Here’s a fantastic shot of Arnold at Muscle Rock. We asked John Balik if he took it, and he said he believes it’s a Gene Mozee photo. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 54: Dorian Yates Gym Pose
Dorian Yates won his first of six Mr. Olympia titles in 1992 and officially ushered in the mass-monster era. His huge, grainy physique was the next step up from the more aesthetic previous Mr. O Lee Haney… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 53: Ray Mentzer on the Beach
This most-muscular variation by Ray Mentzer on the beach may be his best condition ever. The photo is by Wayne Gallasch of GMV Productions out of Australia. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 51: Rare Arnold Pic
Here’s a rare shot of Arnold, one we can’t recall ever seeing. We’re not sure who took it, but our friend the late Gene Mozee could be the photographer, as he shot Arnold at his biggest mostly outdoors.
In this shot, Arnold’s mass looks unreal, and his few flaws are well disguised… [Read more…]
All-Stretch Home Mass Workout
Q: I have the updated Quick Start Muscle 2.0. Thank you! The new home-workout section is just what I needed. One question: I remember you guys talking about an all-stretch-exercise workout a while back. Is that something I should try to increase mass gains while I’m training at home?
A: Yes, absolutely. Doing ONLY stretch-position exercises at a workout for every bodypart can do some great things for muscle growth… [Read more…]
Home-Grown Muscle: The Speed Factor
Q: I’m training at home like everyone else, but I don’t have a lot of weight. In fact, on many exercises, like dumbbell bench presses, the weight is way too light. Is there anything I can do to keep my muscle growth moving forward without going heavier?
A: First, bodybuilding is called “progressive-resistance” training because adding weight and/or reps to your exercises can increase muscle size…
We say “can” because getting stronger does not always mean getting bigger. Strength may also be the result of neuromuscular adaptation—nervous system efficiency—or better coordination/leverage. [Read more…]
Our At-Home Mass Workouts (what we’re doing)
Back in the 1990s, Steve’s very first book was titled Iron Man’s Home Gym Handbook. Looks like we’ve come full-circle. At the moment, there’s no place like home—or nowhere else to train but home…
Like most iron men and women, we’re at home with limited equipment. Luckily, our decades of bodybuilding experience have resulted in multiple mass-training tactics and moves to keep gains coming. Here’s Steve’s report on what he’s doing in his bare-bones pump-atorium. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 49: Mike Mentzer, Beach Freak
This John Balik photo of Mike Mentzer is insane—serious freak on the beach and one of the best pics of Mike we’ve ever seen… [Read more…]
Muscle-Growth-Threshold Training for Fat Loss
Q: I know you suggest one second to lift and three seconds to lower. Do you ever use a slower lifting cadence, like lifting in three or four seconds instead of only one? Wouldn’t that produce more tension time for unique muscle-growth stimulation?
A: Yes, it can be a great variation for more mass creation as well as a fat-burning catalyst. But the big reason to slow down on the lifting stroke is for more strength. [Read more…]
She Won’t Touch the Weights
Q: I bought myself and my wife gym memberships, and I started on your Quick-Start Muscle Building program. I’m getting good results already, but my wife will only do aerobics classes. She won’t touch the weights because she says she doesn’t want big muscles. What can I tell her? She’s more concerned with losing fat.
A: If she won’t touch the weights for fear of building too much muscle, tell her not to worry. That attitude is from the dark ages. A little more muscle will actually help her look better and get leaner faster. In fact, most medical doctors now suggest that their patients, male and female, lift weights—and many say that lifting is more important than cardio. Here’s a quote from our X-treme Lean e-book that may help convince your wife:
Many women think ‘muscle’ is a dirty word. Not true. It gives the female body a metabolic boost and more curves in the right places. Women don’t have to be concerned with building too much muscle thanks to their female hormone balance—more estrogen, very little testosterone. Women should train just as hard as men do, using weight training to sculpt their bodies.
The overly muscled women bodybuilders take male hormones to get that way. If your wife isn’t taking those, she doesn’t have to worry. She can use weight training followed by some cardio to transform her body quickly, as Becky Holman, Steve’s wife, did…
Show your wife those photos and emphasize that Becky trained to build muscle first and foremost—and it worked fast, boosting her metabolism through the roof! It’s done wonders for men too, so you may want to consider her direct/indirect POF workouts [on pages 50-52 in X-treme Lean] as your next step after the Quick-Start program.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Over-40 or struggling with T levels?
You Need This!
One of the most interesting read-me pages on Testosterone and other muscle-building hormones we’ve seen is The Truth About Testosterone.
It even talks about a fruit, a specific part, that can up your T naturally. Cranking up your testosterone will not only get you jacked in the gym, but in the bedroom too—not to mention help rip up your midsection as it ignites fat burning. If that interests you, there’s more from our colleague and registered dietician, HERE.