Tag: Muscle Building

Basics, Nutrition, Resources, Training

T.C. Luoma and Bill Phillips, ‘Muscle Media 2000 Exposes 30 of Bodybuilding’s Biggest Myths That Stand Between You and Success!’, Muscle Media, (October/November, 2000).

Conor Heffernan

1 -- You can get as big as a pro bodybuilder without taking steroids; it just takes longer. Despite what many of the magazines say, all professional bodybuilders use either steroids or steroids in combination with other growth-enhancing drugs. Without manipulating hormones, it just isn't possible to get that degree of muscularity, the paper-thin skin,… Continue reading T.C. Luoma and Bill Phillips, ‘Muscle Media 2000 Exposes 30 of Bodybuilding’s Biggest Myths That Stand Between You and Success!’, Muscle Media, (October/November, 2000).

Basics, Training

Vince Gironda, ‘Presses – Vince’s Gym Style’, Ironman Magazine, 29:2 (1969), 20

Conor Heffernan

A quick tip on military pressing from the Iron Guru himself, Vince Gironda. Known for his unique approach to the bench press and the squat, it should come as no surprise to learn that Gironda was equally opinionated when it came to the military press. At a time when back bending and sloppy form had… Continue reading Vince Gironda, ‘Presses – Vince’s Gym Style’, Ironman Magazine, 29:2 (1969), 20

Basics, Resources, Training

The History of 20 Rep Squats

Conor Heffernan

Though few exercise programmes maintain a venerated status for long in the Iron Game, the mystique surrounding 20 Rep Squat programmes has endured. As hinted by the name, such programmes require lifters to back squat twenty times before unloading the bar, and in my own experience, lying on the ground questioning your decision-making. Primarily touted… Continue reading The History of 20 Rep Squats

Basics, Nutrition, Resources

The First Weightlifting Supplements

Conor Heffernan

Weightlifting supplements, despite their ubiquity nowadays, are a relatively new addition to the realm of weightlifting. While the practice of eating mystical substances in the hope of improved athletic performance dates to Greco-Roman times, the marketing of explicit 'body building' supplements is a far more recent phenomenon. Dating really to the emergence of physical culture… Continue reading The First Weightlifting Supplements

Biographies, Training

Bob Gajda’s Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) Training

Conor Heffernan

One point that always fascinates me about training is the sheer diversity one finds when it comes to training systems, exercises and training philosophies. What works for one trainee can prove pointless to another. No matter how good the programme, it often has to be tailored towards the individual, and indeed, we often find that… Continue reading Bob Gajda’s Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) Training

Nutrition, Training

Bill Starr, Gaining Weight The Natural Way (1993 article)

Conor Heffernan

It was the first really warm day of spring. The trees and shrubs displayed tiny buds, but the insects and crawling creatures were not yet out in force and, best of all, the poison ivy was still dormant. It was the ideal time to hike through the woodlands of the Susquehanna State Park. I tracked… Continue reading Bill Starr, Gaining Weight The Natural Way (1993 article)

Resources, Training

Tricks and Tests of the Muscles (Health and Strength, 1908)

Conor Heffernan

Recently I had the privilege of going through the British Library's fantastic collection of physical culture books, workout courses and magazines as part of my PhD research. Though this was work, in the lightest sense of the word, I made a point of reading as much as the great institution had to offer. One book… Continue reading Tricks and Tests of the Muscles (Health and Strength, 1908)

Resources, Training

How to Build Muscle Faster

Conor Heffernan

Photo Credit Building muscle is one of the most common fitness goals for all kinds of people, but it is also one that requires a good deal of commitment and effort. And if you are going to be investing all this extra energy, you want to make sure that you are doing the right things… Continue reading How to Build Muscle Faster

Resources, Training

Jackson Bowling, Steroids Good or Bad? (Muscular Developement, September 1968)

Conor Heffernan

Bodybuilders and athletes alike are hearing more and more about the "new" tissue drugs and anabolic steroids, but down to earth facts and information has been hard to come by. Just what are these steroids ? Are they harmful ? Do they really work the miracles some claim ? These are but a few of… Continue reading Jackson Bowling, Steroids Good or Bad? (Muscular Developement, September 1968)

Training

Forgotten Training Protocols: 4 x 10 Clusters

Conor Heffernan

For whatever reason some training systems remain in the public psyche while others fall to the wayside, continued only by a few dedicated and often fixated trainers. Thus while nearly every intermediate and certainly every advanced trainee is familiar with manipulating rep ranges, few seem to stray outside the comfort zone of 5 x 5,… Continue reading Forgotten Training Protocols: 4 x 10 Clusters