In this publication, I've presented science-based training techniques that work for most people. When I say "science-based" I'm referring to the fact that most of this information has appeared in various scientific studies of competitive bodybuilders. But there are … [Read more...]
Does Muscle Posing Help You Build Muscle? by Jerry Brainum 5/21
Robby Robinson was having a problem. Robby, who had already won the Mr.America and Mr.Universe titles, was competing in a series of professional Grand Prix bodybuilding contests in Europe, and I was there covering the contests for the Weider bodybuilding magazines. Robby had … [Read more...]
When is it Best to Train to Muscular Failure? by Jerry Brainum 5/20
Although the training to failure concept has been discussed several times in past issues of Applied Metabolics, a new study defines just when training to failure is best used to promote gains in muscular size.[ref] Lasevicius, T, et al.Muscle failure promotes greater muscle … [Read more...]
Muscle Hyperplasia: Is It Real? by Jerry Brainum 3/20
A study published over 25 years ago compared the muscle fibers of experienced, competitive bodybuilders to untrained college students. The natural hypothesis of the study authors was that the bodybuilders, some of whom had over 20-inch arms, would show much larger muscle … [Read more...]
How Many Sets Are Needed to Develop Maximum Muscular Size and Strength? by Jerry Brainum 9/19
It seems that everyone has a different opinion about what constitutes the ideal amount of exercise volume that would promote maximal gains in muscular size and strength. Bodybuilding is notorious for the "more is better" philosophy, which means that the more you do, the … [Read more...]
Training to Muscular Failure: An Update with New Insights by Jerry Brainum
I wrote about training to muscular failure in the May 2015 issue of Applied Metabolics, and that article covered all the available research at the time related to training to failure. I also discussed the history of training to failure, and how the principle first came about. … [Read more...]
Is There A Limit to Muscular Size? by Jerry Brainum
Have you ever wondered why there has never been a creature the size of the film icon, King Kong? Of course, some dinosaurs have exceeded Kong's size, but no mammals have ever come close to the massive size shown by Kong in the series of films in which he appears. The current … [Read more...]
Is Muscle Growth Fiber specific? by Jerry Brainum
A colleague of mine at a major bodybuilding magazine once wrote that "bodybuilding is not rocket science." What he meant by that was his feeling that too many bodybuilders often made the process of building muscle far more complicated than it needed to be. A corollary to this … [Read more...]
Maximizing Muscular Hypertrophy (growth): What are the best training factors? by Jerry Brainum
In the March, 2016 issue of Applied Metabolics, I discussed the many nuances and variables associated with muscular hypertrophy. Not everyone who lifts weights or engages in any type of resistance exercise wants to compete in amateur or professional … [Read more...]
How fast do muscles grow and is there a limit to muscular growth? by Jerry Brainum
If you've been around bodybuilding for as long as I have (over half a century) you will notice that people who get involved in regular bodybuilding training seem to make gains at different rates. Much of this has to do with genetic predispositions that favor rapid … [Read more...]