Fitness Black Book » Muscle Building

"Compound Exercise Overload" to Force Muscle Growth and Gain Strength

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:22:25 +0000

Compound Exercise Overload is a technique I recently heard about through Nick Nilsson's newsletter. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks to me like it would work extremely well for gaining muscle quickly.

Does Rep Count Even Matter? Controversial Findings of a Recent Study!

admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:26:40 +0000

So I am going to to talk about a study that questions a lot of what you will read online regarding gaining strength and muscle. It was conducted a couple of years ago, but you won't hear it being mentioned on most mainstream sites. This flies in the face of a lot of fitness programs. My point for bringing it up is to start a discussion on the findings. I will give you my take on this, but my hope is that others will chime in in the comment section.

Resistance Bands – Can Work Chest and Shoulders Better Than Free Weights?

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:13:16 +0000

I used to think that resistance bands were just a convenient way to workout, I had no idea that they could be as effective as using free weights to build muscle. This article studies the EMG activity on free weights vs resistance bands. Pretty surprising results!

Is There a Vet Around Here? (Flexes Biceps) Because These Pythons Are Sick!

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:32:19 +0000

Yes, I just used a terrible joke as the title of this post. I wanted to discuss a bit about building size in the arms, but couldn't get myself to write a "how to" title. Let's discuss what it takes to build bigger arms. Despite what many would suggest, I believe beginners need to mix in isolation work to get the most "arm building power" out of the heavier compound movements.

[Insert your bad "Tickets to the Gun Show" joke here.]

Muscle Recovery – The More Advanced You Get the Trickier It Becomes

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:05:06 +0000

I felt the need to discuss muscle recovery here, because I think many people get this part wrong in their training. Many magazine and sites would have you believe that the more experienced you are, the better your levels of recovery. That is true to an extent but as a trainee gets stronger, the training stress increases as well. In fact, the closer you get to your genetic potential the tougher and heavier you must lift to see a change in strength (or muscle size if you are trying to increase muscle mass). Advanced lifters have a much greater need to cycle intensity than beginners. A beginner can gain strength each and every workout, with less time in between sessions.

[I always appreciate good photos even if they don't relate to the topic. 2010 has just begun and I think this will be know as the decade of neon! Old retro 80's stuff is coming back big which means neon is going to make a comeback. Back in the mid-to-late 80's black lights were very common place...great for making your teeth look white...bad if you forgot to use a lint roller.]

A Big Mistake When it Comes to Gaining Muscle Mass

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:38:47 +0000

Two guys gain the same amount of muscle over a 6 month period of time. Both guys are exactly 6'3", 190 pounds and both are at the exact same body fat level. They both put on 6 pounds of muscle in 6 months, yet one guy looks outstanding and the other looks almost visibly the same as he did 6 months earlier. How can this be? How can two guys be at the same low body fat level and put on the same amount of muscle and look drastically different?

[Here is an outstanding example of muscle density. Notice how this athlete has compact, dense and an angular look to his muscles? This is much different that the typical rounded puffy bodybuilding look. This angular compact look is much more impressive than big and bulky.]

Nutrition Plays A Small Role in Building Muscle Mass – Controversial Video

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:01:18 +0000

What if half of what you have been told about building muscle mass is completely wrong? You see, building muscle is almost 100% about training and has very little to do with nutrition. The main thing that nutrition affects is gaining or losing body fat. The mainstream fitness publications would have you believe that you can eat your way to quick muscle gains. This simply is not the case. John Barban has created an exclusive video for the readers of this site, that you guys have to see!

Build Muscle Mass With Body Weight Exercises

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:50:13 +0000

I don't talk too much about building mass, since it really isn't the main focus of this site. That being said, I know there are quite a few readers who do want to add a bit of mass. I am going to talk about how to put on mass with nothing but body weight exercises. I don't care if you can do 80 push ups or 30 pull ups, here is a way gain size and make body weight exercises challenging again.

[I found a body weight routine that will even challenge people in peak condition...like this guy!]

The Top Exercises for Each Body Part? Impossible to Say!

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:25:02 +0000

It is hard for anyone to predict the top exercises for an individual, because we are all built differently. An exercise that feels great to you, may do nothing for me. Take bent over barbell rows for instance: I can't for the life of me feel it working my back at all, yet everyone recommends this as the so called - King of Back Exercises! One arm dumbbell rows on the other hand work wonders for me. Don't just assume that any one particular exercise is what you need to do for a body part. If you don't feel it, then move on to something else.

