Femme Physique Critique

I’m enjoying Steve Wennerstrom’s series Femme Physique. His historical perspective on women’s bodybuilding is always interesting, and the facts and stats he’s produced about the contests and competitors are astonishing. On the negative side of the coin, it makes me sad, almost ill, to see where women’s bodybuilding has been allowed to go since the days of the first Ms. Olympia, Rachel McLish, and Cory Everson. Now it appears as if fitness and figure women are beginning to look more masculine and drugged up, and I don’t think it’s because of supplement innovations. We need a return to sanity in women’s bodybuilding. Women turning themselves into she-males is not acceptable. Am I sexist? Not in the least. I think the men’s side of the sport needs a top-to-bottom house cleaning too. Will somebody please put a stop to the pharmaceutical destruction of proportion, symmetry and health in our once-great sport? I can hardly bear to look at it anymore.

Steve Mathews
Decatur, IL

Starr Shines, But…

Bill Starr’s Only the Strong Shall Survive is the first thing I read when my IRON MAN arrives in my mailbox. He’s an expert among experts when it comes to strength training and has so much experience that you can’t help but learn something every time he puts pen to paper. His piece on building big arms without curling was fantastic [May ’09]. My one beef is that he never outlines a routine. I want to see some of the programs he describes in a listed format that I can clip out and take to the gym.

Gerard Montoya
via Internet

Editor’s note: We’ll work on Bill. We know he enjoys designing programs, so there should be no problem.

Say Yes to P/RR/S!

I’ve been training for about 20 years, and I’ve tried just about everything. I recently bought the “Power/Rep Range/Shock Max-Mass Training System” DVD and the e-book as well, and I can’t believe how much bigger and stronger I’ve become. Using different workout styles each week to focus on unique muscle-building factors is apparently just what I needed to start growing again. My thanks to Eric Broser for coming up with such a result-producing system.

Champ Sciliano
via Internet

Editor’s note: Broser’s P/RR/S mass-training DVD is available at Home-Gym.com. His e-book Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout is available at X-traordinaryWorkouts.com as an instant download—you can have it minutes after ordering.

X-Man Fan

The biggest reason I read IRON MAN is to get Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman’s training ideas. I’m amazed at how they come up with new techniques or new takes on old ideas and then work them into a mass program. I’ve built so much muscle over the past couple of years using Positons of Flexion and X Reps that my physique has completely transformed. Friends who haven’t seen me in a while are totally blown away by the size of my arms—and I owe it all to Holman and Lawson. I recently started using their 10×10 method after reading The Ultimate 10×10 Workout [e-book], and I’m growing faster than ever. I own all of their e-books and am a dedicated follower of their weekly e-zine. Amazing stuff, guys. Keep up the incredible work!

Dirk Peterson
via Internet

Editor’s note: For more on POF, X Reps, 10×10 and other innovative mass-building methods, visit www.X-Rep.com. You can subscribe to Holman and Lawson’s e-zine there too—and it’s free.