We always love running across a photo of an old-time bodybuilder who looks better than us. Come on! [Read more…]
Mass Workout That Works
Q: I have the Size Surge e-book and just picked up the 3D Muscle Building e-book. In 3D there’s a different version of the phase 1 Size Surge workouts [SS Mass F/X Program, pages 81-84 in 3D]. It has rest/pause and drop sets. Should I use that as phase 1 or Jonathan’s straight-set version in the Size Surge e-book?
A: The Mass F/X Program in the 3D e-book is the same 3-days-per-week phase 1 that Jonathan used, but with a few twists: You do a max-Force-generating mass workout for a bodypart, then at the second workout for that bodypart, you do an eXtended-tension-style workout. That gives you the power-density mass-building combination we’re always harping on… [Read more…]
Synergize for Muscle Size
Q: First, your e-books are all fantastic. I have almost every one. I’m a bit old-school, so I print out the routines and put them in a 3-ring binder so I can thumb through and find the right routine one when I want a new routine. I’m a very big supporter of full-range Positions of Flexion. It makes total sense and has built lots of muscle for me. I’ve noticed that on some triceps routines you use close-grip bench presses as the big midrange move, while on others you pick decline extensions. Close-grip benches allow you to synergize better with other muscles, so shouldn’t that always be the big triceps midrange exercise?
A: Thanks for supporting our cause and your confidence in our programs. That’s a great idea, by the way—keeping all the workouts in a binder.
To answer your question, [Read more…]
Old-School Muscle Moves
Q: I noticed in some of your newsletters and in articles on your website that you guys do behind-the-neck presses and behind-the-neck pulldowns. Don’t you know those can trash your rotator cuffs?
A: You’re not the first to reprimand us for using those so-called dangerous old-school muscle moves. However, we think the injury potential of behind-the-neck pulldowns and behind-the-neck presses is overblown because it’s dependent on genetics, exercise form, and where you place them in your program.
[Read more…]More Mass-Building Myths Busted (logic or looniness)
Q: I read where old-school bodybuilders would use lighter weights and higher reps on some exercises before competition to get more muscle detail. That’s total B.S., right?
A: On the surface, yes. But ending a bodypart with higher-rep work—or even doing entire workouts with higher rep work, enhances muscle burn. No, that’s not fat burning—at least not in a strict sense… [Read more…]