Hypertrophy
Focus on intensity to add new muscle
Bodybuilder turned world champion powerlifter and coach Tom Hamilton on why borrowing training intensity methods from powerlifters will help you to get bigger…
The power of periodisation
Periodisation is one of those buzzwords in bodybuilding that carries a lot of weight but results in very little action or true understanding. We all know it’s something good and we should be doing it, but we either don’t understand what it means or how to implement it, or we just convince ourselves we’re already doing it and move on.
This article is meant to help you actually understand what periodisation is, how it’s relevant to bodybuilding, and to give you some practical take homes that you can apply to your training.
Get big arms without going heavy
John Meadows is a national champion bodybuilder and works with many of the best physique athletes in the world. He is based in…
Nutrition
The smart way to maximise protein synthesis
Not all proteins are created equal so eating the right types at the right times is the best way to improve muscle protein…
Strength
Focus on intensity to add new muscle
Bodybuilder turned world champion powerlifter and coach Tom Hamilton on why borrowing training intensity methods from powerlifters will help you to get bigger…
How to handle the pressure of competition
If you want to perform when the pressure is on then you need to draw on the hard work you’ve done in training,…
Christian Thibaudeau: My Life In Lifts
Christian Thibaudeau is a strength coach with competitive experience in bodybuilding, strongman, powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting. Here’s what a lifetime under the bar…
The power of periodisation
Periodisation is one of those buzzwords in bodybuilding that carries a lot of weight but results in very little action or true understanding. We all know it’s something good and we should be doing it, but we either don’t understand what it means or how to implement it, or we just convince ourselves we’re already doing it and move on.
This article is meant to help you actually understand what periodisation is, how it’s relevant to bodybuilding, and to give you some practical take homes that you can apply to your training.
Fat Loss
Are you too fat to add serious muscle?
Nick Mitchell is a leading body composition expert and the founder of the Ultimate Performance global personal training gym. He is based in Los Angeles. When you want to add as much muscle mass as possible, in the quickest time frame, the first thing you should do is get lean. Don’t get me wrong, fat people can build muscle but it’s a hell of a lot harder. How lean? Very. I know you want me to give you a number that classifies ‘very lean’ so I’ll say sub-10%, but I don’t like giving a certain body-fat percentage as a benchmark, because…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
Nutrition
The smart way to maximise protein synthesis
Not all proteins are created equal so eating the right types at the right times is the best way to improve muscle protein…
Maximise protein synthesis to add lean muscle faster
Phil Learney is a performance coach specialising in strength, conditioning and nutrition. He is based in London. In theory, adding lean muscle mass…
Can you reverse diet on high-fat foods?
Having spent months of hard work getting lean the last thing you want is to gain fat when your diet ends and following…
How much protein do you really need?
Eric Helms is a pro natural bodybuilder, raw powerlifter and a coach at 3D Muscle Journey. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. The…
Supps
The herb that boosts testosterone 350%
Low levels of testosterone will negatively impact your performance in the gym, the office and the bedroom, but there are some minerals and herbs that can naturally increase T production, says Mike Mahler Mike Mahler is a hormone optimisation researcher and supplement designer. He is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Optimal testosterone production is essential for men who want to look and perform at their best in every aspect of their lives. If your levels are below-par then some smart supplementation can get them back into a healthy range pretty quickly. Mineral deficiencies can be a leading cause of low…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
The supps that boost testosterone
Kamal Patel is a director of Examine.com, the research-based resource on supplementation and nutrition, and a nutrition researcher with an MPH and MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He is based in San Francisco, California. There are many supplements on the market claiming to enhance testosterone but many of them are herbal supplements that may well improve libido and boost confidence and do absolutely nothing for testosterone levels. These libido enhancers include herbs such as tribulus terrestris, maca, and fenugreek, all which have very noticeable effects on sex drive, yet have no effect on testosterone levels. Other herbs, such as eurycoma…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
How safe are your supps?
In January 2015 January Welsh sprinters Gareth Warburton and Rhys Williams were suspended from competition for six and four months respectively by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) after testing positive for banned substances following an out of competition test in June 2014. Both athletes’ defence was that they had inadvertently taken the substances, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), through the consumption of contaminated sports nutrition products.
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
4 top supps for stronger bones
Kamal Patel is a director of Examine.com, the research-based resource on supplementation and nutrition, and a nutrition researcher with an MPH and MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He is based in San Francisco, California. The human body contains 206 bones and they serve far more purpose than simply allowing you to move and protecting your organs. They also make red and blood white cells and store minerals, so healthy bones are essential for optimal health. Here’s four supplements that can help improve bone density and strength. 1 Calcium This element is one of the major mineral components of bone. A…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
Recovery
What does training to failure actually achieve?
Chris Beardsley is the author of The S&C Research Review, which features cutting-edge analysis of the latest strength training, athletic performance, and biomechanics research. Over the last few years, researchers have discovered that it’s possible to achieve meaningful muscle growth when lifting light weights, so long as sets are performed to muscular failure. Meanwhile, a few studies indicate that training to failure may lead to more hypertrophy than avoiding failure. On the face of it, this might seem to simply confirm what bodybuilders have known for decades: that it isn’t always necessary to use the biggest weights in the gym to build muscle.…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
My recovery strategy for maximum gains
Training hard does a lot of damage to you body, so the more you push it in the gym, the greater your need to ensure you recover faster, says Ben Pakulski Ben Pakulski is a IFBB Pro bodybuilder and creator of the Mi40 Nation website. He is based in Tampa, Florida. Iron Insights Damage control You need to fully appreciate the amount of damage you do to your body during a hard training session and then take the time to find the best ways to fix this damage. If not, you will never grow as quickly as you could and…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
Master better movement patterns
Phil Learney is a performance coach specialising in strength, conditioning and nutrition. He is based in London. Have you ever seen a toddler pick a toy up from the floor? They squat down with flawless form. They move like we are supposed to move. It’s biomechanically perfect. But modern life eventually takes its toll and makes adults move in the laziest way possible. Most people spend too much time sitting down, have terrible slumped posture, and when they do have to pick something off the ground it’s all bent back and rounded shoulders. As no stranger to the gym, you’re…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.
Is stress stunting your muscle growth?
The flight-or-fight hormone allows us thrive and survive, but the daily stresses of modern life affects our ability to manage adrenaline effectively. All is not lost, says Mike Mahler Mike Mahler is a hormone optimisation researcher and supplement designer. He is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. We need adrenaline to thrive and survive. That’s why it’s often known as the flight-or-fight hormone because it spurs us into action when we are faced with an external threat. But in today’s world we are producing adrenaline all day long because of constant internal stress, typically work pressure, financial uncertainty or troublesome professional…
This article is exclusively available to IronLife subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in here. For the latest subscription offers, click here.