🏋️‍♂️ 2 muscle-building tips from Ronnie Coleman

POWERED BY:

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Reebok. Save 40% sitewide on full-priced and on-sale gear by heading here.

Here’s everything going on in today’s edition:

• Ronnie Coleman’s top muscle-building techniques

• Weightlifter wins Nationals with broken finger

• Recovery tips for lifters on the backside of 40

Hypertrophy

Living in Ronnie’s World

There’s no need to use any hyperbole to describe Ronnie Coleman’s Olympia-winning physique. He was undeniably enormous.

Looking like an upscaled marble statue standing high up on a pedestal in some archway in Italy, Coleman’s muscularity was built on the basis of two foundational techniques: progressive overload and targeted range of motion.

Known for his intensity and superhuman strength, these techniques focused Coleman’s muscles on the task at hand without letting his brute force take his lifting sessions off the rails. Focus on the basics, just like Ronnie, and you might also build a body bigger than anything you ever imagined.

From Our Sponsor

Save 40% Sitewide at Reebok

Reebok’s Friends and Family event is here, and it's BIG. We’re talking 40% off sitewide, including full-price and on-sale gear.

We're talking shirts, shoes, shorts, and more. So, get yourself a whole new closet this summer.

Don’t wait—snag your favorites before they’re gone!

Shop Reebok's Friends and Family Sale Now!

Weightlifting

Digit Dilemma

Adding onto the lore of baseball players resetting their own dislocated shoulders and Ronnie Lott’s famous amputated pinkie, weightlifter Cicely Kyle played a game of one-upmanship by fixing a part of her musculoskeletal system right in the middle of her competition.

On her way to winning her class at the USAW National Championships, Kyle dislocated her left middle finger after she executed a clean. Holding almost double her own body weight on her shoulders in a front rack position, she then used her lifetime of medical training to pop her finger back into place before hoisting the weight overhead to complete her lift.

See the whole video below, and then read our exclusive interview with Kyle to get a glimpse at just how strong the competitive mindset can be.

Recovery

Get Back to Baseline

Anybody who says “40 is the new 30” probably hasn’t actually reached the magic number yet (or they’re that annoying, optimistic friend of yours you can never bring down to earth).

Being over 40 often means, to quote a Silver Age country song, you’re “old enough to know better, but still too young to care” when succumbing to placing your body under hardships at the gym. That means your recovery has to be even more on point at this phase of your life, and these 11 tips and tricks will help your body stabilize so you can be fresh as a slightly wilted daisy the next time you step into the gym.

Of course, you can start by modifying your training appropriately to prevent extra burnout in the first place. Making room for mobility and flexibility is also a key part of ensuring your body stays lubed up for the long drive ahead. Don’t be afraid to devote a little more time and effort to your body’s readiness needs, and give each of these tips a shot.

From Our Sponsor

Barbell Jobs' Functional Fitness 2024 Salary Report compares the average salary range for the top functional fitness concepts. Find out if you're getting paid - or paying - fairly.

Download the free report today!

Everything Else

Get Ripped

• Want to get big? Like big, big? Then subscribe to The Ripped Report, our bodybuilding-centric newsletter that is packed with tips for anyone looking to bulk up.

• Known for his intense back training, six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates identifies one common exercise he specifically thinks is a complete waste of time.

• Read an RDN’s review of the new Jacked Factory Authentic ISO grass-fed whey isolate protein powder.