100 Years of Static Contraction
These old magazine ads were sent to me about four years ago by one of this blog’s most active visitors, Mark Winchester. I don’t see a date on them but…
A Century of Mistaken Strength Training
Ever think about what percentage of a World Record lift you can achieve right now? The current ‘raw’ Bench Press record is about 740 lbs. So if you can bench…
Proof Frequent Weightlifting is Wasted Effort
Every once in awhile it’s possible to have an interesting exchange on social media. Recently I had an exchange with a smart and well-respected trainer who questioned whether infrequent training…
What Works Best?
One of the perennial questions that comes up on my blog and probably on every blog about building new muscle is something like, “I’ve heard the ABC method of training…
Training Efficiency
My grandfather circa 1910. I rarely talk about myself in these articles or in my books but I’m amused about something in my family that ultimately relates to SCT. I…
Are You Wise Enough To Care About Wear And Tear?
Lifting heavy weights to build new muscle is, by definition, wear and tear on your body? Does wear and tear matter to you? Notice in the title of this post…
Why One Set To Failure Is An Excellent Choice
Would you take on a second job working additional 40 hours a week if it paid you 9% of your first job? So if you worked 40 hours for $1,000…
More Evidence for Brief Workouts
Today’s New York Times ran an article about a study at Arizona State University that shows workouts as brief as 10 minutes done three times in a day are as…
Static Contraction and the Texas Tower Sniper
Ever since I began experimenting with more rational and efficient methods of strength training in 1992 I’ve run into people who want to defend the status quo. Basically their defense…
Why It’s Stupid to Use 100 Exercises With 300 Variations
Hey, want to spend your year trying 300 exercises? It is amazing how many exercise devices from flimsy, low-end contraptions to multi-thousand dollar fitness machines are marketed will the alleged…
All Training Roads Lead to Static Contraction
Most readers on this blog are already using static contraction as their training method but I know there are some of you who are just observing. You haven’t taken the…
What Is Your Time Worth?
Static Contraction - Time Is Money What is your time worth to you? What would you do with an extra hour a week? How about an extra hour a day?…
Get Maximum Gains Using a “Minimum Dosage”
Bear with me for just a second while I say something mathematical: In exercise, intensity is inversely proportional to duration. Simply stated, the greater your effort, the less time you…