🏋️‍♂️ can't-miss tips for building muscle

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Here’s everything fit to print in this edition:

• Essential tips for building muscle

• How yoga can help lifters

• A look back at the infamous “Colorado Experiment”

Training Tips

Hypertrophy for Dummies

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re always on the hunt to gain more muscle. At this point, the health benefits of packing on mass are well-known and too numerous to list in a humble newsletter. But if you need to brush up on the basics of building that muscle, we’ve got just the guide for you.

This isn’t an advanced biological view of cell structure and protein synthesis; this guide covers the hands-on portion of your hypertrophy. The exercises you perform in the gym are the cornerstones of any muscular physique, and a smart recovery and nutrition plan can help take care of the rest. Stick to the basics in the article below and you’ll find that you can pack on plenty of sustainable muscle in short order.

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Bodybuilding

Yo-Gains 

Moving a muscle through its entire range of motion nets the most strain, thus creating optimal growth. Knowing this, you can understand how important yoga can be for anyone looking to embark upon a bodybuilding program. And the good news is that you don’t need to be an expert to reap the benefits.

Mixing some light yoga into your bodybuilding routine might be what you need to take your physique to the next level. Ground-based bodyweight work and deep stretching can also provide you with one of the biggest trends in fitness right now: active recovery. Grab some stretchy pants, find a 6x4 piece of open space on the ground, and get to work.

History

Das Experiment

“The Colorado Experiment” of the early 1970s gave Arthur Jones (inventor of the Nautilus machines and proponent of high-intensity training) a platform to showcase his training modalities. In one of the most extreme changes in the history of fitness culture, Jones allegedly added 63 pounds of muscle to one of his subjects in a single month of training.

Like Mike Mentzer’s HIT protocol, Jones' technique was diametrically opposed to the volume-based approach popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger and the hegemony of Joe Weider’s magazines. Skeptical of Jones’ claims? Click below for the full story, and decide for yourself what may or may not be physiologically possible.

Everything Else

World’s Strongest Takedown

• Brian Shaw is set to begin his MMA career with a little help from two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

• The box jump is one of the most well-worn and time-honored methods of training for explosive power and speed. Don’t sleep on this classic from your schoolyard days.

• This week’s episode of the BarBend’s Strength Weekly podcast checks in with Olympic weightlifting and marvels at the squat prowess of Russel Orhii.