by Matt Marshall on December 7, 2011
In the 1940's, a revolutionary muscle-building system was created.
Here’s a common mistake almost everyone makes:
When you’re trying to gain lean muscle mass, you need to do fewer exercises — not more.
In fact, if you really want to pack on slabs of muscle mass fast, I recommend a workout plan that uses just TWO exercises.
One man who understood this principle was Dr. DeLorme. As a child growing up in the early 1900′s, he was frail and sickly.
Doctors advised bed rest. DeLorme had other ideas. He picked up a barbell. He studied… and lifted. Studied and lifted.
And he developed what just might be one of the most effective methods for building lean muscle mass in a hurry.
One man gained a whopping 22 pounds of muscle in just 6 weeks using the DeLorme method.
This method was created way back in 1945 — and for years this simple muscle-building strategy (using only two exercises) remained lost.
But it’s been recently rediscovered. So if it’s your goal to pack on 10 pounds of lean muscle mass (or more), then here’s your next step.
Pick up this book. (It’s endorsed by former Mr. America Larry Scott and World Champion powerlifter John McKean.)
Follow the 6-week program listed on page 13. And start saving money for bigger T-shirts.
Once again, here’s the link:
The Delorme Mass Gain Program Is On Page 13.
Matt Marshall
Author of How To Build A Classic Physique
Founder of Tried & True Fitness
by Matt Marshall on November 29, 2011
New research shows that dieters who opt for a snack between breakfast and lunch end up losing less weight than those who skip the snack.
Seems pretty obvious to me. The mid-morning snack doesn’t really fill you up and it probably doesn’t cause you to eat any less at lunch — it’s just mindless eating.
In my November Classic Physique newsletter, I reveal my 3 rules for eating pretty much whatever you want — as long as you follow some simple timing guidelines.
This issue goes to print in a little over 24 hours. You get it FREE when you get my book “How To Build A Classic Physique.”
So make sure you grab the book today to receive the November Classic Physique Newsletter.
by Matt Marshall on November 28, 2011
Believe it or not, there’s an old business principle you can actually use to get a better body — more muscle, less fat — without effort!
Let me show you:
Peter Drucker — one of the foremost authorities on business management once said, “What gets measured, gets managed.”
In a nutshell, if you’re actively watching and tracking your results — even if you take no other actions — your results seem to improve.
For example, if you’re having money troubles, try this:
Every Friday, check your bank account balance and write down your balance in a log book. Do this every week. What you’ll find is that your bank account balance will improve just by taking the simple measure of checking and writing down your balance once a week. You don’t have to consciously try to save more or spend less. It will happen automatically.
You can use this same hack to give yourself a better body without killing yourself in the gym or eating like a bird.
Once a week, put on your bathing suit and take a picture. Weigh yourself and measure your waist too. Then copy the photo, your weight and your waist measurement on to a single document so that you can see all progress from week to week at a glance.
You’ll find yourself naturally eating better and having better workouts without even trying. The simple act of “measuring” your progress every week will automatically give you a better body.
Try it and prepare to be amazed.
NOTE: To simplify things here at Tried & True Fitness, you can now view all available products here.
by Matt Marshall on November 21, 2011
Well, it happened again.
Two runners in the Philadelphia marathon collapsed and died of apparent heart attacks. The first was a 40 year old man, the 2nd was just 21 years old.
This is a tragedy — not only because two men lost their lives at a relatively young age — but also because this continues to happen over and over again.
Yet next year, thousands of people will run marathons — each believing they are doing something positive for their health.
But are they?
In my opinion, no.
Exercise breaks down muscle tissues. When done in short bursts, the body recovers and rebuilds. So you come back stronger than before. But prolonged exercise (such as training and running marathons) doesn’t allow the body to properly recover and rebuild. And while this is only my theory, I believe that’s part of the reason why a few people seem to die from heart attacks every year while running marathons.
Unfortunately, almost everyone still sees “long, slow distance running” as an important part of physical fitness. Doctors still recommend jogging for overweight patients and the army still forces recruits to jog for miles on end.
And that’s a shame. Because long-slow cardio doesn’t do much for a weight loss OR endurance. You can get much better results by sprinting or taking part in many other “classic” conditioning activities. (See page 161 in “How To Build A Classic Physique.”)
Summary: At best, long-slow distance running is boring and ineffective. At worst, it can kill you.
by Matt Marshall on November 15, 2011
A few years back, I heard a competitive fighter remark…
“I don’t eat chicken. You are what you eat — so eating chicken makes you scared.
I stick with beef. Beef makes you strong like a bull.”
At the time, I laughed it off. But then I got to thinking…
No, I don’t believe eating chicken will make you scared. However, if you are a drug-free trainer there’s a very good reason why you should opt for beef over chicken.
Listen — the juiced-up bodybuilders will tell you to eat skinless chicken breasts, brown rice and egg whites. However, if you do that you’ll miss out on a lot of good, healthy fat. And if you are drug-free, you NEED fat to produce optimal levels of testosterone and other muscle-building hormones.
Juiced-up bodybuilders do NOT need much dietary fat because they are INJECTING testosterone and other anabolic steroids.
But drug-free guys like you and me? We need dietary fat — and lots of it. So if given the option, pass on the chicken and load up on the beef.
Oh — there’s another common food item that most juiced-up bodybuilders will tell you to eat/drink after your workout. It works for them because they take steroids. But if you are clean this common bodybuilding postworkout drink myth will only make you fat.
It’s revealed in the nutrition chapter of How To Build A Classic Physique.
by Matt Marshall on November 11, 2011
I was 14. Clueless. And scrawny.
I was a freshmen lugging way too many books.
They were upperclassmen. They didn’t know me. I didn’t know them.
