, muscle fibers, stretch position, unilateral work

Mr. America on Mass-Stretch Studies

Doug Brignole in a twisting back double biceps pose.

A couple of issues back I discussed two recent studies showing that exercises with a significant beginning stretch component built more mass than those that had less. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Doug Brignole, Mr. America, stretch overload, stretch position, study

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