Anabolic Muscle Mass: Review by Steve Holman, IRONMAN May '96

Dennis Weis and Robert Kennedy have a few books under their belts, including Mass! and Raw Muscle, but Anabolic Muscle Mass is their best yet. Its 230 pages are packed with interesting twists and turns on the mass-building path, and there are more than 200 photos of everyone from Milos Sarcev to Tonya Knight to Paul Anderson.
The focus of the book is just as its subtitle suggests: “The Secrets of Anabolic Reinforcement Without Steroids.” It begins with a discussion of genetics and the various training methods of a number of bodybuilders, complete with quotes from legends like Vince Gironda and Larry Scott. From there it’s on to Chapter 2, “Muscle Density Secrets.”

Every chapter is jammed full of routines and techniques that relate to its title. For example, Chapter 2 contains information on creating muscle density, including the Six-Week Rapid Muscle-Mass Technique, the Big 6 and 10-Set Magic, the Davis Set, the Eastern Bloc Training System and the Wave Program. Chapter 3 is titled “Sculpture Hammering” and covers the Super Flushing Technique, Double Antagonistic Supersets and Staggered Volume Training.

Therein lies my only complaint with this book: It’s a hodge-podge of training methods and information, albeit a motivational hodge-podge, all just kind of strewn in front of you without giving you much direction. That said, however, it will most definitely give you loads of great ideas for revamping your routine. As I read it, I got so motivated to try some of the suggestions, I headed to the IRONMAN Training and Research Center and started pounding away. The techniques I tried were unbelievably effective. Just ask my sore, aching pecs.

If you’re bored with conventional sets and reps and need to juice up your current routine, this book has what you’re looking for. Just don’t go too berserk or you may not be able to get out of bed the next morning.

Pros: The book’s packed with eye-opening photos and training techniques and routines.

Cons: There’s almost too much information; it’s somewhat overwhelming, making it difficult to decide what to pick to put into practice.

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