For a killer forearm workout, Arnold and Franco would head down to the docks and tie knots in the giant ropes holding the boats. Here they are resting after tying multiple Slip Knots as a prank on a crusty old tug-boat captain. They were permanently banned from the docks in 1969… [Read more…]
Mr. America’s Top-8 “Danger Zone” Exercises, Part 2
Yesterday we had the first four of Mr. America and 2019 Drug-Free Mr. Universe Doug Brignole’s “Exercises that Cause the Most Injuries.”
If you missed it, they are [Read more…]
“I’m Squatting; Screw You”
I get it. Many bodybuilders, especially those under age 40, love going to the gym, piling on the iron, and squatting or bench pressing heavy. [Read more…]
Squat for Mass, but Ditch the Barbell?
I’m all about safe, efficient muscle building. I want more muscle as quickly as possible, but without joint pain…
Over the years I’ve learned a few things which have given my workouts more mass-building power and allowed me to shorten my time in the gym significantly… [Read more…]
“Why do you hate barbell squats?”
My daughter and future son-in-law were over and started another weight-training conversation…
“Dad, why do you all of a sudden hate barbell squats?” [Read more…]
Your Muscle-Building “Why” for New Size
I remember back in my late 30s, Jonathan and I were at Mike Neveux’s studio for one of our Iron Man magazine photoshoots… [Read more…]
More Mass with the Front-to-Back Attack
Q: I always hurt my back when I squat heavy. And now I even hurt it doing moderate-weight 4X, probably because of the damage I’ve incurred over the years. You may call it brainwashing, but I really feel that I need to squat to build more mass. Any suggestions? I don’t want to give up squatting.
A: We’re right there with you on that. After years of heavy squatting—and numerous back injuries–we’re now very cautious when doing that exercise. But the good news is that we’ve figured out how to do it while significantly minimizing the injury potential and still gaining more mass… [Read more…]
10 Minutes per Muscle Is All It Takes
Q: After reading some of your previous newsletters, I’ve been thinking about trying your 10×10 method. It sounds good, except I can’t get myself to accept using such a light weight. Will that really build muscle? I bench 300 pounds for a single, so that means I should use 180 pounds for 10×10. Man, how can that work?
A: You’re falling for the old the-heavier-you-go-the-more-you-grow myth. It’s been ingrained in all of us, but once you understand how muscle mass is created, you’ll know that you can build a lot of size with more moderate poundages and short rests—like with 10×10 or 4X… [Read more…]
Double Up to Muscle Up
Q: In a previous newsletter you talked about using DXO [Double-X Overload from the Beyond X e-book] on stretch-position exercises like flyes. I tried it on squats , and it felt incredible! I backed off on the weight, but my quads were on fire and I really felt them working better than a regular set. Is it good to use DXO on the big midrange exercises like squats and bench presses along with stretch-position exercises?
A: Absolutely. You have to use less weight, and that allows you to do the DXO set in perfect form and really connect with the target muscle—plus get unique muscle-fiber activation for new growth. You could end your squats with a DXO set… [Read more…]
Metabolic Mass Move: Get High for Muscle Size
Q: I’ve been reading a lot about high-rep leg work, specifically squats. How it can add 20 pounds of muscle in six weeks. Do you think high-rep squats are worth the effort? I know they are tough, but if I get bigger faster, I’m in. Plus, I train at home and have limited weight anyway, so that would save me from buying more plates.
A: We were in touch with a bodybuilder who packed on an amazing 50 pounds of muscle in just over a year’s time. And he attributes a lot of that to adding a high-rep set of squats to his leg day (his full story was in an old issue of IRON MAN)… [Read more…]