Take a look at the physique below. You can download the image and glance at it whenever you need motivation to continue working out: Want to know how long it takes to build muscle? The image above is a realistic reference for the mass an average-sized male attains after 4 months of working out. Charles looks healthy, he has the muscle mass most women […]
Who’s Julian Shapiro?
I spend thousands of hours deconstructing how things work. I compile my insights into free handbooks (like the one you’re reading). Over a million people read them annually. Insights that don’t make it into handbooks are shared on Twitter. I’m also the founder of Demand Curve, a company that trains startups in growth marketing and helps them find great marketing hires. […]
Most bodybuilding advice is misleading
This handbook is the result of a year’s research into what the latest science shows is the most efficient way to build muscle. It’s for both men and women. It’s primarily for beginners, but there’s plenty of science-backed advice for intermediates too. I wrote this guide because much of the casual weightlifting advice is unsubstantiated or misleading. I can’t blame bloggers for it, […]
Stretching for Muscle Gains
A recent study on stretching showed that those who regularly stretch can make some impressive strength gains even without weight training. Muscle Stretching Study 32% average strength gains, a 7% increase on a vertical? Those are things that should get the attention of all athletes. The study is just one study, was done on sedentary people and not active trainers, […]
Bigorexia
“Hey, I’m skinny and I can’t seem to gain any weight. I’m 5’10”, 205 lbs. with 8% body fat. I’ve tried everything to put on weight over the past 6 months. Can you give me any ideas so that I can wear shorts this summer without people staring at my chicken legs?” Believe it or not, I’ve gotten emails like […]
Muscle Building “Superfoods”
Here’s a pretty good list of “superfoods” for bodybuilding. Eating For Muscle Gain The list… Eggs Almonds Salmon Yogurt Beef Olive Oil Water Coffee Hey, where’s chicken and tuna? It’s pretty rare that those two don’t make these types of lists. The problem I have with these types of lists is that some people tend to take them to mean […]
Resting For Muscle Growth
Aw, yes, rest. Perhaps nothing is more frustrating to me then trying to convince a beginner that his spending 2 hours in the gym every day without rest won’t make him a big man. Rather, he’ll likely end up losing muscle. Tell the beginner that and he’ll often just stare back at you with glossy eyes. He’ll think you are […]
Cholesterol and Muscle Building
Put this one down as another study that has produced results that may have surprised the general public, but not so much your average bodybuilder. High Cholesterol Is Good for Building Muscle. Not so long ago I got an email from a guy who was frustrated with his inability to gain muscle weight. The results he reported were truly horrible. […]
Science of Steroids
The National Geographic Channel is running a good program titled the “Science Of Steroids.” Its an interesting hour for everyone, whether or not you use steroids or have any thoughts about using them. Some things I found particularly interesting from the show: One of the “experts” talked about how using steroids was one of the last things anyone would admit […]
How To Eat More
First, I’ve been away for a bit but I’m back now and hope to get some regular posts up going forward. Second , I am working on a new section at the site which will eventually give illustrations of videos and pictures of all the top muscle building exercises. So far, 13 exercises are up, check them out at the Weight […]