What did John Grimek know about building muscle that he didn't invent? What did Steve Reeves know but the grains of sand of Muscle Beach? Reg Park, who taught him in the shadows of his old English garage? Bill Pearl learned all he needed to know about weightlifting in the hull of a Navy ship and the streets of Oakland. Arnold and Columbu - they pushed heavy weights, ate steak and eggs, laughed and played as regular as the California sun.

The cast of characters above play the starring roles in the original drama of bodybuilding. Today, as eager physical culturists, we watch the barbell soaps, hardbody sitcoms, muscular sci-fi's and mostly the "get huge fast" commercials. We propose confounding questions, each with a dozen equivocal answers. These we ponder as we enter the gym, confused, spent and beleaguered. Who am I, and what am I doing here?

Ignore for a minute, able as you are, the enormous pressure of information and data. Chances are good should you be locked in a garage full of weights you'll come out built. Or if you're stranded on an un-inhabited island, you'll look for a place to do chins and dips and rock lifts. You'll build the best bod on the island. The only thing to stop this from happening would be if you found a couple of books that told you "How To Do It."

--Dave Draper-- Found it on his website.

Aaaamen!! 

I know what you mean, Sergio. I've done better over the last several years by sticking to the old fashioned early '50s 5x5 principles of Reg, and ignoring what most others have written. To build muscle, us light-boned types have to train short and heavy, and eat and sleep well. I'm finding some progress by doing some lighter work on off days, too. Usually two regular heavy days a week, plus hillwalking and some lighter weight work (short and simple) on off days.