They chose me because I was weak. They walked up, shoved me, knocked my books to the ground and laughed.
They walked off.
I did nothing. I was weak. So I acted weak.
When you feel weak, you act weak. Or more accurately, you don’t act at all — you do nothing.
When you feel strong, you act strong. Or more accurately, you take action.
If you get my program, I can’t promise you a 400 pound bench press or a 48-inch vertical leap.
But I can promise you WILL get strong. You will feel strong. And therefore, you will act strong.
by Matt Marshall on November 10, 2011
Gaston shows off "the gunz."
NOTE: This is a guest post by Timothy Baughman.
If you want to gain muscle mass, then here’s a little known secret revealed in a 1991 Disney cartoon.
The film is “Beauty And The Beast” and the villain – Gaston – clearly knows a thing or two about how to gain muscle.
During one musical number, Gaston bellows, “When I was a lad I ate 4 dozen eggs to help me get large. Now that I’m grown I eat 5 dozen eggs so I’m roughly the size of a barge[boat].”
Believe it or not, consuming massive amounts of eggs is actually a “tried & true” method for building muscle. Vince Gironda – the legendary Iron Guru – advised eating up to 3 dozen eggs a day for SHORT TERM (six weeks maximum) periods of bulking.
He believed this practice could actually give natural lifters steroid-like gains.
So if you’re struggling to build muscle mass, add more eggs to your diet.
5 dozen eggs might be pushing it – start with 6 eggs a day and increase the numbers until you’re a bonafide “beast.”
by Matt Marshall on November 9, 2011
Is it impossible to gain muscle and shed fat at the same time?
Ask any fitness professional and they’ll tell you it’s impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the exact time.
As usual, that’s incorrect.
There are actually 3 scenarios where it’s not only possible — but rather common — to gain muscle and lose fat at the exact time.
The first scenario is puberty: During puberty, it’s quite common for a chubby kid to magically add muscle and shed the baby fat in just a few short weeks.
The second scenario is when a person decides to take steroids. With powerful illegal steroids in your system, you can eat candy all day long while playing video games and still shed fat and gain muscle.
Now — what do these two scenarios have in common?
Answer: In both scenarios, testosterone is maximized. In the case of puberty, your body naturally releases a flood of testosterone causing you to gain muscle and lose fat. In the case of steroids, the drug-user is injecting synthetic testosterone.
Most people don’t know this but there’s a actually a 3rd scenario where it’s possible to gain muscle and burn fat at the same time. It works by naturally optimizing your hormone levels and best of all it works for drug-free trainers even long after they’ve passed puberty.
Interested? Then pick up your copy of “How To Build A Classic Physique”, flip to page 73 and take my 10-day challenge.
by Matt Marshall on November 8, 2011
In the past I’ve talked about using the Costanza principle as a tool for figuring out what REALLY works for us drug-free trainers to get bigger, leaner and healthier.
See my previous article here.
The Costanza Principle — for those who aren’t aware — is based on a Seinfeld episode where George Costanza realizes his every instinct is dead wrong and the key to success is do the exact opposite of what he thinks he should do.
Last time we used the Costanza Principle to figure out the best exercises.
Today, I want to show you how to use the Costanza principle to figure out the ultimate post-workout meal.
Conventional wisdom states that you MUST avoid fat in your post workout meal or you’ll end up slowing the absorption of the protein and glycogen your muscles need.
So the Costanza principle would state that you should actually LOAD UP on fat right after you train. Hmmmm… that couldn’t work…. could it?
Look what I just found…
“On top of protein and carbohydrates, it is often recommended that fat and fiber be restricted from the pre or post training period, again because of the idea that it would limit speed of absorption and decrease results. Research has found that consuming as much as 55 grams of fat post-training and in two subsequent meals did not inhibit glycogen replenishment. As well it has been found that whole milk was superior to skim milk post-training, even when skim milk was calorically matched. The skim milk actually contained more protein (14g to 8g) and yet the whole milk, with 8g of fat to skim’s 0g, was more anabolic.”
From: Optimal Intake of Carbs and Protein, Pierre
In my book, I quote Mark Twain.
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain.
If you wish you were leaner, wish you were more muscular… then perhaps it’s time to pause… reflect… and then join the old-school revolution.
by Matt Marshall on November 7, 2011
Check this out:
Last night, my wife was on the computer and she found a forum where people shared their weird mugging stories.
One story in particular caught my attention.
From “Ralph C”…
“I was walking down Bourbon Street when a man in a 3-piece suit yelled out ‘Hey — it’s great to see you!’
He quickly walked up to me, smiled broadly and stuck out his hand. My mind was racing — trying to remember how I knew this guy. As we shook hands, he quickly pulled me in close and whispered in my ear ‘Give me your wallet or I’ll break your hand.’ He started squeezing… HARD.
I quickly fished out my wallet and handed it over. He then said loudly, ‘Thanks, we’ll have to catch up later.’ And just like that, he walked off.”
Pretty slick, eh?
Now, every self-defense guru will tell you the single best way to avoid getting mugged is to avoid looking like someone you’d want to mug. In other words, if you look strong & muscular most muggers will leave you be and wait for someone else.
However, a slick mugger like the one in the story above might think his routine is so fool-proof it will work on anyone.
But here’s how you turn the tables:
On page 122 of How To Build A Classic Physique, I show you an ancient exercise that almost no one’s ever seen before. Perform this exercise just once per month (yes, that’s it) and you’ll develop a bone-crushing grip. Now, that’s not just word play. You will literally develop a grip strong enough to crush the fingers in a mugger’s hands like stale corn chips.
Check it out and see for yourself.
Until tomorrow…
Matt Marshall
Tried & True Fitness
