The last 10 years have been an exciting time in the muscle building science world. There have been so many discoveries – even major breakthroughs – that there has never been more certainty about how to train to build muscle than today. That is, if you’ve been following the science. If you pay no attention to science, you might still be using training ideas that were outdated decades ago.
How long should your weight training workouts last if you want to build muscle? 30 minutes? 45 minutes (that’s a common “rule” you hear). An hour? Or does it take even longer to build any real muscle?
A lot of people do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before eating breakfast, hoping that this will increase fat loss. For sure, fasted cardio can help with fat loss, [...]
“Squat in a Smith machine? Are you crazy? You might as well jump off a two story building and land on your kneecaps on the concrete below.” A trainer wrote [...]
Bodybuilding is not inherently unhealthy. Some people just make a poor choice and they do it in an unhealthy way. That’s true of everything in life and it’s not even limited to drug abuse. Anything can be taken to an extreme – any sport, any activity, any behavior.
How high does your intensity of effort have to be when you train? Is it mandatory to train to failure? Is one all-out set enough to build muscle? If you're not gaining muscle, is it because you're not training hard enough? If it's not intensity, what is the real trigger for muscle growth?
How do you make your muscles grow? That’s easy! All you have to do is lift more weight every time you go into the gym. Everyone knows that. Just keep getting stronger! If you [...]
The classic physiques of the golden age had the perfect mix of muscle mass and definition. Their symmetry was reminiscent of Greco-Roman statues. The way they posed onstage was nothing short of theatrical performance. In this era, bodybuilders were seen as big, strong, athletic, and mentally tough, yet also easy-going, classy, artistic and poised.
Suppose I could send a letter back in time. The letter is from the 50-something year-old Tom of today, a grizzled veteran, with 30 years in the sport, lifestyle and business of bodybuilding and fitness. [...]
If I said that bodybuilding nutrition is the most balanced, flexible and fun way of eating, some people might think I was crazy. I mean, aren't bodybuilders notorious for eating bland foods (aka "bro [...]
