In the previous newsletter, I mentioned that Doug gradually reduced his training volume through his 50s. At one point, he was doing 12-plus sets per muscle. [Read more…]
Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Training, Part 5
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…]
Younger = Extra Sets for More Mass?
Yesterday I addressed the question from a 75-year-old trainee who felt that the OMYM2 workout was too much for him… [Read more…]
Indirect Mass Effect, Part 1
In past newsletters, I’ve mentioned how you should be aware of and account for the indirect work smaller muscles get when you train larger ones… [Read more…]
Mentzer’s High Intensity: Right or Wrong? Part 1
Q: You’ve quoted Mike Mentzer a lot, and your current workouts are similar to his. But you’ve also featured Arnold’s training and mentioned that your Positions-of-Flexion method has some roots with him. Do you agree more with the Heavy Duty high-intensity approach or Arnold’s volume style? [Read more…]
Add Reps, Not Sets, to Grow Like Crazy
Yesterday I mentioned that once Mike Mentzer retired from bodybuilding and began training drug-free bodybuilders, he got rid of forced and negative reps. They were too demanding, creating way too much damage… [Read more…]
More Sets for Young Muscle?
Q: I’m in my early 40s. I’ve been lifting on and off for years, but I haven’t built a lot of muscle. I’m going to start the Old Man Young, Muscle workouts, but I’m wondering if I should do more sets since I’m younger than you are?
A: When it comes to individual volume tolerance, there are a number of factors other than age that you should consider. For example, are you a muscular athletic type—a.k.a. a mesomorph?
Since you said you haven’t built a lot of muscle, my guess is that you’re probably like me and more of a thinner ectomorph type. [Read more…]
1 Workout a Week for a Freak Physique?
Q: I saw a study by Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., that showed training a muscle twice a week produced more mass gains than training a muscle once a week. I like training each muscle once a week and seem to make good gains, but I want to build mass as fast as possible. Should I switch to a different split to hit each muscle twice a week?
A: It was a “meta-analysis,” which means the researchers looked at multiple studies to come to their conclusion. Schoenfeld was one of the authors, and he is a favorite of ours because [Read more…]
Once-a-Week Workouts and NA Training
Q: I want to thank you for putting together the Freak-Physique e-book. What a blockbuster resource of training information and programs. I’m using the 3D Power Pyramid Program. The quote from the trainee who gained so much muscle and strength in only a few weeks using it got me stoked. My question is, I’m more of a train-each-bodypart-once-a-week guy, so can I use it that way instead of training each bodypart twice a week? If so, how should I adjust it?
A: First, you picked a great program. We get lots of positive feedback on the 3D Power Pyramid because it’s simple Positions-of-Flexion methodology but you add weight over three sets on the big midrange move (pyramid), and do only one set each of the stretch- and contracted-position exercises. It’s basically a POF strength-building workout with a big muscle-size side effect. [Read more…]
3D HIT Question
Q: In the 3D HIT program [listed in the X-traordinary Arms e-book], you say to end each bodypart with one slow, higher-rep set of an isolation exercise for tension and occlusion. You also mention drop sets for those exercises. Which is better, one higher-rep set or a drop set?
A: Keep in mind that doing a drop set is a volume increase because it’s two sets back to back. For example, on concentration curls for biceps, you do a set of 10 reps to exhaustion, grab a lighter dumbbell, and immediately rep out again, getting about six more reps. Is that better than one set of 12-15 reps? That depends…
[Read more…]