Muscle Maturity – Looking Better As You Age

admin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:17:18 +0000

There is a term you may or may not of heard of called muscle maturity. The way I look at it is that over time your muscles get more and more defined from repetitive use. Over time you gain the ability to contract your muscles harder, which results in greater muscle definition. The biggest reason you don't see a lot of older people with great muscle definition is either due to inactivity or excessive amounts of body fat.

How to Lose Muscle Mass on Purpose?

admin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:41:07 +0000

I know this is going to be a big-time controversial post. It is beyond the realm of imagination on most fitness sites to ever talk about losing muscle on purpose. I know I have disrupted the bodybuilding gods by even typing this phrase!

A "Sensible" Way to Build Muscle Mass

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:25:45 +0000

An article on how to build muscle mass? Have I gone mad? Well, not really. I think many people believe I'm against building muscle, which isn't the case. I'm against "excessive" muscle mass. You know, getting so big that you can't wear normal clothes. To be honest, many people need some size, especially when they are starting out. I have a basic routine that works really well. Even if you don't want to gain a lot of muscle, this is a way to create a slightly fuller look without looking like a "bloated and puffy" gym rat.

Your Weak Muscle Group vs Their Strong Muscle Group

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:34:18 +0000

I didn't really know what to title this post, because the topic I'm going to talk about is hard to nail down in a few words. What is funny is that this is quite possibly the most common mistake I see in gyms I visit. It is the phenomenon of having a lagging muscle group and taking advice from a person who has amazing development in this area. You would think that this would be a good idea. I'll explain the problems this creates, but first a video of my favorite trance song of all time.

Trent Reznor of NIN Gained a Ton of Muscle. Did He Ruin His Look?

admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:38:16 +0000

Trent Reznor, the main singer of Nine Inch Nails is one of my all-time favorite musicians. This guy reminds me a bit of David Bowie in that he is a true innovator. I believe many people won't truly appreciate the full impact he made on the landscape of music until later in his career. I have followed Trent since 1988, when "Down in It" was a big dance hit in the clubs and soon after that in 1989 his first Album "Pretty Hate Machine" was released. I am used to Reznor surprising me with innovative music, but he shocked me a bit with his physical transformation. After three years out of the spotlight, in 2006 he went on tour with a new "buffed up" Hulk look.

Why You Should Include Chin Ups and Pull Ups In Your Workout Routine

admin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:10:55 +0000

I forgot how great chin ups work the upper body. Recently, the lat pull down machine in my gym was taken, so I walked over to the power rack and decided to do chin ups instead. I did 5 sets of 5 reps at a slow tempo to really get the best out of the exercise. By the last set my forearms, biceps, and back were on fire! The next day, my entire upper body was a bit sore including my abs.

Your Strong Muscle Groups vs Your Weak Muscle Groups

admin — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:13:26 +0000

Everybody has a strong muscle group or body part that is easy to build and tone. It could be your biceps, it could be your chest, it may be your legs. You get the picture. Everyone also has those weak or lagging muscle groups or body parts that are much tougher to build and tone.

How to Quickly Gain the Ideal Amount of Muscle Mass for Your Body Type

admin — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:24:43 +0000

I guess I had to write this article sooner or later. My entire philosophy is to avoid excessive muscle mass. I believe in a physique of average size, but with outstanding muscle tone. So why I am writing this post? Well, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are guys who do want to add a bit more muscle, but they don't want to look sloppy in the process.

Is Too Much Protein Unhealthy and Bad for Your Kidneys?

admin — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 07:09:08 +0000

I am sure many people have heard that too much protein is tough on your body and bad for your kidneys. I don't recommend excessive protein, mainly because I don't believe in focusing on gaining excessive muscle mass. I know there are a lot of people who do want to gain mass and they eat a very large amount of protein as a strategy to pack on muscle quickly.

A Well Written Comment by A Bodybuilder Who Disagrees With Me

admin — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:33:38 +0000

Just a quick background here, before the article. It appears that I have upset the members of a very large bodybuilding forum. My site is a bit anti-bodybuilding, so it comes as no surprise. What did surprise me was the hate-filled and homophobic and overtly obscene comments that were thrown my way. My blog is now setup to automatically delete any "hate filled" comments...that isn't the tone I want this site to take.

Mindlessly Gaining Muscle is Not the Path to an Attractive Body

admin — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:08:28 +0000

Typically all the guys (and some women) I see in the free-weight room are trying to gain as much muscle as possible. Worse than that, they will take the muscle gain on any part of their body. The problem with gaining muscle just for the sake of gaining muscle quickly creates an unbalanced body.