This is the continuation of a story Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus machines, relayed on the subject of muscle gain, overtraining, and recovery in the February/March 1972 issue of Muscle Training Illustrated. [Read more…]
Mass Acceleration and Damage Reduction, Part 1
In yesterday’s newsletter I discussed muscle damage and how it can impair growth. And that damage is not just a result of too many sets; it can also be the result of excessive intensity—and many times both. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 110: Arnold Vs. Son Posedown
Check out Arnold in his prime below compared to his son Joseph, early 20s, hitting a double biceps pose. The resemblance is uncanny. Are genetics important in bodybuilding? Absolutely, as is the case in most sports. [Read more…]
3 Fat-to-Muscle Secrets to Get You Leaner and Bigger
Q: I always get fat over the winter. Outdoor cardio is hard to do, and I hate the treadmill. Plus, I tend to miss workouts. Three days a week is about all I can handle. Should I just do that and try to starve myself more often to stay closer to lean shape?
A: The good news is, you don’t have to do cardio to burn fat; you just have to use a few key fat-to-muscle tactics, the first of which is doing some muscle damage. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 56: Arnold at Age 19
This photo of Arnold at age 19 from his book Education of a Bodybuilder, shows his incredible genetics: chest structure, long biceps, wide shoulders/small waist. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 48: Bob Paris Before and After
The last time we talked about Bob Paris was Zen 29, but we revisit because his physique always inspires us. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 41: Shawn Ray
Shawn Ray is often referred to as the uncrowned Mr. Olympia, taking second in that contest twice: ’94 and ’96. His physique was almost flawless as this classic pose shows… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 37: Frank Zane’s Perfection Progression
In our Zen 33 newsletter, we had before and after pictures of Frank Zane. We found a few others in our archive that show his progression from skinny teen, age 17, to bulky 20-year-old to Olympia physique perfection… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 33: Frank Zane Before and After
To be fair, the Frank Zane before picture on the left was taken after a few years of training. And you can see his genetic predisposition for bodybuilding. Heck, many guys at our gyms would kill to look like his “before” pic. LOL. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 21: Arnold’s Delts
Arnold was revered for his arms, particularly his sky-high biceps—but check out Arnold’s delts in the photo below. They were really popping that day. [Read more…]